Bardagi Vættnna: Battle of the Landvættr

There has been many questions about the battle that takes place at Þórshof for the Haustblót. I wanted to explain how this community ceremony should not be exclusive to Þórshof and how Folk all over can adopt its practice. Much like a Sumarmál (May Day) festival, this is a large community building ritual that usually follows the traditional Blót of the autumnal equinox. This turning time is given spirit with a battle between the Light of summer and attempting to not fully give way to the encroaching Dark and cold of winter. Its function works very similarly to a "Groundhog's Day" or other similar omen-based cultural practices throughout Europe and the Anglo-sphere of the North America and Australia.

The origin of the celebration started as a celebration to the Moss People land spirits revered in Thuringia, Germany. However it morphed into its current practice with a broader meaning of Landvættr in general. Participants don masks of animals and plant life of their seasonal side, wear shrouded clothing of the white or black, and then carry stave or rods that they will battle against each other with. As each participant is removed, the outcome leads ultimately to how the winter season will come to the local area.

Unlike in the Mediterranean, where the year is divided into four parts, the Northern Europeans divided the year into two parts and included the Spring and the Fall as the beginning of each season. Hence why June 20th is the Mid-Summer while the secular world often calls it the first day of summer, likewise December 21st and Jól is the Mid-Winter instead of the first day of winter in the Gregorian Christian/secular time reckoning. So both sides represent the Summer and Winter tidings of the year, and this is symbolized in the white and black costumes adorned by the players.

Obscuring your features and representing the tiding is paramount. The Light or Summer side is often decorated with bells and whistles as used to show support when they process towards a fire or light in the center of the battleground area. They give treats to the children representing the bounty of the summer. They surround the light as defenders of warmth and life and proceed in Sunwise (clock-wise) fashion. The masks worn by the players are usually deciduous leaf and bark masks of all variety and also of animals of the local area that are most associated with the summer time. Avian animals like Hawks, Herons, Eagles, Cardinals etc. as well as Boar, Cattle, Deer, Horses, brown Rabbits, Snakes, and varieties of Fish are often present in the masks.

The Dark or Winter side represents the inevitable coming of the cyclic patterns of nature to the cold and darkness and dying. The dark side is harkened to the battlefield by drums and horns and rattles. The Dark side processes counter to the sun in direction, often making noise and growling at the crowd, finally to meet nose-to-nose with the light in equal numbers. Their masks consist of coniferous foliage and animals associated with winter in the local area, like Crows, Buzzards, Owls, and animals like Bears, Wolves, Coyotes, and other animals like the white Rabbit, etc. have all been used.

The key is to use inspiration from the local area and do not use foliage or animals from the outland places. Interestingly an organic development has happened to were the Golden or Blonde Boar and the Black Bear have become the de facto leaders of each side taking the position of almost generals. Then the master of the ceremony will dictate the beginning of the battle once an arrow is shot over the host. The participants are now the embodiment of the spirits of the season and get a chance to cross staves to judge distance. Then at the rapping of the drum, they get two strikes. The intention is to break the opponents stave. If their stave is broken, then the player is out. The light side will take a knee at the fire and the dark side pulls back into the shadows. Once there is one standing remaining, there is a clear and definitive winner. Usually with much cheering, all of the sides are brought together and the staves and masks are thrown into the fire as a gift and offering to the Landvættr. This gift is huge since many people spend a lot of time making masks, though simple ones can be made as well.

I hope that this ceremony is adopted by the Folk of the church nationwide and that this write-up will help shed some light on the origins and the ongoing practice done at one of our glorious Hofs. As Always,

Hail the Aesir

Hail the Ancestors

Hail the Landvættr

and Hail the Victorious AFA!!!!!

Witan Svan Herul

sherul@runestone.org

~ From The Runestone, October 2025 ~