Photo by Nancy Wilder

How the summer is flying by! It is nearly time again for kids to head back to school…and it is also nearing that time of harvesting the glorious abundance offered here on the Palouse. The bright green fields of July are mellowing into warm golden waves of wheat with the dry heat of August, as our thoughts turn to enjoying the waning days of summer. At harvest time, the growing year has come full circle, and the bringing in of the ripe grains, vegetables, and fruits is cause for celebration. Throughout Europe, the concept of a Corn Mother figure or spirit in the grain was kept for centuries, with counterparts in the Americas in the form of Indian Maize goddesses. Given the vital importance of the harvest for survival, this is easy to understand. But few of us today can realize the significance of a “corn dolly” before the invention of the threshing machine. In northern England, for example, the last sheaf left standing in the field was braided and made into a doll-like figure called the “kirn-doll,” and carried to the harvest feast to symbolize the elements needed for the next growing season. In some areas, whoever cut the last sheaf was thought to be killing the corn spirit and bound to have bad luck; so to spread the ill luck as widely as possible, all the reapers threw their sickles at once so that everyone carried the responsibility (now that’s community!). They would then make the corn dolly to keep until the following year when a new one could replace it.

To make your own maize (corn) dolly for good luck or happy harvesting (or just plain fun), here are the simple steps. You’ll need:

~ Fresh maize leaves (corn husks)

~ Light colored thread or string

~ Any child-sized handful of material (a baby-size sock works great)

First, if possible, use the fresh maize leaves not long after they are stripped from the ear of corn (this is great fun for kids, and they can set aside the corn silk to use as dolly hair). This way the leaves are fresh, and moist for easy folding. The head, arms, and body are each made separately and then fitted together. Now fit the small ball of fabric (or little sock) into one corn leaf and tie down, moistening and tucking in the sides to form the head. Next roll up a long strip (keep lengthwise) and tie off ends to form arms. For the main body, cut the narrow ends off a large leaf and cut a slit width-wise in the center to slide the “neck” into. Finally, slide in arms across the width of the center slit, fold the leaf down, and tie off to form a waist. If you want a strong and sturdy corn doll, use several thicknesses of leaves for the body to add weight and balance. You can also snip patterns or frills at the hem of the “skirt.” The rest is up to your imagination; with paints, markers, glitter, moss, twigs, etc. you can create any style or gender of doll. These are so simple to make, you can whip up a whole family of dolls to adorn your harvest table with, or to liven up any garden space.