Asatru - Heathen question?

The Husel (Feast), do you think it is supposed to be a solemn, very serious matter, or do you think it should be high energy, cheerful..... or maybe somewhere in between?

I imagine the ceremony of inviting the gods and offering them a libation and a place at the feast to be solemn, but then the feast itself to be merry and fun. I'm sure any deity worth his or her salt has to have a sense of hum our.

Umm.. If Noddy, Ymmo, or someone else who knows what they're talking about answers, go with their answer.

In my kindred, we have a ritual and then afterward we have the feast part. The ritual itself is serious, but the feast (which is still considered part of the ritual, so I assume it is what you mean by Husel) is high energy and cheerful.

Sorry for not being of more help. The only other time I've heard the term "Husel" was in one of Noddy's answers about the proper use of the term "Blot." The context it was used in had nothing to do with feasting =/

There is a confusion here, Husl is the offering of food items to the Gods and wights, it is not any associated form (formal meal or feast) however the two are often combined. The Husl is as solemn as you want it to be, it could be ecstatic, happy, sad, neutral depending on who me is the recipient of the gift and on the traditions of the people carrying out the Husl. The associated form is also as solemn or as joyous as suits the occasion, a form at Geol would be a very happy time but a form in honour of a recently deceased family/group member may be very sad and solemn, both are likely to include Symbel and Husl, even Blot, but both are very different.

Take a look at my paper on this subject I posted on our mailing group.