The Beltane is here. We may not even have noticed
since we no longer run our livestock
between two bonfires made of nine of the
sacred woods to purify and protect them and
ward off harm, as the ancient Celts did.
Nor do we honor the return of the sun to the
Mother Earth with bacchanals in the fields, the
men adorned with stag horns, the women enticing chase.
While it may be somewhat less festive,
we do still welcome the return of life
to the earth once again in our own more
contemporary ways.
The old customs have changed, but not the connection
we feel to our universe. Whatever we call it, we
still, as a community, gather each spring to
celebrate a fresh start after the long winter.
And this year was a long winter. So, maybe that's
why this spring, so long awaited, is sweeter.
Life is in abundance. Flowers are blooming.
Mosquitos are hungry once again. Allergies are
acting up. And babies, puppies and kitties are
in the mix. New love is born; old love rejuvinated.
In a few countries where communist leanings
remain, the Beltane is celebrated as May Day.
(Beltane translates as "Good fire", which celebrates
the return of the sun's warmth to the earth
spring. It is named
after the sun-god Belenos, a deity worshiped throughout
much of Europe.)
There, the traditional dance is still performed
around the May-Pole as young women dressed in
the colors of spring and the sun weave together
the warm hues that symbolize the return of summer.
Of course, we can't miss the obvious, that what
is going on in this dance is adoration of the
phallus; it is a ritual to honor procreation and
the start of new life.
May Day in communist countries were adopted,
as many festivals have been, to honor
the labor force, the natural evolution
of the farmers who once participated in the
Beltane. It still remains the common
people's celebration.
In our fair city we celebrate the arrival of
spring and the end of winter with the
Salisbury Festival.
It certainly has all the
components of the original theme of Beltane;
feasting, dancing, games and revelrey.
Spring celebrations are naturally outdoors,
where Mother Nature puts on the best show.
And this past Friday night, opening night of
the Festival, was exceptional. The dogwoods
were in bloom and the warm evening brought
crowds to wander the river banks and
swarm the greens. In Salisbury, we wait for
the dogwoods to bloom to start the party.
That's a sure sign that winter is truly done.
So while we may look back in time with a
curious glance at the festivals and rites of
the Celts and the Druids, and the countless
other family tribes whose blood flows in all
those of Irish, British and Western-European
ancestry, we have more in common than we
might think.
When the winter ends, and the dogwoods bloom,
we still give thanks to whatever it is that
banishes the bitter winds, and gives warm
spring breezes in return.
No matter what name we use, English or
some ancient, long-forgotten tongue, the
meaning is the same.
"It is spring... rejoice !"
May 5, 1996 Kelley Rouse The Shore Journal [response]Table of Contents |