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Since very early times Kirn Night, which celebrated the harvest, was the most important festival on Scotland's calendar. The last handful of grain to be cut was known as the kirn and, when woven and pleated into the shape of a woman became the Kirn Dolly. This "harvest dolly" (derivative of "idol") either presided over the harvest supper or was hurled into the fields of a neighboring farmer who had been slow to get in his harvest and whose workers were still laboring at it. The arrival of a Kirn Dolly mocked him for being a laggard! Kirn dollies have become very popular as favors for wedding guests, including those attending Silver and Golden wedding anniversaries, and could take over in Scotland from the customary little net bag filled with sugar almonds. Kirn dollies are also becoming popular in the floral decorations of the church (where they had been banned for centuries due to their pagan associations.)
Kirn - or corn - dollies are not exclusive to Scotland; similar straw figures have been found in excavations of Egyptian tombs. Mr. Morgyn Owens-Celli has lectured about the history and art of this fascinating rural craft of Scotland at our Games for the past two years. In addition to offering kirn dollies for sale Morgyn has led workshops for people to make their own! Morgyn is Curator of the American Museum of Straw Art in Long Beach, CA and his family has been involved in making corn dollies for five generations, both in Scotland and in the United States. |
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The Ancient Rural Craft
San Diego Scottish Highland Games & Gathering of Clans