Mud Month, in old English, Solmonað. Solmonað , the Old English name for February. Pronounced SOHL-mo-nath (soft “th” as in that). Think of it as the Sun’s month, the time when winter still lingers but the days start slowly lengthening. The Anglo Saxons had a knack for calling things exactly what they were. February in Saxon England was the month when winter's grip began to loosen just enough to make a mess of things. If you find yourself in the old heartlands of Wessex this

Listen! The wind is rising, And the air is wild with leaves, We have had our summer evenings: Now for October eves! Humbert Wolfe - Poet...