The Ancient Celebration of Botolvsmesse

St Botolph is marked with a staff on the Nordic runic calendar, the primstav.

I write a lot about ancient Nordic celebrations and I particularly like the ones that follow that primstav or runic calendar. Many of them have been lost in time and although we feel the ancient presence of the day we don't always know what it means or why we follow it.

In the days before calendars and newspapers and connection to those far away, these high days and holidays were hugely important. Not only did they bring people together to celebrate, but they also reminded them of the seasons and reasons why things were done in a certain way or at a certain time. Botolvsmesse on 17 June is just one such day.

The day itself is a celebration of St Botolph. He was a English Benedictine monk from the 600s who was incredibly popular in medieval England. He was born in eastern England, but was sent to study on the continent. When he returned he founded a Benedictine monastery. He was said to be a very learned man, a man full of grace and Holy Spirit. He's known as the saint of travelling and boundaries.

It's funny that he should be so honoured in Norway when he was an English monk who is most well known there. But it is thought that was because of the close connection between the Norwegian and English churches and the founding of one of Norway's oldest monasteries which is Benedictine.

In England Benedictine monks have always been known for being kind, accepting and caring. They care for travellers and offer hospitality and often have the most beautiful monastery gardens full of produce. I always think of Benedictine monasteries as being peaceful and welcoming. In the neighbouring village to my home in Dorset is one of the England's most important Benedictine monasteries of Abbotsbury, so I guess I feel the connection.

So it's not surprising that in Norway St Botolph is most associated with farming. 17 June is day that is really important for ploughing over fields that had been lying fallow. The roots are supposed to be easier to remove on this day. In Hardanger the rye should be sown and in Valdres it is expected that the cows will be in full milk. With such importance and popularity, you can expect to find 17 June and Botolvsmesse marked on almost every primstav. It's usually an abbot's hook staff with a hook on top.

So today I am going to spend at least some of the day doing a bit of produce gardening and remembering how people hundreds of years before me would have glanced at their primstavs and been reminded to do the same thing.