Crom Dubh Legends

Next Nature Folklore Sessions Live -
Sunday 15th August, at 2pm Irish Time

Watch here Live! ... or watch the archive later (click pic to set reminder)

Crom Cruach LegendsCrom Dubh Legends

the lesser known mythology of harvests gathered

This, and the previous 'Nature Folklore' sessions, last Sunday, featuring Croms Cruach and Dubh, are perhaps the most niche of all that I present. This is part two of a two part Nature Folklore session exploring the folklore and mythologies of Crom Cruach and Crom Dubh. It is a challenge to separate the two as similar tales are told of both legends. But it does seem that the Crom Dubh mythology arrived later than the reverence for Crom Cruach as a god.

The tales of Crom Cruach and Crom Dubh are very intertwined these days. Though nobody really knows the origins and details of either I am going to approach this as Crom Cruach being symbolic as a bringer of harvests, and Crom Dubh as a metaphor mythology of what happens to the harvested crops after gathering. Crom Cruach as being the ending of summer, and Crom Dubh as a veil bringing on Autumn, the Fall. Together. they are the imagery of the break up of summer through the Lunasa month of August. 

What we call Lughnasadh, today with variations, is a celebration of the harvest of grain crops. This may seem odd because where ancient grains were sown grown we mainly see cattle and sheep grazing now ... so I will explain why, a wee bit. 

I will then continue from where I left off last Sunday, with the amazing connecting discoveries of our ancient cultures within Serbia during the 90s. I will include legends of ancient culture movement from the Balkans to the Baltic, and along the Danube too, and how forms of these cultures seemed to arrive in what is now Scotland and Ireland today.

I will focus on more of the Magh Slecht stories from Co. Cavan, and stories from the Grange Circles of Lough Gur. I will flow from the transition of summer and harvest ... to autumn, fall and storage through telling more tales of the folklores of the cultures of Crom Cruach and Crom Dubh. 

Some people are saying to me "Isn't Lughnasadh all over now?" No, in Ireland, since Medieval times, Lunasa is all of our modern August. Through ancient times this reverence and celebration of first harvest and main harvesting seemed to last longer, and still is, between Lughnasadh Cross Quarter time and Autumn Equinox. 

Looking forward to you joining us on Sunday.