Sauna Club: Sauna Sunday August 1 2010

Yes, we know it is Yorkshire Day - but, really, who gives a toss?

Instead we will drop our gear and jump in the sauna in honour of...

Lughnasadh

The Celtic harvest festival on August 1st takes its name from the Irish god Lugh, one of the chief gods of the Tuatha De Danann, giving us Lughnasadh in Ireland, Lunasdál in Scotland, and Laa Luanys in the Isle of Man. (In Wales, this time is known simply as Gwl Awst, the August Feast.)

Lugh dedicated this festival to his foster-mother, Tailtiu, the last queen of the Fir Bolg, who died from exhaustion after clearing a great forest so that the land could be cultivated. When the men of Ireland gathered at her death-bed, she told them to hold funeral games in her honor. As long as they were held, she prophesied Ireland would not be without song. Tailtiu’s name is from Old Celtic Talantiu, "The Great One of the Earth," suggesting she may originally have been a personification of the land itself, like so many Irish goddesses. In fact, Lughnasadh has an older name, Brón Trogain, which refers to the painful labor of childbirth. For at this time of year, the earth gives birth to her first fruits so that her children might live.

Tailtiu gives her name to Teltown in County Meath, where the festival was traditionally held in early Ireland. It evolved into a great tribal assembly, attended by the High King, where legal agreements were made, political problems discussed, and huge sporting contests were held on the scale of an early Olympic Games. Artists and entertainers displayed their talents, traders came from far and wide to sell food, farm animals, fine crafts and clothing, and there was much storytelling, music, and high-spirited revelry, according to a medieval eye-witness account (which sounds much like our Sunday night sauna)...:

"Trumpets, harps, hollow-throated horns, pipers, timpanists, unwearied…fiddlers, gleemen, bone-players and bag-pipers, a rude crowd, noisy, profane, roaring and shouting."

Lughnasadh Dreaming

Lughnasadh Looneys: Samir, Pop Culture Tart, Zany, Mirri, Baggage, Fruitbat, Kali and (Oh My Ploems!) It's Pam!...

Lughnasadh Mains: Pop Culture Tart - a sort of lamb and date and almond thing. Sorry, I don't mean Pop Culture Tart is a lamb thingy, rather the meal will be.

Lughnasadh Side Dishes: Kali and (Oh My Ploems!) It's Pam!

Lughnasadh Drinks: Kali and (Oh My Ploems!) It's Pam!

Lughnasadh Magic Pudding: Baggage & Fruitbat

Lughnasadh Kitchen Serf:

Lughnasadh Loosers: Tailtiu (otherwise engaged), Bec (otherwise engaged).. Ghengis Khan (dead) Red Shoes (apology #2 noted :)), Dr Dee (will need to do better!), Mac nan Alba (has a valid excuse note)...

One last thing! If you want traditional Celtic recipes for this feast - go here LUGHNASDAH FOOD