Some notes on Beltaine/ Celtic culture

Here are some things I've picked up... they might be used for stimulus...

From Tisdall, C. 1998, Joseph Beuys We Go This Way, Violette Editions, London.

(In reference to Joseph Beuys):

'On the great stone outside the tomb of the kings at New Grange in Math are the carved symbols (above) which indicated to Beuys that the ancient Celts had a sophisticated knowledge of physical and spiritual energies. The three energies are the spiral, organic or implosive form, the split cell and the diamond shaped crystalline or explosive form. Beuys interpreted this as an early example of the principles to which he referred in his Theory of Sculpture: the passage from warm, organic form (e.g., liquid fat) to cold, crystalline form.' (Tisdall, 1998, p. 72).

Spector, N. 2002, 'Pre-Cycle' from The Cremaster Cycle. Guggenheim Museum, New York.

'The ceremony enacted on this indoor druid mound recalls Beltane, the ancient Celtic festival that marked the beginning of summer. The ritual, which used to be accompanied by dancing and spirit workship, was customarily celebrated on May 1 (also the day of the maypole dance), and culminated in a sacrificial killing by fire. Since hubris always enacts a sacrifice in retribution, this glorificaiton of the Architect in the temple of his own making may just be his last stand. (Spector, 2002).

And this from: Maclean, M. (1998) The Literature of the Celts. United Kingdom, Senate.

The Wine of the Gauls is undoubtedly ancient, so ancient indeed, that Part II is regarded as a fragment of the song that accompanied the old Celctic sword-dance in honour of th sun. It runs thus -

Blood wine and glee
Sun to thee -
Blood wine and glee.
Fire! fire! steel, oh! steel!
Fire! fire! steel and fire.
Oak! Oak! earth and waves,
Waves, oak, earth and oak.

Glee of dance and song.
And battel throng.
Battle, dance and song
Fire! fire, etc.

Let the sword blades swing
In a ring,
Let the sword blades swing.
Fire! fire, etc. (cited in Maclean, 1998).