Corn Dolly History & Stories

Corn Dolly

Watch her as she moves through golden waves Where ears ripen beneath the summer sun Now reapers move across the field, leaving swathes Binders follow making sheaves; a harvest won From the soil we have tilled. Grain that in winter can be milled.

There's a gentle swish of sickles through the stalk John Barleycorn is falling to the ground The rig moves on; girls exchanging daily talk As carefully they bind each sheaf around Sweating children work to stook Where mothers have no time to look.

At eventide the sun falls below the dripping brow Ceres' row still stands against the blackthorn hedge Her spirit to be beaten back where the oxen plough When winter's solstice comes they'll make a pledge Now its time for sing of joy and mirth Celebrate the bounteous Mother Earth

Though the bedstraw beckons weary bairns for sleep And dreams of bitter ales beckon to parched lips At the centre of the field there's still a sheaf to reap The reapers face the stand with hands on hips Each takes his turn to throw His sickle at this final row.

To reap the clyack sheaf as custom now demands Each man in turn the blindfold takes Thrice times three is turned around by other hands The sickle then cast forth to the fates The victor knows from others' cheer He shall claim the flowing jug of beer

Rituals that have been passed down to us from ancient times As these last stalks are gathered up with care Straw woven with skilled hands to once forgotten rhymes A neck dolly crafted by young Cerys the fair 'Could this be Cybele, mother of gods ?' Her grandmother raises her eyes and nods. Neck dollies, drop dollies, Brigit's and kirn child Some dressed in gay ribbons, others in white Thin bodies, full bodies, some pagan and wild Carried home on the last of the wagons tonight Tokens to hang on each farmhouse wall To be raised in the spring, a spirit to call.

Under late summer sun sheaves are ripened and dried The wagons are loaded until Baba remains Rigs of reapers make circles whilst she is untied Each takes a step forward and ears are claimed There's a bow to the centre from all around Each reaper touching an ear to the ground.

When all have departed two strangers enter the field Oat man and oat woman with a dance to perform Beneath long purple cloaks their dolls are concealed A grim reaper beheaded, a spirit to enter the corn The rite of an old Phrygian sacrifice Crying the neck to bring next year's life.

As the story goes Mabon disappears three nights after being born and his Mother laments his loss. A call is put out to the champions of the land to find the infant. At first the seekers have no clue as to where to start looking, for Mabon's disappearance seems quite mysterious indeed. But Modron tells them that if they are to have any hope of finding her son they will have to go to the five most ancient and wisest animals on earth, the Blackbird, the Stag, the Owl, the Eagle and finally the Salmon and ask each one the question: "Tell me if thou knowest anything of the child Mabon, son of Modron."

Each animal has important clues and memories that guide the seekers on their quest and they eventually find Mabon who had been safe all along, magically returned into his mother's womb. Modron's womb is a nurturing and magical place filled with many challenges designed to renew Mabon's strength and wisdom so that once again he may be born and rise as his mother's champion and source of all joy and light.

You may find this confusing and maybe even silly. Why would Modron put out a call and a challenge to find her son if she knew all along where he was? Why would she seemingly waste the seekers' time and energy? The answer lies in knowing that her son Mabon is a symbol for the light and the joy of the divine in all of us. She did not send the seekers out on this quest for her benefit but for theirs. For in taking on this quest and seeking the council of the wise and ancient creatures of her forest they learned much about their world and about themselves and learned to look for truth and wisdom in places they never thought to look before.

This quest is still put forth to all of us even today. This story reminds us to have respect for creatures of our world for they have wisdom that they can share with us simply by watching them. And also to remember that ultimately the light and joy we seek so desperately can be found at it's source, within us where it's been all along. It is up to us to be brave enough to give birth to it from our own souls.

Corn Dollies The corn dolly is an ancient harvest custom, still widely practiced throughout Europe. In ancient europe it was customary at harvest time to leave a small portion of the grain in the field, often twisted or tied into the shape of a man or the symbol of a god or goddess. Sometimes, it was even dressed in men's or women's clothes, kept in a cradle, or hung atop a pole. This bundle or effigy (immortalized in Burns' ballad of John Barleycorn) was believed to contain the essence of the spirit of the grains- a representation of the solar deity who would be burned and 'reborn' as the spring grain. At the end of the season (usually at the winter solsticee), the bundle would be ritually sacrificed, burnt, or plowed under to ensure the year's crops. In later times, corn dollies evolved into a household tradition, with elaborate symbolic figures crafted from straw, which were usually hung over doors or in barns and burnt at Christmastime; sometimes small grain dolls were kept in cradles or given 'pride of place' in the home through the winter. Today the corn dollie is little more than a craft tradition, with each region 'specializing' with a particular design.

The last sheaf of the harvest, dressed in a woman's dress or woven into an intricate shape and decked with ribbons, is regarded as the embodiment of the spirit of the crop, the spirit of the growing grain itself. The safe-keeping of this corn dolly over the winter insures fertility for the following harvest, provided that some portion of it is given to cattle and horses to eat, and some portion of it strewn in the field or mixed with the seeds for the next crop.

This practice of saving the spirit of the harvest is extensive throughout Europe.

In Northumberland, the corn dolly is attached to a long pole and carried home to be set up in the barn. In some communities it goes home on the lastload. Sometimes it is fairly small. In parts of Germany, the heavier it is, the better.

On the Isle of Lewis in Scotland, the corn dolly's apron is filled with bread, cheese and a sickle. In other parts of Scotland, the reapers hold races. The man who finishes reaping first designates his last sheaf the corn maiden; the one who finishes last makes his last sheaf into a hag.

In some localities, the corn dolly is made by the first farmer who finishes his harvest and then passed from farm to farm as each farmer finishes his harvest, ending up with the farmer who finishes last. In this case, no one wants the dolly as it is a sign of procrastination.

In Wales, others try to snatch the dolly from the reaper who carries it from the field. If he gets home safe, he gets to keep it on his farm for the rest of the year.

French, Slavonic, and some Germanic regions use the last sheaf to create a Kornwolf, believed to hold a wolf-like spirit that resides in the last sheaf and provides the same life force for the next season. This is a fiercer version of the corn dolly and is sometimes used to scare children.

Today, corn dollies are seen as emblems of abundance. John Barleycorn This old folk song that has survived to this day, tells perfectly the story of this time of year called Harvest Home or Mabon. John Barleycorn was called the spirit of the fields.It was believed the sun’s life was trapped and crystallized in the corn (corn was a word that referred to wheat mainly, but also described other types of grain). Often this corn spirit was believed to reside most especially in the last sheaf or shock harvested, which was dressed in fine clothes, or woven into a wicker-like man-shaped form. This effigy was then cut and carried from the field, and usually burned, amidst much rejoicing. And yet, if we listen to the old ballad of John Barleycorn, we find we have not heard the last of him.

They let him stand till midsummer’s day, Till he looked both pale and wan, And little Sir John’s grown a long, long beard And so become a man...

They’ve hired men with scythes so sharp, To cut him off at the knee, They’ve rolled him and tied him by the waist Serving him most barbarously...

And little Sir John in the nut-brown bowl, And he’s brandy in the glass, And little Sir John in the nut-brown bowl Proved the strongest man at last.

The song of John Barleycorn is a metaphor of the mystery of death and rebirth. The song describes the life, death and resurrection of the grain as it tells the story of John Barleycorn, who was killed, buried, sprang up in the spring, grew stronger in the summer and grew weaker in the autumn. This is a story of life and not death. The cycle of the year and of the sacrifice and transformation of grain into food and drink. Corn dolly - 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:

"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

Many more instances are described by Frazer (see link).

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 St Eligius had to warn them to desist from their old practices:

"[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

In Britain, the materials used are mainly wheat, oats, rye and barley. In Ireland, rush was used, and in the south of France, palm leaves. In Burma, the rice plant is used.

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.

Some traditional varieties: Maris Widgeon, Squarehead Master, Elite Le Peuple. IROQUOIS LEGEND OF THE CORN HUSK DOLL http://www.aaanativearts.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=174

The Iroquois people have what they call the three sisters, the "sustainers of life". These sisters are called corn, beans, and squash.

The corn Spirit was so thrilled at being one of the sustainers of life that she asked the Creator what more she could do for her people. The Creator said that a beautiful doll could be formed from the husks.

The Creator set to work to form the doll. When finished he gave the doll a beautiful face, and sent it to the children of the Iroquois people to play with, and to make them happy.

The doll went from village to village playing with the children and doing whatever she could for the children.

Everywhere she went everyone would tell her how beautiful she was, so after a while she became vain.

The Creator spoke to her and explained that this was not the right kind of behavior, and she agreed not to be this way anymore.

The Creator told her that if she continued with this behavior he would punish her, but he would not tell her how he would do it.

She agreed not to act that way again, and things went on as before.

One afternoon she was walking by a creek and she glanced into the water. As she admired herself, she couldn't help thinking how beautiful she was, because indeed she was beautiful.

At this time Creator sent a giant screech owl out of the sky and it snatched her reflection from the water. When she looked again, she had no reflection. This was the punishment the Creator put upon her.

When an Iroquois Mother makes a doll for her child, she tells them this legend.

This is to remind the child that it is wrong to think they are better then any one else, and they must know that the Creator has given a special gift to everyone. SENECA STORY OF THE CORN HUSK DOLL This legend is told by Mrs. Snow, a talented Seneca craftswoman. http://www.nativetech.org/cornhusk/dollstry.html

Many, many years ago, the corn, one of the Three Sisters, wanted to make something different.

She made the moccasin and the salt boxes, the mats, and the face. She wanted to do something different so the Great Spirit gave her permission.

So she made the little people out of corn husk and they were to roam the earth so that they would bring brotherhood and contentment to the Iroquois tribe.

But she made one that was very, very beautiful. This beautiful corn person, you might call her, went into the woods and saw herself in a pool. She saw how beautiful she was and she became very vain and naughty.

That began to make the people very unhappy and so the Great Spirit decided that wasn't what she was to do.

She didn't pay attention to his warning, so the last time the messenger came and told her that she was going to have her punishment.

Her punishment would be that she'd have no face, she would not converse with the Senecas or the birds or the animals. She'd roam the earth forever, looking for something to do to gain her face back again. So that's why we don't put any faces on the husk dolls. From: Our Mother Corn Mather/Fernandes/Brescia 1981

The Legend of the Corn Husk Doll

My name is Emma, and I live in Illinois. We have lots of corn fields in this state, and lots of milk cows too. Last summer I visited my grandmother on the farm, and she showed me how to make a corn husk doll. First we soaked the corn husks in water until they got soft. Then, we shaped the husks into a doll's head and body. Finally, we decorated the doll with pins, seeds, and cloth.

When my doll was ready, I asked Grandma what I could use to make the face. She said, "Oh no, corn husk dolls don't have faces." I couldn't believe it. "Why don't they have faces? How can they see?" I asked. "Listen carefully" said Grandma, "I'll tell you the Native American Indian legend about the corn husk dolls."

Many years ago, the Creator made Three Sisters (Corn, Beans, and Squash) to feed the people. Corn wanted to give the people a gift, so she asked the Creator to make a person out of her husks to play with the children. The Creator made a corn husk doll with a beautiful face. At first the doll played nicely and helped to take care of the children.

Then, one day, the corn husk doll looked into a pond of water and saw her face. She saw that she was very beautiful. After that the corn husk doll changed. All she thought about was her pretty face. She stopped playing with the children and spent all of her time looking in mirrors.

The Creator was not happy and warned her to be good. The corn husk doll promised to be humble, but she was not. All she could think about was her beauty. Finally, the Creator decided to punish her and take away her face. Since then, corn husk dolls do not have faces.

"You see," Grandma said, "The corn husk doll had to stop thinking about herself and learn to help others." Sacred Corn Mother ©2008 by Susun S Weed As seen printed in Mystic Pop Magazine, www.mysticpopmagazine.com

"Corn rigs, an' barley rigs, An corn rigs are bonnie; I'll ne'er forget that happy night, Amang the rigs wi' Annie." “It Was Upon A Lammas Night,” by Robert Burns

The least known of the eight major Pagan holy days is Lammas, celebrated on the first of August. (The other primary holy days are the Summer and Winter Solstices, the Spring and Fall Equinoxes, and the Cross Quarter Days of Beltane, May Day, and Halloween.)

Lammas, or "Loaf Mass," is the Feast of the First Harvest, the Feast of Bread. This Holy Day honors the women who created agriculture and bred the crops we cultivate, especially the grains, or corn. In the British Isles, celebrants make corn dollies from the last of the newly- harvested wheat. The corn dolly holds the energy of the grain Goddess and, when placed above the door or the mantle, will bring good luck to the household all year.

When we think of corn, we think of succulent cobs of crisp, sweet, buttery yellow or white kernels: immature Zea mays, Indian corn. You know, corn. As in sweet corn, popcorn, blue corn, decorative corn, corn bread and corn chowder. Corn!

But, did you ever wonder why it's corn? "Korn" is an old Greek word for "grain." Wheat and oats, barley and even rice, are korn. This usage is preserved in the song "John Barleycorn must die." When Europeans crossed the Atlantic and were introduced to the beautiful grain the Native Americans grew, they, of course, called it "corn." And nowadays we think of corn as only that, but corn is Kore (pronounced "core-a"), the Great Mother of us all.

Her name, in its many forms -- Ker, Car, Q're, Kher, Kirn, Kern, Ceres, Core, Kore, Kaur, Kauri, Kali -- is the oldest of all Goddess names. From it we derive the English words corn, kernel, carnal, core, and cardiac. "Kern" is Ancient Greek for "sacred womb-vase in which grain is reborn."

The Goddess of Grain is the mother of civilization, of cultivation, of endless fertility and fecundity. To the Romans she was Ceres, whose name becomes "cereal." To the Greeks, she was Kore, the daughter, and Demeter (de/dea/goddess, meter/mater/mother) as well. To the peoples of the Americas, she is Corn Mother, she-who-gave-herself-that-the-People-may-live. She is one of the three sister crops: corn, beans and squash. In the British Isles she was celebrated almost to the present day as "Cerealia, the source of all food." Honoring grain as the staff of our life dates at least as far back as Ancient Greece. Nearly four thousand years ago, the Eleusinian mysteries, which were regarded as ancient mysteries even then, centered on the sacred corn and the story of Demeter and her daughter Kore or Persephone. Initiates, after many days of ceremony, were at last shown the great mystery: an ear of Korn. Korn dies and is reborn, traditionally after being buried for three days. Corn and grain are magic. The one becomes many. That which dies is reborn.

Many Native American stories repeat this theme of death and rebirth, but with a special twist. In some origin of corn stories a woman is brutally murdered, in others she demands to be killed. No matter. Once she is dead, she is cut into pieces and planted. From her dismembered body, corn grows. Again and again, everywhere around the world, the story of grain is the story of humanity. The sacred symbolism of grain speaks loudly to the human psyche. To the Ancients, the light in our lights is the Kore, the core, the soul, the seed, of each being.

Real, whole grains sustain us. Real, whole grains are sacred. Real, whole grains reconnect us with our human lineage. When we eat them, we feel satisfied in a deep and fundamental way. When we eat them, we ground ourselves, we nourish ourselves in multiple ways.

But bleached and enriched grains do not sustain life, nor are they inherently sacred. Grains that have had the bran and the germ stripped away do last longer, but have little to offer us physically or spiritually. When we eat them, we feel empty. Thus, many of us have come to equate bad news weight gain with carbohydrates, specifically, grains. Grains are the Goddess who sacrificed for us; they aren't to blame. It's the processing that does us in.

August is a good time to make peace with the Corn Mother. Switch to organic corn chips; some supermarkets carry them. Try out whole wheat pasta; my simple recipe below makes the best lasagna you ever ate; you won't believe it's whole wheat. Explore millet, kasha, quinoa, teff, kamut, spelt, wild rice, brown basmati, and my dietary mainstay: Lundberg organic short-grain brown rice. Cheer Ceres. Throw your own whole-grain Carnaval! Grains are medicine, too. Corn silk is an important remedy to help bladder woes. A handful of rice or barley boiled in several quarts of water is a folk remedy for anyone who lacks appetite or who has digestive woes. We're all familiar with the heart-healthy effects of eating oats. And oat straw infusion, made from the grass of the oat plant, is considered a longevity tonic in India.

Celebrate the Corn Mother any way you can. Invite Her into your life as food, as medicine, as decoration. And don't be surprised if you feel happier and healthier than ever before. The green blessings of the grains are special blessings indeed. The following pictures were taken at the Anchorage Pagan Networkʼs Lughnasadh 2006 family camp - out :

Notice the phallus. This was dear Steven’s creation. How to make a Corn Dolly http://www.ontariocorn.org/classroom/husk2.html

Corn husks, fresh or dried, about 6-8 pieces. String Cotton balls, about 4 Scraps of cloth, yarn, beads, and pipe cleaners (optional)

Note: If you are using dried husks, soak them in water to soften them. Fresh husks need no special preparation.

Step 1: Take a strip of husk and place a few cotton balls in the middle, twisting and tying it with string to make a head. Make some arms by folding another husk and tying it near each end to make hands. Slip the arms between the husks that extend under the head. Tie the waist with string.

Step 2: Arrange enough husks around the figure's waist so that they overlap slightly. Tie them in place with string.

Step 3: Fold the husks down carefully. For a woman wearing a long skirt, cut the husks straight across at the hem. to make a man, divide the skirt in two and tie each half at the ankles. Let the figure dry completely.

Step 4: You can leave you figure as is, or give it a face, hair, or even some fancier clothes. Use a fine-tipped marker to draw facial features. Glue some fuzzy yarn on for hair. Add some tiny beads for buttons, and bits of fabric for aprons or vests. A pipe cleaner staff or cane will help the man stand upright.