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Submitted: December 21, 2007
Image Size: 2.4 MB
Resolution: 2200×3200

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Yuleby *phantoms-siren

Digital Art / Drawings & Paintings / Fantasy

Part two of an eight part Pagan Festival series.

Witch -

Background based on an image by

"The Pagan celebration of Winter Solstice (also known as Yule) is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world.

Ancient people were hunters and spent most of their time outdoors. The seasons and weather played a very important part in their lives. Because of this many ancient people had a great reverence for, and even worshipped the sun. The Norsemen of Northern Europe saw the sun as a wheel that changed the seasons. It was from the word for this wheel, houl, that the word yule is thought to have come. At mid-winter the Norsemen lit bonfires, told stories and drank sweet ale.

The ancient Romans also held a festival to celebrate the rebirth of the year. Saturnalia ran for seven days from the 17th of December. It was a time when the ordinary rules were turned upside down. Men dressed as women and masters dressed as servants. The festival also involved decorating houses with greenery, lighting candles, holding processions and giving presents.

The Winter Solstice falls on the shortest day of the year (21st December) and was celebrated in Britain long before the arrival of Christianity. The Druids (Celtic priests) would cut the mistletoe that grew on the oak tree and give it as a blessing. Oaks were seen as sacred and the winter fruit of the mistletoe was a symbol of life in the dark winter months.

It was also the Druids who began the tradition of the yule log. The Celts thought that the sun stood still for twelve days in the middle of winter and during this time a log was lit to conquer the darkness, banish evil spirits and bring luck for the coming year.

Many of these customs are still followed today. They have been incorporated into the Christian and secular celebrations of Christmas."- Taken from a BBC article.

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This was hard! I haven't seen deep snow since I was 5 and here there are still leaves on the trees so it doesn't feel much like Yule right now. I promise the Imbolc image will be better!

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~keeslv1 Jul 15, 2012

I love this !

*vikingjon Dec 21, 2011 Professional General Artist

Featured here: [link] Happy holidays!

*phantoms-siren Dec 23, 2011 Professional Digital Artist

Thank you! Hope you have a great new year!

*vikingjon Dec 23, 2011 Professional General Artist

You're welcome, and the same to you!

~Pinkest-Princess Dec 29, 2007 Photographer

i bloody love this

*AndySerrano Dec 26, 2007 Hobbyist Artisan Crafter

Beautiful work imposing a hand-drawn woman over a photo of snow. Wow.

*phantoms-siren Dec 26, 2007 Professional Digital Artist

Alas the background isn't a photo its actually the models own backdrop painting

*AndySerrano Dec 26, 2007 Hobbyist Artisan Crafter

Impressive!

*mizzd-stock Dec 22, 2007

beautiful work dear!

*Xelestial Dec 21, 2007 Hobbyist General Artist

I really like this. I think you captured the spirit of winter well, since it isn't the noisy, brightness of Christmas, but rather the quiet cold.

I'm glad you were up to drawing again

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Yuleby *phantoms-siren

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