Sow Day, Orkney Islands, Scotland

Harking back to ancient rites from Viking Norway, every family that kept swine would slaughter a sow for Yule, a reminder of the time when the boar, an animal sacred to Freyr, the god of Yule and fertility, was sacrificed at Yule and its flesh eaten as part of the feast. His name means 'master', 'lord', 'the supreme'. Snorri Sturluson describes him as being handsome, powerful, merciful and kind, and calls him "God of the World" (veraldar gódh).

Freyr has control of the weather, both rain and sunshine, thus the fertility of the earth; he is both a god of peace and a brave warrior. He is also the ruler of the elves. The centre of his cult was the city Uppsala in Sweden ...

Categories: sweden, viking, mythology, folklore, calendar-customs