Blackberries

Why you should not pick #blackberries after today (11th October!) to avoid catastrophic misfortune! And other folklore around blackberries.

Blackberries and the #Devil

As I am sure you are aware, it is a seriously bad plan to pick blackberries after Old #Michaelmas Day* on October 11th. But why is it such a bad idea? Well, let me tell you...

According to legend when #Satan was cast out of #heaven, he landed in a thorny blackberry bush. He was fuming! Covered in thorns, he raged about the place, cursing the #blackberry fruit, spitting on it, stomping on it, whipping it with his tail and scorching it with his breath.

The Devil (who is an expert at holding a grudge) is still thoroughly vexed at the blackberry bush and so returns every year on the anniversary of his fall to ruin and #curse the #berries. This is why we should not eat blackberries after this date because they will be bitter and mouldy at best, or give you some seriously bad luck at worst.

West Sussex Superstitions by Charlotte Latham explains,

"Everybody knew that the Devil went round on the 10th of October, and spat on all the blackberries, and that if any person were to eat one on the eleventh they or someone belonging to them would die or fall into great trouble before the year was out."

Aside from not picking blackberries after October 11th, what else is there to note about the blackberry?

Symbolism and magic

#Protection and Warding Off Evil: If you plant blackberry bushes around your home it is a barrier against evil spirits. Many churches used to do this! Their thorny nature traps negative forces and stops them from entering.
Healing Properties: In #herbalfolklore, blackberry leaves and berries can be used in healing #rituals. Back in the day, infusions were made from the leaves to cure fevers, burns and sore throats. And apparently, crawling under an arch of brambles cures ailments like whooping cough or rheumatism. Who knew?! You've been doing it all wrong! Get rid of those antibiotics and get under a bramble bush!
#Fertility and Abundance: Blackberries, as a fruit of late summer and early autumn, symbolise abundance, renewal and fertility. They are associated with the harvest and the bounty of nature. 🌿

#Christian and mythological associations

Religious #Symbolism: The blackberry’s thorny vines have been linked to the Crown of Thorns worn by Christ, leading some to view the fruit as sacred.
The “Serpent’s Trail”: In parts of England and France, some people avoided eating blackberries altogether, believing they bore the mark of the #serpent, an allusion to the Devil or the biblical serpent of Eden.
Celtic and Pagan Lore: Blackberries were sometimes associated with the #Otherworld and the #fae. In Celtic mythology, berries of various kinds were considered food for the fairies and some say should not be disturbed at all! Disturbing them could bring great misfortune... although in my experience, as long as you aren't too greedy and leave some of the berries, most #fairies are happy to share.

Folklore about picking blackberries

We have established that why we should not pick berries after October 11th, but there are various other beliefs about when and how to pick blackberries:

Picking them before they are fully ripe was thought to anger spirits or fairies.
Some believe blackberries should be gathered in silence to avoid bad luck.
A tradition in Scotland and Ireland suggested that offering the first blackberries of the season to the spirits or leaving them on a doorstep would bring good fortune.

*Michaelmas

I heard many of you theologists and folklore geeks out there shout at me "but Michaelmas is celebrated on #September 29th, not #October 11th!", and yes, you are correct, but if you re-read you will notice that I said OLD Michaelmas Day.

Michaelmas is a Christian feast day on September 29th dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel, traditionally regarded as the leader of heaven’s armies and the vanquisher of Satan.

However, in the old Julian calendar, Michaelmas fell on October 11th, which is why many superstitions are tied to this date. It was also an important marker in the rural calendar, signaling the end of the harvest and the start of the farming year, when rents were due, hiring fairs were held, and the nights grew noticeably longer.

So there it is, blackberries! To summarise - don't pick them after October 11th, don't pick them before they are ripe, maybe pick them in silence, plant them around your house, leave them on your doorstep and if have joint pain or a cough then swap a trip to the doctors for crawling under a blackberry bush.

Have you encountered bad luck after picking blackberries? Or has the blackberry bush cured your rheumatism? Perhaps you've had a chat with the fairies and have found out how they really feel about us pinching their berries? Please share below!