Old Michaelmas and Blackberry Bramble
Liturgical lore, a caution, and a tune
10/30/24 Newly added: an audio of the tune played by me on my harp! See end of post.
Michaelmas – the Christian Feast Day of St. Michael the Archangel – is celebrated on September 29th. But I recently learned that this feast day was once celebrated on October 10th or 11th, and that “Old Michaelmas,” at least in Britain, also commemorated the day that Satan was cast out of heaven.
To fill you in, St. Michael the Archangel fought against Lucifer and the other fallen angels. He is considered to be the leader of the heavenly hosts. He is our protector in spiritual warfare, and, as the Prayer to St. Michael goes, our defender “against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.” In reading about Old Michaelmas, I discovered that when Lucifer hurtled to earth, he fell into a blackberry bush. The ensnarer became the ensnared!
I’m sure most of us agree that falling into blackberry would cause anyone grief. And, indeed, tradition has it that the Devil, caught in this particular earthly torment, became enraged. He cursed blackberry, spat upon it, scorched it with his fiery breath, and, according to Cornish legend, even urinated upon this vigorous and jabby plant.
As a result, blackberries are not to be harvested after October 10th. You may think to yourself, why would I want to harvest blackberries anyway, their delicious summer goodness being long past? Let this little legend help you set aside any lingering temptation to pick one last berry, and leave blackberries well enough alone until next year.
An Irish proverb, says: “On Michaelmas Day, the devil puts his foot on blackberries.”
Life is surprising. After reading about the Devil and blackberries, I recalled a Celtic-inspired illustration I’d painted several years ago of a man with a thorny harp entangled in a blackberry bush. I had even composed a rambunctious tune, “Blackberry Bramble,” to go with the art. Is the entangled man the fallen Lucifer with his once-heavenly harp? Who are the beasts? I don’t really know. I suspect that this illustration contains many possible stories. The Old Michaelmas legend merely suggests one of them.
Enjoy the illustration, and this little journey with blackberry and the old liturgical year, and if you play an instrument, you might try plucking out this tune. Then head out to field and forest to admire bold and abundant blackberry.
Oh, and if it’s past October 10th? Leave any blackberries you find on the vines!
And here is where I play the tune on my harp. Enjoy!