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| '09 Watercolor by Julia Helen Jeffrey |
Beltane is mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature and
it is associated with important events in Irish mythology. It marked the
beginning of summer and was when cattle were driven out to the summer pastures.
Rituals were performed to protect the cattle, crops and people, and to
encourage growth. Special bonfires were kindled, and their flames, smoke and
ashes were deemed to have protective powers. The people and their cattle would
walk around the bonfire, or between two bonfires, and sometimes leap over the
flames or embers. All household fires would be doused and then re-lit from the
Beltane bonfire. These gatherings would be accompanied by a feast, and some of
the food and drink would be offered to the aos sí. Doors, windows, byres and
the cattle themselves would be decorated with yellow May flowers, perhaps
because they evoked fire. In parts of Ireland Great Britain
and Europe .
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