Theme: returning light, renewal, and fairness guided by truth
On the tenth night of Yule, we turn our faces toward Sunna — the Norse goddess of the Sun — and we celebrate what begins to shift after Solstice: the slow, steady return of the light. The nights are still long, winter still has teeth, but the wheel has turned. From here, day by day, Sunna grows stronger — and with her comes warmth, vitality, and the promise of new growth.
This is one of the most quietly powerful truths of Yule: the return starts before it’s obvious. The light comes back while the world still looks asleep. That’s Sunna’s magic — hope that doesn’t need permission from circumstances.
Sunna’s place in Norse lore
Sunna (often called Sól) is the goddess of the sun, the daughter of Mundilfari and sister to Máni, the moon. Her beauty was said to be so radiant her father named her after the brightest light in the heavens — a prideful act that drew the gods’ attention, and set her into her cosmic role: riding the sky as the bearer of day.
She travels in her sun-chariot, drawn by the horses Árvakr (Early-Rising) and Alsviðr (Very-Fast). Some later tellings and folk strands blend sun-horse imagery in different ways, but the heartbeat of the myth is clear: Sunna is movement, life-force, and the relentless rhythm of day returning no matter what.
Her chariot is shielded by Svalinn, which protects the earth and seas from her full blazing heat. Like Máni, Sunna is pursued — chased by the wolf Sköll, who seeks to devour her. When Sköll draws close, the world sees an eclipse. And though Sunna is fated to be consumed at Ragnarök, she does not end there: she leaves behind a daughter who will carry her light forward into the new world.
That detail matters. It’s one of the most Yule-shaped pieces of the whole myth: even in endings, the light continues.
Beyond her role as the sun goddess, Sunna is also invoked as a healer — her warmth bringing restoration, vitality, and renewal. If you’ve ever felt the first real sun after weeks of cold and cloud, you already understand why.
Staying up for the new turning
Some people keep a beautiful custom on this night: staying up late or through the night with family or friends, saying goodbye to the old year’s cycle of Sunna and Máni, and welcoming the new turning — a living vow that the gods are still with us, and we are still here to witness the wheel.
Even if you can’t do that, you can honour the same spirit by lighting a candle at dusk or dawn and simply saying:
“I welcome the return of the light.”
Sunna’s memory in other bright figures
It’s often noted that the sun goddess may not always appear as centrally in later Viking Age cult as in earlier layers — but her essential qualities echo everywhere. You can see sun-memory and sun-symbolism in:
- Sif’s golden hair (fields and sunlight made visible)
- The radiant imagery around Freyja (gold, flame, brightness)
- The shining descriptions of the valkyrjur — bright, golden-red, ray-emitting beings who “illuminate” air and ocean as they ride
Whether you take that as scholarship, symbolism, or poetic continuity, it carries a real devotional truth: in Norse myth, light shows up in many forms, and it is never only physical.
The Virtue of Justice
Tonight we also reflect on the virtue of Justice — and it pairs perfectly with Sunna, because justice is meant to bring things into the light.
Justice is not vengeance. Justice is fairness, equity, and truth — measured action rather than emotional reaction. It asks us to hear people fully, to judge carefully, and to make room for the truth even when it’s inconvenient.
Justice also isn’t only personal. It’s communal. It’s the health of the tribe.
And if you want a divine anchor for that side of the night, this is a natural place to name Forseti — described as wise, eloquent, and gentle, bearing the authority of right judgment. His hall, Glitnir, is the shining Hall of Justice — golden pillars, silver ceiling, and light that radiates outward. In some traditions, Forseti’s name is spoken before trials to help ensure reconciliation and fair resolution.
So tonight, let justice be a vow:
- Treat people according to what they deserve
- Give others space to show their best
- Refuse to spread falsehoods
- And challenge what is unfair — with courage, clarity, and restraint
Ways to honour Sunna and Justice
- Offer thanks to Sunna for the returning light (a candle is perfect)
- If you can, step outside in daylight tomorrow — even briefly — and receive the light
- Make one justice commitment: a boundary, an apology, a correction, a brave conversation
- Give someone a fair hearing — or give yourself one
Raise a horn to Sunna, to the returning light, and to justice that stands clean and true.
May Sunna’s returning light warm what has gone cold in you — and strengthen what is ready to grow.
May her radiance bring healing, hope, and renewal to your home and your heart.
May Justice be your hallmark: truth without cruelty, fairness without weakness, and courage without vengeance.
And may the year ahead be guided by clear sight and clean deeds.
Hail Sunna, hail the returning light — and hail Justice done well.