Exploring the lore of the 12 Rauhnächte 1 of 3

Reclaiming a heritage – one tradition, ritual and ancestral custom at a time

Perhaps you feel it, too: the shift into the quietest and darkest part of the year. When the world is winding down as a whole, going inward, coming to rest, becoming still, allowing in thoughtfulness, reflectiveness. Maybe right about now you long for some quite time, to slow down and step back from responsibility and obligation for a minute. Or maybe you intuitively take a few more breaks than usual throughout the day, where you pause, become aware and observe the moment as it unfolds.

Intentionally or not, bound to a consumerist society or outside of it, the shift into the introspective part of the year is palpable. As luck would have it, there is a very old tradition, a heritage of sorts, to those of us with European roots, dating back to long before Christianity, that might help shed a bit of light on this very special time of year and our collective urge to make like Brother Bear and hibernate. Because this is the time of the

12 Rauhnächte

Which translate to rough nights or Omen Nights, as the Celts thought of them. For some the first Rauhnacht begins after the Winter Solstice or Yule celebration on December 21st, the longest night of the year. For others the first of the 12 nights begins on Christmas Eve/Holy Night, December 24th. New Year’s Eve or Silvester as it’s called in Germany marks the halfway point.

The Rauhnächte have been revered by Celts and Germanic people alike as liminal time, a time outside of time, unformed, not belonging to the light nor the dark. This is said to go back to a period when people slowly transitioned- either by choice or force, from living by the phases of the moon, to those of the sun. To align the Moon calendar (354 days) to that of the sun (365 days), the moon cycle’s roughly 29.5 days were multiplied by 12 which is where 354 days come from. 365 minus 354 leaves 11 days and 12 nights. The Rauhnächte with all their magic, folklore, ancient Earth history and Nature wisdom were born.

Many traditions and superstitions keep the Rauhnächte and their magic alive. Some customs are still practiced today, may it be to hold onto the Old Heathen Ways for the sake of preservation or due to their practicality and usefulness. Remembering, living and passing on our ancestors’ stories and traditions also helps us stay grounded in the world. They act as a small anchor to the world outside of technology and progress that flows in synch with the natural constant shift of Life. And they can provide a connection to our ancestors and our own story as well as evoke a sense of belonging. 

Etymology

The term ‘rauh’ [rrr-(w)ow] is manifold. It can mean rough, raw, harsh, like the storms of winter as well as coarse, gruff, raspy and raucous like the Wild Hunt. The horde of the mostly undead led by varying deities said to distort the Rauhnächte with fearsome noise. ‘Rauh’ also shares the root with the word ‘Rauch’ which translates to smoke, in this context to smoke as in to fumigate, to burn incense, smoking ceremony.

The Wild Hunt

The myth and the folklore of the wild hunt has inspired and is inspiring artist of all ilk’s. The Wild Hunt is alive and well in the deep collective as well as in video games, books and art. The below depicts “Odin’s Wild Hunt” as imagined by the Norwegian painter Peter Nicolai Arbo in 1872. The Nordic God Odin is in the lead, joined by Valkyries and the God of Thunder Thor, who can be seen in the middle of the pack, urging on the horde, wielding his hammer, Mjölnir.

The beauty of old nature religions is their existence outside of dogmatism, which makes them malleable in their expression. Depending on the region, the Wild Hunt is said to be led by the Odin or Wotan, his Germanic counterpart. Sometimes alone, often joined by his wife, the goddess Frigg. Who, in order to survive the inquisition, was later worshipped in the disguise of Frau Holle, a well-known archetype from the tales of the Gebrueder Grimm. In some traditions, the White Goddess Huldr roams the lands during the Rauhnächte, bringing fertility to the barren and snow-covered fields for the next year.

The rest of the Wild Hunt is made up of the souls of the dead, wayward spirits, ghosts and wild animals.  During the long winter nights, when ice storms raged, the Wild Hunt is said to galop across the sky and over the frozen lands, hooting, hollering, crashing and screaming, making a real racket. Woe to those trying to catch a glimpse of the horde for some are said to have been snatched up and carried away, never to be seen again. Stay especially clear of crossways during those nights.

The Rauhnächte go back to truly rough times, the cold long winters brought death and uncertainty to our ancestors. With the harvest put away, firewood stored and Mother Nature not having anything to offer during the winter month, all one could do was hunker down and hope and pray that food and wood would outlast the winter. Stories as the Wild Hunt were told, shared, repeated and live on as memory of our forefathers and their fears. The customs accompanying the fears could be viewed as instructions or demonstrations of how such fears could be alleviated.

They are also reminders to give in to the age-old rhythm of Nature as can be observed all around in the wild. The stories remind us to surrender to the cyclical nature of life with its constant ebb and flow to which all creatures are bound. In that way those tales encouraged the populace to stay inside their huts during the 12 Rauhnächte, to draw as little attention as possible, put down all work and become still.

“No wheel shall turn”

was the common parlance for the Rauhnächte. The wheel is referenced here as the spinning wheel of Frau Holle. Kind and fearsome Frau Holle, who values hard work and cleanliness and despises idleness and who, as the three Nornes of Norse mythology, spins and weaves the destiny of men. Only during the Rauhnächte is she said to let her spindle lay still, an invitation/advisement to everyone that “now all work must rest”.

A time to go inward

The Rauhnächte are a seminal time for divination and manifestation. It’s time to come home to stillness, inwardness, get back in touch with ourselves after the long and agreeably difficult year that lies behind all of us. Now comes the time to rest, to remember our dreams, our wishes, our desires. It’s an ideal time to explore new ideas, visions, and versions of ourselves. It’s also a time to gracefully let go of old wounds and themes by surrendering to their lessons lovingly. Take time and review the year past, make peace with it as it unfolded, if peace needs to be made. Revisit the best moments once more before letting the old year go. Create space for the abundance of the year to come. Imagine the things you wish to see unfold in the ‘new run around the sun’.

Oracles and Divination

Each of the 12 Rauhnächte is said to correspond with a month of the year. So, it pays to be present and pay attention to signs, omens and totems or spirit guides, if you work with such. A good omen on the fourth Rauhnacht or day may hint at good fortune in April. Be mindful of the subtle signals within and without. Divination work on each of the 12 Rauhnächte is potent, and intuition is strong. Dreams are said to be especially telling during the 12 omen nights. Keeping a dream journal near your bedside is helpful for writing them down as soon as you wake up. If you are working with herbs, Mugwort is a wonderful ally that is said to improve dream recall and may support lucid dreaming.

Some traditions associate each of the 12 Rauhnächte with a specific theme. If you care to explore them, keep your eyes on my Instagram account in the coming days. Another lovely custom is to write 13 wishes or dreams for the next year on small pieces of paper and fold them, so the wish is obscured. This can be anything you wish to accomplish or wish to gain in whichever way resonates with you. Each Rauhnacht evening pick one wish paper and burn it unread. The last wish left is yours to fulfill, the other 12 are said to be taken care of by whoever is in charge of granting wishes in your universe.

Cleaning home and hearth

A few days before the Rauhnächte commence, it is custom to bring order to the home: clean and declutter all rooms, return anything that was borrowed to its rightful owners, sweep the floors, air out the house. During the Rauhnächte refrain from washing and hanging laundry outside to dry, lest members of the Wild Hunt might get caught in your washings and woe your soul for what they’d do to you then. Rumors has it, Odin turns the offending bedsheet into the death shroud for those who hung it. Which could be another subtle hint to cease work for the time being to reconnect with self for necessary inner work.

Cleaning the air with fumigation

People have been burning plant material as incense and fumigating living quarters for humans and life stock since the time fire was tamed and clans/tribes began to settle. This is actively practiced to this day all across the world for spiritual and practical reasons. Folklore tells us that incense was burned to ward off evil spirits, which can be understood from a metaphysical point of view as well as from a scientific one.

Many of the plants burned whole or over coal carry medicinal properties. The heat breaks cell walls, releasing the chemical plant constituents into the air, which we smell and see as smoke. The smoke is inhaled or wafted around the body. The constituents remain active and functional as they are absorbed through the skin or lungs. Carried in smoke they act on contact, which is why fumigating enclosed spaces and surfaces to reduce and potentially prevent illness in the old days as well as the new is so effective and useful. It’s easy to see now how warding off evil spirits and keeping sickness at bay are essentially the same thing. It’s no wonder the tradition of incense burning is practiced all across the world, it’s because ‘it works’.

Mistletoe, Yarrow, Blue Vervain, Rosemary, Lavender, Meadowsweet, Sage, Laurel, Mugwort, Frankincense, Conifer resins, woods and needles, Juniper berries, Angelica and St. Johnswort are plants commonly used for smoking blends this time of year. The stalls and homes were fumigated daily during the Rauhnächte. Many of the plants burned typically contain constituents considered to have anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and/or anti-viral properties, among others. More scientific studies recognize the efficacy of medicinal plants in all their modes of application, of which incense burning is one.

Ancestry and Offerings

The Rauhnächte are also a fruitful time to remember and commune with our ancestors and leave little offerings outside in form of nuts, bread, dried fruit and meats, even mead or milk. In some traditions small presents or offerings are left for the Wild Hunt, hoping to appease the horde to pass by without causing harm. This is also the time when family and community bonds are strengthened through gifting and being especially hospitable.

Take away and Resonance  

The upcoming Rauhnächte invite you to come to rest. To slow down. To reflect and imagine. And to remember what’s most important.

Does any of this resonate with you?

Does it inspire you to consciously slow down a little extra in the coming days?

Would you welcome the permission to slow down?

Which, if any of the customs/traditions are you familiar with or could you see yourself incorporating into your life?

Do you have a tradition or custom outside of the conventional realm?

Your voice wants to be heard and I’d love to hear from you, too. Drop a like, plug a comment. If you’re reading this, smile.

May your Rauhnächte be filled with good omens.

Karin