Moonlight and mystery combine for a magical Yuletide. Witches have been living at Moonfell, the sprawling Gothic mansion in London, for five hundred years. The house and gardens are steeped in magic, and at every Yule the family gathers to reinforce the protection spells on the house. But this year is different. When one of the witches starts seeing visions through the moon gates, they realise that other spells are awakening. It seems the first witch has left them a gift – if they can unlock the magic to find it. The First Yule is an enchanting novella, the first book in the new Moonfell Witches series by TJ Green. If you love witch fiction, paranormal mysteries, and fantastic characters set in a mysterious and magical house, you will love this series. Buy the Yuletide novella now!
To celebrate the beginning of 1800, Queen Charlotte invites 100 children to Windsor Castle, where England's first Christmas tree, laden with gifts, is the centerpiece. Includes biographical information about Queen Charlotte and a timeline.
A complete, practical, and entertaining guide to using the best ingredients and minimal equipment to create flavorful brews—including wildcrafted meads, bragots, t’ej, grog, honey beers, and more! "A great guide . . . full of practical information and fascinating lore."—Sandor Ellix Katz, author of The Art of Fermentation Ancient societies brewed flavorful and healing meads, ales, and wines for millennia using only intuition, storytelling, and knowledge passed down through generations―no fancy, expensive equipment or degrees in chemistry needed. In Make Mead Like a Viking, homesteader, fermentation enthusiast, and self-described “Appalachian Yeti Viking” Jereme Zimmerman summons the bryggjemann of the ancient Norse to demonstrate how homebrewing mead―arguably the world’s oldest fermented alcoholic beverage―can be not only uncomplicated but fun. Inside, readers will learn techniques for brewing: Sweet, semi-sweet, and dry meads Melomels (fruit meads) Metheglins (spiced meads) Ethiopian t’ej (honey wine) Flower and herbal meads Bragots Honey beers Country wines Viking grog And there's more for aspiring Vikings to explore, including: The importance of local and unpasteurized honey for both flavor and health benefits What modern homebrewing practices, materials, and chemicals work—but aren’t necessary How to grow and harvest herbs and collect wild botanicals for use in healing, nutritious, and magical meads, beers, and wines How to use botanicals other than hops for flavoring and preserving mead, ancient ales, and gruits The rituals, mysticism, and communion with nature that were integral components of ancient brewing Whether you’ve been intimidated by modern homebrewing’s cost or seeming complexity in the past or are boldly looking to expand your current brewing and fermentation practices, Zimmerman’s welcoming style and spirit will usher you into exciting new territory. Grounded in history and mythology, but―like Odin’s ever-seeking eye―focusing continually on the future of self-sufficient food culture, Make Mead Like a Viking is a practical and entertaining guide for the ages. "Adventurous mead makers or brewers who want to move beyond the basics will find plenty to savor here."—Library Journal
An examination of the sacred botany and the pagan origins and rituals of Christmas • Analyzes the symbolism of the many plants associated with Christmas • Reveals the shamanic rituals that are at the heart of the Christmas celebration The day on which many commemorate the birth of Christ has its origins in pagan rituals that center on tree worship, agriculture, magic, and social exchange. But Christmas is no ordinary folk observance. It is an evolving feast that over the centuries has absorbed elements from cultures all over the world--practices that give plants and plant spirits pride of place. In fact, the symbolic use of plants at Christmas effectively transforms the modern-day living room into a place of shamanic ritual. Christian Rätsch and Claudia Müller-Ebeling show how the ancient meaning of the botanical elements of Christmas provides a unique view of the religion that existed in Europe before the introduction of Christianity. The fir tree was originally revered as the sacred World Tree in northern Europe. When the church was unable to drive the tree cult out of people’s consciousness, it incorporated the fir tree by dedicating it to the Christ child. Father Christmas in his red-and-white suit, who flies through the sky in a sleigh drawn by reindeer, has his mythological roots in the shamanic reindeer-herding tribes of arctic Europe and Siberia. These northern shamans used the hallucinogenic fly agaric mushroom, which is red and white, to make their soul flights to the other world. Apples, which figure heavily in Christmas baking, are symbols of the sun god Apollo, so they find a natural place at winter solstice celebrations of the return of the sun. In fact, the authors contend that the emphasis of Christmas on green plants and the promise of the return of life in the dead of winter is just an adaptation of the pagan winter solstice celebration.
Llewellyn’s Sabbat Essentials series explores the old and new ways of celebrating the seasonal rites that are the cornerstones in the witch’s year. A well-rounded introduction to Yule, this attractive book features rituals, recipes, lore, and correspondences. It includes hands-on information for modern celebrations, spells and divination, recipes and crafts, invocations and prayers, and more! Yule—also known as Midwinter—is when nighttime has reached its maximum length, but there is a promise of brighter days to come as candles are lit and feasts are enjoyed. This guide to the history and modern celebration of Yule shows you how to perform rituals and magic to celebrate and work with the energy of the winter solstice.
“Terrific. A wild ride….I loved it. It hooked me and I couldn’t put it down.” —Mike Mignola, creator of Hellboy "Brom is that rare breed: a person who is skilled in more than one area of artistic expression. Here's hoping that he will continue to share his dark and often beautiful dreams with us for many years to come." --Christopher Paolini, New York Times bestselling author of Eragon Acclaimed author and artist Brom raised eyebrows and pulse rates with The Child Thief, his grim, brilliantly audacious, gorgeously illustrated reimagining of the Peter Pan legend. So what does this innovative fantasist do for an encore? He tinkers darkly with the beloved mythology of Santa Claus. Set in Appalachia, Krampus the Yule Lord is a twisted fairytale about a failed West Virginia songwriter who gets ensnared on Christmas Eve in an eternal war between a not-so-saintly Saint Nick and his dark enemy Krampus, aka Black Peter, an ancient trickster demon. Krampus the Yule Lord is Gregory Maguire (Wicked) meets Susanna Clarke (Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell) in the realm of Guillermo Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, as Clive Barker (Mr. B. Gone) works his dark sorcery from the shadows. Once again featuring Brom’s chillingly beautiful artwork throughout, Krampus the Yule Lord is a feast of wonder straight from the kitchen of Sweeney Todd.
Filled with dozens of magical tips, recipes, crafts, and spells, Llewellyn's Little Book of Yule shares everything you need to make your Yuletide memorable and enchanting. From wassail blessings to the spirits of the solstice, this book delves into the lore of familiar traditions as well as observances that may be brand new to you, making it an invaluable resource for bringing meaning and magic to your holiday season.
Andrew Wawn draws together a wide range of source material, including novels, poems, lectures and periodicals, to give a comprehensive account of the construction and translation of the Viking age in 19th century Britain.
The Krampus, a folkloric devil associated with St. Nicholas in Alpine Austria and Germany, has been embraced by the American counterculture and is lately skewing mainstream. The new Christmas he seems to embody is ironically closer to an ancient understanding of the holiday as a perilous, haunted season. In the Krampus' world, witches rule Christmas, and saints can sometimes kill.
The Legend of the Yule Lads is well-known among Icelanders and has been passed down from generation to generation for over 1,500 years. The country's rich history of legends and folktales featuring a host of mystical creatures is reflected in this unique Christmas tale about trolls. However, like many of Iceland's legends, the story of the Yule Lads is virtually unknown outside of the country. This particular story can be traced back to 13th Century and the Snorri Sturlson's Edda. The Edda refers to the recognized mother of the Yule Lad's, a horrible ogress named Gryla. In that time, Gryla and her many troll offspring were said to terrorize children, hauling badly behaved children off in great burlap bags to be later eaten. The tales of Gryla and the Yule Lads became so gruesome and disturbing that in 1746 a public decree was issued to forbid parents from using these stories to terrify children. In the years since, the Yule Lads' character has been softened from horrible trolls to mischievous tricksters. As the legend goes, the Yule Lads come down from the mountain, one each day starting 13 days before Christmas. They stay through Christmas Day, then leave, one each day, in the order they arrived. In 1932, a popular poem was written about the Jolasveinarnir [Yule Lads] by Johannes from Kotlum and it first appeared in the book Jolin Koma [Christmas is coming]. As presented in Johannes poem, each of the Yule Lad's name reflects their particular brand of mischief. Stekkjastaur (Sheep Cote Clod) starts things off on December 12th and is best known for stealing sheep's milk. Giljagaur (Gulley-Gawk) arrives the next day and is preoccupied with sneaking into the barn to steal cow's milk. Stufur (Shorty) steals bits of food left on frying pans while Thvorusleikir (Spoon-licker) steals spoons from the kitchen to lick and Pottasleikir (Pot-licker) steals pots and pans for the leftovers. Askasleikir (Bowl-licker) arrives next and sneak awa
