We gathered at the passage graves in Vårkumla outside Falköping for Gungnir and Draupnir’s joint Midwinter Blót.
The footpath from the parking lot was beautifully lined with torches all the way to the blót site.
The day was overcast with low clouds and some wind, but no precipitation. As usual, the raven greeted us upon arrival. Its call is truly powerful—Odin is with us.
A neighboring farm raises turkeys, and they too welcomed us, though with a more amusing sound. Perhaps Loki?
At dusk, towards the end of the ceremony, a tawny owl joined in from the darkness. Could it have been Hel?
The ceremony itself was led by Lena and Peter, with Uwe assisting. It began a few minutes after sunset, so darkness had fallen before its conclusion. A fire bowl illuminated the center of the circle.
Inside the circle stood 29 people, with one outside and a small child.
The blót was conducted in a spirit of community, making it a truly powerful experience. This was reflected in the fact that participants came from near and far, not just members of the blót kindreds. The gods were with us throughout.
While the other participants entered the circle for the Midwinter Blót, Håkan was already on his way to MatMagnus to get the food for a feast that would be remembered for a long time.
With a wild game buffet prepared to perfection, we can confidently say that no participant regretted signing up for this event.
The table was set with slow-cooked moose (tjälknöl), venison tenderloin, and wild game patties. Accompanying these were roasted root vegetables, root vegetable gratin, green salad, jelly, a fantastic whey butter sauce, and baguettes with herb butter and garlic butter.
Around 30 participants, after a few last-minute cancellations due to illness, gathered for the feast in what was once a pigsty but has since been renovated into a community center in Vårkumla—an absolutely perfect venue for the occasion where everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.
After the meal, coffee and a fantastic cake baked by Jeanette were served.
Then came an important moment for the guild. NBR Thommy Vähäsalo and I invited one of our two long-distance guests from Denmark to the floor. To everyone’s delight, we appointed her as the Nordic Asa-Community’s second thegn.
We would like to welcome Ulfva Hvidegard as a thegn and our extended arm in Denmark. As thegn, she will work on behalf of NAS/NAC and report directly to Thommy, in the same way that Mark Kirkeby does (or will do) in the USA.
As the evening progressed, people slowly began to leave, as the many impressions and the abundance of delicious food took their toll.
In the end, we can conclude that the entire event was a great success, just as we had hoped.
It is truly wonderful to work alongside such dedicated and driven people.
We have already started discussing next year… Will you be there?
Håkan, Blót Kindred Leader Gungnir
Peter, Blót Kindred Leader Draupnir
Summary of the blót:
Urban Källden, Treasurer Gungnir
