A Christmas tradition today in England, the Yule Log was once a source of scorn.
In the early medieval era, many households across England still followed druid rituals. One of these traditions was the burning of a Yule Log, kept alight for twelve days during the feast of the winter solstice. The ashes of the log were kept in the household for luck during the coming year.
In the twilight period before Christianity became dominant in England, some people practicing these rituals were shunned and sometimes persecuted. The conquering Normans in particular, disdained the Anglo-Saxon indigenous population for maintaining what the Normans saw as pagan practices. Eventually, the Yule Log along with many non-Christian traditions, were merged into the Christmas celebrations still observed today.
In King Robin, the Yule Log tradition plays a pivotal role in the identity of Robert Webber, the man who would one day be known as Robin Hood.
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