A Lammas Celebration

Lammas has so many associations, first fruits of harvest, making of bread, and in shamanic traditions, can be a transition from Summer to Autumn, reflected in a transition from Fire to Water. 

In a Scots tradition, baking a festival bannock making includes a blessing of the bread to help ensure the prosperity and well-being of the entire household and keep them safe from the fairies. 

Some of this poem also draws upon myths of the firebird, to bring heat and harvest, and rain to bring autumn. I also had a picture of a family enjoying the bannock, and the old shaman looking on while young children play – here is change and creation.

A Lammas Celebration

Fresh bread is broken
Fast ended in morning
Lammas blessing spoken
Bright the fire bird
Over fields soft winging
As harvest is bringing
A joyful song heard

 
Blessed the soft rain fall

Bannock bread unleaven
Sweet the firebird’s call
Fresh smell of grass
Taste now the sweetness
Fruits of our garden
Feast and completeness
Where firebirds pass

Fire warms in sunlight
Rain comes in morning
Shaman sees the light
And children play
Such joy and elation
Lammas is dawning
Change and creation
In this new day