The Holiday Of May Day has been reduced to children dancing aroung a flower covered May Pole but in the ancient days of The Celts it was a powerful celebration of fire and fertility. The may pole itself being originally a phallic symbol. Those of us of Gaelic heritage have the memory of Bealtaine somewhere in our DNA.
Within the wood wild flowers bloomed
and over the meadows turned green
The feast of Bealtaine now it loomed
when the last day of April was seen
To honor Bel God Of Light they came
and lit two furious fires on the hill
Hidden in dark forest, men unnamed
the restraints of all pure chastity kill
Herbs and purification oils cast in fire
Passing their cattle between the flame
Let loose raging flames of carnal desire
unleashing a new season of fertile gain
When light has returned to reclaim Earth
in months to come a bounty of new birth
Life once again has possessed the land
Maidens offering bodies to chosen man
In reverence of May Queen Goddess
they go a may’in in the forest gloom
Young maidens are no more modest
to be bursting with child all too soon
Fought to the death Gwyther And Gwyn
for Sweet Creudylad the maiden fair
The young god emerges this night again
with bright flowers woven into long hair
Clad with sky, his chosen goddess waits
upon the flowered altar marriage stone
She trembles and excitedly anticipates
this sacred night she will not spend alone
Falling down her back, curly hair of flame
Her bright emerald eyes whisper his name
And when he takes her like a stallion wild
God and Goddess conceive a sacred child
How a decrepit old nag can become a stallion again? by Celtic magic? by wishing three times on the dark side of the sun? by paying with giant beans to the Leprechauns?...how can an old nag become a stallion again?
Let's hear it for the Celts and the Gaels, Belle! Wild and ignorant we may be in some eyes but we do know a thing or two about celebration and fertility.
This sends shivers right through me... guess it must be the cellular memory kickin in! :)) I must be Celt through and through, with lineage going back into France and Wales, latterly being born and bred not 20 miles from Stonehenge and in the vales of Arthurian Legend... AND birthday of 4th May! Beautiful write, Belle, which is mystical, marvellous and yet highly informative at the same time. Your literary lightness of touch majors on the beauty, rather than the blood-curdling of such earthy fertility ceremonials. Excellent as is all your works. xx
Beautiful sentiments in this excellent piece. I was not aware of this. None of my Irish friends never told me about this. Thank You for sharing your wonderful writings.
325 letters my father wrote to my mother during his time in World War II.
Woven together in a timeline of events of three of his brothers, 5 brothers-in-law, and one cousin, all 10 of them were in WWII at the same time.
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(((HUGS))) and love, Karla.
Carole~
Georg
John
Dayvid
fee
Regis
GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS
Tony
Sandie Angel :o)