Harvest

Summer Celebration of the Cradle

As the months move slowly toward the short days of fall, the fields that were once full of green shoots turn amber, marking the coming of the autumn equinox and another celebration that can only be found in the scattered villages of the Cradle of Clay. The golden swathes outside of the villages will sustain them throughout the rest of the year, until the late days of Winter's Evening when they can begin sowing seeds that have been protected from the chill of winter. The coming days of fall mark the end of the cycle, but one that is heavily celebrated, even though the days stretch long with hard work.
Harvest comes in the late weeks of Summer's Evening, as the days slowly shorten to match the length of the night. The rolling hills begin to turn to golden hues, but not nearly the rich colors of the coveted Cradled Wheat. As the summer turns to fall and the days begin with frosted plains, the rich grains of the Cradle of Clay end their cycle as simple crops and find their ways into nearly every part of the Clay Giants' daily life. The long hard days of harvest mark prosperity for the rest of the year.
Once the grains have been removed from the chaff, the delicate Cradled Wheat will become the grain alcohols that the Clay Giants covet, flour to bake breads and other heavy baked goods to add to the diet of Cradle-Fed Beef. Most importantly, the grain will become feed for the Black Stout and the Tatanka, fattening the creatures through the winter when the grasses are thin. These grains are the secret to the taste of Cradle-Fed Beef, of Geyser Whiskey, of much of the food created in the Cradle of Clay.

Execution

Harvest time is common in other cultures that have agricultural pursuits, but the time of Harvest is not celebrated as highly outside of the Cradle of Clay. While days of actually harvesting the grain with sickles and hand scythes are long, the Clay Giants make time for feasts and drinking throughout the weeks it takes to completely harvest the grain and separate it from the chaff. Some members of the villages dedicate their time to cooking and taking meals to those in the fields, allowing as much time in the field working as possible.
Not all Clay Giants are farmers, but all in the villages take part in Harvest, much like they take part in the winter Tatanka Roundup. Some work in the fields, bringing in barrels and baskets of wheat to be separated, while others work to remove the delicate grains from the waste that may be used for other purposes. Others still serve as Cooks and food and barrel runners, making sure all are fed and the process moves smoothly.
One select individual, often the Shaman of the village, dedicates their time to storytelling, utilizing a magical device created by the Humans to spread their voice across the far-reaching fields. The stories help to rid the farmers of boredom as they work, making the sometimes sixteen-hour days go much faster. As long as there are those in the fields working, the storyteller continues, sharing stories of past Harvests, the history of the Clay Giants, or of common legends and stories, such as that of the White Tatanka.

Cradled Wheat

The Golden Hour by Erik-Jan Leusink on Unsplash

Cradled Wheat is one of the most common crops grown in the Cradle of Clay. While it had many uses in cooking or drink making, much of the area's wheat crop does get turned into animal feed to help sustain the export of Cradle-Fed Beef.

Primary Related Location

Cradle of Clay

Related Ethnicities

• Clay Giant Culture