As I sit in my sewing room surrounded by the silence of heavy snow I read this thoroughly and feel blessed. I can't thank you enough for your research and sharing. It is truly encouraging. And a feast for the imagination!
Wow. I never knew about Plough Monday! Thank you for enlightening me. It is exactly what is needed, at least what I need, to transition from one season to the next; like standing in the threshold place , it allows breathing space. A joyful moment to make ready to move forward refreshed and encouraged by the Christmas message. The Plough Monday celebration eases me back into daily life. Its merry focus is on the daily routine restored to normal but it does not have to be drudgery . My work is a gift and a joy in itself is what Plough Monday assists me in seeing.
How beautifully-put, Jenny! I'm so glad that you enjoyed this...thank you for your kind words and for diving into it. When I stumble into some of these older holidays, I'm constantly amazed by how they're *exactly* the pattern I need to help me through that season. Just goes to show how much wisdom is in the calendar!
I keep thinking about how a plough race is an actual possibility at my farm, we have two antique hand pushed ploughs, like you would use for a large garden. One is probably technically a furrow or something like that. Regardless, two implements are available... no way this could go awry, right?
Oh!! If you do it…keep me posted! I’d been looking for an antique plough with a wooden moldboard just to race with (naturally), but gave up for now. You’ll be living the dream, with nothing to go awry, of course!
You just jogged my memory! There are at least three old hand/horse plows stored in the rafters of my husband's shop. And I have sons and grandson's who would enjoy the competition.
Oh my, what an absolute delight!! I try to be mindful of not being a sentimentalist who borrows British customs from my place on American soil, but truly...there is just so much wisdom and beauty in all of those traditions, and I think they can reach us far and wide. So I do enjoy some vicarious trips to these ancient churches via your posts!
And yes, isn't it wild how the light changes so suddenly, yet so gradually?
Great reflections and good work; this is our heritage in Britain but I know too little! Mutual community support (custom/celebration) was essential within the agrarian base, but if anything even more important now.
I managed to start a Christmas present book, 'Wildmen & Holy Places', Daphne Brooke, 1994, about Whithorn, (Candida Casa) now in Scotland, which suggests St Ninian's' earliest monks used a mouldboard plough, the cutting edge protected by quartz/granite chips/pebbles inserted into the wooden sole.(It seems likely they re-introduced the technology.)
What a kind and encouraging note, Philip! Thank you so much. Especially since I'm an American admirer of these British customs, I appreciate being welcomed into the discussion on them and am so grateful for all the wisdom in that heritage.
I'm definitely adding that Wildmen book to my TBR list!! What a gem. I'm quite intrigued by the quartz pebbles being inserted into the wooden sole...I've also read about plough blessings that involve inserting seed, resin, etc., and I wonder if that blessing form was an extension of the use of those pebbles. So interesting!
My background in plant/crop science lends something to my interest in agrarian history and customs - and in agro-ecology and future farming. I have hopes 'old customs' like 'Plough Monday' have a future!
INCREDIBLE. Thank you for this, Philip - that has made a huge difference in my attempts at picturing these old Anglo-Saxon blessings, since I just couldn't figure out where all the herbs and resin were being placed! The plough pebbles are absolutely genius.
Thank you for the moldboard plough article - what an incredible technology, which always surprises me with how ancient it truly is!!
so good to read about plough monday. Thank you for the research and the pictures and the quotes. I grew up on a farm, so perhaps that makes the reminders here so poignant. But given how far removed most of us are from the tilling of the land and the growing of food -finding a way to connect liturgy and life as you've done here feels more important than ever.
Thank you for your sweet note, Wilma - I'm delighted to know you enjoyed this, and that it also brought back your farming heritage! The shift away from agrarian life as a culture is really so interesting...I grew up in the suburbs and married into the farm life, and it's been a constant school of faith for me. The intersections are incredible!
As I sit in my sewing room surrounded by the silence of heavy snow I read this thoroughly and feel blessed. I can't thank you enough for your research and sharing. It is truly encouraging. And a feast for the imagination!
What a beautiful, cozy image - thank you for sharing that, Trudy, and for being such a kind encouragement and companion through all this. Bless you!
Wow. I never knew about Plough Monday! Thank you for enlightening me. It is exactly what is needed, at least what I need, to transition from one season to the next; like standing in the threshold place , it allows breathing space. A joyful moment to make ready to move forward refreshed and encouraged by the Christmas message. The Plough Monday celebration eases me back into daily life. Its merry focus is on the daily routine restored to normal but it does not have to be drudgery . My work is a gift and a joy in itself is what Plough Monday assists me in seeing.
How beautifully-put, Jenny! I'm so glad that you enjoyed this...thank you for your kind words and for diving into it. When I stumble into some of these older holidays, I'm constantly amazed by how they're *exactly* the pattern I need to help me through that season. Just goes to show how much wisdom is in the calendar!
I keep thinking about how a plough race is an actual possibility at my farm, we have two antique hand pushed ploughs, like you would use for a large garden. One is probably technically a furrow or something like that. Regardless, two implements are available... no way this could go awry, right?
Oh!! If you do it…keep me posted! I’d been looking for an antique plough with a wooden moldboard just to race with (naturally), but gave up for now. You’ll be living the dream, with nothing to go awry, of course!
You just jogged my memory! There are at least three old hand/horse plows stored in the rafters of my husband's shop. And I have sons and grandson's who would enjoy the competition.
That sounds perfect!! If ya'll do a plough race, I hope you'll keep us posted!
Some of the churches I visit still have a plough inside, which is blessed on plough Monday.
I think it's a naural shaking off of the torpor which grips us at the dark time of the year. The days are growing visibly longer now.
Oh my, what an absolute delight!! I try to be mindful of not being a sentimentalist who borrows British customs from my place on American soil, but truly...there is just so much wisdom and beauty in all of those traditions, and I think they can reach us far and wide. So I do enjoy some vicarious trips to these ancient churches via your posts!
And yes, isn't it wild how the light changes so suddenly, yet so gradually?
Great reflections and good work; this is our heritage in Britain but I know too little! Mutual community support (custom/celebration) was essential within the agrarian base, but if anything even more important now.
I managed to start a Christmas present book, 'Wildmen & Holy Places', Daphne Brooke, 1994, about Whithorn, (Candida Casa) now in Scotland, which suggests St Ninian's' earliest monks used a mouldboard plough, the cutting edge protected by quartz/granite chips/pebbles inserted into the wooden sole.(It seems likely they re-introduced the technology.)
What a kind and encouraging note, Philip! Thank you so much. Especially since I'm an American admirer of these British customs, I appreciate being welcomed into the discussion on them and am so grateful for all the wisdom in that heritage.
I'm definitely adding that Wildmen book to my TBR list!! What a gem. I'm quite intrigued by the quartz pebbles being inserted into the wooden sole...I've also read about plough blessings that involve inserting seed, resin, etc., and I wonder if that blessing form was an extension of the use of those pebbles. So interesting!
Thanks Kristin
It gets more interesting the deeper we dig, doesn't it! Smile.
Here is a current Whithorn link, re plough-pebbles... https://bit.ly/45dWnhx
My background in plant/crop science lends something to my interest in agrarian history and customs - and in agro-ecology and future farming. I have hopes 'old customs' like 'Plough Monday' have a future!
NB. 'Mouldboard ploughs (plows) go back further in Europe than I thought. You farmers might find this of interest, if you have the moment to spare. I turned this up this morning. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01433768.2023.2284544#d1e194
INCREDIBLE. Thank you for this, Philip - that has made a huge difference in my attempts at picturing these old Anglo-Saxon blessings, since I just couldn't figure out where all the herbs and resin were being placed! The plough pebbles are absolutely genius.
Thank you for the moldboard plough article - what an incredible technology, which always surprises me with how ancient it truly is!!
We will keep digging! 'The Middle Ages' deserves something a lot better than the bad press usually served up.
so good to read about plough monday. Thank you for the research and the pictures and the quotes. I grew up on a farm, so perhaps that makes the reminders here so poignant. But given how far removed most of us are from the tilling of the land and the growing of food -finding a way to connect liturgy and life as you've done here feels more important than ever.
Thank you for your sweet note, Wilma - I'm delighted to know you enjoyed this, and that it also brought back your farming heritage! The shift away from agrarian life as a culture is really so interesting...I grew up in the suburbs and married into the farm life, and it's been a constant school of faith for me. The intersections are incredible!