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Halloween's Celtic Roots

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  • 17-11-2006 6:45am
    #1
    Asiaprod
    Registered Users Posts: 6,737 ✭✭✭


    Just read this today on Archaeology.org. It is written by Jenny Butler, a Ph.D. student of Béaloideas/Folklore at the University College Cork in Ireland. The piece is too long so here is a link. Interesting stuff.

    http://www.archaeology.org/online/interviews/butler.html


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    #2
    Nevyn
    Closed Accounts Posts: 43,045 ✭✭✭✭Nevyn


    The bit about the bonfires is a bit spurious tbh.

    Bonfires cones from bone fires.
    It was the way to dispose of the bones from the slaughtering/culling of the animals in preperation for the winter which was where the bones came from.
    The bones and the chaff from the harvest would be burned on the land as part of an offering and for the renewal of the lands fertiltiy and that of the cattle that would graze on it.
    This we now know is part of the nitrogen cycle.

    Bonfires were a celtic/catholic thing and the puritans and prostetants would have had nothing to do with them until they has thier own reasons for the which was Guy falwks night.

    This can be seen in places in the usa where differnt types of settlers came
    and brought thier traditions with them.

    Over all a good article, I certainly would be intrested in read more of her publications.


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    #3
    joseph dawton
    Registered Users Posts: 195 ✭✭joseph dawton


    Yes the English word is a corruption but also possibly derived from the French word bon meaning good. The Irish is tine chnámh.

    From what I have read, the British celebrated what we call Samhain in the same way with bonfires on 31st or 1 Nov from pagan times, it being moved gradually to 5th Nov with a politicised burning of the Pope and/or Guido Fawkes as a result of the Gunpowder Plot (as Thaedydal pointed out). It was stopped by the puritans except in its 'protestant' form (dancing, maypoles, celebrating Christmas etc were also banned for a brief period). The tradition continues in the UK largely minus the religious prejudice (except in some parts of NI sadly). It would appear that this tradition is quite ancient and possibly existed throughout the celtic world, there is a lot of interesting info on this and many other genuine pagan 'left-overs' in "Echoes of a Savage Land" by Joe McGowan who is from Sligo.

    www.electricpublications.com


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