Essays and Such
Irish Cultural Society
of San Antonio Texas
Promoting Awareness of Irish Culture
Beltain3
by Unknown
Belenus, The god of Light
Beltaine or May Day 1 May
This holiday was called Beltaine, probably because of the name Belenus, the god of light. At this time, all household fires were extinguished and great bonfires were kindled on hilltops. From these sacred fires all household fires were relit, thus gaining the blessings of the gods. People and cattle jumped across the bonfires in a symbolic ritual of purification and protection from evil; getting the cattle to jump over the fires must have been a difficult matter, even though cows are capable of clearing five- or six-foot fences. Might this ancient practice have been the origin of the nursery rhyme about the cow jumping over the moon? It is ironic but true that many so-called "children’s" nursery rhymes were based on some very "Grimm" realities. The following is a poem translated out of the Gaelic by the Dal Riadh Celtic Trust and said to be written by Finn himself: May, clad in cloth of gold, Cometh this way; The fluting of the blackbirds Heralds the day. The dust coloured cuckoo Cries welcome O Queen! For winter has vanished, The thickets are green. Soon the trampling of cattle where river runs low! The long hair of the heather, The canna like snow. Wild waters are sleeping, Foam of blossom is here; Peace, save the panic In the heart of the deer. The wild bee is busy, The ant honey spills, The wandering kine Are abroad on the hills. The harp of the forest Sounds low, sounds sweet; Soft bloom on the heights; On the loch, haze of heat. The waterfall dreams; Snipe, corncakes, drum By the pool where the talk Of the rushes is come. The swallow is swooping; Song swings from each brae; Rich harvest of mast falls; The swamp shimmers gay. Happy the heart of man, Eager each maid; Lovely the forest, The wild plane, the green glade. Truly winter is gone, Come the time of delight, The summer truce joyous, May, blossom-white. In the heart of the meadows The lapwings are quiet; A winding stream Makes drowsy riot. Race horses, sail, run, Rejoice and be bold! See, the shaft of the sun Makes the water-flag gold. Loud, clear, the blackcap; The lark trills his voice Hail May of delicate colours tis May-Day - rejoice! Amonst the folk lore of this holiday is that which survives to this day, young women will wash their face in the dew of Beltaine morning to preserve their youth. May dew was indeed considered to be holy water. This day was one which saw visits to the holy well. A visitor would walk three times around the well, then they would throw in a silver coin, after which while thinking of their wish they would drink from the well using their hands. When those things were done, they would then tie a bit of colored cloth or a piece of clothing to a branch of a nearby tree. The above had to be done in complete silence as well as when the sun wasn’t in sight. The final part of the procedure had the visiting person well out of sight of the well before sunrise. In many places, a May Queen was elected. She was crowned by an elder lady of notoriety, after the new queen and her court had arrived at a predetermined place. Some believe that in the older times, it was the May Queen who lead the hymns to the rising sun, as all the people congregated on the appropriate hill at Beltaine. She is also believe to have led some of the “marches” in the older times.