Might this ancient practice have been the origin of the nursery rhyme about the cow jumping over the moon? It is ironic but true that many so-called "children s" nursery rhymes were based on some very "Grimm" realities. The following is a poem translated out of the Gaelic by the Dal Riadh Celtic Trust and said to be written by Finn himself:

May, clad in cloth of gold,
Cometh this way;
The fluting of the blackbirds
Heralds the day.
The dust coloured cuckoo
Cries welcome O Queen!
For winter has vanished,
The thickets are green.
Soon the trampling of cattle
where river runs low!
The long hair of the heather,
The canna like snow.
Wild waters are sleeping,
Foam of blossom is here;
Peace, save the panic
In the heart of the deer.
The wild bee is busy,
The ant honey spills,
The wandering kine
Are abroad on the hills.
The harp of the forest
Sounds low, sounds sweet;
Soft bloom on the heights;
On the loch, haze of heat.
The waterfall dreams;
Snipe, corncakes, drum
By the pool where the talk
Of the rushes is come.
The swallow is swooping;
Song swings from each brae;
Rich harvest of mast falls;
The swamp shimmers gay.
Happy the heart of man,
Eager each maid;
Lovely the forest,
The wild plane, the green glade.
Truly winter is gone,
Come the time of delight,
The summer truce joyous,
May, blossom-white.
In the heart of the meadows
The lapwings are quiet;
A winding stream
Makes drowsy riot.
Race horses, sail, run,
Rejoice and be bold!
See, the shaft of the sun
Makes the water-flag gold.
Loud, clear, the blackcap;
The lark trills his voice
Hail May of delicate colours
tis May-Day - rejoice!

Amonst the folk lore of this holiday is that which survives to this day, young women will wash their face in the dew of Beltaine morning to preserve their youth. May dew was indeed considered to be holy water. This day was one which saw visits to the holy well. A visitor would walk three times around the well, then they would throw in a silver coin, after which while thinking of their wish they would drink from the well using their hands. When those things were done, they would then tie a bit of colored cloth or a piece of clothing to a branch of a nearby tree. The above had to be done in complete silence as well as when the sun wasn t in sight. The final part of the procedure had the visiting person well out of sight of the well before sunrise. In many places, a May Queen was elected. She was crowned by an elder lady of notoriety, after the new queen and her court had arrived at a predetermined place. Some believe that in the older times, it was the May Queen who lead the hymns to the rising sun, as all the people congregated on the appropriate hill at Beltaine. She is also believe to have led some of the marches in the older times.

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Alban Heruin or Summer Solstice 21 June

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Lughnasadh or Festival of Light 1 August

August 1 brought the feast of Lugh, the sun god; the feast was called Lughnasadh. The Celtic religion, like that of ancient Egypt, was basically solar-oriented; hence, this festival was an important one. It was primarily an agrarian occasion, mainly concerned with harvest time; it was a relatively happy period in the lives of the Celts, when the most benevolent aspects of the gods were in evidence. We can trace Lugh back to the Pretanic Celts. Here He is the son of Arianrhod and Gwydion. While Arianrhod gave birth to him, Lugh was taken away by his father, who was also his uncle, and raised by him. However, by the old traditions there are certain things that can only be given by the mother. One of these is the name and Arianrhod refused to do so when Gwydion brought him to her. She said, "Why do you prolong my shame? He shall have no name until I give it to him." The next day Lugh was practicing when Arianrhod remarked, "The fair one has a skillful hand." Which is the meaning of his name, skillful hand , amongst the Pretani. She was absolutely livid at having been tricked so she swore that he would have no weapons lest they came from her hand, as this is the next thing to come from the mother. Gwydion proceeded to determine how to circumvent this problem and after having done so presented Lugh as a champion in need of weapons.