Sjædíllínjogabrót (SHY.deet.leen.Yo.gah.broat)

Snowberry Meade, also known as Gáðjogabrót, or "Spirit Meade"

Drink of the Gods

Snowberry Meade, or Sjædíllínjogabrót in Tallað, is a very special beverage native to the western Black Mountains and eastern Silverlands of Hrafnawyld. In the modern era, the drink can be found and consumed throughout most of the island; however, it is still primarily manufactured in the regions whence it arose, and exported to the other Jórveifen.

This drink, made by fermenting ripe Snowberries gathered specifically after the first snow of Winter, is crafted to honor the Súðárín gods of Life in general, and Reynja Lifemother in particular, and is traditionally first opened and drunk on her feast day Reynjastág, first day of Spring and the Wylden new year. It is aged in and served from a special crock the Wylden craft for meade brewing, called a geðrkánrí (GEHTH.r.Kown.ree, pl. geðrkánrín; lit. "gods' little cup"), with most Wylden households possessing at least a modest clay family geðrkánrí; more prominent or wealthy households may have several, and of finer craftsmanship, including some made from steel or even Wylden Silver in rare cases.

Gáðjogabrót, the Spirit Meade

When fully mature, Sjædíllínjogabrót boasts bold fruit flavors with a subdued sweetness, and is deceptively strong. Its most notable feature, however, is the trance-like experience it tends to induce, called Gáðaröðrín (lit. “Spirit Voices”), which causes the imbiber to perceive voices speaking to them from far away.

Though many Wylden interpret this as the voices of their ancestors imparting wisdom, among those more knowledgeable in such matters, Riverseers and Stonespeakers for example, it is known that the voices are those of the Wylden Great Spirit collectively, offering guidance and strength to the living.

by Grimbjorn Gregersson (Photographer) w/ LunaPic.com

Snowberries

Sjædíllín, or Snowberries, grow abundantly on the western slopes and lower foothills of the Black Mountains of Hrafnawyld; they are opaque white, plump, of a size and texture similar to blueberries, with a flavor that mixes notes of blueberry, raspberry, and vanilla. They grow in bunches on a tall, late-flowering evergreen shrub, and tend to remain ripe and abundant well into the depths of winter; even after freezing, they hold shape and flavor for several months. Indeed, many Wylden say that snowberries are best after one or two frosts, as their flavor grows richer. Only within a month of the new Spring do any lingering berries fall off the shrub to make way for new blossoms.

Snowberries are popular in a number of dishes in Hrafnawyld, with preparation methods ranging from fresh with cream, to baked, stewed, dried, or even fermented, as in the famous Sjædíllínjogabrót or “Snowberry Meade”. The berries themselves gain a healthy frosting of natural yeast, particularly after they are sweetened appreciably by the first frost or snow of winter. This in turn aids in the preparation of the meade, and in keeping its more nuanced flavor, as less honey is needed than in other meades.

Preparation

1. All items being used for preparation should be boiled for cleanliness

2. Heat the water until it is steaming, but not to a boil

3. Begin adding honey, allowing it to dissolve into the water slowly

4. Once all honey is fully integrated, seal the mixture in the preparation vessel, carefully venting built up gasses, then shaking vigorously to aerate the mixture, repeating this intermittently for three days. Keep the vessel in a dry place at room temperature during this process.

5. After aeration, add the mashed Snowberries, pulp and all, to the mixture, then reseal the must and allow it to ferment for at least one full month.

6. Taking special care to avoid contamination, bottle the fermented meade in the geðrkánrí and allow it to age until Reynjastág, or later.

Honoring the Gods

Before opening the Sjædíllínjogabrót geðrkánrí on Reynjastág, the family matriarch or patriarch speaks a ritual blessing, calling upon the gods to bless the new year.

“Hail to the Súðárín! We thank thee for thy labors.

Praise be to Reynja Lifemother!

Praise be to Júgrín Thoughtcrafter!

Praise be to Mellín, source of Memory;

Praise be to Ærðandí, source of Joy;

Praise be to Gorðmund, who teaches us to make;

Praise be to Vhæja, who teaches us to love.

We dedicate and drink this meade to thee,

And honor thy wondrous Creation.”

Item type

Consumable, Food / Drink

Related ethnicities

• Wylden

Ingredients

• spring water (Natural spring water from the Black Mountains or neighboring Silverlands is used to heat and dissolve the honey, during which some of the yeast build up on the Snowberries is gently scraped off into the mixture. Some Black Mountains regions have access to geothermal hot springs, using this naturally heated water for the process; the meades from these regions are known for a particular potency)

• raw honey (Honey is widely available throughout Súðejasvík, the Silverlands, and the western Black Mountains, where it is gathered and stored in late summer)

• Sjædíllín (Snowberries, gathered after the first frost/snow of Winter)

The spring water should fill about two thirds of a geðrkánrí, with the quantity of honey nearly filling the rest until some of the water steams off during the dissolving process.

Snowberries are crushed into a thick, pulpy juice that is added in its entirety to the mix after the honey is fully integrated, filling the rest of the space during fermentation.

Notable geðrkánrín used for Sjædíllínjogabrót:

Svartákánrí (SVAHR.tau.Kown.ree)- a large blackened steel geðrkánrí, Runesmithed with Ænönað runes, that is purported to be the legendary "Kífn's Crock" mentioned in Sægatíllen. Its Runesmithing speaks to the forces of life present in the meade, ensuring the most flawless fermentation and development of the drink. The runes also beseech the gods for their wisdom, allowing the imbiber to hear the voices of the gods for a few brief minutes after drinking, and thus Svartákánrí is an heirloom of the office of Jór Svartarfjallr.