Lughnasa (August) by Cornelia Amiri

LughnasaLughnasa, pronounced LOO-nahs-ah, is the Celtic Harvest festival, celebrated August  1st . It is also another name for the month of August. In my novel, Druidess, the hero and heroine are both druids, who fight for Boudica against the Romans in first century AD Britian. They began their relationship at Lughnasa, a great time for romance. The month and the festival are named after the sun god Lugh, a tall, muscular warrior with sky blue eyes and a hallo of golden light, which blazed around his thick flaxen hair. He was also known as Lugh of the long arm because of his magic spear, which never missed its mark.

Here’s an excerpt from Druidess:

It began when they danced nude afore the blaze of the roaring bonfire at the Lughnasa festival, celebrating the mating of the sun god to the Earth goddess, hot fire and the ripe Earth. They leapt in front and beside each other to the drum beats, as the pipes wailed.

Drunk with desire for Rhys, blood pounded in her head. Sulwen jumped and he caught her in his hard, brawny arms. He carried her up the steep, rock carved path to the hill fort of Holly Mound, and into a round stone hut.

There he laid her on a pallet covered with soft bear pelts, next to a crackling fire, blazing hotter than the sun at midday. She needed his demanding mouth on hers. Rhys’ lips felt hard yet tender. In their heated embrace they were two pieces of iron melded together with spark and fire.

The earth goddess (Tailtiu in Ireland and Blodeuwedd in Wales) was an important part of Lughnasa as the Celts celebrated the marriage of the earth to the sky. Hand fasting marriages occurred at Lughnasa.  Also as this was a big month for berry picking, young men and women paired off to gather sweet, ripe bilberries and didn’t return until nightfall.

 Here’s a Lughnasa excerpt from Druid Bride, the sequel to Druidess:

Lughnasa, one of her favorite festivals. She and Brude would pick bilberries together and stay out until dark. He would thread the dark berries they plucked together into a bracelet for her to wear that day. At least, he should. She imagined his lips on hers, pressing down, hot and wet, kissing her beneath the light of the white moon, his mouth and breath tasting of sweet, juicy bilberries. .

In our modern times we can still honor the traditions of the ancient Celts and celebrate Lughnasa or the month of August at our homes by making a centerpiece of dried wheat sheaves, nuts, and grapes or have the whole family participate in making and eating a fresh loaf of homemade bread.  

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