The Green Corn Festival
& Ritual (Lammas)
Background History of the Green Corn Festival
The Native American holiday of
the Green Corn Feast (or Festival, or Dance) varies from tribe to tribe, and in
some tribes is, indeed, celebrated to this day. It is considered such an
important and sacred festival. Some tribes celebrate it earlier than August
1st, believing that the green corn must
be blessed, and the homes & people of the tribe cleansed, and made worthy,
before the first corn could be harvested. There is a tremendous, wise, and
insightful book about the Cherokee relationship to Selu, the Corn-Mother, and
modern life, Selu: Seeking the Corn Mother’s Wisdom (Fulcrum
Press, 1993), written by
Marilou Awiaktka. Some tribes believe that they were even made from corn by the
Great Spirits. Dragonfly's Tale by Kristina Rodanas and People
of Corn, A Mayan Story retold by Mary-Joan Gerson tell of such beliefs.
The Green Corn Dance (or
Festival) is held by many Native American tribes, such as the Creek, Cherokee, Seminole, Muscogee, Yuchi,
and Iroquois Indians, as well as most Pueblo tribes of the Southwest, such as
the Hopi and Santa Clara. Sometimes it is called the Peace Festival among the Shawnees and other corn-growing tribes
and might also properly be called the First Fruits Festival.
Authentic corn
festivals typically last for three to four days. The opening day of the ceremony varies across tribes depending
when the corn is ripe. During the
festival, members of the tribe give thanks for the corn, rain, sun, and a good
harvest. Another part of the religious
ceremony is the busk. The word busk
comes from the word “boskita” and means to fast. Corn is not to be eaten
until the Great Spirit has been properly thanked.
The Green Corn Festival is
also a religious renewal. The
overriding themes are: cleansing,
renewal, forgiveness, diversity and respect, and most importantly, gratitude for
what they had been blessed with in their lives.
The festival begins by
participants entering through and arbor
decorated with corn, brush, and other plants. This is the true Mohegan “wigwam”. The name
"Wigwam" comes from the word “wigwomun”,
meaning "welcome" or "come in the house." In many ways, the
wigwam is a community “open house” and
homecoming.
Ceremonies were held for
both planting and harvesting corn. The New England tribes’ spring Green Corn
ceremony was to ask for bountiful harvest. In August, also the month of the Celtic Lughnasadh (lu-na-sa) or Lammas,
the Green Corn celebrated the first harvest. Cornmeal symbolizes fertility, healing, and powers of people,
animals, rituals and objects.
The ritual itself may be proceeded by games, including
traditional native ball games, and craft
making. People should council with each other for forgiveness of wrongdoings and debts. Young people should be given council as to
their new spirit names to be announced in ritual. This is a good opportunity for palmistry,
tea leaf reading, and tarot readings before ritual.
******************
Suggested Traditional Native Ball Games: Before Ritual
The Iroquois tribes throw a ball at a pole to see who can throw it the
highest.
The Yuchi tribes have teams (boys against girls) that try to get the
ball into baskets at opposite ends of a field. The boys throw and catch the
ball, but may not run with the ball. The girls may run with the ball as well as
catch and throw the ball in order to get it into the basket.
Suggested Adult & Childrens’ Make Craft
items: Before Ritual
Sand Paintings, cardboard Totem Poles, paper Parfleches, Corn Husk
Dolls, and paper Masks. Beaded
necklaces, arm bands, leather wrist bands.
The Native American-style Green Corn
Ritual
DISCLAIMER: No attempt is made to accurately replicate
any particular native tribes’ sacred rite. All words, music, and
activities here were either originally written material or gathered from open
access information. The activities carried out are with good
intention, respect, admiration, and strictly for the purposes of education of
others in the general customs and beliefs of native peoples.
****************
1.
Preparation & Purification - To be done at home, beforehand
Purification of Self - Bathe at home before arriving and fast (do not eat) until
the “cakes & ale” portion of the ritual and feast after the ritual. If you are female, please wear leg-covering clothing.
Purification of Home - Everyone
is to bring a small, worn-out item from home to burn in the fire as part
of the ritual cleansing and renewal. Any small item that will burn
up, without releasing toxic fumes will do (no plastics, rubber, styrofoam). Suggested items to burn: small ripped
clothing items, old shoe (no rubber parts), broken baskets, candle stubs, small
portion of old furniture (chair leg or scrap of the upholstery), credit card or
loan statements you wish forgiven or paid off this year, rotten food from the
fridge (in a brown paper bag, please). You may bring extra items for those who
forget.
Purification of Ritual Space – Once arbor has been
blessed & procession starts, please do not enter or cut across circle area
until told do so in ritual.
Quarters: Quarters and
Minions, please set up your tables appropriately. It is preferable to bring Native
American items, such as dream catchers, bows & arrows, arrow points,
pottery, baskets, rattles, drums, prayer fans, feathers, Kachinas, ears of
corn, Be sure to have a bowl of corn meal at each quarter alter to
sprinkle about as you cast and open the circle.
Colors & Correlations: Gold, yellow, olive green, navy blue, turquoise. Incense: Sweetgrass, Sage, Cedar, Copal,
sandalwood, frankincense, heather, yarrow, hazelwood. Traditional Motifs: Corn, wheat, native designs.
East
(Wind, Air): White, Gray; Eagle; Power of Vision
South
(Fire): Yellow, Gold, Red; Hare & White Buffalo Woman; Power of Energy
West
(Water): Blue, Navy Blue, Turquoise; Bear; Power of Strength
North
(Earth): Olive Green, Grass Green, Yellow; Wolf; Power of Wisdom
Needs: Arbor
decorated with greenery, flowers, ears of corn; spring (bottled) water in bowl;
sage smudge stick, sweetgrass, and cedar chips (in pot to burn); tobacco (to
sprinkle on ground; supply of candles in big basket, placed to the East of the circle
(enter from the east); thorns (for scratching); 5 bowls of cornmeal.
People needed:
Leaders (priest & priestess),
water sprinkler, smudge-person, candle-handler person, Drummers, quarters, and
minions. ** IMPORTANT! Drummers will be positioned
to the NORTH SIDE of the circle.
µ Ritual
Begins µ
2. Ritual and Purification of Space
– (Notes for procession: (do not read aloud) After pre-ritual entertainment, the Priest &
Priestess will call out for the ritual participants to gather by the patio and
remind all to bring along old items to burn. Priest & Priestess will lead
all in procession around the garden and through the wigwam (arbor) from the
east. Exiting the arbor, participants
will be sprinkled with spring water and smudged with sweetgrass, cedar, and
sage smoke as purification. Everyone
will receive an unlit candle. Tobacco is to be sprinkled on the ground in the
arbor (wigwam) beforehand.)
*******************
Priest: (Recite this by the patio, lead the procession around the
garden, and enter through the arbor FROM THE EAST.)
This is the time of year
we celebrate the first harvest. We
honor the Earth Mother and thank her for her bounty. It is a time of
togetherness and renewal. In some
cultures, it is called Lughnasadh or
Lammas, but in the Native American
cultures, it is frequently referred to as the Green Corn Festival or First
Fruits Festival.
The Green Corn Dance (or
Festival) is held by many corn-growing tribes, such as the Creek, Shawnees, Cherokee, Seminole, Muscogee, Yuchi, Iroquois, and
most Pueblo tribes, such as the Hopi and Santa Clara.
The themes of tonight’s ritual
are cleansing, renewal, forgiveness,
diversity and respect, and most importantly, gratitude for what we have
been blessed with in our lives.
A wigwam, otherwise known as an arbor, in
the language of the Mohegan tribe, means “Welcome; come into the house.” Please
bring your old items to burn and follow me in procession through the WIGWAM
from the East.
* Cue CD: #1: “The Gathering” by Mary Youngblood, Album: “The Offering”
* Drummers: Play softly, slowly, solemnly,
like a heartbeat over this piece until the circle is formed.
3. Creating Sacred Space – Casting of the circle and inviting of energies from
the four directions. Circle is formed by guests (participants).
Priestess:
(Drummers: Stop) (“Grandfather Great Spirit Prayer” ~
Sioux)
Grandfather
Great Spirit,
All over the
World - The faces of living things are alike.
With tenderness
- They have come up out of the ground.
Look upon your
children - That they may face the winds
And walk The
Good Road, to The Day of Quiet.
Grandfather
Great Spirit,
Fill us with the
Light.
Give us the strength
to understand
And the eyes to
see.
Teach us - To walk
the soft earth as relatives to all that live.
Priest:
The Great Spirit created the Sky,
the Moon, the Earth, and all of the Beings on it.
We are gathered here to
celebrate the renewal of our Earth Mother and her bountiful blessings.
Now please call the quarters starting with the East.
After each quarter all
may repeat, “Blessed are you.”
*Drummers: Play slow, steady, solemn Native-American
style beat while each
Quarter
& Minion rounds the circle.
*Drummers: Stop as Quarter calls Spirits.
East Quarter: (Sprinkle cornmeal as you go around the circle)
To the East, where the Wind
blows…..
We call forth the Spirit of Brother
Eagle!
Eagle! Teach us to learn your
Power of Vision!
Blessed by the Great Spirit are
you!
Audience: “Blessed are you!”
South Quarter: (Sprinkle cornmeal as you go around the circle)
To the South, where the warmth grows…
We call forth the Spirits of Sister
Hare & White Buffalo Woman!
Hare! Guide us to have your
Power of Great Energy!
Blessed by the Great Spirit are
you!
Audience: “Blessed are you!”
West Quarter: (Sprinkle cornmeal as you go around the circle)
To the West, where the water
flows…
We call forth the Spirit of Brother
Bear!
Bear! Guide us to have your
Power of Strength!
Blessed by the Great Spirit are
you!
Audience: “Blessed are you!”
North Quarter: (Sprinkle cornmeal as you go around the circle)
The North, where the cold wind
blows…
We call forth the Spirit of Brother
Wolf!
Wolf! Teach us to have your
Power of Wisdom!
Blessed by the Great Spirit are
you!
Audience: “Blessed are you!”
Priestess:
Oh, Great Spirit, we honor
and give thanks to you.
Protect us from harm in
this Sacred Space.
In Peace and Togetherness,
let us begin our renewal.
Blessed be! (~ Black Diamond)
4.
Statement
of the Purpose – “What is the Corn Festival?”;
“I am Corn!” (Hopi Traditional Thought)
Priest:
Some people
believe that human beings were made from corn by the Great Spirits. Ask a Hopi what he's made of and he or she
will probably reply, "I am corn"!
Mother Earth
is the Corn Mother and the Sun, Earth, Rain, Corn, and humankind are obliged to
live in a natural harmonic rhythm with the Universe.
Through the
transmutation of food: corn,…our blood becomes the liquefied energy of the sun
and stars.
It comes to us
through the shifting patterns of the cosmos and the ecological phases of the
earth before it delivers the essences of life to us through our blood.
Thereby,
setting within us a rhythm of life which should be observed and respected!
Priestess:
The First
People - understood, in their Wisdom, that the Earth was a living entity
like themselves. She was their mother.
They were made from her flesh.
Her milk was
the grass upon which all animals grazed -
and the corn
that was created especially for food for humankind.
But the corn
plant is also a living entity with a body -
And the people
built its flesh into their own.
Hence, corn
was also their Mother.
Thusly, we know
our Mother in two aspects, as Mother Earth and the Corn Mother.
And in their
wisdom, the First People also knew their father in two ways.
He was the Sun
- the solar god of the Universe.
His was the face…. through which looked… the Great Creator.
These two
universal entities are our real parents.
Our human
parents - being but instruments - through which their power is made manifest.
Priest:
This, our
Green Corn Festival, is a celebration of the first harvest of the bounty to
sustain us for another year. It is a
time of cleansing and renewal.
Corn is a
life-giving essential to the native peoples of this land. Therefore, the green corn must be blessed,
and the homes and the people of our tribe must be cleansed and made worthy
before the first corn can be harvested.
We worship
tonight in the style of the Creek, the Cherokee, Seminole, Muscogee, Iroquois,
the Hopi, many Pueblo peoples. We give thanks for the corn, rain, sun, and a good harvest.
Priestess: (Walk
around, if possible, but return to alter to get cornmeal or take it with)
We clean and
bless ourselves and our homes.
We council
with each other in our families and community for the forgiveness of
wrongdoings and debts.
It is also a
time of honoring young people with names and rites of passage.
We give
respect and gratitude to each other and to the Great Spirit, our Creator, for
the blessing bestowed upon our lives.
(Pick up a
handful of corn meal)
This Cornmeal we
bless with symbolizes abundance of life, health, fertility, and the power from
the Creator.
(Sprinkle
cornmeal in four directions).
5. The Work, the Magick, Ritual
Observance
Cleansing (Appeal
to the Corn Mother)
*Drumming & Chanting:
“Earth is Our Mother” -
(Do all 4 Verses)
Note - Lisa: Bring extra Mike to put at drum
area
The Earth is
our Mother; we must take care of Her.
The Earth is
our Mother; we must take care of Her.
Hay-on,
Hay-on, Hay-on-ya
Hay-on,
Hay-on, Hay-on-ya
The Earth is
our Mother; She will take care of us.
The Earth is
our Mother; She will take care of us.
Hay-on,
Hay-on, Hay-on-ya
Hay-on,
Hay-on, Hay-on-ya
The sacred
ground we walk upon, with every step we take
The sacred
ground we walk upon, with every step we take
Hay-on,
Hay-on, Hay-on-ya
Hay-on,
Hay-on, Hay-on-ya
The Earth is
our Mother; we must take care of Her.
The Earth is
our Mother; we must take care of Her.
Hay-on,
Hay-on, Hay-on-ya
Hay-on, Hay-on,
Hay-on-ya
*Drummers: Stop
(Notes on Ritual
Scratching – Cleansing of self (Priest &
Priestess only) Done during the prayer. Priest and Priestess will
ritually open a small scratch on their arm. This is a symbolic “bloodletting”
to let the evil spirits and sickness out of the body. It traditionally is done
with thorns on a branch or an animal claw tied to a stick.)
Priest:
The Priestess & I will now perform,
for the benefit of all, a ritual and collective cleansing of self. This is to let the evil and disease out of
our bodies and restore us all to balance.
At the appropriate pause you may respond with, “Hear your children!”
Priest: (Sprinkle cornmeal in four
directions.) (“A
Prayer to the Corn Mother”
We bless with cornmeal.
~Pawnee, adapted)
Mother Corn, hear your
children!
Mother Corn, open the way!
(Pick up thorn – scratch wrist)
Audience:
Hear your children!
Priestess: (Sprinkle cornmeal in four
directions.)
Mother Corn, hear your
children!
Mother Corn, let us through you, open the way!
(Pick up thorn –
scratch wrist)
Audience:
Hear your children!
Priest:
Mother Corn, we pray to
you.
Mother Corn, open the way!
Audience:
Hear your children!
*Drumming & Chanting - “Wani Wachi Elo, Wakan Kataya”
(I want to live, Great Spirit) (Repeat
4 times)
Wani Wachi Elo
Wani Wachi Elo
Wakan Kataya
Wakan Kataya
(Repeat all 4 times)
*Drummers: Stop
Forgiveness
Priest:
As part of our
renewal process, we are to council with each other, with loved ones, friends,
and our Creator to forgive any transgressions against us, and resolve our
arguments with each other.
If you have those friends and loved ones near you at this moment, do so
now, if not, you may silently council with your Creator.
(Priest & Priestess Pause to Reflect
for a moment.)
Priest: (“Great Spirit Prayer”, - Yellow Hawk, Sioux Chief)
"Oh, Great Spirit,
whose voice I hear in the wind,
Whose breath gives life to
all the world.
Hear me; I need your
strength and wisdom.
Priestess:
Let me walk in beauty, and
make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the
things you have made,
My ears sharp to hear your
voice.
Make me wise, so that I
may understand the things you have taught my people.
The lessons you have
hidden in every leaf and rock.
Help me to remain calm and
strong in the face of all that comes towards me.
Help me seek pure thoughts
and act with the intention of helping others.
Priest:
Help me find compassion
without pain overwhelming me.
I seek strength, not to be
greater than my brothers,
But to be able to fight my
greatest enemy …………. Myself.
Make me ever ready to come
to you with clean hands and straight eyes,
So when life fades, as a
fading sunset, my spirit may come to you without shame.
Snake (or Spiral) Dance –
Priest:
We will all now have the Snake Dance. It’s
purpose is for the cleansing of the home. Similar to the Jewish custom at Rosh
Hashonah, this is the time of year the native people clean out their homes and
discard broken, worn out possessions by burning them. It is somewhat solemn in
nature.
Everyone pick up and carry your items
brought to burn in fire. Starting with the East Quarter, the men will go first
until all men are in single-file within the circle, then the women will follow
after, starting from the east. After
all the women are within the circle, any children may follow.
Always follow the leaders, do and say
what they do. As you get close to the
fire you may toss your item in to it.
Continue to spiral your way back out to your spot in the circle. This is
not unlike a “conga line.”
*Drumming: Somewhat solemn, to the rhythm of the children’s game “Rattlesnake”, but speeding up and raising
energy as crowd gets toward center of circle. May use shakers and jingles only
on the downbeat, if wanted.
(Notes
on Snake Dance: The purpose is for the cleansing of home. It also serves to raise, channel, and
release energy. This dance is done in a
serpentine fashion. All intertribal dances are done COUNTERCLOCKWISE. Suggested dance
directions: Yell, “Ah ho ho”, another
yell, "Ha ja ha ha nay",
while bowing to right and to left. “Ha
ja ho ha nay" in sing-song; hands on hips, & sashay side-to-side.
All kick up left foot; right-foot, then all circle in line, can join hands;
forward and back. In a single-file, make the circle smaller and smaller until
the dancers are wound up tight; sing, “Wa
ha ho ho!!” Everyone tosses their worn item into
the fire as they approach the center and slowly makes their way back out to the
circle, and the dance is over. Priest signals the drummers to stop.)
*Drummers: Stop
Naming & Rite of
Passage Ritual
Storytelling
Priest: (Signal drummers to stop)
All return to the circle, please. (Pause)
Now is the time we would like to invite
all of the children present to come forward and sit down together in front of
the main altar to hear a story.
(Priest or Priestess will now read a
native legend)
***
The Penobscot Tribal Legend of the
Corn Mother
(also similar to the Cherokee Tale of
“Selu, the Corn Mother”)
In the time before human
people, this young man was born from the foam of the waves, foam quickened by
the wind and warmed by the sun. It was the wind, the water, and the sun's
warmth which gave him life - warmth above all, because warmth is life.
The young man lived with Klos-kur-beh,
the Great Uncle, and became his chief helper.
Now, after these two powerful beings had created all manner of things,
there came to them, as the sun was shining at high noon, a beautiful girl.
She was born of the
wonderful earth plant, and of the dew, and of warmth. Because a drop of dew
fell on a leaf and was warmed by the sun, and the warming sun is life, this
girl came into being - from the green living plant, from moisture, and from
warmth.
"I am love," said
the maiden. "I am a strength-giver, the nourisher, I am the provider to
men and animals." The Great Uncle
thanked the Great Mystery Above for having sent them the maiden.
The young man married her. The young woman gave birth and thus, became
the First Mother. And the Great Uncle, who teaches humans all they need to
know, taught their children how to live.
Now the people increased
and became numerous. They lived by hunting, and the more people there were, the
less animals they found. They were hunting them out, and as the animals disappeared,
starvation came upon the people.
First Mother pitied them. The little grandchildren came to First
Mother and said: "We are hungry. Feed us." But she had nothing to give them, and she wept. She told them:
"Be patient. I will make some food. Then your little bellies will be
full." But she kept weeping.
Her husband asked:
"How can I make you smile? How can I make you happy?" "There is
only one thing that can stop my tears." "What is it?" asked her
husband. "It is this: you must kill me," she said. "I could
never do that," he said. She said, "You must, or I will go on weeping
and grieving forever."
Then the husband traveled
far, to the end of the Earth, to ask the Great Uncle what he should do. "You must do what she wants," said
Klos-kur-beh.
Then the young man went
back to his home, and it was his turn to weep. But First Mother said:
"Tomorrow at high noon you must do it. After you have killed me, let two of our sons take hold of my hair
and drag my body over that empty patch of earth. Let them drag me back and
forth, over every part of the patch. Don’t miss a spot.
Afterwards, take my bones
and bury them in the middle of this field. She smiled (pause, look
quizzical) …….“Leave and wait seven moons and then come back.” “You will find my flesh there, flesh given
out of love, and it will nourish and strengthen you forever and ever."
So it was done. The
husband and her sons, praying as they went, dragged her body to and fro as she
had commanded, until her flesh covered all the earth. Then they took up her
bones and buried them in the middle of it. Weeping loudly, they went away.
When the husband and his
children came back to that place after seven moons had passed, they found the
earth covered with tall, green, tasseled plants. The tassles remind them of
their mother’s hair. The plants' fruit, corn, was First Mother's flesh, given
so that the people of the Earth might live and flourish.
And so, they ate of First Mother's flesh and found it sweet beyond words. Following her instructions, they did not eat all, but put many kernels back into the earth. In this way, her flesh and spirit renewed themselves every seven months, generation after generation. And so, it is finished. ***
Naming Ritual (Notes on Naming: If not
many children, anyone
who wants to can
come forward and announce a new magical or spirit name.)
Priest:
(Before drumming, please give instructions)
Children who are to have their spirit (or
magical) names announced tonight, please stay here and stand. And will the parents of these young ones
come forth, please. Any adult wishing
to announce their new spirit name can also come forth.
Remain here until all are named and
blessed. After all are named and the Blessing is said, please do not clap,
but cheer, hoot, howl, whistle, bird call, and stomp your feet in appreciation.
*Drumming & Chanting – “Mother
I Feel You Under My Feet” (4 verses)
Mother, I feel
you under my feet.
Mother, I feel
your heartbeat.
Mother, I feel
you under my feet.
Mother, I feel
your heart beat.
Hay-ya,
hay-ya, hay-ya, hay-ya, hay-ya, hay-yo
Hay-ya,
hay-ya, hay-ya, hay-ya, hay-ya, hay-yo
(repeat both verses 2
times)
*Drummers: Stop
Priestess:
(After drumming
& chant, turn to Devon & Dominic)
Devon, your spirit name is
“Alah’Ayōō.” That is your
name in Diné, the language of the Navajo people. It means, beloved friend,
bringer of joy. You are a seeker of knowledge. (Sprinkle him with cornmeal)
Dominic, your spirit name
is “Diyin.” That is your name in Diné, the language of the Navajo people. It
means, you are one with the Great Spirit. You are a sensitive, and one of
action. (Sprinkle
him with cornmeal)
(Turn to others)
Proud Parents, will you announce
the spirit name of this child and what it signifies?
(Priestess repeats the name and sprinkles
the child (or adult) with corn meal.)
Blessing of Youth
Priestess:
(“Beauty
Blessing” ~Traditional Navajo
Blessing)
Young People of the tribe,
As you walk through the
world, know that you do not walk alone
Know that the Universe is
walking with you.
May you walk with beauty
before you,
With beauty behind you,
With beauty below you,
With beauty above you,
And with beauty on all
sides of you.
May you walk in Beauty and
Harmony all your days.
Priest: (After all are named)
Please do not clap. You may
congratulate the named. Cheer, hoot, howl, whistle, bird call, and stomp your
feet with spirit!
All parents and children, you may return
to circle.
*Fire Tender: Burst of Fire
*Drummers: Burst of Noise / Stop
Energy Raising
Seminole-style Stomp Dance – (Notes on Stomp Dance: Drumming,
Rattles, Maracas, Shakers, Jingle Bells, Tambourines, etc. are permitted and
encouraged. Also, during this dance typically koshares, or holy clowns, representing
the spirits of the ancestors would weave among the dancers, spoofing, pranking,
merry-making, and carrying evergreens that symbolize growth. Practiced by the
Hopi, Zuni, and Santo Domingo and other Pueblos of New Mexico. We will omit this, as the custom is too
sacred to replicate.)
Priestess:
We will now have our Stomp
Dance. This dance is to visualize and send this energy into the universe to
make happen what you have envisioned: forgiveness, protection, health,
fertility, strength, prosperity, good harvest, connections with new friends.
Priest:
In the Seminole-style Stomp Dance,
individual dancers can, if they wish, do their own styles of dance, depicting
animals of their choice, such as the "fire ant," "grasshopper”,
“crow", “wild turkey”, "catfish", “eagle”, and so on. Rattles,
and noise-makers are permitted. This is
your chance to build up and shoot off that energy - go wild, sing, yell, go crazy, do your own thing!
Men and Ladies enter and dance together. All
dancers circulate clockwise around
the fire. Feel free to invite others in by grabbing their hand and pulling them
in.
*Drumming - Note: Drummers will
eventually get faster and faster until breaking with, 3 half notes, then a
pause and all end on one huge downbeat.
Dance ends, all return to circle.
*Drummers: Stop - Dance should last
about 5 minutes.
Priest: (Signal drummers to stop after 5 minutes
or so)
All please return to the circle.
6. The Blessing of the Corn - Ritual Feast –
(Normally known as “Cakes and Ale”)
Priestess:
(Hold cup of tea up high.)
This is a sharing of the
ritual cleansing “BLACK DRINK”, in our case black tea.
Besides cleansing the
body, it also gives courage and daring during times
of trouble and strength to keep ties of friendship.
(Hold corn cake
up high.)
This is the
fruit of our Corn Mother as she gives us life.
This is the ending of our fast and the blessing of the CORN.
Priest:
Minions, please distribute so all may partake
of CORN BREAD and BLACK DRINK. Please do
not eat or drink until after the Blessing is finished. And then you may throw
your cups in the fire.
*Cue CD #2 – “The Offering” by Mary Youngblood, Album: “The Offering”
*Drumming & Chanting – (Drum over the CD, Play while Minions distribute ritual
cornbread and “Black Drink” tea.)
“Earth Our Body” (4 verses).
Earth, our
Body; Water, our Blood;
Air, Our
Breath; and Fire, our Spirit. (repeat 4 times)
Minions: (Distribute corn cakes and
tea to each quarter of the circle.)
Thanking the Deities – The Offering
*Drummers: Stop
Priest:
(When all are
served, signal drummers & CD music to stop, hold four ears of corn up high,
point them toward the four directions.)
We make an offering to the
Thunder Beings and to the Ancestor Spirits as a gesture of thanks
for a fruitful corn harvest.
Priestess: (Sprinkles cornmeal in four directions.)
Let us now give our Prayer
of Thanksgiving.
P & P (alternate
lines): (“Thanksgiving Prayer”, ~Iroquois adapted)
We return
thanks to our Mother, the Earth, which sustains us.
We return
thanks to the rivers and streams, which supply us with water.
We return
thanks to all herbs, which furnish medicines for the cure of our diseases.
We return
thanks to the moon and stars, which have given us their light when the sun was
gone.
We return
thanks to the sun that has looked upon the earth with a beneficent eye.
Lastly, we
return thanks to the Great Spirit, in who is embodied all goodness, and who
directs all things for the good of Her children.
Priest:
(Take the four
ears of corn and place them in the fire.)
This is Thanksgiving for
another year of life!
You may eat and drink now! You may throw
you cups into the fire.
Priestess:
(After eating & drinking)(“Thanks to the Corn Mother”
–Iroquois, adapted)
Please respond with, “Hear your Children!”
Mother Corn, hear your
children! Mother Corn, thank you for this day.
Audience:
Hear your children!
Priest:
Mother Corn, hear your
children! Mother Corn, we feast on you!
We are grateful are we for
the life you give.
Audience:
Hear your children!
Priestess:
Mother Corn, we pray to
you! Mother Corn, bless our harvest, bless this day!
Audience:
Hear your children!
Passing of the New Fires
*Cue CD: #3 “Wishes of Happiness” traditional arranged by Peter Kater,
Album: “Sacred Spirits”.
*Fire bearer: Light a torch off of the
central fire. Bring it to the main
altar.
Priest: Fire Bearer, the
Torch, please.
Minions, please come forth with your
candles. Light them from the torch and then distribute the new fire to each
person in your quarter circle.
Candles may be kept or discarded in the
fire after the final prayers are finished at the end.
7. Opening the Circle – Dismissing
of energies from the four directions that you have called. Bid them farewell on
their way and thank them for their teachings. (All
stand holding lit candles until the end).
Priestess:
Oh, Great Spirit, we honor
and give thanks to you.
Protect us from harm as we
open this Sacred Space.
Let us remember your
teachings:
To live in balance and
harmony with all the Beings of the Earth.
As the quarters are
called, please respond with, “Bless you and farewell!”
Priest:
Quarters, starting with the North, please release
your spirits. All please respond with “Bless you and farewell!”
*Drummers: Play slow, steady, solemn Native-American
style beat while each
Quarter
& Minion rounds the circle.
*Drummers: Stop as Quarter calls Spirits.
North Quarter: (Sprinkle cornmeal as you go around the circle)
The North, where the cold wind
blows…
We bid farewell to the Spirit of
Brother Wolf!
Wolf! Thank you for your Power
of Wisdom!
Blessed by the Great Spirit are
you!
Bless you and farewell!
Audience: Bless you and farewell!
West Quarter: (Sprinkle cornmeal as you go around the circle)
To the West, where the water
flows…
We bid farewell to the Spirit of
Brother Bear!
Bear! Thank you for your Power
of Strength!
Blessed by the Great Spirit are
you!
Bless you and farewell!
Audience: Bless you and farewell!
South Quarter: (Sprinkle cornmeal as you go around the circle)
To the South, where the warmth
grows…
We bid farewell to the Spirits
of Sister Hare and White Buffalo Woman!
Hare! Thank you for your Power
of Great Energy!
Blessed by the Great Spirit are
you!
Bless you and farewell!
Audience: Bless you and farewell!
East Quarter: (Sprinkle cornmeal as you go around the circle)
To the East, where the Wind
blows…..
We bid farewell to the Spirit of
Brother Eagle!
Eagle! Thank you for your Power
of Vision!
Blessed by the Great
Spirit are you!
Bless you and farewell!
Audience: Bless you and farewell!
Priest:
Great Spirit who created
the Sky, the Moon, the Earth, and all of the Beings on it.
We have thanked the Corn
Mother for her blessings upon us and our harvest.
We have cleansed and
renewed our bodies and homes.
We celebrate this renewal
and enjoy the Mother’s bounty.
We thank you for these
blessings.
(~Black
Diamond)
Priestess:
(“Beauty Blessing” - Traditional Navajo
Blessing”)
As I walk, as I walk,
The Universe is walking
with me.
In beauty, it walks before
me.
In beauty, it walks behind
me.
In beauty, it walks below
me.
In beauty, it walks above
me.
Beauty is on every side,
As I walk, I walk with
Beauty.
I walk the Turquoise
Trail.
Priest:
(“Cherokee
Prayer Blessing” – Traditional Cherokee
Blessing)
May the Warm Winds of the Heavens
blow softly upon your house.
May the Great Spirit bless
all who enter there.
May your moccasins make
happy tracks in many seasons,
And may the Rainbow always
touch your shoulder.
“It is finished.” ß(Do not skip this line – it is traditional to say
this!!)
“We are renewed. Appreciate your neighbor and ….Let’s FEAST!!”
*Cue CD: #4: “On My Way” by Mary
Youngblood, Album: “Feed The Fire”
Green
Corn Festival Feast
SUGGESTED DISHES TO
BRING:
*Roasted Corn - (Required) Corn on the Cob, great
numbers of roasting ears were prepared, and all the people ate as freely as
they desired. Seasoned with butter, salt, and red chile powder.
Blue Corn Chips & Salsa – Blue corn is considered sacred,
good idea to bring.
Sofk - a traditional Seminole
drink made of watery corn grits, served hot or cold, can be sweetened with corn
or maple syrup.
Fry bread, Baked, or Boiled Corn
Bread: The Iroquois Indians
made a wonderful boiled corn bread. They made flour by pounding corn into
flour. To make bread, they mixed water with corn flour. Sometimes cooked beans were added, or berries or
nuts. The bread was kneaded and formed into small loaves. The loaves
were dropped into boiling water and cooked until the bread floated. Boiled corn
bread was served both hot and cold. They also used the same bread mix to bake
bread by putting it on clay tablets in the fire. They used sunflower oil to fry
bread.
Recipe: If you want to try making
Iroquois corn bread, mix flour with water and a little salt. Knead it. Turn it
out on a floured board. Keep kneading until you can handle the bread without it
sticking to your fingers. Then either boil it or fry it. If you want it to puff
up, add a little baking soda.
New Mexico Spicy Corn Bread
- Baked with diced jalapenos
or diced green chiles added are great!
New Mexico Sopapillas – Fry bread served plain drizzled
with Honey.
*Seminole Fry Bread
- (Highly
desired), served topped with cherry
pie filling and powered sugar - makes a super
dessert item!!
Pot of Hot Soup or Posole – Chicken soup or Posole which is
stew of corn pone (large corn kernels) and boiled beef, seasoned with bay leaf,
garlic, cumin, salt pepper.
BBQ Beef Ribs – no explanation needed.
Yokeag - (parched and ground corn),
Grinding Muskogee yokeag is a part of the Wigwam (homecoming or corn harvest)
festival. Similar to Grits.
*Succotash – Required, as the "Three Sisters" is a sacred and traditional dish of most
Native American Cultures a combination of corn,
beans, and squash.
Hearts of Palm Salad – (Highly desired) for those who
prefer a green salad with a meal - add canned, chilled hearts of palm to a
mixed salad, vinaigrette dressing.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
NATIVE AMERICAN
DRUMMING
& DANCING NOTES:
The drum is the heartbeat
and central pulse of the powwow. There are always one or several groups of
singers who sing as they beat in unison
a rhythm on a large drum. Each group of singers is called a drum (usually
5-10 members or entire families). Each drum group has a lead singer and a "second" who repeats the lead line on a
different or similar key.
The singers are very
important to the structure of the powwow because they must know several types
of songs for all the different dances, honorings and events that take place.
Drum groups play several
different kinds of songs, some of which are very old and traditional. Each drum
has its own style, such as Northern or Southern. Northern singing is a higher
pitch than Southern. Songs are sung four
times, a sacred number in Indian tradition.
Most songs have no actual words but are syllables that carry the melody and the
meaning of the song. These syllables are called vocables.
Some songs are sung in English or Native languages.
Socials within all
Iroquois communities are meant to be enjoyed by all in attendance, especially
when everyone dances. Social songs vary in length, verses and tempo depending
on the song selection of the singers. Northern dances are done
counter-clockwise, southern dances are done clockwise, intertribal dances are done
in a clockwise direction.
All dances are introduced. In some instances,
instructions are provided to ensure that dances are carried out properly.
The instruments used in
the social dances in various combinations are the water drum, the horn rattle,
hard sticks and the beating of the feet on the floor.
The social dances can be
categorized into three types of step styles: "stomp," "fish" and "side-step
shuffle".
Stomp
is a shuffling type of dance, the right foot leads and the left foot is brought
up to meet the right. The feet "hit" the floor with just enough
impact to maintain the beat of the song.
Fish
is a dance where each foot hits in two or more consecutive beats.
Side-step shuffle is done by the women, the right foot and the left foot shuffle
oppositely.
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More Corn Legends:
The Lenni Lenape (Delaware Algonquins) Tribal
Legend of the Corn Mother-
To the
Lenni Lenape People, the Corn Mother was called Kahesana Xaskwim (Kah-hes-san-a
Zas-kwim). In this legend, the people
took her gifts for granted and stopped believing in her. Hurt by this, Corn
Mother gave all the corn seed wings, and it all flew away.
With no
corn the people began to fight and panic, because winter was approaching.
Feeling sorry for the people, the Great Creator slowed winter for them and sent
an old wise man from the spirit world to help them.
The wise
man taught the people how to get enough oysters to help them survive for
awhile. He took a young boy from the
village with him and set off on a journey to find the Corn Mother.
Old Man
and Boy went far across a frozen sea. After some time, they came to a hole in
the ice and jumped through it. Instead of there being water beneath this hole,
there was a huge barren corn field.
In the
middle of the field was a small hut. Old Man told Boy that this was the home of
the Corn Mother, and that they would visit her after they ate. They made a
small fire and began to cook some oysters.
The scent
of the cooking oysters brought the Corn Mother out to them, and she asked them
if they would share since she was nearly starving. They willingly shared with
her, and after they finished eating, Old Man and Boy sang and danced for Corn
Mother.
After
this, Old Man asked Corn Mother for corn seed to take to the village. Sadly,
Corn Mother said that she could not give the people any corn because they were
greedy and not thankful for her gifts. Boy began to cry and plead with Corn
Mother, telling her how other children like him, would starve to death. This
made Corn Mother cry, but instead of tears falling from her eyes, corn seed
fell.
She told
Boy and Old Man that they could each take a handful of the seed back to the
people, but that people must sing songs and dance to thank her for her gifts.
She said that when she heard these songs and saw these dances it would make her
very happy. She would know the people
were grateful, so then she would bless them with abundant crops.
Boy and
Old Man returned to the people and taught them the songs and dances to honor
the Corn Mother.
All over
the world, people believe in the Corn Mother, and she plays important roles
throughout the year. This harvest season, we thank the Corn Mother for her
gifts of food to sustain us through the fall and winter. We honor her with
songs and dances.
Plant
seeds to blossom in the warmth of spring, when she awakens. As the cold season
sets in, she will wither and die.
Remember that she will be reborn in the spring.