A Yule log is a large log which is burned in the
hearth as a part of traditional Yule or
Christmas celebrations in some cultures.
The origins of the Yule Log can be traced back to the Midwinter festivals in which the Norsemen indulged...nights filled with feasting, "drinking Yule" and watching the fire leap around the log burning in the home hearth. The ceremonies and beliefs associated with the Yule Log's sacred origins are closely linked to representations of health, fruitfulness and productivity. In England, the Yule was cut and dragged home by oxen or horses as the people walked alongside and sang merry songs. It was often decorated with evergreens and sometimes sprinkled with grain or cider before it was finally set alight.
To all Europeans, the Yule Log
was believed to bring beneficial
magic and was kept burning for
at least twelve hours and
sometimes as long as twelve
days, warming both the house and
those who resided within. When
the fire of the Yule Log was
finally quenched, a small
fragment of the wood would be
saved and used to light the next
year's log. It was also believed
that as long as the Yule Log
burned, the house would be
protected from witchcraft. The
ashes that remained from the
sacred Yule Log were scattered
over fields to bring fertility,
or cast into wells to purify and
sweeten the water. Sometimes,
the ashes were used in the
creation of various charms...to
free cattle from vermin, for
example, or to ward off
hailstorms.