Introduction to ‘February’ (Solmonath)
Solmonath, means mud month,
Saint Bede in
his ‘De Temporum Ratione’ (on the computation of time) mentions that the name
of the month came about as a result of the cakes the Anglo-Saxons offered to
their gods in that month. There are surviving Anglo-Saxon charms that give
first hand evidence of such a custom amongst Heathen farmers.
The Earth Mother (Eorthen Mordor) was called Nerthus/Erce
and the Sky Father was called Wuldorfadur, or Glory Father.
The sol cakes
were planted into the ground as an offering to both Nerthus and Wuldorfador. We
have no complete recipe for the cakes, but given that the tradition of
ploughing the corn dolly into the ground at the start of ploughing and sowing season
was widely observed until modern times it seems possible that the dolly would
have been broken up and added to a mixture of some kind, perhaps of flour of
various grains, and returned to the ground uncooked to preserve its fertility.
February (Solmonath)
February
ploughing, of the field,
Sowing the
seed, to bring the yield.
The
Anglo-Saxon, month of cakes,
As snow
departs, and nature wakes.
Offer to the
gods, to give rebirth,
The month, to
celebrate the earth.
Hoping to
see, the last snowflake,
The season
for, Solcakes to Bake.
Earth Mother
Nerthus, we implore,
And Sky
Father, Wuldorfadur.
Cakes in the
ground, we now enchant,
Wish for
abundance, you may grant.
Copyright
Andrew Rea 2008
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