Even though the daylight hours are slowly waning, the days still seem long as we drift toward autumn. The Gaelic festival of Lughnasadh, also known as Lammas in England, marks the first of the major grain harvests and is a celebration of summer and abundance. The name Lammas comes from the Anglo-Saxon term hlafmass, meaning “loaf-mass,” an event involving the first loaves of bread made from fresh-cut grain.
Gathering bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) on August 1st was a traditional part of the festivities in Ireland. Also known as whortleberries and heath berries, bilberry is easily mistaken for its close cousin blueberry (V. angustifolium). Bilberries are usually darker blue, almost purple when ripe, and smaller than blueberries.
The places where bilberries, blackberries (Rubus spp.), and other types of berries grow are generally regarded as liminal thresholds where chance meetings with faeries can occur. According to legend, suddenly hearing music while picking berries often leads to an encounter with the fae.
As a prelude to lighting the Lughnasadh bonfire in Ireland, it was customary to pick bilberries. At the well-known faery hill of Knockfierna (Cnoc Fírinne) in the center of County Limerick, bilberries and flowers were picked on the gentle, craggy slopes and placed on the circular cairn (pile of stones) at the summit of the hill. According to legend, the hill was the home of Donn Fírinne and the cairn, his burial site. Donn Fírinne was one of the Tuatha Dé Danann and a faery king of Limerick (although some sources note him only as a prince).
You can carry on the Lughnasadh tradition by including bilberries or blueberries in your celebration. Scatter a few berries or place a handful of them with a basket of flowers on your altar. Don’t be surprised if a faery or two join you. Since Lughnasadh is a celebration of the grain harvest and Lammas Loaf (a braided or twisted bread) is usually included in ritual, enjoy it with some bilberry jam.
Associated with luck and manifestation, include bilberries or blueberries in spells for prosperity and success as well as love and healing. These berries are also an aid for dream work.
Although not associated with Lughnasadh, a special treat in Scotland was made by mixing bilberry jam with whisky. Often growing amongst the heather, wine was made with bilberries and the flowers of bell heather (Erica cinerea).
