The Festival of Lughnasa: A Study of the Survival of the Celtic Festival of the Beginning of Harvest
by Máire MacNeill
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Description
Garland Sunday and Domhnach Chrom Dubh are two of the many names of a festival celebrated by Irish country people at the end of July or the beginning of August. It marked the end of summer and the beginning of the harvest season, and on that day the first meal of the year's new food crop was eaten. The chief custom was the resorting of the rural communities to certain heights or water-sides to spend the day in festivity, sports and bilberry-picking. The custom existed also in the Isle of show more Man, Cornwall, Wales and in the north of England. Formerly it must have been general in all Celtic lands for there is no doubt that it is a survival of Lughnasa (Lugnasad), the Celtic festival held on the first of August. In the description of the celebration much emerges of the old life of the countryside, and so the study is, in part, a contribution to social history. Moreover, as the people preserved legends of the origin of the festival and of the assembly-sites, it has been possible to show a correspondence with ancient mythology, as expressed in Irish literature and in the cult-figures of Roman Gaul. The dominant myth of the festival is brought to light. A panorama, both extensive and detailed, is unfolded in the study, which reveals, inter alia, the nature of Crom Dubh, shows that legends of Cu Chulainn, Saint Patrick, and Cornwall's Jack the Tinkard originate in tales of Lugh, suggests why Jephthah's daughter was connected with the festival in the Isle of Man, glances at the medieval cult of Saint James, and interprets anew the battle of Moytura and the Etain saga. It shows a relationship between the old assembly of Tailtiu an the Croagh Patrick pilgrimage. It discusses Puck Fair. It ranges from Lugudunum in first-century Gaul to Dun Lughaidh at the foot of Errigal. Figures from Irish mythology, hagiography and history throng its pages. show lessTags
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Every associated story, legend and event around Lughnasa, including those that time shifted because of the calendar changes. This is one of those brick of a book that you'd like to show some pagans who have definite ideas about what went on and explain that this is what we know, not what is speculated.
What we do know is that people in Ireland tended to head for a hill or mountain on Lughnasa and pick berries, that there was some partying and sometimes fights broke out. That there are legends often associated with Crum Dubh associated with the day and that in many of them he is defeated by St Patrick. There are variations on this and things like the Puck Fair seem to be somewhat of a survival of this story. This edition also has some show more addendums, things found after the last edition.
It's an interesting but dense and somewhat repetitive read, many of the stories are very alike. show less
What we do know is that people in Ireland tended to head for a hill or mountain on Lughnasa and pick berries, that there was some partying and sometimes fights broke out. That there are legends often associated with Crum Dubh associated with the day and that in many of them he is defeated by St Patrick. There are variations on this and things like the Puck Fair seem to be somewhat of a survival of this story. This edition also has some show more addendums, things found after the last edition.
It's an interesting but dense and somewhat repetitive read, many of the stories are very alike. show less
This book is on my wishlist...
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Festival of Lughnasa: A Study of the Survival of the Celtic Festival of the Beginning of Harvest
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, History, Religion & Spirituality, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 398.33 — Society, Government, and Culture Customs, etiquette & folklore Folklore & Folktales Real phenomena as subjects of folklore Times
- LCC
- GT4446 .A2 .M3 — Geography, Anthropology and Recreation Manners and customs (General) Manners and customs (General) Customs relative to public and social life
- BISAC
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- 44
- Popularity
- 672,143
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (4.50)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 2
- ASINs
- 3
