293 – Corn Dollies
- Physical description:
- Two corn dollies resembling human figures with outstretched arms, one with a long skirt and and a red ribbon on top of her head.
- Museum classification:
- Spells & Charms
- Size:
- 280mm
- Information:
When harvesting, farmers will often leave the last stand of corn as it contains the spirit of the crop. In some parts of the country this will be cut by ritually throwing sickles. The corn would then be used to decorate the farmhouse for 'Harvest Home', and be made into a corn dolly to protect the home and guarantee the crops for the next season.
The corn dolly with the long skirt is the kind known as Mother Earth, and the other is a kind known as the Man in Armour (information provided by Gillian Nott, Historian and Archivist, Guild of Straw Craftsmen).There was originally another Man in Armour, but it was lost in the 2004 flood.
- Resource:
- Object
- Materials:
- Corn, fabric
- Copyright ownership:
- Copyright to The Museum of Witchcraft Ltd.
When harvesting, farmers will often leave the last stand of corn as it contains the spirit of the crop. In some parts of the country this will be cut by ritually throwing sickles. The corn would then be used to decorate the farmhouse for 'Harvest Home', and be made into a corn dolly to protect the home and guarantee the crops for the next season.
The corn dolly with the long skirt is the kind known as Mother Earth, and the other is a kind known as the Man in Armour (information provided by Gillian Nott, Historian and Archivist, Guild of Straw Craftsmen).
There was originally another Man in Armour, but it was lost in the 2004 flood.