Holiday Myths Around the World

PC: Pixabay

We all once had questions about the holidays, such as Christmas. For example, how did certain customs come to be or who are all the different figures? Well, I’m sure you know about Jesus Christ and his birth in the winter, but you might’ve  not heard of other factors to this story, such as Mari Lwyd or the Kalikantzaroi, or even the reason for the mistletoe. 

Kalikantzaroi

In Greek mythology, there was a time, before Christ was baptized, when tiny, hairy  goblin-like creatures (the Kalikantzaroi) would come and terrorize the Greeks' homes. They would spend their time under the crust of the Earth, sawing at the Tree of Life that held and spun the planet, until Christmas Day, when they  came to the surface to steal candies and move items. They would only leave on Jan. 6, the Feast of the Epiphany, and go back to the tree. 

They were thought to be afraid of light, as they represent the darkness to Jesus’s light, and would wait until nighttime to go into everyone’s houses and cause chaos. To retaliate, Greeks would keep fires burning all night to ward them off. They were also thought to be a little dumb, not being able to count past three. Some would put colander outside their doors, thinking that the Kalikantzaroi would sit and try to count the holes and never make it past two. Other ways include saying prayers to the Holy Trinity and tossing dough and meat outside, to appease them. So far, it has seemed to work, so you too can use these techniques just in case. Still, some may find their homes a mess after Christmas night; Don’t blame Santa Claus for that!

Fimbul Winter

You may have heard of a reason for winter having the snowy weather, whether it may be because Demeter was mourning for her daughter or the technical reason with water vapor freezing, but have you heard of the threat of eternal winter, leading to the end of the world?

In Norse mythology, Fimbul Winter is thought to be three consecutive seasons with no summers in the middle of them. It serves as a warning and brings awareness to the fact that Ragnarök, the end of the world, is coming. 

The results of this eternal winter are famine, as crops won’t be able to grow because of the lack of sunlight, increasing death.  As Ragnarök begins, monsters would break from their bonds and battles with gods, giants, and mythical creatures would ensue. 

 Fimbul Winter is preceded by two signs, the first being the cry of three roosters; Fjalar, a red rooster who would alert the giants, Gullinkambi, a golden rooster who would awaken the gods, and an unknown rooster would wake the dead in Hel. And later, the wolf Garmr, a hound associated with Hel, would howl, symbolizing the chaos and destruction that would come. So, remember to prepare for a long winter if you ever hear these sounds, and maybe prepare for the end of the world as well.

Mari Lwyd

Remember the story of Jesus’s birthplace, of how Mary and Joseph had been in a cave, surrounded by livestock, when he came into the world? Well, legend has it that Mari Lwyd used to be a gray mare, also in the same cave. She was pregnant, but was cast out during the time Mary gave birth to Jesus. She was left to wander the world, trying to find a place to give birth to her foal.

We don’t know what happened afterwards, but she came back as Mari Lwyd later on, her body hidden by a sheet except for her skull and glowing eyes. She said to go door-to-door and have people try to answer her rhyme schemes. Those who win earn food and drinks but, if she had won, they would have to let her in and give her food.

Many that identify with Welsh culture have a celebration where one person dresses up as Mari Lwyd, while a group follows them, and go door-to-door, playing the same game as her. Of course, those who win get food and drinks. This event usually takes place in between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, with these groups showing up at houses on random days. So during that time, be careful if you ever see a skeleton mare in the streets; You may lose some of your food.

Balder’s Death

Have you ever wondered about the creation of the mistletoe, or the unique tradition concerning it? The Vikings had an idea for its origin.

Once upon a time, Balder, the son of Odin and Frigg and god of light, purity, and joy, had continuous dreams that foreshadowed his death. The gods held a meeting and decided to protect Balder from every danger possible. Frigg, the goddess of marriage, prophecy, and motherhood, took an oath that fire, water, all metals, stones, sicknesses, poison, earth, and all creatures wouldn’t hurt Balder. The gods tested this by shooting and throwing stones at Balder, but he seemed to be invulnerable to them.

Loki, the trickster, was unsatisfied and decided to go to Frigg, under the disguise of an old woman, to try and see what could hurt Balder. He had asked if all things were truly sworn off Balder; Frigg revealed that there was a small plant, the mistletoe, on the east of Valhalla that seemed too small to need to swear. 

Loki went and took the mistletoe, then went back to the circle of gods shooting at Balder and approached the blind Hother, the twin brother of Balder, and pretended to help him, handing him the mistletoe and directing Hother in the direction of Balder. And so Hother shoots Balder and the mistletoe pierces through his skin, killing him. 

There is an alternate version of this story that ends with Frigg kissing Balder, trying to bring him back to life. The gods then made a mistletoe pledge to never commit an uncharitable act. Frigg was given the authority to make sure the mistletoe lives up to this pledge. And so, hanging the mistletoe and kissing whoever is underneath it relates to the pledge and Frigg’s role as the goddess of love and marriage.