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 ire is one of the central elements of Celtic iconography. This is not surprising since it figures prominently in the mythology of most cultures. The two most apparent qualities of fire are that of bringing light and warmth. These two qualities make for an easy association with the Sun. Fire can be seen as a bit of the sun, captured and contained. For early gathering and hunting tribes, fire and the sun may have had more to do with protection, warmth tribal migrations and/or the return of certain animals. As we made the transition from foraging and hunting to planting crops and tending animals, the sun would also have been associated with the cyclical season of birth, growth and ebb. As we became more dependant on crop foods, mimicking the warmth and light of the sun through the building of bon-fires could have been one way for the people to assist the seasonal cycles in progressing in a desirable manner. Eventually these rituals would become regular events as charting the course of the sun became a central aspect of seasonal agricultural traditions. In Ireland, legend informs us that it was Míde, a Nemedian, who lit the first ceremonial fire on the mount of Uisnech. This fire is said to have burned for 6 or 7 years and have been used to light all the ceremonial fires of Ireland. The Nemedians came to Ireland around 3000BCE, and are considered the last non-Celtic people to inhabit the island. From archeological findings we know that around this time an agriculturally advanced people came to the island, bringing to Ireland the first plow as well as stock animals including the horse. Whether or not the legend of Míde bears a seed of truth within it, the tradition of building bon-fires at agriculturally oriented festivals, to ensure the fertility and growth of stock and crops as well as to protect them from disease, became a practice which was still common in the last century. An interesting thing about bon-fires is the Gaelic word-teinne cnaic, it translates exactly as bone fire. While it's easy to jump to the conclusion that this is evidence of animal or human sacrifice, I would venture that it has more to do with funeral practices than of slaying the living to propitiate the Gods. Two "pre-historic" funeral practices are evident from the archeological record, one of cremation and the other of inhumation. In some cases the bones were cleaned of flesh before being buried. An easy way of doing this would be through the use of a controlled fire. Inasmuch as fire was central to ritual, equally significant was the way in which the fire was lit. The method is revealed within the term "need-fire." The word does not come from the "need" for a fire but rather from the Old English niedfyr, from the same root as the German nieten which means to churn, hence churned fire or fire created by friction. Since ceremonial fires began to be kindled in an age when friction was the only way to light a fire, there is a certain logic in the naming. This mundane reality became tradition. Even in modern times where the tradition survives, it has remained mandatory that the sacred fire be lit by friction of wood on wood. The term balefire is sometimes substituted for need-fire. There are two forms of the word "bale" in English, one meaning a compactly compressed package. The other form is found in the word baleful meaning that which causes sorrow or mischief. My feeling is that there may be a connection to of the word balefire. The word "bale" is from the Old English bealu meaning evil. Now I don't know very much about Old English, but I do have idea of how mindsets work. There is an ancient, very ancient in this case, Irish figure known as Bíle. He is considered by some to have been an Underworld divinity, God of Death, possible mate to Danu the primordial Goddess of the Tuatha de Danann and possibly the pre-Irish inhabitants of Ireland. The festival of Bealtinne, or Beltaine may have been sacred to him, a time of year when bon-fires were very much the central focus of the festivities. Bíle may be related to the British God Beli, a god of death. An idea which also found root in the Fomorian figure of Balor. A glance from Balor's poisoned eye brought immediate death. Bíle also refers to a large tree, branch or tree trunk, with sacred or historical associations. This may be embodied in the tree which often forms one aspect of the triplicity found at several sacred sites in Ireland, that of well, stone and tree. It was under the branches of these trees that many a King and Chieftain was inaugurated. So, with the word Bíle we have the association of: a most sacred heathen festival, a time traditionally when the veils between the worlds were thought to be especially thin allowing possible communication with the dead, a time when fertility rites involving human copulation may have been enacted, an association with sacred trees and Irish Kingship rites, and with a God of death. As Europe became Christianized and Britain presumed to rule Ireland, all of these associations would have become very "baleful" indeed!! On the other hand, in the Scots Dialect Dictionary compiled by Alexander Warrack, the word "bale" means blaze, and bale-fire means bon-fire. Is this a negative association with pre-Christian beliefs and practices or are those using the term "bale-fire" just speaking Scottish? Hard to say without doing more extensive research into the language. I accept the fact that my theoretical ramblings could be all wet. Trying to figure out why we call things by the names they have can be very illuminating, though not always in the way we want the light to shine… In the mean time, I'll stick to the more innocuous "need-fire." |
