School: Scoil na mBráthar, Calainn

Location:
Callan, Co. Kilkenny
Teacher:
Br. P. Ó Gairbheith
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0853, Page 097

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0853, Page 097

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  1. XML School: Scoil na mBráthar, Calainn
  2. XML Page 097
  3. XML “Ancient May Day Customs”

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  1. The fairies exercise a powerful influence for evil at May time, so to prevent them from doing damage it is a custom on May morning at sunrise to bleed the cattle and taste of the blood mingled with milk. Men and women were also bled and their blood was sprinkled on the ground. This practise however died out.
    May day in Pagan Ireland was the grreat festival of Baal or the sun. Then the fires were lighted on the Druids altars and the great sacrafice of the year offered.
    The May Bush
    The origan of the May bush or burning tree was thus described by an intelligent peasant, who had if from his father, an old man about eighty years of age. The lighted May bushes
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)
        1. May (~639)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Eamon Cass
    Gender
    Male