Halloween - Witches, Fairies, Bonfires & Celts
Pagan Celtic Rites to Witches on Broomsticks,Hallowe'en Night Spooks
Oct 26, 2009
Since the Celtic period, Halloween, then known as Samhuinn (or Samhain) was a time for the supernatural, a night when the dead would rise and ghosts walk amongst the living, when malevolent witches would convene to cast their evil spells and when the fairies would rally, flying from hill to hill. As the pagan rites of Samhuinn evolved into the churchly tradition of All Hallows, these beliefs and superstitions did not disappear. Indeed, superstitions for the eve of Halloween became more entrenched in the European psyche.
Samhuinn (now known as Halloween) for Celts
To the Celts, the Sun was a God and was worshipped by fire. On the night of Samhuinn massive bonfires were lit on hilltops to try to combat the powers of darkness and ensure the return of the Sun after the dark, cold winter. Indeed, this was a night when it was possible to see a chain of hundreds of bonfires burning brightly across England, Scotland and Wales. To the superstitious Celts, their Samhuinn bonfires would prove a remedy to withchcraft, as they believed the witches would be hovering unseen in the air and be consumed by the purifying flames of the bonfire.
The Celts also believed that at Samhuinn, the hours of darkness caused malevolent influences to be abroad, and the walking of the dead. Many of their traditions for this night centred around pacifying the spirits of the ghosts and the walking dead.
Halloween, Witches Conventions
Halloween was, and indeed still is, a night for one of the great witches' sabbaths or conventions. Witches can be seen, after dark, flying across the moonlit sky on their broomsticks or even astride giant cats on their way to the Hallowmas Rade (or Ride). Traditionally they would meet in desolate locations, the lonely moors or windswept beaches, but a favourite meeting place for witches was also the church graveyard. Although the Church voiced many concerns about the popularity of the ancient orgiastic rites of Samhuinn, its voice was not heeded.
Halloween, A Night for the Fairies to Rally
Traditionally, Halloween was one night when fairies would rally in massive numbers and fly from hilltop to hillop. It was believed that any mortals who had been snatched by fairies could be recovered back to the land of the living by the use of magic. However, the spell to recover mortals from the fairies was only potent on the night of Halloween.
Halloween was also the night when doors opened to Fairyland, when it was a tradition for mortals to be able to visit the land of the fairies and return unharmed.
Halloween Traditions, Burn the Witches
One ancient Halloween tradition dating back to Celtic times was to burn the witch on the bonfire. This custom was still practised up to Victorian times. In the area around Balmoral an effigy of a hideous witch - known as the Shandy Dann - would be burnt by locals, indeed there are records that even the Victorian Royal Family enjoyed the revels.
Halloween in Literature
In ancient British literature, Janet managed to bring back her lost love, who had been taken by fairies, on the night of Halloween, in the ballad Tamlane. Sir Walter Scott, famous Scottish author, wrote many stories of Halloween and of course, Robert Burns, the Scottish Bard, is famed for his poetry about Halloween. See, for example, Burns' poem Hallowe'en, for an idea of Scottish Halloween in the 1700s or the tale of Tam O'Shanter.
Also See: History of Halloween, Druid or Christian?
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