Lammas Eve

The first part of this poem is a dream, the second the fulfilment in an abundant harvest. We tend to associate harvest with autumn, but from ancient times, the harvest of the first fruits was around the start of the month of August. And we can see the stones used to grind the grains of wheat at Hougue Bie.

Lammas Eve

On Lammas Eve, I was strangely tired,
And came deep sleep, and so inspired:
In the field tying up sheaves of wheat,
In a dream, so vivid and so very sweet;
One sheaf arose and stood up straight,
Others circle round, as if one great;
And sheaves bent down, as if to bow,
And what it meant, I know not now;
In a circle dance, of times long past,
We may find our meaning at long last;

With the Quern stone wheat is ground

And stone we circle round and round

And the seasons passing, till this one

First fruits harvesting of the sun

Now much of earth is parched and dry:
We pray for first fruits, hear our cry

The first harvest, the crop of wheat,
In August prime, where merry meet;
Gathering the barley, wheat and grain,
Beneath the sun, and ripe from rain;
The wheat ripens full to harvest days:
As in ripe old age, last sunset blaze;
Valleys full of wheat, the fields white,
Shout, sing for joy, at such a sight!
Pick the wheat, and leave the weed,
And take and eat, in time of need;
And seek out peace, an end to strife,
It is Lammas Eve, and bread of life;
Tomorrow will be a time to feast,
And harvest joy will rise like yeast.