During the autumn season when imagery of the harvest is all around, it can be easy to forget that the cornucopia of produce yielded is the product of year round effort. Thoughwe, most of whom are removed from the production of our own sustenance, may not be consciously aware of the agricultural calendar,it is something that our ancestors were very much aware of. Until very recently in the grand timeline of human history, the vast majority of human beings participated in agriculture, in one way or another, as well as the age old customs and rituals that went along with it.

Since the theme for Celtic Guide's September issue is ‘The Harvest,’ I thought it would be fitting to highlight some poems by writers of the British Romantic movement. The Romantic Era had its origins in the early 19th century, but it reached its peak between 1850-1900. It was largely considered to be a reaction to, and to some extent a rejection of, the preceding Enlightenment Era. The Enlightenment brought with it the Scientific Revolution and the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution. In a recent article about the discipline of folklore (Celtic Guide, June 2014), I mentioned that one detriment of these movements was the backlash against folk customs. Because the emphasis was on science and progress, country customs were often seen as backward. The Romantic Movement coincided with the birth of folklore as an academic discipline. Both folklorists and Romantic Era writers sought to press the pause button on this fast paced rush into the future.

Trees and wells have been places of wonder, wishes, offerings, and miracles in Britain since time immemorial. In many cases we can only speculate how long folk customs have been occurring. Northern and Central Europeans did not leave written records, apart from pictograms, sparse runic inscriptions or ogham carvings.   Add to that, previous generations used materials that erode or decay. The point is that just because there is no record in no way implies something did not occur. But on the same token, it cannot very well be argued that it did occur unless there is hard evidence. This is the conundrum of the historian, but also of the folklorist who studies both lore and folk practices.

Welcome back to the Archivist’s Corner! It’s December, and so I’m rustling up some dusty old treasures that are sure to bring you a bit Yuletide cheer. The first piece I have for you is a Medieval Christmas Carole called “The Boar’s Head.”  It is thought to be of German origin, but it was sung in England during the Middle Ages. This is especially interesting because it hearkens back to the days of old Yule, before the changeover to Christmas. The boar was a sacred animal to Germanic pagans, and therefore also to the Anglo-Saxons who were of Germanic origin. Many people still eat ham on Christmas today, which is a remnant of the old pagan custom of sacrificing a boar for the Yule feast at Winter Solstice.

In this installment we travel to ye olde Yorkshire.  Here is a selection of poems and lyrics in the Yorkshire dialect, accompanied by antique illustrations of Yorkshire. The poems come from “Yorkshire Dialect Poems” edited by F.W. Moorman (no date given, it appears to be circa 1911, with many poems dating earlier). All illustrations come from “Yorkshire Painted and Described” by Gordon Home (also undated, appears late 19th or early 20th century).  I hope very much that you enjoy.

– Carolyn

(originally published in Celtic Guide's November 2013 issue)