Lammas
From Freepedia
In English-speaking countries, August 1 is Lammas Day (loaf-mass day), the festival of the first wheat harvest of the year. On this day it was customary to bring to church a loaf made from the new crop. In many parts of England, tenants were bound to present freshly harvested wheat to their landlords on or before the first day of August. In the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, where it is referred to regularly, it is called "the feast of first fruits". The blessing of new fruits was performed annually in both the Eastern and Western Churches on the first, or the sixth, of August. The Sacramentary of Pope Gregory I (d. 604) specifies the sixth.
The name of Lammas originated from the "Feast of Lughnasadh" or Lugh (Lu) and comes from one of the legends of Ireland. It is believed that the tradition of the festival of Lugh expanded into events and celebration through many cultures, we find the Lammas in Saxon times, in the West Indies and today we can find Lammas Fairs being celebrated throughout the world. With the arrival of Christianity to Ireland and its dominance as a faith, we find the festival of Lugh changing and adopting more Christian symbolism - loaves of bread baked from the first harvest grain are placed on the church altar.
The Christianised name for the festival of Lugh becomes Lammas which means "loaf mass". In medieval times we find references to the Lammastide – when craft fairs and pageants would be held. It is also thought to have been the time when Saint Catherine was celebrated - who gave rise to the term "Catherine Wheel", this came from Pagan worship when a wagon wheel would be tarred, taken to the top of a hill, set on fire and rolled down, symbolizing the decline of the Sun God (Autumn Equinox).
In medieval times the feast was known as the "Gule of August", but the meaning of "gule" is unknown. Ronald Hutton suggests that it may be an Anglicisation of gwyl aust, the Welsh name for August 1 meaning "feast of August", but this is not certain. If so, this points to a pre-Christian origin for Lammas among the Anglo-Saxons and a link to the Gaelic festival of Lughnasadh.
In modern Neo-Paganism, the name Lammas is used for one of the sabbats, taking place on August 1. This festival is also known as Lughnasadh, q.v.
Lammas is one of the Scottish quarter days.
See also
References
- The Stations of the Sun, Ronald Hutton, Oxford 1996
