Beltane

[rhythmaning]

I went to the Edinburgh Beltane fire festival last week. Beltane is a pagan spring ritual, and the Beltane Fire Festival Society have been running an event celebrating Beltane for several years.

Although I had been aware of it, I hadn't been before. One reason I wanted to go was the photographic opportunities it seemed to present - particularly using my experience in working in low light conditions in a difficult setting.

It was a very interesting experience; but fundamentally flawed. It was on a large scale; it was way, way too crowded. The event is held on Calton Hill, and - being a hill - one was either looking up or down. And hence unable to see properly because of the people all around. This made it very difficult to follow what was going on. (There may have been a guide or a map or a description of what was happening, but I didn't see one.)

It was very friendly. The stewards - mostly dressed up or made up (in high vis jackets) - were very apologetic about moving people out of the way of burning flames - but it also seemed that wherever one was, one was in the wrong place. One steward said keep of the grass, another immediately said keep off the path.

Despite stewards saying keep of the grass, the atmosphere was thick with smoke, much of it dope. There was an energetic, youthful crowd who were having nearly as much fun as the performers. And they were having a ball.

Almost everyone in the audience was taking photographs, I've way or another. Most people were holding up their phones, which posed me and many others off (albeit hypocritically) since holding your hand high inevitably obscures someone else's view.

A lot of the photographers were using flash - an anathema to me, since in usually kills the available light - in this case, the fire at the heart of the celebration. It so I thought. Looking at the results on Flickr, I have to admit I'm wrong: the flames come through strongly, though perhaps their light does not.

My take on what was going on involves the May Queen, the Green Man, and chasing away winter. It is clearly a fertility rite, at least going by the semi-nudity on show - though clearly this was voluntary. (Looking back over previous years' pictures on Flickr, there seems to have been less nudity than other occasions. Perhaps I was just in the wrong place.)

I can't really comment on how true to the Celtic out pagan spirit it was - and I'm not sure if anyone would know. The drummers seemed to be quite happy to include Latin and African dance grooves, and Scottish rhythms seemed somewhat absent.

It was long - it started at 9.30 and had kind of finished by midnight - I think the performers were going on into the night. I couldn't help thinking they must have been cold. They'd need the fire's flames to keep warm.

Comments

[nicnac.livejournal.com]

Gorgeous photos, as always. Someone else on my flist is a performer, so interesting to hear about it from both sides.

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

What was your friend saying?

[deililly.livejournal.com]

Nice stuff. One thing I have learned with beltane is to realise you can't see it all and photograph so pick the spots you want in advance. I normally go for firearch, stage if I can get through the crowds and bower. It was a lot easier in the days of less people!