When Marie left us here belowe, / The Virgin's Bower is full in blowe
August 15: The Assumption
When Marie left us here belowe,
The Virgin’s Bower1 is full in blowe…Anthol. Bor. et Aus.2
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – also known as the Dormition - commemorates the end of Mary's life and her journey into heaven. It's been formally celebrated since the early Middle Ages, with folk stories surrounding Mary’s death being told in ancient apocryphal texts centuries before that, dating back to even the 2nd century:
"There is a quasi-precursor of this feast in the 'Day of Mary Mother of God' which is attested for August 15 in a mid-fifth century lectionary from Jerusalem (extant in an Armenian translation). This ancient feast was rather general in its object and it soon became a commemoration of the Natale ('birthday'), i.e., death of Mary (Greek: koimesis; Latin: dormitio; = 'falling asleep'). The feast in this form was extended to the entire Byzantine empire by Emperor Maurice (582-602). [...] ...In the seventh century this was celebrated as the 'Feast of Mary's Assumption.' A feast called Natale Sanctae Mariae on August 15 is attested for the middle of the seventh century in Rome. Under Pope Sergius I (687-701), a Syrian who did much to introduce Eastern feasts of Mary to Rome, the feast in question was celebrated as a feast of her death, and included a procession from the church of St. Adrian to the church of St. Mary."
Adolf Adam, The Liturgical Year: Its History & Its Meaning After the Reform of the Liturgy
This relief sculpture, once part of an altarpiece, depicts a scene from the Golden Legend (a collection of hagiographies by Jacobus de Voragine, very popular in the late Medieval period). In this tale, the apostles gathered at Mary's deathbed; the sculpture shows St. Peter officiating (he’s holding the book), another apostle sprinkling holy water, and an apostle at Mary's feet filling the air with incense. Only eleven apostles are depicted here; St. Thomas was late. He doubted her Assumption, but then her girdle fell to him from heaven.3
Another story goes that when Thomas arrived and entered Mary’s tomb, he found only her burial sheet and a fragrant array of flowers and herbs.4
Only one of countless stories associating fragrant botanicals with Mary, this summertime feast bears an age-old agrarian tradition of blessing flowers, herbs, and the August harvest. It invites us to celebrate this abundance through the lens of Mary, the fragrant Theotokos (“God-Bearer”), who bore the very gift that awoke us to abundance.
"If you have gathered herbs in the moonlight on a still summer night you will know why I shall never forget that night of August 14. As I stopped to pick a spike of lavender, I was enfolded in an ancient spell of legend and story. From the past a voice of some old herbalist spoke out. The Mother of God was very fond of lavender flowers 'because of their virtue in protecting clothes from dirty, filthy beasts.' She also loved this herb 'for the reason that it preserves chastity.' And periwinkle or joy-of-the-ground should be blessed on Our Lady's Day, for 'whoever carries this herb with him on the skin - the devil has no power over him.' Take clary, too, for these flowers are the 'eyes of Christ.' Kathy's little feet were crushing the creeping thyme in the path and the pungent odor reminded us to pick a whole family of thymes. We must have mints, too, for they were strewn on the streets and Church aisles for the Virgin's procession. The cooking herbs were not forgotten. If I am to be Christ's cook, I must use God's herbs 'for the service of men.' 'In pottage without herbs there is neither goodness nor nourishment.'
"Soon our aprons were full of a pot-pourri of fragrant sprays, and Kathy and I joined the others. We had gathered the best of our harvest. We made a diadem of our first fruits for the coronation of our Queen, for the day of the Assumption, the crown of all feasts in honor of Our Lady."
Florence Berger, Cooking for Christ: Your Kitchen Prayerbook
I love these tangible, sacramental ways of grafting feast days into our lives...inviting us to experience theology with all our senses. And for me, anyway, that's where deeply-seeded memory is formed.
Here are a few ways to celebrate the Assumption, incorporating summertime flavors, rural tradition, and Marian symbolism…
Mint Carpet for the Assumption
Historically, church aisles would be carpeted with mint5 for the Assumption - as parishioners walked across the mint, every footstep released fragrance.6
What a beautiful, tangible way of calling to mind the Assumption of Mary!
A few years ago, we began folding this fragrant tradition into our home. We harvest fresh mint from our fields and then scatter it on our doormat. Every time we come and go across the threshold, our footsteps release an aromatic reminder of Our Lady.
If you have mint available, or any other herb for that matter (thyme & rosemary are a few other herbs specifically tied to Mary!), try spreading it across your doormat or in your entryway for the Assumption. It's a tangible way of weaving together the summer herb harvest with the spiritual beauty of this solemnity.
Stella Maris Soda
Since lemons - representing fidelity7 - have long been associated with Mary, we made syrup from fresh-squeezed lemons. Add a little carbonated water, and voila - lemon soda. (You could add stillwater instead to make lemonade!)
We wandered the rows of flower & herb beds to find another Marian flavor to add - borage flowers were the perfect addition. These beautiful star-shaped flowers, symbolizing courage and humility, range in color from magenta to violet to blue. Also associated with Mary, they call to mind her ancient title of Stella Maris - Star of the Sea. Their light cucumber flavor complements the lemon soda, and they add beautiful pops of color!
Over in the Scriptorium, I have a printable recipe for the Stella Maris soda!
Virgin’s Bower, aka Clematis flammula, which blooms around the feast of the Assumption
The Anthologia Borealis et Australis (Fragments from North & South) is a mysterious text, referenced somewhat frequently in the 19th century botanical/folkloric/religious texts, but the primary source itself remains hidden - it seems to have been a collection of Latin verses. In particular, a beautiful poem of the liturgical calendar’s English flowers is often attributed to the Anthologia - though this poem may have very well come from another text. You can read an 1843 reprint (its actual source questionable though it may be) of the Anthologia in Harmonia Musarum.
From the Golden Legend - hagiographies by Jacobus de Voragine (1265)
Medieval tradition dedicated Mint to the Virgin Mary, and mint varieties bore such names Herba Sancate Mariae, Menthe de Notre Dame, etc.
Medieval Latin Religious Names
“It was formerly customary to strew the churches with Mint or other herbs or flowers. In ‘Appius and Virginia,’ an old play, is an illustration of this custom:
"Thou knave, but for thee ere this time of day
My lady’s fair pew had been strewed full gay
With Primroses, Cowslips, and Violets sweet,
With Mints, and with Marygold and Marjoram meet…” (Richard Folkard, Plant Lore, Legends, & Lyrics, 1884)
“The lemon is a symbol of fidelity in love, and, as such, is often associated with the Virgin Mary.” (George Ferguson, Signs & Symbols in Christian Art)
What a fun idea with mint!! Clematis is also ‘virgin’s bower’ legend has it that on the flight to Egypt, Mary needed to hide from Herod’s men. She sought a place to hide with the Child. A green veil with flowers grew up and around her hiding her from danger.