The word Yule predates 'Christmas' in English (from gēol in old English) but it's meaning was vague. Variations of 'Yule' existed in most Germanic and Scandinavian languages (jól in old Norse meaning a feast) and seemed to describe mid-winter days and festivities. The word went out of fashion and Christmas was used from C12, although Yule carried on being used in Danish settlements and was a common dialect word in the North. (Info from The English Year book see below)
The idea that a large log of wood - The Yule Log should be burning in the fireplace on Christmas Eve or all of Christmas day was well known for more than 300 years. It had different names in various places - The block log, clog or brand but could be found all over the British Isles.
This is taken from my book 'The English Year' by Steve Roud and comes from Herefordshire in 1886
A respectable middle aged labourer tells me that in his boyhood his father was always careful to provide a Christmas Yule Log. On Christmas morning he would put a bit saved from last year's log on the fire and lay the new log on top of it, so that it might be kindled from the last years piece. Before the new log was quite burnt out he took it off, extinguished it, and put it away to kindle the next year's log.
The idea of keeping part of the wood was to ensure the luck of the house continued but it was also thought to offer protection against fire and witchcraft.
From the same book.......Folklorist Charlotte Burne recorded
In 1845 I was at the Vessons farmhouse in Shropshire. The floor was of flagstones and observing a sort of roadway through the kitchen and the flags much broken, I asked what had caused it and was told it was from the horses hoofs drawing in the Christmas Brand.
Not many houses with open fireplaces big enough for yule log now - perhaps just a few old farm or manor houses.
So reassured to see I am not the only Grandma with a tin of random vintage cake decorating bits'n'bobs!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I had more at one time - including one or two robins
DeleteInteresting to read about the Yule Log. There used to be a pub near here that always burned a big log at Christmas - though I don't know if it was an old custom or an idiosyncrasy of the landlord (he had many!). I suppose the modern equivalent of that old tradition might be the way we bring out, year after year, the same old decorations. Christmas in my house just wouldn't be the same without the plastic "Merry Christmas" sign that my mother bought in Woolworths 65 years ago!
ReplyDeleteThere's a pub in a nearby village and they used to have a huge fire - too hot to get near - made everyone thirstier!
DeleteI remember my father selecting a Yule Log for burning on Christmas Day. Don't think we kept a piece back for the following year though.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I would lose a piece of burnt wood from one year to another
DeleteGood luck with your robin hunt. Old decorations carry memories,
ReplyDeleteI shall have to think which shops have cake decorations nowadays
DeleteInteresting history around the Yule log.
ReplyDeleteI can't eat fruit cake so always had a chocolate Yule log cake instead. It didn't last very long though.
Grandchildren definitely prefer chocolate cake rather than fruit cake
DeleteWe prefer the rich fruit cake here, my memories which are my decorations, sit in a pink pig biscuit barrel, I've had since the 80's.
ReplyDeleteA pink pig biscuit barrel sounds nicer than my old tin
DeleteQuite a few folk have a tin or box of Christmas cake decorating memories don't we? I love a bit of chocolate Yule log but might look at how much the m and s ones are before attempting my own - just laziness really !
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
I heard a rumour that we might be getting a M&S Food store in the local town but won't hold my breath as things are often promised. My nearest is Ipswich. Would be good for special things
DeleteHere in the states, I have seen many and have made a couple yule logs myself. The recipes are also called "Buche de Noel". When I made mine, I followed a recipe which called for mushrooms created from stiff meringue baking an elongated stem and a separate cap on a baking sheet. After thoroughly baked dry, a small home was dug into the base of the cap and the stem piece inserted in with a bit of frosting. Several mushrooms of various sizes were tucked into the chocolate "bark" frosting as if growing from the log, and at the last minute before serving, the whole thing was then dusted with powdered (icing) sugar to resemble fresh snowfall. It was quite impressive if I do say so myself. Very labor intensive, though.
ReplyDeleteMeringue mushrooms sound like a clever idea - too clever for me!
DeleteI love a Yule log for Christmas desert. Due to lack of skill, I've never made one but can buy them at a good bakery. Christmas morning I will have a large fire in my fireplace. A few nice large birch logs will burn and give a nice warm glow. Next year I might try the Yule tradition of saving some of the log to restart the fire anew. We can all use some good luck and ward off evil....
ReplyDeleteAny luck for next year would be good
DeleteThat is a good idea using a store made Swiss roll for your Yule log. I may adopt it if I can find somewhere that sells a big Swiss rolls. The ones here tend to be single serving ones. I enjoy your blog. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteShops here usually have large swiss roll near Christmas - well they did several years ago
DeleteYour idea of making a Yule log cake out of a Swiss roll...how fun! It has given me the idea to make small Yule cakes for the children using ho-hos. It would be a great chance to discuss old Christmas traditions. As far as saving a piece of last year's log? I vote that we don't do that. We need a fresh start!
ReplyDeleteSaving a piece of wood log might ward off evil but eating a piece of chocolate log would definitely be good !
DeleteInteresting tradition of the Yule Log. Haven't had a chocolate log in years! I suppose I shall blog about the Icelandic Yule traditions come mid December.
ReplyDeleteI generally make an alcohol laced Bara Brith these days instead of the traditional fruit cake. Add a few cranberries, chopped apricots and some extra spice, it's perfect for me.
Looking forward to your Iceland Yule blog posts.
DeleteYour Bara Brith sounds good
Thanks for the information about the history of the Yule Log. I do like chocolate swiss roll so a Yule Log would be delicious as I don’t like Christmas cake. Catriona
ReplyDeleteNot had a chocolate log for years, I'm now looking forward to making it
DeleteYou can't beat a bit of chocolate log at Christmas. Re the plastic robins: I don't think I've seen any for years, Sue. All my old cake decorations got thrown away in our rush to move to the bungalow. Even unused candles bit the dust. Seems a bit foolish now 🤔
ReplyDeleteHow about challenging the grandchildren to make a Lego robin for the Yule log? A Swiss roll made without butter so you can roll it up is dead easy to make. If you’ve got a Swiss roll tin (a flattish tin about 8 x 12 inches - the sort I use for tray bakes) and baking parchment and you’re good to go. Just note that because it’s made without butter it needs to be freshly made which begs the question what on earth goes into shop-made Yule logs to give them a shelf life of weeks. You will only need eggs, sugar, self raising flour, cocoa powder for the Swiss roll and a butter cream icing for inside and out made from butter, icing sugar and cocoa powder is perfectly fine for children. Don’t forget the dusting of snow! Sarah in Sussex
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I love your history and folklore posts always.
ReplyDeleteMy mother often made a Yule Log cake, much preferred over the years than the dense awful stollen that appeared in other years. Of American European ancestry, we do not put a robin on the log cake, my mom always made beautiful marzipan or meringue fairytale toadstools. Later, when my kids were very small and we lived in Brooklyn, I'd order the Log Cake from the Italian bakery. It would be fun to make one tho.
PS cake decorations like yours are quite collectible now, at least on Instagram.
I might try my hand at a Yule Log Cake this year. No fireplace so can't have a real one. Drat.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I looked rather wistfully at my cake decorations but they all went back in the tin for now. A Yule Log sounds just the ticket when I have everyone round before Christmas - thanks for the idea. xx
ReplyDeleteA very pertinent post for me as Yule is my surname. It's fairly unusual in the south of England where I live (more commonly spelt as Ewell in England, I believe) but is much more prevalent in the north of Scotland where my ancestors came from. Sadly, despite my surname, I'm really not a fan of Christmas - although I'm very partial to a chocolate Yule log.
ReplyDeleteMy mum always made us a Christmas Yule Log. I remember having a little plastic robin on ours lol. Good memories.
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