Forms: 1 bǽl-fýr, 5– bale-; also Sc. 5 bayle-, 6 baill-, bald-, 6–9 bail-, 8 beal-, 9 bele-, beal-, bael-, baal-fire. [Found in OE. poetry: then not till the 14th c.; and till lately confined to Scotch. Not in Johnson, nor in Todd, 1818. Compd. of BALE sb.2 + FIRE; the former part was apparently at times confused with BALE sb.1: cf. balowe-fire ‘fatal or evil fire’ already in 15th c., and the use of bale-fire by various modern writers as if = ‘lurid, ghastly fire.’ Antiquaries, with theories of Celtic or Canaanitish idolatry, have written beal-, Baal-fire: cf. BELTANE.]
1. A great fire in the open air, a blazing pile or heap kindled to consume anything. In OE. spec. the fire of a funeral pile.
a. 1000. Beowulf, 6278. Ongunnon þá on beorʓe bǽl-fýra mæst … weccan.
c. 1400. Melayne, 488. Thay tuke þe grete lordes with Ire, And brynte þam in þat bale fire.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, IV. 718. Bot thou tell in bayle fire sall thou de.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., I. 355. In ane baill fyre thai brint it all in as.
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. 42. As plutois paleis hed been birnand in ane bald fyir.
1812. Byron, Ch. Har., I. xxxviii. The fires of death, The bale-fires flash on high.
1813. Hogg, Queen’s Wake, 83. They set ane bele-fire him about, And they burnit him skin and bone.
1882. Farrar, Early Chr., II. 190. The horrible illumination flung by the bale-fires of martyrdom upon the palace and gardens of the Beast.
2. A great fire kindled as a signal; a beacon-fire. (Only 19th c.: apparently first used by Sir W. Scott. The contemporary name was simply bale.)
1805. Scott, Last Minstrel, IV. i. Sweet Teviot! on thy silver tide The glaring bale-fires blaze no more.
1852. Miss Yonge, Cameos, II. xx. 220. The bail fire announced the appearance of the enemy.
1861. Black’s Guide Sussex, 536. Crowborough was one of the beacon stations … where the bale-fire was lighted.
3. Any great fire, a bonfire, feu de joie.
1800–24. Campbell, O’Connor’s Child, vii. Beal-fires for your jubilee Upon a thousand mountains glow’d.
1850. Merivale, Rom. Emp. (1865), III. xxiii. 62. He caused the city to be illuminated with torches and balefires.
1852. D. Moir, Burns Fest., Wks. II. 7. Stir the beal-fire, wave the banner, Bid the thundering cannon sound.
4. ? Associated with BALE sb.1
1855. Motley, Dutch Rep., VI. i. (1866), 774. The focus of discord … from whence radiated … the bale-fires of murderous licence and savage anarchy.
1872. Spurgeon, Treas. Dav., Ps. lxxvii. 17. With blue bale-fires revealing the innermost caverns of the hungry sea.
