August is a time of festivals and homecomings, but it is also the time when we become aware of the shortening day and the need to gather crops before they rot in the ground or on the stalk.
Festivals including Puck Fair
The first two weeks of August are the height of community gatherings in Ireland and there are many festivals throughout the country, including the famous Puck Fair in Killorglin, Co. Kerry. One of the oldest fairs in Ireland, it has been held for more than 400 years, and King Puck is crowned as the ruler of the town as its highlight. A feral goat named King Puck is seized in the hills the day before the festival and kept there for the duration of the celebrations. King Puck is positioned on a platform in the middle of the town. The wild goat represents both the wildness and profusion of nature. The three days' names have a wisdom to them that perfectly sums up any gathering. The Gathering, Festival Day, and The Scattering are the names of the first, second, and third days, respectively.
Lugh and August festivals
Few of us are aware of the lengthy history behind these August holiday traditions. Lughnasa, the Irish name for August, is derived from the mythical god Lugh who was the great-grandson of Dian Cécht, the Irish god of healing. He was the father of Cú Chulainn and was famous for his skills. Lugh was responsible for designating the first of August as a festive day, and as part of Tailtiu's funeral, he dedicated the festival to her. Horse races, weapons competitions, and other sporting events were held to honour the occasion in addition to honouring the agricultural plenty and the harvesters' and artisans’ abilities to produce food from the raw materials.
Tailtiu
Tailtiu, the foster mother of Lugh, was the wife of the last Fir Bolg monarch, who named his capital after her. It is now referred to as Teltown, Co. Meath. She survived the Tuatha de Danann invasion and eventually became Lugh's foster mother.
It is believed that after clearing the plains of Ireland for cultivation, Tailtiu passed away from exhaustion. In her honour, Lugh instituted the harvest festival and funeral games known as Áenach Tailteann, which were still observed in the 18th century.
Áenach Tailteann
An ancient Irish national assembly was known as a áonach or óenach. It was called when a very noteworthy person—a king, queen, warrior, or wise man—died. These assemblies were always peaceful, and new legislation was adopted and ratified. They served three purposes: to honour the deceased, to announce laws, and to host games and celebrations.
Fraughan Sunday
Just as Croagh Patrick is connected to the final Sunday in July, so is plucking fraughans or whortleberries. There were other names for this fruit-picking day as well, including Fraughan Sunday, Garland Sunday, Height Sunday, and Hurt Sunday, the latter of which was derived from the fruit's other name, whortleberry. They are little blue or black bilberries that grow on poor mountainous terrain. Young people used to climb the hills to collect them, and it was customary for a young man to deliver his bounty to the girl he liked so she could prepare the fraughan cake. After the cake was baked, the suitor escorted the girl and the cake to the communal dance that evening.
It is Autumn
However, today in the garden, I became acutely aware that Autumn had arrived, and I marvelled once more at the wisdom of judging the seasons by the earth's position in relation to the sun, namely, the length of daylight, rather than the meteorological season of September, October, and November, which is based on the annual temperature cycle. Using the length of daylight, we get August, September, and October as autumn. This makes perfect sense to me because I associate summer with vibrancy, the brightest green tints, and verdant growth. The countryside is losing its lushness and if September will be fine, we will have the usual colour palate of red, orange, and gold as the leaves change colour and enrich our journeys to and from work. Even though the temperatures have begun to fall further than they did in July, it is still not cool enough to light a fire in the evenings, and I find that putting on a cardigan is sufficient to keep the evening chill at bay.
Harvest
This is really the time for harvesting and the garden is full of vegetables and fruit. There is nothing quite like picking tomatoes straight from the stalk, lettuce of various types, and one’s own potatoes. The farmer’s market is a celebration of all that is locally grown and holidaymakers in West Cork are truly spoilt for choice. They have the very best of meat, cheese, fish, vegetables, and fruit as well as a stunning coastline, rugged hills, and wonderful hiking treks to mitigate the effects of the superb food.
Dying withering
However, we cannot forget that autumn is associated with nature dying back. Today, I noticed the marshmallow leaves were quite yellow and the slightest touch caused them to fall, thus reminding me that the time for harvesting the leaves and flowers is over. Also, though there are many blossoms, the hops are losing their golden hue. In contrast to the other crops, that are beginning to fade, the harvest for this year's hazels appears to be promising as there are many nuts on the trees, but then again, nothing this year is definite as the weather has been so mixed.
Effect of the weather
I now have buckets of windfalls that need to be made into apple sauce because the gusts on Friday and Saturday knocked most of the apples, plums, and pears to the ground. A cider press would be a wise purchase if this unpredictable weather pattern persists in the coming years. Most of the fallen apples were pecked by birds, and two barrowloads of them have ended up in the compost heap. Despite the heavy rains, this year's crop of yarrow is of good quality but not as tall as normal. I have noticed no plant taller than 30 cm, and most are only 10 to 15 centimetres high. The extra-strong winds this year, which have been frequent, may have helped Yarrow adapt.
Again, even though the meteorological service says autumn begins in September and lasts through November, we can tell it has already started by looking at the garden and the surrounding landscape. The hedgerows are already full of blackberries and picking blackberries is one of the final summer holiday chores for children before they go back to school in September.
Patterns in illness
By following the seasons of the year and noting the blossoming, ripening, and withering of the plants we become aware of cyclical patterns in life and health. It is easy to see human life as a cycle, moving from birth to death, but often times we do not see the same progression in an illness. We say, “We're catching a cold “or “We have a cold” and fail to appreciate that an illness also goes through a cycle.
Treating the cycle
It is important to appreciate this cyclical pattern in illness as treatment of an illness may change depending on the point of the cycle it is at. This targeting of different points in the trajectory of an illness may be seen in the account of Bebhinn’s administration of five successive emetics to Cailte, who was suffering from general indisposition. They were prepared by steeping the herbs in water and each draught was different to the other and had different effects. She restored Cailte to health by these draughts.
Illness reflects nature.
Illness reflects nature. It begins, blossoms, or matures, and then dies away. Problems occur when an illness does not follow a natural cycle but remains not only blossoming but fruiting, sending out babies in all directions. In a garden, the cherry tree is the best example of this ability. Invariably, baby cherry trees will grow both underneath the mother three and more distant places.
Cancer may behave in a similar pattern in our bodies. It metastasizes and moves to areas where we least expect it. So, by observing nature, we can draw parallels with the progression of some illnesses. We accept cancer metastasizes but do other illnesses also have offspring in ways that we have not yet figured out? I am thinking here, in particular, of post-viral fatigue. If we see it as an offspring of the parent virus, we may have a better chance of resolving it but the better approach in any illness is to see it in the first instance as a cyclical pattern. Just as in gardening, the best time to get rid of any weeds is at the beginning when they are easy to eradicate. It is the same in treating illness, if we have the ability to recognise the start of a health issue, we can use a gentler treatment to resolve it and restore us to good health.
By following the Irish calendar year, where each month is characterised by events and stories that build and balance our health, we become more in tune with ourselves and the world around us.