Beltane Night

A short story presented in parts
By Linda MacDonald-Lewis

This Beltane Night...

She had stayed at the Beltane Fire too long.
But, .... she didn't care. She had a great time, and everyone she'd known for years was there.
Everyone accept her parents, of course; and a few others in the local villages that were just like them.
'They'... all just stayed at home, stuck in their old Calvinistic view and the restrictive world of 'their chosen religion'. They'd have nothing to do with the 'Old Ways' of Pre-Christian beliefs of the Celtic Realm, ... like Faeries, Magic, the Old Gods, nature's omens or other "superstitious things".

Their views never did have much affect on her and how she chose to see the world; but when it came to her Mum's mum ..'Nan', it was a different story. Her Nan had always seemed to have a depth of understanding the world, that her parents and their religion lacked. There was a mysterious magical current running through the way her Nan looked at things, that spoke to her as a young child, and still intrigued her now as a young woman.

Chance would have it, that her parents were open minded enough to not put their own opinions and views of this, on to her. The young woman attributed this to her Nan's influence on the family, and how much respect her mother, had for her own 'Mum'. It was Nan herself, that had chosen her name,before she had come into the world .... 'Lindella', (a modernized version of the name for the Ancient Celtic 'Serpent of Wisdom' ). She was Nan's first and only granddaughter, from her own daughter and as she often said, "she had an ancient right, to do so".

Nan was very wise indeed, respected by all that knew her and by those that had only heard of her.

"Besides," .... Lindella thought, ...she was 22 years old, and "could make her own decisions about life; and live with the ramifications that would come from those choices, ... whether good or bad." Or so she had been told, .... for all these many years by both her parents, .... and her Nan. ....."

Every year, since she could remember, the locals would gather on the eve before that day of May 1st, ...hours before dusk, and head up the hillside to set a blaze, the Beltane Night's giant bonfires. Each of the villagers carried huge baskets of food and drinks, filled to the brim, blankets of tartan pattern (usually from the clan of that particular family), and musical instruments of every sort known to the Highlands. The crofters that had livestock, brought them along as well, to be driven between the bonfires in an 'act of purification', - to drive out any evil or disease that had set into them, from the (now dwindling), winter's dark and wild ways.
Heading for the high ground the locals would make this seasonal migration, leaving the lower landscapes behind, so the Faeryfolk could have the freedom of movement, without any interference from the human beings, that would stay in the hills until dawn. It was common knowledge that the Faery Host would move across the land that night each year. And any one that cared for their own life would not dare to come in contact with them.

This year Lindella had been home from University, and decided to head up with the rest of them, for the first time. She was very happy she'd made the choice to go. Her only mistake was, to ease her mother's worry about it by, blurting out...." I'll just go for awhile ....okay? And I give you my word that I'll be home before dusk.....alright mummy?" The fatal part was saying she'd "give her word", or she would have stayed on til dawn, once she got there.


(To be continued soon...)