With fall fast approaching, I thought it would be appropriate to get back into the swing of things with a little talk about Halloween. I'm an Anthropology major, I can't help myself. I posted pictures to trick you into reading!
Most of us know that Halloween is originally derived from 'All Hallows Eve'. However, before this there was the Celtic 'Samhain'. It was a celebration for an agricultural society at the end of the harvest, the last hurrah before settling down for a harsh and cold winter. The ancestors of those who died during the year were given one last recognition, along with other spirits (both good and bad) were given offerings such as sweets. Bonfires and carved turnips with candles inside them guarded the outskirts of the town, keeping the more destructive spirits away.
Christianity later came into the picture (most likely in the 8th century with Pope Gregory III), and the two cultures blended together. Samhain became Eve of All Saints (or all hallows) and became a day to entertain the supernatural world in hopes that it wouldn't interfere with the next day, when Christian souls would enter into heaven.
Today children dress up as the spirits of Samhain in what Anthropologist call "rites of reversal"—ceremonial situations that allow for reversal of appropriate behaviors. Rites of reversal often take place during transition periods, where there is less activity. It's a lot harder for a villiage to support a giant festival or party when you should be out taking care of the crops or cattle.
Witches- Witches appear in almost all cultures, but the european witch is an emblem of Halloween. The witch is an agent of the devil, and therefore subversive to society and often embodies a society's taboos and fears. The witch's strange cone shaped hat came from the inquisition's use of cone hats that were worn by heretics.
The broom first appears as a witch's vehicle in the mid-15th century. It is a woman's domestic item, and the great majority of witches were women. But it has been shown that a broom handle was used as an applicator of an atropine-laced hallucinogenic ointment, the so-called "flying ointment," a popular distraction from the dismal life in late medieval European cities, and this might explain its association with European witches.
So I hope you enjoyed my little post on Halloween. I think Halloween allows us to explore and face our fears, which makes it so interesting to humans.
Until Later,
Sondra
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