Dear MEN, Here is your "heads-up." There is an important day this Sunday where you can treat the women in your life to a special dinner, flowers, treats, coffee in bed, etc for Konudagur (Women's Day). Your special month called Þorri (Thorri) is over as of Sunday. Did you attend a Þorrablót celebration or enjoy the first day of the month called Bóndadagur (Husband’s Day)?
We begin the next month in the old Icelandic calendar called Góa on Sunday, Feb. 24th. The first day of the month is called Konudagur or Women’s Day. This is not a new tradition made up by Hallmark. The names of these months and the celebrations associated with them are centuries old. In modern days, we have made these days much more commercialized.
The Old Norse/Icelandic/Germanic Calendar was in existence until October 1582 when the Gregorian calendar was introduced by Pope Gregory the XIII. The month names each have a special meaning and are based on the weather, sun, and solstices.
Calendar and more information found at Time Meddler
Þorri - Frozen Snow / coldest Month and Farmer / Men's Month Góa - Góa Month - Daughter of Þorri and Women's Month Einmánuður - Single (Lone) Month - young men month - Spring Equinox
Harpa - young women month - first day of summer - give gifts
Skerpla - mid May to Mid June Summer - growing season
Sólmánuður - sun month
Heyannir - Hay month - mid summer
Tvímánuður - only two months left of summer
Haustmánuður - autumn month
Gormánuður - Slaughter Month
Ýlir - Yule Month
Mörsugur - Fat Sucking Month - the darkest days of winter
Icelandic Bakers have started holding a competition for Cake of the Year. The winning entry goes on sale for Konudagur. Here is an advertisement from Jói Fel Bakarí Facebook page. Yummy!
Here are a few old Icelandic sayings about the month of Góa:
“To survive Þorri and Góa is to get over the hump of winter.” "að þreyja þorrann og góuna"
“Góa is coming, kind and true; she'll be warm enough. Þorri, you´ll be missed by few; you've been plenty rough.”
A great legend comes from the Orkneyinger’s Saga and is told in the Flatey Book: “It happened one winter at the time of the Þorrablót that Gói disappeared (this is the daughter of Þorri). A search was made for her, but she was not found. And when a month had gone by, Þorri had a sacrifice made for the purpose of gaining knowledge of Gói’s whereabouts. They called that a Góiblót.”
Legends claim that Gói’s brothers searched for her until finally one of them came to a place we call Heidmark in northern Germany. Here reigned King Hrólf who had kidnapped Gói from Kvenland, which is around the Bothnian Bay between Sweden and Finland. King Hrólf and Gói were married. Gói’s brother, Nórr, found his sister and had a great battle with King Hrólf where both men survived. Nórr ended up marrying Hrolf’s sister and they returned to Nórr’s kingdom named Norway. There is much more to the story …. Stay tuned for more Icelandic folklore, stories, history, travel, and Icelandic culture in North America.
Happy Konudagur to all the women out there and thanks for being here at Icelandic Roots!