Lughnasadh
Encyclopedia
Lughnasadh is a traditional Gaelic
holiday celebrated on 1 August. It is in origin a harvest
festival, corresponding to the Welsh Calan Awst
and the English Lammas
.
, the name of the festival has at various points in time been written Lughnasa, Lughnasad, Lugnasad or Lughnasadh.
In Modern Irish
(Gaeilge), the month of August is Lúnasa with an older variant Lúnas. The genetive case is also Lúnasa as in the phrase, month of August, Mí Lúnasa, with the day itself being called Lá Lúnasa ("the day of Lúnasa"). The word násadh means a feast, fair, assembly, or celebration, but is unstressed when used as a suffix on Lughnasadh.
In Modern Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig), the festival and the month are both called Lùnastal.
In Welsh
(Cymraeg), the day is known as Calan Awst, an originally Latin
term, the Kalends of August in English.
, the Lughnasadh festival is said to have been begun by the god Lugh
, as a funeral feast and games commemorating his foster-mother, Tailtiu
, who died of exhaustion after clearing the plains of Ireland
for agriculture. The first location of the Áenach Tailteann gathering was at Telltown
, located between Navan
and Kells
. Historically, the Áenach Tailteann was a time for contests of strength and skill and a favored time for contracting marriages and winter lodgings. A peace was declared at the festival, and religious celebrations were also held. The festival survived as the Taillten Fair
, and was revived for a period in the twentieth century as the Telltown Games.
A similar Lughnasadh festival was held at Carmun (whose exact location is under dispute). Carmun
is also believed to have been a goddess
of the Celts, perhaps one with a similar story as Tailtiu.
, Lughnasadh was a favored time for handfasting
s — trial marriages that would generally last a year and a day, with the option of ending the contract before the new year, or later formalizing it as a more permanent marriage.
people continue to celebrate the holiday with bonfires and dancing. The Christian church has established the ritual of blessing the fields on this day. In the Irish diaspora
, survivals of the Lúnasa festivities are often seen by some families still choosing August as the traditional time for family reunions and parties, though due to modern work schedules these events have sometimes been moved to adjacent secular holidays, such as the Fourth of July in the United States.
in various forms, and by a variety of names. As forms of Neopaganism can be quite different and have very different origins, these representations can vary considerably despite the shared name. Some celebrate in a manner as close as possible to how the Ancient Celts and Living Celtic cultures have maintained the traditions, while others observe the holiday with rituals drawn from numerous other sources, Celtic culture being only one of the sources used.
Like other Polytheistic Reconstructionist
traditions, Celtic Reconstructionists place emphasis on historical accuracy, and base their celebrations and rituals on traditional lore from the living Celtic cultures, as well as research into the older beliefs of the polytheistic
Celts. Celtic Reconstructionists
who follow Gaelic traditions tend to celebrate Lughnasadh at the time of first fruits, or on the full moon that falls closest to this time. In the Northeastern United States
, this is often the time of the blueberry
harvest, while in the Pacific Northwest the blackberries are often the festival fruit.
In Celtic Reconstructionism (CR), Lúnasa is seen as a time to give thanks to the spirits and deities for the beginning of the harvest season, and to propitiate them with offerings and prayers to not harm the still-ripening crops. The god Lugh
is honored by many at this time, as he is a deity of storms and lightning, especially the storms of late summer. Gentle rain on the day of the festival is seen as his presence and his bestowing of blessings. Many CRs also honor the goddess Tailtiu
on this day, and may seek to keep the Cailleach
an ("Storm Hags") from damaging the crops, much in the way appeals are made to Lugh.
n Wheel of the Year
. It is the first of the three autumn harvest
festivals, the other two being the Autumn equinox (also called Mabon
by Wiccans) and Samhain
. It is seen as one of the two most auspicious times for handfasting
, the other being at Beltane
. Some Wiccans mark the holiday by baking a figure of the "corn god" in bread, and then symbolically sacrificing and eating it.
Calendars
Holidays
Gaels
The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....
holiday celebrated on 1 August. It is in origin a harvest
Harvest
Harvest is the process of gathering mature crops from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper...
festival, corresponding to the Welsh Calan Awst
Gathering Day
Gathering Day is a Welsh holiday associated with the harvest, involving gathering on hilltops or beside lakes at the beginning of August...
and the English Lammas
Lammas
In some English-speaking countries in the Northern Hemisphere, August 1 is Lammas Day , the festival of the wheat harvest, and is the first harvest festival of the year. On this day it was customary to bring to church a loaf made from the new crop...
.
Name
In Old IrishOld Irish language
Old Irish is the name given to the oldest form of the Goidelic languages for which extensive written texts are extant. It was used from the 6th to the 10th centuries, by which time it had developed into Middle Irish....
, the name of the festival has at various points in time been written Lughnasa, Lughnasad, Lugnasad or Lughnasadh.
In Modern Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
(Gaeilge), the month of August is Lúnasa with an older variant Lúnas. The genetive case is also Lúnasa as in the phrase, month of August, Mí Lúnasa, with the day itself being called Lá Lúnasa ("the day of Lúnasa"). The word násadh means a feast, fair, assembly, or celebration, but is unstressed when used as a suffix on Lughnasadh.
In Modern Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig), the festival and the month are both called Lùnastal.
In Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
(Cymraeg), the day is known as Calan Awst, an originally Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
term, the Kalends of August in English.
Irish mythology
In Irish mythologyIrish mythology
The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
, the Lughnasadh festival is said to have been begun by the god Lugh
Lugh
Lug or Lugh is an Irish deity represented in mythological texts as a hero and High King of the distant past. He is known by the epithets Lámhfhada , for his skill with a spear or sling, Ildánach , Samhildánach , Lonnbeimnech and Macnia , and by the...
, as a funeral feast and games commemorating his foster-mother, Tailtiu
Tailtiu
Tailtiu or Tailltiu is the name of a presumed goddess from Irish mythology. Telltown in County Meath, was named for her.-In Irish mythology:...
, who died of exhaustion after clearing the plains of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
for agriculture. The first location of the Áenach Tailteann gathering was at Telltown
Telltown
Telltown is an outdated place name in County Meath, Ireland, for the area between Navan and Kells. It was named for the Irish mythological figure or goddess, Tailtiu...
, located between Navan
Navan
-People:Navan was the childhood home of Pierce Brosnan, who appeared in the television series Remington Steele and was the fifth film actor to play James Bond. TV personality Hector Ó hEochagáin, and comedians Dylan Moran and Tommy Tiernan also hail from Navan....
and Kells
Kells, County Meath
Kells is a town in County Meath, Ireland. The town lies off the M3 motorway, from Navan and from Dublin. In recent years Kells has grown greatly with many Dublin commuters moving to the town....
. Historically, the Áenach Tailteann was a time for contests of strength and skill and a favored time for contracting marriages and winter lodgings. A peace was declared at the festival, and religious celebrations were also held. The festival survived as the Taillten Fair
Taillten Fair
The Taillten Fair was an annual event held in medieval times at Telltown, County Meath, Ireland. The fair was a survival or revival of the Áenach Tailteann, the assembly and funeral games for the goddess Tailtiu, and was held on Lughnasadh, aka Lammas Eve, .For a period of time in the twentieth...
, and was revived for a period in the twentieth century as the Telltown Games.
A similar Lughnasadh festival was held at Carmun (whose exact location is under dispute). Carmun
Carman
In Irish mythology, Carman or Carmun was a warrior-woman and sorceress from Athens who tried to invade Ireland in the days of the Tuatha Dé Danann, along with her three sons, Dub , Dother and Dian...
is also believed to have been a goddess
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
of the Celts, perhaps one with a similar story as Tailtiu.
Gaelic folklore
In Gaelic IrelandGaelic Ireland
Gaelic Ireland is the name given to the period when a Gaelic political order existed in Ireland. The order continued to exist after the arrival of the Anglo-Normans until about 1607 AD...
, Lughnasadh was a favored time for handfasting
Handfasting
Handfasting is a traditional European ceremony of betrothal or wedding. It usually involved the tying or binding of the right hands of the bride and groom with a cord or ribbon for the duration of the wedding ceremony.-Etymology:...
s — trial marriages that would generally last a year and a day, with the option of ending the contract before the new year, or later formalizing it as a more permanent marriage.
Modern day celebration
In IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
people continue to celebrate the holiday with bonfires and dancing. The Christian church has established the ritual of blessing the fields on this day. In the Irish diaspora
Irish diaspora
thumb|Night Train with Reaper by London Irish artist [[Brian Whelan]] from the book Myth of Return, 2007The Irish diaspora consists of Irish emigrants and their descendants in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, Mexico, South Africa,...
, survivals of the Lúnasa festivities are often seen by some families still choosing August as the traditional time for family reunions and parties, though due to modern work schedules these events have sometimes been moved to adjacent secular holidays, such as the Fourth of July in the United States.
Neopaganism
Lughnasadh is observed by NeopagansNeopaganism
Neopaganism is an umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements, particularly those influenced by or claiming to be derived from the various pagan beliefs of pre-modern Europe...
in various forms, and by a variety of names. As forms of Neopaganism can be quite different and have very different origins, these representations can vary considerably despite the shared name. Some celebrate in a manner as close as possible to how the Ancient Celts and Living Celtic cultures have maintained the traditions, while others observe the holiday with rituals drawn from numerous other sources, Celtic culture being only one of the sources used.
Celtic Reconstructionism
Like other Polytheistic Reconstructionist
Polytheistic reconstructionism
Polytheistic reconstructionism is an approach to Neopaganism first emerging in the late 1960s to early 1970s, and gathering momentum in the 1990s to 2000s...
traditions, Celtic Reconstructionists place emphasis on historical accuracy, and base their celebrations and rituals on traditional lore from the living Celtic cultures, as well as research into the older beliefs of the polytheistic
Celtic polytheism
Celtic polytheism, commonly known as Celtic paganism, refers to the religious beliefs and practices adhered to by the Iron Age peoples of Western Europe now known as the Celts, roughly between 500 BCE and 500 CE, spanning the La Tène period and the Roman era, and in the case of the Insular Celts...
Celts. Celtic Reconstructionists
Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism
Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism is a polytheistic, animistic, religious and cultural movement...
who follow Gaelic traditions tend to celebrate Lughnasadh at the time of first fruits, or on the full moon that falls closest to this time. In the Northeastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, this is often the time of the blueberry
Blueberry
Blueberries are flowering plants of the genus Vaccinium with dark-blue berries and are perennial...
harvest, while in the Pacific Northwest the blackberries are often the festival fruit.
In Celtic Reconstructionism (CR), Lúnasa is seen as a time to give thanks to the spirits and deities for the beginning of the harvest season, and to propitiate them with offerings and prayers to not harm the still-ripening crops. The god Lugh
Lugh
Lug or Lugh is an Irish deity represented in mythological texts as a hero and High King of the distant past. He is known by the epithets Lámhfhada , for his skill with a spear or sling, Ildánach , Samhildánach , Lonnbeimnech and Macnia , and by the...
is honored by many at this time, as he is a deity of storms and lightning, especially the storms of late summer. Gentle rain on the day of the festival is seen as his presence and his bestowing of blessings. Many CRs also honor the goddess Tailtiu
Tailtiu
Tailtiu or Tailltiu is the name of a presumed goddess from Irish mythology. Telltown in County Meath, was named for her.-In Irish mythology:...
on this day, and may seek to keep the Cailleach
Cailleach
In Irish and Scottish mythology, the , also known as the Cailleach Bheur, is a divine hag, a creatrix, and possibly an ancestral deity or deified ancestor...
an ("Storm Hags") from damaging the crops, much in the way appeals are made to Lugh.
Wicca
Lughnasadh or Lammas is also the name used for one of the eight sabbats in the WiccaWicca
Wicca , is a modern Pagan religious movement. Developing in England in the first half of the 20th century, Wicca was popularised in the 1950s and early 1960s by a Wiccan High Priest named Gerald Gardner, who at the time called it the "witch cult" and "witchcraft," and its adherents "the Wica."...
n Wheel of the Year
Wheel of the Year
The Wheel of the Year is a Neopagan term for the annual cycle of the Earth's seasons. It consists of eight festivals, spaced at approximately even intervals throughout the year. These festivals are referred to as Sabbats...
. It is the first of the three autumn harvest
Harvest
Harvest is the process of gathering mature crops from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper...
festivals, the other two being the Autumn equinox (also called Mabon
Mabon
Mabon may refer to:*Mabon , the Autumnal equinox in some versions of the Wheel of the Year*Mabyn or Mabon, an early Cornish saint*Mabon ap Modron, a figure in Welsh Arthurian legend-People with the name:...
by Wiccans) and Samhain
Samhain
Samhain is a Gaelic harvest festival held on October 31–November 1. It was linked to festivals held around the same time in other Celtic cultures, and was popularised as the "Celtic New Year" from the late 19th century, following Sir John Rhys and Sir James Frazer...
. It is seen as one of the two most auspicious times for handfasting
Handfasting
Handfasting is a traditional European ceremony of betrothal or wedding. It usually involved the tying or binding of the right hands of the bride and groom with a cord or ribbon for the duration of the wedding ceremony.-Etymology:...
, the other being at Beltane
Beltane
Beltane or Beltaine is the anglicised spelling of Old Irish Beltaine or Beltine , the Gaelic name for either the month of May or the festival that takes place on the first day of May.Bealtaine was historically a Gaelic festival celebrated in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man.Bealtaine...
. Some Wiccans mark the holiday by baking a figure of the "corn god" in bread, and then symbolically sacrificing and eating it.
See also
- Irish mythology in popular cultureIrish mythology in popular culture- Badb :*Badb, along with Nemain, and Macha, appear as the Morrigan in Christopher Moore's book A Dirty Job.*Badb, Morrigan, Macha and Nemain are mentioned by Conan the Barbarian in Robert E...
- Welsh HolidaysWelsh HolidaysThese are the main holidays traditionally celebrated in Wales that are not shared with the rest of the United Kingdom. Except for those that fall at the same time as UK public holidays , none of these holidays are bank holidays...
Calendars
- Celtic calendarCeltic calendarThe Celtic calendar is a compilation of pre-Christian Celtic systems of timekeeping, including the Gaulish Coligny calendar, used by Celtic countries to define the beginning and length of the day, the week, the month, the seasons, quarter days, and festivals....
- Coligny calendarColigny calendarThe Gaulish Coligny calendar was found in Coligny, Ain, France near Lyon in 1897, along with the head of a bronze statue of a youthful male figure. It is a lunisolar calendar...
- Irish calendarIrish calendarThe Irish calendar is a pre-Christian Celtic system of timekeeping used during Ireland's Gaelic era and still in popular use today to define the beginning and length of the day, the week, the month, the seasons, quarter days, and festivals...
- Wheel of the yearWheel of the YearThe Wheel of the Year is a Neopagan term for the annual cycle of the Earth's seasons. It consists of eight festivals, spaced at approximately even intervals throughout the year. These festivals are referred to as Sabbats...
Holidays
- SamhainSamhainSamhain is a Gaelic harvest festival held on October 31–November 1. It was linked to festivals held around the same time in other Celtic cultures, and was popularised as the "Celtic New Year" from the late 19th century, following Sir John Rhys and Sir James Frazer...
- ImbolcImbolcImbolc , or St Brigid’s Day , is an Irish festival marking the beginning of spring. Most commonly it is celebrated on 1 or 2 February in the northern hemisphere and 1 August in the southern hemisphere...
- BeltaneBeltaneBeltane or Beltaine is the anglicised spelling of Old Irish Beltaine or Beltine , the Gaelic name for either the month of May or the festival that takes place on the first day of May.Bealtaine was historically a Gaelic festival celebrated in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man.Bealtaine...
Further reading
- Carmichael, Alexander (1992). Carmina GadelicaCarmina GadelicaThe Carmina Gadelica is a collection of prayers, hymns, charms, incantations, blessings, runes, and other literary-folkloric poems and songs collected and translated by amateur folklorist Alexander Carmichael in the Gaelic-speaking regions of Scotland between 1855 and 1910...
. Lindisfarne Press. ISBN 0-940262-50-9. - Danaher, KevinKevin DanaherKevin Danaher was a prominent Irish folklorist with a special interest in ethnography and military history....
(1962). The Year in Ireland. Irish Books & Media. ISBN 0-937702-13-7. - MacKillop, James (1998). Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-280120-1.
- McNeill, F. MarianF. Marian McNeillF. Marian McNeill was born in 1885 at Holm in Orkney where her father was the minister of the Free Presbyterian Kirk. She was a Scottish folklorist, best known for writing The Silver Bough , a four-volume set of Scottish folklore, considered essential by many in the field.She is also known as the...
(1959). The Silver Bough, Vol. 1 -4. William MacLellan, Glasgow. - MacNeill, Máire, 'The Festival of Lughnasa (Oxford University Press) 1962. Republished 2008. ISBN 0-906426-10-3.
- Melia, Daniel F., "The Grande Troménie at Locronan: A Major Breton Lughnasa Celebration" The Journal of American Folklore 91 No. 359 (January 1978), pp. 528–542.