Northern European Rituals (Weddings)
A. Wedding Ritual based on an Icelandic Saga:
1. To start, like most things Northern European the wedding begins with three days of feasting at the father of the bride’s house.
2. On the fourth night the bride and her bride’s maids walk into the hall and sit in the center of the main hall.
3. The mead horn is then brought into the hall.
4.The father of the bride walks over to the groom and asks him, “Will you marry my daughter now”.
5. The groom then stands up next to the father of the bride.
6. Three ladies carrying candles walk up to the two men. Then they start walking around the hall followed by the groom, father of the bride, and the groomsmen.
7. The group walks around the hall three times and then they stop in front of the bride.
8. The father of the bride gives the groom a hammer (represents Thor’s Hammer).
9. The groom then puts the hammer on the bride’s lap. He then says to the bride, “With this holy hammer of Thor, I take you for my wife.”
10. The groom then takes a ring of keys and ties them to the bride’s belt. The groom then says, “This is the sign that you are the mistress of my house.”
11. The bride and groom are pronounced husband and wife.
12. A fourth day of feasting is then held after the wedding.
13. The following morning there is a large breakfast for the newly married couple.
14. Once the breakfast is complete the father of the bride walks the bride to the front door with the groom walking behind them.
15. Once they pass through the front door the father gives the bride’s hand to the groom and says, “With this hand I lead my daughter out of my house and give her to you to be your wife. May all the gods make you happy.
16. The grooms says, “Now she is my wife”.
17. The happy couple drinks out of a mead horn and then ride off to start their new life together.
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