Keeper of the Northern Fires's Blog (71)

BELTANE MARIGOLD CUSARD

BELTANE MARIGOLD CUSTARD 2 cups milk 1 cup unsprayed marigold petals 1/4 tsp. salt 3 tbsp. sugar 1 to 2-inch piece vanilla bean 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten 1/8 tsp. allspice 1/8 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp. rose water Whipped cream Using a clean mortar and pestle reserved for cooking purposes, pound marigold petals. Or, crush with a spoon. Mix the salt, sugar and spices together. Scald milk with the marigolds and the vanilla bean. Remove the vanilla bean and add the slightly beaten yolks and dry ing… Continue

Added by Keeper of the Northern Fires on April 27, 2009 at 2:53pm — No Comments

A Message from "HEY-SUESS" - Happy Easter Everyone!!!

"He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666" Revelation 13:16 THROWING UP THE HORNS TO THE BUNNY! Continue

Added by Keeper of the Northern Fires on April 12, 2009 at 1:58pm — 1 Comment

Recipes for Yule

Recipes for Yule Recipe for Plum Pudding 1/4 lb. flour 1/4 lb. currants 1 tsp. salt 1/4 lb. sultanas (small raisins) 1 tsp. allspice 2 cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped 1 tsp. ginger 1 ounce cut mixed (citrus) peel 1 tsp. cinnamon 2 oz. shredded almonds pinch fresh grated nutmeg Juice and grated rind of 1 orange and 1 lemon 1/4 lb. fresh breadcrumbs 1/4 lb. molasses (treacle) 1/2 lb. shredded suet 4 large eggs 1/4 lb. brown sugar 2 tbsp. brandy 1/4 lb. dried chopped apricots 1/4 lb. pru… Continue

Added by Keeper of the Northern Fires on March 24, 2009 at 3:57pm — No Comments

Recipes for Samhain

Recipes for Samhain Pumpkin Muffins 1 c Unbleached Flour, Sifted 2 t Baking Powder 1/4 t Salt 1/4 t Ground Cinnamon 1/4 c Vegetable Shortening 2/3 c Sugar 1 ea Large Egg 1/2 c Canned, Mashed Pumpkin 2 T Milk Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; set aside. Cream together shortening and sugar in mixing bowl until light and fluffy, using electric mixer at medium speed. Beat in egg. Combine pumpkin and milk in small bowl. Add dry ingredients alternately with pumpkin mixture to cre… Continue

Added by Keeper of the Northern Fires on March 24, 2009 at 3:25pm — No Comments

Recipes for Mabon

Covenstead Bread 3/4 cup water 1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup finely chopped citron 1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons anise seeds 2-1/3 cups flour 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon allspice Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Add honey, citron, sugar, and anise seeds. Stir until the sugar completely dissolves and then remove from heat. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices, and fold into the hot honey mixture. Turn the batter into a well-greased… Continue

Added by Keeper of the Northern Fires on March 24, 2009 at 3:16pm — No Comments

Recipes for Lughnassadh

Recipes for Lughnassadh Perfect Corn Bread 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour 1/4 cup sugar 4 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup yellow corn meal 2 eggs 1 cup milk 1/4 cup shortening Sift flour with sugar, baking powder, and salt; stir in cornmeal. Add eggs, milk, and shortening. Beat with rotary or electric beater till just smooth. (Do not overbeat.) Pour into greased 9x9x2 inch pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Corn Sticks: Spoon batter into greased corn-stick pans, fill… Continue

Added by Keeper of the Northern Fires on March 24, 2009 at 3:07pm — No Comments

Recipes for Litha

Recipes for Litha Soft Mead 1 quart water, preferably spring water 1 cup honey 1 sliced lemon 1/2 tsp. nutmeg Boil together all ingredients in a non-metallic pot. While boiling, scrape off the rising "scum" with a wooden spoon. When no more rises add the following: pinch salt juice of 1/2 lemon Strain and cool. Drink in place of alcoholic mead or wine during the Simple Feast. Midsummer Ritual Mead 2 1/2 gallons water (preferably fresh rainwater blessed by a priest or priestess) 1 cup each: me… Continue

Added by Keeper of the Northern Fires on March 24, 2009 at 2:57pm — No Comments

Recipes for Beltane

Recipes for Beltane Fried Honeycakes These cakes are not unlike those made on the night before Beltane by women around the turn of the century. These cakes were left in the garden to please Faery visitors. 1/2 cup sweet white wine 2 tablespoons sugar 1 egg 1 cup honey 2/3 cup flour 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon Oil for frying 1/8 teaspoon salt Beat the wine & egg in a medium bowl. Combine the flour, cinnamon, salt & sugar in a small bowl. Stir into the egg mixture. Let sta… Continue

Added by Keeper of the Northern Fires on March 24, 2009 at 2:53pm — No Comments

Ostara Recipes

Ostara Recipes The modern belief that eggs are delivered by a rabbit known as the Easter Bunny comes from the legend of the Goddess Eostre. A rabbit wanted to please the Goddess so much that she laid the sacred eggs in her honor, gaily decorated them, and then humbly presented them to her. The Goddess was so pleased that she wished all humankind to share in her joy. Honoring her wishes, the rabbit went through all the world and distributed these little decorated gifts of life. Other foods for s… Continue

Added by Keeper of the Northern Fires on March 24, 2009 at 2:49pm — 1 Comment

Recipes For Imbolc

Recipes For Imbolc Candied Violets After picking a large number of violets, spread them on a cookie sheet to dry for a few hours. Then beat an egg white to a froth, paint it on each flower with a fine brush, and (carefully!) pour fine white sugar over the flowers to coat them. You can color the egg white purple for variety if you wish. (Gum arabic can be substituted for the egg whites.) Feather Cake (Candied violets work beautifully for garnishes on this cake.) First, rub to a cream 2 tables… Continue

Added by Keeper of the Northern Fires on March 24, 2009 at 2:40pm — No Comments

Simple Recipes for the Kitchen Witch

Simple Recipes: Friendship Tea Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup Tang orange drink 1 cup instant tea 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 3/4 tsp. ground cloves Add all ingredients to a large bowl to mix. Stir until blended. Store in a tightly covered container. Add 2 1/2 to 3 tsps. of tea mixture to hot water. This also makes a wonderful gift to a friend. Herbal Infusion in Water: For leaves, flowers and crushed seeds 1 cup water 2 tsp. Herb tea Boil water in a glass, enamel coated or stainless steel pan a… Continue

Added by Keeper of the Northern Fires on March 24, 2009 at 11:00am — No Comments

Viking Age Star and Constellation Names

Jakob Grimm in Teutonic Mythology tells us: "It is a very remarkable statement of Jornandes cap. 11, that in Sulla's time the Goths under Dicenaeus, exclusive of planets and signs of the zodiac, were acquainted with 344 stars that ran from east to west." While the Germanic peoples obviously knew the night skies and had names for the objects they saw therein, as Grimm goes on to comment, few of the old names have been preserved. Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda says in Gylfaginning: Þá tóku þeir… Continue

Added by Keeper of the Northern Fires on December 20, 2008 at 3:40am — No Comments

Slavery and Thralldom: The Unfree in Viking Scandinavia

ike most medieval peoples, the Vikings had a rigidly stratified caste system. At the bottom of the social order existed those who were unfree: these were termed þræll or "thrall", which means literally, "an unfree servant." Slavery or ánauð is a term encountered occasionally, especially in reference to persons enslaved as a consequence of warfare or raids. Hereditary thralls were often known as fostre, or "fosterling," and probably had a more beneficent relationship with their owners. All thrall… Continue

Added by Keeper of the Northern Fires on December 20, 2008 at 2:05am — No Comments

Old Norse Names

In general, parents named their children after a deceased relative or hero. In some way the child was believed to inherit with the name the gifts or personality of their namesake: this belief almost seems to have been one of reincarnation of the named relative in the new child once the name was bestowed. It was very common to give children the names of honored relatives, for the Northmen believed that children would partake of the virtues of the ones whose names they bore. Relatives recently de… Continue

Added by Keeper of the Northern Fires on December 20, 2008 at 1:46am — No Comments

The Aurora Borealis and the Vikings

The Old Norse word for the aurora borealis is norðrljós, "northern lights". The first occurrence of the term norðrljós is in the book Konungs Skuggsjá (The King's Mirror, known in Latin as Speculum Regalae), written in 1250 AD, after the end of the Viking Age (the Viking Age dates ca. 800-1100AD), describing the Northern Lights as seen by settlers in Greenland: "But as to that matter which you have often inquired about, what those lights can be which the Greenlanders call the northern lights, I… Continue

Added by Keeper of the Northern Fires on December 20, 2008 at 1:20am — No Comments

Viking Masks

The Vikings did not celebrate Halloween, and while they had a major celebration at near the same time of year, it did not involve costumes or masquerades. Yet we know from archaeology that they did use masks, and there is evidence to suggest that these may have been connected with a different seasonal celebration. Three annual festivals appear to have been known and celebrated throughout Viking Age Scandinavia. The Heimskringla of Icelander Snorri Sturluson records these festivals in Ynglingasa… Continue

Added by Keeper of the Northern Fires on December 20, 2008 at 1:12am — No Comments

The Raven Banner and Other Viking Banners

Common Misconceptions Regarding the Raven Banner: A whole host of misconceptions exist about the Raven Banner. Many people assume that this was "the Viking flag", universally flown by all Vikings everywhere. This is not so: the Raven Banner is always described as being the personal banner of a specific Viking chieftain or leader. The Viking Age predates the formation of the various Scandinavian nations. Thus without a nation, there was not a "national flag". Nor was there a monolithic "Viking N… Continue

Added by Keeper of the Northern Fires on December 20, 2008 at 12:52am — No Comments

Norse Holidays and Festivals

Norse Holidays and Festivals: The ancient Germanic/Norse year was divided into two seasons: Summer and Winter. Summer began at the festival of Eostre, close to the Spring Equinox, and Winter began at the festival of Winternights, close to the Autumn Equinox. Between these two festivals was the festival of Midsummer (Lithasblot) at the Summer Solstice, and the festival of Jul (Yule), at the Winter Solstice. There are other minor festivals that are celebrated in between these four major ones, lis… Continue

Added by Keeper of the Northern Fires on December 16, 2008 at 4:16pm — 1 Comment

Ægishjálmr: the Symbol Called the Helm of Awe

The name of this symbol is ægishjálmr, which when literally translated means "helm of awe" or "helm of terror". It is used in various places in the sagas, where it can have many other meanings, such as "countenance of terror" or "overbearing nature".

The term ægishjálmr probably did not refer to a real, physical helmet or… Continue

Added by Keeper of the Northern Fires on December 16, 2008 at 1:57pm — No Comments

Sacred Space in Viking Law and Religion

Hilda Ellis-Davidson once said: "Every religion must have its holy places, affording a means of communication between man, gods, spirits and forces of nature." Studying the idea of sacred space among the pagan Viking Age peoples is difficult, since the literary sources that we have which directly tell us about such areas are all written by Christians, often long after the close of the Viking Age. It is often more helpful to look at the practices of the Germanic peoples elsewhere, especially th… Continue

Added by Keeper of the Northern Fires on December 16, 2008 at 1:26pm — No Comments