Ullr May Not Be The God Of Snow, But He Is The God of Skiing
It seems that more has been forgotten about Ullr than can be remember at this point. His legend is shrouded in mystery and it constantly evolves. If you’re like most skiers, you know Ullr as the God of Snow. But is he really?
The legend of Ullr is beautifully vague. Ullr is an ancient, pre-Viking era Norse God. His name means glory, glorious, or dazzling. He is the son of Sif, the Goddess of Fertility, and the step-son of Thor, the God of Thunder. No one knows who his real father is. Ullr lacks supernatural powers like many other gods, but it is rumored that Ullr still keeps company with powerful gods like Odin, Thor, and Loki.
Although he was rumored to be promiscuous, Ullr eventually married Skadi, the goddess of winter, mountains, skiing, and bowhunting. A fitting match for Ullr, who has been called the god of the bow, the god of hunting, the god of shields, the god of skis, the lord of winter, and the god of justice and dueling. His name is often invoked for good luck in a duel. But no where that I can find is there mention of Ullr as the God of Snow.
In Ullr’s time, long before bamboo skis, plastic boots, and tech bindings, skis were more like two planks of wood used to travel across snow using a single pole so that your other hand could hold your weapon. Ullr is often depicted in ancient drawings and written about in epic poems wearing skis or ice skates that resemble shields. These visual and mental images help to craft a legend of a skiing god.
And what goes hand in hand with skiing? Snow. Are you starting to see how his legend has evolved? Ullr is certainly a well known figure in our modern skiing world. He has been called the Guardian Patron Saint of Skiers. Ullr medallions depicting Ullr on skis holding a bow and arrow is a widely known talisman for skiers and ski patrols and has been for hundreds of years. Regardless of his ancient reputation, Ullr is the god of our sport.
Almost every skier has downed a PBR or a taken a shot or whiskey while thanking Ullr for a deep powder day. Many of us have warmed ourselves next to bonfires of burning skis as we pray for Ullr to bring on the snow. When we feel that immortal sensation of sliding downhill, we know that we are channeling the powers of Ullr. When we head to a Ullr festival like the one in Breckenridge, we understand, via the masses, the power of Ullr as a symbol of winter, snow, and skiing. There is something to be said when mountain communities join forces to pray to the snow gods. We probably all have a ski bum friend with a black lab named Ullr too.
Whether or not Ullr is technically the God of snow or not is inconsequential at this point. He is the god of choice for snow lovers, skiers, and mountain folks. Ullr is a part of the skiing culture and there’s no changing that.
Long live Ullr, the god of skiing. Bring on the snow!
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