Beoir Magazine
Odin, Sacrifice, and Christmas Beer: Why to Thank a Viking for Your Favourite Holiday Brew Fairy lights abound, streets decorated with evergreen, and the ubiquitous man in the red suit all signal it’s that time of the year for your favorite Christmas beer. Generally a rich spicy brew with a big malt flavor this style of beer is a perfect match for the dark nights in with a cozy fire. While it may appear a modern marketing creation- this beer is actually descended from a millennium old tradition. You may know that many of your holiday traditions are rooted in the medieval Norse celebration called Yule. From the Christmas tree to your holiday wreath, the pagan mid-winter festivities are responsible for many a modern practice. But did you know you should also thank a Viking for your favorite Christmas beer? Yule, or Jól in Old Norse, occurred roughly from mid November to early January. It was a crucial holiday in the Viking belief system and was associated with complex rituals including the Jólablót, literally ‘Yule sacrifice’. The holiday itself has strong ties to the Norse god Odin who among his many names is often referred to as jólfaðr or ‘Yule father’. For the festivities, special beers were brewed, drank and sacrificed to him, as well as other gods of the Norse pantheon like Frey.