Quote:
The Origins of Halloween
copyright © 1989, Rowan Moonstone
In recent years, there have been a number of pamphlets and books put out
be various Christian organizations dealing with the origins of
modern-day Halloween customs.
Being a Witch myself, and a student of the ancient Celts from whom we
get this holiday, I have found these pamphlets woefully inaccurate and
poorly researched. A typical example of this information is contained in
the following quote from the pamphlet entitled "What's Wrong with
Halloween?" by Russell K. Tardo. "The Druids believed that on October
31st, the last day of the year by the ancient Celtic calendar, the lord
of death gathered together the souls of the dead who had been made to
enter bodies of animals, and decided what forms they should take the
following year. Cats were held sacred because it was believed that they
were once human beings ... We see that this holiday has its origin,
basis and root in the occultic Druid celebration of the dead. Only they
called it 'Samhain', who was the Lord of the Dead (a big demon)".^1 When
these books and pamphlets cite sources at all, they usually list the
Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Americana, and the World Book
Encyclopedia. The Britannica and the Americana make no mention of cats,
but do indeed list Samhain as the Lord of Death, contrary to Celtic
scholars, and list no references. The World Book mentions the cats and
calls Samhain the Lord of Death, and lists as its sources several
children's books (hardly what one could consider scholarly texts, and,
of course, themselves citing no references).
In an effort to correct some of this erroneous information, I have
researched the religious life of the ancient Celtic peoples and the
survivals of that religious life in modern times. Listed below are some
of the most commonly asked questions concerning the origins and customs
of Halloween. Following the questions is a lengthy bibliography where
the curious reader can go to learn more about this holiday than space in
this small pamphlet permits.
1.
Where does Halloween come from?
Our modern celebration of Halloween is a descendent of the ancient
Celtic festival called "Samhain". The word is pronounced "sow-in",
with "sow" rhyming with "cow".
2.
What does "Samhain" mean?
The "Irish-English Dictionary" published by the Irish Texts
Society defines the word as follows: "Samhain, All Hallowtide, the
feast of the dead in Pagan and Christian times, signalling the
close of harvest and the initiation of the winter season, lasting
till May, during which troop swere quartered. Fairies were
imagined as particularly active at this season. From it, the
half-year is reckoned. Also called Feile Moingfinne (Snow
Goddess)."^2 The "Scottish Gaelic Dictionary" defines it as
"Hallowtide. The Feast of All Souls. Sam + Fuin = end of
summer."^3 Contrary to the information published by many
organizations, there is no archaeological or literary evidence to
indicate that Samhain was a deity. Eliade's "Encyclopedia of
Religion" states as follows: "The Eve and day of Samhain were
characterized as a time when the barriers between the human and
supernatural worlds were broken... Not a festival honoring any
particular Celtic deity, Samhain acknowledged the entire spectrum
of nonhuman forces that roamed the earth during that period."^4
The Celtic Gods of the dead were Gwynn ap Nudd for the British and
Arawn for the Welsh. The Irish did not have a "Lord of Death" as such.
3.
Why was the end of summer of significance to the Celts?
The Celts were a pastoral people as opposed to an agricultural
people. The end of summer was significant to them because it meant
the time of year when the structure of their lives changed
radically. The cattle were brought down from the summer pastures
in the hills and the people were gathered into the houses for the
long winter nights of story-telling and handicrafts.
4.
What does it have to do with a festival of the dead?
The Celts believed that when people died, they went to a land of
eternal youth and happiness called TÃr na nOg. They did not have
the concept of Heaven and Hell that the Christian Church later
brought into the land. The dead were sometimes believed to be
dwelling with the Fairy Folk, who lived in the numerous mounds, or
sidhe, (pronounced "shee" or "sh-thee") that dotted the Irish and
Scottish countryside. Samhain was the new year to the Celts. In
the Celtic belief system, turning points such as the time between
one day and the next, the meeting of sea and shore or the turning
of one year into the next, were seen as magickal times. The
turning of the year was the most potent of these times. This was
the time when the "veil between the worlds" was at its thinnest
and the living could communicate with their beloved dead in TÃr na
nOg.
5.
What about the aspects of "evil" that we associate with the night
today?
The Celts did not have demons and devils in their belief system.
The fairies, however, were often considered hostile and dangerous
to humans because they were seen as being resentful of man taking
over their land. On this night, they would sometimes trick humans
into becoming lost in the fairy mounds where they would be trapped
forever. After the coming of the Christians to the Celtic lands,
certain of the folk saw the fairies as those angels who had sided
neither with God or with Lucifer in their dispute and thus were
condemned to walk the Earth until Judgment Day.^5 In addition to
the fairies, many humans were abroad on this night causing
mischief. Since this night belonged neither to one year or the
other, Celtic folk believed that chaos reigned and the people
would engage in "horseplay and practical jokes".^6 This also
served as a final outlet for high spirits before the gloom of
winter set in.
6.
What about "trick or treat"?
During the course of these hijinks, many of the people would
imitate the fairies and go from house to house begging for treats.
Failure to supply the treats would usually result in practical
jokes being visited on the owner of the house. Since the fairies
were abroad on this night, an offering of food or milk was
frequently left for them on the steps of the house so the
homeowner could gain the blessing of the "good folk" for the
coming year. Many of the households would also leave out a "dumb
supper" for the spirits of the departed.^7 The folks who were
abroad in the night imitating the fairies would sometimes carry
turnips carved to represent faces. This is the origin of our
modern Jack-o-lantern.
7.
Was there any special significance of cats to the Celts?
According to Katherine Briggs in "Nine Lives: Cats in Folklore",
the Celts associated cats with the Cailleach Bheur, or Blue Hag of
Winter. "She was a nature goddess, who herded the deer as her
cattle. The touch of her staff drove the leaves off the trees and
brought snow and harsh weather."^8 Dr. Anne Ross addresses the use
of divine animals in her book "Pagan Celtic Britain" and has this
to say about cats: "Cats do not play a large role in Celtic
mythology ... the evidence for the cat as an important cult animal
in Celtic mythology is slight".^9 She cites as supporting evidence
the lack of archaeological artifacts and literary references in
surviving works of mythology.
8.
Was this also a religious festival?
Yes. Celtic religion was very closely tied to the Earth. The great
legends are concerned with momentous happenings which took place
around the time of Samhain. Many of the great battles and legends
of kings and heroes center on this night. Many of the legends
concern the promotion of fertility of the Earth and the insurance
of the continuance of the lives of the people through the dark
winter season.
9.
How was the religious festival observed?
Unfortunately, we know very little about that. W.G. Wood-Martin,
in his book "Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland", states:
"There is comparatively little trace of the religion of the Druids
now discoverable, save in the folklore of the peasantry and the
references relative to it that occur in ancient and authentic
Irish manuscripts are, as far as present appearances go, meager
and insufficient to support anything like a sound theory for full
development of the ancient religion."^10 The Druids were the
priests of the Celtic peoples. They passed on their teachings by
oral tradition instead of committing them to writing, so when they
perished, most of their religious teachings were lost. We do know
that this festival was characterized as one of the four great
"Fire Festivals" of the Celts. Legends tell us that on this night
all the hearth fires in Ireland were extinguished and then re-lit
from the central fire of the Druids at Tlachtga, 12 miles from the
royal hill of Tara. This fire was kindled from "need fire" which
had been generated by the friction of rubbing two sticks together,
as opposed to more conventional methods (such as the
flint-and-steel method) common in those days.^11 The extinguishing
of the fires symbolized the "dark half" of the year, and the
re-kindling from the Druidic fires was symbolic of the returning
life hoped for and brought about through the ministrations of the
priesthood.
10.
What about sacrifices?
Animals were certainly killed at this time of year. This was the
time to "cull" from the herds those animals which were not desired
for breeding purposes for the next year. Most certainly, some of
these would have been done in a ritual manner for the use of the
priesthood.
11.
Were humans sacrificed?
Scholars are sharply divided on this account, with about half
believing that it took place and half doubting its veracity.
Caesar and Tacitus certainly tell tales of the human sacrifices of
the Celts, but Nora Chadwick points out in her book "The Celts"
that "it is not without interest that the Romans themselves had
abolished human sacrifice not long before Caesar's time, and
references to the practice among various barbarian peoples have
certain overtones of self-righteousness. There is little direct
archaeological evidence relevant to Celtic sacrifice."^12 Indeed,
there is little reference to this practice in Celtic literature.
The only surviving story echoes the tale of the Minotaur in Greek
legend: the Fomorians, a race of evil giants said to inhabit
portions of Ireland before the coming of the Tuatha Dé Danann (or
"people of the Goddess Danu"), demanded the sacrifice of 2/3 of
the corn, milk and first-born children of the Fir Bolg, or human
inhabitants of Ireland. The Tuatha Dé Danann ended this practice
in the second battle of Moy Tura, which incidentally, took place
on Samhain. It should be noted, however, that this story appears
in only one (relatively modern) manuscript from Irish literature,
and that manuscript, the "Dinnsenchus", is known to be a
collection of fables. According to P.W. Joyce in Vol. 2 of his
"Social History of Ancient Ireland", "Scattered everywhere through
our ancient literature, both secular and ecclesiastical, we find
abundant descriptions and details of the rites and superstitions
of the pagan Irish; and in no place -- with this single exception
-- do we find a word or hint pointing to human sacrifice to pagan
gods or idols."^13
12.
What other practices were associated with this season?
Folk tradition tells us of many divination practices associated
with Samhain. Among the most common were divinations dealing with
marriage, weather and the coming fortunes for the year. These were
performed via such methods as ducking for apples and apple
peeling. Ducking for apples was a marriage divination. The first
person to bite an apple would be the first to marry in the coming
year. Apple peeling was a divination to see how long your life
would be. The longer the unbroken apple peel, the longer your life
was destined to be.^14 In Scotland, people would place stones in
the ashes of the hearth before retiring for the night. Anyone
whose stone had been disturbed during the night was said to be
destined to die during the coming year.
13.
How did these ancient Celtic practices come to America?
When the potato crop in Ireland failed, many of the Irish people,
modern descendants of the Celts, emigrated to America bringing
with them their folk practices which were remnants of the Celtic
festival observances.
14.
We in America view this as a harvest festival. Did the Celts also
view it as such?
Yes. The Celts had 3 harvests. Aug 1, or Lammas, was the first
harvest, when the first fruits were offered to the Gods in thanks.
The Fall Equinox was the true harvest. This was when the bulk of
the crops would be brought in. Samhain was the final harvest of
the year. Anything left on the vines or in the fields after this
date was considered blasted by the fairies ("pu'ka") and unfit for
human consumption.
15.
Does anyone today celebrate Samhain as a religious observance?
Yes. Many followers of various pagan religions, such as Druidism
and Wicca, observe this day as a religious festival. They view it
as a memorial day for their dead friends and family, much as the
mainstream US does the national Memorial Day holiday in May. It is
still a night to practice various forms of divination concerning
future events. It is also considered a time to wrap up old
projects, take stock of one's life and initiate new projects for
the coming year. As the winter season is approaching, it is a good
time to do studying on research projects, and also a good time to
begin handwork such as sewing, leatherworking, woodworking etc.,
for Yule gifts later in the year. And while "satanists" are using
this holiday as their own, this is certainly not the only example
of a holiday (or even religious symbols) being "borrowed" from an
older religion by a newer one.
16.
Does this involve human or animal sacrifice?
Absolutely /NOT/! Hollywood to the contrary, blood sacrifice is
not practiced by modern followers of Wicca or Druidism. There may
be some people who /think/ they are practicing Wicca by performing
blood sacrificing but this is /not/ condoned by reputable
practitioners of today's neo-Pagan religions.
FOOTNOTES:
1. Tardo, Russell K., "What's Wrong with Halloween?", Faithful Word
Publishers, (Arabi, LA, undated), p. 2
2. Rev. Patrick Dinneen, "An Irish-English Dictionary", (Dublin,
1927), p. 937
3. Malcolm MacLennan, "A Pronouncing and Etymological Dictionary of
the Gaelic Language", (Aberdeen, 1979), p. 279
4. "The Encyclopedia of Religion", ed. Mircea Eliade, "Halloween" by
Primiano, (New York, 1987) pp. 176-177
5. Alwyn & Brinley Rees, "Celtic Heritage", (New York, 1961), p. 90
6. W.G. Wood-Martin, "Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland", Vol.
II, (Port Washington, NY, 1902), p. 5
7. Kevin Danaher, "The Year in Ireland", (Cork, 1972), p. 214
8. Katherine Briggs, "Nine Lives: Cats in Folklore", (London,1980), p.5
9. Dr. Anne Ross, "Pagan Celtic Britain", (London,1967), p. 301-302
10. Wood-Martin, op. cit., p. 249
11. Rees & Rees, op. cit., p. 90
12. Nora Chadwick, "The Celts", (Harmondsworth, 1982), p. 151
13. P.W. Joyce, "A Social History of Ancient Ireland", Vol.2, (New
York, 196 cool , pp. 282-283
14. Madeleine Pelner Cosman, "Medieval Holidays and Festivals", (New
York, 1981), p. 81
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
* Bord, Janet & Colin, "The Secret Country", (London: Paladin Books,
197 cool
* Briggs, Katherine, "Nine Lives, Cats in Folklore", (London:
Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1980)
* Chadwick, Nora, "The Celts", (Harmondsworth, England: Penguin
Books, 1982)
* Coglan, Ronan, "A Dictionary of Irish Myth and Legend", (Dublin: 1979)
* Cosman, Madeleine Pelner, "Medieval Holidays and Festivals", (New
York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1981)
* Danaher, Kevin, "The Year in Ireland", (Cork, Ireland: The Mercier
Press, 1972)
* Dinneen, Rev. Patrick S., M.A., "An Irish-English Dictionary",
(Dublin: The Irish Texts Society, 1927)
* Joyce, P.W., "A Social History of Ancient Ireland", (New York:
Benjamin Blom, 196 cool
* MacCana, Proinsias, "Celtic Mythology", (London: The Hamlyn
Publishing Group Limited, 1970)
* MacLennan, Malcolm, "A pronouncing and Etymological Dictionary of
the Gaelic Language", (Aberdeen: Acair and Aberdeen University
Press, 1979)
* MacNeill, Maire', "The Festival of Lughnasa", (Dublin: Comhairle
Bhealoideas Eireann, 1982)
* Powell, T.G.E., "The Celts", (New York: Thames & Hudson, 1980)
* Primiano, Leonard Norman, "Halloween" from "The Encyclopedia of
Religion", ed. Mircea Eliade, (New York, McMillan Publiching Co.,
1987)
* Rees, Alwyn and Brinley, "Celtic Heritage, Ancient Tradition in
Ireland and Wales", (New York: Thames & Hudson, 1961)
* Ross, Dr. Anne, "Pagan Celtic Britain", (London: Routledge and
Kegan Paul, 1967)
* Sharkey, John, "Celtic Mysteries", (New York: Thames & Hudson, 1975)
* Spence, Lewis, "British Fairy Origins", (Wellingborough: Aquarian
Press, 1946)
* Squire, Charles, "Celtic Myth & Legend, Poetry & Romance", (New
York: Newcastle Publishing Co., Inc., 1975)
* Toulson, Shirley, "The Winter Solstice", (London: Jill Norman &
Hobhouse, Ltd., 1981)
* Wood-Martin, W.G., "Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland", Vols.
I & II, (Port Washington, NY: Kennikat Press, 1902)
Published by CultWatch Response, Inc., PO Box 1842, Colorado Springs, CO
80901-1842. This article may be reprinted only if it is not excerpted or
abridged in any way except for review purposes. Permission to republish
must be requested in writing from the author at the above address.
Price: $1.00 each, 10/$8.00, over 100/$0.65 ea., other quantities
available. All prices are postpaid
copyright © 1989, Rowan Moonstone
In recent years, there have been a number of pamphlets and books put out
be various Christian organizations dealing with the origins of
modern-day Halloween customs.
Being a Witch myself, and a student of the ancient Celts from whom we
get this holiday, I have found these pamphlets woefully inaccurate and
poorly researched. A typical example of this information is contained in
the following quote from the pamphlet entitled "What's Wrong with
Halloween?" by Russell K. Tardo. "The Druids believed that on October
31st, the last day of the year by the ancient Celtic calendar, the lord
of death gathered together the souls of the dead who had been made to
enter bodies of animals, and decided what forms they should take the
following year. Cats were held sacred because it was believed that they
were once human beings ... We see that this holiday has its origin,
basis and root in the occultic Druid celebration of the dead. Only they
called it 'Samhain', who was the Lord of the Dead (a big demon)".^1 When
these books and pamphlets cite sources at all, they usually list the
Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Americana, and the World Book
Encyclopedia. The Britannica and the Americana make no mention of cats,
but do indeed list Samhain as the Lord of Death, contrary to Celtic
scholars, and list no references. The World Book mentions the cats and
calls Samhain the Lord of Death, and lists as its sources several
children's books (hardly what one could consider scholarly texts, and,
of course, themselves citing no references).
In an effort to correct some of this erroneous information, I have
researched the religious life of the ancient Celtic peoples and the
survivals of that religious life in modern times. Listed below are some
of the most commonly asked questions concerning the origins and customs
of Halloween. Following the questions is a lengthy bibliography where
the curious reader can go to learn more about this holiday than space in
this small pamphlet permits.
1.
Where does Halloween come from?
Our modern celebration of Halloween is a descendent of the ancient
Celtic festival called "Samhain". The word is pronounced "sow-in",
with "sow" rhyming with "cow".
2.
What does "Samhain" mean?
The "Irish-English Dictionary" published by the Irish Texts
Society defines the word as follows: "Samhain, All Hallowtide, the
feast of the dead in Pagan and Christian times, signalling the
close of harvest and the initiation of the winter season, lasting
till May, during which troop swere quartered. Fairies were
imagined as particularly active at this season. From it, the
half-year is reckoned. Also called Feile Moingfinne (Snow
Goddess)."^2 The "Scottish Gaelic Dictionary" defines it as
"Hallowtide. The Feast of All Souls. Sam + Fuin = end of
summer."^3 Contrary to the information published by many
organizations, there is no archaeological or literary evidence to
indicate that Samhain was a deity. Eliade's "Encyclopedia of
Religion" states as follows: "The Eve and day of Samhain were
characterized as a time when the barriers between the human and
supernatural worlds were broken... Not a festival honoring any
particular Celtic deity, Samhain acknowledged the entire spectrum
of nonhuman forces that roamed the earth during that period."^4
The Celtic Gods of the dead were Gwynn ap Nudd for the British and
Arawn for the Welsh. The Irish did not have a "Lord of Death" as such.
3.
Why was the end of summer of significance to the Celts?
The Celts were a pastoral people as opposed to an agricultural
people. The end of summer was significant to them because it meant
the time of year when the structure of their lives changed
radically. The cattle were brought down from the summer pastures
in the hills and the people were gathered into the houses for the
long winter nights of story-telling and handicrafts.
4.
What does it have to do with a festival of the dead?
The Celts believed that when people died, they went to a land of
eternal youth and happiness called TÃr na nOg. They did not have
the concept of Heaven and Hell that the Christian Church later
brought into the land. The dead were sometimes believed to be
dwelling with the Fairy Folk, who lived in the numerous mounds, or
sidhe, (pronounced "shee" or "sh-thee") that dotted the Irish and
Scottish countryside. Samhain was the new year to the Celts. In
the Celtic belief system, turning points such as the time between
one day and the next, the meeting of sea and shore or the turning
of one year into the next, were seen as magickal times. The
turning of the year was the most potent of these times. This was
the time when the "veil between the worlds" was at its thinnest
and the living could communicate with their beloved dead in TÃr na
nOg.
5.
What about the aspects of "evil" that we associate with the night
today?
The Celts did not have demons and devils in their belief system.
The fairies, however, were often considered hostile and dangerous
to humans because they were seen as being resentful of man taking
over their land. On this night, they would sometimes trick humans
into becoming lost in the fairy mounds where they would be trapped
forever. After the coming of the Christians to the Celtic lands,
certain of the folk saw the fairies as those angels who had sided
neither with God or with Lucifer in their dispute and thus were
condemned to walk the Earth until Judgment Day.^5 In addition to
the fairies, many humans were abroad on this night causing
mischief. Since this night belonged neither to one year or the
other, Celtic folk believed that chaos reigned and the people
would engage in "horseplay and practical jokes".^6 This also
served as a final outlet for high spirits before the gloom of
winter set in.
6.
What about "trick or treat"?
During the course of these hijinks, many of the people would
imitate the fairies and go from house to house begging for treats.
Failure to supply the treats would usually result in practical
jokes being visited on the owner of the house. Since the fairies
were abroad on this night, an offering of food or milk was
frequently left for them on the steps of the house so the
homeowner could gain the blessing of the "good folk" for the
coming year. Many of the households would also leave out a "dumb
supper" for the spirits of the departed.^7 The folks who were
abroad in the night imitating the fairies would sometimes carry
turnips carved to represent faces. This is the origin of our
modern Jack-o-lantern.
7.
Was there any special significance of cats to the Celts?
According to Katherine Briggs in "Nine Lives: Cats in Folklore",
the Celts associated cats with the Cailleach Bheur, or Blue Hag of
Winter. "She was a nature goddess, who herded the deer as her
cattle. The touch of her staff drove the leaves off the trees and
brought snow and harsh weather."^8 Dr. Anne Ross addresses the use
of divine animals in her book "Pagan Celtic Britain" and has this
to say about cats: "Cats do not play a large role in Celtic
mythology ... the evidence for the cat as an important cult animal
in Celtic mythology is slight".^9 She cites as supporting evidence
the lack of archaeological artifacts and literary references in
surviving works of mythology.
8.
Was this also a religious festival?
Yes. Celtic religion was very closely tied to the Earth. The great
legends are concerned with momentous happenings which took place
around the time of Samhain. Many of the great battles and legends
of kings and heroes center on this night. Many of the legends
concern the promotion of fertility of the Earth and the insurance
of the continuance of the lives of the people through the dark
winter season.
9.
How was the religious festival observed?
Unfortunately, we know very little about that. W.G. Wood-Martin,
in his book "Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland", states:
"There is comparatively little trace of the religion of the Druids
now discoverable, save in the folklore of the peasantry and the
references relative to it that occur in ancient and authentic
Irish manuscripts are, as far as present appearances go, meager
and insufficient to support anything like a sound theory for full
development of the ancient religion."^10 The Druids were the
priests of the Celtic peoples. They passed on their teachings by
oral tradition instead of committing them to writing, so when they
perished, most of their religious teachings were lost. We do know
that this festival was characterized as one of the four great
"Fire Festivals" of the Celts. Legends tell us that on this night
all the hearth fires in Ireland were extinguished and then re-lit
from the central fire of the Druids at Tlachtga, 12 miles from the
royal hill of Tara. This fire was kindled from "need fire" which
had been generated by the friction of rubbing two sticks together,
as opposed to more conventional methods (such as the
flint-and-steel method) common in those days.^11 The extinguishing
of the fires symbolized the "dark half" of the year, and the
re-kindling from the Druidic fires was symbolic of the returning
life hoped for and brought about through the ministrations of the
priesthood.
10.
What about sacrifices?
Animals were certainly killed at this time of year. This was the
time to "cull" from the herds those animals which were not desired
for breeding purposes for the next year. Most certainly, some of
these would have been done in a ritual manner for the use of the
priesthood.
11.
Were humans sacrificed?
Scholars are sharply divided on this account, with about half
believing that it took place and half doubting its veracity.
Caesar and Tacitus certainly tell tales of the human sacrifices of
the Celts, but Nora Chadwick points out in her book "The Celts"
that "it is not without interest that the Romans themselves had
abolished human sacrifice not long before Caesar's time, and
references to the practice among various barbarian peoples have
certain overtones of self-righteousness. There is little direct
archaeological evidence relevant to Celtic sacrifice."^12 Indeed,
there is little reference to this practice in Celtic literature.
The only surviving story echoes the tale of the Minotaur in Greek
legend: the Fomorians, a race of evil giants said to inhabit
portions of Ireland before the coming of the Tuatha Dé Danann (or
"people of the Goddess Danu"), demanded the sacrifice of 2/3 of
the corn, milk and first-born children of the Fir Bolg, or human
inhabitants of Ireland. The Tuatha Dé Danann ended this practice
in the second battle of Moy Tura, which incidentally, took place
on Samhain. It should be noted, however, that this story appears
in only one (relatively modern) manuscript from Irish literature,
and that manuscript, the "Dinnsenchus", is known to be a
collection of fables. According to P.W. Joyce in Vol. 2 of his
"Social History of Ancient Ireland", "Scattered everywhere through
our ancient literature, both secular and ecclesiastical, we find
abundant descriptions and details of the rites and superstitions
of the pagan Irish; and in no place -- with this single exception
-- do we find a word or hint pointing to human sacrifice to pagan
gods or idols."^13
12.
What other practices were associated with this season?
Folk tradition tells us of many divination practices associated
with Samhain. Among the most common were divinations dealing with
marriage, weather and the coming fortunes for the year. These were
performed via such methods as ducking for apples and apple
peeling. Ducking for apples was a marriage divination. The first
person to bite an apple would be the first to marry in the coming
year. Apple peeling was a divination to see how long your life
would be. The longer the unbroken apple peel, the longer your life
was destined to be.^14 In Scotland, people would place stones in
the ashes of the hearth before retiring for the night. Anyone
whose stone had been disturbed during the night was said to be
destined to die during the coming year.
13.
How did these ancient Celtic practices come to America?
When the potato crop in Ireland failed, many of the Irish people,
modern descendants of the Celts, emigrated to America bringing
with them their folk practices which were remnants of the Celtic
festival observances.
14.
We in America view this as a harvest festival. Did the Celts also
view it as such?
Yes. The Celts had 3 harvests. Aug 1, or Lammas, was the first
harvest, when the first fruits were offered to the Gods in thanks.
The Fall Equinox was the true harvest. This was when the bulk of
the crops would be brought in. Samhain was the final harvest of
the year. Anything left on the vines or in the fields after this
date was considered blasted by the fairies ("pu'ka") and unfit for
human consumption.
15.
Does anyone today celebrate Samhain as a religious observance?
Yes. Many followers of various pagan religions, such as Druidism
and Wicca, observe this day as a religious festival. They view it
as a memorial day for their dead friends and family, much as the
mainstream US does the national Memorial Day holiday in May. It is
still a night to practice various forms of divination concerning
future events. It is also considered a time to wrap up old
projects, take stock of one's life and initiate new projects for
the coming year. As the winter season is approaching, it is a good
time to do studying on research projects, and also a good time to
begin handwork such as sewing, leatherworking, woodworking etc.,
for Yule gifts later in the year. And while "satanists" are using
this holiday as their own, this is certainly not the only example
of a holiday (or even religious symbols) being "borrowed" from an
older religion by a newer one.
16.
Does this involve human or animal sacrifice?
Absolutely /NOT/! Hollywood to the contrary, blood sacrifice is
not practiced by modern followers of Wicca or Druidism. There may
be some people who /think/ they are practicing Wicca by performing
blood sacrificing but this is /not/ condoned by reputable
practitioners of today's neo-Pagan religions.
FOOTNOTES:
1. Tardo, Russell K., "What's Wrong with Halloween?", Faithful Word
Publishers, (Arabi, LA, undated), p. 2
2. Rev. Patrick Dinneen, "An Irish-English Dictionary", (Dublin,
1927), p. 937
3. Malcolm MacLennan, "A Pronouncing and Etymological Dictionary of
the Gaelic Language", (Aberdeen, 1979), p. 279
4. "The Encyclopedia of Religion", ed. Mircea Eliade, "Halloween" by
Primiano, (New York, 1987) pp. 176-177
5. Alwyn & Brinley Rees, "Celtic Heritage", (New York, 1961), p. 90
6. W.G. Wood-Martin, "Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland", Vol.
II, (Port Washington, NY, 1902), p. 5
7. Kevin Danaher, "The Year in Ireland", (Cork, 1972), p. 214
8. Katherine Briggs, "Nine Lives: Cats in Folklore", (London,1980), p.5
9. Dr. Anne Ross, "Pagan Celtic Britain", (London,1967), p. 301-302
10. Wood-Martin, op. cit., p. 249
11. Rees & Rees, op. cit., p. 90
12. Nora Chadwick, "The Celts", (Harmondsworth, 1982), p. 151
13. P.W. Joyce, "A Social History of Ancient Ireland", Vol.2, (New
York, 196 cool , pp. 282-283
14. Madeleine Pelner Cosman, "Medieval Holidays and Festivals", (New
York, 1981), p. 81
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
* Bord, Janet & Colin, "The Secret Country", (London: Paladin Books,
197 cool
* Briggs, Katherine, "Nine Lives, Cats in Folklore", (London:
Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1980)
* Chadwick, Nora, "The Celts", (Harmondsworth, England: Penguin
Books, 1982)
* Coglan, Ronan, "A Dictionary of Irish Myth and Legend", (Dublin: 1979)
* Cosman, Madeleine Pelner, "Medieval Holidays and Festivals", (New
York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1981)
* Danaher, Kevin, "The Year in Ireland", (Cork, Ireland: The Mercier
Press, 1972)
* Dinneen, Rev. Patrick S., M.A., "An Irish-English Dictionary",
(Dublin: The Irish Texts Society, 1927)
* Joyce, P.W., "A Social History of Ancient Ireland", (New York:
Benjamin Blom, 196 cool
* MacCana, Proinsias, "Celtic Mythology", (London: The Hamlyn
Publishing Group Limited, 1970)
* MacLennan, Malcolm, "A pronouncing and Etymological Dictionary of
the Gaelic Language", (Aberdeen: Acair and Aberdeen University
Press, 1979)
* MacNeill, Maire', "The Festival of Lughnasa", (Dublin: Comhairle
Bhealoideas Eireann, 1982)
* Powell, T.G.E., "The Celts", (New York: Thames & Hudson, 1980)
* Primiano, Leonard Norman, "Halloween" from "The Encyclopedia of
Religion", ed. Mircea Eliade, (New York, McMillan Publiching Co.,
1987)
* Rees, Alwyn and Brinley, "Celtic Heritage, Ancient Tradition in
Ireland and Wales", (New York: Thames & Hudson, 1961)
* Ross, Dr. Anne, "Pagan Celtic Britain", (London: Routledge and
Kegan Paul, 1967)
* Sharkey, John, "Celtic Mysteries", (New York: Thames & Hudson, 1975)
* Spence, Lewis, "British Fairy Origins", (Wellingborough: Aquarian
Press, 1946)
* Squire, Charles, "Celtic Myth & Legend, Poetry & Romance", (New
York: Newcastle Publishing Co., Inc., 1975)
* Toulson, Shirley, "The Winter Solstice", (London: Jill Norman &
Hobhouse, Ltd., 1981)
* Wood-Martin, W.G., "Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland", Vols.
I & II, (Port Washington, NY: Kennikat Press, 1902)
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