The weekend last was Lammastide, the Feast
of the Wheat Harvest, which is the first of three harvest celebrations. It is
still observed in some areas. The year moves on and turns from Midsummer's
frolic back to thoughts of work. The second half of the year to ancient people
was focusing on winter just as the first half of the year focused on summer.
You could say that Midsummer was the culmination of the first half of the
year’s work with crops, gardens, and herds, flocks and more. This time was
punctuated with Feasts along where they stopped to mark time and call for, and
celebrate the fertility wanted and needed for a good yield.
So now after the earth has given the
yield, with the fullness of summer, it is time to harvest and give thanks for
that yield. The work of harvesting, is done with the mindset that all has to be
budgeted and stored for the time of winter, and the culmination of all this
work will be celebrated at Yule.
The days for this feast vary from August 1, to
the 6, to the closest Sunday, even celebrated throughout August, or from July
midpoint to August midpoint. There is a Fair in northern Ireland, Ould Lammas
Fair which has been taking place in the last weeks of August for about 400
years.
Wheat was ready at this time, and in many cultures
where people farmed land owned by landlords, wheat payments, the portion
allotted to the lords, were due by the first of August. Hay (and also oats in
some places), was the first actual harvest as it and wheat ripen, became golden
and dried at this same time. So the hay was harvested and set off for the
livestock’s winter food. This was called Haymaking, it was harvested baled and
stored in a hasty, but sometimes playful manner, it being animal food, and the
point was to get it done quickly “Make hay while the sun shines”, and get on to
the Wheat Harvest. 
Wheat was the
finest staple to take the people through the winter, so The Wheat Harvest was
often a celebration in itself with merry making in the fields as they worked.
Of the grains grown
and eaten by folks of antiquity, oats, rye, barley, Wheat was considered the
best. Depending on climates rye and barley may have been reaped earlier, like
in late spring, but they were considered incidental grains. With various uses
aside from baking, like making ale. It was the wheat that gave the finest,
lightest, best textured flour, so then also the finest baked goods. And so it
was in the areas of Britain and mostly northern Europe the Wheat harvest and consequential
celebrating came to be associated with this cross quarter day of August 1 or 2
The day of
Lammas, was the feast of first fruits. People would bring a loaf made from
their new wheat to the church with them to celebrate mass. These loaves were
then blessed, and taken back home. The Mass was the “loaf mass”…which is the
meaning of the word Lammas. Sometimes the blessed bread was eaten, but usually
it was kept and dried and then used as a charm or token, for the protection of the
Harvests, as well the people themselves, and for folk, country magic.
The loaf was
usually a round loaf of wheat flour with a cross cut into it making four
quadrants. The loaf was then broken into four parts and placed around the sides
of the in Barn or Grain storage area one in each of the four directions, north
south east and west. Sometimes a small bit from each part was also brought to
the house and placed the same way around the home. This was considered to
protect the grain stores from rot, disease, pests or anything else. Also
sometimes people would have a larger loaf and a smaller they would take to get
blessed. The larger for the crops and home, and the smaller kept for spells/prayers
of protection and good health. The two loaves were carried into the church by
either, the Father, (larger loaf) and Mother (smaller loaf) of the family, or
the Father and Eldest son. Now days the Lammas brod (breads) are often works of
art.
In addition to
the loaves that were blessed, other loaves, muffins, scones and stones (tiny
cakes baked on a hot stone), cookies and cakes, and various delectable pastries
were made to eat in the feasting. Another thing was and still is pies with new
wheat flour crust. They might be meat pies or fruit, since fruit was and is
abundant now. And fresh fruits were part of the feast as well. Blueberries were
a common traditional food in Ireland, along with meat from an older bull
sacrificed to make way for a new one that was ready now for breeding. And
candies called Honeycomb, or Yellowman or yellaman, both golden chewy toffees
have become a Lammastide goody. And in Ireland,
a traditional food at the fair is Dulse, a dried seaweed snack.
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| YELLOWMAN |
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| DRIED DULSE |
Here the people
would bring their just harvested wheat offerings to the top of a hill to offer
to the gods, along with blueberries, and they had the rituial of the sacrifice of the Sacred (last
years, mating stock) Bull. And the new bull being shown. A symbol used to remind
the king or ruler to renew his honor and guidance and fairness, lest he be
replaced with a new (bull) king. In time Olympic type games developed in honor
of famed gods and warriors, and a time to remember the dead heroes. Also because
of the assembly of people with usually a king or ruler present for the games, it
was a time to hear contracts, and legal situations, a time for payment of debts,
such as the sheaves of wheat paid to landlords. And so a fair like atmosphere
developed, where livestock was shown and traded for, fresh fruit was peddled
and traded, and fruit pies, jellies and such were brought to show, and sold. Cakes
and breads were also displayed and sold.
In different
places Lammas was and the resulting celebrations were referred to as the Gule
of August, gule being probably related to the Welsh “Gwyl Awst” (feast of
August). It was Lunasdal in Scotland, Luanys on the Isle of Man. These various
names were also used for the month of August itself. Lammas was a later name after the Christian influences
were added. Shakespere set Juliet’s birthday just before the wheat harvest,
“Come Lammas eve at night shall she be fourteen” this is considered to be symbolic
of the fact that she and Romeo were never able to Reap the bounty of their
love.
It is the
feasting and merry making of this time, that in fact have grown in many
cultures to the little country fair, or in the United States the county fair,
or state fair usually set towards the end of the summer months, showing off
harvested fruits, products, livestock.. etc..
In fact I live in
a county seat, and the fair grounds are just up the boulevard from my house.
They are at this very time setting up the county fair, I saw them when I went
to the market earlier today. The parade will pass in front of my house this
coming Saturday morning to kick off the Fair. And the Fair still has a great
deal to do with livestock, trading and “showing”, agriculture, and harvest, and
much a do is made of fruits, jellies, preserves, pies cakes and such for trade,
contests and celebrating.
We still at this
time, just as the ancient people did, are looking to winter. Maybe not from
necessity, to make stores for our winter needs, but this is the time of year
for canning veggies, making jams jellies and more. Making pickles, tomato
sauce, etc…just a bit of trivia, did you know that if you plant your dill with
your cucumbers in the garden, the dill keeps pests off of the cucumber plants.
I made some tomato sauce and fermented and
canned a good batch of tender sauerkraut. I have a few other projects… with all
the fresh fruit and veggies around!
And so the wheel
of the year turns to the second half, the harvesting time. Much to do in the
coming months. And just as all the crop tending and such culminates in a fine
feasting midsummer. The harvesting times and winter preparation time ends with plenty
of Yuletide feasting. Blessings mes amis
4 comments:
Again, more fascinating history. I never stopped to think about the origin of county fairs and the baked-goods displays and contests till I read this.
I remember the Harvest Festivals, held in September, when the harvesting was complete. The CofE church would be decorated with sheaves of corn, and the alter surrounded by baskets of food and lammas loaves. We children would all bring some item of food to the service, fresh or tinned, which would later be donated to charities or the old folk in the village. In the evening, a Harvest Supper would be held in the Church Hall, generally for adults only, but we small children would play in the freshly harvested fields right outside our back garden, and whilst they remained in situ, the sheaves and bales of hay left after the corn was cut would make fine forts and hideouts for us to play in.
glad you liked the article Russ.
What a lovely memory Tim. thanx for sharing it with us. In Louisiana we'd have the "rice festival" with a Parade on Saturday and Blessings of the Rice on Sunday outside the Catholic church. My great Uncle, who had a wonderful farm, would ride each year in the parade on the hugest white stallion. he had this grand blue outfit and so did the horse, and they were decorated with Rice stalks. My Aunt also had a very successful farm. She had a tall vase in her living room corner, in which she had a dried rice stalk from each years Harvest.
Ah, what wonderful memories you all have, unlike me who grew up in town - those charming traditions connected you with the earth, the farms, and fields, and with the ages - and as we may piously believe, "with all the company of Heaven" too.
The modern world is impoverished by their loss.
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