The South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA) is the regional film archive for the South West of England. Established in 1993, SWFTA's core collection comprises of the combined programme libraries of Westward Television and TSW (Television South West). The archive also cares for a significant number of donated film collections, both amateur and professional, dating back to the early 1900s.
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Ancient Beltane Festival at Glastonbury Tor
Rite of spring is celebrated to signify renewal
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Overview
The Beltane Celebrations at Glastonbury Tor are a celebration of the ancient Celtic pagan fertility rite of spring. The Glastonbury Order of Druids holds the celebration to usher out winter and welcome in spring and a time of renewal. Ceremonies are held every year with a community group running celebrations at the White Spring, Market Cross and Bushey Comne in the centre of the town. The day culminates in a Beltane fire and service at the Abbey.
Pagans worship the spirit of nature. Druids, Heathens, Odinists, Sacred Ecologists, Shamans, Wiccans form part of the Pagan community. At the spring equinox, the sun is rising and plants growing and pagans prepare for the gifts of summer. Stone circles such as Stonehenge near Glastonbury are oriented towards the sun and an obvious place of worship. Ley lines are believed to be spiritual or mystical geographical alignments and thought to converge around Glastonbury.