Beltane

Beltane is the Gaelic May Day festival. Most commonly it is held on 30 April, but sometimes on 1 May, or about halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. In Irish it is Bealtaine, in Scottish Gaelic Bealltainn and in Manx Gaelic Boaltinn or Boaldyn. It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals—along with Samhain, Imbolc and Lughnasadh—and is similar to the Welsh Calan Mai. (x)

Since I ended up missing the Samhain fire festival in October, I was very excited to go to Beltane. I had bought my tickets, though I almost didn't end up going, as it fell on the Wednesday during my first week of interning slash doing school slash generally being crazy busy, but in the end I decided not to miss it.

Beltane is mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature and it is associated with important events in Irish mythology. It marked the beginning of summer and was when cattle were driven out to the summer pastures. Rituals were performed to protect the cattle, crops and people, and to encourage growth. Special bonfires were kindled, and their flames, smoke and ashes were deemed to have protective powers. The people and their cattle would walk around the bonfire, or between two bonfires, and sometimes leap over flames or embers. (x)

All household fires would be doused and then re-lit from the Beltane bonfire. Doors, windows, byres and the cattle themselves would be decorated with yellow May flowers, perhaps because they evoked fire. In parts of Ireland, people would make a May Bush; a thorn bush decorated with flowers, ribbons and bright shells. Holy wells were also visited, while Beltane dew was thought to bring beauty and maintain youthfulness. Many of these customs were part of May Day or Midsummer festivals in other parts of Great Britain and Europe. (x)

Since 1988, a Beltane Fire Festival has been held every year during the night of 30 April on Calton Hill in Edinburgh, Scotland. While inspired by traditional Beltane, this festival is a modern arts and cultural event which incorporates myth and drama from a variety of world cultures and diverse literary sources.(x)

The main procession started at the top of the hill with the May Queen and the Green Man, along with their attendants. They wound around the hill, stopping and performing various scenes from 9pm until 1am, when they proceeded to go down into the city itself. There were also a number of other groups dancing on the hill at various spots over the duration of the whole night.

I left around 11:30 as I needed to go into Luath the next day.

They were accompanied by drummers in black body paint, creating a really amazing atmosphere.

One of the more exciting groups were the red dancers, who were representing the beasts and wild people. Both men and women were topless and covered in red body paint. Their dances were very strange and kind of frightening as they would lunge at the surrounding audience.

It was absolutely gorgeous the day before, but foggy and freezing the day of Beltane. I had to stop taking photos both because my batteries on my phone were died, and because my hands had gotten so cold I could barely bend my fingers.

The fire got a bit alarming at various points. I was kind of worried for the performers, with their flowing dresses and robes.

It was really strange and amazing experience, quite unlike anything I'd ever been at before. The audience was also quite an interesting group, spanning every demographic, and some of them even were all dressed up or painted as well.