Sinistra's Vampire Journal

Sinistra's Journal

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CORRELLIAN NATIVIST TRADITION
06:16 May 16 2011
Times Read: 585

The Correllian Nativist Tradition identified by some as a form of Wicca, goes back to the Correll family, referred to as the High-Correllian family. The family was descended from a tribe of the Cherokee Nation. This particular tribe was the Didanvwisgi. Later through intermarriage with Scottish settlers, Scottish witchcraft was introduced and intermingled with the Native American shamanistic practices that were already existent in this tradition. Practitioners were exposed to other traditions as time passed. Therefore Aradian Witchcraft and various views of the Spiritualist Church were also later incorporated into what is now called Correllian Witan.

“Correllianism does usually put a strong emphasis on the philosophical aspects of Wicca, and on the spirituality and inner mysteries of the Wiccan religion, but liturgically the beliefs do not especially differ from those of other Wiccan Traditions. Rather it is the attitudes toward the Pagan community and its future that tend to set them apart.”1

One thing to remember is that the Traditional form of Witchcraft distinguishes itself from Wicca. Practitioners of Witchcraft will state very clearly that they are not one in the same. Accordingly many claim that witchcraft is the name given to many Pagan religions that were followed by inhabitants of Europe as Christianity took its foothold. Prior to that, they had no name. Some practices were handed down in family lines or practiced under the guise of Catholicism.

On the other hand, Wicca is a religion that was founded by Gerald Gardner in the 1930’s. It is a mixture of Western European folk traditions, Eastern philosophy, and Cabbalistic mysticism. Originally its focus was more on magical pursuits, and in later years it has grown to be more of a spiritual religion. “Today, Wicca can be seen as an eclectic system of beliefs with an underlying static ritual and ethics base.”2

The word Wicca is properly pronounced in its original Saxon as Witcha rather than with the hard “C” sound which may have been influenced by the US practitioners since it has been far more popular in the United States than anywhere else. Wicca is the masculine form and Wicce the feminine. Mike Nichols elucidates as follows:

“When you consider that the Saxon "cc" was pronounced "tch", it becomes easier to understand how the modern word "witch" is derived from the Old English "wicca", and how, ultimately, they are the same word. To say that they are different words, with a different provenance, and different meanings, is to ignore these simple facts. While we're at it, here's one more surprise: the word "wiccan", although typically used by modern Witches to modify a noun ("This is a Wiccan ceremony."), is not an adjective. It's a plural noun. One wicca, two wiccan. That's the masculine plural ending, obviously. The feminine plural form would be "wiccen" (rhymes with bitchin'). ;) Although in modern English, the "s" or "es" plural ending is the most common, the "an" or "en" plural is not unknown, the most obvious example being child > children.”7

Traditional Witchcraft does not contain the Rede, Watchtowers, or creating sacred circles since all of earth is sacred to the Witch. It also does not have any rites of self-initiation. Whereas Witchcraft does follow rites of passage and honoring its roots and may differ slightly by culture, the basics are there that distinguish it from Wicca. These identifiable differences clearly differentiate Wicca rather than Witchcraft when practiced according to practitioners. Although from a novice perspective researching the materials, I would have to say that Wicca uses an older identification for its sects and is basically the same thing but modified for modern views and interests that have been expanded due to spiritual information being more widely available in the modern age and therefore absorbed.

Quite often the word Warlock is mentioned in regard to both Wicca and Witchcraft but this was something used by the Church to disparage Witchcraft. “The word "warlock" translates as the Scottish Gaelic term for a liar, oath breaker, back-stabber, or someone generally not to be trusted.”2 Warlock did not refer to a male witch but designated those who betrayed the coven. A knife would be taken and the forehead of the betrayer was cut so all could recognize them for who they were, someone who could not be trusted.

Among the other traditions that have been blended into Correllian Nativist is the Aradian Tradition which is derived from Witchcraft in Italy, called Tanarra. It is a nature religion. “It acknowledges polarity of gender within the natural order personified as the God and Goddess. The year is divided up into the God months, October through February and the Goddess months, March through September. Balance is essential and therefore Goddess and God are viewed as equal but different manifestations of Divine Consciousness.”3

Certain aspects of Spiritualism have also been incorporated into this tradition. Spiritualism is defined:

“Spiritualists believe that we all die physically; and that some aspect of the personality or mind survives this and continues to exist on a spirit plane. Spiritualists use the word Spirit as a plural which describes all minds and entities who have entered into the spirit world. The purpose of the medium is to provide some evidence that a human has survived by describing the person to their surviving relatives. The degree of accuracy with which the deceased are described goes some way to convincing the living relatives and friends that the medium has some contact with the spirit. Spiritualists describe this as Survival Evidence.”4

Let’s recap what was stated earlier. Essentially the Correllian Nativist Tradition is a form of Paganism, which incorporates, Wicca, Witchcraft via Scotland and Italy, Spiritualism and Native American Shamanism. This makes for one very unique belief system. Some state it isn’t Wicca but it appears to be subjective. Case in point would be the following from “Other Paths of Witchcraft”:

“The Correllian Tradition of Witchcraft is primarily an eclectic blend of British Traditional Wicca and various Native American theologies. Though this group often refers to itself as Wicca, it is not a lineaged Wiccan Tradition.”8

The Founder of the Correllian Tradition was Ophelis Caroline High Correll. The Correllian Nativist Tradition became a legal entity in 1879. It was influenced by Hermetic philosophies and the “family followed a very formal, matriarchal and matrilinear structure with its roots in Cherokee customs.”5

Now, in the 21st Century the structure of the church consists of two Joint-Heads designated as First Priestess and First Priest, whose powers are represented by the office of Chancellor. “This is based upon the traditional Cherokee clan structure which was used by the High-Correll familial Tradition. The Tradition has always had both a Matriarchal Head (in Cherokee the Agayv Gigagei) and what might be termed a Fraternal Head. The Matriarchal Head of the Tradition was usually the oldest woman, the Fraternal Head her brother or son.”5

Due to their universalistic views the main goal of the Correllian Tradition is to unite Pagans for the good of all concerned. “The Correllian Tradition emphasizes celebratory as well as initiatory Wicca, and is strongly committed to accessible public ritual.”6 The dedication and hard work of this Tradition has allowed it to become the largest and fastest growing Wiccan church in the World according to most authorities.

You can find some interesting information at this site:

http://wildhunt.org/blog/tag/correllian-wicca

REFERENCES:

1. http://home.metroweb.co.za/~raene/index_files/correlliantradition.htm

2. http://www.traditionalwitchcraft.org/HSDwitchFAQ.html#1

3. http://home.att.net/~thewitchinghour/aradia.html

4. http://www.wikipedia.org Spiritualist Church

5. http://www.correllian.com/

6. http://www.wiccanembassy.com/ Witan Shrine of Tehuti

7. http://www.twpt.com/witchbyanyothername.htm

8. http://www.wiccaexplained.350.com/pathsofwitchcraft.htm

By RKB aka Sinistra, Arwen Andriel Copyright 2006

COMMENTS

20:02 May 13 2011
Times Read: 605

THOUGHTS ON ANGELS AND OTHER TRIVIA

I have been researching angels and associated things for at least forty years and probably more, as well as Celtic folklore and a few other side things.

I find it interesting how some things are considered mythology and others not, especially when a country moves into another religious viewpoint. For example:

Greek

ATLAS was one of the second-generation Titans. He personified the quality of endurance (atlaô). In one tradition, Atlas led the Titanes in a rebellion against Zeus and was condemned to bear the heavens upon his shoulders. In another, he was said to have been appointed guardian of the pillars which held earth and sky asunder. He was also the god who instructed mankind in the art of astronomy, a tool which was used by sailors in navigation and farmers in measuring the seasons. These roles were often combined and Atlas becomes the god who turns the heaven on their axis, causing the stars to revolve.

Judeo/Christian

Kakabel a.k.a. Kochbiel and Kokabiel ("star of God") - a prince regent of the stars and constellations. In The Book of the Angel Raziel, he is said to be a most holy angel, however, according to Enoch, he is a fallen angel who resides in Hell. Whether he exists on high or in the underworld, both sources agree that he controls 365,000 spiritual legions that, among other things, he teaches about astrology.

Therefore in this belief system just above, angels originate astrology or it came from the heavenly regions somehow. Many don't believe in it but espouse belief in the religion. Why is it later dismissed? I don't understand the logic. Mistranslation and contrivance perhaps? This is history anyone can look for themselves if they go to the proper websites and not some that parrot each other. Astrology is now considered occult yet it came from heavenly beings or beings many believe are holy and heavenly. They did not always have the title of fallen and knew and practiced this as well as magic and numerous other things that society at the time, or at least the one they introduced it to weren't too knowledgeable about. It remains to be seen whether fallen means what some think or if this one actually was fallen. He was part of the Chiefs of Ten or has been identified as such.

Which one is mythology? Why is one considered to be mythology while the other is not???

These are things I ponder about and see people tracing origins of the vampire using religious writings that clearly are not translated correctly and not taking the original view. Even Hasatan is not the same in two of them so who is right? The originators of the writings and what they are saying or those that are an offshoot. The same could be said about Fundamental Christianity and Mormonism. The second seems strange to some but, this could be said of many of the beliefs because it is foreign to some who have been raised to think a certain way about things. They all have a creation myth and bigger than life stories. Some believe one viewpoint but when others are brought up that is called silly or anyone believing it delusional. This makes no sense to me because all the stories are unbelievable sounding and clearly cannot be proven. One can only look at old writings and foreign conquerers who wrote about things to even get a modicum of truth providing there was any truth. None of the writings as far as those that go into the Old Testament are extremely old. Yes they are somewhat old but they had been destroyed while they were in captivity and re-written supposedly by inspiration. Shrugs.. Therefore who knows if they are the same but probably nearly since they had an oral tradition as well as written.

To say that fallen angels were all male is ludicrous, because they have been described androgenous and more than likely would have been hermaphroditic, meaning they could mate with either gender. Were they ever non physical, well that is a rationalization by some and mostly something decided at the Nicean Council meetings. It is a really complex issue an there has never been anything more definitive than belief. You might read my article here somewhere on gender to see how often intergender comes up in society. (the hermaphrodite)

Most of the earlier tribal groups had very sexual rites and they varied and this was what some as time passed tried to stamp out. Others were use to this type of practice and its underlying meanings which were actually very spiritual in nature. Originally they worshipped El and El was not another name for YHVH which you will find. Some refer to him/her as a fallen angel but it was the original God who was left behind to worhip YHVH. The Jews were being encroached upon by barbarians; those that lived outside of their holy boundaries. There were a lot of raids and fighting. Even the Jews had to perform ritual bathing if they went outside the holy lands and came back in. They were considered unclean. They adopted YHVH because he was a God of War. Those outside were considered the same as dead or misguided. The Canaanites continued to worship El and they lived in the Raphaim valley. YHVH instructed that they all be killed for continuing to worship El and had troops sent out to wipe them out. (El is also known by other names)

All the major angels have names like Mica-el, Raphi-el...they are or were connected to the original God. This is some of the reason for the fights; allegiance. This does not mean there were not other gods worshipped and goddesses as well. It was a harsh time with many Gods, including household gods for a long time.

I will say no more at this time but will occasionally put other things. Well one more thing since I think I mentioned Hasatan. The Jews have an entirely different explanation and I quite frankly think if he originally was in their writings who would be right? It was not refuted by anyone until years later and came from gentiles.

"The word satan is actually used many times in the Tanakh, and it means an adversary, obstacle or stumbling block. (The Tanakh (Hebrew: תַּנַ"ךְ‎) (IPA: [taˈnax] or [təˈnax]; also Tenakh or Tenak) is the Bible used in Judaism. The name "Tanakh" is a Hebrew acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Tanakh's three traditional subdivisions: The Torah ("Teaching," also known as the Five Books of Moses), Nevi'im ("Prophets") and Ketuvim ("Writings") - hence TaNaKh. The elements of the Tanakh are incorporated in various forms in Christian Bibles, in which, with some variations, it is called the "Old Testament.")

In Judaism Satan (HaSatan) is an agent of G-d, created by G-d for a specific purpose, and something very good. Satan is simply an agent of G-d, just as all the other angels are simply agents of G-d. This is why we frequently see passages where the author appears to interchange G-d and an angel (leading to the often erroneous interpretations)

So, to reiterate, in Judaism Satan is an agent of G-d, who provides opportunities for us to grow, to respond to our passions and desires by producing things of value in this world and to become stronger spiritual people."

http://jewsforjudaism.org

I am leading up to some things about angels and other beings. I do have the belief that vampires are a race that stemmed from angels. Over time I will say why. There is no way to get around it though, all prehistory had to do with religious/spiritual viewpoints. One cannot walk the path that deals with angels, fallen or otherwise without giving reference to it.

(Definitions are from Wikipedia)

COMMENTS

19:48 May 13 2011
Times Read: 606

This is a compilation of my own research and a channeling. Despite the beliefs of others here, researching and actually experiencing something is entirely different. This does not require any belief just an FYI type of thing. Some of the concepts have now been lumped into the category of New Age by the media...I just love those guys...NOT. The concepts in many cases are older than that cop out term by debunkers. I am not going to state which part is mine and which is channeled but some will be obvious. The channeling is older than thirty years.

--------------------------------------------------------------

All things if they are living or if they are dead in whatever state they may perceive themselves to be, exist because of an exchange of cosmic energy. All matter is but waves in motion. It is light manifested into different layers or boundaries of existence, different frequencies, different standing waves or emanations. Due to this fact, each individual possesses within themselves, inherently different qualities and different outlooks because of the causal and physical bodies that they happen to occupy.

We are fixed states of being and not merely in the consciousness or that portion of consciousness which inhabits only one particular body at this moment. Consciousness is something which is infinite and it transfixes many points along varying lines of activity, just as waves along the ocean, are all part of the one body of water. Each appear with their own separate crests and their own particular interaction as they hit the shoreline.

There are magnetic fields which are fields created by moving charges and vibratory nature or oscillations which create an action such as a musical note. All things in our universe are vibrating. Nothing is solid but vibrating at varying frequencies depending on what materials the object may be composed.

In one theory sometimes called, “The Music of the Spheres”, which was first mentioned by Pythagoras, it is believed that each of us is a “symphony of meaningful vibrations” (Martin Lass), which culminate into one single tone, each one unique. Things that tend to be harmonically balanced, tend to resonate at a higher and higher frequency. It’s almost like the momentum increases the frequency by which they operated. One becomes less dense, less heavy and as such becomes closer and closer to the essence or the source of all cosmic energy.

As things become closer in vibratory nature they become more and more solid, heavier, and more Earthbound. It is a matter of a loss of potential or a loss of energy and eventually they cease moving and pop out of this continuum as we perceive it altogether. So it’s not a matter of distance but a matter of motion. Those things that are moving quickly are considered “godlike.” Slow things or non-moving things are considered dead. Which is why the old quotation was once made that, “ the world exists only for the quick and the dead.”

It’s not just a matter of intellect or one’s particular charm or lack thereof which causes one to view the world in the way they do. It is from the position of one’s fixed point of reference in that body, just as a star in the heavens has a fixed point of reference. As a result one can only perceive one’s own point of view to certain other stellar objects. In this manner one’s body can only perceive certain things by one’s own vitality or frequency for the role that must be performed in that initial lifetime.

This is why one could refer to others as puzzle pieces. As a puzzle piece one must discover one’s proportion or role in the divine giant puzzle all of us are parts thereof. Many in this era offer answers to any number of questions that might be nagging in one's mind for a fee. They provide wonderful answers as to who you are and why you are here. Unfortunately they cannot tell you what your role is in this lifetime because it is imperative that the individual discover their purpose on their own. There are divine laws that can be accessed with self-reflection and understanding of parallelisms that can be availed upon because the information is contained in each individual.

It is manifestly important that the realization of one’s self as a divine and useful being in the cosmic universe comes about before one’s role has already ended because the joy of attainment is the most important spiritual aspect of life while captured in one’s earthly body. Each one of us no matter what we will do will in someway fulfill their cosmic role whether they are conscious of it or not. Therefore in that self realization one can fulfill the role joyfully whether that role is to become a victim, victimizer, the sacrifice, the feast or those who dine at the feast. Hopefully this knowledge or “gnosis” will allow one to become the one who dines at the feast of life rather than being the feast themselves.

Man practices many techniques for longevity. They are fearful of an ending but does energy ever become non-existent? No, it changes into something else and continues. It is the frequency manifest that establishes the character of that existence. When one has not dined on spiritual food one may find it unpalatable because it is strange and it requires dedication. If it was easy one would easily discover his or her purpose and reason for being. “Approximately 97 percent of the human population will never be consciously aware of what their role in a particular lifetime encompasses”. (Socrates) They will fulfill their role regardless. The ecstasy of attainment is yours for the asking if you will dedicate a few moments a day to strive for personal growth in whatever area one is drawn to, and be consistent.

Why are we here?

Perhaps it is to enjoy the life we have chosen, to perhaps learn “to be.” It is in hate and pain that one is most unlike their true selves. Once you know why you are here and how long, how does one attain knowledge of where they are going from that point of reference? Some might say, “Pass that cup from me because I didn’t realize I had such a big role and it would be so tough.” It is in whatever duty that one has chosen to manifest in this lifetime that one will excel as that puzzle piece. That is what we are created to do. It is as if each one of us is a projectile designed for a specific target and only one. Every moment of one’s existence is like a clock that guides that projectile which is you, toward its ultimate destination which is that target. When that target has been hit and accomplished, then one goes back to the local source to regain the birthright one is due as cosmic beings. Those that miss the target and there will be some that do, fearful to face their own choices, will not be reunited.

You have the freedom to play your part and use whatever lines you wish. Also to undergo whatever scenery changes you need to bring about the conclusion of your play. Bring it about you will! That is the purpose for being in the body. It will be done. It is something of which one has chosen and manifested in a previous incarnation and in a different plane altogether.

Being conscious of that role you can enjoy your part much more because the end or the middle or the beginning will take on new meaning consciously. Evil, and how does that apply to your path? It’s a perception that evil does indeed exist. You have to have a belief that there is evil in you and/or anything else before a judgment can be made that anything else is evil. It’s the element of looking at a flower and discerning, and then calling them beautiful is only when that beauty is within you and it has been excited through that interaction with the flower. Therefore it is only raising one’s vibration. This is the best and truest method.

It’s a matter of not worrying about your goal but figuring out what you are programmed with. So it’s coming to terms with yourself, your essential self. Once you have done that, the goal is immediately known. For example, it is similar to the realization that one is an arrow and one would know they weren’t meant to be working in a forge or if one were a horseshoe you wouldn’t be going around trying to be a washbasin. It is more of a matter of knowing yourself to know your purpose and that way there’s a test that’s automatic.

When you are happy and in harmony you are fulfilling that purpose. It’s not the moment to moment joy or merely things of physical enjoyment but deep spiritual contentment. Not one that is merely a pat on the back and puts a smile on your face momentarily. Happiness which is lasting and is very consuming, and with every motion with everything that one does toward that activity makes them happier and happier and doesn’t bring about a modicum of pain to anyone else around them. As a result, no pain will be inflicted upon them individually in return eventually.

* * * * * **

Socrates had these words of wisdom.

How old are we?

It doesn’t matter! We are now and we are eons.

Who are we?

We are essence from which all things spring.

Why are we here?

To enjoy!

Where are we going?

We are going home.

* * * * * *

Where is home?

It’s where you are happiest. If you are happy in the body, you will be that much happier without it but one has to live through the experiences necessary to drop it. Given the choice to be without body one would never take it again if one could really choose. It is a matter of want. If you want the experience of having an enjoyable life in the earthly plane, then you actually have to want it and not just think about wanting it. One must put action into motion and in so doing, the body can be enjoyable as it is. It is not the limitation that some perceive it to be.

Therefore why are we afraid? Could it be lack of faith because the death experience is very close to the answer? Fear is based on the idea that something will limit our being or our essence may be made less by something else. That is fear calling the shots. In all actuality each of us are infinite points of light on an infinite line of time and connected with the infinite, nothing can limit your being. So fear is a misunderstanding of one’s state of being.

To reiterate, in each life there is a goal. If we don’t attain that goal do we have to repeat it? Is the goal the same each time? No it’s a different one and never the same. It may be a target that is similar because it may contain the same amount of concentric circles and their colors may be similar, but once one has shot an object through a target you can’t use that target again if it’s had a hole blown through it. You have to create a new target. It may be the same again as a person shooting a projectile from a gun in a shooting range, no two shots are the same although you may still feel that you are enacting the same activity. Each time you get a little closer to the center of the target. In this way each lifetime you are getting that much closer to the center of your own being or to your own “god being”, to a pure oneness in a pure and unchanging state. Once one finds out what this goal is and accepts it and journeys toward it or completes it whatever it may be, that’s what is called being balanced or being in harmony. This is the goal. The only difference is the path one has chosen to arrive there.

COMMENTS

Oceanne
22:05 May 13 2011

Interesting..you and I seem to have many of the same thoughts on this.I have a great deal posted in my journal about it. The nature of majick.

And yes,Experiencing is much different than research alone.As a matter of fact,I feel that research is many times inspired by "experiences".At least ,for me it was.

Lhiannon Shee
11:17 May 10 2011
Times Read: 621

Among the many night creatures of the Isle of Man is the Lhiannan Shee or “Fairy Lover” but in this version also assumed to be a vampire. This particular fairy has many counterparts depending on whether it is Ireland, Scotland, Wales, etc. Like all fairies of Celtic lore this one is also part of the fairy race of the Tuatha De Danaan.

"The Manxs (written Manks in this account) fairy creed is again the same. Similar beings are supposed to exist, and are known by the name of Ferish, which a Manxman assured me was a genuine Manx word. If so, fairy may be old Celtic, and derived from the same root as Fen, instead of being derived from it. The fairies in the Isle of Man are believed to be spirits. They are not supposed to throw arrows as they are said still to do in the Highlands. None of the old peasants seemed to take the least interest in "elf shots," the flint arrows, which generally lead to a story when shown elsewhere. One old man said,. "the ferish have no body, no bones," and scorned the arrow heads. It is stated in Train's History that there are no flint.--arrow heads in the Isle of Man; but as there are numerous barrons, flint weapons may yet be discovered when some one looks for them. Still these Manx fairies are much the same as their neighbors on the main land. They go into mills at night and grind stolen corn; they steal milk from the cattle; they live in green mounds; in short, they are like little mortals invested with supernatural power." (Isle of Man)

As far as origins, William Cashen states in his book on Manx folklore that the Manx people believed the fairy were fallen angels. When Satan was expelled from heaven, so were the angels they now refer to as fairy folk who were later called “Themselves” in English, but in Manx they were called "Cloan ny moyrn". This translates to mean “The Children of the pride or ambition”. Here it is reiterated in this discussion about Milton’s “Paradise Lost”.

"They also believed that when they were driven out of heaven they fell in equal proportions on the earth and the sea and the air, and that they are to remain there until the judgment. They also said that they fell as thick as a shower of hail, and that they continued to fall for the space of three days and three nights. Whether they took their idea from Milton's 'Paradise Lost,' or whether Milton himself took his idea from the Manx people, certain it is that the Manx people believed that before "Paradise Lost" was translated into Manx. The prayer they used when walking in the night-time was "Saue Jee mee voish Cloan

ny moyrn," God save me from the Children of the pride." (Isle of Man Chapter II)

Very often the term succubus comes to mind but this is a very different creature and the Lhiannon Shee is not a succubus and is probably much older in folklore than the succubus/incubus legends. The word succubus is derived from Latin; sub and cubare meaning “to lie under” and not from any form of Gaelic. The succubus comes to seduce males during their dreams. She is considered a female demon and not a fairy. It has been inferred that Lilith was Adam’s first wife in Judaic documents. This specifically was Midrash and in the Talmud to explain two verses that conflict on the origin of Adam’s first wife. So what is Midrash? It is as follows: “Any of a group of Jewish commentaries on the Hebrew Scriptures compiled between a.d. 400 and 1200 and based on exegesis, parable, and haggadic legend.”(Yahoo Education) The Rabbi’s chose the Lilith explanation deriving the tale from much older commentaries and cultures and she became known as a demon besides later also being called a succubus. The idea of a succubus comes from the medieval period and is described very specifically in the Malleus Maleficarum in the late 1400s.

William Michael Mott has stated the following about the Lhiannon Shee:

"Who or what might come to men and women in the dead of night, for purposes of seduction and genetic exchange? The classical lamia is the same as the succubus, whose male counterpart is the incubus. To the Irish, the female of this species or type was called Leanan-Sidhe (lan-awn-shee), and on the Isle of Man, she was Lhiannon-Shee. Both variants sought the genetic influx of a human male, and in exchange gave him fame, creative inspiration, or other abilities (much like the ancient Greek Muses). Invariably, such a relationship would end with the premature death or 'wasting away–' sometimes attributed to vampirism–of the man. The Manx minx also had a close association with deep wells, from which she would emerge from her underworld home in order to seduce a lover, or enter into an agreement with him." (Demonseed III)

This has been the only reference to a succubus nature in the traditional sense that I have found. They did mate but as for collecting the semen or having any sort of male counterpart, that information in my researches was never found. These particular fairy lovers were always referred to invariably as female. Close proximity to them had a draining effect except for the Manx version who according to accounts drank blood but over a period of time. This would weaken the male until they wasted away and died.

It is believed that the succubus collects semen from the men she has seduced and gives it to the incubus who then impregnates sleeping women with this semen and creates children prone to demonic direction. This is nothing remotely connected to Celtic folklore and is separate and unique to another culture.

"The appearance of succubi varies, but in general they are depicted as alluring women with great beauty, often with demonic batlike wings, and large breasts; they also have other demonic features, such as horns and cloven feet. Occasionally they appear as an attractive woman in dreams that the victim cannot seem to get off his mind. They lure males and in some cases, the male has seemed to fall "in love" with her. Even out of the dream she will not leave his mind. She will remain there slowly draining energy from him until death by exhaustion. Other sources say the demon will steal the male's soul through the act of intercourse." (Wikipedia.org)

The “Online Entymological Dictionary” references the first mention of creatures of any type relating to the word succubus to be the male version and that was the following:

"c.1205, from L.L. (Augustine), from L. incubo "nightmare, one who lies down on (the sleeper)," from incubare "to lie upon" (see incubate). Plural is incubi. In the Middle Ages, their existence was recognized by law."

As for the succubus that came a little later:

" c.1290, "an evil female spirit afflicting sleepers with a feeling of suffocation," compounded from night + mare "goblin that causes nightmares, incubus," from O.E. mare "incubus," from mera, mære, from P.Gmc. *maron "goblin," from PIE *mora- "incubus," from base *mer- "to rub away, harm, seize" (cf. first element in O.Ir. Morrigain "demoness of the corpses," lit. "queen of the nightmare," also Bulg., Serb., Pol. mora "incubus;" Fr. cauchemar, with first element is from O.Fr. caucher "to trample"). Meaning shifted mid-16c. from the incubus to the suffocating sensation it causes. Sense of "any bad dream" first recorded 1829; that of "very distressing experience" is from 1831.

succubus :

1387, alteration (after incubus) of L.L. succuba "strumpet," applied to a fiend in female form having intercourse with men in their sleep, from succubare "to lie under," from sub- "under" + cubare 'to lie down.'"

Essentially in the 21st Century this idea of either of these creatures has been now referred to as connected to sleep paralysis and night terrors.

As far as a vampire that is a later identification along with demon which was from an era where everything that was not understood became evil and demonic. The Sidhe or Shee were not any of these things. They were part of the Tuatha De Danaan and merely went by various names and characteristics depending on where they were known to inhabit. Sometimes the species varied whether in Ireland, Scotland, or Isle of Man. Even though the human male found them irresistible there was an exchange, his lifeforce for her tutelage and inspiration. It wasn’t just taking the person’s life for the sheer purpose of doing so. It was the nature of this fairy to aid but in so doing for some reason the person receiving their inspiration was more or less “burned out” like a candle. This may not have been malicious but just what happened to those in close proximity with this type of creature.

Like most fairies of the Celts her name has many spellings depending on the locations it can be found and the type of Gaelic. To the Irish she is the Leanan Sidhe also spelled Leannan (lan-awn-shee), and on the Isle of Man she is Lhiannan Shee (lannan shee) sometimes spelled lhiannon shee, leannan shee, lannan shee, lannanshee, leanan sidhe, leanhaun shee, lianhan shee and in Old Irish lennan side. The Lhiannan Shee is said to reside under the Irish sea off the eastern coast of Ireland, and roams the Isle of Man at night seeking a lonely young man to bring him inspiration but it is in this capacity she is said to be a vampire because she is considered by most authorities to be a dark fairy, which in Scotland would be termed “unseelie.”

Even though the Leanan Sidhe is often quoted as meaning "the Fairy Mistress" or the “Fairy Sweetheart” she is more like a muse in character. Fairies do not like to be noticed. They stay in the shadows but when a man notices the Lhiannon Shee he is irresistibly bound to her. If he can resist her allure she is his slave forever.

This Irish counter-part is noted for giving the gift of poetry, art or music to a man, and later living off of his life force. The longer he is her lover the weaker he gets as his life force dwindles. Upon her paramours death she leaves. On the other hand when she walks on the Isle of Man she is said to drink the blood of her lover until over time she has nothing but a lifeless body left behind. This has only been stated in certain writings because no matter what version, the creature is spoken about most often it is quoted as being life force rather than blood. The Lhiannon Shee were enchantresses and after a man had been in their arms no matter how beautiful a mortal woman might seem they had eyes only for this “fairy mistress."

The Lhiannon Shee is known to haunt springs and wells and even though spoken of in folklore as a concrete being she is said to be irresistible to whomever she has chosen or who happened to notice her and invisible to everyone else.

"Traveling through towns and villages during the night, she looks for romantic young men on whose door she would knock. When the door was opened she would take the man into her embrace, inspiring him with her poetry and music, and bringing about his fame." (Isle of Man)

There are tales of men being heard talking to the Lhiannon Shee but upon being approached they become silent and no one else but the man can be seen. Generally there are conditions to these liaisons and if the man breaks them the Lhiannon Shee may then leave. A man being abandoned by one of these creatures will pine away and die with no human counter part able to salve their grief. Taking the life force over time from the man until he finally died was assumed to be what kept the Lhiannon Shee eternally young and beautiful. Aside from this most of these beautiful women whether spoken of as cloven hoofed, or with long fingernails, they generally have very long blond hair and wear green clothing, a cloak or gown. Green is the color of the fairy.

Supposedly most well known poets out of these areas are said to have had a Leannan Sidhe. W. B. Yeats speaks of them as being dark and sinister but it sounds very like the Daimon spoken of in Greek folklore that gave inspiration and guidance to such notables as Socrates.

"Most of the Gaelic poets, down to quite recent times, have had a Leanhaun Shee, for she gives inspiration to her slaves and is indeed the Gaelic muse -- this malignant fairy. Her lovers, the Gaelic poets, died young. She grew restless and carried them away to other worlds, for death does not destroy her power."

--W.B. Yeats, Fairy and Folk Tales of Ireland. (Mary Jones)

There are other documentations which clearly give the impression that the idea of the Lhiannon Shee being a vampire is a modern day invention. In fact, rather than blood or life force in some sources it is stated she takes the soul. It depends on who is relating the story it would seem but in most cases all forms of this fairy have been referred to as drawing out the life force rather than anything else.

"The Lhiannon-Shee was a Spirit-Friend. It was believed that if she got near enough to a man to breathe his breath or to lay her hand on him he would be in her power until death. I have heard a man relate that he once saw the lhiannon-shee. He was in the mountain pulling ling when he saw coming towards him a beautiful woman clad in golden-yellow silk. The man jumped into his cart, whipped his horse and fled for his life. He turned his head to see if she was following him, but she was standing stock-still in the ling wringing her hands." (Isle of Man)

Another fact that is often forgotten is that most in the more modern accounts of the Lhiannon Shee refer to her as very dark giving the idea of dark in nature but also in coloring. In all actuality, in most cases throughout the Isles most of these predatory female fairies are blond, such as the case of the Baohban Shee.

According to legend King Magnus of Norway also an overlord of the Isle of Man brought a cup from the shrine of St. Olaf to the Isle of Man. Taking the cup was considered a crime and to satisfy the Church it was given back to the Church. The Fletcher family from Lancashire came into possession of the cup. The family held official positions on the Isle of Man and soon bought the Kirby estate. The Bishops of Sodor and Man traveled to and from the Isle and it was on the contingency the cup was held for their use and entertainment that the Fletchers were allowed to keep it on their estate. When the Fletcher’s took over the estate they changed the name of it according to Manx custom to Ballafletcher meaning Fletcher’s farm and this was how the cup later became known as the Ballafletcher cup. The Lhiannon Shee promised to bestow “peace and plenty” to the Fletchers as long as the cup remained unbroken. When the Fletchers died there was an estate sale and one Robert Caear of Ballahick who was a distant relative purchased the cup and subsequently gave it to his niece, Mrs. Bacon who was a Caear prior to marriage. The cup remained in the possession of the Bacon family for generations and was never touched except at Christmas and Easter when it was filled and they drank to the health of the Lhiannon Shee. The cup is now on display at the Manx Museum in Douglas.

There have always been “tales of faery (fairy) sightings reported off the coast of Ireland, they have been heard singing on The Isle of Man even in recent times.” (Fairy Oracle)

REFERENCES:

Albans Mystic Circle, Leanan Sidhe

http://groups.msn.com/AlbanysMysticCircle/fairylore.msnw

Fairy Oracle, Leanan sidhe

http://www.freewebs.com/fairyoracle/leanansidhe.htm

Demonseed III, Lhiannon shee

http://home.earthlink.net/~mottimorph/Demonseed.html

Isle of Man, William Cashen’s Manx Folk-Lore, 1912

http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/fulltext/wc1912/index.htm

Mary Jones, Jones Celtic Encyclopedia: Leannan sidhe, 2004

http://www.maryjones.us/jce/leanansidhe.html

Gypsy Scholarship, Poetry break: succubus

http://gypsyscholarship.blogspot.com/2006/03/poetry-break-succubus.html

Wikipedia, Succubus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Succubus

Wild Muse, Leanan Sidhe

http://www.wildmuse.net/faerie/muses/leanan.html

Yahoo Education, Definition of Midrash

http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/Midrash

Sinistra Copyright 2008

COMMENTS

WHITE WOMEN OF THE HIGHLANDS
10:12 May 10 2011
Times Read: 627

BAOBHAN SITH

Legends of Vampires are found all over the world but these lovely ladies are found in Scotland and will be referred to as vampires in this piece. The Baobhan Sith pronounced “baa'-van shee” are the fairy folk of Scotland referred to as Vampires. The Isle of Man has the Lhiannon Shee while Ireland has the Dearg-due among others, whose name literally means “red bloodsucker”. Logically the name of the Baobhan Sith translates to “white women” or sometimes it is stated to be “fairy woman”.

The legends about these vampires are well known and prevail in Gaelic oral history but few have been documented. All of the sources agree that they were quite lovely and the Baobhan Sith the loveliest of them all. They had extremely long, blond, flowing hair. Very different from what the vampire is depicted to look like in this day and age and cultural stage. Interestingly enough sometimes they are said to take the form of a crow or raven.

These beautiful “white women” are known to dwell in out of the way places. They tend to like the Highlands and pastoral locales. It is said they have a fondness for hunters. No one really knows why because as stated previously this comes from the Gaelic oral tradition. Much has been lost but it is believed perhaps it is the smell of blood that would be on the hunters.

They are described as wearing either a green dress or green robes. Very often they have also been described as having the hoofs of a deer but not in all cases. They keep their hooves well hidden under their clothing. Like most vampires they are said to find the daylight anathema.

Their feeding style is a little different than some vampires. These ladies have very long fingernails that they use to slash their victims and drink their blood. The Baohban Sith arise from their graves only once a year to feed and have been likened to a succubus in nature. They are considered to be part of the Celtic fairy folk or Tuatha Dé Danann, a race of beings looked upon as being gods and goddesses as they were the children of Dana (pronounced Daw-na) and occupied Hibernia before the advent of the Milesians. When they lost their battle with the new invaders they agreed to go underground and that is why you see what they call Faery mounds all over the Celtic world. They were called the Daoine Sidhe or in later times the Aes Sidhe. Sith and Sidhe are in reference to the faery realm and are pronounced the same as “shee.”

There was only one method supposedly to keep the Sith from rising out of their graves and that was to build a cairn over the top of it. A cairn is a marker of stones usually conical in shape piled over a grave or other place as a memorial or marker. These markers were also seen as signs of warding off evil.

Generally the Baobhan Sith would appear alone or in groups and they would invite their victims to dance with them. The attraction was irresistible to men who were not prepared for their allure. Not only did they prey on hunters but young people who might stray out late at night. During this dance of seduction is when they would slash their victims with their long nails and drink of their blood until they were dead.

Hunters on horseback were very often surrounded by the Sith and if they could manage to stay astride their steeds would survive. Most often they were overcome by the beauty and allure of these young creatures. Iron was the only known deterrent to scare off these vampires.

Around 500 AD the “Scoti” or “Scotti” settled in what we now refer to as Scotland. They were from Ireland and that is how it got its name. It is no wonder that so much of their folklore and mythology is similar. A good fairy was called “seelie” in Scotland and a bad fairy was called “unseelie” . Those referred to as forms of vampire would fall under the fairy category of “unseelie”. These are considered races of fairy and they are set up in courts the first one is sometimes also called “the bringers of beauty and wisdom”. Those who could not get into this court generally fell under the unseelie court. This is the lesser court or the dark court.

To recap, there were three forms identified as vampires in more modern times in the British Isles with slightly different attributes; the Dearg-Due (Ireland), the Lhiannon Shee (Isle of Man) and the Baobhan Sith (Scotland). The Leanan Sidhe, also from Ireland could be considered a psi-type of vampire but she is described as more of a muse that drains the lifeforce of those she inspires. Her name means fairy mistress or sweetheart.

It remains to be seen if any of these females could actually be called a vampire except perhaps the Dearg-Due, because all of the others are described as being fairies whereas the Dearg-Due had been a living human that did indeed rise from the dead. Her story goes back to Celtic times and in those days she is described as a demon rather than vampire. Be that as it may, the most famous of all the vampires in present time from Ireland, is the Dearg-Due sometimes called the Dearg-Dur or Dearg-Dul. This particular lady was supposed to be extraordinarily beautiful and her fame was known by most everyone in the region. Supposedly she fell in love with a peasant in the village where she lived. According to legend her father wanted to secure a marriage that brought money into the family so he arranged a marriage for her. Her husband was very abusive to her and she committed suicide.

Her burial was in the village of Waterford near Strongbow’s Tree in the county of Munster. She was laid to rest in a small churchyard at this location. She is said to have come back from the grave to lure both her father and her husband to their deaths. Various diverse legends have sprung up from this folklore. Some say she comes back every full moon and others once a year or on the anniversary of her suicide to lure men to their deaths. Shape-shifting was sometimes attributed to her while others said she did not have that ability. Those that did believe she could shape-shift state that it was in the shape of a large bat. Again with this vampire the way to stop her was to build a cairn upon her grave providing you could find the grave site.

REFERENCES:

http://darkfantasychat.com/room/darkdesire/UCRaces.htm

http://irelandsown.net/baobhan.html

http://www.monstropedia.org/index.php?title=Baobhan_Sith

http://www.rampantscotland.com/

http://vnboards.ign.com/message.asp?topic=76372206

http://www.wisdomquotes.com/cat_beauty.html

Sinistra copyright 2007

COMMENTS

THE GREEN LADY OF SHADOWS
08:21 May 10 2011
Times Read: 633

Very often in legend, there is mention of a “Green Lady” haunting a castle in some far-flung area of the British Isles. This is a very difficult phenomenon to sort out because this particular name is used so loosely. Those in the United States often talk about green ladies in regard to a haunting in a cemetery or some out of the way place who appear in green mists. The actual "Green Lady" goes back much farther than that and in the British Isles is something different altogether.

These “Green Ladies” are often referred to by many names and it is really difficult to decipher whether some are called by this name merely by the connection to green. Some are thought of as ghosts, others as something between a human and a spirit and yet others a human that has sometimes passed on but has an enchantment upon them by the fairy world.

Unlike the Banshee, this particular specter is tied to a dwelling rather than a clan or specific individual and sometimes is connected to death. When someone leaves a place purported to be haunted by a "Green Lady" she remains while the occupants go elsewhere. Very often she is called a glaistig, meaning “water imp” (11) or green glaistig or in the original language, ghlaistig uaine or maighdean uaine because generally it means “green maiden.”

This paranormal being is described as having dusky, grayish or wan skin coloring and long blond hair that reaches to the ground. In every case concerning the "Green Lady," she is described as wearing a long green gown or robes. They generally watch over a castle or manor house and the family who live there and/or their livestock especially the cattle or goats.

The lady who tended the livestock was more commonly called a Gruagach and at times this term was interchangeable with the other one because many appear to do this task after they have passed on. The Gruagach (goo-ah-gak), which can also be spelled Gruacach, is the lady who tended the livestock, the Uruisg were the beings that were half goat and they were dwellers in the forest but they could attach themselves to households and were considered similar to lowland Brownies. Brownies are classified as “hobs.” Usually this being took the shape more closely of a hairy ogre as described by the Irish and the Scottish Gaelic people but for a few others it meant a fairy woman or the slender man in some places as describe further within this piece. (10)

“A hob is a type of small mythological household spirit found in the north and midlands of England, but especially on the Anglo-Scottish border, according to traditional folklore of those regions. They could live inside the house or outdoors. They are said to work in farmyards and thus could be helpful, however if offended they could become nuisances. The usual way to dispose of a hob was to give them a set of new clothing, the receiving of which would make the creature leave forever. It could however be impossible to get rid of the worst hobs.” (6)

As to whether any one of these creatures were a different manifestation of the same spirit, is unknown, but they aren’t Green Ladies. They are often described more like an ogre with long hair as mentioned previously or a giant. For example, the old Irish grúacach is defined as hairy, long-haired; possibly a goblin, wight, enchanter; or wizard-like.

The Highlands version was the “Green Lady” and was called a Glaistig. “The name is evidently cognate with the Manx "glashtin", and is similar to the "sacbaun" of Galloway.” (13) This particular creature was described as a “sea sprite.” (2) Others describe her as a solitary fairy from the Scottish Highlands and yet others state her location for the most part was on the Isle of Mull. This island is located on the west coast side of Scotland and is the second largest island located in the Inner Hebrides. (4) In the case of this particular Glaistig, she was a protector of the livestock and if threaten so the legend goes, she would turn the animals into stone. Unfortunately as fate would have it, she was able to turn them to stone but unable to turn them back into their original form and thus would wither away from grief.

The legends seem to have gotten mixed and they vary whether they are in Scotland, the islands such as Skye and other regions in the British Isles. On the Isle of Skye, the Gruagach is generally male but anywhere else in the isles they are rare and not described as an ogre. Most often they are female due to the meaning of the word which is “long-haired one.” The males are described as slender, attractive young men who take care of a household as well as tend to their cattle. They are described as wearing green and red clothing. The households who have a Gruagach place a stone with an indentation out for this spirit being. Generally they would pour milk or cream onto the stone and might leave small amounts of bread, cake and things of this sort. It is believed that any larger offering would be found offensive by the Gruagach. (9) Unfortunately if the offering is skipped when milking time returns, there will be no milk. It is the price that is paid for slighting this particular entity.

Many legends regarding the “Green Lady,” describe her as a woman of stature, sometimes nobility; the lady of the manor. At times she is confused with other creatures that are part animal such as the upper half female and the lower half deer or goat. These appear to be similar creatures but in most sources it is basically a different manifestation of the same thing.

“Another rendition of the glaistig legend is that the glaistig was once a mortal noblewoman, to whom a "fairy" nature had been given or who was cursed with the goat's legs and immortality, and since has been known as "The Green Lady". In this incarnation, she seems to be more benign, and watches over houses and also looks after those of weak mind as well. Such Green Lady myths have been associated with a number of locations in Scotland, including Ardnacaillich, Donolly Castle, Loch Fyne, Crathes Castle and in Wales at Caerphilly.” (7)

There are also fairy creatures that go by varying names such as the Lhiannon Shee who also have long blond hair and wear green. They could mistakenly be classified a glaistig. They were never referred to at any time in legend as a vampire even though they supposedly drank the blood of their victims. This is the Manx version of the Leanan Sidhe found in Ireland. Not all glaistig were dangerous, some were very reclusive. Actually the only reference to vampire was from W. B. Yeats in some of his writings. The sidhe, sith, shee and sometimes spelled si were the fairy-folk, the Tuatha De Danaan, but they actually predate the Celts/Irish. It appears many of the beliefs surrounding them were absorbed and/or created by them and passed to some of the other islands. The tales vary by location. This is why it is so hard to give definitive answers on what these creatures were because it is not the same in each place or island area.

The wearing of the green seems to be pervasive with otherworldly females of the Isles. These beings are very different than the glaistig which is not really considered fairy-folk by most authorities, but not all of course. The connection to an enchantment by the fairy could very possibly account for the green clothing since it was considered the fairy color. The “Green Lady” on the other hand was merely given a fairy nature in most cases, but she was not a fairy in all actuality.

The “Green Ladies” were believed at times to be very mischievous and a bit troublesome, so most inhabitants dreaded an encounter with one. Their fear was that she would leave some form of token so the victim would not be able to forget they had met. Nowadays an encounter with at least a “green” glaistig is considered quite rare but there are places where they are known to haunt.

Very often the tales of this particular form of the glaistig represents her as trying to throw travelers off their path or even throwing rocks at them. Even with this mischievous side, she was believed to be gentle with children often left with them while Mothers were performing other tasks. Milk was generally left as an offering for her. It would be poured over stones and is believe to have originated from older legends that relate to fertility goddesses of cattle or deer. (8)

“In the village of Ach-na-Creige on the Isle of Mull, a Glaistig served as the guardian of the local cattle. It was customary to pour some milk into a holed stone on the cattle fold as a libation to the Glaistig. This small token was the only payment she requested for her long vigils. A local herds boy - who was widely known for his mischief - decided he was going to have some fun at the Glaistig's expense, and poured boiling milk into the holed stone. The Glaistig severely scalded her tongue, and was so angry that she left the local countryside, and her wardenship of the village cattle for good." (8)

Where there have been people staying in a place known to have a resident “Green Lady,” they recall hearing the movement of furniture in the night. This is often what most individuals complain about hearing when they are trying to quietly slumber.

Water seems to be a unifying factor with many of these ladies. The Lhiannon Shee is supposed to be connected to the sea and many of the others to water in general, lakes (lochs), streams, rivers, waterfalls and the like. They are identified in this manner because when visible they are usually seen by some body of water. Usually the Lhiannon Shee is found on someone’s doorstep dripping wet and will ask to enter a home to get warmed. Others state she enchants travelers into dismounting their horses and dancing with her. She then slashes them with her nails and drinks their blood. The problem with this is that she is often identified as a vampire but she isn’t, she is fairy and in Scotland would be described as unseelie. Blood drinking fairies are not unknown in the British Isles. The Irish version of this creature is considered more of a muse or daimon and drains off the lifeforce of those she inspires. They both have the long blond hair and wear green gowns or robes similar to what is described as a “Green Lady” but they are not attached to a person unless in Ireland, clan or dwelling.

Therefore, I think it becomes abundantly clear that it is difficult to distinguish the differences between various described ladies in green. The typical “Green Lady” would be those tending to a specific household but not the people who were residing in that household at the time. They could possibly be taking care of their livestock as well and children or they may be almost invisible to those living in a dwelling and all that is heard is the moving of furniture in the night and a glimpse now and then to merely identify there was a “Green Lady” in residence.

1. http://www.hollowhill.com/uk/scotland-greenlady2.htm

2. http://www.funtrivia.com/en/subtopics/Wee-Scottish-Beasties-329532.html

3. http://www.spookystuff.co.uk/TheGreenLady.html

4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Mull

5. http://selkywolf.com/sweetsong/fairydictionary.html

6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hob_(folklore)

English Folklore, A Dictionary of English Folklore. © 2000, 2003, Oxford Press

7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glaistig

(Rev. J. G. Campbell, "Superstitions of the islands and Highlands of Scotland", Scottish Celtic Review 4 (1885), pp155, 157, noted in J. G. McKay, "The Deer-Cult and the Deer-Goddess Cult of the Ancient Caledonians" Folklore 43.2 (June 1932), pp. 144-174). p. 152)

8. http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/scotland/folklore/the-glaistig.html

9. http://www.hollowhill.com/uk/scotland-greenlady1.htm

10. http://www.answers.com/topic/gruagach-2

11. http://www.answers.com/topic/glaistig

Oxford Dictionary of Celtic Mythology

12. http://www.monstropedia.org/index.php?title=Glaistig

13. http://www.peach.dreab.com/p-Glaistig

Copyright 2008 Sinistra

COMMENTS

12:33 May 01 2011
Times Read: 646

Walpurgisnacht and Beltane

Walpurgis Night or Walpurgisnacht which is the German spelling was the night before Beltane believed by many Christians to be the Witches’ Sabbath and would be celebrated on April 30th.

"Historically the Walpurgisnacht is derived from Pagan spring customs, where the arrival of spring was celebrated with bonfires at night. Viking fertility celebrations took place around April 30 and due to Walburga being declared a saint at that time of year, her name became associated with the celebrations. Walburga was honored in the same way that Vikings had celebrated spring and as they spread throughout Europe, the two dates became mixed together and created the Walpurgis Night celebration." (1)

Walpurgis is sometimes referred to as the “other Halloween”. It was considered a time of revelry prior to the introduction of Spring.

Sweden and Finland have very large Walpurgis celebrations following Christmas and Midsummer celebrations in popularity. In Sweden, these celebrations can vary from parts of the country and from each city as well. The bonfires are lit and songs of spring are sung. In older times the youth would gather woodland greens and decorate houses of the village to be paid in kind with eggs.

Finland also enjoys a night of frivolity by the drinking of wine and other spirits and general mayhem of the local university students. It is the biggest carnival-style festivity that takes place in the streets of Finland in many towns and cities. The next day is also “a day for everything fun and crazy: children and families gather to market places to celebrate often the first day of the spring and the coming summer. There are balloons and joy, people drink their first beers outside, there are clowns and masks and a lot of fun. The first of May includes colorful streamers, funny and silly things and sun. The first of May means the beginning of the spring for many people in Finland.”(3)

Beltane is the first day of May and what most commonly call May Day. Beltane is the old Celtic word for May Day, “which is derived from the Irish Gaelic Bealtaine or the Scottish Gaelic Bealtuinn, meaning “Bel-fire”, the fire of the Celtic God of Light (Bel, Beli, or Belinus). He, in turn, may be traced to the Middle Eastern God Baal.” (1)

Since much of the symbolism of the Beltane celebration deals with fertility and has an undercurrent of phallic symbolism, “the Puritans, in fact, reacted with pious horror to most of the May Day rites, even making Maypoles illegal in 1644. They especially attempted to suppress the “greenwood marriages” of young men and women who spent the entire night in the forest, staying out to greet the May sunrise, and bringing back boughs of flowers and garlands to decorate the village the next morning. One angry Puritan wrote that men “doe use commonly to runne into woodes in the night time, amongst maidens, to set bowes, in so muche, as I have hearde of tenne maidens whiche went to set May, and nine of them came home with childe.” And another Puritan complained that, “Of forty, threescore or a hundred maids going to the wood over night, there have scarcely the third part of them returned home again undefiled.”(1)

This restriction no longer stands but because of it many of the traditions were lost in the United States. Children, as I did when I was a child, make paper baskets they fill with flowers and leave on the doorsteps or doorknobs of friends and neighbors.

There has been concern that some followers of the Craft in the United States use the title “Lady Day” for May 1, but this has only been since the 1970s and is said to be incorrect traditionally. “Lady Day” has always been the day of the Vernal Equinox, March 21.

Pagans celebrate fertility and the sacred marriage of the God and Goddess. Bonfires were also significant as on Walpurgis Night previously. All fires would be extinguished the night before and relit on Beltane. There were nine types of wood used to restart the bonfires believed to have their own unique magical properties.

• Birch - The Goddess, or female energy

• Oak - The God, or male energy

• Hazel - Knowledge and wisdom

• Rowan (Mountain Ash) - Life

• Hawthorne - Purity and fairy magick

• Willow - Death, sacred to Hecate

• Fir - Birth and rebirth

• Apple - Love and family

• Vine - Joy and happiness (2)

The woods are mentioned in the Wiccan Rede some longer than others since there are various versions. One version of the Rede states as follows:

"Nine woods in the Cauldron go, burn them fast and burn them slow.

Birch wood in the fire goes to represent what the Lady knows.

Oak in the forest, towers with might in the fire it brings the God's insight.

Rowan is a tree of power causing life and magick to flower.

Willows at the waterside stand ready to help us to the Summerland.

Hawthorn is burned to purify and to draw faerie to your eye.

Hazel-the tree of wisdom and learning- adds its strength to the bright fire burning.

White are the flowers of Apple tree that brings us fruits of fertility.

Grapes grow upon the vine giving us both joy and wine.

Fir does mark the evergreen to represent immortality seen.

But - Elder is the Lady's tree burn it not or cursed you'll be." (2)

The Maypole as mentioned previously is the most significant symbol of the Beltane celebration. Even non-Pagans are well aware of the Maypoles. Originally the Maypole was decorated with long ribbons or streamers and with flowers. The children both male and female would dance around the Maypole by grabbing one of the ribbons. The boys would go clockwise and the girls would go counterclockwise to weave the ribbons together. Sometimes they would reverse their movement so as to create an interesting pattern in the weave.

The poles were usually made of birch. In some areas the poles were standing all year round and redecorated each Beltane. More commonly each Maypole was built fresh yearly.

The tradition of crowning a May Queen goes far back into antiquity and in some places is still enacted in modern version.

"The May Queen is also known as The Maiden, the goddess of spring, flower bride, queen of the faeries, and the lady of the flowers. The May Queen is a symbol of the stillness of nature around which everything revolves. She embodies purity, strength and the potential for growth, as the plants grow in May. She is one of many personifications of the energy of the earth." (4)

Generally in present time it is a teenage girl who has been selected from her class to walk in the front of a May Day parade. She is usually gowned in white symbolizing purity. A crown or tiara is placed upon her head decorated beautifully with flowers. Some areas also crown a King of May as well as the Queen.

"Many areas keep this tradition alive today, most notably the Brentham Garden Suburb (England) which hosts it annually. This has the record of the oldest unbroken tradition although the May Queen of All London Festival at Hayes Common in Bromley is a close contender. A May queen is selected from a group of 13 upwards girls by the young dancers. She returns the next year to crown the new May Queen and stays in the procession." (4)

Whether a grand celebration in your country its allure is still there in the hearts of those who would embrace the splendor of Spring. “For most, it is May 1 that is the great holiday of flowers, Maypoles, and greenwood frivolity. It is no wonder that, as recently as 1977, Ian Anderson could pen the following lyrics for the band Jethro Tull”: (1)

"For the May Day is the great day,

Sung along the old straight track.

And those who ancient lines did ley

Will heed this song that calls them back."

Sources:

1.http://paganwiccan.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=paganwiccan&cdn=religion&tm=30&gps=71_4_1002_592&f=21&tt=14&bt=0&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/7280/beltane.html

2. http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/beltane/a/ninewoods.htm

3. http://www.answers.com/topic/walpurgis-night

4. http://www.answers.com/topic/may-queen-1

(Somewhere I have a copyright date but its my article, lol.)

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