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Bealtaine in Ancient Ireland
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Featured May 1 , 2009
By the time Bealtaine arrived, the crops were all planted and it was time to move the flocks and herds up into the hills, away from the growing fields, to their summer grazing pastures. Before they were sent off, it was mandatory that they received blessing and purification by being driven between the two ritually kindled community bonfires that were the main focus of the seasonal celebration. On Bealtaine eve, the hearths were darkened, a rare occasion. They were re-lit with embers from the bonfire, which signified a cleansing and blessing of the home.
On Bealtaine, rent or "tribute" was collected from the farmers by the cattlelords and nobles. Tributes were collected twice a year, on Bealtaine and Samhain. On Bealtaine, this was mostly milk, cheese and butter. On Samhain, when the end of summer slaughter was done, the tribute was paid in meat. Bealtaine was an occasion that marked annual transitions in the lives of the early Irish. The Bealtaine feast was the last meal the community would share until harvest time. The younger, usually unmarried women and older children were the ones who usually tended the herds in the summer pastures. Also moving from the settlement would be warriors who had spent the winter there, since Bealtaine opened the raiding and hunting season. Couples wed at Lughnasadh had the option of ending their marriages. This was a time of growth, change and movement in many aspects of their lives. |
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