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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Beltane, n. Also: Beltan, -ain(e, -ayne, -ene, -ein, -en, -yn, Beiltyne. See also Beltyme. [Gael. bealltainn, -tuinn, Ir. bealltaine, OIr. belltaine, beltene, -tine, of obscure origin.]

1. The first or third day of May.Clearly identified with May 1 only in quot. 1511. 1424 Acts II. 6/1.
Quhar it beis tayntyt that … the birdis be flowin and the nestis be fundyn in the treis at beltane 1484 Acta Aud. 134*/2.
Vmfra sall deliuer & pay to the said Johne ix tidy ky … at beltan nixt tocum 1511 Lennox Mun. 191.
The fest of Beltene, callit Philip and Iacob 1535 Stewart 10426.
About Beltane quhen grene leuis began To spring and spreid a1500 Peblis to Play i.
At beltane quhen ilk bodie bownis To Peblis to the play 1559 Prestwick B. Rec. 10.
The town & fredom to be red betuix and beltane next to com 1571 Lanark B. Rec. 64.
Betuex Beltan and Sant James day 1581 Ib. 81.
Befoir Beltein las[t] wes … the said Hew pindit my kow 1594 Paisley B. Rec. 158.
Ane yow scheip put to him … with uther scheip at Beltane wes ane yeir a1598 Ferg. Prov. 112.
Ye will get war bods or Belten 1615 Highland P. III. 195.
Aucht dayis befoir beltane last 1677 Corshill Baron-Ct. 140.
For awaytakeing of ane foredoor frae the house … at beltane last

b. Identified with the church-festival of the Invention of the Cross, May 3.Frequent in documents of the 16th century. 1456 5th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. 625/1.
Gilbert the Haia … is nocht yheit of lauchfull age, bot he sall be … at the fest of the Inuencion of the Halicroice, callit Beltane 1489 Acta Aud. 142/1.
The … arbitouris sall … deliuer on the samyn [matter] betuix this and the fest of the cors callit beltane nixt to cum 1509 Reg. Privy S. I. 285/1.
The entre of the said David beginnand at the fest of S. Elene callit Beltane 1539 Reg. Cupar A. II. 5.
For … nynetene ȝeris, nixt and immediatlye following the termes of Beltane, the Inventioun of the Haly Croce, and Lames callit ad vincula Sancti Petri 1551 Prot. Bk. W. Corbet 16.
Sanct Helyn daye callit belten or the inuentione of the hali cros 1588 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 349.
Quhilk entres in and to the vicarage … began at the Feist of Rudeday callit the Inventioun of the Cross alias Beltyn

c. Mentioned as a term-day or quarter-day without exact specification of date.Examples belonging to the previous section indicate May 3 as the usual date. When mentioned with other terms or quarterdays, Beltane takes the place of Whitsunday, but there is no evidence that it was actually identical with this. 1456 Peebles B. Rec. 113.
Thom Fyldar … sal pay for his fredome x s. at thwa termis, that is to say Beltain the ta half and Bartylmes the tothir half 1457 Ib. 125.
Willi Red … sal pay … at Beltan v s. and at Mechelmes other v s. 1508 Glasgow Dioc. Reg. II. 271.
Removere se et sua inter hinc et proximum vsualem terminum, viz. le Beltan, de dictis terris 1541 Crim. Trials I. i. 257.
Payand ȝerlie thre thovsand merkis, at Beltane and Lammes, be equal portionis 1562 Bk. Univ. Kirk I. 27.
The entrie of these [ministers, etc.] that ar presented, to be at Allhallowmes, Lambmes, Candlemes or Beltan 1582 Conv. Burghs I. 160.
Att four termes in the ȝeir, viz. Alhalowmes, Candilmes, Beltan, and Lambmes 1604 Liber Dryburgh 320.
Payand … four bollis beir … at Candilmes and Beltane 1659 Irvine Mun. II. 83.
To be payit … at Candilmes, Beltan, Lambmes, and Allhallowday proportionalie 1670 Glasgow Weavers 80.
Item for quarter comptis at Beltane

2. pl. (See quotation.) 1721 Kelly Proverbs 376.
You have Skill of Man and Beast, you was born between the Beltans [note. The first and eighth of May]

3. Attrib. with buke, compt, court, day, fair(-day).Beltane buke, a book of accounts in which the reckoning was made at Beltane in each year. 1575 Edinb. Test. III. 257 b.
As to my movabill gudis & geir … I refer to my beltane buke 1593 Ib. XXVI. 29.
He referris the inventar of his guidis & geir to his beltane buikis 1605 Ib. XL. 278.
My guidis & geir … according to my beltane & compt buik — 1542 Treas. Acc. VIII. 91.
Remanyng upone the clipping of the scheip, and making of the beltane compts thairof — 1457 Exch. R. VI. 372.
Pro expensis domini cancellarii ibidem [sc. apud Newuarche] existentis in curia que vocatur Beltanecourt 1481 Ib. IX. 134.
Exitus unius curie dicte Beltanecourt — 1531 Bell. Boece II. 499.
On Beltane Day, in the yeir nixt following, callit the Inventioun of the Haly Croce 1616 Orkney & Zetl. Sheriff Ct. 73.
On beltane day last 1641 Acts V. 500/2.
The thrid day of Maij callit Beltane day 1656 Peebles B. Rec. II. 34.
The fair day commonlie called Beltane day, falles this year upon the Satterday — 1624 Peebles B. Rec. I. 364.
To attend the magistrattis. . at the tyme of the Beltane fair and hors race vpone the morne thairefter 1656 Ib. II. 34.
The said fair called Beltane fair-day shalbe kept … this year upon the first Weddensday of Maii 1696 Ib. 154.