A Very Viking Season Trivia Quiz

Answer: Odin

Odin, also called Jolnir, was the Norse god of wisdom, while Father Christmas was the symbol of Christmas in England. There seem to be many similarities between Odin and Father Christmas. They look quite a bit alike, with both having scraggly long hair and beards. Their clothes are also similar, with each wearing a fur-trimmed cloak and hat or hood. Both of them deliver presents during the holidays, targeting the good people, and leaving out the bad, having the power of all-knowing in that respect!

Our belief in Father Christmas has been around for centuries, but not too long ago he was merged with the Dutch Sinter Klass to become Santa Claus. It is popular, however, to continue to call him Father Christmas. My father says that when he was a child, Father Christmas was more connected with adult feasts and parties; now he brings presents to children.

Answer: Jul

All of the other choices are part of the Norse Wheel of the Year, but the celebration during the winter solstice was called Jul, or Jol, meaning "turn" for the turning of the seasons. Over time Jul became known as Yule. The name Jul was probably derived from the god known as Jolnir; the celebration took place during the time of the winter solstice when the Wild Hunt, the time when Jolnir collected the souls of the dead, took place. Vikings believed it was a lot safer to stay inside and party than to risk going outside and running into that group or run into too much supernatural activity! Well, Jolnir might just decide it was their time to go with him!

While people in the North still use the term "Jul" for the Christmastide season, in England we sometimes call it Yuletide, which means "Jul time". And we do observe a custom that involves burning a Yule log that has been handed down from my mother's family for centuries. I prefer, however, to consume my yule log in the form of a chocolate cake!

Answer: Evergreen

Balder was the god of the sun, light, beauty, purity, and joy, and was described as being well-loved by his parents, and almost perfect in every way. Because evergreen trees stayed green during the coldest time of the year, their presence, representing eternal life and the sun, offered hope that spring would arrive. The decorations on the trees, carved images of gods, foodstuffs, and even clothes, were meant to entice the tree spirits to be sure to bring spring.

Evergreen Christmas trees are all the rage right now, but we bring them inside to decorate. It is said that members of the royal family enjoyed the tradition in Germany and decided to introduce it to us in England.

Answer: Wreath

During their Saturnalia celebrations Romans decorated wreaths made of holly, fir, and ivy, with foodstuffs and ribbons. They were viewed as a symbol of life and good luck. The Vikings put a bit of a different spin on the wreath, by setting fire to what they called a sunwheel. Not only did the burning wreath represent the sun, but it also represented the cycle of seasons as it rolled down the hill.

They also made wreaths of holly for the interior of their homes, as evergreen plants were believed to possess magic that would protect them from the evil that came during the long periods of darkness. Evergreen branches were typically placed all over the house. My mother has a wreath on the door of our house which is made from ivy, and decorated with nuts, fruit, and pinecones. I never have thought of it as protection from evil, but now I do!

Answer: Mistletoe

The story of Balder's death by mistletoe is well known. His mother, Frigga, wished to ensure his eternal safety, and visited everything in the universe to ask that her son remain unharmed. She thought that mistletoe was so small and insignificant that it could not possibly hurt her son.

Loki found out, and made an arrow out of mistletoe, killing Balder with his only source of weakness. Frigga's tears turned the berries on the plant white (some sources say her tears became the berries), and her son was resurrected. In some legends it is said that Frigga said the plant represented love and promised to kiss anyone she found standing beneath it. That must be why my mother has some hanging in our parlour, but she says that it's for good luck! My sister, however, seems to want to lure her young man there!

Answer: 12 days

While there is evidence that the original Jul celebration lasted three days, it was eventually expanded. Over time Jul began on the day of the winter solstice, and the Vikings feasted, sang songs, and drank for twelve days. That was also how long the Wild Hunt lasted. Did you know that during this time laundry wasn't hung outside because people were afraid that the rider in the Wild Hunt would get caught in it!

Vikings used a lunar calendar, and their months were counted from either new moon to new moon or full moon to full moon. And, while the moon was important to them, so was the sun. By the end of the twelve days, they could see the sun again - a welcome sight after many days with no sun at all! Winter wasn't over yet, but at least it was a start!

Answer: Ham

Freyr had many domains in Norse mythology, including fertility, peace, good weather, and good harvest. Wild boars and pigs were sacrificed to Freyr during Jul in hopes of insuring a future bountiful harvest. After the sacrificial ritual, the meat was boiled and served during Jul celebrations.

This brings to mind the many stories about wild boars in Viking mythology. In the picture you will see Freyr with his boar, Gullinbursti. Gullinbursti was a special gift made for Freyr that had some bristles in his mane that glowed. There are some stories that suggest that Gullinbursti pulled Freyr's chariot.

My mother typically makes either goose or roast beef for our Christmas meal, but my cousin who lives in Boston says they enjoy ham.

Answer: Elf

The name elf comes from "alfar", which means hidden people. The Vikings thought they were tall, pale, beautiful people. These elves were believed to have been incredibly talented, and were constantly busy making things, such as Mjolnir, Thor's hammer, and Gungnir, Oldin's spear. But be careful! While they did have the power of healing, they also had the power to make those who angered them sick!

That isn't quite how we see elves today, is it? Rather than being tall and beautiful they resemble those in the picture I found. Well, the Vikings also had, in addition to the alfar, a belief in the nisse, who lived in stables and took care of guarding the property. They looked much like garden gnomes, short and wearing a pointy red hat. That may explain why our elves look the way they do!

Answer: Goat

The Yule goat was associated with Thor, who had two goats, the julbock, to pull his chariot across the sky. During Jul the goats would be sent with presents to distribute to those children who had been well behaved; they also could demand gifts for Thor. When Viking farmers would harvest their grain, they would keep some to make the Yule goat from the last bit harvested because it was believed to possess magical powers. This would help to ensure that the next harvest would be bountiful.

The Yule goat is still evident in Christmas celebrations up north today. They believe that it brings presents during the season of Yule. I have, however, seen pictures of Father Christmas riding on a goat! Well, now I get it!

Answer: Wassail

The word wassail is derived from the Old Norse, "ves heill", which appears to have been a drinking phrase. Although the Vikings weren't particularly great about writing their own history, one can just imagine that there was a lot of "ves heill" wishes at their winter solstice celebrations. We do know that they measured their age by how many winters they had lived, so it was time to give wishes for another year!

During the Yule season, they not only toasted each other, but they also sang songs, presumably with the intention of coaxing the trees and forest vegetation to return. This singing of songs became known as wassailing over time, and as a verb, the term has a double meaning: drink and enjoy oneself and sing! But in my home, my mother has some recipes for wassail and a wassail bowl. She usually makes the punch version; I am looking forward to having some mulled wine one of these days!