Summer Solstice — Fire, Fertility, and the Power of Light

When the sun was at its highest and the night barely existed, the Vikings celebrated the summer solstice – one of the most joyous and symbolically charged holidays of the year. It was a festival of light, a time of fertility, love, and the celebration of the full power of life.

Feast of the Sun

The summer solstice occurred around June 21, when the sun reached its highest point in the sky. For the Vikings, this was a sacred time. The sun, personified as the goddess Sól, was seen as the guardian of life – she who gave growth, warmth and strength to both humans and gods.

In fairy tales and eddic poems, Sól is constantly chased across the sky by a wolf – a symbol of the light always being threatened by darkness. At the solstice, her victory was honored, when the day was at its longest and light reigned unchallenged over the North.

Night of Fire and Love

The rituals often began with the lighting of large fires on hills and beaches . The fire represented the power of the sun, and by jumping over the flames or dancing around them it was believed that one could partake of the sun's blessing. People sang, drank mead and made offerings to Balder – the bright and kind-hearted god, the symbol of purity and peace.

To strengthen the power of the sun, runes were carved on wooden sticks or bones:

• ᛋ (sól) – “sun, victory, life force”
• ᛁ (ís) – “ice, balance, contrast”

The rune ᛋ (sól) was sometimes worn as jewelry or carved into objects to be used during the summer, to protect against illness and weakness. It represented the fire of life – the force that sustains the world.

Magic and seige

Divination and séj rituals were also performed at the summer solstice. At this time of year, the gates between the worlds were believed to be open, and guidance could be sought in dreams and visions. Völvas and other séj practitioners used fire, song, and runes to read people's fates.

Reverberation in Nordic tradition

Many of our modern Midsummer traditions have their roots in this ancient Norse holiday. Lighting fires, dancing, singing, and adorning oneself with flowers and leaves are pagan symbols of fertility and vitality . Nordic nature was in full bloom, and every farm celebrated with song, drink, and vows of love.

The summer solstice was more than just a celebration – it was a celebration of the sun as the source of life and of the eternal cycle of light and darkness, life and death. When the fire died down at dawn, it was known that darkness would soon return – but light had triumphed, if only for a moment.