Der Friggsege
The Friggsege is an Urglaawe ceremony that celebrates feminine creative energies, motherhood, and female ancestors and descendants. The Friggsege coincides with the Kannsege (Ceremony of the Corn), the Butzemannsege (Blessing of the Butzemann), and Grundsaudaag (Groundhog Day). The ceremony is rooted in Braucherei traditions relating to the Haerdgedderin (or Haerdziebin, called in English, the "Hearth Goddess").
In a manner similar to an Asatru Disablot, matriarchal ancestors are hailed and honored. As Urglaawe is a tradition of cycles and spirals, feminine descendants are also honored.
Frigg is seen as spinning the very material from which the Norns weave our Wurt (or Wyrd, as many other Heathens would know the term). This to us places Her so high in the Cosmic scheme that She is essentially a goddess of time, energy, and matter as well as a goddess of the home. We honor Her at the end of Yuul in recognition of Her association with time, but at Groundhog Day, we honor Her creative power and her protection of home and hearth.
As part of the honoring, the fire was allowed to go out in the hearth. A new fire was to be started with birch, which is also sacred to Frigg. This relates the day with the rune Berkano.
Also, the feminine creative energies enter into the construction of the Butzemann. For a more detailed description of this relationship, please see the Oley Freindschaft's Braucherei site.
Gewwernsege
Gefjon, whom we call Gewwern, is seen as the mother of Denmark, and, in an ironic twist, is closely associated with virgins and plows. King Gylfi of Sweden promised a disguised
Copenhagen's Gefjon Fountain
Gefjon as much land as She could plow in one night. She transformed Her sons into and plowed the Danish island of Zealand off from Sweden, thus creating the Swedish Lake Vänern. There are some linguistic links between Gefjon's name, which denotes giving, and Nordic words for marriage.
There are also linguistic links to the Matronae group called the Alagabiae (Matronis Alagabiabus), to whom an inscripiton on a votive stone dating from the 4th century A.D. from Bürgel near Solingen, West Germany (CIL XIII 8529) is dedicated. The name, which means 'All-giver', presents a Germanic counterpart to the partially Celticized matron name Ollogabiae. It is possible that the same matrons were venerated under both names among the mixed Germanic-Celtic population on the Lower Rhine (Source: Simek's "Dictionary of Northern Mythology").
She is seen as one of the goddesses in Frigg's retinue, and there are some linguistic connections between Her name and Frigg and Freya, too, which is interesting given that Frigg is of the Ase (Aesir) and Freya is of the Wane (Vanir). Gefjon is considered Aesir.
Also interesting is that Holle and Berchta are also said to carry plows.
Hail to Frigg!
Hail to Gewwern!
