Léseiródh

General overview

The harvest fires of the Duiniken have a long tradition in Duiniken history. Originally they started in what is today Tarrabaenia, the old homeland of the Duiniken. Harvest fires were made in autumn, after the harvest period. Old cereal husks, the rests of the cereal plants on the fields as well as all other agricultural waste where brought to the fields and burned. This occasion was also a celebration of the fertility goddess Reiridh, thanking her for good harvests and praying for good harvests in the future. As she is also a fire goddess, she also ensured that noone came to harm on the burning fields. The tradition of Léseiródh has continued after the Duiniken moved to Nuat Duinis Talou, but changed as to fit the different environment. As Nuat Duinis Talou is much richer in rain and the soil is less fertile, the harvest fires have lost their dangerous aspect, but the ashes produced diring the process have gained in importance as an important fertilizer.

Aetiology and history

The ritual, although it has been changed, goes back to very old roots. The Duiniken have practised it since times immemorial in their old homeland and testimonies of it still stand tall in the shape of Duiniken stone carvings. The Tarrabaenians, in awe of the cultural heritage the Duiniken left, are meticulously researching not only the positions of the sources, but also their content and meaning. One carving was made out to date into the late Era of the Trees and what remains of the text has been translated by some scholars, albeit with some controversy and discussion, since the fragments are so old, even the relatively good understanding of Proto-Duinis-'Éch leaves some uncertainties as to what the text is supposed to mean.

First translation
(...) has been collected; Already the mushrooms are (...) ; (...) too big <are> the flames; Rígis guide us, protect us, bless us. (...) ; (...) ; This we celebrate with gratitude (...) ; (...)

Second translation

(...) has been harvested; The dúsnarmil is already (...) ; (...) too big <is> the fire; Guide us through the harvest protect us and bless us. (...) ; (...) ; This we celebrate with gratitude (...) ; (...)

The dúsnarmil is a kind of slime mold, that is often associated with late harvest in conditions too moist for the grain to stay healthy. While some scholars prefer to translate the dubious term in the inscription with a mushroom, others are more interpretative, because of the temporal adverb in that line. Another point of controversy is the word 'rígis', which some see as an old form of the name Reiridh, while others see in it a word for either 'harvest' or 'autumn'.

Role in the present time

While with the more rainy climate of Nuat Duinis Talou protection from devastating fires branching out from the burning fields is no longer important, there is still the aspect of disease or pest control. Old plant material, husks, leaves, vines and stalks is burnt to kill pests that might have found shelter there. Also diseased plant parts are being disposed of like that. Furthermore, the often stony soil is less rich in nutrients than required. So the ashes are plowed into the soil together with other ameliorants like manure, to help promote agriculture.