Walpurgis Night/Beltane Eve tomorrow: your local coven busy?

[emad]

Walpurgis Night, so-called from St Walpurgis (English nun who in the 8th century helped to convert the Germans to Christianity), the night before 1st May, when, according to popular German superstition, the witches and the devil hold a festival on the Brocken in the Harz Mountians. (My chums at Democrats Abroad tend to congregate in the boozer next to Primrose Hill and swap Dan Quayle jokes...some say reminiscent of Goethe's "Faust" depiction of Walpurgis night).

Beltane Eve also celebrated in Ireland, Scotland and the celtic communities of Brittany and Cornwall, in honour of the god Baal/Bel/Balder. North London's Belsize Park is named after Bel and Isis and Doomsday Book chronicles Beltane Eve revelries taking place there from the 13th century onwards.

Ist May - Beltane - is one of two great holy days in the pagan calendar, the other being Samhain, Ist November, appropriated by Christianity as All Saints.

Tradition has it that the May Queen is crowned on Beltane at the culmination of ancient rituals to banish evil from the Earth.

[arcane1]

1. I love May-eve

:evilgrin:

:party:

:smoke:

[VelmaD]

2. Best. Holiday. Ever.

Dancing around like a maniac and then "reminding" the planet about that whole fertility thing. Definitely gotta find me a Maypole to worship tomorrow. ;)

[catzies]

3. I'm all for rituals to banish evil from the Earth!

:hippie: