RIP (Read In Progress) Wednesday

[quillpunk]

Still doing this! What are you reading? 👀

Comments

[screechfox]

I completed both of my two library gets, Pod by Laline Paull and Penance by Eliza Clark. I've got a couple of reservations pending so hopefully they'll be through by the time I get to the library again on Friday.

Still reading through Winters in the World: A Journey Through the Anglo-Saxon Year by Eleanor Parker, although I'm into the section on autumn now, so I'm in the home stretch. (It's not a big book, to be clear!) Just learned that Lammas, which I previously only knew as a Wiccan thing, was a Christian festival - the 'mas' is the same as in 'Christmas'!

Because I was apparently still in the mood for fiction about teenage killers after Penance, I'm rereading The Devil's Mixtape by Mary Borsellino, an old comfort read of mine (... that probably shouldn't be comforting).

[spiralsheep]

I vaguely recall Lammas being from "loaf mass"? I refuse to check though because loaf mass is a sweet expression for a grain harvest festival. :-)

[screechfox]

Yes! From 'hlafmæsse', although according to the book we don't really know what bread-based things they specifically did for Lammas.

[spiralsheep]

Yeah, loaves as art are a widespread Eurasian agriculturalist set of traditions but difficult to demonstrate archaeologically for obvious reasons, and not a common feature in official records or durable high status artistic representations for equally obvious reasons.

[screechfox]

Yeah! We have recorded blessings for bread generally in Anglo-Saxon sources, and a rite/ritual to protect the harvest from mice using the bread consecrated on Lammas, though, apparently!

[spiralsheep]

Yes, recorded prayers are a surprisingly useful source for what people cared about in everyday life. I hope the mice got their share anyway. :-)

I remember looking at that book when it was published and deciding to wait until the library got a copy. I keep seeing readers enjoying and recommending it.