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BELTAINE - literally “Bel’s fire” (Beal-teinne) The beginning of the summer and the light half of the Celtic year. Traditionally, all fires were extinguished on the eve of Beltaine, to be re-lit from the sacred ‘needfire’ kindled at dawn. The Celtic festival of Beltaine is the time when the cattle are put out for summer grazing on the higher slopes. The cattle were driven through the sacred Beltaine fires for purification. The sacred fire would also, it was believed, bring protection, good fortune and fertility to the people. It was also the time when Celtic warriors would put their fighting skills to the test in the challenges of the Beltaine Games. With the hard work of planting accomplished, it was a time when the clans came together in celebration of the sun and to hope that the crops would grow and flourish in the months ahead.
There are numerous folk customs that have until recently taken place at this time of year throughout Britain, and which clearly show surviving traits of this ancient pagan festival. As far as we know, the last public Beltaine festival to be held on Arran was as late as 1895. The men of a certain townland made a need-fire (tein-eigen) and kept it burning with sacred faggots on Beltaine eve. Local people drove their herds through the fire. The Beltaine fires and Celtic festivals went on all over the Highlands until the mid-nineteenth century. Also, in the Shetlands dancing went on around the bonfires and it was considered lucky to jump over the flames without injury. The Shetland fires were kept going for three days. Growth requires not just the fire of the sun, but also moisture. The dew of Beltaine gathered before dawn was considered particularly beneficial. People who were sprinkled with May dew were assured of health, happiness, and in the case of young women, beauty. All over Scotland young girls go out on May morn to bathe their faces in the dew. To ensure a good milk supply, dairymaids would draw a rope made from the tails of Highland cattle through the May dew grass saying: “Bainne an te so shios, bainne an te so shuas, ‘nam ghogan mhor fhein” (Milk of this one down, milk of that one up, into my own big pail)
As well as the widespread lighting of Beltaine bonfires on moors or hilltops throughout the Highlands, a specialcake or bannock would be made using eggs, milk and oatmeal. These bannocks, which were kneaded entirely by hand and should not come into contact with steel, were being made up until the end of the nineteenth century. In Perthshire, one piece of the bannock cake would be blackened with charcoal and distributed along with the other pieces. Whoever drew this piece out of the bonnet had to leap three times through the flames. Unlike the Gaulish druids, we have no evidence of human sacrifice committed by the late Bronze Age Celts of Alba. By this time the ’scapegoat’ or Fool served a very important role in that it was believed that any ill-fortune would fall to that person, sparing the rest of the people. In Inverness-shire, within living memory, children would meet on a small hill on the first of May to prepare a fire. They each took an egg, a specially baked bannock and a piece of cheese. One side of the bannock was marked with a cipher to signify death or misfortune. The bannocks were rolled down the hill, and when they came to rest the children’s fates were revealed. However, this was all done in a very light- hearted manner, but nevertheless it is a clear survival of the scapegoat.

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