Folk Festivals Archives - Cailleachs Herbarium

"The Pancake Cook," by Adriaan de Lelie a lady cooking bannocks on fastern's een

Folk Festivals

Fastern’s E’en – Shrove Tuesday in Scotland

Fastern’s E’en or Fasterns Een is a festival in Scotland, held on the Tuesday before Lent, otherwise known as Shrove Tuesday. Fastern E’en comes from Scots. Fastern’s E’en is also known as fastern-, fastren(‘s)-, fasten(‘s)-; fasting’s- (Sc. 1750 W. McFarlane Geneal. Coll. (S.H.S.) II. 138), festern(‘s)- (ne.Sc. 1952), festerns-even (Kcd. 1700 Black Bk. Kcd. (ed. Anderson 1843) 119), festereven (Abd. 1829 A. Cruickshank Poems 34), fosterneen (Cai.7 1950). The form fasten alone is found (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.) and the variant comb. fastern’s night (Sc. 1805 Scott Last Minstrel (1821) IV. vi.). In English Fastern’s E’en is known as Shrove

Scott Richardson-Read

Kilmoire chapel The historical burial place of the chiefs of the Clan Lachlan not the one on Barra

Folk Festivals

Marysmass – Féill-Moire -Assumption day – Festival

Marysmass, Mary’s mass, Féil-Moire (Mary’s day) the Big St Marys Feast or the Assumption day happens on the 15th of August. Personally, I think it’s a great example of the syncretic nature of Scottish Folk practices and pre reformation kirk activities. The festival itself dates to the medieval period and apparently even back to the 7th century. In the publication Ancient Church Dedications in Scotland, James Mackinaly, 1910, mentions “certain festivals instituted from time-to-time formed landmarks in the growth of the Virgin’s cultus. Among these maybe mentioned the Feast of the Purification or Candlemas (2nd February also related to Brid and Imbolc),

Scott Richardson-Read

Charring the Old wife

Beyond the Yule breads and celebration Plant lore is the verdant heart of Scottish folk holidays and traditions charring the old wife is a unique Scottish tradition. The Yules are no exception, even though at Yuletide the greenery has all but gone, the ground grasped in winter’s frozen embrace. If we look beyond this, nature’s gift and sacrifice is found in the burning heart of Yule – the Yule log of ash or birch. “While Santa keeks doon frae the mantle above,the Yule log crackles oan this Christmas Nicht,waurmin’ hearth an’ hame by burnin’ sae bricht.We coorie thegither, my wife

Scott

poppy field - javier-canada-lpqgCtnyhjw-unsplash

Animism

The Colours of the Seasons – red, black and white

The ever-changing colours of the seasons and hue of the year is something that’s always fascinated me. When I lived in cities it was something that didn’t seem so clear. I would catch the greening and browning of trees and the spectacular autumn hues of leaves. A sign of the seasons in itself. Anything subtler was lost on me. Now I can’t imagine missing the colours of the wild hedgerows. Summer starts turning them foamy white, as they are saturated with Hawthorn blossom. The subtle shades of the amazing purples of the Highland Heather in bloom. The dark purple of

Scott

A martinmas goose being ready to be killed by a man on a doorstep

Ancestors

Martinmas – Sacrifice, Initiation, and Blood

What is Martinmas? Martinmas is a poor cousin of other the other high and holy days. A mostly forgotten day in the year before the start of Yule and after Samhuinn’s end. However, I think Martinmas holds some of the true character of Samhuinn not so well-remembered. Martinmas should be significant to folk practitioners for the associations and traditions accompanying it. Change is inevitable. A time of change to the Scottish, is a chance for speculation and divination, worry, hope and sacrifice. This mind set is echoed in the changing of the seasons throughout the year but is especially felt at

Scott

Samhuinn sunrise over some standing stones in scotland

Animism

Samhuinn – Halloween, Winters Start, Guising, Divination and Fires

On the 31st of October the night of Halloween arrives. This time is also known in Gaelic as Samhuinn, or Oidhche Shamhuinn, an t-samhuinn, Hallowe’en, Hallowmas, All hallows, All saints eve, All saints, the first night of winter or meal-and-bree night. In the season leaves should love, since it gives them leave to move through the wind, towards the ground they were watching while they hung, legend says there is a seam stitching darkness like a name. Now when dying grasses veil earth from the sky in one last pale wave, as autumn dies to bring winter back, and then

Scott

Autumn ~Equinox sunset over a heat field

Animism

La Fhéile Mícheal – Michaelmas – Autumn Equinox

on the 29th of September Michaelmas la fhéile Mícheal arrives. Just before this the equinox when the sun rises due east and sets due west, the night and day at equal measure directing the Milky way as it stretches across the sky, creating a giant cross. The Sun’s movement inscribes the line of balance across the sky dividing things into exactly two equal parts. A moment of poise and then onwards. It’s a very liminal astrological time (though not so recognised by the Gaels). This date is an interesting counterpoint to La Fheil Cailleach in March, in Autumn we celebrate

Scott

Folk Festivals

Lùnastal – The First Sorrow – (Part 1)

Lunastal. This time of year has always been special to me, which we try to align to the new moon or full depending. It marks the beginning of the “folk Autumn” season or second half of summer in the Celtic Calendar, midsummer. Nature’s signs tell us its time when we are able to gather the berries such as blae and bilberries and the collect the first raspberries. The fields of yellowing billowing wheat, barley and other grains, dotted with the red of poppy, as they are waiting to be cut. On Lammas Day The glad fly loses an eye Lùnastal

Scott

Sunset at Fa'side Castle East lothian summer solstice

An Fheill Sheathan

An Fheill Sheathan, Midsummer, Johnsmass, summer solstice

Midsummer, the summer solstice, St Johns mass (the birth of St. John the Baptist), An Fheill Sheathan – all these names recall a festival that is at counterpoint to Yul or Jul. Like the Winter solstice feast the summer solstice, though not ignored by the Gaels and other Celtic people were of much less importance to them than other Europeans. It’s suggested that the Celts didn’t divide their calendar by solstices. The largest traces we have of the solstice celebrations are, unsurprisingly, in Orkney and Shetland where the Scandinavian influences were strongest. Masons and Masonic lodges in later years also

Scott

Bealltainn

Samhradh Samhradh – Là Bealltainn – May Day

Its the first of May, Happy Bealltainn! One of the best days of the year in my humble opinion…its coming indicates its time to go out searching for wildcrafted herbs and fresh young shoots of plants. So what are your plans for today? Why not start it off by listening

Scott

Bealltainn

Lá Bealltainn – The Gaelic End of Winter Festival

Là Bealltainn, the summer hinge the swinging open of the door to Samhradh, summer. The liminal time, the otherworld now just a heart beat away. Yet in true Scottish irony it comes in with the “Gab of May“. These first days of “Summer” , the “Gab”, are traditionally cold and wet. There are four major festivals for us. With a nod towards the Winter and summer solstice providing the structure of our year. Imbolc, La Fheil Bride, is the Mid winter festival and Lughnassadh or Lunastal the mid summer festival. Leaving Là Bealltainn the celebration of the end of winter. Samhuinn the

Scott

Folk Festivals

La na Cailleach – Spring Equinox – Fools, Cuckoos, the Lady and the Devil

When the light of the sun of this day shines into the inner chamber of Sliabh na Calli (The Cailleach’s mound). By solar reckoning, the year is exactly half. Half day, half night. At one exact moment, the world balanced on a pin head. Everything in equal measure, fifty-fifty, resting in perfect balance, a pause. A breath. Exhale. The cry of the cuckoo calls out. Release. We move on to the lighter times. The spring equinox La na Cailleach is here. In neopagan and Wiccan circles the spring equinox has become related to Easter. Termed either Ostara or Eostre. It

Scott

Féill Bríd

La Féill Bríd – Imbolc – Snakes, Fire and Lustration in midwinter.

Summer is coming, everyone is rushing around, readying for spring activity. Brid is coming. Must be busy. I find it exhausting at this time of year and in this climate to be thinking this is the start of action. I need more time. I’m definitely not in any rush. The emphasis of this festival is slightly different for us. La Féill Bríd / Brídghe is one of the festivals that sit funny with me. It’s also known as Oimelc by Cormac. Which, Meyer has interpreted it to mean legal washing and purification. Others have associated it with ewes milk as in

Scott

Midwinter sunrise Belmaduthy Cairn - Black isle

Folk Festivals

Jül/Jol – Yule – Breads and celebration

It is the midwinter solstice tonight (well officially the morning of the 22nd) the shortest day and longest night. It’s nice to think that the nights are getting longer once more but I miss the darkness of early evenings and cozy nights in as it starts to fade, and the summer sun bringing with it its urge to do things outside and stay up later. Such is life though. Things move round each year and its something we just need to relax into and enjoy. There isn’t much folk-lore existing around the tradition from the Gaels or the Celts for

Scott

Folk Festivals

Lùnastal – the first sorrow (part 2)

This is the Second part of the Lunastal Post. (Part one can be found here).

Scott

The may queen Beltane - Edinburgh Carlton Hill

Bealltainn

Bealtainn, and May Day Renegades.

On first glance Bealtainn and May Day might not have very much in common. One a celebration and the other a political action but I don’t see them as different at all, sadly just the numbers they attract. Bealtainn: The clarion call to a summer’s promise, the adversity of winter

Scott

Exploring the archives

Category: Folk Festivals

Category: Folk Festivals

Category: Folk Festivals

Fastern’s E’en – Shrove Tuesday in Scotland

Marysmass – Féill-Moire -Assumption day – Festival

Charring the Old wife

The Colours of the Seasons – red, black and white

Martinmas – Sacrifice, Initiation, and Blood

Samhuinn – Halloween, Winters Start, Guising, Divination and Fires

La Fhéile Mícheal – Michaelmas – Autumn Equinox

Lùnastal – The First Sorrow – (Part 1)

An Fheill Sheathan, Midsummer, Johnsmass, summer solstice

Samhradh Samhradh – Là Bealltainn – May Day

Lá Bealltainn – The Gaelic End of Winter Festival

La na Cailleach – Spring Equinox – Fools, Cuckoos, the Lady and the Devil

La Féill Bríd – Imbolc – Snakes, Fire and Lustration in midwinter.

Jül/Jol – Yule – Breads and celebration

Lùnastal – the first sorrow (part 2)

Bealtainn, and May Day Renegades.

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