In Icelandic lore, there are four nights a year when mystical, magical things happen: the night before Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Twelfth Night [January 6] and Midsummer Night – tonight.
Many amazing things are supposed to happen on this night. Magical stones may be found that will make your wishes come true. Various types of healing grasses and herbs can be picked, just on this night. Cows gain the ability to speak – but if you do hear them, you must cover your ears, because anyone who listens in on their talk goes mad.* Also, the dew is very intense on this night, and it is said that if you roll around in it naked, you will be healed of whatever ails you, and will not become ill for an entire year afterwards.
Apparently it’s a common theme in Icelandic folklore that whenever something transgresses any sort of whole, some sort of threatening situation is initiated. Under such circumstances all sorts of forces are released, both good and bad, and things attain special, heightened powers [as in the magical stones, dew, etc.]. This applies, for example, when one process is complete and another begins, such as on the stroke of midnight, when a year is complete [on New Year’s Eve] and when the sun reaches its zenith in the sky, during Midsummer Night.**
IT’S A GREAT NIGHT FOR ROLLING AROUND NAKED
Although not sure you’d want to do it in the dew, cuz you’d freeze your butt. The light is magical, at any rate – right now at almost 11 pm the sun casts a gorgeous gold hue and there’s not a cloud in the sky. It’s 11°C [52F], sunrise this morning was at 2.56 and sunset here in the capital will be at 12.03 tomorrow.
* Perhaps they use Google translator.
** Nicked from the Icelandic Science Web.
[This post is filed under MY ICELAND.]
