Twas the Night Before Christmas - Viking Style

Most of us know the poem 'Twas the Night Before Christmas written by Clement Clarke Moore almost 190 years ago even if we are not American. But how would it fare if applied to another far older, culture - like the Vikings for instance? Just how would it translate? :-

- - -

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the Hall
Not a creature was stirring, not a warrior nor thrall.
And I in my armour, my shield and my helm
Was drunker than anyone else in the Realm.

I staggered upstairs and fell into bed
While four quarts of mead were ablaze in my head.
Then up from below came the sounds of a brawl
So I grabbed up my axe and ran down to the Hall.

I missed the last step and crashed down in a heap
Thinking, "Why can't those low-lifes downstairs go to sleep!"
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But two brawny strangers, wielding mallet and spear.

I said to myself, "We'll soon have them beat!"
Then I noticed ten warriors laid out at their feet.
I gave out a yell and leapt into the fray...
I'll always regret my poor choice of that day.

For the one laid his hammer to the side of my nose
And up, up, up to the rafters I rose.
Then came a lone frightened voice from the floor,
"Those are no mortal warriors -- that's Odin and Thor!"

Then they looked at each other and they said, "Battle's done.
Now they know who we are, it no longer is fun."
Then Thor raised his hammer, and his elbow he bent,
And with a loud crash, through the ceiling they went.

I crawled through the Hall and flung open the door,
Not really sure that I'd seen them before.
The snow bathed in starlight, the moon like a glede,
I saw them ride off on an eight-legged steed.
And I heard them exclaim, 'ere they flew out of sight,
"TO 'HALLA WITH CHRISTMAS,
WE JUST LOVE A GOOD FIGHT!"

 - - -

Clement Clarke Moore (1779 - 1863) wrote the poem Twas the night before Christmas (also called "A Visit from St. Nicholas") in 1822. It is now the tradition in many American families to read the poem every Christmas Eve. The poem has redefined our image of Christmas and Santa Claus. It could also be argued that exports of sentimental Christmas movies from Hollywood have also done their bit to popularise this poem. It is important to note that prior to the creation of the story of 'Twas the night before Christmas' St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children, had never been associated with a sleigh or reindeers!
Clement Moore was a reticent man and it is believed that a family friend, Miss H. Butler, sent a copy of the poem to the New York Sentinel who published the poem. The condition of publication was that the author of Twas the night before Christmas was to remain anonymous. The first publication date was 23rd December 1823 and it was an immediate success.
It was not until 1844 that Clement Clarke Moore claimed ownership when the work was included in a book of his poetry.
Would Clement have approved of this "translation" of his classic poem? Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn't?

Wishing all my blog readers and subscribers a very merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Twas the Night Before Christmas (Viking Style) can be found in Tiivistelmä (ISBN 978-0-956558-44-7) a book of Viking poetry and mythology for Viking Skalds and tellers of Viking tales




Add blog to our directory.

UKKO - THOR by another Name

When you look at Greek and Roman mythology, it is not uncommon to see the same gods appearing under different names: Mars, the Roman god of war is known in Greek mythology as Ares and the Roman Goddess Juno was known in Greek mythology as Hera, mother of Hercules. 

It is therefore not uncommon to find the same parallels in Northern Mythology. For example, in the KALEVALA, the epic poem of Finland, Thor appears under the name Ukko, the sky-god. The sky was known as Taivas.

The word, Ukko, seems related to the Magyar word Agg, or old, and meant, therefore, an old being, a grandfather; but ultimately it came to be used exclusively as the name of the highest of the Finnish deities. Frost, snow, hail, ice, wind and rain, sunshine and shadow, are thought to come from the hands of Ukko/Thor. He controls the clouds; he is called in the Kalevala, "The Leader of the Clouds," "The Shepherd of the Lamb-Clouds," "The God of the Breezes," "The Golden King," "The Silvern Ruler of the Air," and "The Father of the Heavens."

He wields the thunder-bolts, striking down the spirits of evil on the mountains, and is therefore termed, "The Thunderer," like the Greek Zeus, and his abode is called, "The Thunder-Home." In Myths of the Norsemen Thor too, is known as The Thunderer. Ukko is often represented as sitting upon a cloud in the vault of the sky, and bearing on his shoulders the firmament, and therefore he is termed, "The Pivot of the Heavens." He is armed as an omnipotent warrior; his fiery arrows are forged from copper, the lightning is his sword, and the rainbow his bow, still called Ukkon Kaari. Like the German god, Thor, Ukko swings a hammer; and, finally, we find, in a vein of familiar symbolism, that his skirt sparkles with fire, that his stockings are blue, and his shoes, crimson colored - all of which is a similar color scheme to the depictions of Thor in the Marvel Comics. OK OK there are a few differences, but who cares? After all it is THOR! the MIGHTY THUNDERER and RIGHTER of WRONGS.

Also of interest is Thor's winged helmet. The famous illustrator, Willy Pogany, used a similar winged helmet to depict Thor - get this - in 1920! It is used as the frontispiece to "The Children of Odin - the Book of Northern Myths" a retelling of the Northern Myths especially aimed at children. The similarity to Pogany's frontispiece is uncanny.


In RUNE VII of the Kalevala, Wainamoinen (also spelt Väinämöinen) - the wise old man, beseeches the gods for a return to his homeland so that he may see it one last time before he dies. In his prayer he prays to Ukko (Thor) asking him to grant his wish. The verse goes this:

Answers thus old Wainamoinen,
Grateful for the invitation:
"Never do I court strange tables,
Though the food be rare and toothsome;
One's own country is the dearest,
One's own table is the sweetest,
One's own home, the most attractive.
Grant, kind Ukko, God above me,
Thou Creator, full of mercy,
Grant that I again may visit
My beloved home and country.
Better dwell in one's own country,
There to drink Its healthful waters
From the simple cups of birch-wood,
Than in foreign lands to wander,
There to drink the rarest liquors
From the golden bowls of strangers."


He then of course had to give something in order for his wish to be granted. Such was the nature of pagan gods.

But the worship of Thor was more widespread. The Teutons, or Germans, knew him as Donar, and the Gauls named him Toran or Taran - all of which unsurprisingly mean Thunder. So from the cold wastes of the Arctic Circle to the warm lands of Galicia he was known by similar names.

The Four Ancient Books of Wales - an Anthology of Dark-age Welsh Bardic Poetry

THE dissolution of the religious houses in Wales during the reign of
Henry VIII, and the dispersion of their libraries, led to many Welsh
manuscripts passing into the hands of private individuals. Collections
of Welsh manuscripts soon began to be formed by persons who took an
interest in the history and literature of their country. In the early
1600's many of the manuscripts came into the possession of Robert
Vaughan which he amassed at Hengwrt, his home, preserving many unique texts
which might otherwise have been lost. Later these become known as the Hengwrt-
Peniarth Collection (from the houses from which they were successively
preserved). They then formed the nucleus of the
National Library of Wales and are still in its care.

This is William Skene's anthology of dark-age Welsh Bardic poetry
sourced from this collection. Often cited, this book contains every
remaining piece of Bardic poetry known. The poems are translated from
four manuscripts: THE BLACK BOOK OF CAERMARTHEN, THE RED BOOK OF
HERGEST (source of the Mabinogion), THE BOOK OF TALIESSIN and THE BOOK
OF ANEURIN, all of which date from the twelfth to the fifteenth
centuries A.D. The poems themselves date from much earlier, probably
from the sixth century by internal evidence.

This volume is one of the treasures of world literature. It is also
the only true source material for the study of Bardic lore, which
reputedly preserved the impenetrable and arcane beliefs of the Druids.
Much of the subject matter is related to mead-inspired battles,
particularly the renowned Gododin cycle. However, the poetry rises
above the gory combat to achieve an artistic height that would not be
reached again for many centuries. The poems are infused throughout
with mystic clarity, strange flashes of wisdom, and insight into
humanity and nature.

For more information, a table of contents or to order, click on this
link http://www.abelapublishing.com/welshbooks.html

To view the full Celtic collection at
http://www.abelapublishing.com/CelticTales.html

To view the entire Fairytales, Folklore, Myths and Legends catalogue,
go to http://www.abelapublishing.com/catalogue.html

Published by Abela Publishing - http://www.AbelaPublishing.com