Happy Lughnasadh! by SidheRoseGraphics
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Description
Lugnasadh (loo-na-sah) is the traditional Celtic pagan holiday celebrating the first harvests of the crops planted in the spring. This year maybe you'll want to pronounce it Lunacy - for this is a Blue Moon month. Today was the first of the two.
Lughnasadh was celebrated to give thanks for the bountiful harvest for the year. The first corn is cut and taken to a high place and buried as an offering. The cutting down or reaping of the corn or 'barley-corn' is the basis of the song and myth of John Barleycorn. The community then shares in a meal that consists of harvested food and a sacrificial bull. Everyone participates in this feast. The old bull is replaced with a new young bull for the next year's feast.
Lugh (loo) himself is the young new sun-hero who vanquishes the old sun who was born in spring and grew stronger through the summer. The story is similar in a way to the Oak King and Holly King myths, if you are familiar with those. Each sun-king rules for half the year and then is deposed/slain by the new one. This cycle is also similar to the story of Rex Nemorensis, if you've ever read Fraser's "Golden Bough". Rex Nemorensis is the current king of the wood. His successor must slay him in order to become the new Rex Nemorensis.
Harvest was of course a very important time to our ancestors, for the bounty of the harvest was their insurance of making it through the winter months. These myths go back a very long way, at least to Sumer if not before. They are tied up with the myths of Inanna's consort Dumuzid or Tammuz, and his descent into the Underworld in her place. They are also similar to the story of Demeter and her daughter Persephone who must live in Hades for part of the year in Greek and Roman myth (Ceres and Proserpina).
Given this year's spate of weird weather, droughts and freak storms...it should be interesting.
May your harvest season be bountiful my friends - whatever you may be reaping!
Many thanks for dropping by, your comments and faves. They are all appreciated, as is your own wonderful and inspiring art!
Ray
Image is a combination of Poser render, PShop painting and fractals.
Comments (24)
amaranthine
Awesome work :)!
barryjeffer
An excellent way to end the month of Holly Ray, the Corn moon is in full blaze and we've finally had rain here. A most joyful Lammas to you as well my dear friend. A most beautiful render and a wonderful blessing....
odile
This is an excellent depicting of our great god Lug (french spelling !:) )and his flambuoyant sword ! Be blessed too!
mgtcs
A truly inspired wor my friend, well done!
Savage_dragon
Very bright. ")
crunch01
I way like this render the pose and efx amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! goes well with the mythical story! :o)
Faemike55
Fantastic image and extremely cool information
eekdog
the visual effects are freakin' awesome Ray..
KarmaSong
Wonderful and colourful composition and superb dedi to the Celtic mythology and calendar. When will you illustrate Samhain as well ?!
drifterlee
Very beautiful work!
TheOwl68
Your illustration of Lugh is fantastic, so perfect an image to celebrate this ancient holiday =) A bountiful harvest season to you, too! Excellent work and a favorite!
Leije
Very intense, fantastic effects !
brycek
Fantastic image and effects..well done!!
Richardphotos
the effects are outstanding
UteBigSmile
Wonderful piece of artwork, just love it!
art-digital
sublime scène mon amie bravo
Heitaikai
What a beautiful creation, Rayvn. I like this combination of render, painting and fractal very much!
vechtdalcollege
Cool render with those special effects. Well done! Gr.Rudy.
MagikUnicorn
Very lovely
wrpspeed
nice work
wrpspeed
nice work
adorety
Awesome image and great bit of history/info.
RodS
A fantastic work of art, Ray! Love the bit of history, too - most excellent!
brewgirlca
Reminds me of the art when I first connected with you - the unabashed use of powerful fractals woven into a tapestry of magical power and thrown out to us full tilt. You tell of great legends and your depth of knowledge shows in how you weave together the seamingly disparate cultural elements to show all are one.