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History and Ideals of Gaelic Traditionalism v 1.6
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Festivals Part 2 - Samhain v.2.0 by Iain Mac an tSaoir Samhain: Samhain (SAH-vin) is the beginning of the Celtic new year. In the Gregorian calendar that we use today, it falls on approximately November 1st. This is the time of the rising of the Pleiades. This occurance is a fixed point in the year. It had different names amongst northern European peoples. The Pleiades has been refered to as "Theodosius's group" in Hanes Taliesin. In Irish Gaelic it was called "seachd-reultan" which means "seven stars". Amongst the Gaels the seven stars may have also been called: Crannarain (the spearmen?), Grica/n, Griglean (an old sword?), Grioglacha/n (the seven stars) and Meanmach (the spirited ones?). The rising of this constellation heralds the triumph of night over day. Now it is the "time of the little sun", and the portion of the year which is ruled by the realms of the moon. There has been some little amount of controversy about the date of Samhain. The arguments in favor of astrological and Coligny calendar dates and times for the festival of Samhain have caused much debate in the modern spiritual community. The cultural community, however, the North American Gaels who still celebrate Oidhche Shamhna, follow no such controversy. The simple fact for them is that the celebrations occur beginning at sundown Halloween night, and continue until dawn. There is ample evidence that many of the rural customs now practiced at the New Years day that we know, were originally practiced at the New Years that our Celtic ancestors knew. Samhain is the Celtic New Year, Hogmanay is celebrated at the modern day New Year's Eve. Amongst the many bits of evidence portraying this movement of the celebration is that the Manx celebrate Hogmanay at Samhain. Also to be considered is that in the areas where the Church saw a greater degree of success January is refered to as the black month, while in Scotland, Brittany and Cornwall, November has this title. So if we assume a common tradition: we have a bit more evidence to the "switching" of the two. Because of the probability that the old customs associated with Samhain were transfered to the modern New Years celebration, the customs for both will be included. It will however be noted which celebration the exact customs are associated with in the modern era. While there seems to be several Gods associated with Samhain, classically speaking the life of Lugh seems to be the main focus. In the three days preceding Samhain, the God of Light Lugh, dies at the hand of his Tanist, who is himself the Lord of Mis-rule. Lugh then passes through the veil between the worlds on Samhain. The Tanist is a stingy and harsh King who, while shining brightly in the skies, gives no warmth to the land. He cannot warm the North Wind which is the breath of the Cailleach Bheare. This is indicative of the cyclical harmony of seasonal dominance, which teaches us that neither Life nor Death can ever hold permanent sway. Death was never far from our ancestors, and there was not the fear of it that permeates the society we live in today. Yet while death itself wasn't feared, it was held to be important to die with honor. Through dying well, people had the promise of living on in this world through their Clann and at Fleadh nan Mairbh (Feast of the Dead). It is at this time the ancestors were honored and the dead were remembered. These feasts were in the earlier times tribal in nature and people would travel great distances to attend their tribal feast. The festival actually lasted over a period of three days. What has come down to us in folklore customs associated with "hallowe'en" in the form of guising, tumpshie lanterns and apple dooking are shadows of the ancient festivities. While the whole month has the name Samhain, the festival itself began in the eve of the first day of the month. Samhain was the great "gathering of the tribes". The feast itself took place on Samhain Eve. Settings were placed at the tables for those who had passed on to Tir na Nog (OtherWorld), and the dead were interacted with in other ways as well. It was also a time to say good bye to those who had gone on during the previous year. This is one of two times in the year when the veil between this world and Tir Na Nog, the Shield of Skathach, is at its thinnest. For this reason it was a time of divination as well as the interaction with those who had gone on. This day was considered to be a day that did not exist. Because of this, the Spirits of the Dead and those yet to be born into the Clann walked freely amongst the living. Food and entertainment were provided in their honour. In this way the Clann remained in unity with its past, present and future. The common modern practice of carving pumpkins in the States, and turnips in the old countries, is said to stem from the days when our ancestors were active head hunters. They believed that the spirit resided in the head. They also believed that if they controlled the head of a foe they had killed in battle, and displayed the head at Samhain, then that foe could do them no further ill during this time when they could again walk in this realm. This practice was modified in the times after the rise to domination by Christianity. It was, however, remolded into the practice of carving vegetables for the same purpose - that being to keep away spirits intending harm. It was a time of fairs and festivities. As with all the fire festivals, fires were lit on the hilltops at Samhain. This festival was one of the two when all hearth fires were extinguished and re-lit from the communal bonfires. The cattle were driven back from the mountains where they had been sent for the summer. At this time they were driven between two bonfires to purify and protect them. People and cattle both had now returned from the hills and glens to their winter quarters and were engaged in actively re-tying the social bonds. At Burghead, in Moray, there is an intesting custom still enacted. It is known as "the burning of the clavie", which while in the modern era is carried out on the night of January 11 (New year's Day according to the old calendar), is thought to originate with the original New Years Day, Samhain. At one time the clavie was a herring barrel filled with tar and packed with staves. Today, iron-hooped whisky barrels coated with creosote are used. The barrel is nailed onto a carrying post - with the same nail is used every year. The clavie is lit by a peat from the hearth of an old Burghead Provost, and from there carried by the elected Clavie King. Each of the ten or so men (usually fishermen) take turns in carrying the burning clavie clockwise around the streets of Burghead. They will occasionally stop at the houses of former eminent citizens to present them with a piece of the burning clavie to bring the household good luck for the year ahead. They then proceed to the stone altar of an old fort on Doorie Hill, where the clavie is set down and fuel is added until the hillside is ablaze with a beacon of fire. In general it was a time of masks, groping, drinking, laughing, dooking for apples, and on occasion, public sex by a gentleman crowned as Hogmanay himself , taking ladies and gentlemen who offered themselves where they stood (relative to the modern New Years celebration). Actually, more modern interpretations involve slamming pots and pans together, yelling, and noise making one minute to midnight with all your household windows open so that last year's bad luck will beat a hasty retreat. Then, as midnight rolls over into the new year, sing to let the good luck in! Also there is the first-footing of households all over. Typically, a dark-haired young lad runs through the front door of the house bearing whiskey, pennies, and bread, singing. As the first visitor of the household, he blesses it with prosperity for the new year. In some areas he makes his rounds of the house and thn leaves, but in others, it is pertinent that he leave by a back window, thus "tricking" the good luck to stay in the house. In some areas of Scotland, first-footing has evolved into a type of post-midnight group visitation to different houses, carolling...A fun night to be had by all! Twigs of evergreen are recommened first footing items too; for fishing commmunities such as Dundee, a red herring. If the Footer... --also known as the Quaaltagh on the Isle of Man -- fails to bring anything expect a miserable year. The best quaaltagh is a person born foot first; while the worst quaaltagh is a spaagah, a splay footed man." The "dark" nature of the "stranger" is very important. In fact the "dark" feature is apparently a lot more important then the "stranger" part. This tends to remind one of the Hallowe'en tradition of blackfacing. It's a reference to the blackfaced king of the festival, perhaps of all of Winter. The Rees touch on him briefly in Celtic Heritage, saying that a scythe, sickle or sword is his embem of office. Perhaps the Dusky One, Donn as the Lord of Death? Regarding New Years celebrations Quentin Cooper and Paul Sullivan state in their work, "Maypoles, Martyrs and Mayhem: 366 Days of British Customs, Myths and Eccentricities" : (p. 1) "It is unlucky to give credit, or cause someone to be in your debt on New Year. But to give unconditionally brings unbridled good fortune, and this is the basis of first-footing. The correct first-foot steps should be made by a man -- usually tall and dark, but that varies enormously up and down the country -- who should arrive after midnight carrying symbols of wealth, warmth and food. A favorite combination is coal, salt and cake -- sometimes known as handsel. Ideally, the Footer should be an outsider and he should be entertained when he has finished symbolicking around.... Those seeking bucketfuls of good luck have to drag themselves away from the first-footing fun to ensure that they get the Cream of the Well. This is the first water drawn from the well at the beginning of the year. If brings fabulous wealth and happiness to the household. Obsessives have been known to camp overnight by wells... The one who wins the Cream -- or Flower -- sprinkles hay or petals on the surface of the water, to let late-comers know the well has been deflowered and to placate the resident water spirit...In Scotland, lonely women were in luck if they won the Cream. One mouthful and the would be married in 12 months." Regarding Samhain proper Cooper and Paul Sullivan state: (p. 294): "Of similiar ancient vintage, but better remembered, is the relationship between the islanders of Lewis in the outer Hebrides and the water god Shony, also known as Spony. In the weeks leading up to Halloween, pocketfuls of malt were brought to the church of St. Mulray on Lewis. They were combined and brewed into a batch of ale. Tonight before the church service a surrogate preacher used to wade up to his waist in the sea, carrying a cup of the strange brew and saying the Gaelic equivelant of "Shony, I give you this cup of ale, hoping that you'll be so kind as to send us plenty of sea-ware for enriching our ground for the ensuing year. Sea-ware refers to sea weed, a food stuff vital the island's economy. Songs and dancing followed. This blatant hobknobbing with old gods came to an end only late last century." They also stated regarding Samhain: (p. 294) "Having been stuck in Purgatory -- or in some cases even further afield -- the dead often needed help to make it back to the here and now. Bells used to be rung tonight to enable them to chart their course...Bonfires fulfilled much the same purpose, acting as a homing-beacon for short-sighted souls, and at the same time giving an unmistakable signal that all evil spirits should steer clear. Because of their pagan and otherworldly connections, these fires were often built on ancient tumuli. In Wales and Scotland, where settlement was scattered, it was common for each family to light its own bonfire, whose blazes also protected homes from ill-fortune over the year ahead. A burning peat swiped from an enemy's bonfire was a great prize and scattering a neighbor's fire -- whether through enmity or incompetence -- transferred their good luck to your own household. At Balquhidder in the Central Region the last embers of this custom died out only this century." It's also a tradition that the state of the house on New Years is how it'll be for the coming year. For this reason they clean their houses thoroughly and fill it with company and cheer. About this Cooper ans Sulliven state: "(p. 364) "If you end the year in poverty, tradition says you will spend the coming year in poverty. The only consolations are that, in Scotland, this is traditionally an auspicious day for weddings..." This causes a reflection of the divinitory aspect of Hallowe'en, when one could sit at the churchporch and here the names of the coming years dead. Perhaps the "window" that views the coming year gives both sides a peek of the other. Another custom was that women were known to kiss total stangers. There is one Person that cannot be forgotten when speaking of Samhain. That is the Pu\ca (POO-kuh). He is an amorphous being, sometimes a huge goat,sometimes a huge sea eagle, sometimes a raging dark steed, sometimes a creature with the head of one and the body of another, this solitary member of the Gaelic otherworld is said to reside in a magical craig at the foot of Cnoc Padraig, waiting for Samhain. On this night, he spirits away on his back to the Otherworld any unwary traveller who dares to deny the magic of this night. He is nightmarish and humourous and he spends his free time on Samhain roaming the countryside and urinating on any berries still left on the vine or tree, poisoning them. Just prior to the festival, the stores that had been put up had been assessed. Part of this assessment was how many could be fed during the cold months ahead. Rather than have whole herds starve to death in the winter, the herds were culled and the weakest were harvested and the meat was preserved. The taking of life was done in a sacred way, and the utilitarian killing of the excess livestock had a sacrificial nature. Another area where the religious philosophy is addressed was in the bonds of kinship. These were renewed in the Clann spirit that was invoked at this time of year. Traditionally, Samhain is when the time of storytelling by the fires of the hearth starts, as there isn't much to do outside during this "time of the little sun." Many of us in the Gaelic diaspora create the atmosphere and celebration of Oidhche Shamhna where we live, with friends and family. We utilize the old spiritual values as well as the old customs. It begins at sundown with the feast. We give oatcakes and candies out to trick or treaters, and warn them to beware of the Pu\ca, for this was his night out. For those that wish to spend some time visiting, we retell the old tales. Around midnight, it is usual to find our people doing a votive ceremony to honor the ancestors, as well as a meditation to see if there was anything they needed to tell us. We also focus on the Dagda, the Morrigan, and the sacred idea of Samhain. Common staples at the feast include not only pumpkins and other seasonal foods, but also and especially salmon and hazelnuts. It is not uncommon to find passion plays being enacted. Often the topic of these plays is the prelude to the Battle of Maig Tuired. Special Thanks To
Sources: prepared by Iain MacAnTsaoir |
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