Armagh<\/a>\u00a0on Saturday, as a twenty-five-foot wicker man sculpture was set on fire in front of a crowd of hundreds.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNamed after the Celtic god Lugh, the festival marks the beginning of the harvest season and has been celebrated in Ireland since the Middle Ages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The event, hosted by the Navan Centre in Armagh, showcased what life would have been like for people living in medieval Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many of those in attendance were interested in Celtic history, spirituality, and paganism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Graham, an attendee from England, explained that he had travelled to the event because he was a practising pagan. \u201cI was initiated into witchcraft when I was fourteen,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve been involved in Druidry and different magical traditions\u2026 I\u2019ve always celebrated the different (Celtic) festivals, including this one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nUnlike followers of the major religions, modern pagans do not have an agreed-upon set of beliefs. Yet, according to Graham, a \u201creverence for nature is the primary thing\u201d which defines them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Majella, attending the event with her family, also spoke about how her spiritual beliefs had been influenced by nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI just have no time for mainstream religion,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m just very nature-focused. I\u2019m at my happiest when I\u2019m outside.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her friend Allison, echoing her sentiments, remarked: \u201cI like the celebration of Lughnasa and that it\u2019s a pre-Christian religion. I like its connection to nature.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhilst the event showcased musicians, craftspeople, and historical re-enactments, the highlight was undoubtedly the burning of a huge wicker man sculpture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The burning of a wicker man is not historically linked to traditional Lughnasa celebrations in Ireland. However, some records do indicate that Celtic pagans may have occasionally constructed large wicker statues. They would then place humans and animals inside and burn the structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In modern times, burning wicker man statues became popular following the release of the 1973 horror film The Wicker Man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The wicker man sculpture for the event was designed and constructed by Heather McDermott, an employee of the Navan Centre and an experienced willow weaver.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThis year was not the first time Heather had built the wicker man for the Lughnasa celebrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Explaining what first led her to do so, she said: \u201cOne year a bizarre thing happened; the wicker man didn\u2019t burn\u2026 so the following year I felt I would be able to build the wicker man\u2026 I didn\u2019t want that to happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Heather constructed the wicker man using willow branches, a material she loves working with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the most wonderful, useful plant,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s sustainable, it\u2019s easy to get, I can grow my own \u2014 that\u2019s all I need.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whilst she did most of the work herself, Heather set up a free training programme where she taught aspiring willow weavers some essential skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOnce they mastered the basics of weaving, they helped her to construct the wicker man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe couldn\u2019t do it without our amazing, passionate willow weavers,\u201d Heather said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She has also noticed that in recent years people have become more interested in willow weaving because \u201cthey want to make their own stuff. They don\u2019t want to be adding to the mountain of waste that\u2019s going into landfill.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Building the wicker man took months, with Heather beginning work on it in April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She explained how the sculpture was constructed in anatomical components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe legs are ten feet, the arms are ten feet, and the head is about six feet. We lie them all on the ground\u2026 and then we join it all together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nYet while some may have been interested in the sculpture from a historical or spiritual point of view, Heather viewed it primarily as a piece of art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt takes up a great space on the horizon,\u201d she said, \u201cand then it\u2019s gone and there\u2019s nothing left but ashes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Heather, however, the destruction of her sculpture is not something to be mourned; it is its defining artistic quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe visual spectacle\u201d of the wicker man burning, she said, \u201cstays in your memory so much longer than physical possessions that you might hold in your hand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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