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Beltane
(pronounced
BAWL-tuh-nuh) (Beltaine,
Belltaine, Bealtaine, Beltain, Beltine, Bealteine, Bealtuinn, Bhealltainn,
Boaldyn) The name Beltane is thought to derive from Bel or Light. The Celtic sun and healer God is Belenus. Beltane is the great Celtic May festival, celebrated on May 1st. It marks the official beginning of the Summer when livestock was moved onto high pastureland. Bright colours are worn. Celebratory foods include sweets, mead and other honey products, fruit, fish and milk products. Beltane, and its counterpart Samhain, divides the year into its two primary seasons, winter (Dark Part) and summer (Light Part). As Samhain is about honoring Death, Beltane, its counter part, is about honouring Life. It is the time when the sun is fully released from the bondage of winter and able to rule over summer and life once again. It is a time of great magic and divination. The powers of the elves and faeries are thought to be growing and will reach their height at the Summer Solstice. Ancient Pagan traditions say that Beltane marks the emergence of the young God into manhood. Stirred by the energies at work in nature, he desires the Goddess. They fall in love, lie among the grasses and blossoms, and unite. The Goddess becomes pregnant of the God. On Beltane, many people would rise at the first light of dawn to go outdoors and gather flowers and branches to decorate their homes. The leaf of the mountain ash or rowan tree which along with primroses and buttercps were often hung across the outside door and window sills. Women would braid flowers into their hair. Men and women alike would decorate their bodies. Green was worn at this time to honour the Mother Earth. Beltane was also a day of uninhibited sexuality. People would spend the entire night in the woods "A-Maying," and then dance around the phallic Maypole (the ribbons represent the vulva) the next morning. Older married couples were allowed to remove their wedding rings (and the restrictions they imply) for this one night. One-year trial marriages were conducted at this time after which the couples were allowed the option to part or remain together. The Fire Festival The Bel fire is a sacred fire with healing and purifying powers. The fires further celebrate the return of life, fruitfulness to the earth and the burning away of winter. Heath fires were extinguished and a bonfire was lit at the top of the Hill of Uisneach (near Killare) to send its light out over the plains. Eventually, cinders and torches from the communal fire would make their way to each home hearth, spreading the sacred power to each family group. The ashes of the Beltane fires were smudged on faces and scattered in the fields. Even today in Ballymenone, Co Fermanagh, traditional hearth fires are extinguished at dusk and not re-lit until late the next day. Hospitality and generosity were the general rules, but not on May Day because anything taken out of the house could be used in malicious spells. On this day, if anyone — neighbour or stranger — came seeking a bit of fire to light their own or a bit of butter or even a cupful of water, they were turned away.1 Other rituals include leaping over fires to ensure fertility and circling the fire three times (sun-wise) for good luck in the coming year. Some Irish myths associate Beltane, fire and the Druids. The Druids would make two great fires between which cattle were driven as a symbolic protection against disease. The Book of Invasions contains a story concerning the Druid Mide, founder of Meath, who was the first Druid to light a Beltane fire. The 12th Century Irish text known as Dinnschenchas tells how his great fire spread all over Ireland, and thus incurred the enmity of the other native Druids. Mide cut out all their tongues and ritually burned them, presumable because a Druid would thereby lose all his power if he were unable to speak. Speech, including prophecy and satire, was an important Druid tool. The chief assembly at Tara, the official centre of Ireland, also took place at Beltane. 2 Christianity Like most of the pagan customs, Christian sought also to absorb this festival. The Christian religion substituted for the life-affirming Maypole, i.e., namely, the death-affirming cross. Hence, in the Christian calendar, this was celebrated as 'Roodmas'. Wearing of green was discouraged as was sexual promiscuity. Beltane, however, is still celebrated in many forms in Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Britain. Footnotes: See also Copyright © 2003
Ireland's OWN Page last updated 14 May 2006
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