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Lammas: Celebrating the Fruits of the First Harvest Review

This is another of the books in the Sabat Series that has been carefully crafted by Llewellyn. Anna Franklin, an English author and witch, teams up with English artist Paul Mason to give us a book on the history and folklore of the holiday of Lammas or Lughnasa.

It seems right to have an English author give us the background of the holiday of Lammas, or Lughnasa, celebrated on August 1. It is indeed a very English/Irish holiday in origins. But, again, in reviewing the bibliography, along side some very noteworthy historical references are references to the author's own works and works done by other Llewellyn authors. However, in the case of this book, the historical references are noteworthy, and there are a few classic English/Irish authors, both historians and pagan, that stand out in the crowd, like Nigel Pennick and Daithi O'hOgain to name a couple. So, for this installment in the series, it appears to be better researched than previous volumes and it shows in the reading. It also does not have much of that "pagan spin" that dominates the series. The history of this holiday is not as "threatening" as others are perceived, so the heavy handed "pagan spin" was not necessary with this book, and it makes for a better read.

The history/customs/lore section is fascinating. The inclusion of many English/Irish festivals held at this time of year sheds light on the origins of this holiday. While some of the conclusions drawn might be strictly on the part of the author, it is easy for the reader to see the background of this holiday as being one of a harvest festival, and we can see how bread and berries have a major impact and are key to this holiday. There are some tidbits from other areas around the world focusing on other Deities, but it is very clear this is a Northern European celebration and this is the main focus of the book.

The discussions on Lugh, for whom this holiday is named, shed some light on this well known Celtic Deity. Ms. Franklin presents us with several stories of this Hero, from the Welsh and Irish. She also provides a "reconstruction" section, going over some customs and associating legends with these. She does bring out the harvest association with Lugh, and her historical references seem to agree with this.

The book is dotted with endnotes for the person wanting to do further research. The historical section of this book is probably the beefiest of all the books in this series so far and it is a credit to Ms. Franklin. The book is also well illustrated by Paul Mason, from the cover art to the black and white illustrations that pepper the pages of the book. The illustrations for the corn maiden, while lovely, are not all that exact, however, and would leave one scratching their head as to how to actually make one of the dolls illustrated. They are more for styles rather than instruction. It would have been nice to have a step by step instruction. But, that's a personal preference, I suppose.

The Celebrating part of the book is classic Llewellyn material: crafts, cooking, and spells. There is a section on Goddesses. One can see the association of the Harvest aspect of these Goddesses. In the magic section, the first spell a healing focusing on Osiris and Egyptian magic. It progresses into Irish/Celtic spells from there. There is a nice little section on "Ash Divination" where you read the images from the ashes of a bonfire. The table of correspondences that follows is fascinating. An interesting form of Divination if you are so inclined.

There is also a nice section on incense. Again, there is the inclusion of incense for Deities other Lugh or Celtic/Irish. Paul Mason also contributes with a section on Dyes.

There is a section on games. We then progress to "Warrior Magic" which seems appropriate as Lugh was a warrior, and the games thing does infer competition. Symbols, face painting and mask making all are part of the magics and traditions. An interesting addition which also includes warrior spirits and totems.

There is the mandatory cookbook section that is found in all these books. What is being pagan if it does not include food? While breads are the focus here, the recipes all appear to be very English in nature, a refreshing change of pace for these books. From fish to toffee, there are some yummy recipes here. The measures are in US, Imperial and Metric, so no matter where you live it will be easy for you to follow. Try the soda bread. I thought I remembered my grandmother adding bacon to her Colcannon, but I figure it's an area thing, and folks make it according to their family recipe. The basic recipe is offered here.

There are also rituals offered here. There is a group ritual and one from her own group "The Grove of the Silver Wheel", being Druidic in nature and again for a group. It would have been nice to have a ritual that a solitary could have performed on their own, but Ms. Franklin's focus is group and we are given two rituals for group practice.

There are several appendices. There is a "calendar" running from July 15th through August 25th offering day to day celebrations of Deities, festivals and ancient events.

The "Names of Festivals" area gives us the ancient Irish names. What would have been helpful here is a phonetic pronunciation of the names.

There are some correspondences for colors, plants, symbols and the usual God/Goddess section with associations. Also some songs and chants but no music included. This is followed by the Glossary and the Selected Bibliography and index.

Overall, this is a nice addition to the Sabat Series, offering an English view of the first of our Harvest Holidays. This is a well put together overview of the holiday, including some information on other aspects of the Harvest. It is easy to read, has some interesting history that appears to be well researched. This is, of course, focused on the beginner or the curious who would like to get a feeling for the holiday, and it achieves a well rounded view of the myths, lore and practices of modern day pagans. It's a nice addition to your library. boudica

Lammas: Celebrating the Fruits of the First Harvest Overview

Discover the ancient festival of Lammas and celebrate the harvest fruits according to tradition with this guide that describes the festival's origins and compares similar festivals around the world,

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Update Post: Jun 03, 2010 06:50:13

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Thursday, 3 June 2010