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Mōdraniht
or (; Old English for "Night of the Mothers" or "Mothers' Night") was an event held on or around the northern hemisphere's longest night of the year ( the winter or hibernal solstice), by Anglo-Saxon pagans. The event is solely attested by the medieval English historian Bede in his eighth-century Latin work . It has been suggested that sacrifices may have occurred during this event. Scholars have proposed connections between the Anglo-Saxon and events attested among other Germanic peoples (specifically those involving the , collective female ancestral beings, and Yule), and the Germanic , female beings attested by way of altar and votive inscriptions, nearly always appearing in trios. The Norse equivalent to Mōdraniht was ' (alternatively ''hǫggunátt'', in , Icelandic and , ). The meaning of the prefix ''hǫku-/hǫggu-'' is unknown. Attestation In , Bede writes that the pagan Anglo-Saxons: Theories and interpretations Scholars have linked these ' ("Mothers") with the G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yule
Yule is a winter festival historically observed by the Germanic peoples that was incorporated into Christmas during the Christianisation of the Germanic peoples. In present times adherents of some new religious movements (such as Modern Germanic paganism) celebrate Yule independently of the Christian festival. Scholars have connected the original celebrations of Yule to the Wild Hunt, the god Odin, and the heathen Anglo-Saxon ("Mothers' Night"). The term ''Yule'' and cognates are still used in English and the Scandinavian languages as well as in Finnish and Estonian to describe Christmas and other festivals occurring during the winter holiday season. Furthermore, some present-day Christmas customs and traditions such as the Yule log, Yule goat, Yule boar, Yule singing, and others may have connections to older pagan Yule traditions. Etymology The modern English noun ''Yule'' descends from Old English , earlier ''geoh(h)ol'', ''geh(h)ol'', and ''geóla'', sometime ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
December Observances
December is the twelfth and final month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. December's name derives from the Latin word ''decem'' (meaning ten) because it was originally the tenth month of the year in the calendar of Romulus , which began in March. The winter days following December were not included as part of any month. Later, the months of January and February were created out of the monthless period and added to the beginning of the calendar, but December retained its name. Macrobius, '' Saturnalia'', tr. Percival Vaughan Davies (New York: Columbia University Press, 1969), book I, chapters 12–13, pp. 89–95. In Ancient Rome, as one of the four Agonalia, this day in honour of Sol Indiges was held on December 11, as was Septimontium. Dies natalis (birthday) was held at the temple of Tellus on December 13, Consualia was held on December 15, Saturnalia was held December 17–23, Opiconsivia was held on December 19, Divalia was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Matres And Matronae
The Matres (Latin for "mothers") and Matronae (Latin for "matrons") were female deities venerated in Northwestern Europe, of whom relics are found dating from the first to the fifth century AD. They are depicted on votive offerings and altars that bear images of goddesses, depicted almost entirely in groups of three, that feature inscriptions (about half of which feature Continental Celtic names and half of which feature Germanic names) and were venerated in regions of Germania, Eastern Gaul, and Northern Italy (with a small distribution elsewhere) that were occupied by the Roman army The Roman army () served ancient Rome and the Roman people, enduring through the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC), the Roman Republic (509–27 BC), and the Roman Empire (27 BC–AD 1453), including the Western Roman Empire (collapsed Fall of the W ... from the first to the fifth century. Matres also appear on votive reliefs and inscriptions in other areas occupied by the Roman army, including s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Winter Solstice
The winter solstice, or hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth's geographical pole, poles reaches its maximum axial tilt, tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Southern Hemisphere, Southern). For that hemisphere, the winter solstice is the day with the shortest daytime, period of daylight and longest night of the year, and when the Sun is at its lowest culmination, daily maximum elevation in the sky. Each Polar Circle, polar region experiences polar night, continuous darkness or twilight around its winter solstice. The opposite event is the summer solstice. The winter solstice occurs during the hemisphere's winter. In the Northern Hemisphere, this is the December solstice (December 21 or 22) and in the Southern Hemisphere, this is the June solstice (June 20 or 21). Although the winter solstice itself lasts only a moment, the term also refers to the day on which it occurs. Traditionally, in many Tem ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dísablót
The ''Dísablót'' was the ''blót'' (sacrificial holiday) which was held in honour of the female spirits or deities called '' dísir'' (and the ValkyriesThe article ''Diser'' in ''Nationalencyklopedin'' (1991).), from pre-historic times until the Christianization of Scandinavia. Its purpose was to enhance the coming harvest."Disablot", ''Nationalencyklopedin''. It is mentioned in '' Hervarar saga'', ''Víga-Glúms saga'', ''Egils saga'' and the ''Heimskringla''. The celebration still lives on in the form of an annual fair called the Disting in Uppsala, Sweden. The Dísablót appears to have been held during Winter Nights, or at the vernal equinox.The article ''Distingen'', in the encyclopedia ''Nationalencyklopedin''. In one version of ''Hervarar saga'', there is a description of how the sacrifice was performed. Alfhildr, the daughter of king Alfr of Alfheim, was kidnapped by Starkad Aludreng while she was reddening a horgr with blood. This suggests that the rite was perf ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Liverpool University Press
Liverpool University Press (LUP), founded in 1899, is the third oldest university press in England after Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. As the press of the University of Liverpool, it specialises in modern languages, literatures, history, and visual culture and currently publishes more than 160 books a year, as well as 50 academic journals. LUP's books are distributed in North America by Longleaf. History One of the earliest heads of LUP was Lascelles Abercrombie, the first poetry lecturer at the university.. Across its history a number of distinguished scholars have published with the Press, including the Nobel Prize winner Ronald Ross and the literary critic Hermione Lee. In 2004, the Press was restructured, changing from a department of the University of Liverpool to a subsidiary. Alongside its academic publishing, LUP is known for the Pavilion Poetry imprint. Inaugural poet Mona Arshi's collection, ''Small Hands'', won The Felix Dennis Prize for B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Boydell & Brewer
Boydell & Brewer is an academic press based in Martlesham, Suffolk, England, that specializes in publishing historical and critical works. In addition to British and general history, the company publishes three series devoted to studies, editions, and translations of material related to the Arthurian legend. There are also series that publish studies in medieval German and French literature, Spanish theatre, early English texts, musicology, archaeology, and other subjects. Depending on the subject, its books are assigned to one of several imprints in Woodbridge, Suffolk, in Cambridge (UK), or in Rochester, New York, location of its principal North American office. Imprints include Boydell & Brewer, D. S. Brewer, Camden House, the Hispanic series Tamesis Books ( is the Latin name of the River Thames, which flows through London), the University of Rochester Press, James Currey, and York Medieval Press. The company was co-founded by historians Richard Barber and Der ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bristol Classical Press
Bloomsbury Publishing plc is a British worldwide publishing house of fiction and non-fiction. Bloomsbury's head office is located on Bedford Square in Bloomsbury, an area of the London Borough of Camden. It has a US publishing office located in New York City, an India publishing office in New Delhi, an Australian sales office in Sydney CBD, and other publishing offices in the UK, including in Oxford. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. History The company was founded in 1986 by Nigel Newton, who had previously been employed by other publishing companies. It was floated as a public registered company in 1994, raising £5.5 million, which was used to fund expansion of the company into paperback and children's books. A rights issue of shares in 1998 further raised £6.1 million, which was used to expand the company, in particular to found a U.S. branch. In 1998, Bloomsbury USA was established. Bloomsbury USA Books for Young Reader ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orion Publishing Group
Orion Publishing Group Ltd. is a UK-based book publisher. It was founded in 1991 and acquired Weidenfeld & Nicolson the following year. The group has published numerous bestselling books by notable authors including Ian Rankin, Michael Connelly, Nemir Kirdar, and Quentin Tarantino. History Orion Books was launched in 1992, with Orion purchasing the assets of Chapman Publishers the following year. In the same year (1993), Orion acquired a warehousing and distribution centre called Littlehampton Book Services (LBS), which was based in Sussex in the UK. A majority share capital of Orion was sold to Hachette Livre in 1998, before Hachette Livre became the sole owner of the Orion Publishing Group in 2003. In December 1998, Orion acquired publishing house Cassell, whose imprints included Victor Gollancz Ltd. This imprint became a part of the Orion group and Orion also took ownership of the Cassell Military list. After acquiring Hodder Headline, Hachette UK was formed, with Orion ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Allen Giles
John Allen Giles (1808–1884) was an English historian. He was primarily known as a scholar of Anglo-Saxon language and history. He revised Stevens' translation of the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' and Bede's '' Ecclesiastical History of the English People''. He was a fellow at Corpus Christi College, Oxford. Biography The son of William Giles and his wife Sophia, née Allen, he was born on 26 October 1808 at Southwick House, in the parish of Mark, Somerset. At the age of sixteen he entered Charterhouse School as a Somerset scholar. From Charterhouse he was elected to a Bath and Wells scholarship at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, on 26 November 1824. In Easter term 1828 he obtained a double first class honours degree, and shortly afterwards graduated B.A., proceeding M.A. in 1831, in which year he gained the Vinerian scholarship, and took his D.C.L. degree in 1838. His election to a fellowship at Corpus Christi College on 15 November 1832 followed his college scholarship as a mat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dísablót
The ''Dísablót'' was the ''blót'' (sacrificial holiday) which was held in honour of the female spirits or deities called '' dísir'' (and the ValkyriesThe article ''Diser'' in ''Nationalencyklopedin'' (1991).), from pre-historic times until the Christianization of Scandinavia. Its purpose was to enhance the coming harvest."Disablot", ''Nationalencyklopedin''. It is mentioned in '' Hervarar saga'', ''Víga-Glúms saga'', ''Egils saga'' and the ''Heimskringla''. The celebration still lives on in the form of an annual fair called the Disting in Uppsala, Sweden. The Dísablót appears to have been held during Winter Nights, or at the vernal equinox.The article ''Distingen'', in the encyclopedia ''Nationalencyklopedin''. In one version of ''Hervarar saga'', there is a description of how the sacrifice was performed. Alfhildr, the daughter of king Alfr of Alfheim, was kidnapped by Starkad Aludreng while she was reddening a horgr with blood. This suggests that the rite was perf ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Triple Deity
A triple deity is a deity with three apparent forms that function as a singular whole. Such deities may sometimes be referred to as threefold, tripled, triplicate, tripartite, triune, triadic, or as a trinity. The number three has a long history of mythical associations and triple deities are common throughout world mythology. Carl Jung considered the arrangement of deities into triplets an archetype in the history of religion. In classical religious traditions, three separate beings may represent either a triad who typically appear as a group (the Greek Moirai, Charites, and Erinyes; the Norse Norns; or the Irish Morrígan), or a single deity notable for having three aspects (Greek Hecate, Roman Diana).Virgil addresses Hecate as ''tergemina Hecate, tria virginis, ora Dianae'' (''Aeneid'', 4.511). Trinitarian Christianity instead recognizes three " divine persons" in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, which are usually distinguished from the idea of independ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
