The Baalstone and the Beltaine Fires

The Beltaine Fires are thought to have been named after the God Bel or Baal, the Bale Fires would at one time in the past have been burned at the changing of the four seasons to commemorate the sun passing through the heavens. The God Baal or Bel was later changed to Beelzebub by the Christians, and the priests of Baal in the bible carried out human sacrifices by throwing their victims into a fire.

A view of the Baalstone which is located in my friends garden. Photo by Gary Tacagni.

Baals origins are in the Middle East, possibly Palestine, and he was the Bull God who wore horns and was the husband of Astarte who became Diana. The Bullstone close to Cluelow Cross not far from Macclesfield has the same derivation of  name, and is connected by the fire worship of Baal to keep the seasons in their right order, and is also associated with Baal the Bull.

Another view of the Baalstone. Photo by Gary Tacagni.

The four seasons when the Beltaine fires were, and are still burnt, were the festival of Druids, and May the first, a traditional fertility celebration when the phallus Maypole is danced around is known as Beltaine.

In 1769, a Thomas Pennant, a traveller through Celtic Scotland said that on the first of May the herdsmen of every village held their Bel-tien, a rural sacrifice. They cut a hole in the turf and made a fire and cooked oatmeal, each person would break off one ninth and throw it on the fire, “for the preservation of my horse”, then another piece for the preservation of another animal and so on.

The face that can be seen in the Baalstone. Photo by Gary Tacagni.

Another writer described an eighteenth century ritual in which eggs and milk were boiled to make a custard which is then eaten with special cakes, presumably consecrated and cooked on the Beltaine Fires. This cake had knobs on it and pieces would be broken off, and it is supposed that this tradition stems from the manner that the victim would be chosen to be sacrificed on the fire, whosoever broke off the chosen piece would be selected for the sacrifice.

There is a field to the north of Tittesworth below the Roaches that is known as Custard field, there was a tradition in the past of rolling cakes down the hills here at Beltaine, and it is believed that this originated from an act where wheels of fire were rolled down hills. It is often said that the Kerridge hills where White Nancy know stands was such a hill where Beltaine fires were once lit.

A view of the Baalstone from another angle. Photo by Gary Tacagni.

Charcoal has been found under the Baalstone which is thought to be evidence of the Beltaine fires which were burnt here, stock owners would drive their animals between the fires in some sort of purification ritual. Photo by Gary Tacagni.