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Storytelling at Beltane
Storytellers have walked among us for millennia. Around the world, storytellers entertain and teach us through folk tales old and new. Reciting myths and legends was a favorite amusement of ancient Celtic-speaking nations. In pre-Christian traditions, there were even ranks for different storytellers: poets, professors, bards, and historians. Their duty was to learn by heart the folk tales, poems, and histories of their people.
A “folk-tale” is an umbrella term for a story passed down orally from one generation to the next. The most common types of folk tales are myths and legends. These are stories used to explain natural phenomena, teach a lesson, or describe a recent historical event. Some myths and legends have spread throughout the world and been assimilated into many cultures, while others are extremely local to one group of people or a place. Some of them contain accounts of real people and events, while others are about eerie supernatural occurrences. The setting of storytelling took many forms: a storyteller may have an audience of a few people crowded around a hearth or a court of royal princes and kings. Sometimes, they would take the shape of a performance accompanied by instruments. Even today, huddled around a fire is a popular context for storytelling as it was in Celtic traditions.
Why Tell Stories at Beltane?
Beltane is the third fire festival of the Celtic year and the fifth Sabbat on the Wheel of the Year. As bonfires are a large part of traditional celebrations, it was common for storytellers to use this setting to recite poems and myths relating to the season. At this time of year, we focus on the myth of the May Queen and the Green Man, the God Bel and the Great Mother, or more broadly, the Goddess and the God. Their story has taken many shapes and forms, but generally, it is about the union between the two and the subsequent fertility of the Earth, bringing on the growing season. Stories relating to the Fae or other spirits are popular at this time due to the veil being thin.
Retelling myths and legends helps keep the history of the festival alive; they can teach us about the world around us and ourselves, and, of course, they keep us entertained and raise our spirits. The most magical part of these ancient stories is that they remain relevant to us today. Their roots in oral tradition mean they can be molded by the storyteller to craft a moral we can use in the present day.
How can you incorporate this storytelling tradition into your Beltane celebrations? If you are celebrating with a coven, you can recite your favorite poems and tales that reflect the season we are in. If you are celebrating alone, you can write your own poems and stories or simply journal about what is happening in your life.
As always, we have plenty of handcrafted tools and ingredients made in-house, specifically for this season. This year, we are launching our hummingbird bath soak, cauldron candle, and tea blend to help attract a deep sense of love and expansion, allowing you to seize the moment and be led to your soul’s highest purpose. You can use these handmade rituals to help prepare for your Beltane celebrations and sink into that fiery energy of the season. You can find the new hummingbird collection online or in our Asheville brick-and-mortar. Blessed Beltane!
