It was upon a Lammas NightAlthough in the heat of a midwestern summer it might be difficult to discern, the festival of Lammas (August 1) 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 (October 31), 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 midwestern autumn.
When corn rigs are bonny,
Beneath the Moon's unclouded light,
I held awhile to Annie....
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
one quarter of a year after Beltane. Its true astrological point is
fifteen degrees Leo, but tradition has set August 1 as the day
Lammas is typically celebrated. The celebration proper would
begin on sundown of the previous evening, our July 31, since
the Celts reckon their days from sundown to sundown.
However, British Witches often refer to the astrological
date of August 6 as Old Lammas, and folklorists call it Lammas
O.S. (Old Style). This date has long been considered a “power
point” of the zodiac, and is symbolized by the Lion, one of the
tetramorph figures found on the tarot cards, the World and the
Wheel of Fortune (the other three figures being the Bull, the
Eagle, and the Spirit). Astrologers know these four figures as
the symbols of the four “fixed” signs of the zodiac, and these
naturally align with the four Great Sabbats of Witchcraft. Christians
have adopted the same iconography to represent the four
Gospel writers.
“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.
In Irish Gaelic, the feast was referred to as “Lughnasadh”,
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 that Lugh hosted to commemorate
the death of his foster mother, Taillte. That is why the
Lughnasadh celebrations in Ireland are often called the
“Tailltean games”.
The time went by with careless heedOne common feature of the games was the “Tailltean marriages”, a rather informal marriage that lasted for only a yearand- 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 1500s, 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).
Between the late and early,
With small persuasion she agreed
To see me through the barley....
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.
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,
its 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 nearby
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.
Many commentators have bewailed the fact that traditional
Gardnerian and Alexandrian Books of Shadows say very little
about the holiday of Lammas, stating only that poles should be
ridden and a circle dance performed. This seems strange, for
Lammas is a holiday of rich mythic and cultural associations,
providing endless resources for liturgical celebration.
Corn rigs and barley rigs,
Corn rigs are bonny!
I'll not forget that happy night
Among the rigs with Annie!
[Verse quotations by Robert Burns, as handed down through several Books of Shadows.]
Most Recent Text Revision: Tuesday, May 3, 2005 c.e.
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