Beltane Fire Festival

On Beltane night, April 30, thousands of revellers trudge up Calton faerie Hill in the heart of Edinburgh (http://maps NULL.google NULL.com/maps?ll=55 NULL.9494444444,-3 NULL.16027777778&spn=0 NULL.1,0 NULL.1&q=55 NULL.9494444444,-3 NULL.16027777778 (Edinburgh)&t=h).

They wrap up warm and bring their friends. Some paint their faces or wear flowers or ivy bands in their hair. They leave behind the brightly lit city streets and cosy pubs to scale the hill’s steep slopes in all weathers. The end of April can be unforgiving in Scotland (http://maps NULL.google NULL.com/maps?ll=55 NULL.95,-3 NULL.2&spn=10 NULL.0,10 NULL.0&q=55 NULL.95,-3 NULL.2 (Scotland)&t=h) as wind, rain and sleet batter the unwary.

As the sky darkens the hill fills with bodies – all waiting expectedly for the revealing of the May Queen (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/May_Queen) that marks the beginning of the Beltane Fire Festival (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Beltane_Fire_Festival).

A neidfire is lit. Fire torches burst into flame and a line of drummers and torchbearers form along the high stone steps of Calton Hill (http://maps NULL.google NULL.com/maps?ll=55 NULL.9552777778,-3 NULL.18222222222&spn=0 NULL.1,0 NULL.1&q=55 NULL.9552777778,-3 NULL.18222222222 (Calton%20Hill)&t=h)’s Acropolis. As the drums (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Drum) thunder to life the May Queen, Green Man (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Green_Man), Blue Men and White Women appear in the midst of burning fire sculptures and horn blasts.

more:

‘No person neither man not woman [shall] resort or repair hereafter to the Dragon Hole, as they have done in times bye-gone, namely, in the month of May, nor shall pass thro’ the town with the piping and stirling of drums, as heretofore they have done, under the pain of twenty shillings to the poor… also that they shall make their public repentance upon ane Sabbath day (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Biblical_Sabbath) in the presence of the people.’
- Kirk-session Register of Perth (http://maps NULL.google NULL.com/maps?ll=-31 NULL.9522222222,115 NULL.858888889&spn=0 NULL.1,0 NULL.1&q=-31 NULL.9522222222,115 NULL.858888889 (Perth%2C%20Western%20Australia)&t=h), May 2, 1580

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• Beltane 2010: Public Locations (http://blog NULL.beliefnet NULL.com/apagansblog/2010/04/public-beltane-and-may-day-locations NULL.html) (beliefnet.com)
• Happy Beltane and Wesak 2010 (http://blog NULL.beliefnet NULL.com/astrologicalmusings/2010/04/happy-beltane-and-wesak-2010 NULL.html) (beliefnet.com)

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