Though the word "Beltane" wasn't first referenced until the 900s AD, spring festivals with flowers, dancing, and fertility rites go far back into ancient times. We have records at least as far back as 20003000 years ago of strikingly similar celebrations from ancient Rome, Egypt, Persia, China, and others. This indepth study of the holiday explores possible connections between ancient, medieval, and modern Beltane practices.

0:00 Introduction
3:22 Etymology of "Beltane"
5:24 The Coligny Calendar
7:27 Older Festivals
9:29 Sacred Pillars and Omphaloi
15:38 World Axis Concept
17:52 Belenus
22:41 Mythology and Folklore
25:45 Ancient Practices
28:10 Traditions of the Middle Ages and Later
31:08 PostChristian Traditions
35:38 Wicker Man

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Sources:
https://www.academia.edu/418416/The_C...
https://www.academia.edu/19737679/The...
https://www.etymonline.com/
https://www.merriamwebster.com/
https://phoenicia.org/crete.htm'>https://phoenicia.org/crete.htm
A History of Pagan Europe by Prudence Jones and Nigel Pennick
Caesar Against the Celts by Ramon L. Jiménez
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Celtic Inspirations by Lyn Webster Wilde
Celtic Myth and Legend (Revised Edition) by Charles Squire
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Celtic Sacred Landscapes by Nigel Pennick
Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic by H.H. Scullard
Heroes of the Dawn: Celtic Myth by Fregus Fleming, Shahrukh Husain, C Scott Littleton, and Linda A Malcor
Julius Caesar
Juvenal
Ogham: The Secret Language of the Druids by Rev. Robert Lee "Skip" Ellison
Ovid
Religious Celebrations: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations by J. Gordon Melton
Tacitus
The Celts by Nora Chadwick
The Celts: A History by P. B. Ellis
The Coligny Calendar
The Green Man Tree Oracle by John Matthews and Wil Worthington
The Quest for the Wicker Man by Benjamin Franks, Stephen Harper, Jonathan Murray, Lesley Stevenson
The Roman Festivals of the Period of the Republic by William Warde Fowler
The Wiley Blackwell Companion to World Christianity by Lamin Sanneh and Michael McClymond
Who Were the Celts by Kevin Duffy

Images:
Thumbnail: Photo taken by Heather   / wichywmn420  
The Golden Bough book: https://formeinfullbloom.wordpress.co...
The Wickerman Film (1973)
The Coligny Calendar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coligny...
Crete: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crete
Dancing Statues: https://ancientgreekpandect.raftis.or...
Greek SkyPillar: https://phoenicia.org/crete.htm'>https://phoenicia.org/crete.htm
Omphalos: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omphalos
World Tree: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Yg...
Old Beltane/May Queen photos: https://www.vintag.es/2014/07/oldpho...
Tuatha de Danann Family Tree: https://www.timelessmyths.com/
Sky Daddies: https://starkeycomics.com/2020/06/16/...
Balin from The Hobbit Trilogy (20122014)
Holly and Oak King: https://stairnaheireann.net/2016/04/1...
Cattle Drive: https://nancyjardine.blogspot.com/201...
Modern Beltane Festival: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beltane...
Bannock Bread: https://www.homefarmglamping.com/news...
May Basket Girl: Art by Clara Burd (18731933) Girl Placing May Basket on Door 1925
St. Walpurga: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_W...
Old Hobby Horse photo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobby_h...
Mari Lwyd photo: Hel's Gate Heathen Kindred
Modern Hobby Horse photo: Hel's Gate Heathen Kindred
The Fool: Art by Jacob Cornelisz van Oostsanen (14701533) Laughing Fool c.1500
Jack in the Green: London Town by Felix Leigh, illustrated by Thomas Crane and Ellen Houghton, 1883; London/New York: Marcus Ward & Co.
Green Man Sculpture: Carved above the south door of Maria Laach Abbey, Germany
Modern Wicker Man: Hel's Gate Heathen Kindred

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