Beltane Fires

When the gates of Beltane swing open on May 1, sunlight and blossom welcome the procession of the year into the green halls of summer. At Imbolc we rejoiced at the return of light; now we celebrate life, growth, love and sexuality: "the force that drives the green fuse through the flower," in the words of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas.

While the second part of Irish

and Scottish

clearly means "fire," from the old Celtic word

linguists are uncertain as to whether

refers to Belenos, the Gaulish Apollo, or is simply derived from

meaning "brilliant." It might even derive from

or "lucky fire," because to jump between two Beltaine fires was sure to bring good fortune, health to your livestock, and prosperity.

Belenos (Beh-

-noss) was a sun god who may have been connected with the festival of Beltaine. His name means "bright" or "brilliant." The Romans called him Apollo Belenos, after their god of the sun, but he seems to have existed as a Celtic god in his own right before this period. His cult extended from northern Italy and up through Austria and Gaul, where there were sanctuaries dedicated to him at healing springs, for the sun was believed to have marvelous curative properties when associated with water. A shrine to Belenos may still stand at Paimpont in the old forest of Broceliande in Brittany, Gaul. In the clearing, the sacred well known as the Fountain of Barenton bubbles up near an ancient dolmen stone. The old name of the sacred well was Belenton, probably a contraction of

the sacred grove of Belenos.

I'll tell you of a special festival,
The glorious dues of May-day;
Ale, roots, sweet whey,
And fresh curds to the fire.
-- Early Irish Calendar Poem

On Beltane Eve the druids and their successors assembled on high hills with a view of the rising sun. They came to raise the great fires that would bring the power of the sun to Earth and to sanctify and purify the whole community and their livestock in readiness for the new cycle. Fire was an interface between the human race and the divine, in particular, the elemental powers of the Upperworld who would determine the fate of herds, the flocks, and the growing harvest. Sacrificial offerings were cast into the fire to gain their goodwill, born skyward on flames like hands uplifted in prayer.

Continued on page 2: »