Gormánuðr, Blót-monaþ, and Thanksgiving
By Shade McCurdy
This full moon bears one of the most ubiquitous names amongst our Germanic ancestors, with nearly all of them translating as Blood Moon, Gore Moon, or Slaughter Moon. This is because at the conclusion of the harvest season, our agrarian forebearers had to decide what livestock they could afford to feed through the winter, and which they would have to cull in order to feed themselves. It was a matter of the farm’s survival.
This brings an ancient practice to mind which has been steadily returning to heathen blóts in recent years: animal sacrifice.
Those who have never seen an animal’s life taken may be shocked or uncomfortable the first time they witness the deed. What they may not realize, having outsourced this essential task to slaughterhouses, is just how common it is.
In the United States, approximately 8.5 billion land animals are slaughtered for food each year. (It’s also worth noting that many of these cullings are performed under religious guidelines of the kosher and halal varieties.)
Furthermore, a quarter of all meat for sale in stores ultimately goes to waste. On one hand, this is a great sign of our ability to produce surpluses (winter survived!) while on the other, it’s a sign of how removed our society is from the natural world, based on the disposable value it places on the lives of these animals.
Media and literature depictions of animal sacrifice have especially done a disservice to the popular image of a sacred and necessary act. There is no reason to associate it with evil or cruelty. For one thing, we make offerings to our holy gods to assist them in the perpetuation of all that which is good and orderly. For another, our folk are very concerned with the humane treatment of livestock and especially those “honored guests” who enjoy a pampered lifestyle before they are brought into the hallowed circle as an offering.
Life and death is a natural cycle of exchanging energy, and something our ancestors pondered a lot. With this relationship in mind, having loved and cared for an animal so it may nourish both the human and the divine in death, it should be clear that this final act is treated with the highest respect. Following blót is always a feast for the folk, ensuring that the sacrifice does not go to waste. With Thanksgiving fast approaching, keep the source of your meals in mind, and take a moment to be grateful to the lives taken to nourish you.
Góðan Gormánuðr!
Glæd Blót-monaþ!
Happy Thanksgiving!