The First Harvest
Among the wood elven tribes in Astaros proper, near Lake Suordaefel, there is a tradition of gathering edible plants and picking berries for the winter, especially blueberries and raspberries. The first gathered patch is blessed by the shaman of the clan. The Quantity and quality of the first harvest are used to foretell the future, especially of the next year and its hardships. It is thought to be a bad omen if the first harvest is not performed accordingly, or if the first harvest is too minuscule or unilateral. Finding only one or two crops is seen as a bad sign; fish might be plentiful, but the hard winter will not be forgiving and the source of fish can be easily lost.
The second most important part of the First Harvest is to see how the carefully cooked jam settles in the jars; do the berries float on the top of the jar or settle nicely or perhaps sink to the bottom. The evenly settling one is preferred, as when the berries float to the top it will bring bad luck for the next summer, and if they sink to the bottom, it will be bad luck for the next winter.
Also, an offering is left for The Monster of Lake Suordaefel and the ancestors. 1/4 of the first harvest is placed on the banks of the Lake, to appease the monster. Another 1/4 is placed on the old altars for the ancestors and then burned as an offering. Only half of the First Harvest is used by the tribe in question and all of it is preserved for the winter. It is also considered bad luck to eat any of the First Harvest, as what is eaten it's either taken from the monster, the ancestors or from the tribe itself, sabotaging the survival of the whole clan.
The second most important part of the First Harvest is to see how the carefully cooked jam settles in the jars; do the berries float on the top of the jar or settle nicely or perhaps sink to the bottom. The evenly settling one is preferred, as when the berries float to the top it will bring bad luck for the next summer, and if they sink to the bottom, it will be bad luck for the next winter.
Also, an offering is left for The Monster of Lake Suordaefel and the ancestors. 1/4 of the first harvest is placed on the banks of the Lake, to appease the monster. Another 1/4 is placed on the old altars for the ancestors and then burned as an offering. Only half of the First Harvest is used by the tribe in question and all of it is preserved for the winter. It is also considered bad luck to eat any of the First Harvest, as what is eaten it's either taken from the monster, the ancestors or from the tribe itself, sabotaging the survival of the whole clan.
Observance
The First Harvest takes place in late summer or early autumn when the first berries and other produce are about to be ripe.
Primary Related Location
Related Ethnicities
Comments