Travel & Lore: The Irish Origins of Halloween

Thinking back to my time in Dublin, I conjure images of stone buildings with robust doors set upon pristine, winding alleys; and of cozy pubs plastered with playful posters proclaiming the 1930's slogan, "My Goodness My Guinness!" I can vividly picture the rolling green hills and pastures beyond the city, separated by long lines of dry stone walls. Imagining the coast south of Galway, I surrender to the sound of the sea crashing against the Cliffs of Moher, now a UNESCO Global Geopark. I'm reminded it was under these clouds that the first pagan roots of Halloween took hold. Whether this seed is a result of Ireland's thin veil between worlds or our human desire to grapple with questions of life and death is yours to uncover.

Centuries ago, as the days grew dark and the fields were left to fallow, the Irish followers of Celtic Druids began to gather around large tribal bonfires to celebrate the festival of Samhain (pronounced Sow-Win). 

Samhain is the Celtic New Year and the the last of four Gaelic seasonal festivals. It divides the year from light to dark and marks the transition from summer to winter. It is from this deeply rooted concept of change and uncertainty that Samhain's rich cultural identity and (eventually) our modern Halloween traditions were born.

Historical Customs

Samhain is vividly connected to Irish mythology. Early Irish literature describes great assemblies with feasting, drinking,  slaughtering of animals and roaring bonfires. These gatherings are believed to have taken place at important mounds which were open on the eve of Samhain (October 31^st). In Irish mythology, the veil between the land of the living (Tìr nam Beó) and the land of the dead (Tìr nam Marbh) is at its thinnest during during this time. The open tombs were said to be faerie mounds, portals to the Otherworld through which the aos sí (pronounced ees-she) would emerge to ravage the landscape in preparation for winter.

What exactly the aos sí are is nebulous throughout history, depending greatly on local villages and time periods. To some they are spirits or faerie folk, to others they are fearsome otherworldly beasts, and yet to others still they are the ghosts of our beloved ancestors.

No matter what form these spirits took, most ancient Samhain rituals were meant to protect humans from crossing their paths.

Turnips were carved with scowling faces to scare off said spirits. Hearths were lit with large fires which were not swept for several days. The ashes would then be used for protection of children and livestock. In another custom, milk and water were required to be fresh on the eve of Samhain. In other words, your house must be in good order lest you draw the attention and ire of evil spirts. 

Christianity

The Catholic Church has a long history of reframing pagan holidays as Christian celebrations. It was an incredibly successful strategy for the spreading of Christianity, but for the sake of this essay let's simply focus on the effect (or lack thereof) this tactic had in Ireland. Although the 5^th Century's Pope Boniface attempted to dissolve Samhain by moving the celebration to May as a day to celebrate saints and martyrs, the Samhain fire festivals continued uninterrupted for another 400 years. During the 9^th Century, Pope Gregory finally overlapped the two holidays, proclaiming Samhain as All Saints' Day (November 1) and the following day All Souls' Day (November 2). October 31^st remained the eve of the fire festival, but with this change a name evolved: All Hallow's Eve.

The concept of spirits began to morph into the idea of souls and offerings were left inside (rather than outside) the home in hopes that loved ones would see they were not forgotten and thus be released from their purgatories.

Modern Halloween

We still see many of these historical concepts in our current Halloween traditions.

Jack O' Lanterns are now carved instead of the original turnips. Traditionally, the carved turnip heads would hang from poles to confuse the faeries in order to prevent the kidnapping of children (look up changelings—an ancient fear from Irish mythology). Later these turnips would be placed in windows or doorways, where we now place our pumpkins on Halloween.

In line with the concepts of spirits creating chaos and our mortal attempts to confuse them, disguises have long been customary on Halloween. In Ireland, a bit of mischief goes hand in hand with the high holiday. In some villages Samhain is still known as Oidhche nan Cleas (Night of Tricks) and Oíche Shamhna (pronounced "Ee-heh How-na) translates to Night of Mischief. Pranks include the pulling of cabbages and the movement of gates—all things that can easily be set right in a matter of days. These mischiefs, however, are usually targeted at the more grouchy members of the community, dramatizing their impact. Luckily for the children, their identities are well masked.

In the United States, costumes have evolved beyond the goal of concealing one's person. For almost 100 years it has become customary to select costumes which personify favorite movie characters or famous icons. If you feel we may have strayed too far from the original intent, fear not. It's my opinion that if the Sanderson Sisters can still be fooled,  you're probably safe.

Lastly, Halloween storytelling—be it written, on stage, or on film—heavily features imaginative monsters, spirts and supernatural entities that go bump in the night. Just as the United States and Mexico each have distinct Halloween traditions, each Irish county has it's own lore, traditions, and unique festivals. We invite you to explore what today's Samhain festivals have to offer from bonfires and archeological sites to concerts and ghost tours.

For all that we know about this ancient fire festival, there is much we do not. The earliest known Irish literature wasn't written until after Ireland's exposure to Christianity in the 5^th Century, meaning much of our knowledge of ancient Samhain practices is dependent upon Irish oral tradition. Oral traditions are fluid, changing over time. They are as receptive to creative influence and evolution as Hollywood's Halloween culture is today. In the end, only one thing is certain: For as long as humanity ponders the concepts of life and death, contemporary Halloween will offer a framework on which new ideas can blossom and much older ideas can still persist.