Vorfest: The Spring Festival of the Arn
For the Arn people, the arrival of Spring on the Wheel of the Year is a major cause for celebration. A long cold Winter draws to a close, the north winds are less frigid and the frozen rivers thaw, allowing again movement and trade by water. Farmers begin to till their fields and to plant the seeds that will lead to summertime harvests. Shepherds depart with their flocks for Spring grazing grounds as wildflowers begin to bloom in abundance. The darkness that ruled Winter diminishes as the sun reaches the great day of balance where dark and light stand equal. And so, on this first day of Spring, the Arn people celebrate, for the lifegiving sun shall rule the skies for the next six months, bringing warmth and the promise of good times with the greening of the land.
The Arn people have always lived in northern lands where the land stands frozen for months each year. And so, on the night before the day of balance, when day and night stand equal, the Arn people begin their three-day celebration of Vorfest, the great festival marking the beginning of Spring.
On the first evening, on the night before the equinox, the people celebrate in the streets with a parade. Dark figures menace the celebrants at the head of the parade, or loom darkly atop carried floats. Then the followers of Lir Dhal, the God of Light, arrive carrying torches and dancing with fire to ritually drive away the darkness. With the light restored, the parade turns into a wild celebration of colorful dancers and bands of musicians. Their merriment surrounds and celebrates followers of Amundabi as they drive teams of horses pulling wagons filled with kegs of beer, wine, and mead.
Bonfires are lit throughout Arnheim: in the streets, on village greens, on hilltops, along the shores of river and sea. Music, dance, drink and shouts swirl around the flames in a long, wild night of partying, with many celebrants continuing the merriment until dawn.
On day two things begin more calmly and quietly as the people give visit their local templates to thank their gods and goddesses for their survival through another winter. But the day of quiet thanks (and recovery) ends abruptly at sunset when the taverns open. They quickly fill as special celebratory beers are tapped. Another night of heavy drinking commences, with much music in the taverns and the streets.
Day three of the festival begins as the taverns open early for “Hair of the dog” breakfasts. This is a day of feasting as families and friends get together to celebrate with a large and elaborate meal in the afternoon. The meal traditionally ends the festival at sunset as horns in all directions loudly declare the moment. Still, many manage to celebrate again into the late hours of night.
During the festival, pubs and taverns do tremendous business. A number of highly-anticipated beers are brewed for and only tapped during Vorfest. Vorboch, a traditional dark malty lager, is brewed during Winter in large amounts and is the primary beer. But the top choice for many beer lovers is the highly-acclaimed Eisboch. Brewed only by the Amundabi-worshipping monks of Eisboch Abbey, this strong, amber lager is specially aged in ice caves through the long months of winter before arriving at taverns just in time for the Vorfest celebration. The Arn shout “Skol!” or “Amundabi!” or “Damn the winter!” or howl like wolves as they raise big mugs at Vorfest!
Willow bark and raw eggs and hot peppers from Beorlan are favorite remedies consumed through the celebration. It’s a source of amusement that the followers and clerics of Amundabi offer neither remedies nor healing to assist with hang-overs from drinking too much. Only another mug!