Halloween

Originally posted on myspace October 30, 2005

The Gaelic Celts believe that they are the fourth race to occupy Ireland. When they came over (presumably from the mainland) they warred with the previous occupants who were a race of semi-immortals (do not die of old age but can be killed). This was a race that was steeped in mysticism and magic. Eventually the Gaels won driving the previous race, called the Sidhe (pronounced SCHEE as in banshee), into the nether world, a ghostly pace between earth and death which men visit sometimes in their dreams. Men made bargains with them, they stole children, etc.. The Sidhe became the origin of the goblins, leprechauns, brownies, elves, etc..

The entrances to the nether world could be found in stones and rings of mushrooms, but were most commonly attributed to old tree hollows and the recessions between large roots. Small hillocks were also thought to contain mystic doorways or portals to this nether world. These entrances were locked, sometimes from our side and sometimes from theirs. When certain conditions were met they would open for a time. Such conditions were spilling blood in a particular shape, singing a specific rhyme, or even touching the right place on the stone or tree. More people opened these doorways by accident or coincidence than by design. Sometimes this led the way for plagues or mischief makers, some times it provided the protagonist with rewards of success or riches. These random opening allowed some of the Sidhe to escape and they wanderer Ireland rewarding and punishing as their whims took them.

One night of the year however, all of the doorways, all the stones and hollows were open starting at twilight and ending with the first rays of the sun. On this night, supposedly the first night of the fourth full moon after the summer solstice by some accounts and the autumn equinox by others but generally accepted to be October 31st, the Sidhe rode out in force to take revenge on their surplanters by stealing the Gael's children. This was not an organized invasion, more like a mob. The Sidhe who chose to make themselves visible or were sympathetic to the Gaels would offer the owner of a home the option of "trick or treat", treat being an offering of peace and trick being the consequences of refusing. Some consequences were cows giving spoilt milk, chicken's refusing to lay eggs, strikes of lightning, illnesses, etc... Common treats were food or glasses of milk or ale. Trick or treat was an assumed thing, and the treats were left out on the porch. If no treat could be easily found it was assumed that a trick would occur.

The Sidhe who were completely evil went straight for the children. Parents who did not want their children kiddnapped dressed them up as goblins and ghouls to trick the Sidhe into thinking the children were fellow Sidhe. These children were left alone. As night deepened and people began to go to bed, or for those who wanted to scare away most of the "trick or treaters", pumpkins were placed in the home's windows. These pumpkins were hollowed out and carved with terrifying faces and lit from within by candles. These pumpkins were supposed to scare the Sidhe away and were thought to protect the home by trickery. They were called jack'olanterns, which directly means Jack of the lanterns but should mean lanterns for Jack, Jack being a common name for the Puck, a fairy or goblin held responsible for most of the horrible happenstances in Ireland. They called him Jack because that was the name which would not invite his attention. Jack was a fairly common name, so if one were to ask which Jack you were refering to you would reply Jack of the Lanterns, or he who we ward off with the pumpkin lanterns.

This night was called All Hollows Eve, or the evening where all the hollows were open. Time and evolution of language has turned it into Halloween.

There are other myths and events that tie into our holiday of Halloween, some from other cultures, but these are the origins of what is at the core of Halloween.


Just thought somebody might want to know.