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Once upon
a time,
there lived a god named Ullr who reigned over winter
activities in the Nordic regions. Aiding him were his
Prime Minister and Queen, who were skilled in creating
the beauties of winter.
As time went by, however, his subjects became more
engrossed in exploring the world and its oceans, and
they paid less homage to their god-king and the
festivities of their winter season, so Ullr became a god
all-but-forgotten, except in dim tradition.
After centuries of brooding and searching the world for
a place to rest, Ullr and his two remaining subjects
came to the Flathead Valley. So struck were they with
its beauty that they decided to settle there and
selected the Big Mountain as their adopted home.
Their rest was short-lived as they soon found their home
was also the abode of a fierce band of snowmen called
Yetis, who attempted to kidnap their Queen. However,
Ullr and his followers, being more agile and
resourceful, prevailed and learned to live with only
occasional skirmishes with the Yetis.
Eventually, man invaded the valley with axes, guns and
wagons. Ullr, his followers and the yetis observed these
men as they civilized the valley and were alarmed when
these men began to invade their homes.
Ullr found these men were not aware of his presence, and
as he continued to observe these men, he found they not
only enjoyed the sports of winter, but referred to Ullr
himself as a patron saint of their small celebrations
and revelries.
Seeing his chance after centuries of loneliness and
self-banishment, Ullr assumed the garb of these men and
went among them. The Yetis however, would have nothing
to do with these men, except for attempts to drive them
away.
Ullr aided the men in subduing the harassments of the
Yetis, became their true hero and Kind, and it was
proclaimed that there would be an annual fete at which
Ullr and his court would be given the full homage due
them.
Now each year in the town of Whitefish, know as the
Holiday Village, the Yetis, bolder than ever, try to
steal the Queen, harass the Prime Minister and interfere
with the festivities to assert their right to Big
Mountain.
Ullr and his growing band of followers subdue them and
send them fleeing back to their haven in the high
valleys beyond the Big Mountain, where they plan their
next raid. Ullr again reigns as master of winter sports
and frolics along with his Queen and Prime Minister,
beloved in the hearts of his loyal subjects.
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