Straw Mothers

Considered by many as the last spirit of Kutsukku, Cailleach / Caillagh is the old woman of the land, the last surviving old god from before the occupation, before the lost histories.   Today, she lives in the oats fields to the north of the city. During the last harvest of the season, she flees the workers and hides in the shrinking and shrinking fields. Workers will mark out the nicest patch of the grains to save for last, and at the end of the season, when the very last patch is cut, the family whose field it belonged to will not harvest this sheaf for food - instead they will weave this into the shape of a woman - the Straw Mother.   This will hold Cailleach for the winter; the Doll often placed inside the barn with the stored harvest, to protect it from mice and other pests. However she is brought inside for the holidays, sitting at the place of honour inside the home to oversee the festivities. She is the responsibility of the oldest daughter when inside the home, and its up to the girl to return the Straw Mother to the barn when the home is next cleaned up.   When next season's winter oats have grown about 6 inches, the Straw Mother is returned to the fields, buried in the soil so she can be free to return to the fields to be free to roam for the summer.   * While only one Straw Mother needs to be made, it is common for each family with farm lands to make thier own vessel for Cailleach.

Other Mothers

When a daughter marries into a family outside the fields, her sisters or aunties will make her a Straw Mother so take with her, so that Cailleach may still come and visit her even if she leaves home. These dolls are often then set to watch over her children once they are born so that Cailleach can met them.