St Crispinian's
Feast of the Fairy Craftsmen
Couldn't stop thinking about the charm of the Crispin and Crispinian, patron saints of cobblers and curriers; glove makers; lace makers; lace workers; leather workers; saddle makers; saddlers; shoemakers; tanners; and weavers.
In broader English popcultural lore, this day is of course associated with Henry V and the warlike, or national pride, that particular moment evokes. But I have to ask whether coming in the run-up to Halloween, these figures cannot be connected to the traditional role of crafty gnomes and other fairy-artisans? We see them now, perhaps, because this is their busiest night ahead of the feast to come, a time most apt for them to be careless of hiding in their hurry.
- Brothers Grimm: The Elves and the Shoemaker
- Faversham: St Crispin and St Crispianus
- Map of Stories: The Story of the Cobbler and the Fairy Changeling
- Hypnogoria: The Fairy Shoe of Beara Penisular
- Wikipedia: Leprechaun
- The Mabinogion: Manawydan fab Llŷr
Some things you might do on St Crispin's Day include...
- Make-sure your own preparations for All Hallows Eve
- Undertake works of craftsmanship
- Make fairy-scale handicrafts: miniature chairs, shoes, tiny foods, garden shelters, or other things of fae delight
- Leave out your unfinished work with a small present, and invite your good neighbours to come and assist you
- Stay up late and spy on anybody passing through your kitchen
- Petition to learn the magics of craftsmanship - items enchanted and of wondrous skill
- Speak with the other folk who live in your home
- Go on a walk, so as to make work for the cobbler tomorrow
