St Michaelmas traditions

 

The egg of Saint Michael

The equinoxes form the two points where day and night balance each other. Whereas the vernal equinox signals the arrival of spring and is often accompanied by extensive social feasting, the same exuberance does not normally go accompanied with the fall equinox, on September 21.

The angel with the egg - Spledor Solis - notice the three symbolic colours

Easter, linked with the spring equinox, is the festival of the eggs and the feast of one important resurrection. However, the festival that follows the fall equinox, Michaelmas, has also a strong link with the egg – though this relationship has been largely forgotten and seems to be only present in historical works on folklore.
The old inhabitants of Perillos nevertheless can remember the folklore surrounding the egg. One took one egg, so they explain, because at that time of the year, it was an invaluable type of food, in preparation for the winter. Whereas the Easter eggs were often there in large quantities and with many colours, those of St Michael were decorated less profusely, though also more symbolically. The egg was tied with sheets of ivy and plunged in boiling water to create just that – a hard-boiled egg. Ivy was used to so that the shell of the egg would become green in colour. One could point towards a possible link with the Green Tree of May, or the Green Man of medieval times, the symbol of fecundity of nature – of which the egg would be another apt expression.
The following day, it would the youngest person around the hearth which would be eating this egg. Though little addition information can be gleaned from this practice, it is known that the custom was very old. Furthermore, at one stage, the egg was once thrown in the air and had to be skilfully caught without it breaking. If it was successfully caught, it was a favourable sign and, though failure meant that prospects were less than positive.
According to the ancient inhabitants of Perillos, the events on the eve of St Michael fell into oblivion in approximately 1920. It is known that at that time, there was a general decline of the custom of the “egg of Saint Michael”, in favour of the Easter eggs. Perhaps the rite was deemed to be too pagan, and hence had to be removed. Still, we should add that Perillos was not the only site where the egg had a special bond with Michaelmas – the tradition was also present in the sector of Comminges, further west.

Michaelmas fires

The egg festival was not the only custom that occurred on Michaelmas. Both in Perillos and St Bertrand de Cominges, a fire was lighted. Though it was said that it represented the burning of St Michael, there was nothing in the fire – no image, statue or other display – of the saint. It resembles the fires that were lighted on May 1 – and certain other key dates of the ancient calendars. The festivals in the spring were those of a revival of the virility of the crops. Those of the autumnal equinox were typical of a decline towards the hibernation – death.

the purifying fire - the fire from Hell

We should add that in the rare places where this rite occurred, it was always referred to as “burning the Michaelmas” and not “the fire of Michaelmas”. Furthermore, whereas the fire festival of St John (in June) was normally accompanied with youthful leaping about, the autumn fire was typified by peaceful contemplation. As in death, the fall was a moment of introspection and contemplation.
At the same time, we need to note that Michael was the archangel that fought against the devil – and the fire of Hell?

The wild blackberries of Michaelmas

There is another tradition linked with the evening of this festival. It specifies that the archangel would have it that the night signalled the end of the combat against Lucifer, when he threw his enemy to the ground – in fact, threw him down to Earth. He would have landed on a blackberry bush, whose fruits were coloured as a result of this event – they took on the colour of the vanquished person, i.e. the devil/Lucifer, who also apparently cursed them. It was said to be imprudent to eat the fruits after this date. Failure to do so was paramount to lead to certain curses against the trespasser. Furthermore, it was said that one could spit or urinate on the bush after this night – no doubt showing the disrespect that should be displayed towards the “Prince of the World”.
The raspberry is very close to the blackberry, with the raspberry being red and the blackberry – unsurprisingly – black. The mulberry tree, whose foliage feeds the silk worms, carries white berries. Black, red and white are important colours in symbolism and it should thus come as no surprise that the berries play an important role in folklore.

In Wales, a Michaelmas goose was always on the tables of those who could afford it. Even now in many parts of Wales the Michaelmas goose makes its appearance.
Finally, Michaelmas was also linked with the baking of a special cake, as can be found in several Celtic communities, including the Scottish island of Saint Kilda. The cake was a very large loaf cake made of currant dough well risen with barm.
In Wales, pieces of this were distributed to every member of the family, the domestics, and any strangers who might call at the house. Some of these cakes were named “moon cakes”. These had to be eaten before midnight, if one wanted to be protected by the archangel during the following year.
At the same time, it seems that these baking contests were a method of keeping the family inside. Once again in Wales, there was an old superstition that on this night the Cistfaens, or warriors' graves, were illuminated by spectral lights, and it was very unlucky to walk near those places on Michaelmas Eve or Night; for on those two occasions the ghosts of ancient soldiers were engaged in deadly fray around their lonely resting-places. It seems to echo the fight of St Michael with the devil – a battle which was apparently not to be witnessed by humans.

Festivals in Perillos

The central question is which of these festivals were celebrated on the eve of the patron saint of the village. Some, for sure, but all? Furthermore, can we suppose that they were celebrated from the times of the erection of the first oratory? If so, was the choice of the patron saint related to these popular beliefs? Or was that choice the fruit of other reasons, nothing to do with folklore?