Le festival de Beltaine

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and gorse found throughout Ireland were picked by children the day before the first of May, before dusk or the day before dawn. The children did not forget to bring some bouquets to the elderly people of their neighbourhood. They made bouquets that they hung in the house or put on the outside stairs and on the window sills. Sometimes they just scattered some petals on the thresholds and on the floors but also on the roofs, in and around the wells, and finally in passages leading to strategic points to stop the fairies. Horses and cows were also decorated with flowers, on their head and on their tail. The shrub of May was generally cut the day before the big night, rather by the adults, and planted in front of the houses. Most often it was a hawthorn bush.

The May shoot was picked up on the morning of May first, preferably before sunrise. Various species were acceptable such as: twigs of holly, hawthorn, hazel, elder, ash, birch, sycamore or mountain ash. But also new fledgling leaves symbolizing the rebirth of nature and the vitality of spring. They were placed in the kitchen, on the threshold of doors, windows or on the roofs as well. They were also placed in the middle of the courtyard or the farm.

By placing these plants in and around the farm, it was hoped that the chances of getting good milk production and good harvests for the coming year would be preserved. The green foliage and yellow-white flowers clearly indicated the relationship between the vitality of nature and crops and milk production. But the inhabitants of the countryside were not limited to these plant protections. It was also traditional to light fires to celebrate Beltaine and thus remove the evil influences. As mentioned above, each year, the druids lit two fires, symbols of light and warming of nature, between which they passed the flocks to protect them against epidemics. Another natural element, was the water of the first of May. It had a protective role but also a beneficial power. The first water drawn from the fountain or well was carefully preserved. It was supposed to bring luck to the exploitation.

During that day, the 1st May, everyone was on the alert. It was not tolerated to see a stranger pass early in the fields. That day, every visitor was suspicious. The arrival of a person with red hair was feared. It was ominous. To ward off the spell, you had to take three steps back. On the contrary, the arrival of a person with brown hair was considered lucky but it was necessary to make sure that these people leave by the same door in which they entered.

To be protected, many people kept their doors closed. When they were milking the cows, they traced on the animals’ backs a cross sign after dipping the finger in the first milk. Sometimes they tied a red ribbon to the animals’ tails or touched them with a branch of ash, a branchlet that was sometimes hung next to a bouquet or the cross of St. Brigit. Every other animal seen around was suspicious, since the ability of the fairies to take animal form (Hare or Hedgehog) was well known by everybody. Under these forms, they were accused of stealing milk by suckling directly from the cows. They were thus chased and injured by the hunters. When the hunters went to see the bodies, they found old women, or called witches, bleeding to death.

On the road, it was not necessary to pick up an object or clothing that seemed to have been lost by someone. It had to be left there, on a fence or a bush so that the one who had lost it could find it back. Likewise any carrion or rotten eggs found on the property, in a field or in a barn, was a sign that someone was trying to harm and had to get rid of those rotten elements.

To put an end to all these precautions, that day again, one was very careful not to let anything out of the house. The beggars were careful not to knock on the doors to ask alms. In no case neighbours would have been helped, by salt, milk, butter or other. They knew they would not have been given anything, and in addition, they would have been suspected of bad intentions. One would not even have allowed a visitor to take in the hearth, fire for his pipe. One had to not lend anything to anyone, especially not salt, cooking utensils or tools related to the activity of farm. During that day, finally, one did not throw the ashes outside, one did not carry anything to the garbage pile. The waste was burned as was the sweeping dust. The dirty water was kept in the house, at least until noon. It was even avoided to ignite the fire too soon not to attract the attention of the witches because a single malicious look at the smoke coming out of the chimney could cause the cows to dry up (not produce milk any more) or remove the butter from the milk. That is why one often waited for noon before lighting the fire.

So we have seen that the festival of Bealtaine, by its folk traditions, customs and beliefs, celebrates the end of cold and dark season and announces the clear and warm one, it announces also the good time for grazing and dairy production; but on the other hand, that special day was also feared by the activities of supernatural forces, and so, people found themselves forced to take cautions for protection. The memory of all these rites of protection is impressive. It shows how, back then in Ireland, the awakening of nature was a source of both hope and, above all, anxiety. On the crucial date of 1st May, everything was done to ensure a good milk yield and a good harvest and one could believe then that with all the defences in use, fairies and witches could not