Weather: On Saint Mary's Day, sunshine brings much good
wine.
[Which is especially enjoyed in my backyard on a lazy August afternoon.]
If the sun shines on Mary's
day, that is a good token, and especially for wind.
Rain on St. Lawrence is late
but good
(August 10)
Rain on Assumption is also
late but good
(August 15)
But if St. Bartholomew
rains, slap him! (August 29)
[once the harvest begins, we
need dry weather. A late rain can
mildew the plants in both field and barn]
Farming and Gardening:
When Mary left us here
before,
The Virgin's Bower begins to
blow;
The Holy Queen of Heaven
gives us the first nuts.
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Today is the feast of the
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven – another joyous festival of
the Church.
Hail, O Queen of Heaven!
Hail, O Lady of Angels!
Root and Gate from whom the
world’s Light was born;
Rejoice, O Glorious Virgin,
Fairest of all who are fair.
Farewell, most beautiful
maiden,
And pray for us to Christ.
V. Allow that I may praise
thee, O sacred Virgin.
R. Against thy enemies give
me strength.
Let us pray: Grant us, O
merciful God, strength against all our weakness; that we who celebrate the
memory of the holy Mother of God, may by the help of her intercession rise
again from our iniquities. Through
the same Christ, our Lord. Amen.
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This is also known as Festum
Herbarum or the Feast of Herbs.
Traditionally, herbs, grains, and other useful plants are blessed today.
Naogeorgus, in what the
author of the Perennial Calendar calls his “churlish and ill-timed raillery” had
much to say about the feast of the Assumption:
“The blessed virgin Mary’s
feast has here its place and time,
Wherein departing from the
earth, she did the heavens climb;
Great bundles then of herbs
to Church, the people fast do bear,
The which against all
hurtful things, the Priest does hallow there.
Thus kindle they and nourish
still, the people’s wickedness,
And vainly make them to
believe, whatsoever they express;
For sundry witchcrafts, by
these herbs are wrought, and diverse charms
And cast into the fire, are
thought to drive away all harms,
And every painful grief from
man or beast, for to expel,
Far otherwise than nature,
or the word of God does tell.”
The ‘witchcrafts’ to which
he refers are the subsequent uses of the plants in the daily lives of the
faithful. John S. Stokes, Jr., in
his article, “The Blessing of Mary Gardens as Holy Places” says, “Among the
most important of Plant blessings were those at the time of harvest, beginning
with those on the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into
heaven, on August 15th. On this
feast the first fruits of healing and life-sustaining herbs, grains and other
plants were brought to Mass by the faithful tied in Assumption Bundles, and
placed on the altar in special processions. Then, after blessinq during the
Mass ceremony, they were taken home for reservation as blest holy objects for
use - much as palm fronds blessed and distributed on Palm Sunday are used
today.”
Some of the uses in
Naogeorgus’s time (16th century) would, no doubt, resemble
superstition, such as placing blest St. John’s Wort around an infant’s cradle
to protect it from being stolen by fairies or burning petals of blest flowers
during a thunderstorm.
[Don’t feel smug. There are still people today who
believe that the positions of the planets and the stars – as seen from earth –
have the ability to regulate daily human activity, and won’t make a move without
checking ‘their’ horoscope.]
But the reason for blessing them
goes deeper than mere superstition. “Through the blessings bestowed upon them,
their misuse is atoned for, their healing power enhanced, and their growth
commended to God's protection."
According to Stokes, these should be, “placed in prominent positions in
home or workplace - as a focus for
prayers for protection from evil spirits and as reminders to prayers for physical and spiritual healing and
well-being.”
Not even Naogeorgus could
object to reminders for prayers.
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A study made in the southeastern tip of Poland lists the plants which go into Assumption Bouquets and the
beliefs surrounding their uses.
The author photographed several such bundles, which might give you an
idea for your own bouquet.
Lithuanian tradition says
that if you don’t hold herbs in church today, the devil will give you his tail
to hold instead. For more Lithuanian
customs, see "Herbal Holyday – August 15."
In “Travels through Sicily,
Malta, and Lipari’, a certain Mr. Howel facetiously described how the festival was
celebrated in 18th century Messina:
“An immense machine of about
50 feet high is constructed, designing to represent Heaven; and in the midst is
placed a young female personating the Virgin, with an image of Jesus on her
right hand; round the Virgin 12 little children turn vertically, representing
so many Seraphim, and below them 12 more children turn horizontally, as Cherubims;
lower down in the machine a sun turns vertically, with a child at the extremity
of each of the four principal radii of his circle, who ascend and descend with his rotation, yet always in an erect posture; and
still lower, reaching within about 7 feet of the ground, are placed 12 boys,
who turn horizontally without intermission around the principal figure,
designing thereby to exhibit the 12 Apostles, who were collected from all
corners of the earth, to be present at the decease of the Virgin, and witness
her miraculous assumption. This huge machine is drawn about the principal
streets by sturdy monks; and it is regarded as a particular favour to any
family to admit their children in this divine exhibition, although the poor
infants themselves do not seem long to enjoy the honours they receive as
Seraphim, Cherubim, and Apostles; the constant twirling they receive in the air
making some of them fall asleep, many of them vomit, and several do still
worse!"
[Southern
Italians are so exuberant in their celebrating]
Go thou
and do likewise.
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Artwork:
Bartolome Esteban Murillo,
1670. The Assumption of the Virgin. Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia.
Woodcut of the Assumption from The Golden
Legend, 1489.
