The Role of the Norse Pantheon in the Viking Pagan Calendar 2023

In the year 2023, many people around the world will be celebrating the Viking pagan calendar. The Viking pagan calendar is different from the modern Gregorian calendar that is widely used today. It is based on the lunar and solar cycles, which were important elements in the Norse culture. The main idea behind the Viking pagan calendar is to honor the gods and goddesses that were worshipped by the Vikings. The calendar consists of twelve months, each named after a different deity. The first month is called "Thorri," named after the Norse god of thunder and strength.

Rowlands, Alison, ‘Not “the Usual Suspects”? Male Witches, Witchcraft, and Masculinities in Early Modern Europe,’ in Alison Rowlands (ed.), Witchcraft and Masculinities in Early Modern Europe, Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009, pp. 1-31.

Much of the book offered hints to judges and prosecutors, such as the authors suggestion to strip each suspect completely and inspect the body to see whether a mole was present that might be a telltale sign of consort with demons, and to have the defendants brought into court backwards to minimize their opportunities to cast dangerous spells on officials. Due to the Reformation and Counter Reformation, even convents had grown smaller in number and the nuns who lived there experienced increasing restrictions on their mobility and contact to the outside world.

The first month is called "Thorri," named after the Norse god of thunder and strength. This month is considered to be the coldest and darkest of the year, as it falls in the wintertime. The second month is called "Góa," named after a goddess associated with the earth and fertility.

Persecutions of alleged witches in Germany

Leviticus 20:27 A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit , or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them. (KJV)

Exodus and Leviticus, two Old Testament books that make up part of the "Law of Moses" and the primary history of the Jewish people, were written in the sixth century B. C by a Jewish writer —whose name we do not know. The books, which include the passages quoted above that assume the existence of witches and urge that they be killed, were most likely written in what is present-day Iraq during the reign of Evil Merodach, a dark time of Jewish exile, around 560 B.C. The author was most likely a priest, and might have been assisted in his work by other priests and scribes.

The word "witch" in Exodus is a translation of the Hebrew word " kashaph ," which comes from the root meaning "to whisper." The word as used in Exodus probably thus meant "one who whispers a spell." In context, the Exodus passage probably was intended to urge Jews to adhere to their own religious practices and not those of surrounding tribes.

Saint Augustine of Hippo, an influential theologian in the early Christian Church, argued in the early 400s that God alone could suspend the normal laws of the universe. In his view, neither Satan nor witches had supernatural powers or were capable of effectively invoking magic of any sort. It was the "error of the pagans" to believe in "some other divine power than the one God." Of course, if witches are indeed powerless, the Church need not overly concern itself with their spells or other attempts at mischief.

1208
3. Satan becomes sinister following
Pope Innocent III's attack on Cathar heretics.

In 1208, Pope Innocent III opened an attack on Cathar heretics who believed in a world in which God and Satan, both having supernatural powers, were at war. The Church attempted to discredit the Cathar belief by spreading stories that the heretics actually worshiped their evil deity in person. Propagandists for the Church depicted Cathars kissing the anus of Satan in a ceremonial show of loyalty to him. As a result of the Church's sustained attacks, the public's understanding of Satan moved from that of a mischievous spoiler to a deeply sinister force.

1273
4. Thomas Aquinas argues that demons exist that try to lead people into temptation.

Many adherents of Catharism, fleeing a papal inquisition launched against their alleged heresies, had migrated into Germany and the Savoy. Torture inflicted on heretics suspected of magical pacts or demon-driven sexual misconduct led to alarming confessions. Defendants admitted to flying on poles and animals to attend assemblies presided over by Satan appearing in the form of a goat or other animal. Some defendants told investigators that they repeatedly kissed Satan's anus as a display of their loyalty. Others admitted to casting spells on neighbors, having sex with animals, or causing storms. The distinctive crime of witchcraft began to take shape.

Pope Innocent announced that satanists in Germany were meeting with demons, casting spells that destroyed crops, and aborting infants. The pope asked two friars, Heinrich Kramer (a papal inquisitor of sorcerers from Innsbruck) and Jacob Sprenger, to publish a full report on the suspected witchcraft. Two years later, the friars published Malleus maleficarum ("Hammer of Witches") which put to rest the old orthodoxy that witches were powerless in the face of God to a new orthodoxy that held Christians had an obligation to hunt down and kill them. The Malleus told frightening tales of women who would have sex with any convenient demon, kill babies, and even steal penises. (The friars asked, "What is to be thought of those witches who collect. as many as twenty or thirty members together, and put them in a bird's nest or shut them up in a box, where they move themselves like living members and eat oats and corn?") Over the next forty years, the Malleus would be reprinted thirteen times and come to help define the crime of witchcraft. Much of the book offered hints to judges and prosecutors, such as the authors' suggestion to strip each suspect completely and inspect the body to see whether a mole was present that might be a telltale sign of consort with demons, and to have the defendants brought into court backwards to minimize their opportunities to cast dangerous spells on officials.

Over the 160 years from 1500 to 1660, Europe saw between 50,000 and 80,000 suspected witches executed. About 80% of those killed were women. Execution rates varied greatly by country, from a high of about 26,000 in Germany to about 10,000 in France, 1,000 in England, and only four in Ireland. The lower death tolls in England and Ireland owe in part to better procedural safeguards in those countries for defendants.

Scotland's witch-hunting had its origins in the marriage of King James to Princess Anne of Denmark. Anne's voyage to Scotland for the wedding met with a bad storm, and she ended up taking refuge in Norway. James traveled to Scandinavia and the wedding took place in at Kronborg Castle in Denmark. After a long honeymoon in Denmark, the royal newlyweds encountered terrible seas on the return voyage, which the ship's captain blamed on witches. When six Danish women confessed to having caused the storms that bedeviled King James, he began to take witchcraft seriously. Back in Scotland, the paranoid James authorized torture of suspected witches. Dozens of condemned witches in the North Berwick area were burned at the stake in what would be the largest witch-hunt in British history. By 1597, James began to address some of the worst prosecutorial abuses, and witch-hunting abated somewhat.

1606
9. Shakespeare's Macbeth performed

Banquo and Macbeth are greeted by the three witches.

A dark Cave. In the middle, a Cauldron boiling. Thunder. Enter the three witches.
1 W ITCH. Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd.
2 W ITCH. Thrice and once, the hedge-pig whin'd.
3 W ITCH. Harpier cries:—'tis time! 'tis time!
1 W ITCH. Round about the cauldron go;
In the poison'd entrails throw.—
Toad, that under cold stone,
Days and nights has thirty-one;
Swelter'd venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i' the charmed pot!
A LL. Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

1640s
10. Witch-hunting, after a major outbreak in France, begins to decrease.

In 1643-1645, the largest witch-hunt in French history occurred. During those two years there were at least 650 arrests in Languedoc alone. The same time was one of intense witch-hunting in England, as the English civil war created an atmosphere of unrest that fueled the hunting, especially under Matthew Hopkins. The Thirty Years War, a conflict that raged in several European states from 1618-1648 following an attempted rebellion by Protestants in Bohemia from the Roman Catholic Hapsburg rulers, produced slaughter and suffering that sparked additional witch hunts.

The number of trials began to drop sharply, however, in the late 1640s. Holland, for example, was by 1648 a tolerant society that had done away with punishments for witchcraft.

1682
11. England executes its last witch

Dass sie mit Ampt eyn Mort begon. (Ibid 123)

As the year progresses, the months celebrate various other deities such as Odin, Freya, and Loki. Each month is marked by specific rituals and celebrations. For example, in the month of Thorri, people might gather around bonfires and offer sacrifices to Thor to ask for blessings and protection during the cold winter months. In the month of Góa, people might engage in agricultural activities and celebrate the fertility of the earth. Apart from the monthly celebrations, the Viking pagan calendar also includes important annual festivals. One of the most significant festivals is Yule, which marks the winter solstice. During Yule, people celebrate the rebirth of the sun and welcome its return by lighting candles and feasting with loved ones. Overall, the Viking pagan calendar provides a unique way for people to connect with their Norse heritage and pay homage to the gods and goddesses of that time. By following this calendar, individuals can immerse themselves in the traditions and customs of the Viking age and experience a sense of connection to their ancestors..

Reviews for "The Sacred Elements in the Viking Pagan Calendar 2023: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air"

1. John - 2 stars - I was really looking forward to using the Viking pagan calendar for 2023, but I must say I am disappointed. The design and layout of the calendar were intriguing, but the content was lacking. There were only a few significant dates and events listed, and I expected more in-depth information about Viking traditions and mythology. Additionally, the calendar lacked any sort of practicality as it did not include the usual holidays or phases of the moon. Overall, it felt like a missed opportunity to provide a comprehensive and educational calendar for Viking enthusiasts.

2. Emily - 1 star - I found the Viking pagan calendar for 2023 to be highly underwhelming. Firstly, the artwork and imagery on the calendar were mediocre at best. I was expecting vibrant and authentic Viking illustrations, but instead, I was met with amateurish designs that lacked depth and detail. Moreover, the calendar did not offer any insightful information about Viking traditions or cultural practices. It simply listed random dates without any context or historical significance. As a fan of Viking history, I was extremely disappointed by the lack of effort put into creating this calendar.

3. Laura - 2 stars - I had high hopes for the Viking pagan calendar for 2023, but unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations. The calendar itself was poorly designed and printed on low-quality paper. The colors were dull, and the overall presentation was unappealing. Furthermore, the dates and events listed seemed arbitrary and inconsequential. I was hoping for a calendar that would help me explore and celebrate Viking traditions throughout the year, but this calendar felt more like a rushed compilation of random dates without any thought or research put into it. Overall, I would not recommend this calendar to fellow Viking enthusiasts.

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