On the 8th day of Yule, we light a candle and remember the value of individualism. Individuality balances yesterday's value of community. The genius of the Northern European people has been to combine these two seemingly contradictory ideas in a dynamic system that encourages cooperation for group goals, but at the same time respects the uniqueness and freedom of the individual. A look at the sagas reveals men and women with strong, stubborn, irrepressible personalities who were fiercely loyal to kin, friends, and leaders.