Winterfylleth

Sacrifice of the Elves

Winter Full Moon

Voices of the Barrow-Dead

Winterfylleth (also called the Álfablót or the Sacrifice of the Elves) is the holy tide marking summer's end. In fear of his wrath, Woden is honoured during this frigid time as God and Housefather of his divine clan. Ingui shares in equal veneration, for he is Father to the Elves and holds domain over our sacred burial-mounds - and all barrow-wights that lie within. A season of death and ancestral worship, both are honoured by the libation of beer.

 

As its name indicates, Winterfylleth marks the start of Germanic winter as reckoned by the Winter Full Moon. It is both the duration of the lunar month, as well as its first day, so aptly our most applicable term. We observe the three days subsequent to its beginning as the Winter Nights and celebrate such with the practice of nightly clan-prayers to our male ancestors residing in the hereafter. The practice of sleeping on burial-mounds is likewise common during this time, for those that dare dream atop such may receive visions from those in rest below.

 

Our Order bears witness to the passage of Winterylleth on the first Full Moon of October and ceases celebration on the third day of that lunar month.

Art: Ängsälvor by Nils Blommér, 1850; Swedish artist.

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Want to learn more about the Winterfylleth?

 

Please see the below resources for more information:

At Winter's Break - Reckoning Winterfylleth

What is the Winterfylleth and how is it observed?

Many men throughout the generations have given us wisdom. Often it has come from great educators: shamans, priests, scholars or other refined intellectuals of a given time period. Often is the key to that sentence twice over. Often does great wisdom come from the most unlikely, and unrefined, of people; often those of refinement are not wise...