~ Mabon ~
In continuation of Harvest celebrations and the autumn equinox...
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| Emilie Preyer |
Mabon is an old Celtic mid-harvest celebration, which occurs
during the Autumn Equinox. This particular celebration, one of three Pagan
Harvest Festivals, honors Mabon, the Welsh God of male fertility. This is a
time designated to give thanks, and to celebrate the ‘second-harvest.’ The Druids refer to this celebration as
Mea'n Fo'mhair, in honor of the God of the Forest or The Green Man. They offer gifts
of wine, cider, and herbs to the trees. They also celebrate Alban Elfed,
a time of balance between the light and the dark.
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| Thomas Moran - Under the Trees |
The autumn season is a time to gather and store crops—and marks
the beginning of the hunt. Traditionally, men hunt game animals, such as deer,
elk, and other wild animals to provide food for the winter table. Symbols of
Mabon include mid-autumn vegetables, like squash, gourds, apples, pies, and
cider. Seeds, pods, sickles, scythes and baskets all symbolize harvest gathering.
Other worldwide myths and legends emphasize these themes of
life, death, and rebirth, as the earth enters her death-like
sleep of winter. As we discussed last week, Demeter and her daughter Persephone,
kidnapped by Hades has to return to the Underworld once a year, which brings on winter.
In
another myth, the Sumerian goddess Inanna, goddess of fertility and abundance, descended
into the Underworld, ruled by her sister Ereshkigal. Entry into the Underworld
in this legend required Inanna to strip away her clothing and all her worldly
possessions. Ereshkigal unleashed a series of plagues against her sister.
Inanna eventually succumbed to these plagues. The growing things of the earth died
(winter). A vizier then restored her to life and upon her return; the earth once
again renewed itself.
In Germany Germany
And what about that “Wicker Man?” Stay tuned...
What an awesome blog! Thank you for sharing!
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