I am a 30-something queer intersex woman from England. Mystic, feminist, Heathen witch & devotee of WĆden, FrÄ«g, the Twelve Handmaidens & the Wild Hunt. Heathenry will be anti-racist, anti-fascist and anti-imperialist or it will be nothing. Always open to questions & conversation.
In the Prose Edda, twelve Goddesses are listed after Frigga as Ăsynjur: Fulla, Gefjon, HlĂn, Syn, Eir, SĂĄga, GnĂĄ, VĂĄr or VĂłr, Snotra, Vör, Lofn and Sjöfn. Modern Heathens sometimes refer to Them as Frigga's Handmaidens. (This is a piece of shared gnosis, not an historically attested term.) For many of the Twelve, this is all that survives in the way of attestations.
What is the Project?
Gradually over several years, and more intentionally recently, I have been building a devotional cultus around these Goddesses. As part of that, I've been putting together primers on each of the Twelve on my longform blog -- detailing Their surviving attestations, Old English God-names and epithets for Them, my own personal experiences and upg, a prayer, and devotional icon art -- as well as essays and modern myths exploring other aspects of Them and my cultus to Them.
Although I use Old English names for Them and honour Them in a syncretic heathen practice drawing on influences from across the British and Irish Isles, I hope these may be useful and/or interesting for practitioners working in a Norse, Continental, or other context. Or for anyone worshipping and building cultus to lesser-known and lesser-attested Gods!
I will update this post periodically, but if you like you can subscribe to my longform Wordpress blog for updates when I post.
Primers
Fulla
Geofen (Gefjon)
HlÄowen (Hlin)
Är (Eir)
Saga
Lofen & Siofen (Lofn & Sjöfn)
Snotor (Snotra)
Wearn, or Syn (Syn)
WÊr (Vör)
GnĂŠ (GnÄ)
ÄĂŸ (VĂĄr)
Essays and other posts
Introduction to the Project
Essay on abundance, Änanda, and Fulla
Essay on Frīg and Her importance to my cosmology
The Wren and her sister: a myth of FrÄ«g feat. Är and GnĂŠ
Essay on marriage as initiation, feat. Lofen, Siofen and ÄĂŸ
Lascaux Cave is famous for its exceptionally well-preserved Palaeolithic paintings.
The cave, discovered in 1940, features over 600 painted and drawn figures, primarily animals like horses, deer, and bison, as well as nearly 1,500 engravings.Â
The paintings, dating back to around 17,000 to 15,000 BCE, are considered some of the finest examples of prehistoric art.
We live in a system that makes money off of your misery and ambivalence. It relies on people thinking that they are inherently bad for the planet and that the world is ending so why change? Why try? --This is untrue! We belong here, on this one beautiful green earth and we have to work together to protect it. You have the power to do more than you know. You have a role to play in your ecosystem!
Lughnasadh, LĂșnastal, Lammas: Summer Harvest Holidays of Ireland & Britain
by Keziah
August is nearly upon us, bringing with it a time traditionally marking the beginning of summerâs end. With roots in ancient Ireland and Britain, Lughnasadh, LĂșnastal, and Lammas, traditional harvest festivals, are kept alive by modern Celtic druids and pagans, Christians, and modern-day practitioners of Celtic folk traditions, Celtic folk magic, wiccans, and neo-pagans around the world.
If youâre a witch, pagan, or Celtic-focused and/or Anglo-Saxon focus historian on the internet, chances are youâve heard mention of at least one of these holidays. You may have asked yourself, âwhy are there so many names for holidays with such similar, if not identical, customs?â and âare they actually different at all, or are they all just the same holiday with different names?â Let us explore these three harvest festivals, their commonalities, and the local traditions and histories that set them apart from one another.
The Harvest Holidays: an Introduction
LUGHNASADH
âLĂșgnasad: i.e. a commemorating game or fair, thereto is the name nasad; i.e. a festival or game of Lugh mac Ethne or Ethlenn, which was celebrated by him in the beginning of autumn.â -Sanas Cormaic (Coramâs Glossary, English translation).
LĂșnasa (the festival's name in Modern Irish) finds its origins in ancient Ireland. Its name comes from Old Irish â Lug, for the Irish god Lugh; and nĂĄsad, meaning an assembly or a gathering. It is believed that Lugh himself brought the holiday to the Irish, with lore stating that the festival was started as a commemorative holiday in honor of Lughâs foster mother, whom we will delve into shortly.
The festival is mentioned throughout early Irish literature and has pre-Christian, pagan origins.
Lughnasadh/LĂșnasa is also known as Garland Sunday, Bilberry Sunday, and Domnach Chrom Dubh or Crom Dubhâs Sunday. Though Lughnasadhâs origins are in Ireland, the holiday was also practiced in parts of Scotland and on the Isle of Man. Celebrations of Lughnasadh still take place throughout Ireland today, though the holiday is not as widely practiced as it was up until the 20th century.
Lughnasadh falls between the Summer Solstice and the Autumnal Equinox, traditionally celebrated on the 1st or 2nd of August in the Northern Hemisphere (the 1st of February in the Southern Hemisphere), though some practitioners celebrate the holiday on the last Sunday in July, the first Sunday in August, or even acknowledge the festival from the first of August throughout the entirety of the month.
According to Maire MacNeill - Irish folklorist, translator, journalist, and renowned scholar on the festival of Lughnasadh, the holiday would have entailed -
'A solemn cutting of the first of the corn [meaning 'grain'] of which an offering would be made to the deity by bringing it up to a high place and burying it; a meal of the new food and of bilberries of which everyone must partake; a sacrifice of a sacred bull, a feast of its flesh, with some ceremony involving its hide, and its replacement by a young bull; a ritual dance-play perhaps telling of a struggle for a goddess and a ritual fight; an installation of a head [meaning a carved stone] on top of the hill and a triumphing over it by an actor impersonating Lugh; another play representing the confinement by Lugh of the monster blight or famine; a three-day celebration presided over by the brilliant young god [Lugh] or his human representative. Finally, a ceremony indicating that the interregnum was over, and the chief god in his right place again.'
Lugh
Lugh (Lug / Luga / LĂș) is one of the great heroes of Irish mythology and one of the most prominent Irish gods. Lugh was an exceptionally skilled craftsman, bard, storyteller, warrior, and natural leader; and as he was a man of many talents, he was, too, a god of many things â oaths, justice, kingship, arts, crafts and skills, trade, agriculture, and harvests, to name a few.
There are varying stories as to how Lughnasadh came to be, but one common factor they all feature is that Lugh himself is the founder of the festival. One of the most common versions of the tale recounts the creation of the festival in tribute to Lugh's foster-mother (or mother, by some accounts), the goddess Tailtiu.
Tailtiu
Tailtiu, an Irish earth goddess, cleared the plains and fields of Ireland so that the people could plant and grow their own food. However, the work was exhausting and Tailtiu gave her life to complete it, wearing herself down to the point of death. It is said that as she died, she requested her funeral to be a great event. Some accounts even say that she hoped her funeral would never end. This is why it's said that Lugh created Lughnasadh, a yearly tribute to the memory of the woman who raised him.
Crom Dubh
Another common version of Lughnasadh's origin story tells of a struggle between two gods â Lugh and Crom Dubh (also called Crum Dubh and Dark Crom; generally accepted to bear association with Crom Cruach).
In this version of events, Crom Dubh keeps all of Ireland's grain for himself, while Lugh seeks to seize it and distribute it amongst the people of Ireland. Some accounts also feature a goddess representing the grain â Eithne â as having been kidnapped and held captive by Crom Dubh.
LAMMASTIDE
Lammas is likely the most well-known of these three harvest holidays. As to whether its origins are pre-Christian and later Christianized (with pagan influence and history deliberately erased from origin stories) or its origins are Christian and later embraced by neo-pagans and wiccans, that is hotly debated. Regardless, Lammas is a traditional English harvest holiday with Anglo-Saxon roots, and it is still celebrated to this day.
Lammastide is also known as Lammas Day, Lammas, HlĂĄmmaesse and Loaf Mass Day, and, like Lughnasadh, is generally celebrated on the 1st of August. The word lammas is believed to be of Anglo-Saxon origin, hailing from âhlaf-massâ or some variation thereof â âhlafâ meaning loaf. It originated as a harvest festival, a celebration of the bounty provided by the first cutting of grain that year.
It's been speculated by some scholars that Lammas, which was largely practiced throughout England, was a product of Lughnasadh, brought to England from Irish visitors or migrants. That being said, Lammas is generally considered an Anglo-Saxon festival bearing significant Nordic influence.
In England, the first sheaves of wheat were cut on or around the 1st of August, and the first loaves of bread were baked in every household. According to sources of the opinion that Lammastide pre-dates the Christianization of the holiday, an original pre-Christian custom would have seen the first loaves set aside as an offering, likely to land spirits or possibly a local deity, at the harvest festival. Another common practice was to cut the loaves into fourths and place a portion of the bread in the four corners of oneâs home.
If Lammas was, indeed, a pre-Christian holiday (as many scholars and historians on the matter deem highly likely), it is difficult to say what gods may have been originally associated with the festival. Nowadays, it isnât uncommon to see modern pagan practitioners honoring Lugh. It is also possible that the Gaulish god Lugus, who is generally thought to be an interpretation of Lugh, was worshipped and honored. If there were Anglo-specific or Anglo-Saxon deities once attached specifically to Lammas, it's not known for certain who they would have been, as the Christian Church would have actively worked to remove non-Christian deific associations, if there were any, from many pagan and pre-Christian holidays and practices.
In the Christian celebration of Lammastide, the day is still a harvest holiday, marking the celebration of the first fruits, and a day on which harvests, bakeries, and bakers are blessed. The holiday was traditionally associated with St. Peter in Chains, on whose feast day Lammas fell, though it's also come to be associated with St. Alphonse Liguori.
LĂNASTAL
LĂșnastal â also referred to as Lunasa, and Lammas Day â is a Scottish celebration of harvest and is generally accepted as the same holiday as Lughnasadh, though it has its own distinctly Scottish customs and practices.
As with Lughnasadh, LĂčnastal is a harvest festival, a celebration of the god Lugh, and a tribute to Tailtiu. The hard work of the harvest was countered with plenty of festivities, including feasting, sporting games, racing, bonfires, and dancing. Rites were performed as well, varying in kind from place to place.
Scotlandâs main harvest at this time was wheat and oats, which would provide essential food and supplies to last throughout the winter for both the people and their cattle. Fruits, seeds, vegetables, and roots would be gathered from the land as well, as LĂčnastal signified the coming of autumn and the last few months of prime time for gathering many of the plants on offer.
Dolls were also fashioned from the wheat harvested from the first field. There is a bit of to-do about these dolls, and weâll revisit them later in this piece (spoiler alert, itâs like a game of hot potato and has to do with the Cailleach).
âAre Lughnasadh, LĂčnastal, and Lammas actually different at all, or are they all just the same holiday with different names?â The best way to answer this would be to say that they can be seen as family of holidays that share the same roots. They do, indeed, have a great deal in common, so much that it would be a logical assumption that they are variations of the same holiday. However, as noted before, Lammas is generally accepted as an Anglo-Saxon holiday of Nordic influence, while Lughnasadh and LĂčnastal are Gaelic (which is commonly used to refer to that specific Celtic ethnolinguistic group â and the culture of the people within that group â of Ireland, the Isle of Man, and Scotland).
Each of these holidays is also rich with the culture of the lands they were practiced in, and they have their own rites and customs that set them apart from one another beautifully. So, yes, while Lughnasadh, Lammas, & LĂčnastal share many of the same practices and similar histories, they each also have a distinct flavor of their own, shaped by the lands in which they were (and still are) historically practiced.
Common Customs & Practices of Lughnasadh, Lammas, & Lunastal
HARVEST & THE FIRST TAKE
Wheat, oats, barley, and rye would be harvested at this time of year, all crucial in providing food for the people and livestock throughout the winter. It was also the time of year for gathering bilberries/blaeberries, raspberries, and other berries and plants from the land.
Lughnasadh:
The first take of the wheat and grain harvest would either be set aside and offered as-is to the god Lugh or to local spirits or the Good Neighbours, or it would be used to prepare a food offering or a celebratory meal to partake in together, most commonly bread or porridge.
LĂčnastal:
Having a similar custom as Lughnasadh, in which a portion of the first take of the crops would be set aside for another use, LĂčnastal saw the crops reaped in the morning, with the first take being prepared later as food in the evening.
Lammas:
The first take of the wheat or grain harvest was to be ground into flour, which was then used to bake a loaf of bread.
One practice involved taking the householdâs first loaf of bread baked from their take of the harvest and quartering it. Each fourth of the loaf was scattered throughout the corners of the home, one piece in each corner. This is believed to have been an offering to the spirits of the land, made in exchange for another year without hunger and a successful, bountiful harvest to come again that following year.
In Christian practice, each village would prepare a loaf of bread from the first take of the harvest and that loaf would be brought to the nearest church and blessed. This blessing of the bread was symbolic of blessing the fruits of the harvest. In some traditions, the bread would then be used in the rite of Holy Communion as the Eucharist.
Another practice was to break the bread into fourths and place those quarters in the four corners of either the main barn or grain storehouse in the village. It was believed that this offering would protect the food supplies from any potential ruin or depletion.
FEASTING
Communal feasts were a holiday essential across the board. With Lammas, Lughnasadh, and LĂčnastal, it wouldnât have been uncommon for the preparation of the feast to be a communal affair as well, as it would have been a great deal of work that a whole village would have shared.
In some practices in Ireland, Scotland, and on the Isle of Man, a food offering would be presented to Lugh and/or to local spirits before the feast. What was done with this food offering varies from place-to-place, custom-to-custom â some would have later taken the offering and buried it on sacred land or left it on sacred land for the wildlife to partake in or the spirits to enjoy; others would have divvied up portions of the offering onto each plate at the feast, so that everyone was symbolically joining Lugh or the spirits in celebration.
Some sources speak of a superstition in Ireland that states that it was extremely bad luck to be hungry during the celebrations. Partaking in a good canât-possibly-eat-another-bite meal was believed to keep the threat of going hungry or going without at bay for the following year. Thus, it was encouraged that you fill your plate and eat as much as you possibly could. Eating a more modest portion risked bringing bad luck and illness in the year to come.
CAILLEACH DOLLS
In Scotland, dolls (âcorn dollsâ or âCailleach dollsâ â note: here 'corn' does not refer to a doll made of corn husks, as is common in folk traditions of the United States; rather, it refers to 'corn' meaning grain) would be fashioned from some of the first wheat harvested. One would put the doll in another field that hadnât yet been completely ploughed. The doll could only be moved then from that field once the work was done and that portion of the harvest completed. Then you could move to doll to another field still unharvested. Once that field was ploughed, the doll could be moved, and so on. It was something like a game of hot potato. You donât want to be the last one holding the hot potato, nor did you want to be left with the Cailleach doll in your field at the end of harvest. If you were left with the Cailleach doll, it was your householdâs responsibility to keep her through the winter and take care of her.
ENTERTAINMENT & THE TAILTEANN GAMES
The harvest festival was historically celebrated with fairs and sporting games, and these events are still held today in some areas. For the artists, there would be music, dancing, storytelling, and poetry recitals and competitions; and for the sportsmen, there was no shortage of games and athletic sport to choose from.
The Tailteann Games were athletic contests held in honor of the goddess Tailtiu. These were traditionally held at Tailtin (Teltown) in modern day County Meath. People would come from all over Ireland to witness the games, including the kings of Ireland who would enact a time of truce to attend the event. The event is featured in early Irish literature, including the Ulster Cycle's Tochmarc Emire.
Such sporting events came to be practiced throughout Ireland and Scotland. Some sources say that the Tailteann Games would start in Ireland before Lughnasadh, believed to have been held during the latter half of July, with their grand finale at the Lughnasadh festival on the 1st of August.
Sport included in the Tailteann Games would have been spear throwing (as a nod to Lugh who was known for his impeccable skill with a spear), wrestling and boxing, sword fighting, archery, and a variety of racing â running and swimming, as well as horse racing and chariot racing. There were also craft competitions â smiths, weavers, jewelers, and the like would bring forth their best work to be judged.
THE DYING OF SUMMER
While some see Lughnasadh, Lammas, and Lunastal as a midsummer festival, it was traditionally the coming of summer's end.
In Ireland, one custom related to Lughnasadh bringing the end of summer and the beginning of autumn involves flowers and hiking up a hill or mountain. It is said that people would carry out their trek whilst wearing flowers (as crowns on their heads, as jewelry, pinned on their clothing, etc). When they reached the summit, the flowers would be buried, serving as a funeral for summer.
OATHS, BUSINESS, & ROMANCE
In Ireland, Lughnasadh fairs were a time to deal with business and legal matters. New laws would be read out to the public, treaties were negotiated, and contracts of trade and marriage were always on the menu. One Lughnasadh tradition relating to marriage was that of trial marriages, sometimes called a Teltown marriage in Ireland. The couple would be joined for a year and a day. Come the following Lughnasadh fair, the marriage could either be made permanent or be broken off without any consequence or questioning.
In Scotland, a similar practice to trial marriages took place, though it was a bit more casual. LĂčnastal was a time when couples could simply âpair offâ without anyone judging them for it.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS & THE RIDING OF THE MARCHES
Another common practice for all three of these holidays was getting outdoors to gather fruits and plants. Processions and parades would be had, be that from one town to another or through the surrounding countryside or just held through their own village.
In Ireland, one custom involved a casual trek up a mountain. Many still practice the Lughnasadh tradition of hiking up hills and mountains, and it has also been adopted as an Irish Christian tradition, with some partaking in pilgrimage days on or around Lughnasadh. The best known of these mountain pilgrimages is called Reek Sunday â a Christian pilgrimage up County Mayo's Croagh Patrick, at the summit of which masses are held.
Visiting holy wells and/or clootie wells was also a common Lughnasadh custom. Visiters would leave offerings at such places and pray for health, for protection from hunger or scarcity of resources, and for protection of their household and cattle.
In Scotland, there is the practice of the Riding of the Marches. People would ride out on horseback and take route through the streets and then out along the boundaries of the town. It is believed this originated as a Neighborhood Watch â they would make sure that everyone was safe from any attempted land theft or theft of harvest. In more recent history, the procession is less about safety and instead is just about having some drunken fun.
Celebrating the Harvest Today (Even for City Folk)
When we think of harvest festivals, fields and farmers come to mind, and rightly so. I grew up in the southern United States, raised by grandparents who were farmers and who had come from farming families. My home state is very much an agricultural state known for mustard, wheat, corn, tobacco, hay, and soybeans. For my generation in my family, the importance of 'the harvest' hasnât been lost. The concepts and symbols that we associate with harvests are so familiar to me, but to many that didn't grow up with as close a connection to agricultural communities or as close access to nature, those concepts may feel foreign or distant, like something from a story weâve heard before but whose details we canât fully recall.
Nowadays, whether we live in an inner-city area, a suburb, or even the countryside, so many of us face a disconnect from the land and from our roots. That disconnect can make it particularly difficult to acknowledge and celebrate a harvest festival or holiday without dealing with a touch (or maybe a boatload) of feeling out of our element or like an imposter. To conclude this piece on Lammas, LĂčnastal, and Lughnasadh, I'd like to offer some simple ways one can celebrate these holidays or any other harvest holiday, no matter where one lives.
ENJOY THE FRUITS OF THE LAND
What season is it where you are? What fruits and vegetables are harvested this time of year? Find out whatâs in season and whatâs being harvested where you are and try to include those fruits, vegetables, and herbs in your meals. It can also be quite fun and fulfilling to use only in-season foods for a harvest feast.
HOST A HARVEST FEAST
It doesnât have to be anything grand. It doesnât have to be communal. You can have a small harvest feast for your household or even just for one. Make sure the menu is filled with dishes made from whatever fruits, vegetables, and herbs are in season âround your neck of the woods, and donât forget itâs considered bad luck to eat too meager a meal during the holiday!
ATTEND A FAIR
Many fairs feature modern renditions of customs associated with Lughnasadh, and, coincidentally, many state and county fairs in the US, as well as county fairs in Britain and Ireland, tend to fall around the same time of year as these harvest festivals. One fair in Ireland â County Kerry's Puck Fair, which also happens to be one of Ireland's oldest fairs â is even believed to be what came of the area's local Lughnasadh fair.
In the US, attending your local state or county fair is a great way to learn about the agriculture of your region, observe and mingle with local farmers and learn about their trade, enjoy local cuisine and entertainment, and witness similar competitions to those that would have been held at Tailtean Games, such as trade and craft shows, cattle shows, and the like.
CONNECT WITH NATURE
You donât have to be out harvesting your own food. You donât have to have a trek up a mountain. Find out what your options are near you. Maybe itâs a park where you could have a lovely picnic with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season where you are. Maybe thereâs a hiking trail where you can go and leave behind the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life for at least a little while, where you might stop to meditate on all that the land can provide â be that food and water for our physical bodies, or energy and sustenance to heal and nurture our mental and spiritual bodies â and to give thanks for that. Maybe youâre fortunate enough to live in an area that is predominantly wildlife. Spend time outdoors, appreciating what you have where you live.
MAKE A CORN DOLLY
Making a âcorn dollyâ from wheat, sweetgrass, or hay and straw is still practiced this time of year in Scotland (and making corn husk dolls is common around this time of year throughout the US as well). You can make a doll of your own as a talisman of good luck and protection.
Happy Lammas and Lughnasadh to all who celebrate. May the crops you have planted in your life provide you and those you love with nutritious bread and may the time ahead be a season of plenty in all the ways you want it to be.
What sets the mysteries apart from other elements of Greek religion is their focus on ceremony and personal transformation. The Greco-Roman world was full of public ceremonies in which government officials might sacrifice a bull and recite some prayers for a crowd, but these ceremonies often only marked an occasion. The beginning of a harvest, the return of an army, the swearing-in of a new government official, etc. The value of a mystery rite was personal and transformative. The ritual was built around how it changed the participants. They marked a change not in the seasons or politics, but within the self. There are also the more practical aspects of Greek mystery rites that should not simply be left implied. A weeklong holiday of feasting and carousing, culminating in taking drugs and performing in a secret play enacting oneâs own death, sounds like a blast. It is no wonder they attracted peasants and emperors alike.
Also I am asking all of you, once again, to learn about ecosystem conservation and restoration instead of wallowing in "we are already past the point of no return" or that it will take "millennia" to restore ecosystems.
You have to understand that nature does not work in the same timeframe as ours. Protecting and restoring ecosystems is RIDICULOUSLY inexpensive and requires very little industrial technology; shovels and saplings are not exactly high-tech. But it takes time and long-term projects with people determined to do it. Maybe we are too focused in our "we want it now" thinking, but what you see today is not what you may see in 10, 20, 50, even 80 years if you live that long.
But it works. It's working right now, and when capitalism is replaced by socialism and we stop thinking on short-term gain, when our societies are focused into the common welfare instead of accumulation, it will even work better. Again I could point out to individual examples but instead, I encourage you to learn about ecology. We are well past from the catastrophic "Earth will die and there's nothing we can do" predictions from the 80s. We know what to do, we know it can work.
This is a modern approximation to the average Anglo-Saxonâs hlaef (loaf)
â. . . the Anglo-Saxons held their own feast of the opening of the harvest upon 1 August, the hlaef-mass, or loaf mass, from which derived its Medieval English and Scottish name of Lammas. As such it appears regularly in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, explicitly (in 923) as the feast of first fruits. The same name and title are echoed in another early English text, the Red Book of Derby. It was clearly by then the custom to reap the first of the ripe cereals and bake them into bread which was consecrated in church upon that day: a book of Anglo-Saxon charms advised the division of this holy bread into four pieces and the crumbling of each one in the corner of a barn in order to make it a safe repository for the grain about to arrive there. The festival was also known in medieval times as the Gule of August, a term which has vexed linguists, who have only been able to suggest that it signifies the Yule of August, a period of rejoicing similar to that of December. The difficulty evaporates if it is simply an Anglicization of the Welsh gwyl meaning feast, the Welsh name for 1 August being gwyl aust, the feast of August. Certainly the arrival of the time when the first of the harvest could be gathered would have been a natural point of celebration in an agrarian society, and the importance of the first day of August was already so well established by 673 that the Archbishop Theodore of Tarsus decreed that the annual synod of the newly established church in England should be held then. It would seem very likely therefore, that a pre-Christian festival had existed among the Anglo-Saxons upon that date . . .â
âRonald Hutton Stations of the Sun
This is my favorite part of the recipe for cooking the âbreadâ that an average Anglo-Saxon (aka a poor one) would have eaten: âeach side will probably take as long as it takes to say nine or ten Lordâs Prayers. This is how they measured cooking time in the medieval period.â
The Lordâs Prayer in Old English (I do actually recognize some of the words!):
âFĂŠder ure ĂŸu ĂŸe eart on heofonum: si ĂŸin nama gehalgod to becume ĂŸin rice. GewurĂŸe Ă°in willa on eorĂ°an swa swa on heofonum. Urne gedĂŠghwamlican hlaf syle us todĂŠg. And forgyf us ure gyltas swa swa we forgyfaĂ° urum gyltendum. And ne gelĂŠd ĂŸu us on costnunge, ac alys us of yfele soĂŸlice.â
I used 130 grams of all-purpose flour (not at all authentic but what I had) and added enough water to make a dough. Then kneaded it for 5 minutes and shaped it into two rounds.
âWhen the Anglo-Saxons were rich enough to own metal objects, they made brooches, not measuring spoons.ââThe Early English Bread Project
I then went ahead and measured the time by chanting the Lordâs Prayer as mentioned above because this didnât seem like simply a practical element to keep time, but you know, magic! Incantation! And since I planned on eating one of these to test it, and saving the other for Lammas rituals, the magic seemed like an essential ingredient.
Eight repetitions was plenty.
And I canât help myself, a little syncretism with my Slavic DÄduĆĄka blessing the bread for me.
Did I like this hlaef? No, I did not. Iâm a spoiled lady of modern times, I guess. đ€·ââïž
The Early English Bread Project said that traditionally the butter and cheese that would have been eaten with it was very salty which is why it was made without, but our modern butter and cheese probably didnât make up for the lack. If I make it again to eat, and not just for ritual, I will probably add salt.
Do visit The Early English Bread Project for the types of flour thatwould have been used depending upon your degrees of poorness. And for such pithy comments as:
If you want to have an authentic stomach ache, you could add cockle, a troublesome weed that grew among the grain. Excavations in York showed that tenth-century bread had enough cockle to have given the eaters digestive discomfort.
⊠nimium gaudes hos manducare calentes! âYouâre delighted to eat them when theyâre hot!â âscolding woman to King Alfred (Life of St. Neot ve
Next I made the leavened rich person version based on the recipe at the bottom of this post.
I cut the recipe in half as I knew no one else in the house would be interested in experimenting. I divided it into two loaves (hlaefs?). One to taste test and one for Lammas rituals.
Maybe I should have adjusted cooking times since I made smaller loaves. The outside was quite crusty.
This was much more to my refined tastes, however! đ I had it for second breakfast with butter and honey.
If anybody actually reads this and experiments, Iâd love to hear your results/opinions.
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There is some irony in indigenous points of view on the Western use of animality as something 'good to think [with],' not least about cultural superiority. Winona La Duke quotes a Zapatista woman as saying 'we're treated like animals,' meaning that they are oppressed and abused, shortly after noting that the US slaughter of all but a few of the fifty million buffalo on the Great Plains was a 'military policy.' Similarly Debbi Rose writes of Aboriginal Australians wondering at the propensity of Westerners to engage in 'seemingly endless speculation about what distinguishes us from animals.' Knowing that the accusation of animality was used as if it could justify genocide makes this remark less amusingly ironic than it might otherwise seem. Ecocide and genocide are indistinguishable in many colonial projects. But neither are they distinguishable when seen from an animist point of view: an assault on one group of persons is an assault on all with whom they are related, most especially those with whom they are most closely related. Similarly a defense of one group of persons (buffalo or humans) is a defense of those with whom they relate.
These implications of animism confront the worlds of politics, military, and colonial action, and they express constructions of personhood that challenge notions and performances of individualism and embodiment. The richness of actual and potential relationships means that the boundaries of a person are not coterminous with their body (if indeed persons are not so interrelated that they do not have ownership of such bodies). As Rose writes of Aboriginal notions of embodiment, 'the person achieves their maturity and integrity through relationships with people, animals, country, and Dreamings.' Subjectivity itself is communal and continuously expressed in action, and found in the way people practice living towards other persons.
Animism, Graham Harvey / Chapter 6: Signs of Life and Personhood, pg. 113
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