Heritage Doncaster

Corn Dollies, also sometimes called Harvest Trophies or Corn Mothers, are a tradition dating back to the 16^th century. They were made from the last sheaves of corn (or other grain, such as barley or rye) from a harvest, steeped in warm water to make them more pliable and then shaped into figurines. People worries that the spirit of the corn, which lived in the crops, would be made homeless during the harvest. A corn dolly provided the spirit with somewhere to rest over winter, so that it could emerge again in spring and inhabit the newly-sown crops.