10 interesting facts about the old pagan Ásatrú
It´s a crispy-cold morning in late January as I drive out of Reykjavik and into the beautiful Icelandic countryside. The past few weeks have been tough in Iceland weatherwise, with the country getting more than its seasonal share of snow and regularly being buffeted by severe storms. But this particular morning one can sense a definite change; not that it´s no longer snowing, but the fact that it´s descernibly brighter. Finally the long hours of darkness are on the wain.
It´s a good feeling and you understand why the pagan Viking people of Iceland and other northerly countries celebrated the winter solstice or Yule. For them it marked the return of the god Baldur from the realm of Hel and the loosening of winter´s grip on the frozen Earth.
http://icelandmag.com/article/10-interesting-facts-about-old-pagan-asatru