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Before writing my
fantasy romance, "Night Secrets," (Book 1 of the Avador series), I
knew I needed to give my novel its own culture, its own civilization. The
ancient Celts have long fascinated me, so I gave my fantasy a Celtic flavor,
with my own variations. To describe the Celtic culture would take a book in
itself, so here I've centered only on their festivals.
Celtic festivals weren't
connected to equinoxes or solstices but were related to the fertility of the
land. The four seasonal festivals reflect the pastoral and agricultural cycles
of the year. Another way these festivals differed from more modern celebrations
was that they began on the eve of the specific day of celebration. The Celts
measured time by the moon. In all of their calculations, night preceded
day. In their festivals, we find traces not only of religious beliefs but
also of a magical belief in things.
Samhain marked the
beginning of the Celtic year and began on the night of October 31. (Guess what
holiday we've derived from Samhain.) On Samhain, the veil between the
real world and the Otherworld was torn aside. The sidhe--fairy mounds
where the people of the Otherworld lived--opened, and spirits walked the land.
The sidhe released phantoms and goblins to ride the night winds.
The warrior dead came back to life, and bonfires were lit to guide the
returning warriors. Gods and demons walked the night places, and humans knew to
stay inside. A harvest festival, Samhain is the best-known Celtic celebration
of all. (Although it's not part of the Avador series, my fantasy romance,
"The Sacrifice, is based on this holy eve.)
Imgolg (or Imbolc) was a
fertility festival celebrated on the first of February. It marked the beginning
of spring. As believers of magic, the Celts brought divination and watching
omens to this celebration. They lit candles and bonfires if the weather
permitted. Fire and purification played a prominent part in this festival. The
Celts visited holy wells on this day where they prayed for health.
In more recent times,
Imgolc has become a holy day honoring St. Brigid. Before going to bed,
people left clothing and bits of cloth outside for Brigid to bless. In the
morning, they brought the strips of cloth inside, now believed to have powers
of healing and protection.
The Celts also believed
that on Imbolg the Cailleach--divine hag--gathers her firewood for the rest of
winter.
Beltane is the Celtic
May Day festival and marked the beginning of summer, a time when cattle were
driven out to pasture. As with Samhain, the people lit bonfires at night and
walked around the fire; some even leaped over the fire. People
doused household fires and relit them at the Beltane bonfire. A great
feast that featured lamb accompanied these gatherings. As a festival of
life,decorations of yellow flowers--symbolizing sunlight--abounded, even on
cattle.
Some people say the
bonfire was an attempt to mimic the sun and to ensure a plentiful supply of
sunshine for the people, animals, and plants. In some places people took
oatmeal cakes, a bit of which was offered to the spirits to protect their
livestorck.
If tales are to
believed, Beltane often became a riotous affair, where not only fire but
romances were kindled.
Lughnasad was celebrated
on August 1. Some say the god Lugh started the festival in honor of his mother.
It marked the beginning of the harvest season. Often animals were sacrificed,
the victims placed in baskets and thrown into the bonfire. The Celts held the
concept of the vegetation or tree spirit that had the power over rain, sunshine
and every means of fruitfulness. A tree held a prominent place in this
festival, where tree branches were attached to houses to impart fertility.
This festival, too,
involved great gatherings that included religious ceremonies, ritual athletic
contests, feasting, and as with Beltane, matchmaking.
