In a news thread, Crystal Majik wrote ""Here in Great Britain we need to revive our social worship of the Land, Sea and Air. ""

I've been thinking about this and must be thick today or somat because I'm at a lack for examples.

What would people consider 'social worship of Land, Sea and Air'?

I could only come up with Corn Dollies and Beating the bounds. I realize these are more to the agrarian traditions, but one could put them in 'Land'. What about Sea and Air?

Thanks,

Marto

Well, in Asia they have a lot of stuff to do with kites - here in the UK there are festivals surrounding the sea - Shaunie as God of the sea is honoured on the West coast and Shetland still. Then there is the tar barrel rolling on the East coast of Scotland - flaming barrels are rolled at Hogmaney. This is specific to fishing communities.

The Neid/Need Fires are still honoured in some remote places in Scotland too, to mark the new year.

Folklore sources on the WWW will throw up others no doubt.

Thanks ( adds to list). I'm thinking here more of 'Myth' than 'Folklore' , the two being very different. Sometimes one has to get to the origins of 'tradition' ( a difficult process) to find the core or origin of the belief.

I tend to differentiate between 'worshiping' and 'acknowledging in hopes of reciprocation. There is not guarantee when one 'worships' of an answer being forthcoming, whereas 'acknowledging' tends to have the element of 'If this pleases you, could you throw a little something our way?".

Thanks again,

Marto

Well there are several examples of gold and jewels (and humans) being thrown into lakes, meres, rivers etc. Britain has a very long tradition of water worship, although we did learn from Cnut just how far we could go.

Regarding 'air', I haven't heard of any specific lore or myth. There may be local myths of course, but anything to do with the air is likely to be less tangible than rural and nautical myths.

I'm racking my brains and trying to think of instances where pure "worship" is taking place rather than an event to simply honour an element.

I did think of Wassailing, but I guess at heart that's still an instance of creating favourable foundation for a good harvest in the autumn by getting rid of "evil spirits" and wakening the trees

Um...

One meeting of a coven I was a member of for a while took place by a deep pool. Coveners were encouraged to skinny dip as a form of worship.

Any campfire constructed and deconstructed with respect for the land, and kept burning for the duration of the camp as a holy thing, is an example of social 'worship' of fire I've come across.

Can't think of one for air, though. unless it's dancing in a thunderstorm.