Songs for Winter Solstice
Celebrate Yule With Traditional and Contemporary Music
Yule is a time of celebration, a time to herald the light that will arrive in the months to come. Any great celebration requires great songs, but for those who celebrate Yule, or the Winter Solstice, songs that have pagan origins and lyrics can be difficult to find.
Finding Yule Songs
Yule songs often focus on the changing of the light and the movement from darkness Search for songs about snow and the animals and plants who live through the cold winter days. Wassailing songs often contain echoes of pagan times. There are also traditional and contemporary songs that directly celebrate the return of the light.
Some Traditional Christmas Songs Are Suitable For Winter Solstice
Many traditional winter time songs are actually pagan in origin and are suitable for winter solstice celebrations. Here We Come A –Wassailing and Deck the Halls With Boughs of Holly celebrate the songs and the garlands of theYule holiday. For those who are simply looking for a rollicking tune for a snowy day, Dashing Through The Snow is a fun and lively song to share with the entire family.
Traditional Solstice Songs in Contemporary Yule Albums
Several contemporary groups have taken traditional songs and given them a contemporary, often Celtic twist.
- Loreena McKennitt’s Christmas album To Drive the Cold Winter Away (Quinlan Road, 1987) is full of Celtic tones, voice, and harp. Although her lyrics do mention Christmas, it’s simple to skip a verse, and they are predominantly oriented towards winter solstice and Yule celebrations.
- The Frost and Fire album by The Watersons (remastered, Topic Records, 2007) features English ritual and ceremonial songs with deep roots in English folklore and folk music. The Waterson: Carthy album Holy Heathens and the Old Green Man (Topic Records, 2006) is another Waterson take on traditional Yule and Solstice songs. Again, these albums contain Christmas music, but much of it is traditionally-inspired and many songs contain references to winter and the coming of the light.
- Winter’s Turning (Flying Fish Records, 1986) is a solo album by Robin Williamson from the Incredible String Band. It contains traditional songs like Blow Thou Winter Wind.
Original and Contemporary Songs for Yule
For those who are looking for purely pagan songs, Odin’s Gift has a selection of Yule songs and poems, and some come with MP3 accompaniment. Jaiya’s Firedance album (Inside Out Records, 2003) is a wonderful and very pagan selection of quiet and more danceable, rhythmic songs. It’s also a combination of classic songs and originals. Jaiya brings together the voice, the harp, and the pennywhistle. All of these songs beg for someone to sing and dance along!
It can be hard to find songs for winter solstice, but there are songs created specifically for Yule celebrations. Whether these are traditional Christmas songs that are actually pagan in origin or original and contemporary albums, these Celtic-inspired songs will add to the celebration of light this Yule season.
Traditional Songs to Celebrate Winter Solstice
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