Thursday, 7 May 2015
Friday, 1 May 2015
International May Day- Truthstar
International May Day- Truthstar
The festival of May Day (May 1st)
has been widely celebrated for centuries, even millennia. Essentially a
seasonal and floral festival concerned with the spring rebirth of
vegetation after its death in winter, it is a festival of all things
green in nature.
Throughout the pagan Europe of ancient times, May Day was very
much a festival of fertility, often associated with singing, dancing and
orgiastic abandon. Widely known in Celtic cultures as Beltaine
(Beltane, or Bealtaine, the Irish name for the month of May), the wild
rites were primarily designed to bring the fertile blessings of the
ancient tree spirits to the community for the coming year.
Modern Neopagans also celebrate Beltaine and for Wiccans, as a
cross-quarter day approximately half way between the vernal equinox and
the summer solstice, it is classed as a sabbat, one of the eight solar
festivities of the sacred year.
The month of May is named after the ancient Roman goddess Maia,
the wife of Mars and mother of Mercury. May Day (Kalends of May) was
therefore associated with Maia, a manifestation of the Earth Goddess,
and with Flora, goddess of flowers and spring. Flora's festival, the
Floralia, was held at the end of April or the beginning of May; it was a
pagan festival welcoming the season of warmth and growth.
It was also connected with the Fontinalia, dedicated to the
spirits of the reviving waters. Girls made garlands of corn or flowers
to hang on doors, where they remained until replaced the following year,
as in the Greek Thargelia and other earlier spring festivals. Houses,
byres and stables were decorated with hawthorn, rowan, fir or birch, or
other apotropaic (="warding off evil") greenery, to keep evil or unlucky powers at bay.
May Eve is situated directly opposite Halloween and is the end marker in
the seasonal cycle which begins with Candle mas (Groundhog Day in the
US). Children in some parts still play pranks on unsuspecting victims
around midnight on April 30, similar to Halloween, and some even dress
up as witches and evil spirits.
On May Day, earth spirits like fairies and elves (the ancient dead)
would come out of the hills and barrows to dance on May Eve and well
into the summer.
Flowers and garlands were also thrown into the waters and springs
and wells were decorated, a custom which was carried over into
Christian times in Europe, the wells being "dressed" with elaborate
symbolic patterns, such as the cross, a dove, or texts from the Bible.
The anciently accepted powers of healing waters were officially
attributed to the saints, in place of the Celtic spirits of sacred wells
and springs.
The custom of well-dressing still persists in parts of England
and in Europe. Nearby bushes and trees are hung with ribbons or pieces
of cloth, and a piece of a sick person's clothing hung there effects a
cure. More on Well Dressing.
The placing on May Eve of apotropaic garlands or boughs of hawthorn,
rowan, etc., on doors was to protect humans and animals against the
powers at large during the Celtic celebration of Beltane, the day of
fire (Bel was the Celtic god of the sun). For the ancient Celts, it
marked the beginning of summer, when they took their livestock up to the
hills to graze again after being kept in the valleys over the winter.
It was a time when fairies and witches were active and it also became
known as Walpurgisnacht, the great German festival of witches and
warlocks, celebrated in Goethe's Faust.
Bonfires were a feature of the May celebrations from the earliest times.
It is ironic that in Christian times, the burning of witches was also a
feature of May Day and bonfires were lit to drive them off. Many of
these fires were lit on the ancient pagan hill-tops and in some cases
battles were fought for their possession, usually a contest between
youths of neighboring parishes—youths representing the virile powers of
spring growth—or there were mock battles between the powers of winter
and summer, good and evil, in which winter was defeated.
Traditions in England varied in the counties, but gathering
hawthorn or 'may' blossoms was a feature of the celebration. Women would
dance around the may-pole singing songs, often taking the lead in
courtship, quite a reversal, something of a throwback to very early
times, when the Goddess was known to frown upon marriage. Couples would
then pair off for the day (though not necessarily with the ones they
would eventually marry). May Day was very much a celebration of
reawakening fertility, and there were many customs and rituals designed
to improve one's chances in the battle of the sexes! For a view on this,
see Gathering Nuts in May.
In the Isle of Man a battle is fought between the Queens of
Winter and Summer with clubs of gorse. Summer is first captured, then
released, and finally triumphs over Winter. Crosses made of rowan are
placed in front of doors to repel evil or mischievous spirits; king cups
are spread on the stable floor for the same purpose.
In Ireland the May Bush is placed over houses, byres and stables and bonfires are lit on May Eve.
May Balls are made of gold and silver materials to represent the sun
and moon. May Day is also a "gale" day, with the contracts of tenancy
and rents and the hiring of servants; there were hiring fairs in earlier
times. It is also the day for turning cattle out to pasture: this is
traditional in other parts as well.
May
Eve was spent in the woods and on May Morning fresh green boughs were
brought home, this being called "bringing the summer home". The great
May Tree, usually represented by the maypole, was decorated with
ribbons, garlands and a crown, and brought in in procession, with
singing and dancing. There were, and still are, sports, racing to the
maypole, and contests, the latter being formerly of archery. Arthur's
Knights and Queen Guinevere went to the woods by Westminster; Henry VI
and his Sheriffs and Aldermen of London dined in the Stepney woods and
Henry VIII spent May Day with his Court in the woods at Greenwich.
- See more at: http://www.truthstar.com/articles/may-day.aspx#sthash.YVJRBt8l.dpuf
The festival of May Day (May 1st)
has been widely celebrated for centuries, even millennia. Essentially a
seasonal and floral festival concerned with the spring rebirth of
vegetation after its death in winter, it is a festival of all things
green in nature.
Throughout the pagan Europe of ancient times, May Day was very
much a festival of fertility, often associated with singing, dancing and
orgiastic abandon. Widely known in Celtic cultures as Beltaine
(Beltane, or Bealtaine, the Irish name for the month of May), the wild
rites were primarily designed to bring the fertile blessings of the
ancient tree spirits to the community for the coming year.
Modern Neopagans also celebrate Beltaine and for Wiccans, as a
cross-quarter day approximately half way between the vernal equinox and
the summer solstice, it is classed as a sabbat, one of the eight solar
festivities of the sacred year.
The month of May is named after the ancient Roman goddess Maia,
the wife of Mars and mother of Mercury. May Day (Kalends of May) was
therefore associated with Maia, a manifestation of the Earth Goddess,
and with Flora, goddess of flowers and spring. Flora's festival, the
Floralia, was held at the end of April or the beginning of May; it was a
pagan festival welcoming the season of warmth and growth.
It was also connected with the Fontinalia, dedicated to the
spirits of the reviving waters. Girls made garlands of corn or flowers
to hang on doors, where they remained until replaced the following year,
as in the Greek Thargelia and other earlier spring festivals. Houses,
byres and stables were decorated with hawthorn, rowan, fir or birch, or
other apotropaic (="warding off evil") greenery, to keep evil or unlucky powers at bay.
May Eve is situated directly opposite Halloween and is the end marker in
the seasonal cycle which begins with Candle mas (Groundhog Day in the
US). Children in some parts still play pranks on unsuspecting victims
around midnight on April 30, similar to Halloween, and some even dress
up as witches and evil spirits.
On May Day, earth spirits like fairies and elves (the ancient dead)
would come out of the hills and barrows to dance on May Eve and well
into the summer.
Flowers and garlands were also thrown into the waters and springs
and wells were decorated, a custom which was carried over into
Christian times in Europe, the wells being "dressed" with elaborate
symbolic patterns, such as the cross, a dove, or texts from the Bible.
The anciently accepted powers of healing waters were officially
attributed to the saints, in place of the Celtic spirits of sacred wells
and springs.
The custom of well-dressing still persists in parts of England
and in Europe. Nearby bushes and trees are hung with ribbons or pieces
of cloth, and a piece of a sick person's clothing hung there effects a
cure. More on Well Dressing.
The placing on May Eve of apotropaic garlands or boughs of hawthorn,
rowan, etc., on doors was to protect humans and animals against the
powers at large during the Celtic celebration of Beltane, the day of
fire (Bel was the Celtic god of the sun). For the ancient Celts, it
marked the beginning of summer, when they took their livestock up to the
hills to graze again after being kept in the valleys over the winter.
It was a time when fairies and witches were active and it also became
known as Walpurgisnacht, the great German festival of witches and
warlocks, celebrated in Goethe's Faust.
Bonfires were a feature of the May celebrations from the earliest times.
It is ironic that in Christian times, the burning of witches was also a
feature of May Day and bonfires were lit to drive them off. Many of
these fires were lit on the ancient pagan hill-tops and in some cases
battles were fought for their possession, usually a contest between
youths of neighboring parishes—youths representing the virile powers of
spring growth—or there were mock battles between the powers of winter
and summer, good and evil, in which winter was defeated.
Traditions in England varied in the counties, but gathering
hawthorn or 'may' blossoms was a feature of the celebration. Women would
dance around the may-pole singing songs, often taking the lead in
courtship, quite a reversal, something of a throwback to very early
times, when the Goddess was known to frown upon marriage. Couples would
then pair off for the day (though not necessarily with the ones they
would eventually marry). May Day was very much a celebration of
reawakening fertility, and there were many customs and rituals designed
to improve one's chances in the battle of the sexes! For a view on this,
see Gathering Nuts in May.
In the Isle of Man a battle is fought between the Queens of
Winter and Summer with clubs of gorse. Summer is first captured, then
released, and finally triumphs over Winter. Crosses made of rowan are
placed in front of doors to repel evil or mischievous spirits; king cups
are spread on the stable floor for the same purpose.
In Ireland the May Bush is placed over houses, byres and stables and bonfires are lit on May Eve.
May Balls are made of gold and silver materials to represent the sun
and moon. May Day is also a "gale" day, with the contracts of tenancy
and rents and the hiring of servants; there were hiring fairs in earlier
times. It is also the day for turning cattle out to pasture: this is
traditional in other parts as well.
May
Eve was spent in the woods and on May Morning fresh green boughs were
brought home, this being called "bringing the summer home". The great
May Tree, usually represented by the maypole, was decorated with
ribbons, garlands and a crown, and brought in in procession, with
singing and dancing. There were, and still are, sports, racing to the
maypole, and contests, the latter being formerly of archery. Arthur's
Knights and Queen Guinevere went to the woods by Westminster; Henry VI
and his Sheriffs and Aldermen of London dined in the Stepney woods and
Henry VIII spent May Day with his Court in the woods at Greenwich.
- See more at: http://www.truthstar.com/articles/may-day.aspx#sthash.YVJRBt8l.dpuf
The festival of May Day (May 1st)
has been widely celebrated for centuries, even millennia. Essentially a
seasonal and floral festival concerned with the spring rebirth of
vegetation after its death in winter, it is a festival of all things
green in nature.
Throughout the pagan Europe of ancient times, May Day was very
much a festival of fertility, often associated with singing, dancing and
orgiastic abandon. Widely known in Celtic cultures as Beltaine
(Beltane, or Bealtaine, the Irish name for the month of May), the wild
rites were primarily designed to bring the fertile blessings of the
ancient tree spirits to the community for the coming year.
Modern Neopagans also celebrate Beltaine and for Wiccans, as a
cross-quarter day approximately half way between the vernal equinox and
the summer solstice, it is classed as a sabbat, one of the eight solar
festivities of the sacred year.
The month of May is named after the ancient Roman goddess Maia,
the wife of Mars and mother of Mercury. May Day (Kalends of May) was
therefore associated with Maia, a manifestation of the Earth Goddess,
and with Flora, goddess of flowers and spring. Flora's festival, the
Floralia, was held at the end of April or the beginning of May; it was a
pagan festival welcoming the season of warmth and growth.
It was also connected with the Fontinalia, dedicated to the
spirits of the reviving waters. Girls made garlands of corn or flowers
to hang on doors, where they remained until replaced the following year,
as in the Greek Thargelia and other earlier spring festivals. Houses,
byres and stables were decorated with hawthorn, rowan, fir or birch, or
other apotropaic (="warding off evil") greenery, to keep evil or unlucky powers at bay.
May Eve is situated directly opposite Halloween and is the end marker in
the seasonal cycle which begins with Candle mas (Groundhog Day in the
US). Children in some parts still play pranks on unsuspecting victims
around midnight on April 30, similar to Halloween, and some even dress
up as witches and evil spirits.
On May Day, earth spirits like fairies and elves (the ancient dead)
would come out of the hills and barrows to dance on May Eve and well
into the summer.
Flowers and garlands were also thrown into the waters and springs
and wells were decorated, a custom which was carried over into
Christian times in Europe, the wells being "dressed" with elaborate
symbolic patterns, such as the cross, a dove, or texts from the Bible.
The anciently accepted powers of healing waters were officially
attributed to the saints, in place of the Celtic spirits of sacred wells
and springs.
The custom of well-dressing still persists in parts of England
and in Europe. Nearby bushes and trees are hung with ribbons or pieces
of cloth, and a piece of a sick person's clothing hung there effects a
cure. More on Well Dressing.
The placing on May Eve of apotropaic garlands or boughs of hawthorn,
rowan, etc., on doors was to protect humans and animals against the
powers at large during the Celtic celebration of Beltane, the day of
fire (Bel was the Celtic god of the sun). For the ancient Celts, it
marked the beginning of summer, when they took their livestock up to the
hills to graze again after being kept in the valleys over the winter.
It was a time when fairies and witches were active and it also became
known as Walpurgisnacht, the great German festival of witches and
warlocks, celebrated in Goethe's Faust.
Bonfires were a feature of the May celebrations from the earliest times.
It is ironic that in Christian times, the burning of witches was also a
feature of May Day and bonfires were lit to drive them off. Many of
these fires were lit on the ancient pagan hill-tops and in some cases
battles were fought for their possession, usually a contest between
youths of neighboring parishes—youths representing the virile powers of
spring growth—or there were mock battles between the powers of winter
and summer, good and evil, in which winter was defeated.
Traditions in England varied in the counties, but gathering
hawthorn or 'may' blossoms was a feature of the celebration. Women would
dance around the may-pole singing songs, often taking the lead in
courtship, quite a reversal, something of a throwback to very early
times, when the Goddess was known to frown upon marriage. Couples would
then pair off for the day (though not necessarily with the ones they
would eventually marry). May Day was very much a celebration of
reawakening fertility, and there were many customs and rituals designed
to improve one's chances in the battle of the sexes! For a view on this,
see Gathering Nuts in May.
In the Isle of Man a battle is fought between the Queens of
Winter and Summer with clubs of gorse. Summer is first captured, then
released, and finally triumphs over Winter. Crosses made of rowan are
placed in front of doors to repel evil or mischievous spirits; king cups
are spread on the stable floor for the same purpose.
In Ireland the May Bush is placed over houses, byres and stables and bonfires are lit on May Eve.
May Balls are made of gold and silver materials to represent the sun
and moon. May Day is also a "gale" day, with the contracts of tenancy
and rents and the hiring of servants; there were hiring fairs in earlier
times. It is also the day for turning cattle out to pasture: this is
traditional in other parts as well.
May
Eve was spent in the woods and on May Morning fresh green boughs were
brought home, this being called "bringing the summer home". The great
May Tree, usually represented by the maypole, was decorated with
ribbons, garlands and a crown, and brought in in procession, with
singing and dancing. There were, and still are, sports, racing to the
maypole, and contests, the latter being formerly of archery. Arthur's
Knights and Queen Guinevere went to the woods by Westminster; Henry VI
and his Sheriffs and Aldermen of London dined in the Stepney woods and
Henry VIII spent May Day with his Court in the woods at Greenwich.
- See more at: http://www.truthstar.com/articles/may-day.aspx#sthash.YVJRBt8l.dpuf
May Day - Spring Festival of Fertility
May 1: spring festival of fertility
The festival of May Day (May 1st)has been widely celebrated for centuries, even millennia. Essentially a
seasonal and floral festival concerned with the spring rebirth of
vegetation after its death in winter, it is a festival of all things
green in nature.
Throughout the pagan Europe of ancient times, May Day was very
much a festival of fertility, often associated with singing, dancing and
orgiastic abandon. Widely known in Celtic cultures as Beltaine
(Beltane, or Bealtaine, the Irish name for the month of May), the wild
rites were primarily designed to bring the fertile blessings of the
ancient tree spirits to the community for the coming year.
Modern Neopagans also celebrate Beltaine and for Wiccans, as a
cross-quarter day approximately half way between the vernal equinox and
the summer solstice, it is classed as a sabbat, one of the eight solar
festivities of the sacred year.
The month of May is named after the ancient Roman goddess Maia,
the wife of Mars and mother of Mercury. May Day (Kalends of May) was
therefore associated with Maia, a manifestation of the Earth Goddess,
and with Flora, goddess of flowers and spring. Flora's festival, the
Floralia, was held at the end of April or the beginning of May; it was a
pagan festival welcoming the season of warmth and growth.
It was also connected with the Fontinalia, dedicated to the
spirits of the reviving waters. Girls made garlands of corn or flowers
to hang on doors, where they remained until replaced the following year,
as in the Greek Thargelia and other earlier spring festivals. Houses,
byres and stables were decorated with hawthorn, rowan, fir or birch, or
other apotropaic (="warding off evil") greenery, to keep evil or unlucky powers at bay.
May Eve is situated directly opposite Halloween and is the end marker in
the seasonal cycle which begins with Candle mas (Groundhog Day in the
US). Children in some parts still play pranks on unsuspecting victims
around midnight on April 30, similar to Halloween, and some even dress
up as witches and evil spirits.
On May Day, earth spirits like fairies and elves (the ancient dead)
would come out of the hills and barrows to dance on May Eve and well
into the summer.
Well-Dressed
Flowers and garlands were also thrown into the waters and springs
and wells were decorated, a custom which was carried over into
Christian times in Europe, the wells being "dressed" with elaborate
symbolic patterns, such as the cross, a dove, or texts from the Bible.
The anciently accepted powers of healing waters were officially
attributed to the saints, in place of the Celtic spirits of sacred wells
and springs.
The custom of well-dressing still persists in parts of England
and in Europe. Nearby bushes and trees are hung with ribbons or pieces
of cloth, and a piece of a sick person's clothing hung there effects a
cure. More on Well Dressing.
The placing on May Eve of apotropaic garlands or boughs of hawthorn,
rowan, etc., on doors was to protect humans and animals against the
powers at large during the Celtic celebration of Beltane, the day of
fire (Bel was the Celtic god of the sun). For the ancient Celts, it
marked the beginning of summer, when they took their livestock up to the
hills to graze again after being kept in the valleys over the winter.
It was a time when fairies and witches were active and it also became
known as Walpurgisnacht, the great German festival of witches and
warlocks, celebrated in Goethe's Faust.
May Fires
Bonfires were a feature of the May celebrations from the earliest times.
It is ironic that in Christian times, the burning of witches was also a
feature of May Day and bonfires were lit to drive them off. Many of
these fires were lit on the ancient pagan hill-tops and in some cases
battles were fought for their possession, usually a contest between
youths of neighboring parishes—youths representing the virile powers of
spring growth—or there were mock battles between the powers of winter
and summer, good and evil, in which winter was defeated.
Traditions in England varied in the counties, but gathering
hawthorn or 'may' blossoms was a feature of the celebration. Women would
dance around the may-pole singing songs, often taking the lead in
courtship, quite a reversal, something of a throwback to very early
times, when the Goddess was known to frown upon marriage. Couples would
then pair off for the day (though not necessarily with the ones they
would eventually marry). May Day was very much a celebration of
reawakening fertility, and there were many customs and rituals designed
to improve one's chances in the battle of the sexes! For a view on this,
see Gathering Nuts in May.
The Isle of Man
In the Isle of Man a battle is fought between the Queens of
Winter and Summer with clubs of gorse. Summer is first captured, then
released, and finally triumphs over Winter. Crosses made of rowan are
placed in front of doors to repel evil or mischievous spirits; king cups
are spread on the stable floor for the same purpose.
Ireland
In Ireland the May Bush is placed over houses, byres and stables and bonfires are lit on May Eve.
May Balls are made of gold and silver materials to represent the sun
and moon. May Day is also a "gale" day, with the contracts of tenancy
and rents and the hiring of servants; there were hiring fairs in earlier
times. It is also the day for turning cattle out to pasture: this is
traditional in other parts as well.
The King and Queen of May
MayEve was spent in the woods and on May Morning fresh green boughs were
brought home, this being called "bringing the summer home". The great
May Tree, usually represented by the maypole, was decorated with
ribbons, garlands and a crown, and brought in in procession, with
singing and dancing. There were, and still are, sports, racing to the
maypole, and contests, the latter being formerly of archery. Arthur's
Knights and Queen Guinevere went to the woods by Westminster; Henry VI
and his Sheriffs and Aldermen of London dined in the Stepney woods and
Henry VIII spent May Day with his Court in the woods at Greenwich.
May Day - Spring Festival of Fertility
May 1: spring festival of fertility
The festival of May Day (May 1st)has been widely celebrated for centuries, even millennia. Essentially a
seasonal and floral festival concerned with the spring rebirth of
vegetation after its death in winter, it is a festival of all things
green in nature.
Throughout the pagan Europe of ancient times, May Day was very
much a festival of fertility, often associated with singing, dancing and
orgiastic abandon. Widely known in Celtic cultures as Beltaine
(Beltane, or Bealtaine, the Irish name for the month of May), the wild
rites were primarily designed to bring the fertile blessings of the
ancient tree spirits to the community for the coming year.
Modern Neopagans also celebrate Beltaine and for Wiccans, as a
cross-quarter day approximately half way between the vernal equinox and
the summer solstice, it is classed as a sabbat, one of the eight solar
festivities of the sacred year.
The month of May is named after the ancient Roman goddess Maia,
the wife of Mars and mother of Mercury. May Day (Kalends of May) was
therefore associated with Maia, a manifestation of the Earth Goddess,
and with Flora, goddess of flowers and spring. Flora's festival, the
Floralia, was held at the end of April or the beginning of May; it was a
pagan festival welcoming the season of warmth and growth.
It was also connected with the Fontinalia, dedicated to the
spirits of the reviving waters. Girls made garlands of corn or flowers
to hang on doors, where they remained until replaced the following year,
as in the Greek Thargelia and other earlier spring festivals. Houses,
byres and stables were decorated with hawthorn, rowan, fir or birch, or
other apotropaic (="warding off evil") greenery, to keep evil or unlucky powers at bay.
May Eve is situated directly opposite Halloween and is the end marker in
the seasonal cycle which begins with Candle mas (Groundhog Day in the
US). Children in some parts still play pranks on unsuspecting victims
around midnight on April 30, similar to Halloween, and some even dress
up as witches and evil spirits.
On May Day, earth spirits like fairies and elves (the ancient dead)
would come out of the hills and barrows to dance on May Eve and well
into the summer.
Well-Dressed
Flowers and garlands were also thrown into the waters and springs
and wells were decorated, a custom which was carried over into
Christian times in Europe, the wells being "dressed" with elaborate
symbolic patterns, such as the cross, a dove, or texts from the Bible.
The anciently accepted powers of healing waters were officially
attributed to the saints, in place of the Celtic spirits of sacred wells
and springs.
The custom of well-dressing still persists in parts of England
and in Europe. Nearby bushes and trees are hung with ribbons or pieces
of cloth, and a piece of a sick person's clothing hung there effects a
cure. More on Well Dressing.
The placing on May Eve of apotropaic garlands or boughs of hawthorn,
rowan, etc., on doors was to protect humans and animals against the
powers at large during the Celtic celebration of Beltane, the day of
fire (Bel was the Celtic god of the sun). For the ancient Celts, it
marked the beginning of summer, when they took their livestock up to the
hills to graze again after being kept in the valleys over the winter.
It was a time when fairies and witches were active and it also became
known as Walpurgisnacht, the great German festival of witches and
warlocks, celebrated in Goethe's Faust.
May Fires
Bonfires were a feature of the May celebrations from the earliest times.
It is ironic that in Christian times, the burning of witches was also a
feature of May Day and bonfires were lit to drive them off. Many of
these fires were lit on the ancient pagan hill-tops and in some cases
battles were fought for their possession, usually a contest between
youths of neighboring parishes—youths representing the virile powers of
spring growth—or there were mock battles between the powers of winter
and summer, good and evil, in which winter was defeated.
Traditions in England varied in the counties, but gathering
hawthorn or 'may' blossoms was a feature of the celebration. Women would
dance around the may-pole singing songs, often taking the lead in
courtship, quite a reversal, something of a throwback to very early
times, when the Goddess was known to frown upon marriage. Couples would
then pair off for the day (though not necessarily with the ones they
would eventually marry). May Day was very much a celebration of
reawakening fertility, and there were many customs and rituals designed
to improve one's chances in the battle of the sexes! For a view on this,
see Gathering Nuts in May.
The Isle of Man
In the Isle of Man a battle is fought between the Queens of
Winter and Summer with clubs of gorse. Summer is first captured, then
released, and finally triumphs over Winter. Crosses made of rowan are
placed in front of doors to repel evil or mischievous spirits; king cups
are spread on the stable floor for the same purpose.
Ireland
In Ireland the May Bush is placed over houses, byres and stables and bonfires are lit on May Eve.
May Balls are made of gold and silver materials to represent the sun
and moon. May Day is also a "gale" day, with the contracts of tenancy
and rents and the hiring of servants; there were hiring fairs in earlier
times. It is also the day for turning cattle out to pasture: this is
traditional in other parts as well.
The King and Queen of May
MayEve was spent in the woods and on May Morning fresh green boughs were
brought home, this being called "bringing the summer home". The great
May Tree, usually represented by the maypole, was decorated with
ribbons, garlands and a crown, and brought in in procession, with
singing and dancing. There were, and still are, sports, racing to the
maypole, and contests, the latter being formerly of archery. Arthur's
Knights and Queen Guinevere went to the woods by Westminster; Henry VI
and his Sheriffs and Aldermen of London dined in the Stepney woods and
Henry VIII spent May Day with his Court in the woods at Greenwich.
May Day - Spring Festival of Fertility
May 1: spring festival of fertility
The festival of May Day (May 1st)has been widely celebrated for centuries, even millennia. Essentially a
seasonal and floral festival concerned with the spring rebirth of
vegetation after its death in winter, it is a festival of all things
green in nature.
Throughout the pagan Europe of ancient times, May Day was very
much a festival of fertility, often associated with singing, dancing and
orgiastic abandon. Widely known in Celtic cultures as Beltaine
(Beltane, or Bealtaine, the Irish name for the month of May), the wild
rites were primarily designed to bring the fertile blessings of the
ancient tree spirits to the community for the coming year.
Modern Neopagans also celebrate Beltaine and for Wiccans, as a
cross-quarter day approximately half way between the vernal equinox and
the summer solstice, it is classed as a sabbat, one of the eight solar
festivities of the sacred year.
The month of May is named after the ancient Roman goddess Maia,
the wife of Mars and mother of Mercury. May Day (Kalends of May) was
therefore associated with Maia, a manifestation of the Earth Goddess,
and with Flora, goddess of flowers and spring. Flora's festival, the
Floralia, was held at the end of April or the beginning of May; it was a
pagan festival welcoming the season of warmth and growth.
It was also connected with the Fontinalia, dedicated to the
spirits of the reviving waters. Girls made garlands of corn or flowers
to hang on doors, where they remained until replaced the following year,
as in the Greek Thargelia and other earlier spring festivals. Houses,
byres and stables were decorated with hawthorn, rowan, fir or birch, or
other apotropaic (="warding off evil") greenery, to keep evil or unlucky powers at bay.
May Eve is situated directly opposite Halloween and is the end marker in
the seasonal cycle which begins with Candle mas (Groundhog Day in the
US). Children in some parts still play pranks on unsuspecting victims
around midnight on April 30, similar to Halloween, and some even dress
up as witches and evil spirits.
On May Day, earth spirits like fairies and elves (the ancient dead)
would come out of the hills and barrows to dance on May Eve and well
into the summer.
Well-Dressed
Flowers and garlands were also thrown into the waters and springs
and wells were decorated, a custom which was carried over into
Christian times in Europe, the wells being "dressed" with elaborate
symbolic patterns, such as the cross, a dove, or texts from the Bible.
The anciently accepted powers of healing waters were officially
attributed to the saints, in place of the Celtic spirits of sacred wells
and springs.
The custom of well-dressing still persists in parts of England
and in Europe. Nearby bushes and trees are hung with ribbons or pieces
of cloth, and a piece of a sick person's clothing hung there effects a
cure. More on Well Dressing.
The placing on May Eve of apotropaic garlands or boughs of hawthorn,
rowan, etc., on doors was to protect humans and animals against the
powers at large during the Celtic celebration of Beltane, the day of
fire (Bel was the Celtic god of the sun). For the ancient Celts, it
marked the beginning of summer, when they took their livestock up to the
hills to graze again after being kept in the valleys over the winter.
It was a time when fairies and witches were active and it also became
known as Walpurgisnacht, the great German festival of witches and
warlocks, celebrated in Goethe's Faust.
May Fires
Bonfires were a feature of the May celebrations from the earliest times.
It is ironic that in Christian times, the burning of witches was also a
feature of May Day and bonfires were lit to drive them off. Many of
these fires were lit on the ancient pagan hill-tops and in some cases
battles were fought for their possession, usually a contest between
youths of neighboring parishes—youths representing the virile powers of
spring growth—or there were mock battles between the powers of winter
and summer, good and evil, in which winter was defeated.
Traditions in England varied in the counties, but gathering
hawthorn or 'may' blossoms was a feature of the celebration. Women would
dance around the may-pole singing songs, often taking the lead in
courtship, quite a reversal, something of a throwback to very early
times, when the Goddess was known to frown upon marriage. Couples would
then pair off for the day (though not necessarily with the ones they
would eventually marry). May Day was very much a celebration of
reawakening fertility, and there were many customs and rituals designed
to improve one's chances in the battle of the sexes! For a view on this,
see Gathering Nuts in May.
The Isle of Man
In the Isle of Man a battle is fought between the Queens of
Winter and Summer with clubs of gorse. Summer is first captured, then
released, and finally triumphs over Winter. Crosses made of rowan are
placed in front of doors to repel evil or mischievous spirits; king cups
are spread on the stable floor for the same purpose.
Ireland
In Ireland the May Bush is placed over houses, byres and stables and bonfires are lit on May Eve.
May Balls are made of gold and silver materials to represent the sun
and moon. May Day is also a "gale" day, with the contracts of tenancy
and rents and the hiring of servants; there were hiring fairs in earlier
times. It is also the day for turning cattle out to pasture: this is
traditional in other parts as well.
The King and Queen of May
MayEve was spent in the woods and on May Morning fresh green boughs were
brought home, this being called "bringing the summer home". The great
May Tree, usually represented by the maypole, was decorated with
ribbons, garlands and a crown, and brought in in procession, with
singing and dancing. There were, and still are, sports, racing to the
maypole, and contests, the latter being formerly of archery. Arthur's
Knights and Queen Guinevere went to the woods by Westminster; Henry VI
and his Sheriffs and Aldermen of London dined in the Stepney woods and
Henry VIII spent May Day with his Court in the woods at Greenwich.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)