Out & About …

… on the North York Moors, or wherever I happen to be.

Day: 24 December 2018

  • Módraniht, a pagan tradition of Christmas Eve

    Módraniht, a pagan tradition of Christmas Eve

    To our pagan Anglo-Saxon ancestors, December 24th was the Night of the Mothers or Módraniht when thanks were given to the mothers of the tribe. It was attested to in Bede’s 8th-century manuscript and probably involved a sacrifice. The tradition may have roots today in the Orkneys where Helya’s Night sees the children of each…