Þorrablót (;

transliterated Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one writing system, script to another that involves swapping Letter (alphabet), letters (thus ''wikt:trans-#Prefix, trans-'' + ''wikt:littera#Latin, liter-'') in predictable ways, such as ...

as thorrablot) is an

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

ic midwinter festival, named for the month of '' Þorri'' of the historical Icelandic calendar (corresponding to mid January to mid February), and ''

blót (Old Norse and Old English) or (Old English) are religious ceremonies in Germanic paganism that centred on the killing and offering of an animal to a particular being, typically followed by the communal cooking and eating of its meat. Old Nors ...

'', literally meaning ''sacrifice''. The historical context is from the ''

Orkneyinga saga The ''Orkneyinga saga'' (Old Norse: ; ; also called the ''History of the Earls of Orkney'' and ''Jarls' Saga'') is a narrative of the history of the Orkney and Shetland islands and their relationship with other local polities, particularly No ...

'', where Þorri ("Frost") is an early Finnish king, the son of Snær ("Snow"). '' Hversu Noregr byggðist'' in the ''

Flateyjarbók ''Flateyjarbók'' (; "Book of Flatey, Breiðafjörður, Flatey") is an important medieval Iceland, Icelandic manuscript. It is also known as GkS 1005 fol. and by the Latin name ''Codex Flateyensis''. It was commissioned by Jón Hákonarson and p ...

'' states that the Kvens offered a yearly sacrifice to Þorri at mid-winter. The modern festival arose in the second half of the 19th century, with the

Romantic nationalism Romantic nationalism (also national romanticism, organic nationalism, identity nationalism) is the form of nationalism in which the state claims its political legitimacy as an organic consequence of the unity of those it governs. This includes ...

of the time, comparable to Burns night in

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. The first known celebration was reportedly organised by the association of Icelandic students in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

in 1873, and by other societies active in the Icelandic independence movement of the time (Iceland received a constitution in 1874, and was recognized as a kingdom in personal union with Denmark in 1918). The Þorrablót is an evening with dinner where participants hold speeches and recite poems, originally to honour the Norse god

Thor Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...

(''Þórr''), whose name is taken to be associated with ''Þorri''. Calling the feast a ''

'' (a sacramental feast held in honor of a god in

Norse mythology Norse, Nordic, or Scandinavian mythology, is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia as the Nordic folklore of the modern period. The ...

) makes clear the reference to pre-Christian times, which many nationalists of the 19th century considered a golden age of Icelandic history. Today Þorrablót are common events among Icelanders everywhere and can be anything from an informal dinner with friends and family to large organised events with stage performances and an after-dinner dance. These large Þorrablót celebrations are usually arranged by membership associations, associations of Icelanders living abroad, and as regional festivals in the countryside. Thorrablot
Promote Iceland

References

Other sources

*Magocsi (ed.),
Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples
' (Multicultural History Society of Ontario, University of Toronto Press) 1999
p. 695
*Árni Björnsson, ''Þorrablót á Íslandi'' (Reykjavík : Bókaklúbbur Arnar og Örlygs) 1986. {{DEFAULTSORT:Thorrablot Folk festivals in Iceland Winter traditions January observances February observances Observances on non-Gregorian calendars Festivals established in 1873 Winter festivals Cultural festivals in Iceland Winter in Iceland