April 2010

Beltane: fire and water

Origen de la fiesta: celta (indoeuropea)

Other names: * Belotenia (Gaul), Calan Mai, Calan Haf (Welsh), * Byol-tana, * Belo-thaich (proto-Celtic), Bealltuinn , Bealltainn (Scottish), Beltaine, Lá Bealtaine (May Day) (Modern Irish)

Approximate date: tradition is celebrated approx. April 30-May 1 (corresponding with the flowering of hawthorn), but also on the 5th of May in some areas, and in Scotland it was formerly celebrated between 11 and 15 May.

Overview:

Middle exact year since the celebration of Samhain / Samonios, Beltane is celebrated. This festival takes place between the spring equinox and summer solstice, and, like all Celtic festival has a community and agricultural purposes. Although astronomically have points to note, however, the signs are natural (and moon) which determine the exact date of the celebration.

Samhain, as mentioned above, marks the beginning of the dark half of the year, so mark Beltane clear half of the year, for that reason often calls this festival "Ceadsamhainn" 'second half of year. " This marks the beginning of good weather, the start of the propesridad to come. Not only takes a practical or agricultural, but also to more introspective half of the cycle (as stated in Paganachd "is the end of traditional storytelling season that began with Oíche Shamhna). It also celebrates the union of the community again, reinforce the bonds of tribe or members who compose it, and draw contracts and bonds (temporary or otherwise) that commitment.

As Oíche Shamhna (Sammonios or Samhain), the holding of the second half of the year marks the time when the Otherworld is close to it, so the border between the two is tenuous.

Etymology and history:

Based on the proto-Celtic roots we get multiple meanings: the verb belo-thaich (rekindle or revive), the adjective 'baelo' (bright), the name 'beòlach' (' hot ashes') from the BEO / belo + luathach, ('ash brilliant'). Until an outbreak could be traced to proto-Indo-European root "bael" which means "bright and clear" and that would name the Baltic and Lithuanian term "Baltar" ("white or clear). (Wikipedia)

In Wales, the name of the party is Calan Mai, which means "the first day of summer, and although there is no evidence that Beltane is celebrated in Gaul, do exist and Belisama nativity figures, which can be deduced that the Gaia was celebrated a day to honor that would have called * Belotenia.

Lá Bealtaine in Irish means "May Day", and not to be confused with Bealtaine, which means May. In Scotland the festival is called Latha Bealltainn or simply Bealltainn, and corresponds with the month of May named Ceit or 'Mhàigh. Along with Céad Shamhain, this is the most important festivals of Celtic paganism, which honors the arrival of good weather and the start of a new life cycle. In fact it is believed that this festival was celebrated on May 11 in Ireland and 15 in Scotland, but now the tradition is to celebrate May 1 as it is at this time that the good weather.

Cormac's Glossary gives meaning to the name of "the fire of Bel", the fire of Bel, relating with the God Baal (given as Bial in the text.) Many scholars argue that the etymology of Bealltainn connected with Baal is due more to the familiariedad of manuscripts with a god that is substantially in the Bible more than any other similar Irish deity, but there are many notable Celtic deities incorporating the suffix " bel "in their name, such as Belen Beli Galo and Wales.

Perhaps a more likely explanation, MacBain Stokes and mention near the end of the ninth century, the Bealltainn bel contains the two words, "brilliant" teine \u200b\u200band "fire" - ie "bright fire."

Another etymology suggests instead of tene-"fire", the second element the word is-"dine", ie earned newborn, thus referring to the calves that were slaughtered Bel. (...) A final etymology has been proposed is by Henri-Marie D'Arbois Jubainville, suggesting that Bealltainn containing the genitive of beltu-"dying" is related to Giltinan , and the Lithuanian goddess of Death. This argument could therefore help to sustain the argument that Bealltainn actually refers to a particular deity Irish, but it would suggest that such a god apparently also had the connotations of death as its analog Lithuanian. As MacCulloch suggests, however, the festival is not about death but life that promotes and abundance, which casts doubt on the theory Jubainville . (Tairis)

is not uncommon for this event is also present in other parts of Europe. In the Germanic regions coincided with Walpurgis Night or Walpurgisnacht celebration quintessential witch, connected with the rise of the "witches" to Mount Brocken. There was also this festival in ancient Rome, where he called Floralia, and covered from late April until the first week of May.

Sources:

The "Cormac's Glossary," which dates from the Irish text 900AD and contains some early references to the festival:

Bil. i. obiel. i. idaltoicteg day [?] said ina anmaim conataithe tene i taiti samra DOGV ether in cethrai doaightís gives then (a fire was made on behalf of Bil in the early summer and Livestock was driven through two fires).

In the story of The Wooing of Emer the eleventh century, Bealltainn referred to as the "early summer" mention should be made and in the VIIth century Life of St Patrick in.

Life of Saint Patrick, S.9 tells us that it is assumed that all fires were extinguished and relighting the fire of Tara, sounding very similar to the rituals of Bealltainn (...) Tairis

also mentions this festival is in the Book of Invasions, it is said that both Milesians and the Tuatha Dé Danann were celebrating the start of summer in Beltane, which one could conclude that both came from the same proto-cultural family separated in time but whose traditions do not absorb cost.

Celebration:

Historically we know from sources such as Scottish Tairis that:

The day was marked by a variety of festivities, including a grand procession through the hills, the glow of fires (which were used ritually as cleaning and protection for homes, people and cattle), decorating the home with flowers and 'May shrubs', cooking special meals and ceremonies superstitions private housing.

milk production was vital to the pastoral economy in Scotland and Ireland - especially in the months leading up to harvest time - and the festivities and offerings revolved around the world, developed to ensure protection and a full supply of milk, butter and cheese for the coming year. Bealltainn was also accompanied by the renewal of the income between the owners and lords, and the payment of part of production, which ensured a steady job.

Many of the rituals also had to do with the strengthening of land boundaries even within the physical space of the house and farm (as well as access , windows, and the area of \u200b\u200bthe property). These limits, which limited property space of another, were considered to be under the threat of supernatural forces as he thought over the eve of the Bealltainn, and without adequate protection witches or evil spirits could enter and void prosperity and home safety. ( Tairis)

If something can represent clarity, light and heat, that is fire. The bonfires have been considered one of the great symbols of the festival, and since its origins have been told the huge bonfires that lit the ancient peoples probably high on the hills, and the rituals that took place around them . An example would be the ritual fires lighted on the hill Uisnech, central Ireland, rituals that have survived in other parts of the island until a few centuries.

The wood fire is lit to represent prosperity and plants that bloom at the same time, and it is attributed beneficiatorias, purifying and healing. No wonder, then, that we speak of rituals based on the procession of cattle and people between two fires, or skip the ritual fires or embers to attract good fortune. But not only lit the fires is important, but also off of them. The fires around the village were extinguished and new fires lit, renewing the cycle of light.

practices associated with water were also a significant feature of festivals and James MacInlay Bealltainn notes that it may have been the busiest time to visit holy wells, springs or lakes to get the benefits of water for healing or for good luck, preferably well before sunrise.

^{At this time the benefits of water are thought to be more powerful, and that many wells that were already considered effective in any stations, increased Bealltainn his popularity probably because the mild climate.}

In some places, wells were not visited until the first Sunday or Monday in May even more than the same day Bealltainn, but regardless the case had certain solemn rites associated with the approach to the wells. It is generally considered vital to approach the well in silence, with the person with bare feet and legs. (Tairis)

Gods and legends associated with the party:

Beltane, if Looking at it from an etymological point of view, is linked to Bethlehem and Belisama-and all its local variants, despite having found no explicit mention of this feast in Gaul. Belenos and Belisama are a couple of gods (in this case basing on the Gallic pantheon), whose names mean "bright / clear," because the root bel-present in the proto-Indo-European language which we have already spoken. But this semantics should not be inferred that it is solar gods, in the archetypal sense of the word, but, to call in some way, should call them fiery gods.

Belisama is also important, as its name combines the concepts of "belligerent" ("bright") and samo-("summer"). The role of Belisama, going beyond the concept late this goddess as the consort of Bethlehem, is the goddess of the heat of all kinds, as well as healing (His emblem is also snakes) and wisdom (a goddess Brighid very similar to the Gaelic).

Belenos, pan-Celtic character as it relates to the Irish Bile, Bel, or Beli Welsh in this case should not be confused with Brennan nor Bolgia ( also erroneously called Bethlehem) who is the Lord of Death. Bethlehem could be linked to the figure of Belatu-cadre, which relate to Bethlehem with Cernunnos. Their roles are as broad as those of Belisama "was worshiped as the god of medicine, but they have also found records linking him with a sort of patron deity of the harvest and livestock, which is probably why the practice is so widespread in the procession from fires or embers jump (in conclusion, it was a protector god) "(Post on Belenos in http://reconstruccion-celta.foroactivo.com/deidades-f19/belenos-un-falso-dios-solar-t113.htm ).

Obviously, it could also relate to gods To the Gaulish Taranis, the Dagda, and the goddess Brigantia / Brighid and the Gaelic Cailleach, if only by analogy and could include all weather-related gods and the natural cycle: Cernunnos, according to Western folklore, wakes up after his long dormancy (which lasted from Samhain) to return to bring fertility and forest life. It would be connected to the ideas of the alleged orgies by the Celts in this party (of which there are hardly credible references.)