Lughnasadh/Lammas celebrations?

[hedgewitch]

Missus F - you wanna see my attempt at making corn dollies. I didn't even use corn I used long grass which grows abundantly round where I live (doesn't it everywhere!!)

Actually I have a photo of my "corn" dolly.



Pretty basic but for me it wasn't important to get a perfect looking dolly (that and do you know how hard it is to weave grass!!!) but the importance was on the symbology and the energy that I put into it, visualising my intent.

I'm sure your aunt would be delighted with the representation missus, no matter what it looked like.

[marshlander]

It was the origin of the name 'Lammas' rather than the celebration itself in all it's forms.

Our ancesters took the first ripe corn, ground it into flour and baked small loaves. These were presented to the priest at the festival of the First Fruit, hence the name Loaf Mass.

My interest is the origin of words and phrases. It's this passage that gives us the expression 'and gave us this land flowing with milk and honey'.

No doubt the celebration itself goes back further but Christianity would appear to have given us the name by which we know the festival today (I like the old word; a revel).

I can't remember exactly what Lughnasadh means (its pronounced something like Loonsar in case you're wondering) but its in honour of the Irish God Lugh and his mother. As well as being a harvest festival, games were held too, sort of a Celtic Olympics.

Lugh is, from what I've read, a sun-god in Celtic mythology, one of two gods of the harvest the other being Crom Dubh. 'Nasad' is a tribal assembly for games and like ocailleagh said, seems also to have been a festival to celebrate the beginning of harvest.

[marshlander]

Missus F - you wanna see my attempt at making corn dollies. I didn't even use corn I used long grass which grows abundantly round where I live (doesn't it everywhere!!)

Actually I have a photo of my "corn" dolly.



Pretty basic but for me it wasn't important to get a perfect looking dolly (that and do you know how hard it is to weave grass!!!) but the importance was on the symbology and the energy that I put into it, visualising my intent.

Oh that's wonderful hedgewitch! I almost suggested making a 'Grain Mother' but I couldn't work out how to describe it without it sounding awful!

Corn dollies were traditionally made from the last handfuls of corn cut. She represented the Corn Goddess and it was thought she resided in the cornfields. Depending on the local custom either a stand in the centre of the field would be left 'til last or a strip from field to field would be left for her to make her retreat. The reapers would line up and throw their sickles at it so the goddess would never know who cut the last straws. These were gathered up and make into the immage of the goddess which held a place of honour at the harvest home feast and the be kept by the hearth until it was time to plough the fields again. She would then be interred in the first furrow, ready to work her magic again for the next harvest.

[mrsflibble]

Hedgewitch: that's cool.

Marshlander, thanks for the info!!

[ocailleagh]

Sorry marshlander, I was a little snippy when I left that last message, I've been feeling bad about it all day.

With regard to Lugh though, he's a bit of a confusing deity. Actually, Irish deities generally are confusing. Although he did have solar attributes, he wasn't exactly a sun-god per se. For the Celts the sun was feminine, and in Ireland the goddess of the sun was Grainne (I think I've spelled that right lol).

Oh, I've been making smudge bundles today too, my hands stink of sage and lavender!

[hedgewitch]

my hands stink of sage and lavender!

YUM!

[Jobi1canobi]

As we have relatives coming down from Newcastle upon Tyne and it was two of their birthdays in July we've decided to hijack my parents garden (it's bigger than ours). Weather permitting, we will have a barbecue with lots of home-made salads i.e. new potatoes with mint and mayo; a huge table salad incorporating carrot and sultanas; a bacon pasta salad and a brown rice salad. Not forgetting fruit salad and banana whizz with runny honey for afters...

We also have room for some giant garden games - we might even partake of some croquet!

Those who aren't pagan can celebrate the birthdays and those who are can celebrate the birthdays and Lammas/Lughnasadh. Everyone's happy!

Fingers crossed for the weather then x

[mrsflibble]

Sorry marshlander, I was a little snippy when I left that last message, I've been feeling bad about it all day.

and that's what I love about Ish; the generally feeling of having a conscience lol!!!

[Silver Ether]

mrsflibble .. this site shows a few free projects ...
http://www.wheatweaving.com/

[ellie12022]

I first celebrated Lughnasadh 2 years ago as part of a group. I picked the short straw and with a blue scarf over my head in my role as the Hag, and chased (and murdered) the Corn King (with a funny shaped cucumber ).

If memory serves me correct Lugh instituted the summer games in honour of his stepmother who first introduced agriculture to Ireland. Lugh is known as Lleu LLaw Gyffes in Welsh. ('the lightbringer'). Apparently this is a reference to Orion, so Lugh is Orion.

I am not sure what I will be doing yet, it is my birthday too, and I have family coming to stay.

We didn't have any corn last summer so we made our 'grass' dollies at the autumn equinox. For some reason mine came out big and wild looking,as compared to my fiances tidy little one . It's good fun making them although whether I could remember on my own how to make one I don't know. Actually, ,maybe my niece and nephew might enjoy having a go.

[citizentwiglet]

We'll be making grass-dollies tonight too, and twig pentagrams decorated with rosemary and sage to hang around the house and garden. Last year OH constructed me a fabulous sort of Wicker Man (though not made of Wicker, made of fallen twigs) and a boat (also made of twigs) which we kept in the house and then burnt on the fire to symbolise the start of the Sun God's journey and the beginning of Autumn....I just got busy in the kitchen, which is what I'll be doing this year. Not sure what to make this year, though...I made a woven plait herb loaf last year and Ellis and I made some butter by shaking milk in a jamjar all day, which was somewhat labour intensive for what we got as a result!

I don't do many rituals anymore, but I will do a house-cleanse and a little blessing for 'wealth' (you know what I mean by that - food and warmth and safety, really) and happiness for my neighbours and some protection work for the local area.

I always find Lammas a very sombre time, to be honest. I know I should be celebrating the harvest and gathering in, but all I find myself thinking of is the nights drawing in and winter coming....but I want to do something big this year as with baby due on November 19th, I might not be up to much come Samhain. In fact, as Ellis was 3 weeks early, there might well be another little person here by then!

Better get cracking...time is of the essence!

[barefootlinzi]

I think we are going to have a quiet one,i am doing a basket weaving course all day and have to go to work briefly in the evening,sonot sure what we can do. Might bake a cake and like the grass doily and twig pentagram ideas.

[hedgewitch]

I've decided that I am going to the pub to get rat arsed.

[citizentwiglet]

Now I like that idea Hedgewitch, send Lugh off in style! I only wish I could join you but, alas, another pregnancy-inflicted sober celebration here at Casa Twiglet!

[ocailleagh]

Well, as I'm completely broke this month, it turns out that I won't be going to work with my coven, and nor will I be doing much else! I've decided that I'm going to spend the weekend in a breadmaking frenzy, maybe make a huge pan of soup too, and possibly stretch to a couple of bottles of ale. And when I next get paid, I'll celebrate a little more then! Maybe around the 12th, when the Perseid meteor shower is at its peak.
Its not helping matters that all I have to harvest atm is some green tomatoes. Which isn't all bad...and reminds me that I had a recipe I wanted to post..I'd best get on with that before I forget again!