Outlander: Blood of My Blood Episode 5 “Needfire” takes place over one incredibly tumultuous and romantic Beltane. The May festival was a key part of Irish, Scottish, and Manx Gaelic culture for centuries, if not millennia. Here, in the Starz series, it serves as a magical backdrop for Blood of My Blood‘s most dramatic episode yet. Promises are made, friends are betrayed, and one dramatic dance party takes place for all the world (and the faeries) to see.
**Spoilers for Outlander: Blood of My Blood Episode 5 “Needfire,” now streaming on Starz**
We learned in last week’s Blood of My Blood that star-crossed lovers Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy) and Ellen MacKenzie (Harriet Slater) were going to try to reunite amid the revelry of Beltane. It’s a night where the walls between our world and the supernatural one are at their thinnest. When Ellen tells Julia Moriston (Hermione Corfield) that she’s not only supposed to attend the festivities with her intended husband Malcolm Grant (Jhon Lumsden), but also potentially find herself locked in a “100-year dance” with him, Claire’s time-traveling mum puts two and two together. Julia realizes that the legends of people dancing for a century in the space of one night refer to people like her who have fallen through time via the stones.
In Blood of My Blood Episode 5, however, Julia finds her plans to attend Beltane stymied by Lord Lovat (Tony Curran). Because he believes Julia’s baby is his, he’s called upon his seer, Maisri (a character we met in Outlander Season 2!), to predict the infant’s future.
While Julia’s stuck at Castle Leathers, Brian and Murtagh (Rory Alexander) attend Beltane. There, Brian steals a dance from Ellen before she has to name a “king” to her “May Queen.” Murtagh foolishly chooses this moment to offer himself as an option, putting him on the Grants’ shit list. Worse? Murtagh stumbles upon Brian and Ellen stealing a passionate kiss in secret later that same episode.
Over the course of Outlander: Blood of My Blood “Needfire,” we see women dancing amongst the stones, men dressing up like animals, and one very magical handfasting. Oh, and there’s fire. As the name, “Needfire,” would suggest.
But what is Beltane? Is it a real holiday? And what does “Needfire” mean? Here’s everything you need to know about Beltane in Blood of My Blood...
Beltane is basically the Gaelic May Day festival. It’s traditionally held on May 1, to mark the midway point between Spring and Summer. While many cultures have their own May Day festivals, Beltane was specifically celebrated in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. Beltane and Samhain, aka the start of Winter, are considered the most important Celtic holidays.
Beltane was typically more popular in Ireland, but was also celebrated in parts of Scotland through the 18th century. As you see in Blood of My Blood, a bonfire is a key part of the tradition. The fire is supposed to have cleansing powers, clearing away the old and offering protection to those who celebrate among the flames.
A “need-fire” is a specific kind of fire that is ritualistically lit by specific members of a community to help purify it. In Scottish Beltane, a need-fire was lit by nine men. We see this take shape in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Episode 5. In fact, Ellen distracts Malcolm by insisting he help build this fire.
Beltane is still observed by modern day Wiccans and neopagans focused on restoring old Celtic traditions.
If you loved the production design and ornate Beltane costumes designed for Blood of My Blood, rest assured, you’re not alone.
“It wasn’t easy [to make the Needfire Festival],but I think everybody dove into it and said, ‘Yeah, let’s do the biggest we can possibly do,'” Outlander: Blood of My Blood creator Matthew B. Roberts said. “All the masks that you see in the show are all now up in my office.”
“I always keep little things that I love. So the I love the masks. I don’t know if you I would say my favorite, but they’re all sitting around, they’re all on the wall.
“Matt’s office has become like whenever props is looking for an essential prop, they’ll come to Matt’s office because he takes them all,” executive producer Maril Davis said.