Þorrablót
Encyclopedia
Þorrablót (ˈθɔrːaplout), or Thurseblot, is an Iceland
ic midwinter festival that takes place in the month of Þorri
, according to the Old Icelandic Calendar, which starts in late January and ends in late February. These festivals were started by Icelandic student associations in the latter half of the 19th century. The first one was reportedly organised by the association of Icelandic students in Copenhagen
in 1873. Related to other nationalistic
feasts invented in the 18th and 19th centuries, such as Burns night in Scotland
, the Þorrablót is an evening with dinner
where participants hold speeches and recite poems, originally to honour the Norse god Thor
, after whom the month is presumed to be named. Calling the feast a blót
(a feast held in honor of a god in Norse paganism
) makes clear the reference to pagan times, which many nationalists of the 19th century considered a golden age
of Icelandic history.
Þorrablót soon caught on as a tradition
in Iceland and these feasts were organised by many other associations, especially youth organisations and student associations, which were most actively involved in the independence
movement.
In 1958 a restaurant in Reykjavík
, Naustið, started offering a platter with a selection of foods that had previously been common in the Icelandic countryside, but had become rare by that time. The food was arranged in slices on a wood trough
made in the likeness of old troughs on display in the National Museum of Iceland
. The restaurant advertised this platter as Þorramatur
, thereby linking it with the tradition of the Þorrablót. The idea was well received and the serving of Þorramatur has since become a defining feature of Þorrablót.
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 are usually arranged by membership associations, associations of Icelanders living abroad, and as regional festivals in the countryside.
Minor feast honoring Thor, the protector of Midgard
, held on the first full moon of January. During this time, the height of the Storm season, Thor's power is invoked to drive back the frost Jotuns so that Spring may return to Midgard.
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic midwinter festival that takes place in the month of Þorri
Þorri
Þorri is the Icelandic name of the personification of frost or winter in Norse mythology, and also the name of the fourth winter month in the Icelandic calendar....
, according to the Old Icelandic Calendar, which starts in late January and ends in late February. These festivals were started by Icelandic student associations in the latter half of the 19th century. The first one was reportedly organised by the association of Icelandic students in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
in 1873. Related to other nationalistic
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
feasts invented in the 18th and 19th centuries, such as Burns night in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, the Þorrablót is an evening with dinner
Dinner
Dinner is usually the name of the main meal of the day. Depending upon culture, dinner may be the second, third or fourth meal of the day. Originally, though, it referred to the first meal of the day, eaten around noon, and is still occasionally used for a noontime meal, if it is a large or main...
where participants hold speeches and recite poems, originally to honour the Norse god Thor
Thor
In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
, after whom the month is presumed to be named. Calling the feast a blót
Blót
The blót was Norse pagan sacrifice to the Norse gods and the spirits of the land. The sacrifice often took the form of a sacramental meal or feast. Related religious practices were performed by other Germanic peoples, such as the pagan Anglo-Saxons...
(a feast held in honor of a god in Norse paganism
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
) makes clear the reference to pagan times, which many nationalists of the 19th century considered a golden age
Golden Age
The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology and legend and refers to the first in a sequence of four or five Ages of Man, in which the Golden Age is first, followed in sequence, by the Silver, Bronze, and Iron Ages, and then the present, a period of decline...
of Icelandic history.
Þorrablót soon caught on as a tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
in Iceland and these feasts were organised by many other associations, especially youth organisations and student associations, which were most actively involved in the independence
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
movement.
In 1958 a restaurant in Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, Naustið, started offering a platter with a selection of foods that had previously been common in the Icelandic countryside, but had become rare by that time. The food was arranged in slices on a wood trough
Trough
Trough may refer to:* Trough , the lowest turning point of a business cycle* Trough or manger, a container for animal feed* Watering trough, a receptacle of drinking water for domestic and non-domestic livestock...
made in the likeness of old troughs on display in the National Museum of Iceland
National Museum of Iceland
The National Museum of Iceland was established on 24 February 1863, with Jón Árnason the first curator of the Icelandic collection, previously kept in Danish museums...
. The restaurant advertised this platter as Þorramatur
Þorramatur
Þorramatur is a selection of traditional Icelandic food, consisting mainly of meat and fish products cured in a traditional manner, cut into slices or bits and served with rúgbrauð , butter and brennivín...
, thereby linking it with the tradition of the Þorrablót. The idea was well received and the serving of Þorramatur has since become a defining feature of Þorrablót.
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
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
. These large Þorrablót are usually arranged by membership associations, associations of Icelanders living abroad, and as regional festivals in the countryside.
Minor feast honoring Thor, the protector of Midgard
Midgard
Midgard is one of the Nine Worlds and is an old Germanic name for our world and is the home of Humans, with the literal meaning "middle enclosure".-Etymology:...
, held on the first full moon of January. During this time, the height of the Storm season, Thor's power is invoked to drive back the frost Jotuns so that Spring may return to Midgard.