What are the origins of the lamas fair in st andrews?

Question

What are the origins of the lamas fair in st andrews?

Answer 1

lammas is a major festival in the Pagan calendar . August 1st. usually is Lammas Day . It was christianised so the origin is worth the research .

Answer 2

Lammas is a Pagan festival of the harvest - Loaf-Mass day as it became known, was later Christianised to become Harvest Festival - Still with a loaf baked to represent the corn sheaf at it's centre.

In the UK it is still celebrated by the act of killing John Barleycorn (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Barley...

Where "John" would be killed in the field - as a sacrifice to appease the taking of the crop. Thisis often represented as a figure dressed in sacks and straw - the original scarecrow, who is " killed" - leaving only the sacks and straw.

The Fair would be held as a local gatherng to sell the corn, and make merry after the harvest.  - The Origins of Harvest Festival - where it was a festuival of revelry - pipes, drums, anda lot of dancing !

Answer 3

"Apparently this was, once upon a time, a yearly market, in which worthwhile products were bought and sold, news exchanged, and food vended......."

http://thegreekgeek.blogspot.com/2007/08...

Answer 4

Lammas comes from pagan times. It was when a sacrifice was made at the start of the harvest to the God and Goddess. A figure was made out of the straw/wheat or whatever and beaten about until it fell apart then they would begin to take in the first of the harvest. As time progressed Lammas was a one day market holiday when the farm workers had the day to go to the market and usually a fair and enjoy themselves before all the hard work of bringing in the harvest for an other year.