Tuesday 23 June 2009

Midsummer Eve ...

Well, here we are at the end of Imbolc (Celtic for 'lactation of the ewes'). Tomorrow's sunrise marks the Celtic festival of Beltain, the first day of summer. This will be a season of partnerships and fertility. New couples will proclaim their love for each other. 'Writings from the puritanical elements during the English civil war show the festival was alive and well in the 17th century. We have quotes such as- "Couples would go into the woods at night and ne'er a third returned undefiled!"'

Ref: http://www.gallica.co.uk/celts/calendar.htm

There were no such activities for me and my friends that evening. There was much benign derision, but no one was defiled. However, here's Fiddlin' Bill performing Cripple Creek, while admirably ignoring bum notes from the out-of-sight concertina player.


Astute viewers will notice the vertically-challenged lighting engineer struggling unsuccessfully for attention!

Now let's all set off for that henge-thingy ...