Lammas - The First Harvest, by Mike Nichols (with additional content c/o RosebudsGarden.com)


Although in the heat of a Mid-western summer it might be difficult to discern, the festival of Lammas (Aug 1st) marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall. The days now grow visibly shorter and by the time we've reached autumn's end (Oct 31st), we will have run the gamut of temperature from the heat of August to the cold and (sometimes) snow of November. And in the midst of it, a perfect Mid-western autumn.

The history of Lammas is as convoluted as all the rest of the old folk holidays. It is of course a cross-quarter day, one of the four High Holidays or Greater Sabbats of Witchcraft, occurring 1/4 of a year after Beltane. It's true astrological point is 15 degrees Leo, but tradition has set August 1st as the day Lammas is typically celebrated. The celebration proper would begin on sundown of the previous evening, our July 31st, since the Celts reckon their days from sundown to sundown.

'Lammas' was the medieval Christian name for the holiday and it means 'loaf-mass', for this was the day on which loaves of bread were baked from the first grain harvest and laid on the church altars as offerings. It was a day representative of 'first fruits' and early harvest. Pre-Christian adherents held that the Lord of the Grain, John Barleycorn, sacrifices himself via the harvest to provide for our survival. The earth provides us with the nourishment we need to continue living. This is the time of “Thanks Giving”.

In Irish Gaelic, the feast was referred to as 'Lugnasadh', a feast to commemorate the funeral games of the Irish sun-god Lugh. However, there is some confusion on this point. Although at first glance, it may seem that we are celebrating the death of Lugh, the god of light does not really die (mythically) until the autumnal equinox. And indeed, if we read the Irish myths closer, we discover that it is not Lugh's death that is being celebrated, but the funeral games which Lugh hosted to commemorate the death of his foster-mother, Taillte. That is why the Lugnasadh celebrations in Ireland are often called the 'Tailltean Games'.

One common feature of the Games were the 'Tailltean marriages', a rather informal marriage that lasted for only 'a year and a day' or until next Lammas. At that time, the couple could decide to continue the arrangement if it pleased them, or to stand back to back and walk away from one another, thus bringing the Tailltean marriage to a formal close. Such trial marriages (obviously related to the Wiccan 'Handfasting') were quite common even into the 1500's, although it was something one 'didn't bother the parish priest about'. Indeed, such ceremonies were usually solemnized by a poet, bard, or shanachie (or, it may be guessed, by a priest or priestess of the Old Religion).

One of the grains that are harvested at this time is "corn," any hard kernel. When the corn is harvested, husks or grains are made into a doll dressed as the Harvest Mother/Goddess. This doll would be blessed and grains of the harvested corn/grain would be saved with the doll for insurance of the crops to be planted in the following spring. Other tales state the corn doll would be given away, as if the Goddess were angered by the harvesting of the fields, the “curse” would then be in someone else’s hands. This is less commonly thought of or used in context. Most accept the concept of the Mother Goddess as giving and nurturing.

Lammastide was also the traditional time of year for craft festivals. The medieval guilds would create elaborate displays of their wares, decorating their shops and themselves in bright colors and ribbons, marching in parades, and performing strange, ceremonial plays and dances for the entranced onlookers. The atmosphere must have been quite similar to our modern-day Renaissance Festivals, such as the one celebrated in near-by Bonner Springs, Kansas, each fall.

A ceremonial highlight of such festivals was the 'Catherine wheel'. Although the Roman Church moved St. Catherine's feast day all around the calendar with bewildering frequency, it's most popular date was Lammas. (They also kept trying to expel this much-loved saint from the ranks of the blessed because she was mythical rather than historical, and because her worship gave rise to the heretical sect known as the Cathari.) At any rate, a large wagon wheel was taken to the top of a near-by hill, covered with tar, set aflame, and ceremoniously rolled down the hill. Some mythologists see in this ritual the remnants of a Pagan rite symbolizing the end of summer, the flaming disk representing the sun-god in his decline. And just as the sun king has now reached the autumn of his years, his rival or dark self has just reached puberty.

Lammas apricot wine:
• 1 pound dried apricots
• 4 quarts warm water
• 6-1/2 cups sugar
• 2 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 1-1/2 cups raisins
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 2 lemons
• 2 oranges sliced
• 1/2 cup yeast
1. Wash the apricots in several batches of water and then dry them and cut in halves.
2. Place in a large crock and pour on the warm water, reserving 1/2 cup of it in which to dissolve the yeast cake.
3. Stir in the sugars, fruit, raisins and ginger, then add the dissolved yeast and mix well.
4. Cover with top of the crock and let stand for 30 days, stirring the mixture every other day.
5. After 30 days strain the mixture and bottle.

Lammas shona, y'all!!
[This message was edited Fri Aug 1 13:26:22 PDT 2003 by Lammastide]

cool!

XxAxX said:

Thanks. I think paganism revelry deserves AT LEAST one response!

Yay, another person of my ilk.

Merry meet, Lammastide.

Hey lammastide! Here is another cool link:
http://www.starcraftsob.c...lore.shtml

it sounds like it would be nice.

have you selected someone for this years 'Tailltean marriage'?

actually, it is really interesting to read on several levels, foremost of which being learning what your name means.

Thank you Lamasstide ~ this is very interesting information. Many of the rituals could be very welcome reminders of what is truly important and the respect that is due our Mother Earth.