Customer Reviews

Lammas: Celebrating the Fruits of the First Harvest

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First of all, please ignore the review below that proclaims this book to be "Pagan Lite". This reviewer has cut-and-pasted that review, verbatim, under all of the books in the Sabbat Series. Given that I've read several of them which don't fit the "Lite" description, I am surmising that the reviewer read maybe one of the books and made a generalization about all of them. Bear in mind that they are written by different authors, with varying degrees of knowledge and writing skills.

Anna Franklin and Paul Mason do a great job here with the fragmentary material they have to work with. Lammas/Lughnasad is possibly the most obscure of the Wiccan holidays, both because little survives about it and because the sometimes uncomfortable theme of sacrifice is present in it. The authors piece together what information remains to us about the deity for whom Lughnasad is named--Irish Lugh, Welsh Llew--and about the ways they were honored. Since this isn't a huge body of information, they supplement it with material about other sacrificial gods whose rites occurred around this time of year, such as Odin, Adonis, and Dionysos. They add in some of Robert Graves's evocative speculations about sacrificial kings, and together all this stuff will give you a good starting point for your Lammas rituals.

There are also recipes, incenses, spells, dyes, etc. Additionally, there is a large section on warrior magic, since Lugh was a warrior and Lughnasad is often considered a time to honor these fierce energies. This section almost could have been another book, dealing with things such as totem animals.

The book concludes with several rituals for the season, each with a different cultural slant (Druidic, Norse, general Wiccan, etc.) The rituals are relatively simple as written, which I like, since it means I can use them as a framework and flesh them out with my own writing and ideas.

Overall, a valuable book about an obscure holiday.

*--A chant I made up.

When discussing the sabbats, most pagan and wiccan books reserve only a few paragraphs to the various cellebrations, and most specific titles devote most of their time to Yule or Samhain/Hallowe'en. Lammas often gets a paragraph or two at best, and no real descriptive text giving you even a starting point on cellebrating the sabbat. Having taken a timid step toward the Sabbat series of books by Llewellyn with "Yule," and "Hallowe'en," I snapped up a copy of "Lammas" in time for my celebration in August, and read it cover to cover.

Much like Morrison's worldly take in "Yule," Franklin and Mason have penned a book that is a blend of various pagan and celtic folklore and world harvest celebrations. From Lugh to fashioning corn maidens, to specific Lughnasa magics, and rounding it all up with a cookbook perfect for any first harvest spread, the book was quite full of ways to craft a more serious Lammas cellebration, and had just the right mix of inspiration and lore to make it more than a glorified arts and crafts book for your New Age shelf. I cannot say enough about the folklore aspect of this book: there is so much here that helps bring a real focus to your Lammas cellebration.

Definitely more useful and in depth than Ravenwolf's "Hallowe'en" (the weakest of the series so far), "Lammas" will find a welcome home in the hands of beginner and more experienced pagans and wiccans alike.

'Nathan

It is true that the Llewellyn series of books on the pagan Sabbats is a mixed bag with some of the eight books being light-weight, some being useful and some, as in this case, being excellent in every way. Each of the books should be judged on an individual basis. This title has a thorough introduction and much history and lore on the subject of the pagan holiday or Sabbat called Lammas or Lughnasadh. The writing is engaging and well-researched and very informative. It discusses among others the customs of well dressing, Telltown marriages, handfastings, and Highland games. It provides good detail on the myth of the Celtic god Lugh from whom one name for this holiday is derived. It discusses similar harvest festivals and practices from other cultures around the world. It provides a well-rounded view of this holiday and does not depict it only as a harvest festival but includes the lesser-known aspects of competition, gaming, warrior activities, divination and the lore of the Ash tree. Even a well-read and experienced pagan is likely to find new and interesting insights in this book. It contains a good section on Lammas traditional foods that include Boxty Scones that I can personally attest to as being delicious. The craft section of this book has many seasonal crafts that are fun and easy, including the familiar and traditonal craft of making corn dollies. There are recipes for making incense and herbal dyes. The chapter on Warrior magic is filled with evocative and colorful crafts as well. Several simple but meaningful rituals are also included, adaptable for personal Sabbat celebrations.
The book is thorough and though not a beginner's book, certainly helpful and easily understood. It makes keeping this Sabbat a deeper experience and I think it will be much appreciated by the serious pagan. It is an interesting look at lesser-known cultural customs even for the non-pagan and can aid significantly in one's appreciation of the subtle turning of the wheel of the year.

As a matter of fact, this is one of the most scholarly books in this series, by English Traditional Witch, Anna Franklin. It goes into leangth in researching the Celtic God, Lugh, for whom this Sabbath is dedicated. Using many historical sources & very olde poetry which gives new & fascinating insight into the myths & lore which surround not only Lughnasadhe, but thisn Celtic God. As well as some very obscure folk lore surrounding it, as well. And, any book which deals with the sabbaths really ought to contain recipes, crafts & games, etc. As, there were a part of our ancestors feastivities back in the day. And, I believe that the SERIOUS STUDENT *will* find that it is quite in depth & informative. Even showing links that Lugh has connections with other Sky/Lightning Gods accrossed the ocean & via several written sources, etc. So, I believe that the previous "review" was not very well informed, as it does not appear they have read the book. Especially the historic & scholarly content, nearer the front.

I agree with the previous reviewer. I bought the other titles in this Llewellyn series, but this is the best one so far with real information for grown ups. I have never been able to find a book on Lughnasadh, and most books just say that it the festival of Lugh and the first harvest, but this book tells you loads! I didn't know about the connection with the Dog Days, or the festivals of various vegetaion gods and a whole load of other stuff that is in here. The rituals are real ones too, though the book seems to have had to follow the pattern Llewellyn have laid down for the series with spells and recipes included which I would have gladly foregone. When will they treat us witches and Pagans like grown-ups? We're not all teen witches.

This is the most comprehensive book on a Wiccan festival that I have ever read. It goes deep into the lore and origins of the festival, and talks about the real origins of the celebrations, unlike most books that just pass it off as 'a festival of first fruits'. The legends of Lugh/Llew or closely examined, plus all of its folklore and history, which give an amazing glimpse into its meaning, rather than just being quaint window dressing as they so often are in books of this kind. Then the book goes on to being of real use to a Wiccan/Pagan celebrating Lammas, with rituals, ritual activities including traditional games and contests and warrior magic, plus spells and charms of the traditional variety. Well done the authors!

This is the first book on the festival of Lammas, or Lunasa, as we call it round here that deals with the entire subject.

Usually you get the harvest festival stuff, first fruits and so on. The hunting and fighting part has gone out of the window with lots of writers. This one is different. It actually includes all the elements and makes interesting reading.

There's also lots of things to do and make for the day, which is very helpful.

I think I should point out that there's a misprint though - fried basil on page 100. I think that should be dried basil.

I will amend this review in the future after I read more, but from what I see, this book is probably the definitive textbook on Lammas/Lughnasadh around--and fun. However, are people REALLY spending horrendous amounts of $ to buy it? I got it at Amazon in mid-November 2009 "Used-Very Good" for $14 total. I waited several months til I found a Seller who was willing to sell the book at a reasonable price. I would've waited as long as it took to get a decent price. Why do Sellers think people are going to fork over hundreds of dollars for this book? For $50, $100, $200, this book is not worth it. It's just a book. Over the last year, more than one Seller has listed this book for over $200. What's going on here? Are people actually paying THAT much? Sellers are price-gouging. Wait til prices come down.

This is another of the books in the Sabat Series that has been carefully crafted by Llewellyn. Anna Franklin, an English author and witch, teams up with English artist Paul Mason to give us a book on the history and folklore of the holiday of Lammas or Lughnasa.

It seems right to have an English author give us the background of the holiday of Lammas, or Lughnasa, celebrated on August 1. It is indeed a very English/Irish holiday in origins. But, again, in reviewing the bibliography, along side some very noteworthy historical references are references to the author's own works and works done by other Llewellyn authors. However, in the case of this book, the historical references are noteworthy, and there are a few classic English/Irish authors, both historians and pagan, that stand out in the crowd, like Nigel Pennick and Daithi O'hOgain to name a couple. So, for this installment in the series, it appears to be better researched than previous volumes and it shows in the reading. It also does not have much of that "pagan spin" that dominates the series. The history of this holiday is not as "threatening" as others are perceived, so the heavy handed "pagan spin" was not necessary with this book, and it makes for a better read.

The history/customs/lore section is fascinating. The inclusion of many English/Irish festivals held at this time of year sheds light on the origins of this holiday. While some of the conclusions drawn might be strictly on the part of the author, it is easy for the reader to see the background of this holiday as being one of a harvest festival, and we can see how bread and berries have a major impact and are key to this holiday. There are some tidbits from other areas around the world focusing on other Deities, but it is very clear this is a Northern European celebration and this is the main focus of the book.

The discussions on Lugh, for whom this holiday is named, shed some light on this well known Celtic Deity. Ms. Franklin presents us with several stories of this Hero, from the Welsh and Irish. She also provides a "reconstruction" section, going over some customs and associating legends with these. She does bring out the harvest association with Lugh, and her historical references seem to agree with this.

The book is dotted with endnotes for the person wanting to do further research. The historical section of this book is probably the beefiest of all the books in this series so far and it is a credit to Ms. Franklin. The book is also well illustrated by Paul Mason, from the cover art to the black and white illustrations that pepper the pages of the book. The illustrations for the corn maiden, while lovely, are not all that exact, however, and would leave one scratching their head as to how to actually make one of the dolls illustrated. They are more for styles rather than instruction. It would have been nice to have a step by step instruction. But, that's a personal preference, I suppose.

The Celebrating part of the book is classic Llewellyn material: crafts, cooking, and spells. There is a section on Goddesses. One can see the association of the Harvest aspect of these Goddesses. In the magic section, the first spell a healing focusing on Osiris and Egyptian magic. It progresses into Irish/Celtic spells from there. There is a nice little section on "Ash Divination" where you read the images from the ashes of a bonfire. The table of correspondences that follows is fascinating. An interesting form of Divination if you are so inclined.

There is also a nice section on incense. Again, there is the inclusion of incense for Deities other Lugh or Celtic/Irish. Paul Mason also contributes with a section on Dyes.

There is a section on games. We then progress to "Warrior Magic" which seems appropriate as Lugh was a warrior, and the games thing does infer competition. Symbols, face painting and mask making all are part of the magics and traditions. An interesting addition which also includes warrior spirits and totems.

There is the mandatory cookbook section that is found in all these books. What is being pagan if it does not include food? While breads are the focus here, the recipes all appear to be very English in nature, a refreshing change of pace for these books. From fish to toffee, there are some yummy recipes here. The measures are in US, Imperial and Metric, so no matter where you live it will be easy for you to follow. Try the soda bread. I thought I remembered my grandmother adding bacon to her Colcannon, but I figure it's an area thing, and folks make it according to their family recipe. The basic recipe is offered here.

There are also rituals offered here. There is a group ritual and one from her own group "The Grove of the Silver Wheel", being Druidic in nature and again for a group. It would have been nice to have a ritual that a solitary could have performed on their own, but Ms. Franklin's focus is group and we are given two rituals for group practice.

There are several appendices. There is a "calendar" running from July 15th through August 25th offering day to day celebrations of Deities, festivals and ancient events.

The "Names of Festivals" area gives us the ancient Irish names. What would have been helpful here is a phonetic pronunciation of the names.

There are some correspondences for colors, plants, symbols and the usual God/Goddess section with associations. Also some songs and chants but no music included. This is followed by the Glossary and the Selected Bibliography and index.

Overall, this is a nice addition to the Sabat Series, offering an English view of the first of our Harvest Holidays. This is a well put together overview of the holiday, including some information on other aspects of the Harvest. It is easy to read, has some interesting history that appears to be well researched. This is, of course, focused on the beginner or the curious who would like to get a feeling for the holiday, and it achieves a well rounded view of the myths, lore and practices of modern day pagans. It's a nice addition to your library. boudica

Despite it being out of print i managed to get my hands on this wonderful book. As all the reviewers stated it contains a wealth of information that is easy and fun to read. I do hope they reprint this one as it is one of the few books concerning the festival of the first harvest, lammas.