bealtuinn

May-day, Irish béalteine, Early Irish beltene, belltaine, *belo-te(p)niâ (Stokes), "bright-fire", where belo- is allied to English bale ("bale-fire"), Anglo-Saxon bael, Lithuanian baltas, white. The Gaulish god-names Belenos and Belisama are also hence, and Shakespeare's Cym-beline. Two needfires were lighted on Beltane among the Gael, between which they drove their cattle for purification and luck; hence the proverb: "Eadar dà theine Bhealltuinn" - Between two Beltane fires.