Cranes, Waffles and Goddesses

Cranes, Waffles and Goddesses

In pre-Christian times, March 25 was dedicated to the Goddess Cybele. The cult of the Goddess was particularly strong in Anatolia and the Christians changed the day and honored it to the honour of Virgin Mary, The Feast of the Annunciation. The symbol in the runic calendar on March 25, or the Spring month, is a crown to symbolize Mary.

Cybele reminds of Frigg as she is a Mother Goddess but also Freya. Both Cybele and the Goddess of love in Asatru, are associated with felines and they have a lover who betrayed the Goddess. Attis betrayed Cyble and Odr betrayed Freyja.

In Scandinavia, it is a tradition to eat waffles on this day. The cranes are coming back and in some places people have had fun sending so-called crane letters and dressing up as cranes. “The crane carries candles in its beak”, they used to say in old days, and now they stopped lighting candles indoors.

You should also run barefoot. In all cases in southern Scandinavia, the snow is now heavy and in the past people started to stop using shoes on a daily basis at this time.

Many pagans in modern times pay attention to the day and both Frigg and Freya are honored, but also the spring guide Ostara and many other female deities.

Cybele the Mother Goddess from Anatolia.

Crane-letters ore Tranbrev Sweden circa 1930.

Swedish waffles with cream and jam.

Frigg and Freya.

Ostara, the Goddess of Spring.