Samhain

Bonfires were ablaze. The scent of smoke wafted through the air. Despite the thick clouds that billowed forth, the moon and stars were all easily discerned in the night sky. They bathed the earth in an eerie glow, amplifying the sounds of the chants that chorused down the streets.

The spirits were alive.

Halloween, celebrated on October 31st, began as a celebration of the ending of the Celtic Year. The ancient Celtic festival was known as “Samhain” and was eventually Christianized. Pope Gregory III nominated November 1st as All Saints Day. Samhain in turn became “All Hallows Eve” and is now modern day “Halloween”. Throughout history, it was a religious affair with a strong tie to the departed and the changing of seasons.

Samhain not only celebrated the end of the Celtic year, but also marked the end of harvest season. The cold dark times were to follow. Winter was associated with death; on Samhain the spirits of those that had passed were supposed to walk the earth. The veil between the two worlds was at its thinnest and the living needed to act accordingly. During this time, the dead were treated with immense respect and the Asos Si were feared more than usual. The Druids, Celtic Priests, were said to have increased abilities during this time as well.

On Samhain, the souls of those that had recently passed were said to travel to the homes they once inhabited. They were welcomed by the living; places were often set at the table for them as well as by the fire. This can still be seen in cultures today. A similar tradition occurs on Dia De Los Muertos (November 1st- November 2nd). Alters are left for those recently deceased and the food offerings are meant to help souls on their journey to the afterlife.

Not only do spirits walk the earth on October 31st, but so do the Asos Si. They were comparable to faeries and were believed to be the descendants of the Tuathe De Danann, the Tribe of Danu. The name “Asos Si” means “people of the mounds” and often on Samhain offerings were left at the mounds where the Asos Si were thought to live. Food , drink, and crops were left for these creatures to ensure that the people and their livestock would survive the winter. The Asos Si were both feared and respected in the Celtic culture, but their existence was especially noted on this day. In later years, people would dress in costumes mimicking the Asos Si and other feared creatures in order to protect themselves from the ill fortune.

Samhain was celebrated with rituals and games and some can still be seen in modern society today, only slightly altered. The festivities often dealt with fortune telling and the predictions were typically centered around death and marriage. The festivities included bobbing for apples, nut roasting, and mirror gazing. Apple bobbing was a traditional Celtic festivity where the apples signified fertility and abundance; the first person to catch an apple with their teeth would also be the next one to be married. The Druids were also believed to have a clearer view of the future and could make more accurate predictions because of the thinning of the veil between the two worlds.

The Druids were also known to build large sacred bonfires where townspeople burnt crops as well as the animal sacrifices for the Celtic deities. The smoke from the fires was said to have cleansing and protective powers and was important in keeping away evil spirits as well as the Asos Si. In some instances, the bonfires were used to light torches that were carried around homes and fields clockwise to protect them from evil spirits that may have returned. During these events the Celtic people were also in disguise, perhaps the beginning of modern day Halloween Costuming. In later years, the fires were said to keep away the Devil, perhaps a Christianizing of the Celtic rituals.

A chorus of songs spread through the night, fitting into windows that had not yet been closed. A knock came upon the door. Finnian opened the door and revealed a group disguised as spirits and wild animals standing upon his doorstep. One carried a burning torch, another a turnip with a face cut into it. The turnip glowed, a burning piece of charcoal sat in the mouth. Their songs were joyous and in return, Finnian handed each a tasty treat that Shannon, Brigid, and Brianna had made earlier in the day. In exchange, the family would receive protection through the winter. The crops in the spring would be bountiful and the animals would survive.

Trick-or-treating, a modern day Halloween event in America, has roots in many different traditions. Above, is a fictitious scene where a group of disguised (costumed) individuals go from house-to-house “mumming”. They often impersonated the Asos Si and would sing songs and recite verses in exchange for food; they would receive offerings on the behalf of the creatures and the costumes were meant to protect the disguised from the Asos Asi. In modern culture the typical costumes range from vampires, werewolves, and zombies to cheerleaders, princesses, and ninjas. The costumes are no longer used to protect oneself from an evil spirit, but are instead used to express interests and fantastical images.

In Christian celebrations in the 12th century on All Hallows Eve, October 31st, it was still believed that the souls of the departed wandered earth and could seek vengeance on those that had wronged them in life. Costumes were also a part of these celebrations in order to hide true identities from the spirits.

The turnip mentioned in the above scene was the beginning of the modern jack-o-lantern. Jack-O-Lanterns were born from an Irish tale of a man, Jack, who made a deal with the devil. Jack invited the Devil to have a few drinks with him, but didn’t want to actually pay for the drinks. Instead, Jack convinced the Devil to turn into a coin to be used to pay for the drinks. Surprisingly, the Devil agreed and instead of using the coin to pay for drinks, Jack instead pocketed the coin that the Devil had turned into. He kept the coin beside a cross in his pocket which prevented the Devil from returning to his original form. Eventually, Jack freed the Devil but made a deal with him stating that if he were to die, the Devil would not claim his soul nor bother him for another year. One year later, Jack again tricks the Devil. He has the Devil climb a tree to pluck fruit and while the Devil is in the tree, Jack carves a cross into the tree to prevent him from coming down. Again, they make a deal. Jack will get rid of the cross if the Devil promises to not bother him for ten more years. Before the yen years were up, Jack died. God would not accept Jack into heaven (for obvious reasons) and the Devil held his word of not claiming Jack’s soul. Instead, Jack’s soul was sent off into the dark to wander for all of eternity. Jack carved out a turnip and placed a burning piece of coal within it as light. The Irish began to refer to this figure as “Jack of the Lantern” which eventually became “Jack-O-Lantern”.

The large colonial home was decorated with corn stalks and Jack-O-Lanterns lined the driveway. Some smiled and some scowled, but all had an inner light burning. A trail of kids made their way to the door. A few wore capes and wigs while others twirled in their princess ball gowns. In the doorway stood a witch with a large bowl of candy, beside her a dog sat dressed as a cowboy. His tail wagged as the children screeched, “Trick-or-treat!”

In America, Halloween didn’t become a major holiday until the mass Irish and Scottish immigration occurred in the 19th century. The immigrants brought with them their cultures and this included Samhain traditions. During the mid 19th century the holiday was only celebrated in the Irish and Scottish neighborhoods but eventually it made its way into mainstream culture. By the early 20th century, the holiday was celebrated from the east to west coast by the rich and the poor.

Halloween in America lost its religious connotations early on. It was instead supposed to be focused on community and bringing neighborhoods together through games and festivities. Many of the Celtic games continued into modern day society, like bobbing for apples and pumpkin carving. In many communities there are parades celebrating Halloween as well. Trick-or-treating though didn’t become a widespread celebration until the early 1950s. It can still be seen in communities across America today and is an easy way for communities to come together in celebration.

Halloween, All Hallows Eve, or Samhain is a holiday that marks the changing of the seasons. It means that harvest season is over and the leaves have fallen to the earth to decompose and become nutrients for next year’s growth. It is a time for celebration and remembrance. Dress in your favorite costume, carve a pumpkin, bob for apples, and in doing so think of where the traditions began and what they have now become. Though many things have changed since Halloween began as “Samhain” the importance of community in the celebrations is still prevalent in today’s society.

Katrina Thornley is a Rhode Island based author and currently has 2 collections of poetry published as well as a collection of short stories. Find more information here: www.seekatwrite.com

Links used:

• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aos_S%C3%AD?fbclid=IwAR28dkL_-TCn1WOQ9tighy_T9H1kEVTWmTMep1ZOXtfQ_Ah3KzYqI-Soiqc
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween?fbclid=IwAR0KxJuSKOkChHlU6-i3un_fTcSWzBTSzm9Wb1zHxZCrv5mJqQpHfhAp0uo
• https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween?fbclid=IwAR3DlR1AA-a0N_s9yGgaiW3ntNcKiW0y2-e520Q84iwZ37AakyFHiNzdwLs