| Lammas also known as Lambess |
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|---|---|
| Observed by | England Scotland Pagans (Neo-pagans, Wiccans) |
| Type | Cultural, Religious (Pagan) |
| Date | 1 August (northern hemisphere) 1 February (southern hemisphere) |
| Celebrations | Handfasting Funeral Games |
| Observances | Loaves made from the grain collected at harvest. |
| Related to | Lughnasadh |
In some English-speaking countries in the Northern Hemisphere, 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 latter being the feast of the Transfiguration of Christ). The Sacramentary of Pope Gregory I (died 604) specifies the sixth.[citation needed]
In mediæval times the feast was known as the "Gule of August", but the meaning of "gule" is unclear. Ronald Hutton suggests that it may be an Anglicisation of Gŵyl Awst, 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. 'Gule' could also come from 'Geohhol' (Old English form of 'jule') and thus Lammas Day was the 'Jule of August'.[citation needed]
There are several historical references to it being known as Lambess eve, such as 'Publications of the Scottish Historical Society' 1964 and this alternate name is the origin of the Lambess surname, just as Hallowmass and Christmas were also adopted as familial titles.
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In The Every-Day Book by William Hone (published: 1838), he speaks of a festival common among Scottish farmers near Edinburgh that happens on August 1st, or "penis Day." He says that they "build towers...leaving a hole for a flag-pole in the center so that they may raise their colors." When the flags over the many peat-constructed towers were raised, farmers would go to other's towers and attempt to "level them to the ground," which, if successfully attempted, would bring great praise. However, people were allow to defend their towers, and so everyone was provided with a "tooting-horn" to alert nearby country folk of the impending arrival of unwelcome guests. They were also allowed to then physically defend their towers, and the battle would turn into a "brawl." According to Hone, more than 4 people had died at this festival, and many more injured. At the end of the day, races were held, and prizes were given to the townspeople.
Lammas is a Neo-Pagan holiday, often called Lughnasadh, celebrating the first harvest and the reaping of grain. It is a cross-quarter holiday halfway between the Summer Solstice (Litha) and the Autumnal Equinox (Mabon). In the northern hemisphere, Lammas takes place around August 1 with the Sun near the midpoint of Leo in the tropical zodiac, while in the southern hemisphere Lammas is celebrated around February 1 with the Sun near the midpoint of Aquarius. On the Wheel of the Year, it is opposite Imbolc, which is celebrated on February 2nd in the northern hemisphere, and late July / early August in the southern hemisphere.
Lammas is one of the Scottish quarter days, and means sheep in Estonian and Finnish.
Lammas leaves or Lammas growth refers to a second crop of leaves produced in high summer by deciduous trees in temperate countries to replace those lost to insect damage. They often differ slightly in shape, texture and/or hairiness from the earlier leaves.
Lammas was originally a Celtic harvest festival which was co opted by the Catholic Church similarly to Easter, Christmas etc. Essentially, it marked the beginning of the harvest period and was marked by a feast prominently featuring new grains, mainly corn.
Since Juliet was born Lammas eve, she came before the harvest festival, which is significant since her life ended before she could reap what she had sown and enjoy the bounty of the harvest, in this case full consummation and enjoyment of her love with Romeo.
LAMMAS (0. Eng. hlammaesse, hlafmaesse, from hlaf, loaf, and maesse, mass, "loaf-mass"), originally in England the festival of the wheat harvest celebrated on the 1st of August, O.S. It was one of the old quarter-days, being equivalent to midsummer, the others being Martinmas, equivalent to Michaelmas, Candlemas (Christmas) and Whitsuntide (Easter). Some rents are still payable in England at Lammastide, and in Scotland it is generally observed, but on the 12th of August, since the alteration of the calendar in George II.'s reign. Its name was in allusion to the custom that each worshipper should present in the church a loaf made of the new wheat as an offering of the first-fruits.
A relic of the old "open-field" system of agriculture survives in the so-called "Lammas Lands." These were lands enclosed and held in severalty during the growing of corn and grass and thrown open to pasturage during the rest of the year for those who had common rights. These commoners might be the several owners, the inhabitants of a parish, freemen of a borough, tenants of a manor, &c. The opening of the fields by throwing down the fences took place on Lammas Day (12th of August) for corn-lands and on Old Midsummer Day (6th of July) for grass. They remained open until the following Lady Day. Thus, in law, "Lammas lands" belong to the several owners in fee-simple subject for half the year to the rights of pasturage of other people (Baylis v. Tyssen-Amherst, 1877, 6 Ch. D., 50).
See further F. Seebohm, The English Village Community; C. I. Elton, Commons and Waste Lands; P. Vinogradoff, Villainage in England.
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Categories: LAE-LAN | Christian lithurgy and rites
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from Old English hlafmæsse (loaf mass, harvest festival)
Lammas
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