What a fantastic evening at Rosedinnick Farm, Talskiddy. What could be more perfect, wonderful weather great crowd. It’s a terrific thing to have so many farming families like the Rodliffe’s willing to engage with Kernow Goth and continue these historic harvest celebrations throughout Cornwall. Meur ras bras to farmer Matthew Rodliffe for a great bit of scything and for his support and use of the farm.
St Columb OCS revived this custom in 1980 at St Wenn and the tradition that we follow is that the last bit of corn is left standing in the field. Then someone, probably the farmer would come with his scythe and cut the corn and bind it around. They called it the ‘Neck’ because when your hold it up it bends down something like a hens neck. We would then hold it up the east first because that’s where the sun comes up. And you say I ‘ave un, three times and the crowd would reply what have ee?, three times.
And you say a neck, a neck, a neck! Then in Cornish, that bit would be Pen Yar, Pen yar, Pen Yar! Which translates as Head/Neck of a hen. Then you would repeat again to the south and the west.
It’s a very short ceremony but we end it off with a pasty and a saffron bun or cake and some traditional singing. Then the harvest is over for another year.
The Neck would be kept by the fireplace as a memento. In the old days it could be made into a corn dolly or fed to the best cow on Christmas Day. Another choice would be to keep the sheaf back till Springtime and plough it back into the ground. This would set the spirit of the corn back into the soil for another year – and so the cycle continues…