norseman Tue Feb 25, 2014 12:05 pm
BELTANE
Well, the wheel turns once again and soon it will be summer. This is marked in the ancient festival of Beltane and it will be celebrated at our ancient henge, Thornborough, in North Yorkshire.
Beltane means fire of Bel. It is also the Gaelic word for May. Belinios is the name of the Sun King, and Beltane is a celebration of his feast of coronation- or crowning. It is celebrated on about April 30 (Beltane Eve) and May 1st. At this time, the Earth was being warmed by the sun and bringing forth life- new flowers were blooming and baby animals were frolicking about. In Celtic times, May Day, or Beltane, was a time for married couples to shed their wedding vows for just one night. And it was a time of courtship and uninhibited sexuality for younger, unmarried people.
Decorations- all spring and early summer blossoms
Foods- pork, beef, any edible blossom, all vegetables, dairy foods and drinks, wine, and tea
Herbs- violet, vanilla, and all spring flowes
Colors- green, red, pink, orange, white
For our ancestors, this was the time to move the cattle and sheep away from the village, partly to protect the newly sown crops and also to allow the hay in the near meadows to develop for hay, necessary for winter fodder.
It also got some of the older boys out of the village, taking care of the herds on the hills, the ones too old to be under their mothers' feet, but not yet old enough to become men. (it also kept early maturing boys from troubling the girls). It was a responsible job, to keep the herds together and protect them from raiders or predators, (wolves and bears were British residents back then!). One or two of the boys would trek back to the village for food every couple of days, but otherwise they were out there doing a job for the good of the whole village. Older boys would be learning the trades of the village, or going trading, learning a certain amount of warrior craft, etc.
Beltane marks the beginning of summer and was when cattle were driven out to the summer pastures. Rituals were performed to protect the cattle, crops and people, and to encourage growth. Special bonfires were kindled, and their flames, smoke and ashes were deemed to have protective powers. The people and their cattle would walk around the bonfire, or between two bonfires, and sometimes leap over flames or embers. All household fires would be doused and then re-lit from the Beltane bonfire. Doors, windows, byres and the cattle themselves would be decorated with yellow May flowers, perhaps because they evoked fire. In parts of Ireland, people would make a May Bush; a thorn bush decorated with flowers, ribbons and bright shells. Holy wells were also visited, while Beltane dew was thought to bring beauty and maintain youthfulness. Many of these customs were part of May Day or Midsummer festivals in other parts of Great Britain and Europe.
