Post by Senbecc on May 5, 2007 17:19:16 GMT -5
I understand that by many's understandings this post will seem a bit late, but better late that never. 
Of all the Celtic fire festivals documented in the old texts, La Baal Tinne (Beltaine) is undoubtedly one of the most famous along with Samhain. Today "May day" is celebrated through out many cultures in the form of parades, carnivals, as well as sabbats in Wiccan styled communities. In this study of Beltaine I hope to bring to light some of the lesser known histories and practices of Celtic cultures gone by, I will work to present both Celtic and Druidic practices of one of the most sacred times of the Celtic year.
Today, in Ireland and Scotland this festival has survived nearly in tact (with obvious considerations such as "laying with women" for example which are frowned on by the Church). As with the other three Gaelic fire festivals Beltaine now has a set date (May 1st) within the modern calender of the year. This obviously would not have been the case for the ancestors. La Baal Tinne was an agricultural and pastoral celebration which would have been centered around nature, and held when nature deemed winter "death" was over and the breath of spring was birthing her bounty, and not a date as set by some pre-existing calender. "Beltaine" (or Bel's fire) marked the time of the Big sun, or the fire of Summer, the light 1/2 of the year. It was a time when plants, trees, and crops came alive and green, it was when the cattle would be lead from their winter shelters and passed between two great fires as a symbolic purification act before being lead to their pastures to graze on new grass, to mate, and give new milk which was extremely important to the Celtic people.
Now, while it is obvious that the time of Beltaine was chosen for farmers and "common" folk by nature it's self, this wasn't the case for Druidic orders. As is practiced within our Grove today, though then for more political reasons a certain date would be agreed to, this date would have been the same through out the land yet wouldn't have necessarily been the same from year to year. This would have been the time of actual ritual styled work for Druid, King, warrior, and common folk alike. The reasoning here is one of the most important rituals of all documented in Irish history. The Beltaine fire. All the fires of Ireland would be extinguished the night before. The importance of this act is a well documented one and was obviously a VERY sacred and magical event. All the fires of Ireland were extinguished so the new fire had to be started by a "fire drill" which was turned by nine men, until there was enough heat to start a fire, nine different types of wood were used, collected from nine trees by nine men. Nine is three times the three levels of being and is therefore of utmost importance in the description.
From this great fire, tended by the Druid of the Ard-ri all the fires of Ireland would be lit. Druids and Chiefs from all across the land would come to take some of this fire back to light their own fires. Then the festivities would begin, people would jump over the fires as a means of purification, new hearth fires lit, as earlier discussed cattle herded between two fires for purification.
According to some the texts there was also an annual assembly of Druids at the hill in Tara during La Baal Tinne and in many ways seems to match what Julius Caesar described from the Druids in Gaul. Caesar writes that every year the Druids sought a fixed date at some consecrated point at the center of Gaul (probably Chartres in France) so having a set date is a historically accurate practice at Beltaine as long as it corresponds with the natural world. While those who feel Beltaine is right where it should be, it isn't without merit to move the date to one that is a little more appropriate to your region. The Druid's practice is based around the land, and not the land around the Druid IMO.
La baal Tinne is to life as Samhain is to death. Samhain is a quiet, sombre time dealing with the darkness of the sun, soul, and otherworld. La Baal Tinne stands opposite but equal. It is a lively, lusty time at which spirit dances to the music of new life. New agreements, bonds and marriages are arranged. Lust might be seen as the fire that forges creation as life and spirit reach out for new boundaries as they struggle for rebirth!
It is said that Celts only went to war in the six months after Beltaine, to my mind this would have been due to the importance of this after time. At least three of the five invasions of Ireland are specifically given as happening at Beltaine, these being Partholon, the Tuatha de Danann, and the Son's of Mildh (the Celts). It can be assumed somewhat that a fourth, the invasion of Neimheadh also *may* have occurred during this time. Unlike the latter three however this invasion isn't given to a specific date or time of year, however it does give details of the "fire of Mide" which is likely an aspect of the Beltaine fire. Each invasion added new growth, and to the the truth of sovereignty in Ireland often times through war which obviously occurred in the time after La Baal Tinne...
Beltaine is a time to look within yourself, to pull fourth the poetry, and the truth of life as well as of being. For it was from within these confines of Life and being that those who have come before us, as Gods in their own right, have created our world and passed it down to their children, as did theirs before them, and theirs before them, just as we ourselves create the world we will pass to our own children and those who would be our apprenticeship. For it is through such acts of creation, and expression of spirit that the Druid touches the face of "Deity". May what ever entity you look upon as god be in your thoughts in this most sacred of times, and with that I will leave you with the words of Starbo on the subject of Gallic Druids and their thoughts on the on creation, destruction, and rebirth. "Though fire and water will at times prevail, there will be another life beyond this one"........And we Druids will create that reality as well.
In loving memory....
Of all the Celtic fire festivals documented in the old texts, La Baal Tinne (Beltaine) is undoubtedly one of the most famous along with Samhain. Today "May day" is celebrated through out many cultures in the form of parades, carnivals, as well as sabbats in Wiccan styled communities. In this study of Beltaine I hope to bring to light some of the lesser known histories and practices of Celtic cultures gone by, I will work to present both Celtic and Druidic practices of one of the most sacred times of the Celtic year.
Today, in Ireland and Scotland this festival has survived nearly in tact (with obvious considerations such as "laying with women" for example which are frowned on by the Church). As with the other three Gaelic fire festivals Beltaine now has a set date (May 1st) within the modern calender of the year. This obviously would not have been the case for the ancestors. La Baal Tinne was an agricultural and pastoral celebration which would have been centered around nature, and held when nature deemed winter "death" was over and the breath of spring was birthing her bounty, and not a date as set by some pre-existing calender. "Beltaine" (or Bel's fire) marked the time of the Big sun, or the fire of Summer, the light 1/2 of the year. It was a time when plants, trees, and crops came alive and green, it was when the cattle would be lead from their winter shelters and passed between two great fires as a symbolic purification act before being lead to their pastures to graze on new grass, to mate, and give new milk which was extremely important to the Celtic people.
Now, while it is obvious that the time of Beltaine was chosen for farmers and "common" folk by nature it's self, this wasn't the case for Druidic orders. As is practiced within our Grove today, though then for more political reasons a certain date would be agreed to, this date would have been the same through out the land yet wouldn't have necessarily been the same from year to year. This would have been the time of actual ritual styled work for Druid, King, warrior, and common folk alike. The reasoning here is one of the most important rituals of all documented in Irish history. The Beltaine fire. All the fires of Ireland would be extinguished the night before. The importance of this act is a well documented one and was obviously a VERY sacred and magical event. All the fires of Ireland were extinguished so the new fire had to be started by a "fire drill" which was turned by nine men, until there was enough heat to start a fire, nine different types of wood were used, collected from nine trees by nine men. Nine is three times the three levels of being and is therefore of utmost importance in the description.
From this great fire, tended by the Druid of the Ard-ri all the fires of Ireland would be lit. Druids and Chiefs from all across the land would come to take some of this fire back to light their own fires. Then the festivities would begin, people would jump over the fires as a means of purification, new hearth fires lit, as earlier discussed cattle herded between two fires for purification.
According to some the texts there was also an annual assembly of Druids at the hill in Tara during La Baal Tinne and in many ways seems to match what Julius Caesar described from the Druids in Gaul. Caesar writes that every year the Druids sought a fixed date at some consecrated point at the center of Gaul (probably Chartres in France) so having a set date is a historically accurate practice at Beltaine as long as it corresponds with the natural world. While those who feel Beltaine is right where it should be, it isn't without merit to move the date to one that is a little more appropriate to your region. The Druid's practice is based around the land, and not the land around the Druid IMO.
La baal Tinne is to life as Samhain is to death. Samhain is a quiet, sombre time dealing with the darkness of the sun, soul, and otherworld. La Baal Tinne stands opposite but equal. It is a lively, lusty time at which spirit dances to the music of new life. New agreements, bonds and marriages are arranged. Lust might be seen as the fire that forges creation as life and spirit reach out for new boundaries as they struggle for rebirth!
It is said that Celts only went to war in the six months after Beltaine, to my mind this would have been due to the importance of this after time. At least three of the five invasions of Ireland are specifically given as happening at Beltaine, these being Partholon, the Tuatha de Danann, and the Son's of Mildh (the Celts). It can be assumed somewhat that a fourth, the invasion of Neimheadh also *may* have occurred during this time. Unlike the latter three however this invasion isn't given to a specific date or time of year, however it does give details of the "fire of Mide" which is likely an aspect of the Beltaine fire. Each invasion added new growth, and to the the truth of sovereignty in Ireland often times through war which obviously occurred in the time after La Baal Tinne...
Beltaine is a time to look within yourself, to pull fourth the poetry, and the truth of life as well as of being. For it was from within these confines of Life and being that those who have come before us, as Gods in their own right, have created our world and passed it down to their children, as did theirs before them, and theirs before them, just as we ourselves create the world we will pass to our own children and those who would be our apprenticeship. For it is through such acts of creation, and expression of spirit that the Druid touches the face of "Deity". May what ever entity you look upon as god be in your thoughts in this most sacred of times, and with that I will leave you with the words of Starbo on the subject of Gallic Druids and their thoughts on the on creation, destruction, and rebirth. "Though fire and water will at times prevail, there will be another life beyond this one"........And we Druids will create that reality as well.
In loving memory....
