Recently I listened to an interview Joe Rogan did with Graham Hancock and Brian Muraresku where they discussed the role psychedelics have played in the origins of Western civilization. There’s a new book out called The Immorality Key that explains how a psychedelic substance called Ergot was used in the most sacred and mysterious of Greek Pagan rituals called the Eleusinian Mysteries.  This has some really profound implications for anyone interested in classical studies or for any Pagan reconstructionists who might be interested in understanding this powerful ancient Greek ritual.  

If you're unfamiliar with the Elusianian mysteries, they celebrated the story of Demeter and Persephone. These mysteries were a cornerstone of Greek spiritual life and many of our great Pagan thinkers, such Plato and Socrates, participated in this once in a lifetime ritual.  While we don’t yet know everything about this ritual, we do know that those who participated in the mysteries were forever changed for the better and that they no longer feared death.  

We know that the ritual culminated in the creation and drinking of a sacred potion called Kykeon. This was a simple drink made of barley, water and honey.  Many people have speculated over the years that due to the importance of this ritual there must have been something more going on with this drink and now we actually have proof.  

In writing The Immorality Key Brian Muraresku researched this ancient Greek ritual and did chemical testing on a vase that was used to create the sacred Kykeon drink.  In the inside of the vase he found trace amounts of ergot, which means that the barley used in this drink was infected with a fungus that has significant psychedelic properties.  And considering the literature we have about this ceremony and how it profoundly changed peoples lives it definitely makes sense that this sacred drink would be more than it seems.  

New research is also coming out about the beverages that were drunk during another important Greek ritual called the Dionesian Mysteries, which were all about venerating the deity Dionysus.  Details in Greek vase painting indicate that the wine drank during the Dionysean rituals was spiked with various herbs.  And while we don’t yet know the specific herbs used in the wine, it’s likely that they were hallucinogenic plants. 

So why is this discovery important for Pagans? Well I think it’s fascinating that the use of psychedelics in ritual is common to pretty much all animistic and polythestic spiritual systems. Last year I made a video about the Amanita Muscara mushroom and how its use among siberian shamans is mostly likely the basis for many of the traditions associated with Christmas. There are countless examples from other cultures as well: 

• In the Vedic & zorastrian traditions there is a ritual beverage called soma which likely included psychedelics.  

• In Ancient Egyptian artwork you see many examples of the blue Lotus plant, which has psychedelic properties, being held up to the mouth.  

• In witchcraft, there is evidence that since 1456 psychedelic plants were used in the form of what’s called “flying ointment.” 

So these new discoveries that have been made about ancient Greek ritual fits the general theory that among pagan societies psychedelics were seen not as a negative substance but as an important tool for connecting with the divine.  

Now that doesn’t mean that we as modern Pagans should necessarily start including psychedelics in all of our rituals.  After all the Elusenian mysteries were a once in a lifetime ritual and I doubt Plato and Socrates would have gotten much done if they had been high all the time.  Though it does make you wonder if their experience at this ritual expanded their mind and helped facilitate their genius.  

I find all this research really interesting and I definitely recommend you listen to the podcast episode that dives really deep into this topic.  In the episode they even go further and suggest that not only did ancient Greek ritual include psychedelics, but that also early Christian ritual included it as well.  And if that is true, it definitely has some big implications.  

So next I want to hear from you guys.  What are your thoughts about the use of psychedelics? Do you think they should be included in some modern Pagan rituals or left out?  Let me know your thoughts below.

Awhile ago I made a video that was an introduction to Slavic Paganism, and you guys seemed to really like it so today we’re going to dive a bit deeper and explore one of the most popular figures in Slavic folklore known as the Baba Yaga.

Baba Yaga is an elusive character that is difficult to fully understand and there are many stories that feature her in a variety of different ways. Sometimes she is a deadly obstacle for those that come into her path other times she acts as a benefactor and uses her magic to assist others. Usually she is depicted as an ugly old hag living in a hut deep in the woods. Her hut stands on chicken legs that allow her to move throughout the forest. When the hut moves it spins and emits a terrifying screeching noise.

Baba Yaga herself is described as thin and bony and in the stories she is sometimes found stretched out against a giant oven that reaches from one end of the hut to the other. This sounds kind of weird until you look at the size of some historical Russian ovens. Another interesting feature about Baba Yaga is that she rides a mortar and pestle. She uses the pestle like a rudder to guide her flight and together she uses the two pieces to grind up the bones of the people she eats.

Baba Yaga appears in countless Slavic folktales and stories. Sometimes she is not even depicted not one person but as three different sisters. For example, In the 19th century story, “The Maiden Tsar” the main character Ivan encounters the 3 Baba Yaga sisters one by one. The youngest sister is the most fearsome and tries to devour him. Before she can, Ivan blows a magic horn 3 times and a firebird flies into the hut. The firebird is an important magical creature in Slavic folklore that can either help the hero or be a harbinger of doom. Luckily for Ivan, the firebird allows him to jump on his back and together they escape the clutches of Baba Yaga.

The most popular story featuring Baba Yaga is probably the Russian fairytale called, “Vasilisa the Beautiful.” Vasilisa is a Cinderella type character with an evil step-mother. Her step-mother gives her a series of difficult chores to complete but all the candles are put out so Vasilisa goes into the woods in hope that she will receive some candlelight from Baba Yaga. She also takes with her a magical doll that helps lead her to the hut in the woods. When she finally meets Baba Yaga she is given a list of seemingly impossible chores she must complete before she is given the candlelight she desires. Baba Yaga then leaves the hut and Vasilisa and her magical doll work together to complete the chores. When Baby Yaga returns she is surprised that everything is completed and she gives Vasilisa a skull with burning coals she can take back to her family for light.

Before Vasilisa leaves she asks the identity of three strange men riding horses she saw during her journey. Baba Yaga responds that the white rider is the Day, the red rider is the Sun, and the black rider is the Night. I find this detail really interesting. It kind of reminds me of how in Slavic mythology there are three important figures named the morning star, the evening star, and the midnight star. At the end of the story Vasilisa returns to her step mother & step sisters and the skull with the glowing coals burns her evil family into ashes so that Vasilisa can live out her life in peace.

Over the years Baba Yaga has been featured in countless artworks, literature, movies, and tv shows. And I wonder what it is about her that resonates so much with people? There must be something in these stories that really connects with our subconscious. One the one hand her stories share some similarities with other European folktales such as Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel. And like many other European witches, Baba Yaga most often appears as a hideous hag with frightening features.

In my view the archetype of the witch is really powerful, which is why it features so prominently in folklore. And while the witch appears in almost all cultures, each culture always presents their own unique version of the archetype. So here in the stories of Baba Yaga we see a uniquely Slavic conception of the witch archetype and her stories likely reveal certain ancestral and subconscious insights into Slavic culture. I’m personally not Slavic so I may never fully understand the depths of this folklore though I can clearly see that the story of Baba Yaga is something special and a tale worth preserving for future generations.

Next I’d like to hear your thoughts. Did you grow up hearing the stories of Baba Yaga or this folklore new to you? Share below in the comments.

Runes are one of the most popular divination tools used today and they are something I’ve personally been working on learning more about.   My journey into runic divination began several years ago when my mom gifted me a set of runes and a book she had about runic divination.  Though it’s only fairly recently that I’ve started to dive deeper into the history of the runes and how to use them in a magical context.  So that’s what we’re going to go over today.  I’m going to share with you the origins of the runes as divination tools and the historical context behind their use.  So let’s jump into it. 

As we know runes are not just an alphabet, they are also magical symbols and there are many accounts in the Sagas of them being used for magical purposes.  For example there is a section of the Poetic Edda, where a Valkyrie helps the hero achieve glory by teaching him several magical runes to be carved on swords before battle.  But nowhere in the sagas are runes mentioned being used in a divination context.  Likewise, in archeology we don’t have any surviving artifacts that suggest runes were used for divination.  

We do know from the sagas that the majority of divination was done by a seereress called a völva.  The völva did divination by entering a trance-like state.  She had a specific wand she would use and she would sit on a particular seat and sing songs till she entered the trance. While in this trance she would predict the future for her community.  Though there’s no indication that she would be using runes as part of this divination practice.  So where did this idea come from?  

There’s only one written source we have that mentions the runes being used for divination.  That comes from the Roman Tacitus in the first century A.D.  In writing about the germanic peoples he described the following “For divination and the casting of lots they have the highest regard. Their procedure in casting lots is always the same. They cut off a branch of a nut-bearing tree and slice it into strips; these they mark with different signs and throw them completely at random onto a white cloth.” So if we take Tacitus at his word then it’s likely some symbols were carved onto strips of wood and these were then used for the purpose of divination.  This begs the question well what symbols were carved into the wood and could they have been runes?

There is some issue here with the timing as the Elder Futhark Runes were not really used until at least 100 years after the time of Tacitus.  Though that doesn’t fully rule out the idea.  It’s possible the symbols on the wooden strips were proto-runes or early symbols that would eventually become the runes.  Or, maybe runes were used during the time of Tacitus; it's just archeologists haven’t yet found any examples.  

So where does this information leave us.  Does the shaky historical evidence of using the runes for Divination mean we shouldn’t use them for that purpose? We may never fully know if Runes were used by the Norse Pagans for divination but we do know that they were more than just an alphabet.  The runes are really powerful symbols that reveal important aspects of Norse Pagan magic and as such they are great tools to use for anyone looking to connect with the Norse Pagan Gods.  And in truth, all divination systems have evolved and changed over time.  For example, tarot cards were developed in 1420 and began as a simple card game among wealthy nobles.  It wasn’t till 1770 that tarot cards started to be used for divination.  And as someone who’s worked with tarot for many years, I know that regardless of their original purpose tarot cards are a wonderful and highly effective divinatory tool.  Likewise runes can also be an effective tool for divination even if that wasn’t their original purpose.  Though, like tarot, the runes are so much more than just a divination method. In my view, the runes can be used as a way to better understand the Norse Pagan worldview and as a key to opening the doorways to an ancient form of pagan magic.

Next I’d like to hear more about your experiences with runes.  Have you tried out divination with runes?  And is there a particular rune that you personally really connect with?  Share your thoughts down below in the comments.  

The tradition of trick-or-treating has a really complex history but it’s believed that this tradition in part comes from a Celtic Pagan activity that took place on Samhain.  In my previous video I mention how Samhain is the precursor to the holiday we now call Halloween and that it was considered to be a liminal time among the Celtic Pagans.  This means that the division between the realms on Samhain night would be very thin and various spirits, such as the Fae, would be able to cross over into our dimension. The Fae are neither good nor evil but they are definitely known for causing mischief.  In order to placate these spirits and to make sure they didn't cause you harm, the Celtic pagans would leave offerings outside their door for them. So here you can already see how the concept of trick-or-treat comes into play.  People would offer treats to the spirits so they wouldn’t be tricked by them.  

The tradition of costume wearing may also derive from these early Celtic Samhain traditions.  All traditions tend to evolve over time and tradition of trick-or-treating is no exception.  Instead of just leaving offerings for the spirits outside, eventually people started to wear masks and impersonate the spirits.  They would then go around and collect the offerings on the spirits behalf.  They also believed that by dressing like the spirits, it would protect you from them. 

This tradition continued to change with time and by the Middle Ages the concept of dressing up and going door to door became popular in the form of what was called “Mumming”.  “Mumming” is where people on certain days would go around their village in costume and perform short plays.  By the 15th century people started referring to this holiday as Allhallowtide, which was a combination of the Christian days of All Saints' Eve (Oct 31st), All Saint’s Day (Nov 1st) and All Souls Day (Nov 2nd).  During Allhallowtide, people would make and give ‘Soul cakes” as a way to commemorate the dead.  They would go door to door and pass these cakes out in an activity called “souling.”  So like many holiday traditions, trick-or-treating, is a combination of ancient Pagan practices and their later christianized versions.

I find it interesting that despite that fact that Halloween’s origins lie in Europe, it’s Americans that are mostly celebrating it today.  The earliest recorded reference to Halloween being celebrated here is from 1915 and trick-or-treating didn’t become a widespread practice here till 1930.  I sometimes wonder what it is about American culture that caused Halloween to become so popular here. I don’t really have an answer but I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.  

Comment below if you participated in trick-or-treating when you were younger and let me know what your favorite Halloween candy is. 

Samhain is by far my favorite Pagan holiday and I think a lot of other Pagans consider it their favorite too.  Ever since I was little I’ve been fascinated by witches, magic, and all things paranormal so growing up I looked forward to Halloween all year long.   When I eventually discovered Paganism I was so excited to see that many of the Halloween traditions I grew up with were actually Pagan in origin and based off of the Celtic Pagan holiday known as Samhain. 

I’ve been personally celebrating Samhain since I was a teenager and I’ve mostly celebrated it as a wiccan.  Though over the past few years, I’ve been slowly shifting away from wicca towards Pagan reconstructionism and I’ve been curious about how the ancient Celtic Pagans actually celebrated this holiday. So today, I’m going to share with you some of the ways the ancient Celts celebrated Samhain and go over how that’s similar and different from the ways that modern wiccans celebrate it.  

Both Wiccans and Celtic Pagans view Samhain as a day to connect with the dead.  Some of the ways Wiccans honor those that have passed on is by placing pictures of their deceased family members or ancestors on their altar.  Also, Some wiccans also participate in a “dumb supper,” the word dumb meaning silent, not stupid.  The “dumb supper” is really just a silent meal where you have a place setting with food for the deceased at your table. 

The Celtic Pagans did something similar though they provided offerings for both the Aos Sí and the deceased.  Aos Sí is an Irish term for the supernatural beings in Irish & Scottish mythology.  These supernatural beings are akin to the Fae that appear in Folklore.  As Samhain was considered a liminal time where these supernatural beings could enter our world, it was really important to the Celtic Pagans that they provide offerings as a way to placate them.  They did this by leaving offerings of food and drink outside their home.  As for the souls of the deceased, they would place a plate for them at their table just as modern wiccans do.  However, it was definitely not a quiet feast. In fact the Celtic Pagans had multiple loud and rambunctious feats for Samhain.  

While most Wiccans tend to celebrate Samhain on October 31st, Celtic Pagans celebrated Samhain for about a week.  They would begin 3 days before Samhain and end 3 days after.  These were big gatherings as this time traditionally marked the end of the season for trade and warfare and it was a time to gather the whole tribe together.  We see evidence of this in early Irish literature as these big Samhain gatherings were often used as the setting for the stories. 

During these big gatherings, there was lots of feasting, drinking, and contests. One of the most popular contests involved horse racing.  In a previous video about Lughnasadh traditions, I mentioned how athletic events & competition were key aspects of the celebration so it’s interesting to see that that’s true for Samhain as well.  To me this emphasis on sport, competition and physical fitness is one of the bigger differences you’ll find between Wiccan and historic Celtic Pagan celebrations.  

Many Wiccans tend to celebrate Samhain either alone or with a small coven, but for the Celtic Pagans this holiday was really about celebrating together as a large community.  Probably the most important feature of a Celtic Pagan Samhain is a community bonfire and while some wiccans may do a bonfire for Samhain, it’s definitely not a common feature I've seen in most modern Wiccan Samhain celebrations.

Bonfires were an essential part of Celtic Pagan Samhain celebrations.  Usually these fires were lit by the Druids and then sacrifices for the Gods were thrown into the fire.  Also, all other fires in the community would be extinguished and then re-lit from this sacred community fire. Sometimes, two bonfires would be lit next to each other and then the people, and potentially also their livestock, would walk between the two fires as part of a cleansing ritual. 

One of the popular Samhain activities for both Wiccans and Celtic Pagans is divination.  Usually wiccans do divination on Samhain with a scrying mirror, tarot cards, or maybe runes.  The Celtic Pagans also did divination, though it mostly centered around the bonfire.  There’s a spooky Celtic tradition where people would gather a stone and place their stone in a ring around a bonfire. Then everyone would run and dance around the bonfire and the next morning they would check the stones. If a stone was missing or moved it was said that that person would die in the upcoming year.  Apples and hazelnuts were also traditionally used for divination games on Samhain though mostly these divination methods were done by girls hoping to learn who their future spouse would be. 

There are many more both Wiccan and Celtic Pagan traditions for Samhain and I definitely encourage you to do some more research so you can decide which traditions would best fit within your own Samhain celebration.  With this post, I’m not trying to say that one system, Wiccan or Celtic Pagan is better than the other.  Though I wanted to share with you these ancient Celtic Pagan traditions because books and information on them is often much harder to find than information on Wiccan celebrations. 

There are tons of books and blog posts out there that provide spells, rituals, and crafts on how to celebrate a Wiccan Samhain.  In fact, I’ve personally made a lot of videos about how to celebrate a Wiccan Samhain already.  The trickier question for me is how can we celebrate a Samhain in a way that’s more attuned to how the Celtic Pagans celebrated it.  It’s kind of a difficult situation because most Celtic Pagan celebrations were about coming together as a community.  The more I’ve learned about historic Pagan traditions the more I’ve realized how important it is to build a strong community not just online but in person as well.  Definitely not this year but maybe in the years to come I really hope to be able to host a traditional Celtic Pagan Samhain celebration.  This would be an event where we could all come together for a weekend, have a big nighttime Samhain bonfire and enjoy feasting, drinking, and spending time together.  

And speaking of building community, one of the new things I’ll be doing is sending out hand written letters to some of my Patrons for each sabbat.  I know it’s kind of old school, but I think it would be really fun to become penpals with some of you guys. 

So, if you’re interested in becoming Penpals with me, you can join my Patreon here.  

Thanks so much for reading this post.  It’s been so wonderful to see our community grow so quickly!

Ok, I may have gone a bit overboard this year but when it comes to pumpkins I just can’t help myself.  I love the colors, the textures, and the general cozy feeling you get when you’re surrounded by pumpkins.  For those of you who don’t know I’m an October baby and this time of year has always been my favorite.  I have a ton of fond memories picking out pumpkins and carving them each year on my birthday.

One of my favorite things to do around this time of year is to decorate my home and make it feel extra autumnal.  Though I’m really trying to work on being more sustainable this year, especially when it comes to the holidays.  It’s really easy to get caught up in all the fun and cheap autumn and Halloween decor they sell at craft stores like Hobby Lobby and Michaels.  I’m trying to make a commitment to stay away from that stuff as I really want my home to reflect the autumn harvest and be more in line with how our Pagan ancestors would celebrate this time of year.  So for me that means decorating with natural materials such as corn, apples, and of course pumpkins.  

Pumpkins are a really important part of Pagan harvest celebrations.  Especially here in America where Samhain is celebrated by pagans & witches across the country and Samhain’s more consumerist cousin, Halloween, is of course celebrated by most Americans.

Pumpkins are a plant that is harvested in autumn making it a great symbol for harvest celebrations, though when it comes to the tradition of carving pumpkins we have the Irish to thank for that.  The tradition of carving jack-o-lanterns comes from an Irish myth about a figure named Stingy Jack.  Jack made a deal with the Devil and was forced to roam the land for eternity after he died.  The Irish would carve demonic faces, known as jack-o-lanterns, to scare away this wandering spirit.  Interestingly, the Irish would carve these faces onto turnips as pumpkins were not really native to the region.  When Irish immigrants came to America they brought the tradition of carving Jack-o-lanterns with them and started using pumpkins instead. 

So, I hope you enjoyed this short post and I’d love to hear about how you plan on decorating your home for Samhain/Halloween. Share in the comments below.

Mabon is the second of the 3 main Harvest festivals and it’s a time to feel grateful for all that the land has provided. The main reason I first turned towards Paganism is I felt a desire to live a life more in harmony with nature and the seasonal rhythms. Celebrating the seasons is one of my favorite activities and I love planning out meals and drinks which focus on seasonal ingredients.

Some consider Mabon to be the witches' Thanksgiving, which means it’s best celebrated with friends and family. While eventually I do hope to find a Pagan community where I live, for right now you guys reading this are my Pagan community and I’m excited to share with you one of my favorite cocktail recipes for celebrating this Equinox. So get yourself a glass and I hope you’ll join me in making some Mabon Sangria so that we can toast the season together.

MABON SANGRIA

Ingredients
1 bottle dry white wine
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup apple butter
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 T maple syrup
1 sliced apple
1 sliced orange
1/2 C pomegranate arils
1 ginger beer
star anise & cinnamon sticks for garnish

Instructions

1) Add your wine to a pitcher and then add the other ingredients (except ginger beer & garnishes)

2) Give it all a stir and place it in the fridge till it’s chilled.

3) Right before you're ready to serve add in the ginger beer so it gets extra fizzy. Then pour the sangria in glasses and add any extra garnishes you’d like. Cheers!

I hope you enjoyed this post & video and I want to wish you all a wonderful Autumn Equinox!
If you’d like to support my blog & YT channel and receive extra content, I’d love for you to join my Pagan community on Patreon.

Mabon Blessings,
Scarlet

One of my favorite things to do is research pagan traditions for the different holidays.  I really love finding old crafts, recipes, and rituals and using them as the basis for my own Pagan celebrations.  Over the years I’ve collected quite a few books that focus on Pagan holidays and since we have the Autumn Equinox around the corner I thought I would share the top 3 books I turn to for inspiration on celebrating this time of year. 

The first book I’d like to share is Autumn Equinox: The Enchantment of Mabon by Ellen Dugan.  This thick book is dedicated entirely to the Autumn Equinox. It’s also where I first learned about the John Barleycorn folk song that I ended up making a video about a couple weeks ago.  I like how this book includes a section on different harvest customs & folklore so you can see how the Autumn Equinox is celebrated across a variety of different countries & cultures.  And, for those of you that really enjoy spellwork there’s quite a few different Virgo & harvest themed spells included as well.

The next book I wanted to share is a bit old-school.  Wheel of the Year - Living the Magical Life by Pauline Campanelli is a book for the whole wheel of the year, not just the Autumn Equinox, but I really do like what they’ve chosen to include in the Autumn section. 

One of the difficult things I’ve found with a lot of more contemporary Pagan books is that they often don’t include the history and the origins behind the different traditions so I really like how this book focuses on folklore and tells you where these traditions actually originate. There’s also a great little section in the September chapter on the history of mandrake roots and how to harvest certain poisonous herbs for making flying ointments. 

Lastly, I wanted to share Celebrating Autumn Equinox by Waverly Fitzgerald.  This little book packs in a ton of autumn craft ideas.  There’s also a lot of great historical information on wine traditions throughout Ancient Greece as the Equinox is the time of the wine harvest.  There’s even a section on the Eleusinian Mysteries and how they were performed in ancient times.  

In addition, there’s an easy description on how to make your own wine at home. This is something I’ve been wanting to try but have been really intimidated by the whole process.  I really appreciate the simple way they go over the instructions and I’m thinking about giving it a try. 

Next, I’d love to hear from you guys and if you have any favorite books that you like to use for the Autumn Equinox.  Please share below down in the comments.  Also, I wanted to know if you guys would be interested in having me start a Discord.  I’m thinking about starting one as a Patreon exclusive.  It could be a way for you guys to connect and a way for me to help answer any questions you have about paganism & witchcraft.  Let me know in the comments if that’s something you’re interested in.

I was planning on making a post about the different harvest traditions for the Autumn Equinox, but in the middle of doing research for that I came across a character so crazy and fascinating that I felt the need to devote a whole post to him.  So today let’s go down the rabbit hole together to explore the strange tale of John Barleycorn and what it might reveal about our Pagan history. 

The Autumn Equinox, also known as Mabon, is the second of the three important harvest festivals.  Most Pagan harvest festivals embrace the idea of sacrifice, perhaps none more so than Mabon, which is the time when the last sheaf of wheat & barley would be harvested. This notion of Sacrifice is one of the key themes associated with the popular story of John Barleycorn. You may have heard one of the many musical variations of this story or perhaps you're more familiar with the Robert Berns version from 1782.  

If you haven’t ever heard this English Folk Song, give it a listen.

Bannatyne Manuscript 1568 CE

The story of John Barleycorn actually has really old origins.  There is a Scottish poem with a very similar theme and wording included in the Bannatyne Manuscript of 1568, though it’s likely that John Barleycorn is even older.  This is because the Bannatyne Manuscript is a collection of pre-existing works, many coming from the ancient oral tradition.  And considering the many pagan themes in the story, it’s definitely possible that the origins lie in Pre-Christian times. Specifically there may even be a link between John Barleycorn and the mythical figure Beowa, which is a figure from Anglo-Saxon paganism whose name means "barley."

Now, the prevailing theory is that the tale of John Barleycorn is a symbolic representation of the crop of barley being harvested each autumn. The song describes the process of preparing the land, sowing the seeds, waiting for the crop to grow, and eventually harvesting. Then the song describes making the products of beer and bread which were key staples of the diet of early agrarian people.  For the most part this all makes sense but those of you who have read the poem or listened to the song have probably noticed the really gruesome way that this harvest is worded.  For example:

“They laid him out upon the floor, 
To work him further woe;
And still, as signs of life appear’d,
They toss’d him to and fro.

They wasted o’er a scorching flame,
The marrow of his bones;
But a miller us’d him worse of all,
For he crush’d him between two stones.

And they hae taen his very heart’s blood,
And drank it round and round;
And still the more and more they drank,
Their joy did more abound.” 

Sure, maybe that’s just meant to be a creative interpretation of how to turn barley into beer and perhaps the reason this story has survived so long is in part due to the violent imagery, which makes the story more interesting and memorable.  Though perhaps there’s a bit more to the story...

I want to share a theory that I recently found that might have some merit. This theory proposes that the tale of John Barleycorn is more than just a metaphor for the barley harvest and that it in fact contains references to real human sacrifices that occurred in Ancient Britain. I know what you’re thinking - pagan human sacrifice is a big trope often used by others to slander paganism.   But hear me out for a second because there’s some really interesting passages in this poem that deserve further inspection.

The poem begins with: 

“There were three men come out of the west, 
their fortunes for to try,
And these three men made a solemn vow, 
John Barleycorn would die”

It’s interesting that we start with 3 men coming out of the West.  We’re all familiar with the religious importance of the number three.  The Celtic triad & triple spiral are of course famous symbols in Celtic paganism.  I also think it’s interesting that these men are coming from the West because in Celtic myths coming from “The West” meant coming from the otherworld or realm of the Fae.  

Also, in the tale of John Barleycorn before the the cutting of the barley there is an interesting passage that states:

“They let him stand till midsummerTill he looked both pale and wan,
And little Sir John he growed a long beard
And so became a man.”

Of course the reference to midsummer is interesting from a pagan perspective but I’m even more interested in the “growing a long beard” part.  Firstly, I’m not sure how the beard part fits in if this poem is just a metaphor for the barley harvest.  Instead, I think it’s possible that it’s referencing the long beards of the druids.  The druids believed that our life-force was channeled through the extremities which is why Druid priests would grow their beards and hair long.  So perhaps our John Barleycorn is representing a sacrificial priest. 

Next in the story we have a death being depicted in the poem, but it’s a three-fold death.  The poem states:

“They hired men with the scythes so sharp
To cut him off at the knee,
They rolled him and tied him by the waist,
And served him most barbarously.
They hired men with the sharp pitchforks
Who pricked him to the heart.”

The three-fold death is a really common theme in Cetic and Anglo-Saxon folklore.  Even Merlin in the Arthurian legends prophesied a three-fold death for himself which would occur by falling, stabbing, and then drowning.

So already we’ve found references in the passages of John Barleycorn to:

• The celtic triad and the Faerie realm in the west 

• The spiritual tradition of beard growing among the Druids

• The importance of the three-fold death in Celtic lore. 

So what’s really going on here? 

In the famous anthropological book called “The Golden Bough” by Sir James Frazer, he states that the Barley King was personified in ancient ritual practice by a real person.  This man was honored as a King during the yearly cycle and when it was harvest time he would be sacrificed and dismembered and his body was dragged through the fields to ensure a fertile harvest for next year. 

This reminds me of a particularly gruesome passage in the poem:

“They've wheeled him around and around the field till they've come unto a barn
And here they've kept their solemn word concerning Barleycorn
They've hired men with the crab tree sticks to split his skin from bone.”

If this is just a metaphor for harvesting the barley, then what is the purpose of wheeling him “around and around” the field.  Perhaps Sir James Frazer might be right and that this passage could be a reference to the sacrificed individual being dragged through the fields to ensure the fertile harvest.

It’s definitely a pretty disturbing visual and I probably should point out that we don’t really have much historical evidence concerning Pagan religious sacrifice.  One of the most popular accounts of pagan human sacrifice comes from Julius Caesar during his conquest of Gaul where he reports to have seen the burning alive of victims in a large wooden effigy, which is now known as a wicker man.  Though considering the Celts were his enemy at the time it is possible he exaggerated some details.  

So, while it’s likely that some human sacrifice occurred among the Celts and Anglo-Saxons we don’t really know too many details and it’s likely that the violence was probably a bit exaggerated. 

So when it comes to our story of John Barleycorn we have our two main theories:

The first theory is that the story of John Barleycorn is just a metaphor of the barley harvest and that any violent wording was just added for extra flair and it doesn’t represent any wider themes. The second theory is that the story of John Barleycorn actually contains references to the practice of religious human sacrifice among the Celtic and the Anglo-Saxon pagans.

So which theory is correct?  

In my opinion I think it might be both.  I think the main purpose of the story is to be a metaphor for the autumn barley harvest.  Though because this story is in fact really old, I think it picked up some Pagan references, stereotypes, and motifs along the way.  

But, I’d love to hear what you think the story of John Barleycorn represents.  So share your thoughts down below in the comments.  

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