Inside the Mind of the Celtic Savage

Hmm this may be a little difficult to describe for those that have an aversion to eating meat. Especially fresh meat and the ritualistic slaughter of livestock (I.E. Kosher/Halal etc) It was one of those things that you have to have been there to really understand so I will just leave my account as follows. This is not quite an offical abanning but just one Thegn’s account. As we were able to only assebble for the weekend following 12th night yule was extened untill tomorrow.

We met before dawn to select the animal that was to be that evenings dinner. Steph penned up a fine goat that was born on property in the spring. As the animal was led to the slaughter Dan offered up prayers and blessings, thanking the animal for its life as Steph kept it calm for the killing cut.

The cut was a quick clean swipe with a sharp knife severing both carotid arteries in one motion and in seconds the animal had lost the spark of life from its eyes.

The assembled folk were blessed, the sun broke through the clouds as a Flight of geese passed overhead flying north. The animal was then dressed out by Bear, who taught me a refresher on skinning and gutting a deer like animal. After the goat was dressed Mike C Rick and I butchered the carcass into smaller pieces to facilitate easier cooking for that nights dinner. The meat was then taken to the kitchen for the ladies to turn in to the evening’s meal. The offal bones, head and hide were received on a bale fire that was prepared.

Thus concluding the blót. And left the cooking to be completed for húsel and following sumbel.

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It would appear that we have received our Yule miracle. Steph went out to feed the last 2 bottle babies and found them suffering of Hypothermia. She brought them into the house were we worked at a feverish pace to get their body temp’s up and get some milk in to them. After an hour of trying and one close call we were able to get their temps up and now we have 3 fat happy little patients in the house.

Patient one is a chicken that got attacked by a cat who had a rough night last eve but is making remarkable progress.
Patients 2 and 3 are the last 2 bottle baby goats who are in their respective boxes in the bathroom that has its own independent base board heat so that they can be kept at 90* for their little boddies don’t have to use that much energy to keep their body temp at 104. We are also feeding them less but more frequently swapping a warm water/electrolyte solution inbetween formula bottles to keep them hydrated in the elevated heat of their temporary surroundings.
So here I sit with a fire in the freshly swept wood stove with a chicken pecking gently next to me Yule pizza in the oven and a fat happy content farmer Carl.

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News from the eastern lands
As is the Yule Tradition for Mothers Night, the ladies kept an all
night vigil performing their womanly mysteries. When I was aroused
from my slumber just before 0600, to my oath brothers good wife
saying that there was a problem with the wood stove and that Steph
needed my help.

I awoke to a roaring fire in the stove and smoke coming from the
walls around the flue. Per Steph, she was fumbling to operate the
fire extinguisher. She stated that I took over at that point and
doused the flames with the extinguisher, after that closing down
the flue and locking the airtight doors of the stove. I grabbed the
second fire extinguisher ascended the ladder and climbed on to the
roof to discharge the extinguisher down the chiminey and placed the
flue cap upside down to seal off the chiminey.

At that point, we determined that the flue fire was extinguished. I
only fear that if not for the ladies of the hall keeping vigil that
there would have been damage to the Hall and home.

HAIL TO THE LADIES OF FRANKLAND AND A HAPPY BEGINNING TO YULE

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