eponess@yahoo.com Re: translation of 'bealtinne' Epona na Donnaigh eponess@yahoo.com Mon Mar 15 05:57:44 1999 Thanks for the reply Jenny, I remember now where I hear of Belisarius, a Roman-Gallo god. I think linking this same god to Balor (of the evel eye) is a little far-fetched. Beli I read was possibly a Celtic proto-God, but doesn't seem to have been widely adapted.*p*: You're right, there is no Celtic god named "Bel". *br*: "Bel" means "bright" or *br*: "lucky", and Beltane translates as *br*: "bright/lucky fire".*p*As far as the translation of Bealtinne, I have to dissagree here. All the old spellings of Beltaine I have seen in Irish start with 'beal' *not* 'bel'. The closest equivalient to 'bel' in Irish is 'beo' which means 'living' or sometimes 'good'. The Irish 'beal' means 'mouth', 'opening', or 'passage' which would make sense to me as May is the opening of Summer. but of course I am looking up modern Irish (don't have an Old Irish foclair on me :>) Does anyone have any sources on this?*p*Also, the Irish word for the Month of May is of course Bealtinne (again the 'beal').*p**p* Re: A Celtic God named 'Bel'? Jenny 322 Sun Mar 14 13:53:05 1999