Lammas

Lammas is the first harvest of the Wheel of the Year, The gift of the Goddess, the cutting of the Corn King.

The Summer sun rides high in the heavens, Helios resplendent. Although the days are shortening as we have passed the zenith of the Summer solstice, now descending slowly to the years end.

The Spirit of the Corn, often seen as the last sheaf cut in the fields or represented by almost anthropomorphic Corn dolls artistically crafted often in somewhat eerie figures in an array of dazzling local variations.

As a custom the 'crying of the neck' once common in the west country died out toward the middle of the last century. The 'crying' was over the last wheatsheaf that was cut, this last sheaf contained that corn spirit, from which the corn dolls were often created. It is unknown if these intricate dolls had antecedents in Pagan times as possible representations of localised deities similar to the Roman Ceres or Greek Demeter, both Goddesses of the harvest & growth & grain.

Toward more modern days the Folklore song of 'John Barleycorn' tells tale of the cycle of life, death & rebirth through the growth of the wheat. John lives & dies & by doing so gives life in an unending cycle.

Within the Wica our own Rites reflect similar themes. The Goddess has given her harvest. Cultivation of grain to make bread has enabled so called civilisation to flourish in towns & cities from ancient Mesopotamia until today.

The Corn King is dead but again shall rise.

'The Wheel has turned to Harvest Days, the Sacrifice led,

amongst the field that Ceres yields the Lord he bows his head,

slashed and cut and stacked and shut in darkness to remain.

But in his last breath he'll conquer death to raise his head again!!'.