The sun is the source of all of our energy, directly or indirectly. The sun has always been the subject of myths, legends, and even religious worship as long as people have observed the star. The sun takes on even more meaning in latitudes further from the equator, where the sun comes and goes over the course of a year. The June solstice is the point that sun climbs the highest in the sky in the Northern Hemisphere and gives us the longest daylight, so the date was important for those who lived before artificial climate control, spawning festivals, celebrations, and rituals of all kinds.
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In Ireland, the Midsummer fires were lit at sunset after being sprinkled with holy water. In Ireland and Scotland bonfires were lit in memory of the Baal fires, a name derived from either Celtic sun god Bel (bright) or the Saxon word bael (fire). These bonfires were believed to boost the ebbing power of this life-giving, mysterious solar fire. In Irish folklore, fairies took the form of whirlwinds to try and extinguish these powerful Baal fires but throwing burning wood in their direction usually discouraged them. Children joined hands and leapt through the embers to symbolise the growth of corn and harvest abundance. Farmers drove animals through the ashes to protect them from disease. On the Isle of Man, blazing furze was carried around cattle for the same purpose. In Cornwall, the Midsummer fire was lit by “The Lady of the Flowers” who cast flowers into the flames. Cornish elders could then predict futures by reading the fire.
That’s just a few of the rituals associated with the summer solstice. Read more of them at Folklore Thursday. -via Strange Company
(Image credit: Andrew Dunn)
Source: neatorama