Hello ginger47, and thank you for this interesting question! I think I
have found the answer for you.
Traditionally, the wheat sheaf is a part of many heraldic crests
throughout the world, from Ireland to the Ukraine and beyond. The
sheaf itself signifies abundance, a good harvest, fertility, and a
closeness to the earth and her resources. The New Zealand coat of
arms also includes a wheat sheaf, which represents the rich
agricultural history of the country.
Some web sites with information on the wheat sheaf:
The Sheaf Wave Offering introduced the Feast of Firstfruits, or Weeks:
commonly known as Pentecost
http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/radio043.htm
Scroll about 2/3 down this page to learn about the religious
significance of the wheat sheaf and two loaves of leavened bread.
BibleBelievers write, "One loaf represents that which is perfect -
made manifest in his living Bride, the other represents the Church Age
saints - who manifested that which was in part, back in the days when
Christ was a Mediator."
Thus, the wheat sheaf signifies a rich and plentiful harvest, along
with the religious significance of the bread to Christ.
According to Irish surnames.com
http://www.irishsurnames.com/plants.htm
In Irish Heraldy, the Wheat Sheaf, also know as the Garb signfies
"Plentifulness, achievement of hope. In Ireland the Garb often
represented the fertility of a particular area. Saint Kieran blessed
the corn crop so the symbol was sometimes used as a mark of respect to
him." Again, the sheaf relates to a saint, just as in the above
reference to Christ and the saints.
While we might not have access to a wheat sheaf for our harvest
festivals, we can bake a loaf of bread out of the flour from the wheat
itself, that resembles the sheaf. This loaf of bread also signifies
the bounty and fertility of the harvest. The mouse could be a
whimsical addition signifying the tastiness of the bread, which would
also signify the bounty of the crop. If you could afford to give some
to the mice and still have enough to feed the town, village, etc., you
had a bountiful and rich harvest, and had something to really
celebrate at the Harvest Festival.
Ukranian Heraldy
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ua-po.html
According to this web site, the "Sheaf is personifies natural
resource, earths' fertility, industry of its inhabitants, national
traditions."
The wheat sheaf also signifies strength, because bound together the
strands of wheat are strong, but singly, they will break and bend at
the slightest touch.
And here's a recipe for the bread you describe:
Food for St. Brigid's Day
http://bally.fortunecity.com/clare/5/bfoods.html
Scroll down the page and you'll find a recipe for the type of loaf
you're looking for.
Search strategy used:
"wheat sheaf" +loaf
://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=lang_en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&newwindow=1&q=%22wheat+sheaf%22+%2B%22loaf%22&btnG=Google+Search
"wheat sheaf" +significance
://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=lang_en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&newwindow=1&q=%22wheat+sheaf%22+%2Bsignificance&btnG=Google+Search
Thank you for this "fruitful" question, it was extremly interesting to
find out the meaning of the sheaf and the bread. If you would like me
to clarify anything at all, please let me know before you rate my
answer.
nvwriter-ga |
