We Went to Scotland's Wildest Pagan Festival
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 พ.ค. 2024
- Each year, Edinburgh holds the Beltane Fire Festival, a celebration marking the beginning of summer. Rooted in ancient Gaelic traditions, it began as a way to reconnect with ancient traditions and celebrate the cycles of nature. The event has now blossomed into a vibrant event, drawing over 8,000 attendees each year.
At the heart of the festival are the May Queen and the Green Man. The May Queen represents the earth's renewal, while the Green Man symbolizes growth and fertility. We also spoke with Angus Farquhar, the visionary founder of the modern Beltane Fire Festival. Experience the enchantment, the tradition, and the energy that marks the beginning of summer in Edinburgh. 🏴
#Edinburgh #Festival #Travel
00:00 Intro
00:19 The origins of Beltane
01:37 The festivals revival
02:39 Meet the Blues
03:42 The May Queen and Green Man
04:59 Beltane begins
06:26 The walk around Calton Hill
07:24 Event finale
08:11 Conclusion
Lead Producer/Editor - Steven Kelly
Exec Producer - Genevieve Ingham
Producer/Camera - Stuart Smillie
Camera - James Rayner
Graphics - Will Minns
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Tell us about the craziest festival you've been to 🫣
Lost Lands! you guys should definitely do a video on that one!!
@@CJ_222hi
La vela Muxe in Juchitán, Oaxaca, México! The celebration of the 3rd gender!
Rambu Solo', Torajan people funeral festival ❤❤❤
Wow, all of these sound so interesting! 😯
Ngl i see this out of my flat and was completely clueless what on earth was happening - now i know! Great vid, really intriguing!
😂
You unknowingly got a front row seat to the festival 😅 Love it!
It breaks my heart when people comment and think that this is somehow evil worship. And, just like what mostly squashed the old cultures, traditions, etc. of the Celtic people (let alone the rest of Europe) people today still look at it as cringe, evil worship, or satansim. Let people be and let cultures be reborn! EVERYONE on this planet deserves to find the things that were taken from them and/or do with THEIR cultures as they see fit.
Edit: I say this as a Christian myself who, in fact, doesn’t practice any “traditional” ways of Christians either. The church is my forest and God everywhere. Let the natural ways of Earth prevail!
All three of the Middle Eastern monotheisms emphasize human repression and alienation from the natural world. It's no surprise that they would be frightened by an event that does exactly the opposite.
What makes you a Christian? What’s your belief?
@@OvertheseathroughthehillI apologize if this is long or hard to understand (as some of this is hard to explain) so, I’ll try to keep it short. I believe in Christ Jesus as my savior, and only through Him can we get to Heaven. Yet, I also am heavily aware of how different cultures are (and see NO WRONG) in this and in my own heart I feel a VERY strong calling to the old ways of my ancestry in every way except deity worship. While I would never worship the old gods like they do at Beltane, I do not see dancing, signing, etc. as they are doing here as devil worship or anything else than what they said because they literally said what they’re doing. To Christianity is it sinful because it’s not worshiping God? Yeah, but personally I am just happy other parts of the old ways are coming back. For I believe God is in all creation and many other things. While I would never worship creation, I recognize God in it all, and just how alive everything is in our world… how we are literally made from this world, sentience in animals, etc.. I believe it’s perfectly fine to honor, respect, etc. our world and its inhabitants, become one with them, etc.. Again, I apologize if this is hard to read and/or long… some things I’m still figuring out in what I’m aloud to do (God telling me) and how to explain his to people.
Edit: Word clarity
People think kids dressing up for Halloween and asking for candy is devil worship in America, don’t take those people seriously they are simply dumb😂
@@Sora-ud6dp I appreciate the love that I read and feel in your explanations. Do you believe that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are one and that God came to Earth as Jesus, was crucified for our sins, died, was buried, rose from the dead and walked among us, then ascended into heaven and is now seated at the right hand of the Father?
Do you believe in the Holy Spirit? Have you asked to be filled with the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit will lead you to find all truths. All you have to do is ask for the Holy Spirit and trust God that you will receive Him and allow Him to guide you as you submit everything about yourself to Him to be first loved then examined and changed. For some people they are able to recognize that the Holy Spirit has come into them right away. For others it has happened they are not able to recognize it right away. It's ok to just accept that you are given the Holy Spirit when you ask and then seek Him within yourself thru prayer. I ask for Him to reveal Himself to me in a way that I can understand... Also confessing your sins and repenting causes you to be able to feel His presence more. For me I do this in my own personal prayers. I'm not Catholic. You don't have to confess to a priest to be able to do this. I confess every sin I can remember then I ask God to show me whatever I'm missing and then confess those and repent and then cover the rest by asking for forgiveness for anything I cannot remember or I may have missed. The Holy Spirits presence within you will be stronger after this.
Also I try to read my Bible every day. I pray everyday as well. I enjoy reading my Bible. It's exciting to me and there's a lot I don't understand. I don't worry about it. I just trust that God will lead me and guide me thru the Holy Spirit.
I have lived a very crazy life full of sin. I used to be a stripper and an IV drug user. If I can feel the Holy Spirit then I'm sure that most people can feel Him with a little work on their part too be able to recognize Him.
This is going on my bucket list!! As a Wiccan, this would be an amazing spiritual experience! Just hearing the snippets of drums and hearing people talk about it and seeing the procession fills me up with pride. I hope I am able to save up to attend this event while it continues! It always seems to be that I get to be old enough to do something or finally have the money to do something only to find out it got shut down a couple years before. Please keep this alive!
I would love to attend this magical and wonderful festival . It looks like a wonderful experience to have ,even if only once.
It'd be amazing to see this face to face!😍
Hopefully you will one day 💫🤞
Great to see people returning to their indigenous spirituality. Better for the planet than religions that get people to put all their hopes on getting happiness, justice, and community in an afterlife rather than this life and protecting this biosphere as a wonderous gift.
"indigenous?" please. this is an amalgam of thousands of heathen practices from no particular region or origin. modern paganism is just a rejection of the tropes of more popular religions while using entirely anachronistic combinations of music, instrumentation, practices and costumes, as well as an incredible addition of new age iconography. half the interviewees are americans who have no indigenous practices.
I'm not saying the festival is a bad thing, I'm actually quite in favour of it. but I wouldn't claim it is any accurate representation of anything from any specific region or origin.
Haha this is not pagan, this is just halloween
This is not crazy at all but this feels the most natural festival that I have ever seen. I cannot wait to go next Beltane!
Would love to attend this Beltaine festival one day! I've always celebrated alone, but it would be so magical to celebrate with others. I'll be moving to Scotland next year if all goes well, so it will be much easier to attend. Hope everyone had a lovely Beltaine this year! ❤️
Hope your move to Scotland goes well and that you get to experience the festival while you're there 🫶
Thumbs up to keep tradition alive
What tradition, that's just a modern reconstruction.
@@kzm-cb5mrthe big stack of wood being lit on fire in one of the pics is def tradition though, usually done around easter
That man lit a cultural spark that’s become a big beautiful yearly hearth for people to celebrate the coming spirit of the seasons, such deep historical roots connected to a movement all its own, people all around coming together must be so exhilarating! Would love to join some day 🏛️🔥
I remember that hill from when I lived in Edinburgh as a child!
We're loving the nostalgia in the comments 🥹🫶
I love this, such a great festival!
Would love to attend this festival someday. Really, I'd love to travel across Europe and have adventures there and meet people.
I remember sitting in the center with my family when suddenly a congregation of red people with black robes were going about, they were looking at everyone with an eerie, and almost angry,look in their faces. It was an… interesting experience
Great coverage of an amazing night.So proud to be a part of it xxx💖💜💖
🫶🫶
I love this video! So well done. This is why I’m so glad great big story is back.
Kinda funny that the most prominent people in this Scottish festival (May Queen and Green Man) are both Americans. I say that as an American.
Well, Beltane Fire Society welcomes everyone regardless of nationality, and we select the deity roles according to who fits best out of the applicants and who has the best concept for their performance. The May Queen holds the role for several years, so Alix will remain in the role for a while yet, but the Green Man is selected each year. Previous Green Men include people from Scotland, other parts of the UK, France, and yes the USA
fantastic video! Id love to attend this at least once in my life, the story of the may queen is so fascinating.
just go to church.
Well if you couldn't make make it this year then next year there will be another Beltane Fire Festival, same place on the same Hill. Just make sure to book a ticket and place to stay well in advance😊
lol. church is for prudes and fashies, no thanks.
What a beautiful religion. I'd give anything to be there.
Oh that looks so liberating! I would go to Scotland just for Beltaine!
I think I'll visit family there and check out the festival as well. Looks like a good time.
I really want to go. It just jumped to the top of my vacation list!
Glad you bring back summer, Pagan goddess
There is no god named Pagan goddess.
This looks and sounds amazing! I've been to Edinburgh before for the Fringe Festival and I had a blast, but this has a wholesome spiritual quality to it that's my jam. I need to see if I can visit for next year!
This looks like such a fun time 😁
I would love to go to this! Looks like a ton of fun! ☺️🥰
This would be interesting to see
I was at the first Beltane fire festival, it was unique x
What was your favorite part of the festival? 👀☺
Being a part of something bigger than itself🩵
Gives Mid Sommer vibes 😎❤️
That's right 😎
keep calm and stick it up to Thatcher
I;m definitely going there! I've always wanted to go to a May Day Wicker Man-style festival! I want to dress up as a hare!
I'm so happy to see your content again! I was wondering what happened to you guys.
Thank you for watching and check out our 'New Releases' playlist for our recent video uploads ☺ th-cam.com/play/PLMFGVXWuJ1C7Bcu6apMqmP3B0yL0BeJRe.html
Added a new and amazing festival to my bucket list. Thankyou for sharing this video.
Loveee that!
that is so freaking beautiful, I wish I could attend one day
Do Sammhuin next! Best experience of my life
Oh i am SO doing this next year!
Yesss and let us know how your Beltane festival experience goes ☺️
together , celebrate, good spirits, comunities, wishing well, conection to nature, going into summer together ... we need to use tose words more often
I need to find more channels like these!
We're one of a kind 🤭🥰
The Beltane fire festival is a beautiful way of respecting history, Paganism is ancient, the original religion of Europe
"pagan (or paganus)" is the Roman Latin term for "country district" and specifically was used to refer to the people who still worshipped the old roman gods in the countryside once Christianity became the predominant religion of the empire. the term has nearly nothing to do with the ancient (and nearly impossible to claim as original, as someone always was there earlier) religions of Europe, beyond the occasional addition of local gods to the Roman pantheon
A place to let loose and go a bit crazy for the better
Happy Birthday by Altered Images would've been perfect for this!!!
As a devout pagan, I appreciate that our way of life is finally being shared in a positive light, but there’s a few details that they got completely wrong 😵💫
1. This celebration is not just “old”, but ANCIENT. Predates Christianity by THOUSANDS of years.
2. The May Queen is actually “The Maiden”; one of three faces/phases of Goddess, and Beltane was celebrated because it is her wedding day to the Stag God of the green.
3. Beltane is a sacred time for us witches/pagans/wiccans, as a lot of us hold our own weddings on this day. It is also one of two times of year when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is thinnest, the other time being Samhain, AKA “Halloween”.
Hope this straightens things up! GBWY ✨🌱
What a dream to attend 😩
Crash Worship was a musical group from America that had a live experience that had this same level of mystical, sometimes scary, energy. This looks like a party.
I live in the US and would love to attend. There’s a pagan group in San Diego, California that I have joined in their celebrations.
Its always fascinating to see happenings like this. Very intreging i like to look a bit mor into this stuff because it feels so authentic and connected to us but never happening XD
There was lot's of content that couldn't make it into the TH-cam video. Might have to start releasing uncensored versions on the Patron 😅🤣
give the people what they want
OnlyStories
But then you would provide fuel for the negative viewers who imagine that there is a bad group of people doing bad stuff. Fae better to encourage visitors who will find out the truth.
🤣😂
So, a real matriarchal, pagan festival! Great!
Once a year, the white deer becomes the green man.
As an American (from the Pacific Northwest), I’m simply envious.
Of course you are, west coast people are lost souls.
Paganism: Each love is a soul and infinite multiverses.🌀🌌
Why did I read the title as, "we WANT Scotlands pagan festival" lol
Crowds + fire/soot/ash + loud sounds = a horrible time for someone like me lol. It looks cool, and the thought/story of it is neat...but woof i don't think i'd ever go to something like that. Burning man also seems like a nightmare.
Well Burning Man…that’s a desert country festival. Great for Mad Max maybe….
You might be thinking of the Rainbow Gathering.
YASSSAAAAAAAA
Great Big Story is back!?!?
Yesss, we are ☺️ Check out our 'New Releases' playlist to catch up on our latest videos 🚀
I was under the impression that historically Beltane was more specifically about fertility.
historical accuracy is one of the last thing these people care about. it's just a guise applied to having fun and new age hedonism
Government didn't like it when it was a proposal to enact the beacons of old, ie the hills of Calton Hill, Arthurs Seat, and the trinity one "Traprain Law" , thesewould all have Beltane fires at the same time hence bringing the energies of the land up !!
lol Scottish summer but still wearing thick jackets😂 in Texas we are practically swimming the moment we open the door
It was actually pretty warm! Stayed up there till past midnight and it felt fine. I'm Scottish though so I might be used to it lol.
Imagine having to take off the body paint after such a night of festivities 😅
Depends what you use. I have that fluorescent paint and that rinses off with water. You barely even need any soap or scrubbing.
On the other hand, the gold and silver body paint require some work.
My partner back in the mid 90s went full blue mode one year, we were finding bits of blue rubbing off on things for weeks !!
It's called a shower.
@@VitaKet Some products take a good scrubbing to get off, and I can imagine the annoyance of trying to do so when you're ready to zzz
Europe NEEDS more pagan festivals like this! Make Europe PAGAN again!
Which pagan religion? Germanic Woden and friends or Celtic fairies? Or are we going even older with the Bell beakers?
you sure this isn't from a witcher 3 quest?
This is the first time I'm not late in comment
GBS Nice
🔥🏴🔥
We always look out for your comment 😄
Thank you 😊
Where's bobby fingers?
The github beanie goes hard
Im a mechanical engineers i dont know shit about code but i know the importance of github to coders
This looks chaotic out there, but it's absolutely incredibly beautiful when diving into the different cultures and seeing what they're like. Happy (belated), Beltane, and early Litha, everyone!🎉
I expected Scottish accents coming from these people😅
They’re there. They were just sprinkled in there with every one-in-twenty words.
But maybe it’s just me trying to learn Scottish Gaelic atm.
Ooh finally some sensible “gods” I can try* to believe in
Caveman 😂
Pagan❤
It's so nice to me that part of being a pagan is your Doctrine isn't to say that other gods are lesser than, but to embrace all forms of divinity, but it's so crazy that judeo-christianity and Muslim faith is built upon destroying all other states and denying that we can all have different faiths as long as the general idea is the same. No one's Heaven or Hell or whatever is better or worse than anyone else's
2nd
The Royals took the original spot cause THEY be doing those holidays but with Sex parties 😂 They wanted that energy hotspot
80s indeed brought hell
People saying that if jesus was alive today he would say this was bad
But in reality jesus would be partying just as hard
I’m confident Jesus would not dance around a fire naked as a literal heathen worshiping pagan gods.
@@Sam_T2000 It's funny because 'heathen' and 'pagan' are both relative terms. All they mean is you're afraid of otherness.
@@Sam_T2000 my jesus would be cool
So he would
@@rjmacready3988 - not afraid, I just don’t think it’s good to do. Jesus said “I am the way and the truth and the life. no one comes to the Father except through me.”
@@cubirk - there is no such thing as “my Jesus” or “your Jesus…” there is only Jesus. read your Bible to learn all about him 👍
0:29 ini cewek habis nyimeng gak sih? 😅
White Deer = Green Men😅😅
Scotts
first
Ratio
A bit ridiculous, but to each their own. Comes across as one big larp to me.
To each their own. The festival draws from many historical and mythical stories. A lot of hard work goes into the production by the voluntary groups. LARP it is not.
Wait until you find out what the Catholic church or those Hasids do.
Everything is one big larp.
Going to a sports game, having a dinner party, going to church…
It’s all about conforming to a specific set of practices for your own sense of purpose and enjoyment.
I have an old girlfriend now that she is forty years old living with 13 cats she goes to such festivals because she thinks she is a witch
Sounds like she's much better off without you.
Indeed everything worked out for the best
@@RickR69 Anyone with 13 cats is not mentally well.
Humans can never let go of religious or supernatural beliefs.
bruh really....
why???
its art. whats wrong in art ?
This is pagan not religious.
@@glacousxx Paganism is all the religions that were stolen from us by the Christians.
Watch out fellas for the sky, it can fall down upon your head 🤡
@GreatBigStory I honestly think you have a moral obligation to do the full circle on every story that you publish.
Long Live The Pagans 👍
One spirt says all the gods are a path to God and one spirit says I am the only way to God I am God.
😂
But should we still keep calling celebrations like this "pagan", when they are in fact recognised as ethnic/indigenous religions? "Paganism" as term was invented by Christianity to combat polytheism as it was what Christians called "false religion". There are multitude of indigenous and revivalist movements representing diverse traditions, so is it fair to keep describing it with term that undermines their legitimate religious beliefs? Just a thought.
Christ is King. Sigh.
I agree my friend
@@finalgaming1610 feels better man 😁
Fash
@@rjmacready3988 didn't say you couldn't do it. You can do whatever you want just said Christ is King. Me being vaguely christian in public isn't fascism. But you trying to stop or get rid of Christ is fascism.
@@stan3070 nobody asked: this video is about other things that people believe in to give them hope through bad times. Crusades didn't get rid of other religions and I don't think a youtube comment will either, so why pipe up?
Jesus loves you
Jesus hates you
That's his problem.
And the Goddess loves you ❤️
i guess the downfall of civilization (clownworld) started before 2014 like i had always assumed.
This sort of festival has been going on for centuries... so try again.
@@VitaKet it's called a joke
Alhamdulillah one day Sharia will put off all fires. Allah is the only true God.
We will put out sharia :)
Here's hoping the Romans return and sack the place.
the romans were pagans too for a large portion of their history
romans persecuted christians until constantinople
You're so clueless...
@@user-wv8oq3zx2t I don't speak second place, son
Stop worshipping demons
Convert. Christ is King.
King? No. Just an ordinary middle-eastern charlatan.
Oh look, some satanic shenanigans
not satanic.. just ancient
This isn't satanic...
Please repent and turn to God and Jesus Christ before it is too late..
No.
lol, sorry that your god has to resort to threats of eternal punishment, sounds like an asshole.
@@somanytakennames you don't want to save your soul ? 😭😭
@@nikolaosdrakos3537
My soul’s just fine, thank you.
@@somanytakennames It can not be fine without Jesus..
Why? Do you worship Satan?
Murca
Why? Do you worship an imaginary sky daddy who's always watching?
Satan is the logical and compassionate choice.
I can tell you haven’t watched the video.
Why are you so stupid?