As the light of day increases, and the night of darkness wanes, we see the coming of summer with warmer temperatures and a reignited desire to venture forth into the world. Within Gaelic culture, this is marked with the celebration of Lá Bealtaine, Latha Bealltainn, or simply ‘Beltane.’ As such, it has become another holiday that has been revived with vigour as seen from the great bonfires found in Edinburgh and Uisneach.
Like other Gaelic holidays, Beltane has become synonymous by some as a day for occult practices obscuring the indigenous Christian traditions that have existed into the contemporary era. Let’s explore the history of Beltane, its importance within Gaelic culture, and how it can be celebrated today within both a Christian and cultural context.
Beltane – A Holiday of Transhumance
Within Gaelic culture, the yearly cycle is divided into two halves: a warm summer period (sam) and a cold winter period (gam or gaim). This is attributable to the agrarian nature of Gaelic society, as livestock was moved towards higher ground during the summer. They were moved back on November 1st – otherwise known as Samhain – once the crops have been harvested. Beltane is a celebration that occurs on the 1st of May as a counterpart to the practice of Samhain, as preparation of the livestock for movement. In Oenach Aimsire na mBan, Sharon Paice Maclod explains “Beltaine or Beltene, which marked the beginning of the summer half of the year, was also known as Cetshamain ('the first of summer'). On this day the herds were moved away from settlement areas to new grazing areas and summer pastures.” She continues by stating, “By moving to the higher pastures around May first, fresh food could be obtained for the animals at a time when supplies of stored fodder would have reduced or exhausted. In addition, it was extremely important to move the animals away from the emerging crops and grain.”
As this movement – a practice referred to as transhumance – would be important for Gaelic culture, certain activities would emerge to celebrate this seasonal change. MacLeod argues that, “From this cycle, certain cultural patterns emerged pertaining to a variety of social activities, including courtship, marriage, raiding, and the holding of seasonal assemblies.” This would include lighting bonfires between the current location of the cattle and their destination. Cormac’s Glossary illustrates this practice having cultic association, stating that “Bil is from Bial, that is an idol god; whence Beltine, i.e. the fire of Bil or Bel.”
The celebration of Beltane is also found in the tale Tochmarc Emain (“The Wooing of Emer”) where the legendary figure Cú Chulainn attempts to woo his wife Emer. The practice of lighting bonfires on this holiday is described as, “Till Bealtaine, that is a goodly fire, i.e. an auspicious fire, that is two fires which the druids used to make with great incantations, and they used to send the cattle between them against the diseases of each year. Or till Beldine, that is, Bel moreover is the name of a heathen god, and then the herds of every cattle used to be assigned to the possession of Bel.”
While these sources seem to indicate that the observance of this holiday is attributable to a pagan practice, some scholars are more skeptical of this claim. For example, Éimear Williams has argued that the celebrations related to Beltane marked as vestiges of a pagan era are derived from the biases of a later source. She states that, “These aspects of the ceremony reminded scholars of Classical references to human sacrifices by the druids, especially the burning of victims in a human image made of wickerwork, and of Biblical condemnation of human sacrifice, by burning, to the Canaanite god Baal, whose name is similar to Bel or Bil.” As these tales were written down and curated by Christian monks, their biases towards the bonfire tradition observed on Beltane is plausible.
“Lucky Fires”
Despite the cultic associations of the bonfire tradition held in scrutiny, there is evidence of bonfire itself having purifying or consecrating properties. Cormac’s Dictionary offers two definitions of Beltane, one of which associates the bonfire with a pagan god, and another that refers to the holiday as bel-tene or “lucky fire.” The purpose of these bonfires are described in early Gaelic literature is so that cattle may walk through them, preventing disease and misfortune for the following year. In The Bonfire in North Irish Tradition, Alan Gailey and Adams state that, “The concept of driving cattle between May fires was deeply imbedded in people's minds, for it appears in the Gaelic idiom for being on the horns of a dilemma, rather like Cormac's etymology, idir dhá theine lae Bhealtaine, i.e. between the two fires of May Day.”
One tradition in south Leinster is described as cattle being driven between the fires, where embers from the bonfire may have been used to singe hair on the cattle to prevent disease or ashes are scattered across the field as an act of consecration. Another tradition included the use of whitehorn, gorse, or furze bushes – also known as May bushes – where the bush was set ablaze. As the bush turned into a bonfire, the people would dance around it and pass their cattle through the smoke. This was done as protective act against witchcraft and misfortune. Gailey and Adams state that, “There may also be a connection between the May Eve bonfires, and the practice of erecting May bushes in farmyards in east Ireland and Donegal; the May bushes are surely the Irish equivalent of the English maypoles.”
While these practices are suggestive of vestiges from a cultic past, another possibility is the existence of folk magic traditions that were passed down among families and communities. Folk magic, or “white magic,” is commonplace within Celtic society resulting from syncretism among indigenous and Christian traditions. Evidence of this can be found in the Lorrha Missal, where charms used to cure diseases are written in Old Gaelic. In areas where it would be difficult for priests to travel, families and communities would rely on these practices to ensure the protection of their physical and spiritual welfare. The use of bonfire smoke, scattering of ashes, and circumambulation around the fire for protective purposes indicates that the observance of Beltane in this manner is a form of folk magic.
How Beltane Is Celebrated Today
As the communal observance of Beltane had severely declined by the mid-20th century, there have been attempts to revitalize its observance. Certain elements have been Christianized to include benedictions or prayers over the bonfires, rather than the supposed Druidic rites found in lore. In the Carmina Gadelica, Carmichael records one such prayer entitled Am Beannachadh Bealltain (“The Beltane Blessing”). This prayer includes blessings to the original author’s family and crops – “from Hallow Eve to Beltane Eve” – while invoking the Holy Trinity. The practice of transhumance is referenced in the blessing, indicating that the original intention behind the holiday was maintained among the people. For example:
“Trath threigeas buar am buabhal bho,
Trath threigeas cuanal an cual chro,
Trath dh’ eireas ceigich ri beinn a cheo,
Treoir na Trianaid bhi triall ’n an coir,
O treoir na Trianaid bhi triall ’n an coir.
What time the kine shall forsake the stalls,
What time the sheep shall forsake the folds,
What time the goats shall ascend to the mount of mist,
May the tending of the Triune follow them,
May the tending of the Triune follow them.”
Today, we see the observance of Beltane with the Beltane Fire Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, and community observance within Uisneach, Limerick, and Arklow in Ireland. There are also Beltane celebrations across the Gaelic diaspora, including United States and Canada. While these festivals may be deemed as modern celebrations, or appropriations by neo-pagan and Wiccan groups, they indicate a strong desire among the Gaelic people to maintain their traditions and cultivate them for the next generation.