Talk:Bonfire
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I was always told that the term bonepyre was used in reference to the practice of burning the contents of the ossuarie when it became full, thus freeing up more space for the dead, has anyone got any more information regarding this?--Pypex 19:06, 7 November 2005 (UTC)
I came here looking for the band Bonfire. I believe they were german, had alot of european hits. Just wondered if anyone would put up Bonfire (band) someplace on this (wiccan?) page... --SWA 19:40, 7 April 2006 (UTC)
The bonfire is part of a ritual of purification and consecration. In ancient times, cattle, important symbols of wealth and status, were led through the smoke of a bonfire. Couples who were to be wed on May Day would leap through the flames of the bonfire to seal their vows. Coals from a bonfire would be taken home to light the fires in family hearths, a practice thought to bring good fortune. It was also believed that the residents of the Faery realm were incapable of producing fire themselves; embers of bonfires would be carried to the underworld and tended there.
Some references would be good. At least the Wicca site that this was stolen from. The correct place to seek the etymology for the word would be the Oxford English Dictionary, probably the online version. And as for the content of a wiccan bonfire, wiccan traditions are probably unverifiable.
[edit] Cleanup
This article needs a serious prune, it's awful :(. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 217.146.113.66 (talk) 11:35, 14 February 2007 (UTC).
This article is terrible. In Ireland, bonfires are usuallly lit on the 23rd of June. It is only recently a 'tradition' to light bonfires at Halloween in Dublin. And even in Dublin, the practice is not that widespread. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.203.52.14 (talk) 21:07, 31 October 2007 (UTC)
How can this article have no reference to the English (but celebrated all around the UK) 'Bonfire night', aka Guy Fawkes Night? 82.47.0.158 17:32, 4 November 2007 (UTC)
[edit] etymology & spelling
The oldest documented spellings of this are banefyre (1483) bone fyre (1493) according to OED (it is word-of-the-day today). OED states that the alternative bon (fr: good) fire is mistaken. TomViza 12:53, 5 November 2007 (UTC)
[edit] The nine woods
The nine woods are wrong... "Elder be ye lady's tree, burn it not or cursed you'll be." I have switched it to the proper woods. Thanks 69.245.172.44 14:12, 5 November 2007 (UTC)
