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Celtic Hist. Newsletter: Beltane in Scotland
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hist-@historicgames.com
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May 01, 2008 08:25 PDT
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Beltane in Scotland
Beltane was a traditional festival celebrating the return of summer.
Some scholars believe the name may originate in ancient Phoenicia
where Baal was a name sometimes used as a god of the rain, thunder,
fertility and agriculture. In Babylon the term was "Bel" and in Celtic
belief, Belenos.
Although other scholars refute this connection and believe the
festival was merely connected with the sun worship of the druids and
using fires to celebrate the return of the sun. In any case it appears
to have been a festival for fertility and to encourage the growth of
crops and livestock. Traditions included driving flocks between two
fires of sacred woods such as rowan, oak or birch. This was done in
the hope of protecting them from witches, fairies, or disease. It also
marked the return of summer when cattle and sheep were driven to the
higher pastures to feed on the summer grasses. In many areas cattle
and sheep were kept in the summer shielings from Beltane until Samhain
(Halloween).
May first is the traditional date for Beltane, but some records show
it being held on May second, third, or even as late as June
twenty-first in Ireland. I suspect some of these differences in date
may reflect the local differences in climate and when it was believed
the weather would be most safe to move the herds and flocks.
The ancient Romans also held a flower festival, Floralia, on the first
of May, which seems to have influenced Beltane observances in south
east Scotland in forms that were similar to the more Enlglish "May
Day". Although the Christian church attempted to convert the
celebration into Rood Day, a celebration of the Cross, Beltane fires
long continued to be lit in many places on "Red-Even" or the eve of
Beltane, or have seen a revival in some places by Wiccans or modern
"Neo"-Pagans. On occasion, animal sacrifices even seem to have
continued. In 1912, Charles Squire wrote in "Celtic Myth and Legend.":
"The Registers of the Presbytery of Dingwall for the years 1656 and
1678 contain the records of the sacrifices of cattle upon the site of
an ancient temple in honour of a being whom some called St. Mourie,
and others, perhaps knowing his doubtful character to 'ane god Mourie'."
Although these sacrifices may have been rarities by then, and possibly
in response to outbreaks of a disease or "murrain" (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murrain ) among the cattle herds. (
A"force fire" or a fire produced by friction, was also used in folk
magic in the Scottish Highlands as a weapon against murrains or
bewitching up until the 19th century
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force-fire )
Before leaving home celebrants would put out their hearth fires and
re-light them using a torch or brand taken from the Beltane fire, if
the brand went out before they reached their home it was a sign of ill
fortune for the coming year. In other Beltane traditions local people
would place stones, which were marked or identifiable in some way, in
a circle around the ashes of the fire. If your stone had moved or
disappeared by the next morning it was also an ill sign.
Crumbs from the Beltane Bannock bread could be sprinkled over the
sheep or sewn into the hem of a skirt or waistcoat to keep the flocks
and their tenders safe from witches or the fairies. Beltane Butter was
churned before sunrise on May the first and said to keep fairies at
bay as well. Anyone who entered the home while the churning was being
done took a turn to prevent the good luck from escaping out the door.
A darker element that may, or may not be true was that when the
Beltane fire was out and the ashes were scattered, the local herders
would race down the hill and the last one to the village was the
"fool". Undocumented legend has it that this may have had a more
sinister meaning in ancient times when the last runner might have
become a sacrifice.
In some areas there even seems to have been "trick or treat" aspects
like halloween. In Kintyre, children visited local farms and asked for
their "Maying" of curds and cream, and threatened bad luck on any farm
that did not provide this offering.
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