Saturday 1 September 2018

September Days

 September  was the seventh month of the Roman calendar and the Anglo-Saxons called it 'gerst monarth' meaning Barley Month. The 1st of the month marks the start of meteorological autumn and the day length decreases by 1 hour and 53 minutes during the month. Astronomically, Autumn doesn't begin until the equinox on the 23rd.
The word autumn comes from Latin autumnus and it's use dates back to the C14. In the USA it is known as fall and both autumn and fall were used in this country back in the C17.


These are two of the September Pages from The Diary of a Country Lady, one of the traditional saying she mentions is  Fair on September 1st - fair for the month. I hope it's right.


September was an important month in the past as it was the time for harvest and festivals to celebrate another successful growing year.

Hip! Hip! Hip! for the harvest home,
Now we've taken the last load home,
I ripped my shirt and I teared my skin,
To get my masters harvest in.

Great ceremony was always attached to the gathering of the last sheaf of corn, which was often used to make a corn dolly. This corn dolly would then be planted in the first furrow in the following spring to ensure a good crop.
Things have changed since the time when John Betjeman wrote 'Harvest Home', his version of the favourite harvest hymn. He said "We fire the fields for harvest, the hedges swell the flames".  I can remember when stubble fields were burned before being ploughed - smoke everywhere, now fields are more likely to be sprayed..........  just as nasty.

In medieval times tenants were given the right to gather firewood during the autumn or winter  " By hook or by crook". That means they could gather firewood but only using a shepherds crook and a billhook. No saws allowed.

From The Months poem by Sara Coleridge
Warm September brings the fruit,
Sportsmen then begin to shoot.

This old rhyme hopes for calm weather until the apples and pears were ready for harvest ........
    September blow soft 'til the fruits in the loft 

St Matthews Day on the 21st  has a few  associated weather rhymes and sayings

South wind on the 21st indicates that the rest of the autumn will be warm.

 St Matthew's Day, bright and clear,
Brings good wine in next year. 

St. Matthew, shut up the bees

 This refers to the traditional day for bee-hives to be closed down for the winter. 

Most of the weather rhymes for September relate to St Michael's Day or Michaelmas, which is on the 29th. It was an important day in the farming calendar, the day for farm tenants to pay their rent or change jobs. I'll do a separate post about the day on the 29th.

Many, many thanks for so many comments yesterday. I think people ask if I'm planning to stay here just for something to say, it doesn't bother me.

Have a good weekend folks
Back Monday
Sue





26 comments:

  1. September already! My mother died a few months ago and I acquired her original edition of the Country Diary of... which one of us would have bought her for a Christmas present when it was first published. It was a book we grew up with.

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  2. It's shocking that it's September already! Violet informed me earlier on that school starts this month. For someone who has moaned about it, she seems very chipper about the prospect! Have a good weekend x

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    1. Hope Violet enjoys her second year at high school- even more grown up - time flies

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  3. Sitting eating my porridge and reading about September- it’s promising a lovely day but not too hot. The illustrations are lovely of course.

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    1. I will need to find different illustrations if I carry on doing this next year

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  4. Aaahhhh....Tito get the larder Winter ready!! x

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  5. Very interesting post, facinating to find out where some of our old saying originate from xcx

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    1. I enjoy looking up all the old sayings in my books

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  6. I love September - besides being my birthday month I always feel as though this is the real "New Year". Just wish it was a bit cooler - we've had two gorgeous days with highs of only 23C but it's going back up to 30C for the next few days - arggghhh - I want to haul out my sweaters!

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    1. Historically it was the start of a new year for farmers so you are right

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  7. Been a lovely day here too. I well understand you staying. It is beautiful.

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    1. Another beautiful day here too and very warm in the greenhouse, where I wanted to some potting up but too hot.

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  8. I love your posts from The Diary of a Country Lady. It is good to see the changing of the seasons. I once lived in a climate that had very little seasonal change and I missed the seasons so much. I know many of us (myself included) complain about the very hot or very cold weather but still I love the seasons. Changing seasons make me feel alive and a part of our beautiful earth.

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    1. I wouldn't want to live somewhere where the weather is predictable or all the same - very boring and nothing to talk about!

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  9. Today was the perfect start to September, although definitely the mornings have a more autumnal feel about them. Just love this book, I need to look out mine again! There is always something interesting to look at in it.

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    1. Very heavy dew the last few mornings, then sunny, which is making the grass grow like mad

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  10. I like the old sayings. I remember the fields being fired when we married and I moved out to the country. I loved the smell and I knew Autumn was here which I love.

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    1. What I remember is my mum moaning about the dust and smuts on the washing!

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  11. September has to be one of my favourite months. Well, perhaps September, October and May are my favourite months... transition months where the weather is calm and serene, the changing of the seasons. I find the colours of May, September and October to be really invigorating, especially in the kitchen garden!

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    1. October means the clocks going back - not keen on that. I'm a summer person.

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  12. I always learn something from your monthly posts. This time it was the meaning of” by hook or by crook".
    The video yesterday was great. How lovely to be in your favourite home.
    A few months ago we assessed whether we should be moving as we live in an awkward little cottage and I have rheumatoid arthritis.
    Many well meaning folk have suggested that, at our age, we should be down sizing and going to a bungalow.
    However our judgement is that unless we absolutely have to we will stay in the home that we love even if we have to spend money on adaptations.
    Finally it was lovely to hear your voice on the video. Enjoy your beautiful surroundings. Sue

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    1. Thank you. I hope you can get the things done to stay in your home as long as possible. Father in law's cottage was also old and awkward but they managed to fit a stair lift in the tiny stairs and he had a perching seat in the kitchen to use and a lifting up armchair and stayed until he had to go into hospital at the end of his life

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    2. Yes, that's what convinced us we may be able to manage. My dad lived with us for a while and we managed a stair lift etc.
      Thank you for your good wishes.
      Just one more comment; “a woman over sixty” is no age at all even if one sometimes gets the impression that certain sectors think we are a waste of space.
      Economically the country would be far poorer if millions of grandparents weren't available for childcare to mention but one point in our favour!
      Sue

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