Beltine Twin Fires on Tara

meath | rights, freedoms and repression | event notice Sunday April 09, 2006 01:35 by Con Connor - Ireland's Druidschool info at druidschool dot com

Celebration for the start of Summer

Our twin fire ceremony for Beltine is on Sunday 30th of April on Tara at 8 in the evening. This is open to all and free of charge. We will light two fires and we will walk between these two ritual fires of purification as is the ancient Gaelic custom for the start of summer.

Beltine means “the fires of Bile” (pronounced as Bill) and refers to a ritual of purification. The month of May is called Bealtaine in Gaelic and it marks the first day of summer. This was a specifically Gaelic holiday and many of the other Celtic cultures also celebrate a springtime festival known by a range of names. As Samhain marks the start of the new year and the end of the old year - Beltine marks the start of summer and the end of winter. In the past (still observed in Ireland in the 19th century) on the first day of Beltine - cattle were driven between two fires for protection from disease and then they were let into pasture. History associates Beltine with the arrival and departure of Partholon, then the arrival of the Tuatha Dé Danann and then the Gaels. As it is the start of summer - everyone reckoned it to be a great time to start an adventure.

Beltine is also called Bealtinne, Beltine, Beltain, Beal-tine, Beltan, Bel-tien, Beltein, Bealtuinn and Bealtaine, Mayday, Walburga, Galan Mai, Shenn da Boaldyn and it is celebrated or honoured across the world.

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