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Encyclopedia > Corn dolly

Corn dollies are a form of straw work associated with harvest customs. Bales of straw bundles of rice straw Pile of straw bales, sheltered under a tarpaulin Straw is an agricultural byproduct, the dry stalk of a cereal plant, after the nutrient grain or seed has been removed. ... Crops have been harvested by hand throughout most of human history. ...


It was believed that the corn spirit lived amongst the crop, and the harvest made it effectively homeless. Therefore, hollow shapes were fashioned from the last sheaf of wheat or other cereal crop. The corn spirit would then spend the winter in their homes until the "corn dolly" was ploughed into the first furrow of the new season. "Dolly" is a corruption of "idol"[citation needed]. Corn redirects here. ... Crops have been harvested by hand throughout most of human history. ... Species T. aestivum T. boeoticum T. compactum T. dicoccoides T. dicoccon T. durum T. monococcum T. spelta T. sphaerococcum References:   ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 For the indie rock group see: Wheat (band). ... This article is about cereals in general. ... For other uses, see Plough (disambiguation). ... In the practice of religion, a cult image is a man-made object that is venerated for the deity, spirit or daemon that it embodies or represents. ...

Contents

Background

James George Frazer discusses the Corn-mother and the Corn-maiden in Northern Europe, and the harvest rituals that were being practiced at the beginning of the 20th century: Sir James George Frazer (January 1, 1854 - May 7, 1941), a social anthropologist influential in the early stages of the modern studies of mythology and comparative religion, was born in Glasgow, Scotland. ... Northern Europe is marked in dark blue Northern Europe is a name of the northern part of the European continent. ...

"In the neighbourhood of Danzig the person who cuts the last ears of corn makes them into a doll, which is called the Corn-mother or the Old Woman and is brought home on the last waggon. In some parts of Holstein the last sheaf is dressed in women's clothes and called the Corn-mother. It is carried home on the last waggon, and then thoroughly drenched with water. The drenching with water is doubtless a rain-charm. In the district of Bruck in Styria the last sheaf, called the Corn-mother, is made up into the shape of a woman by the oldest married woman in the village, of an age from 50 to 55 years. The finest ears are plucked out of it and made into a wreath, which, twined with flowers, is carried on her head by the prettiest girl of the village to the farmer or squire, while the Corn-mother is laid down in the barn to keep off the mice. In other villages of the same district the Corn-mother, at the close of harvest, is carried by two lads at the top of a pole. They march behind the girl who wears the wreath to the squire's house, and while he receives the wreath and hangs it up in the hall, the Corn-mother is placed on the top of a pile of wood, where she is the centre of the harvest supper and dance."
The Golden Bough, chapter 45 Gdańsk (IPA: ; German: , Kashubian: , Late Latin: ; older English Dantzig; also other languages) is Polands sixth-largest city, and also her principal seaport and the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. ... Holstein (Hol-shtayn) (Low German: Holsteen, Danish: Holsten, Latin and historical English: Holsatia) is the southern part of Schleswig-Holstein in Germany, between the rivers Elbe and Eider. ... Bruck an der Mur is a city in the Austrian province of Styria. ... Styria redirects here. ... A wreath is a ring made of flowers, leaves, and sometimes fruits, used as an ornament, hanging on a wall or door, or resting on a table. ... In feudal times a squire was a man-at-arms in the service of a knight, often as his apprentice. ... The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion is a wide-ranging comparative study of mythology and religion by Scottish anthropologist Sir James George Frazer (1854–1941). ...

Many more customs are instanced by Frazer (see link).


"Vetula"

The name the "Old Woman" (Latin vetula) for such "corn dolls" was in use among the Druidic pagans of Flanders in the 7th century, where Saint Eligius had to warn them to desist from their old practices: Two druids, from an 1845 publication, based on a bas-relief found at Autun, France. ... Heathen redirects here. ... The geographical region and former county of Flanders contains not only the two Belgian provinces but also the present-day French département of Nord, in parts of which there is still a Flemish-speaking minority, and the southern part of the Dutch province of Zeeland known as Zeeuws-Vlaanderen... Signature of St. ...

"[Do not] make vetulas, (little figures of the Old Woman), little deer or iotticos or set tables [for the house-elf, compare Puck] at night or exchange New Year gifts or supply superfluous drinks [a Yule custom]."
—See Druidry Puck is a mischievous pre-Christian nature spirit. ... For other uses, see New Year (disambiguation). ... Yule is the winter solstice celebration of the Scandinavian Norse mythology and Germanic pagans. ... In the Celtic religion, the modern words Druidry or Druidism denote the practices of the ancient druids, the priestly class in ancient Celtic societies through much of Western Europe north of the Alps and in the British Isles. ...

In Britain & Ireland

In Britain, the materials used are mainly wheat, oats, rye and barley. In Ireland, rush was used. Species T. aestivum T. boeoticum T. compactum T. dicoccoides T. dicoccon T. durum T. monococcum T. spelta T. sphaerococcum References:   ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 For the indie rock group see: Wheat (band). ... Binomial name Avena sativa Carolus Linnaeus (1753) The Oat (Avena sativa) is a species of cereal grain, and the seeds of this plant. ... Binomial name Secale cereale M.Bieb. ... Binomial name Hordeum vulgare L. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is a major food and animal feed crop, a member of the grass family Poaceae. ... Genera Andesia Distichia Juncus - Rush Luzula - Woodrush Marsippospermum Oxychloë Prionium Rostkovia The Juncaceae, or the Rush Family, is a rather small monocot flowering plant family. ...


With the advent of the combine harvester, the old-fashioned, long-stemmed and hollow-stemmed wheat varieties were replaced with knee-high, pithy varieties. However, a number of English farmers are still growing the traditional varieties, mainly because they are in demand with thatchers. A postage stamp of a combine honors Russian agriculture. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ... Thatching is the art or craft of covering a roof with vegetative materials such as straw, reed or sedge. ...


Some traditional varieties: Maris Widgeon, Squarehead Master, Elite Le Peuple.


Varieties

Corn Dollies and other similar straw work can be divided into these groups:


Traditional corn dollies

  • Countryman's favours
    • Cat's Paw
    • Lover's Knot
    • Glory Braid
  • Other designs
    • Cornucopia, or Horn of plenty
    • Bride of the Corn (called "Aruseh" in N. Africa)

Anglesey (Welsh: , pronounced (IPA)), is an island and county at the northwestern extremity of Wales. ... Barton Turf is a small village in the English county of Norfolk. ... Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs) is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west. ... County Durham is a county in north-east England. ... This article is about the county of Essex in England. ... Kincardine or Kincardine-on-Forth is a small town located on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, in Fife, Scotland. ... This article is about the Scottish city. ... Statistics Population: 11,000 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SO496591 Administration District: Herefordshire Region: West Midlands Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Herefordshire Historic county: Herefordshire Services Police force: West Mercia Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: {{{Ambulance}}} Post office and telephone Post town: LEOMINSTER Postal district... Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county and unitary district (known as County of Herefordshire) in the West Midlands region of England. ... Norfolk (pronounced IPA: ) is a low-lying county in East Anglia in the east of southern England. ... Northamptonshire (abbreviated Northants or Nhants) is a landlocked county in central England with a population of 629,676 (2001 census). ... Okehampton is a town in Devon, England, at the northern edge of Dartmoor, on the River Okement. ... This article is about the city of Oxford in England. ... Strathisla distillery in Keith, Strathspey Strathspey is the area around the valley of the River Spey, Scotland. ... Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. ... Suffolk (pronounced ) is a large historic and modern non-metropolitan county in the East Anglia region of eastern England. ... Shropshire (alternatively Salop or abbreviated Shrops) is an English county in the West Midlands region of the United Kingdom. ... Worcestershire (pronounced ; abbreviated Worcs) is a county located in the West Midlands region of central England. ... The city of Worcester (pronounced Wuh-ster) is the county town of Worcestershire in England; the river Severn runs through the middle, with the citys large Worcester Cathedral overlooking the river. ... Look up Yorkshire in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Cornucopia (disambiguation). ...

Fringes

  • Larnaca Fringe
  • Montenegrin Fringe
  • Lancashire Fringe

Lancashire is a county in North West England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ...

Harvest crosses

Devon is a large county in South West England, bordered by Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... The National Museum of Ireland (NMI) is the main museum in Ireland. ...

Large straw figures

These are representations of deities, made from an entire sheaf. They are known by a variety of names, depending on location and also the time of harvesting:

In Roman mythology, Ceres was the goddess of growing plants (particularly cereals) and of motherly love. ... The festival of All Saints, also sometimes known as All Hallows or Hallowmas (hallows meaning saints, and mas meaning Mass), is a feast celebrated in the honour of all the saints, known and unknown. ... Galloway (Scottish Gaelic, Gall-ghaidhealaibh or Gallobha, Lowland Scots Gallowa) today refers to the former counties of Wigtownshire and the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright in southwest Scotland, but has fluctuated greatly in size over history. ... The Goidelic languages (also sometimes called the Gaelic languages or collectively Gaelic) are one of two major divisions of modern-day Insular Celtic languages (the other being the Brythonic languages). ... The Isle of Harris An Cliseam from the Abhainn Mharaig, just off the main road to Lewis. ... Looking towards Quiraing, Skye. ... Shetland (formerly spelled Zetland, from etland) formerly called Hjaltland, is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. ... Orkney (sometimes known as the Orkney Islands) is an archipelago in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles north of the coast of Caithness. ... In Irish and Scottish mythology, Cailleach was the Mother of All. The word Cailleac means old woman. She was a sorceress. ... Whittlesey (historically known as Whittlesea - the name of the railway station is still spelt this way - or Witesie) is an ancient Fenland market town around six miles (10 km) east of Peterborough in the county of Cambridgeshire in England. ... Whittlesey (historically known as Whittlesea - the name of the railway station is still spelt this way - or Witesie) is an ancient Fenland market town around six miles (10 km) east of Peterborough in the county of Cambridgeshire in England. ... Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs) is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west. ...

Tied straw work

  • German Tied Straw Work
  • Scandinavian Tied Work
    • Swedish Straw Crown (Oro)
    • Straw Goat[Goat]

One of Jenny Nyströms Christmas-themed tomte paintings, a popular image of the modern tomte A tomte or nisse is a mythical creature of Scandinavian folklore, believed to take care of a farmers home and barn and protect it from misfortune, in particular at night, when the...

Straw marquetry

Straw marquetry is a craft very similar to that of wood marquetry except that straw replaces the wood veneer. ...

Rick finials

  • These are straw sculptures which are placed on the rick of the thatched roof. They are sometimes purely for decoration, but can be the signature of a particular thatcher. Animal shapes (birds, foxes etc.) are the most common.

A thatched pub (The Williams Arms) at Wrafton, near Braunton, North Devon, England Thatching is the art and craft of covering a roof with vegetation such as straw, water reed, sedge, rushes and heather. ...

External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
Corn dolly - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (668 words)
Corn dollies are a form of straw work associated with harvest customs.
The Druids believed that the corn spirit lived amongst the crop, and the harvest made it effectively homeless.
The corn spirit would then spend the winter in their homes until the "corn dolly" was ploughed into the first furrow of the new season.
The Ecclasian Fellowship - Articles - Mabon - Cornmother (1817 words)
The Corn Dance is a celebration of harvest and a prayer for the new year, a feast of thanksgiving for the ripe crop and a prayer for rain for next year's crop.
Corn converts more fully to energy than any other single grain--corn should only be given to horses in the winter, or they will overheat--corn fattens pigs faster than any other grain--corn nourishes us, for it is the flesh of the Mother.
Corn, usually processed, touches almost all other foods: eggs, cream and butter are fed by corn; even baking powder, sugar and salt have contact with corn; commercial fresh fruit and vegetables, sprayed by insecticide, are touched by corn.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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