#midsummer traditions

[huariqueje]

Midsummer - Isaac Grünewald

Swedish , 1889-1946

Colour lithograph , 96 x 65 cm. Ed.30/200.

[audspetunias]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Tomorrow we celebrate Midsummer in Sweden, a wonderful tradition with pagan origins. I wrote this fanfic a year ago but after some editing I thought it might be fun to give it another go.

Siegfried reads about the old rituals in Sweden and gets inspired. He also learns a few things about his dear housekeeper…

“If you want to know who your future spouse will be,” Siegfried read, “you are supposed to pick seven or nine flowers and put them under your pillow. You will then dream of your bride or groom to be.”

[destinedtobeloved]

Joel teaches Jimmy Fallon a midsummer Swedish drinking game to ‘redeem the Americans’ :)

[dapandapod]

Midsummer dreams

Happy midsummer!!! As a swede, there are a ton of wierd traditions on this day! But I must confess this one is one of my favorites. 

Please enjoy this little thing!!

On Ao3 here!

It always rains when midsummer is celebrated. It’s just how things are. Geralt and Jaskier are staying at a small hamlet somewhere in the north. The air is hot and humid, a taste of thunder waiting to happen. Every drop hitting the leaves like a whisper, the birdsong soft and muted.

They are standing in the middle of a field, helping to gather flowers and weeds to dress the maypole.

“You know, somewhere even up further north there is this tradition,” Geralt says, voice gentle like the chorus of the summer rain.

“Oh?” Jaskier asks, picking a big flower with white petals. Daisy, Geralt thinks, and imagines putting one behind Jaskiers ear.

“Yes. You might have heard of it? You pick seven types of flowers and put them under your pillow on midsummers eve. And when you fall asleep you will dream of the one you will marry,” Geralt tells Jaskier, picking a bright red poppy. But it is fragile, and three petal falls off it as soon as he lifts it.

“That is very romantic. Did you ever try it?” Jaskier asks him, plucking another two daisies and adding them to his growing collection. Geralt shrugs, more petals falling from the poppy.

“I’m a witcher. Who would marry me?” Geralt asks, and Jaskier predictably says nothing. It was not a question he expected an answer to.

They keep gathering flowers, grass, leaves, anything that they can weave into crowns or decorate the maypole.

Geralt doesn’t say, but he makes sure to pick out at least seven kinds of flowers. It can’t hurt.

The festivities are merry, full of dancing and singing and food. As a bard, Jaskier is busy most of the night. He sits with his lute on a hay bale and sings, a flower crown a bit crooked on his brow. His smile is wide and his eyes are sparkling, and Geralt finds it hard to look away.

When night falls, they return to their rented room. Jaskier is happy, soft with drink and kind words, and in his hands he holds seven kinds of flowers.

“I want to try it. Why not? It sounds like fun, and perfect for a song.”

This time Geralt is the one being quiet. He is not sure why he doesn’t say anything, but from his pack he takes out a small bouquet of flowers. With seven kinds. He doesn’t think too much about it before he stuffs it under his pillow quickly, pretending he is fluffing it up.

Geralt barely dares to look at Jaskier as they change into their night clothes, and when he falls asleep, it is to the smell of wild flowers and home.

In his dreams, he dances with Jaskier. Warm hands are resting on his shoulders, and Jaskier does that goofy crinkle of his nose when he laughs. In his dreams, they travel together on horseback. Watching the world and learning its secrets. In his dreams, Jaskier kisses his forehead and calls him ‘mine’.

As morning comes, the smell of wild flowers lingers. When Geralt opens his eyes, they catch on the sleeping bard’s form across the room. His hair tousled in sleep, one arm hanging over the edge of the bed, resting on the floor.

Oh.

Geralt doesn’t dream much. When it isn’t nightmares, or the dark plains of unconsciousness, it is blue eyes and soft smiles.

Maybe that is what this feeling is. What wells up in him when Jaskiers tongue pokes out in concentration, when Jaskier glares at him for a bad joke, when Jaskier is sleeping, just like he is doing now.

Maybe he can be allowed something good after all.

Just as the thought passes through his mind, Jaskier wakes up. Their eyes meet, and Geralt hopes. Hopes that his bard dreamt of him too.

And as Jaskiers cheeks colour, and he blinks awake sleep, Geralt thinks maybe, just maybe, the flowers let Jaskier dream of him.

[riteofashkente]

Hey uh I liked your post about Estonian midsummer traditions and I think my mum who is Lithuanian once told me about the fern flower, could you idk explain this one and maybe some other traditions? it's just apparently it's a common thing and I'm very curious thank you

Hey! Sorry for the late answer.

The fern flower is a legend (as ferns do not have flowers); in romantic literature lovers would look for the flower inside woods on Midsummer’s Night (the night between 23rd and 24th of June) and finding it signified love. I also found online site saying that it would give you riches, luck, the ability to understand all birds, animals and people, the knowledge of all things in the world and would allow you to see your future. This tells you to only look for it alone and not to listen to, respond to or follow any noises or calls, and to not be frightened by beasts that might appear. (sources in Estonian: x, x) I’ve been told the first story, but the second one sounds much more appealing.

As for other traditions, it is customary to build a large fire on the evening of the 23rd of June. There is a tradition of leaping over the fire to ensure good harvest and to keep evil spirits away, however most fires I’ve seen built would require a vaulting pole for that to be possible. In some places (Saaremaa, if I remember correctly) you stick a large barrel on top of a pole and light that on fire. According to x (in Estonian) you did that because then the fire can be seen far away and it will keep evil away as far as the light can be seen. 

Aside from the fern flower, another connection to lovers is the story of Koit ja Hämarik; Dusk and Dawn. It’s the one night where they see each other and exchange a brief kiss. At Tallinn’s latitude, there’s about 2 hours of actual night on this night. Thus it’s the one night of the year where staying up all night or at least until the Sun rises again (which isn’t that late, and yes, I would say late rather than early. The Sun rises at 4 am, however it’ll start getting light at 3 am, maybe even before.) is customary.

Swinging on a large village swing is a tradition as well and you would sing songs while swinging. If you have the chance to swing on one of those, would recommend, however you generally need at least two people to actually get some speed up. Four is the optimal amount, I’d say, others can just sit on the swing. If you want to do loops, I would suggest looking into kiiking as those swings are made for that. 

The wiki page lists some more things, it’s accurate from what I know. Off the top of my head I can say that Midsummer’s Eve also marks the point after which you shouldn’t eat rhubarb any more, as it will have gathered too much oxalic acid. It also marks the point after which the mosquitoes should lessen (and then the regular housefly and the painful horseflies take over. There is always something buzzing around you during summer).

Latvia has many more traditions, or at least they follow traditions more than any Estonian Midsummer’s fire I’ve been to. Flower and oak leaf wreaths are made, the oak wreaths are given to all Jānis who are present. They also sing songs and play games, there is also cheese with caraway seeds and other foods and drinks. The wiki page seems pretty accurate, if you want to read more.

I am not sure of any specific traditions relating to Lithuania; I’ve never lived there. I do think the traditions will be broadly the same, or at least the lighting the fire bit and probably the singing bit. And the drinking bit. Everyone seems to do the drinking and the eating bits.

As for what happens on Midsummer’s Eve currently in Estonia is what I described in that gothic post, mostly. Probably every village in the whole country has it’s own village fire, though many people (like my family) will have their own fire (my grandparents always have a fire and host for this evening). Generally you eat and spend time with relatives and/or friends, while drinking and trying to not get entirely eaten by mosquitoes (tip: mosquitoes hate smoke. Now I just need to find a smoke sauna I can go to and I’ll be fine). Oh, I presume people may go to sauna as well and probably swimming, though I’ve never been that close to the sea during a Midsummer’s Eve. Then when it starts getting dark you light the fire and move to sit around the fire because a) cold, b) mosquitoes, c) the fire is mesmerising. When the stuff to put on fire has ran out and the fire is a pile of ash and a smoldering large branch, you call it a night and go home. 

I hope this was interesting!

[disast3rtransp0rt]

It's midsummer's day! Pick seven wildflowers that were not sown by the hand of man and sleep with them under your pillow to dream of your true love!

[bluelakes-whitesnow]