Holde's Offering (The Herring Rite)

This Ceremony is generally private, or conducted with a small group of people. It is held on the final night of Yule.

Since the Ceremony is performed at sunset, the Prayer to Billing is offered.

It is at this point that the Area Blessing is performed, and then the blessing of those who wish to be blessed by Holde. The blessing twig is then consumed on the recels (with adequate ventilation of course), and the mead is offered to the wights.

 The Lay of Holde is recited or read, afterwhich the Herring is presented and blessed.

 At this point a Special Sumbel is conducted as follows: 

The first round one speaks, or makes a toast, to Holde. Each does this as the horn is passed widdershins (counter-clockwise) to each participant, and each participant takes a bite of herring (any size) followed by three sips after they speak or make their toast. The same process follows in each round, however the topic changes.

The second round one speaks, or makes a toast, to Holde and states how She has influenced their life in a positive way; they take a bite of herring, then three sips and pass the horn widdershins.

The third round is open for any topic to be spoken of as noteworthy, or a toast is made on an open topic; this topic is for each participant to decide, that is why it is an open topic round. Each makes their statement, bites herring, and takes three sips, passes horn widdershins until it reaches the person who began the Ceremony.

If there are no additional rounds the individual who started the  Ceremony takes the horn and empties it to the ground in offering to the wights, along with the herring.

 So ends the Ceremony of Holde’s Offering.

 Regular Sumbel may follow the ceremony. Generally one does rune castings, seidh workings, interprets the language of birds, or all three, for the coming year.

 

Needed Items:

Godhi or Gydhja (or volunteer member)
Herring and Herring plate

One yew twig
Recels
One blessing bowl
One drinking horn or cup
Ceremonial Hammer
Decanter or container for the mead
Various offerings for land-wights for before the Ceremony
Mead for the Ceremony

Glossary

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