The first day of May in Wales is known as Calan Mai or Calan Haf, meaning the first day of summer. The celebrations always began the evening before, May Eve (which is today!) being one of the ysprydnos or ‘spirit nights’ when spirits were out and about. Love divination was particularly popular on this night.
Until about 150 years ago, bonfires were lit all over Wales on May Eve, in South Wales. Marie Trevelyan, who wrote extensively about Welsh Folk Customs a century ago, describes them like this:
'The fire was done in this way: Nine men would turn their pockets inside out, and see that every piece of money and all metals were off their persons. Then the men went into the nearest woods and collected sticks of nine different kinds of trees. These were carried to the spot where the fire had to be built. There a circle was cut in the sod and the sticks were set crosswise.
'All around the circle the people stood and watched the proceedings. One of the men would then take two bits of oak and rub them together until a flame was kindled. This was applied to the sticks and soon a large fire was made. Sometimes two fires were set up, side by side...
'Round cakes of oatmeal and brown meal were split in four and placed in a small flour-bag, and everybody present had to pick out a portion. The last bit in the bag fell to the lot of the bag-holder.
'Each person who chanced to pick up a piece of brown meal cake was compelled to leap three times over the flames, or to run thrice between the two fires, by which means the people thought they were sure to have a plentiful harvest. .. As a rule, no danger attended these curious celebrations, but occasionally somebody’s clothes caught fire, which was quickly put out...'
They certainly knew how to enjoy themselves in those days, didn't they?
2008-04-30 @ 13:14