Sabbats Almanac: Samhain to Mabon - Kristoffer Hughes 2018
Lughnasadh Games by Melanie Marquis
Lammas
AS THE FIRST OF three harvest-themed sabbat celebrations, Lughnasadh can get a bit lost in the crowd. It’s important for me as a Pagan to feel a genuine connection with the energies of each special season, and I’ve found that focusing on the unique aspects of each sabbat helps me to remember exactly what I’m celebrating, and why. One unique aspect of Lughnasadh is that it has roots in ancient funeral games that were held in honor of Tailtiu, whom legends held was the mother of Irish king turned god-figure, Lugh. Tailtiu was said to have died from exhaustion after plowing all the fields of Ireland in order to make them ready for agriculture. In honor of her sacrifice, it was told, Lugh had initiated the first-ever Tailteann games to celebrate her selfless contribution to the welfare of her people. Solemn rituals were held to honor the dead, but following these rites, it was customary to have more festive celebrations. These celebrations often took the form of large community fairs and festivals that included competitions of athleticism, artistry, oration, and many other games and sports. These events came to be known as funeral games, as they were associated with the fairs held in honor of Tailtiu.
Such Lughnasadh fairs were held for centuries in Ireland, with some historians claiming an origin that dates back all the way to 1600 BCE. Horse racing and chariot racing were prominent aspects of the games, along with tests of speed and strength including racing and wrestling. There were also creative competitions to showcase skills in poetry, storytelling, and other types of artistry.
Although I’m not typically a very competitive person, and certainly not at all athletic, I find that enjoying a little friendly competition at Lughnasadh helps me to connect with the traditions practiced at the ancient celebrations. There isn’t a whole lot of specific information out there regarding the precise details of traditional Lughnasadh games and sports, so I’ve had to formulate my own modern adaptations based on what we do know about the general nature of the competitions held so long ago. The games we play at Lughnasadh are definitely different from the games played in Ireland centuries ago, but they still afford us an opportunity to test our speed, strength, and other skills just like the ancients did.
Tests of Speed
One thing we know about Lughnasadh celebrations is that tests of speed, such as foot races and other cross-country style events, were often among the chief sports. I’m definitely not a champion runner, but I still enjoy such competitions, since it’s just for fun and no one expects me to be great. I invite my friends and family to join me, with promises of small prizes such as money or tasty treats to the winners. We begin with a simple foot race around the block followed by a fifty-yard dash to see who truly is the fastest. After that, I like to add some twists to help even the playing field. The sack race is one of my favorites. My local coffee shop always has a free supply of large burlap sacks in which their coffee beans are delivered. They’re big enough for an average sized adult to stand in, covering most or all of the legs so that the top edge of the sack can be held at upper thigh or waist level. We hop with all our might, racing from one side of my backyard to the other. I may have been a kangaroo or jackrabbit in a past life, because for some reason I excel at this. I’m destined to lose nearly any other even semi-athletic competition that we have, but when it comes to the sack race, I know I may have a chance to actually win.
We also do some team races, from three-legged races to relay races. One of the most fun and festive team races we’ve devised is the corn-shucking competition. At one end of the yard, we place two equal piles of fresh corn, unhusked with leaves and cornsilk still intact. Between the two piles, we place a trash can to collect the leaves and cornsilk that will be stripped off from the fresh ears of corn. On the opposite side of the yard, two large empty boxes are placed to collect the corn that each team manages to husk.
The participants are divided into two teams, and each team is asked to line up behind one of the corn collection boxes. When the race begins, the players will one by one race to their team’s pile of corn, grab an ear, and shuck it as quickly as possible. The leaves must be completely removed and tossed into the trash can. The ear of corn is then raced back to where the rest of the team is waiting, and is thrown into the team’s corn collection box. The next teammate can then follow suit. Whichever team manages to shuck their pile of corn the quickest wins. Many of my family and friends are not very athletic, but by adding such twists to the traditional foot race, we can all have fun together in a fast and frenzied fashion and experience that same rush of speed and hustle that the runner feels when approaching the finish line.
Horse Competitions and Chariot Racing
From horse races and chariot races to equestrian swimming competitions, horses were a big part of ancient Lughnasadh games. I don’t have horses, or a chariot, but I’ve found some ways to celebrate Lughnasadh in a similar vein, nonetheless. Figuring out how to mimic a chariot race was admittedly a bit of a challenge at first. I wouldn’t even know where to find an actual chariot, except maybe at a museum. The car could certainly be seen as the modern version of the chariot, but we all know that street racing is extremely dangerous, illegal, and just flat-out dumb, so that was absolutely out of the question. Then it came to me. There is indeed an easy way to enjoy a vast variety of virtual street racing experiences safely, which involves zero gas and is a lot more fun. We simply choose a car racing game from our vast collection of video games, pin a large piece of poster board to the wall on which to keep track of the stats, and let the competition begin. Sure, it’s not the same as the exhilarating experience of driving a chariot across an open field, dust flying and horses’ hooves pounding the earth, but did the chariot drivers of the past have the opportunity to travel over roads that look like rainbows, or to transform their vehicle into a completely new contraption at the push of a button? Video game racing has its advantages!
I’m not opposed to getting my dogs in on the action, either. They might not be as impressive or as large as horses, but my chihuahua and poodle—dachshund mix can both run faster than lightning. I would never force them to play along if they didn’t want to, of course, but I’ve devised a simple way to have the dogs compete in an enjoyable and humane way. We place our bets for “top dog,” then toss dog treats out in the yard one by one, seeing which dog gets to the treats first. Naturally, the “loser” ends up getting just as many treats as the winner, but it’s fun for us humans to watch them dash for the dog biscuits and cheer them on. We might also have a fetching contest, seeing which dog can fetch a ball or a stick the fastest. I know it’s not exactly like traditional Lughnasadh horse racing, but it nonetheless is reflective of the inclusion of animals that was common in the “old ways” of celebrating the holiday.
Tests of Strength
Tests of strength were another common sport at Lughnasadh fairs and festivals. In Ireland, for instance, hurling competitions were popular. We get into the spirit with a couple sacks of potatoes. One ten-pound bag and one five-pound bag are all we need. Each bag is placed inside a pillowcase which is tied around the top with a ribbon. This is to ensure that the potatoes don’t fall out and spill all over the place, as the plastic bags they come in are prone to breakage. First, we compete to see who can hurl the five-pound sack of potatoes the farthest. We mark each contestant’s throw with a small length of ribbon or a stick. Next comes the ten-pound bags. After a round with both potato sacks, we repeat the competition using our non-dominant hands to hurl the potatoes. The winners receive potatoes as prizes. It’s pretty silly, but it’s definitely a workout that gives us a fun way to put our strength and power to the test.
Another game we like to play tests strength as well as endurance. I buy several twenty-five pound bags of dog food, and participants are asked to stand in a line, side by side. Each participant extends their arms straight up beside their ears, and at the same time, each person is given a bag of dog food to hold above their head. Then, we wait. As arms begin to tire, competitors drop their bags and thus drop out of the contest. The last person standing with their dog food still held high above their head is the winner. For those who don’t have quite that much athletic prowess, we might have a simple push-up contest, seeing who can do the most consecutive push-ups before collapsing in an exhausted heap—without overdoing it, of course!
Artistry, Storytelling and Bardic Games
Not all the games common to Lughnasadh were athletic. Some competitions were more artistic and cultural in nature, with storytelling and bardic contests being particularly popular. We like to play a game that combines recitation skills with creative storytelling skills. Everyone sits around in a circle, and the first person starts a story, saying only one sentence. The next person in the circle has to then recite that first sentence exactly, and add on their own, new sentence to the story. The next person in the circle then has to recite both of the preceding sentencing, and add on their own sentence, and so on and so on until someone in the circle inevitably fails to remember what has been said, or fails to come up with a new sentence. That person is then eliminated, and a fresh round is started. The last player left is deemed the champion. We also like to have more traditional storytelling competitions, where participants take turns telling their best stories in different categories. There is a ghost story contest, a funny story contest, a sad story contest, and a strange story contest. Everyone votes on their favorites anonymously, and winners are awarded with blank journals in which to create their next award-winning stories. For the more art-minded among us, we also host an arts and crafts competition. Each participant can enter a craft of their choice in the contest, be it a painting, a crocheted piece, textile arts, a handwoven basket, or whatever else they might like to create. Participants are asked to vote for their favorites by putting quarters into small cans that are placed next to each of the art pieces. As our Lughnasadh games are wrapping up, the quarters are counted and the art piece with the most votes wins all the quarters.
The Serious Side of Games
We might typically think of games and sports as mere entertainment—fun enough, but essentially rather pointless. However, there is a deep and meaningful connection between the games of Lughnasadh and the underlying spiritual tides of the season. Just as Tailtiu was said to have pushed herself past her limits for the benefit of Irish agricultural, just as the grains must give up their lives in order to be harvested, ground, and baked into bread, we simple humans have our own challenges that we, too, must face. Engaging in competitive sports and games forces us to be our best, to try our best and to go beyond our limits. To be rewarded with a fruitful harvest requires skill, effort, sacrifice, and luck, and by playing games at Lughnasadh, we experience the intertwining of those factors firsthand. I probably won’t win a single event (with the possible exception of the sack race, if I’m lucky), but competing to the farthest extent of my abilities regardless will remind me to always give my best, just as the earth gives us her best in the first fruits of the harvest celebration of Lughnasadh.