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The transition to Christianity of pagan Germanic tribes was a painful and lengthy process. The church put the death penalty on some pagan customs to get rid of them. We know, thanks to the reports of the church that tried to eradicate this paganism, a few things from that old faith. The Indiculus superstitionum et paganiarum (Small index of superstitions and paganism) is a Latin collection of capitularies identifying and condemning superstitious and pagan beliefs found in the north of Gaul and among the Saxons during the time of their subjugation and conversion by Charlemagne). has on nr 21. a ban on yelling at the moon eclipse: De lunae defectione, quod dicunt Vinceluna, About the lunar eclipse they call Vinceluna. We know from the Edda why people thought it was important to encourage the moon when it was not (clearly) visible:
"The Moon and the Sun are brother and sister; they are the children of Mundilfori, who, on account of their beauty, called his son Mani, and his daughter Sol; for which presumption the gods in their anger took brother and sister and placed them in heaven, and appointed Sol to drive the horses that draw the chariot of the sun, which the gods had formed, to give light to the world, of the sparks from Muspellheim. Mani directs the course of the moon, and regulates Nyi and Nithi. He once took up two children from the earth, Bil and Hiuki (Hviki), as they were going from the well of Byrgir, bearing on their shoulders the bucket Sseg, and the pole Simul. They follow Mani, as may be observed from the earth. There are also two wolves to be mentioned, one of which, named Skoll, follows the sun, and which she fears will swallow her; the other called Hati, the son of Hrodvitnir, runs before the sun, and strives to seize on the moon *, and so in the end it will be. The mother of these wolves is a giantess, who dwells in a wood to the east of Midgard, called Jarnvid, in which those female demons (trollkonur) dwell called Jarnvids." (*Note from NvL: Is this the reason wolves howl at moon?? Or is it that because they do that, people thought wolves chase the sun and the moon??)
What does the church have to say about these practices?
Caesarius of Arles tells in Sermo LII, 3 about foolish people who think they should come to the aid of the moon, which is supposedly at work. The people think that there is a conflict of incantations (carmina, songs) against the heavens going on, that they can overcome with trumpet sound or clink of bells, believing that they can be of service to the moon with sacrilegious cries, "according to a vain conviction of the Gentiles." In the sermon from the Vita Eligii, every Christian is also forbidden to shout during a lunar eclipse, because it is desired by God that the moon is obscured at certain times. One should also not be afraid of new moon to start a work, again because it belongs to God's natural order. No one may call the sun or the moon "rulers" or swear by them, being the creatures of God and being at the service of human needs, namely the division of time and the delineation of day and night. From the latter it appears that the sun and the moon were regarded by some as gods. In the Indiculus superstitionum we read that at a lunar eclipse we call "vince luna" (moon conquest): here too we believe in a battle between the moon and some evil forces.
The most comprehensive report on the practices of a lunar eclipse is found in Rabatus Maurus in his Homilia XLII "To those who tire of a lunar eclipse". Rabanus addresses Christians who received baptism and went to church, but mixed their godliness with superstition. He recounts that once in the course of the night he was startled by a loud shout from the people. When he inquired about the reason for this pandemonium, it was said that the roar offered help for the moon in distress and the eclipse was destroyed by it. Rabanus argues against this that one does not have to help God to defend the celestial bodies that He has created. Some explained to Rabanus that they had noticed the bellowing of horns, as on the battlefield; others said the pigs ceased with grunts; a few people had seen people throwing spears and arrows in the direction of the moon, and some saw that they were burning projectiles at the sky. It was thought that monsters would tear up the moon, and if they were not provided with assistance, then they would be completely devoured by that "monstra". Still others broke all the jars they had in the house, for fear that demons would destroy their fences with weapons. Rabanus calls this a sign of pride and a pagan error. There was apparently popular belief that it is people who are turned into monsters that threaten the moon (which, according to Rabanus, is impossible).
The complete Indiculus Superstitionum Et Paganiarum.
The sacrilegio ad sepulchra mortuorum. - "About sacrilege at the graves of the dead"
The sacrilegio super defunctos id est dadsisas. - "About sacrilege over the dead, the death-meal"
The spurcalibus in February. - "About banquets in February"
The casulis id est fanis. - "About small buildings, that is, shrines"
The sacrilegious per aecclesias. - "About sacrilegiousness to churches"
The sacris siluarum quae nimidas vocant. - "About tree sanctuaries, which they call nimida's"
The hiis quae faciunt super petras. - "About the things they do over certain stones"
The Sacris Mercury, sheet of Iovis. - "About sacrifices to Mercury or Jupiter"
The sacrificio quod fit alicui sanctorum. - "About the sacrificial service for one or another saint"
The filacteriis et ligaturis. - "About amulets and bindsels"
The fontibus sacrificiorum. - "About sacrificing to sources"
The incantation bus. - "About incantations" (Galdr)
The auguriis sheet avium sheet equorum sheet bovum stercora sheet sternutationes. - "About the predictions from manure of birds, horses or cattle and sneezing" (Spá)
The divinis sheet sortilogis. - "About future predictions and throwing fate"
The igne fricato the ligno id est nodfyr. - "About a fire made of grated wood, what is called nodfyr"
The cerebro animalium. - "About the animal brain"
The observatione pagana in foco, sheet in inchoatione rei alicuius. - "Pagan perception in the pan, or in the
beginning of everything"
The incertis locis que colunt pro sacris. "About places in uncertain place, which they worship as a sanctuary" (nemetons)
The petendo quod boni vocant sanctae Mariae. "About the call of the good-natured, who is seen as Holy Mary"
The feriis quae faciunt Jovi sheet Mercurio. "About parties that they hold for Jupiter or Mercury"
The lunae defectione, quod dicunt Vinceluna. - "About the lunar eclipse they call Vinceluna"
The tempestatibus et cornibus et cocleis. - "Over storms, the horns of bulls, and snails"
The sulcis circa villas. - "About grooves around farms"
The pagano cursu quem yrias nominant, scissis pannis sheet calciamentis. - "About the pagan race they call Yria, with clothes and shoes"
The eo, quod sibi sanctos fingunt quoslibet mortuos. - "About what they themselves describe as a holy death"
The simulacro de consparsa farina. - "About the image of scattered grains" (grain dummies)
The simulacris the pannis factis. - "About images made of cloths"
The simulacro quod per campos porter. - "About the image they carry over the fields"
The ligneis pedibus sheet manibus pagano ritual. - "Over wooden feet and hands to the pagan rite"
The eo, quod credunt, quia femine lunam comendet, quod possint corda hominum tollere juxta paganos. - "About that, why the women trust the moon, which can elevate the hearts of people to the Gentiles" (Seiðr)
Northen Mythology, comprising the principal popular traditions and superstitions of Scandinavia, North Germany and the Netherlands. Benjamin Thorpe
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