STF

Of Winter Solstices Past

Posted Dec. 23, 2020, 4:24 p.m. by Lieutenant Revna Edman (Counselor) (Jennifer Ward)

It was always so dark this time of year. Slowly, day by day, night arrived earlier and earlier, until there was very little light except when the sun was the highest each day. Revna and Runa sat huddled in the giant blanket next to the fire. Their father, a large, bulkily build man, with a long brown beard with equally long shaggy hair, had cleared and area of snow near the large bonfire so the ground was dry. He had laid a thick, dry sheepskin in the cleared space. Now hours later the girls were curled up in that spot watching the giant flames flicker and flash in the total darkness of the Winter Solstice.

Earlier that week they had ventured out into the woods with their mother to gather branches from many different trees. As they walked their mother explained to them. “Many centuries ago our people believed that the gods fought a war every year to stop the frost giants from bringing Ragnarok to Midgard. And so our ancestors would gather wood from all the sacred trees to infuse the air with power to assist the gods in their fight. Ash – brings protection, prosperity, and health, Aspen – invokes understanding of the grand design, Birch – signifies new beginnings, Holly – inspires visions and reveals past lives, Oak – brings healing, strength, and wisdom, Pine – signifies prosperity and growth, Willow – invokes the Goddess to achieve desires.” And so along with their mother, Revna and Runa spent hours traipsing the woods with their mother. Runa loved the stories and begged her mother to tell them over and over again. Revna, was a bit more…curious than her twin. “But is it REAL? If there are gods and giants why don’t we see them? If we are helping them, making a potion for them to inhale, why don’t they come and thank us?” Her mother laughed, “Because Revna, they are stories. It is how our ancient ancestors underwood the universe before we had the science we do now. But there are great lessons to be learned from the stories.” This made sense to Revna, Runa however thought her sister thought too much.

Now the bundled branches and logs were tied together and had been used to start the bonfire that morning. Other families from all over the village and the other islands in the archipelago added their own bundles to the bonfire. The children had played games in the snow all day long until they were exhausted and cold. Now in little spots near the fire the children were gathered, now in dry clothes, huddled in the warm blankets, Revna and Runa’s father had set them to warm by the fire. The elders gathered and began to tell the old stories, and despite their difference of opinion both girls were totally enthralled by them. The stories were told in song and to the rhythm of the beating drums of the eldest of village members. Revna learned to sing those songs around the bonfires. Her small voice ringing out from her spot huddled next to her sister, bringing smiles to everyone’s faces. Eventually, Runa too would begin to sing and their voices would silence the adults as they listened.

The children were given warmed cider to keep them warm. The adults were enjoying her uncle’s mead, brewed there on the island. It too was warmed. Eventually, the evening drew farther and further on, the darkness never seeming to end. The adults of course knew it was simply a matter of the rotation of Earth around Sol and that the light would return. But such as children do, they have a distorted sense of time where minutes seem like seconds but hours seem like weeks. As the temperature dropped in the hours before dawn, which would come, but not be noticeable the girls huddled closer, whispering, wondering, were the old tales true? Were the frost giants going to win this year? Would Ragnarok, the end of time, come? Another child, 4 years older than the twins sat down between them and laughed. “Of course not, not yet. Have faith.” In the distance the cracking of the ice on the water was like a thundering boom, that too the children, in the middle of that endless night, sounded like the earth shattering around them. The girls jumped, grabbing onto the boy, and he laughed, but with an edge of adrenaline as well. “It’s okay, it’s just the ice cracking. I won’t let it hurt you.” The boy, Shauwn, had grown up with them, as everyone was on the island. But wherever the twins were, or more specifically wherever Revna was, one could always find Shauwn. The three huddled together laughing nervously at each sound of nature, the howl of a wolf, and the creak of the longboats in the harbor.

As day, a slight lightening of the darkness, began to show itself the children began to rouse. The long vigil to stave off the dark till the sun returned was nearly over. Children, having faced the pretend nightmares of the darkness, laughed and cheered at their own bravery. But with great relief they roused and ran to their parents for the reassurance that they had really survived. The fire, having been kept blazing all night, was not allowed to begin to turn to embers. Torches were lit and passed for each family to carry back to their own fires. A needless tradition with environmental controls available to all, but traditions, now, were more about sentimentality and unity, than practicality.

The day would continue in song and play, with feasting and games. With joy and laughter another year has turned another year of peace and prosperity for all in their village and the Federation as a whole. So were the thoughts of innocent young children.
Revna and Runa Edman


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