Well seems theres at least three dietys that can lay claim to this Thor ,King Thorri of Iceland and Thorra a winter goddess! Now days many honor Thor on this day but alot about Thorri sounds way to much like the God Thor!Heres some infor from another site I found.
If satr ar groups have one thing in common it is the idea that with the Troth what is important is not what one believes, nor which organisations one is a member of, but what one says and does. Working Tru and living Tru are of utmost importance for without Tru actions and Tru relations to the world any professions of faith are empty and carry no weight. Yet not every satr ar will want to take up the task of offering Blt to the Gods or leading community ritual observances and so there must be other ways of manifesting Troth through action. Most important in this regard is that each individual makes some effort to make the ways of the Folk a reality in their lives and in the world more generally - this includes work on the private level, reading the lore and contemplating our sacred literature, but more importantly for satrar this includes supporting and participating in the works of the satr community. It is hard to be Tru without being able to participate in and support the life of a Tru community, for to our ancestors kin, clan and tribal ties were vital (and in that order). Such support can take many forms, most obviously the best way to support such works is to attend and promote the attendance of Bl tar and other community events - merely attending such works is an act of Troth, indeed it is the primary act of Troth
Yet in these times and in a country like Australia the pace of life and geographical distance can hinder ones attendance of such workings and so satr ar must be inventive and find other ways of participating in the life of their community. If global communications networks are good for anything they are good for providing a sense of community even at distance. Through e-mail communications we can link members of our community even if this is only in an ephemeral way - but, as always, these links mean very little unless they are translated into real works and actions on a regular basis. Most importantly these links mean very little unless we try to build community by supporting the actions of our community. Hence when it comes time for us to celebrate one of our Seasonal Blessings and especially our great Blessings we can use global communications to co-ordinate and promote real works that all can participate in no matter where they live. In this sense even if we cannot share the same geographical space and time we may still join together in the same mythical space and time and forge our bonds through common acts and common purposes.
Now while we stress the importance of actions and works in the world we also believe that such actions can only be effective when they are accompanied by an understanding of the reasons for those actions. Hence it is important for hearth leaders to take up an educative role and ensure that those who participate in their works do so with some level of understanding. Above the hearth level it is important for community leaders to provide the basic information and guidance that the community need in order for them to effectively participate in the life of the community. Without such guidance the community has no leadership and hence is not really a community at all, merely a collection of disparate individuals. Taking up the responsibility of providing education and guidance is not 'spoon feeding the masses' but providing the benefit of experience so that the road traveled by our folk is one that becomes easier with time - there is no sense in every member of the community having to re-invent the wheel. Hence in order to have self-actualising community we must actively foster an environment where individual self-actualisation is possible, this strengthens both the community and the folk who are a part of that community. In such a manner we lay the ground work for the future of our great tradition
It must always be stressed that information about various satr workings is forever growing and so our tradition grows and changes as new information about our ancestors comes to light. Hence any information presented in this or any other document is not set in stone but open to improvement and expansion based on traditional sources of information. The following document was produced in order that the participants at the July Thorrablt could have access to the relevant information to make their ritual work successful. It is hoped that this document will not only serve as a vehicle of information and education but also inspire people to take an active role in the life of the Australian satr community. This active participation can take the form of attendance of our Hearth workings, organisation of other workings at points remote from the Sydney area, personal workings such as meditations and also the promotion of such workings through various media. In what follows there is all of the basic information that one needs to participate in the Thorrabl t at many different levels and folk are encouraged to utilise that material in their own workings. Of course we always welcome any questions, constructive feedback or comments on any of our activities.
About The Thorrablt
The Thorrabl t is a seasonal working which takes place in mid to late January in the Northern hemisphere or mid to late July in the Southern Hemisphere. The term Thorrablt seems to have been derived from the compounding of two Old Icelandic terms- the word Bl t, which is a form of heathen blessing and the word Thorri which is in fact the fourth winter month in the Old Icelandic calendar. Folklorists claim that as recently as the 1700's Icelanders were in the habit of greeting this frigid month with certain ritual observances called Thorrablttar, or sacrifices to Thorri. One example of such observances involves a ritual circling of ones home, a kind of warding similar to that we perform in our Landnma (land-takings); except here one has an example of warding against the unfriendly wights of winter. Perhaps the most important wights to ward against in this regard are the Frost Giants or Rime-Thursar; certainly these entities are most closely connected to the frost.ᠠ
According to tradition in order to celebrate the Thorrablt a farmer was supposed to rise before anyone else in his household, go outside clad only in a shirt and his underwear and hop around the dwelling on one foot. This account may be accurate and it seems appropriate that at this time of the year one might need to get in touch with the nature of cold weather in a fairly intimate way. Yet it must also be considered that this account probably stems from Christian times and is most likely an attempt to make the ritual warding seem silly and foolhardy. The image of Scandinavian farmers hopping around their homes in their underwear is an amusing but unlikely prospect - especially given the climatic conditions. It is more likely that the farmer would have taken a torch from his hearth fire and circled his home as a form of warding against frost wights and other unwanted winter spirits. After this ritual act of warding the farmer would most probably have called upon other wights to bring warmth and frith to his home and hearth for the remainder of the winter season - most important in this regard was that the farmer bid welcome to a wight named Thorri (Thorri will be discussed further below). This Blt was concluded with a celebration, the farmer prepared a banquet for all the neighboring folk who would gather to feast and dispel the winter gloom with good company. This was only one form of ritual observance associated with the Thorrabl t and there is evidence of other ritual observances that were also important - in some regions of Scandinavia it was appropriate for wives to treat their mates especially well on this day; in such regions the Thorrablt was also known there as 'husbands day'
The question then arises - What is the origin of these practices? The late 14th century manuscript known as the Flateyjarb k mentions a King Thorri who loved to make a sacrifice in midwinter, which eventually came to be called 'Thorrablttar'. Other royal characters named in the tale include gir (Sea - also the name of a God), Logi (Fire - possibly connected to the god Loki), Kri (Wind), Frosti (Frost), and Sn r (Snow). Modern writers have concluded from this that the early medieval author of Flateyjarbk was recording half-forgotten memories of a yearly observance to a winter spirit called Thorri, an entity who seems to have been associated with weather spirits. This is indeed one possible origin of the rite and it is correct to highlight the fact that all the characters mentioned above are appropriate spirits for wintertime. It is not hard to imagine that these names may have referred to various frost giants or Rime-Thursar who are often given names associated with weather extremes. Examples can be found such as Bleistr (wind-lightning), Eitill (chilly), Hr mnir (frosty) or the giantess Fnn (snow). Likewise there are dwarven names with many references to weather extremes such as Frosti (frosty), Gustr (wind) and Vind lfr (wind-elf) and other dwarves whose names refer to heat and fire such as Sindri and Sjrr (both of which mean sparky). Hence one must at least entertain the idea that Thorri might simply be another winter weather wight and that the Thorrabl t is a Blt to a lesser wight
There is, however, another explanation - it is possible and even quite probable that Thorri was not merely a lesser wight connected with the season but originally the familiar God Th rr - the great God of Thunder. The fact that the narrative in the Flateyjarbk associates the names of familiar gods and giants with royal personages might indicate that the narrative has more to do with the world of myth than the realm of history. If this was the case we could infer that the characters Logi, gir and Thorri might just be the deities Loki, gir and Th rr.
Thorri, Thrr and the Thorrabl t
In regards to the wight Thorri one can easily recognise that there are some important connections to the deity Thrr. Th rr, like midwinter itself, is linked with the weather in a dramatic way; this dramatic connection to weather is reflected in the names found in the tale of 'King Thorri'. One must also recognise that in many ways Thrr is an ideal God for this time of year. Firstly the need to ward off the hostile forces of winter might be seen as reflecting Th rr's own struggle to ward off hostile Thursar, in particular those associated with the frost. The blazing fire of the hearth, heart of the home, is the protective force which wards off the forces of winter from the snow-besieged farmhouse - the farmers journey around the home-stead with flaming brand in hand is similar to Thrr's journeys into J tunheim to ward sgard from hostile Thursar. One must also contemplate the fact that whilst this is the coldest time of the year it also falls about one month after the Winter Solstice when the suns impending victory over the frost is evidenced by the fact that from now on the days will grow visibly longer. Th rrshammar (the sun), the symbol of life and growth, wins its victory against the forces of death and stasis. It is fitting that we welcome Thrr into our homes at this time for his hardest battles have been fought, he can take a moments rest and prepare for the final victorious confrontation.
There are other important reasons for us to give Bl t to Thrr at this time of year. Firstly is the Icelandic notion that Thorri is merely the diminutive of Th rr and hence King Thorri's name itself relates him to the great god Thrr - if 'King Thorri was the founder if the tradition of the Thorrabl t than it is possible that he would have dedicated these Blts to his own patron deity, the God of the Hammar - Th rr. Another reason relates to the need in the human heart for cheeriness and for the lively gratification of hunger and thirst during this time. We need to dispel the gloom of winter through celebrating with friends and family by taking part in the festive activities of Thorrablt. This activity itself resonates with what we know of Th rrs lusty, good humored and gregarious nature, his love of food and drink and his role as protector of Gods and folk alike. By the month of Thorri, winter has well and truly set in and the novelty of the season has worn thin, we need to revive and revitalise ourselves through the frith and grith of community and take heart in the fact that the days are growing longer and the warmer months are on their way
Ways of Acknowledging the Thorrablt
Below are some suggestions for acknowledging the Thorrablot, use these suggestions as a point of departure for establishing your own way of acknowledging this time of year. It is important that the following suggestions are mainly meant to get one in touch with the energy of the season and are not a substitute for ritual workings. They should be used in combination with more formal workings whether that be as simple as a meditation on Th rr's relation to the season, a simple form of Blt or a more complex working. No matter what form of working one is doing it is important that one also makes some actual effort to feel the seasonal energy - hence one must experience the interplay between the crisp cold and frigid frost that we experience outside of the home and the warmth and comfort that are found within our own home-steads
If one lives in a region, which has snow cover at this time of year, it might be appropriate to make a snow statue of Thrr. Those who do not live in areas with snow but are keen to exercise their artistic talents might consider making an ice carving of the deity. This is a good way to get close to the nature of ice and cold
Celebrate the month of Thorri by accepting the cold and becoming more intimately aquatinted with it. Take a walk without your coat or do some other activity whereby one can come in close proximity to the cold outdoors
One can mentally greet Thorri, making it/him welcome in your life - contemplate the fact that this is the coldest time of year, yet midwinter has passed about a month ago, why does the earth follow behind the sun in this way. Contemplate the fact that these weeks of cold in the month of Thorri are a prelude to the spring and Sunna's victory.
From within the warmth of ones home one might wish to offer a toast to Thrr. A modern Icelandic toast to the God Th rr, translated into English reads - Let us greet Thorri with great courtesy, for he is a brave fellow. He is extraordinarily strong and powerful
Make token offerings of food or drink to the Thorri, gir, Logi, Kari, Frosti, and Sn r of Flateyjarbk fame.
Go winter camping and come home to a roaring fire and a glass of brandy.I think I like them all!
and the link
http://www.homepages.ihug.com.au/~peloquin/ritual/ritual3.htm
