Beltaine
Beltaine ( Bealtaine or Beilteine ) is the third of four great religious holidays of the Celtic year ; it comes after Samain and Imbolc.
It marks the beginning of the summer season and takes place on May 1st (giamonios, according to the Calendrier of Coligny). It is a sacerdotal festival, in Gaulle it is in connection with Belenos (misadventure of the paramount god Lug in the form of the light) and Belisama (“the Very Brilliant one”, parèdre of the precedent) and whose direction is “fire of Beautiful”. In Ireland, it is on this date that the various occupants of the island arrived, if one refers to the Lebor Gabála Érenn (the Livres of the conquests of Ireland ). It is thus a festival of revival.
Beltaine marks a rupture in the year, one spends the dark season to the season clear, luminous, it is also a change of life since it is the opening of the diurnal activities: begun again Hunting, War, Raid S, conquests for the warriors, beginning of agrarian and pastoral work for the farmers and the stockbreeders. In this direction, it is the total antithesis of the festival of Samain.
The accounts insist on the fires lit by the Druide S, pronouncing magic incantations while one makes pass the cattle between these fires, in order to protect it from the epidemics. The Philologue S complain about a lacunar documentation and incomplete sources on the Antiquité about this event, whereas the Folklore of May 1st is abundant.
Related articles
- Imbolc | Lugnasad | Samain
- Celtic | Celtic Religion | Druidisme | Celtic Mythology
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