Halloween, Samhain, Origins and History
Hallowe'en The Celtic Festival Samhain 
Many people see Halloween as an innocent time of the year for fun and ghoulish and spooky things, some with a religious agenda accuse it as being an evil Pagan festival, rife with sacrifice and other devilish things.
The historical aspects to this time of year tells a different story to both modern interpretations of both fun and evil.
The ancient Pagan Celtic festival of Samhain, agreed to by most historians to have fallen on October 31st was a festival of death. It is still celebrated today by modern Pagans, although depending on geographical circumstances and culture, some details may differ.
Its origins started in Celtic times, when the Pagans of the heath land would see this day as the end of the summer or light half of the year, when the Oak King or god would reign, finally to be slain on this night. Samhain was seen as a time when the light or the god of the sun was defeated by the dark god of death, or the dark side of nature, and when the dark half of the year was born, giving way to a new year, allowing the dark lord/god, or dark half of the year or winter to reign, until the start of the summer, which was known as Mayday on May 1st, a festival of life, when the god of light would then defeat the dark lord, or dark half of the year, and would then reign throughout the summer, to give up the fight again to darkness on the following Samhain, symbolising balance and the Pagan wheel of the year eternally rolling forward with the ever changing seasons of life and death.
To the Celts Samhain was seen as the ‘day or night of the dead‘, not only because it was seen as the death of the Sun God, but also meaning it was also a time when their livestock would be slaughtered to keep them alive throughout the dark half of the year, and when they reaped their last harvest, because October 31st was seen as the time of the first frost, killing much of their life giving crops and even some of the weaker older animals, so the older animals deemed less likely to survive the winter would be chosen for slaughter. Death is also associated with this festival because many elderly family members might not survive the cold nights to come.
Because of its association with death, it was also believed that on the night of Samhain the souls of their dead relatives and ancestors would be free to roam the countryside at night, because the veil from the living world to the otherworld would be at its thinnest at this time of year, so would also honour their dead relatives and those who went before them, which is where the belief that ghosts and other supernatural beings can be more commonly seen at Halloween in today’s culture. Christianity also chose its ‘All Souls Day’ or ‘Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed’ around the customs and beliefs of the Pagan festival Samhain, although All Souls Day is mostly celebrated on the 2nd November.
Bonfires were also lit around the countryside lighting up the night sky orange to honour the sun gods passing, which is also why Bonfire Night in Britain is now a yearly occurrence on the 5th of November. Ritual celebration would commence, while humans and animals would be lead around the fires to bless them keeping them safe through the hard winter months that lay ahead.
Final feasts before the winter would be had, also in honour of those deceased and to help give them comfortable favour for the winter, and a flourishing crop the next summer.
In later centuries, with the belief that the realm of the dead and the living were closer together, and that spirits roamed freely still abundant, people believed that flames, or a light in the night time hours, would repel or scare away evil spirits, which is why candles are burnt on the night of Samhain, on windows or doorsteps. In more modern times carved out pumpkins, much of the time with scary menacing faces are made to add an extra fright to any evil spirit that might come wondering to close to ones house, today known as jack o'lanterns. Pumpkin caving is a relatively new practice, invented in the United States, which would have come from the common practice in Ireland and Scotland of placing candles in turnips for much the same intention of scaring away evil spirits, that might wish to inflict bad luck on a household or family or farming business.
Witches flying on Broomsticks on Halloween, probably comes from the fact that around the October time hallucinogenic Mushrooms were most common, the most famous being the Fly Agaric. Its believed they were consumed, sending the witch on some type of astral travel, causing their souls to fly around the countryside, maybe being spotted by local neighbours who knew the witch. Also around this time of year, people would put a broomstick between their legs and jump high, believing the higher they jumped, the higher their crops the following summer would grow, giving the impression of trying to fly, so people put two and two together. Maybe coming up with five.
Today it’s a time of year when much of the history is forgotten, but the fun and games of new is enjoyed. Apple Bobbing, was also practiced on Samhain. In ancient times water was seen as a doorway to the next world, so to bob for apples in water was symbolic of gaining treats from the afterlife, and when done on Samhain the effectiveness, it was believed, would be greatly increased.
By Barry Stevens
Source of photos.
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Many people see Halloween as an innocent time of the year for fun and ghoulish and spooky things, some with a religious agenda accuse it as being an evil Pagan festival, rife with sacrifice and other devilish things.
The historical aspects to this time of year tells a different story to both modern interpretations of both fun and evil.
The ancient Pagan Celtic festival of Samhain, agreed to by most historians to have fallen on October 31st was a festival of death. It is still celebrated today by modern Pagans, although depending on geographical circumstances and culture, some details may differ.
Its origins started in Celtic times, when the Pagans of the heath land would see this day as the end of the summer or light half of the year, when the Oak King or god would reign, finally to be slain on this night. Samhain was seen as a time when the light or the god of the sun was defeated by the dark god of death, or the dark side of nature, and when the dark half of the year was born, giving way to a new year, allowing the dark lord/god, or dark half of the year or winter to reign, until the start of the summer, which was known as Mayday on May 1st, a festival of life, when the god of light would then defeat the dark lord, or dark half of the year, and would then reign throughout the summer, to give up the fight again to darkness on the following Samhain, symbolising balance and the Pagan wheel of the year eternally rolling forward with the ever changing seasons of life and death.
To the Celts Samhain was seen as the ‘day or night of the dead‘, not only because it was seen as the death of the Sun God, but also meaning it was also a time when their livestock would be slaughtered to keep them alive throughout the dark half of the year, and when they reaped their last harvest, because October 31st was seen as the time of the first frost, killing much of their life giving crops and even some of the weaker older animals, so the older animals deemed less likely to survive the winter would be chosen for slaughter. Death is also associated with this festival because many elderly family members might not survive the cold nights to come.
Because of its association with death, it was also believed that on the night of Samhain the souls of their dead relatives and ancestors would be free to roam the countryside at night, because the veil from the living world to the otherworld would be at its thinnest at this time of year, so would also honour their dead relatives and those who went before them, which is where the belief that ghosts and other supernatural beings can be more commonly seen at Halloween in today’s culture. Christianity also chose its ‘All Souls Day’ or ‘Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed’ around the customs and beliefs of the Pagan festival Samhain, although All Souls Day is mostly celebrated on the 2nd November.
Bonfires were also lit around the countryside lighting up the night sky orange to honour the sun gods passing, which is also why Bonfire Night in Britain is now a yearly occurrence on the 5th of November. Ritual celebration would commence, while humans and animals would be lead around the fires to bless them keeping them safe through the hard winter months that lay ahead.
Final feasts before the winter would be had, also in honour of those deceased and to help give them comfortable favour for the winter, and a flourishing crop the next summer.
In later centuries, with the belief that the realm of the dead and the living were closer together, and that spirits roamed freely still abundant, people believed that flames, or a light in the night time hours, would repel or scare away evil spirits, which is why candles are burnt on the night of Samhain, on windows or doorsteps. In more modern times carved out pumpkins, much of the time with scary menacing faces are made to add an extra fright to any evil spirit that might come wondering to close to ones house, today known as jack o'lanterns. Pumpkin caving is a relatively new practice, invented in the United States, which would have come from the common practice in Ireland and Scotland of placing candles in turnips for much the same intention of scaring away evil spirits, that might wish to inflict bad luck on a household or family or farming business.
Witches flying on Broomsticks on Halloween, probably comes from the fact that around the October time hallucinogenic Mushrooms were most common, the most famous being the Fly Agaric. Its believed they were consumed, sending the witch on some type of astral travel, causing their souls to fly around the countryside, maybe being spotted by local neighbours who knew the witch. Also around this time of year, people would put a broomstick between their legs and jump high, believing the higher they jumped, the higher their crops the following summer would grow, giving the impression of trying to fly, so people put two and two together. Maybe coming up with five.
Today it’s a time of year when much of the history is forgotten, but the fun and games of new is enjoyed. Apple Bobbing, was also practiced on Samhain. In ancient times water was seen as a doorway to the next world, so to bob for apples in water was symbolic of gaining treats from the afterlife, and when done on Samhain the effectiveness, it was believed, would be greatly increased.
By Barry Stevens
Source of photos.
1
2
3
4
