[Namron] Dumb question about Beltane/Beltain

[Keziah Davis]

Yes - He wrote the following: "Beltane is how I've always known it, and that is how it is spelled on the Namron website and the Kingdom Calendar.  I just realized that in the event announcement it is spelled in the old Irish form of Beltain.  Although both are correct spellings, I would say to just stick with the Beltane spelling so the websites match."



 Kathleen

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Matthias the Brewer 
  To: baron at namron.ansteorra.org ; 'Barony of Namron Mailing List' 
  Sent: Sunday, April 22, 2007 6:31 PM
  Subject: Re: [Namron] Dumb question about Beltane/Beltain


  Did anyone figure out what the Baron's answer was?

   


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  From: namron-bounces at ansteorra.org [mailto:namron-bounces at ansteorra.org] On Behalf Of Donnchadh Beag mac Griogair
  Sent: Sunday, April 22, 2007 4:26 PM
  To: Barony of Namron Mailing List
  Subject: Re: [Namron] Dumb question about Beltane/Beltain

   

  Isobel de Kirkbryde wrote: 

  Does anyone know which is the correct spelling?  Yes, I know in medieval times that spelling accuracy was optional.  However, I am wanting to put a link on the Skorragardr website to the Beltane/Beltain games website and want to know which spelling to use. 

  Thanks, 




  Lady Isobel de Kirkbryde
  Guild Head of the Guild of St. Camillus de Lellis, Kingdom of Ansteorra
  V-Scribe Canton of Skorragardr
  Member of Clann Lochlan
  Member of Clann Haddock
  Member of House MOO

  Beltane is how I've always known it, and that is how it is spelled on the Namron website and the Kingdom Calendar.  I just realized that in the event announcement it is spelled in the old Irish form of Beltain.  Although both are correct spellings, I would say to just stick with the Beltane spelling so the websites match.

  For you language junkies, here's the etymology of the word:

  Etymology
  Beltane has a complex etymology and a resultant variety of different spellings.

  The word Beltane derives directly from the Old Irish Beltain, which later evolved into the Modern Irish Bealtaine. In Scottish Gaelic it is spelled Bealltainn.[9] Both are from Old Irish Beltene ('bright fire') from belo-te(p)niâ. Beltane was formerly spelled 'Bealtuinn' in Scottish Gaelic; in Manx it is spelt 'Boaltinn' or 'Boaldyn'.

  In Modern Irish, Oíche Bealtaine is May Eve, and Lá Bealtaine is May Day. Mí na Bealtaine, or simply Bealtaine is the name of the month of May.

  In the word belo-te(p)niâ) the element belo- is cognate with the English word bale (as in 'bale-fire'), the Anglo-Saxon bael, and also the Lithuanian baltas, meaning 'white' or 'shining' and from which the Baltic Sea takes its name.

  In Gaelic the terminal vowel -o (from Belo) was dropped, as shown by numerous other transformations from early or Proto-Celtic to Early Irish, thus the Gaulish deity names Belenos ('bright one') and Belisama.

  From the same Proto-Celtic roots we get a wide range of other words: the verb beothaich, from Early Celtic belo-thaich ('to kindle, light, revive, or re-animate'); baos, from baelos ('shining'); beòlach ('ashes with hot embers') from beò/belo + luathach, ('shiny-ashes' or 'live-ashes'). Similarly boil/boile ('fiery madness'), through Irish buile and Early Irish baile/boillsg ('gleam'), and bolg-s-cio-, related to Latin fulgeo ('shine'), and English 'effulgent'.


  Hmm, maybe we should go with the old Scottish Gaelic spelling of Bealtuinn and really mess with people... Nah, just kidding.

  Baron Donnchadh



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