Samhain | Can’t Sleep? Discover An Ancient Celtic Tradition

Samhain is an ancient Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. This episode explores the origins of Samhain, how it was traditionally celebrated, and the customs and beliefs associated with this important time of year. Along the way, you’ll hear about bonfires, seasonal traditions, the supernatural, and Samhain’s connections to later Halloween customs.

It’s steady and consistent, with no whispering and no sudden changes, just enough to give your mind something to follow as you wind down. Happy sleeping!

Transcript

Welcome to the I Can't Sleep Podcast, Where I help you drift off one fact at a time. I'm your host Benjamin Boster, And today's episode is about Samhain. Thank you Marty for sponsoring today's episode. This one is dedicated to his wife and he wanted to say happy birthday lovey. Samhain is a Gaelic festival on November 1st, Marking the end of the harvest season in autumn and beginning of winter, Or the darker half of the year. It is also the Irish and Scottish Gaelic name for November. Celebrations begin on the evening of October 31st, Since the Celtic day began and ended at sunset. This is about halfway between the autumnal equinox and winter solstice. It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals, Along with Imbolc, Beltane and Lunasa. Historically, It originated in Ireland, And it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland, And the Isle of Man. Its Brittonic-Celtic equivalent is called Calan Gaeaf in Wales. Samhain is believed to have Celtic pagan origins, And some Neolithic passage tombs in Great Britain and Ireland are aligned with the sunrise at the time of Samhain. Samhain is mentioned in the earliest Irish literature from the 9th century and is associated with many important events in Irish mythology. The early literature says Samhain was marked by great gatherings and feasts, And was when the ancient burial mounds were opened, Which were seen as portals to the other world. The festival was not recorded in detail until the early modern era. Special bonfires were lit, Which were deemed to have protective and cleansing powers. Like Beltana, Samhain was a liminal or threshold festival, When the boundary between this world and the other world blurred, Making contact with the Ace Shi, The spirits or fairies, More likely. Most scholars see them as remnants of pagan deities. At Samhain they are appeased with offerings of food and drink to ensure the people and livestock survive the winter. The souls of dead kin were also thought to revisit their homes, Seeking hospitality, And a place was set at the table for them during a meal. Mumming and guising were part of the festival, From at least the early modern era, Whereby people went door to door in costume, Reciting verses in exchange for food. The costumes may have been a way of imitating and disguising oneself from the ace she. Divination was also a big part of the festival and often involved nuts and apples. In the 19th century, John Rhys and James Fraser suggested it had been the Celtic New Year, But that is disputed. In the 19th century, The Western Church endorsed November 1st as the date of All Saints Day, Possibly due to the influence of Alcuin or Irish missionaries, And the 2nd of November later became All Souls Day. It is believed that Samhain and all saints all souls influenced each other and the modern Halloween. Most American Halloween traditions were inherited from Irish and Scottish immigrants. Folklorists have used the name Samhain to refer to Gaelic Halloween costumes until the 19th century. Since the later 20th century, Celtic neo-pagans and Wiccans have observed Samhain, Or something based on it, As a religious holiday. In modern Irish and Scottish Gaelic, The name is Samhain, While the traditional Monks Gaelic name is Samhain spelled S-A-U-I-N. It is usually written with the definite article Anseann, Irish, Anseann, Scottish Gaelic, And Anseann, Monks. Older forms of the word include the Scottish Gaelic spellings S-A-M-H-A-I-N-N. End. S A M H U I N N. The Gaelic names for the month of November are derived from Samhain. The Irish name for Samhain Night is Eagle Hauna. The name of the superficially similar Galician festival as Samayin from Sidera Comarca is etymologically unrelated, Being derived from the Latin sambucum, Elderberry. These names all come from the Old and Middle Irish Samhain or Samhain, The name for the festival held on November 1st in medieval Ireland. Traditionally, It is derived from Proto-Indo-European simo, Summer. But as John T. Koch points out, It is unclear why a festival marking the beginning of winter would include the word for summer. Linguist Joseph Vandrias contends that it is unrelated, Saying that the Celtic summer ended in August. More recently, Linguists Xavier Delamarre and Ranko Matasovic have proposed that it derives from the Proto-Celtic Samoni, Cognate with Old Norse Saman, Gothic Samana, And Sanskrit Samana, All meaning together. As well as the old Irish term Bexamen, Be swarmed. Dalamar further suggests it could refer to an assembly of the living and the dead. The word Saman is believed to be related to the month name Samon on the Gaulish Kalinyi calendar from the 2nd century CE. The seventeenth day of Samana is marked as Trinaksa Samani, The three nights of Samana, Indicating a possible festival. This festival could represent the early November festival of Saman, Or possibly the summer solstice. Six months later is the month Jiyaman, Which appears to contain the word for winter. An early Irish glossary, Sanus Cormac, Gives Gamon as November, The winter month after the Festival of Salmon. Saman or Samhain was the name of the festival Feesh, Marking the beginning of winter in Gaelic Ireland. It is attested in the earliest old Irish literature, Which dates from the 9th century onwards. Samhain was one of four Gaelic seasonal festivals. Samhain, Roughly November 1st. Imbolc, Roughly February 1st. Beltana, Roughly May 1st. And Lunasa, Roughly August 1st. Of these, Samhain and Beltanum, Marking the transitions into winter and summer respectively, Are thought to have been the most significant. Sir James George Fraser, In his 1890 book, The Golden Bough, A Study in Magic and Religion, Theorized that these festivals, Particularly May 1st and November 1st, Were significant to herding communities practicing seasonal transhumans. Cattle were driven to summer pastures in May and returned to lowlands in November, Suggesting the festival's pastoral origins. Some Neolithic passage tombs in Ireland are aligned with the sunrise around the times of Samhain and Imbolc. These include the Mound of the Hostages, Duva-Nongil, At the Hill of Tara, And Cairn el-Sleeve-Naqalia. While Irish mythology was originally a spoken tradition, Much of it was eventually written down in the Middle Ages by Christian monks. The 10th century tale Tomarq Emre, The Wooing of Ymir, Lists Samhain as the first of the four seasonal festivals of the year. The literature says a peace would be declared, And there were great gatherings where they held meetings, Feasted, Drank alcohol, And held contests. These gatherings are a popular setting for early Irish tales. The tale Ectra Cormac, Cormac's Adventure, Says that the Feast of Tara was held every 7th Samhain, Hosted by the High King of Ireland, During which new laws and duties were ordained. Anyone who broke the laws established during this time would be banished. According to Irish mythology, Samhain, Like Beltana, Was a time when the doorways to the other world opened, Allowing supernatural beings and the souls of the dead to come into our world. While Beltano was a summer festival for the living, Samhain was essentially a festival for the dead. The boyhood deeds of Finn says that the She, Fairy mounds or portals to the other world, Were always open at Samhain. Each year the fire-breather Aelin emerges from the Otherworld and burns down the Palace of Tara during the Samhain festival after lulling everyone to sleep with his music. One saw when the young Finn, Mak-Kul, Stays awake and slays Aelin with a magical spear, For which he is made leader of the Fianna. In a similar tale, One Saw One, The other world being Kulduve emerges from the burial mound on Slevenamon and snatches a roast pig. Finn kills Kul'du with a spear throw as he re-enters the mound. Finn's thumb is caught between the door and the post as it shuts, And he puts it in his mouth to ease the pain. As his thumb has been inside the other world, Finn is bestowed with great wisdom. This may refer to gaining knowledge from the ancestors. Several sites in Ireland are especially linked to Samhain. Each Tsawan, A host of otherworldly beings, Was said to emerge from the cave of Krukan in county Raskaman. The hill of Ward, Or Tlaska, In County Meath, Is thought to have been the site of a great Samhain gathering and bonfire. The Iron Age ringfort is said to have been where the goddess or druid Tlatka gave birth to triplets, And where she later died. Samhain was one of the four main festivals of the Gaelic calendar, Marking the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. So in customs are mentioned in several medieval texts. It is said that the festival of the Ula Datsawan lasted a week. So in itself, And the three days before and after. It involved great gatherings where they held meetings, Feasted, Drank alcohol, And held contests. The Togul Brudinadag Derga notes that bonfires were lit at Salwan and stones cast into the fires. It is mentioned in Geoffrey Keating's Foras Basra ur Aran. Which was written in the early 1600s but drew on earlier medieval sources, Some of which are unknown. He claims that the Fesh of Tara was held for a week every third Samhain, When the nobles and ulims of Ireland met to lay down and renew the laws, And to feast. He also claims that the Druids lit a sacred bonfire at Tlatka and made sacrifices to the gods, Sometimes by burning their sacrifices. He adds that all other fires were doused and relit from this bonfire. Like Beltane, Bonfires were lit on hilltops at Samhain, And there were rituals involving them. By the early modern era, They were most common in parts of Scottish Highlands, On the Isle of Man, In North and Mid Wales, And in parts of Ulster. F. Marion McNeill says that they were formerly need fires, But that this custom died out. Likewise, Only certain kinds of wood were traditionally used, But later records show that many kinds of flammable material were burnt. It is suggested that the fires were a kind of imitative or sympathetic magic, Mimicking the sun, Helping the powers of growth, And holding back the decay and darkness of winter. They may also have served to symbolically burn up and destroy all harmful influences. Accounts from the 18th and 19th centuries suggest that the fires, Smoke, And ashes were deemed to have protective and cleansing powers. People also took the flames from the bonfire back to their homes. During the 19th century in parts of Scotland, Torches of burning fur or turf were carried sunwise around homes and fields to protect them. In some places, People douse their hearth fires on Samhainite. Each family then solemnly relit its hearts from the communal bonfire, Thus bonding the community. The 17th century writer Geoffrey Keating claimed that this was an ancient tradition instituted by the Druids. Dousing the old fire and bringing in the new way have been a way of banishing evil, Which was part of New Year's festivals in many countries. At household festivals throughout the Gaelic regions and Wales, Many rituals were intended to divine the future of those gathered, Especially concerning death and marriage. Apples and hazelnuts were often used in these divination rituals and games. In Celtic mythology, Apples were strongly associated with the otherworld and immortality, While hazelnuts were associated with divine wisdom. One of the most common games was apple bobbing. Another involved hanging a small wooden rod from the ceiling at head height, With a lit candle on one end, And an apple hanging from the other. The rod was spun round and everyone took turns to try to catch the apple with their teeth. Apples were peeled in one long strip, The peel tossed over the shoulder, And its shape was said to form the first letter of the future spouse's name. Samhain was seen as a liminal time, When the boundary between this world and the other world could more easily be crossed. This meant that the Ace Shi, The spirits or fairies, Could more easily come into our world. Many scholars see the Aishi as remnants of pagan gods and nature spirits. At Tsawwan, It was believed that the Aish-Shee needed to be propitiated to ensure that the people and their livestock survive the winter. Offerings of food and drink would be left outside for the Aishi, And portions of the crops might be left in the ground for them. People also took special care not to offend the Aishi and sought to ward off anyone out to cause mischief. They stayed near to home, Or, If forced to walk in the darkness, Turned their clothing inside out, Or carried iron or salt to keep them at bay. In Southern Ireland, It was customary on Samhain to weave a small cross of sticks and straw, Called a parshol, Which was similar to Bridget's cross and God's eye. It was fixed over the doorway to ward off bad luck, Sickness, And witchcraft, And would be replaced each Samhain. The dead were also honored at Samhain. The beginning of winter may have been seen as the most pitting time to do so, As it was a time of dying in nature. The souls of the dead were thought to revisit their homes, Seeking hospitality. Places were set at the dinner table and by the fire to welcome them. The belief that the souls of the dead return home on one night of the year and must be appeased seems to have ancient origins and is found in many cultures throughout the world. James Fraser suggests it was perhaps a natural thought that the approach of winter should drive the poor, Shivering, Hungry ghosts from the bare fields and the leafless woods to the shelter of the cottage. However, The souls of thankful kin could return to bestow blessings just as easily as that of a wrong person could return to wreak revenge. In some areas, Mumming and guising were part of Samhain. It was first recorded in 16th century Scotland, And later in parts of Ireland, Mann, And Wales. People went from house to house in costume or disguise, Usually reciting songs or verse in exchange for food. It may have evolved from a tradition whereby people impersonated the Aeshi, Or the souls of the dead, And received offerings on their behalf. Impersonating these spirits, Her souls was also believed to protect oneself from them. S. V. Petal suggests the geysers personify the old spirits of the winter, Who demanded reward in exchange for good fortune. McNeill suggests that the ancient festival included people in masks or costumes representing these spirits, And that the modern custom came from this. In Ireland costumes were sometimes worn by those who went about before nightfall, Collecting for a solemn feast. Hutton writes, When imitating malignant spirits, It was a very short step from guising or playing pranks. Playing pranks at Samhain is recorded in the Scottish Highlands as far back as 1736, And was also common in Ireland, Which led to Samhain being nicknamed Mischief Night in some parts. Wearing costumes at Halloween spread to England in the 20th century, As did the custom of playing pranks, Though there had been mumming at other festivals. At the time of mass transatlantic Irish and Scottish immigration, Which popularized Halloween in North America, Halloween in Ireland and Scotland had a strong tradition of guising and pranks. Trick-or-treating may have come from the custom of going door-to-door, Collecting food for Samhain feasts, Fuel for Samhain bonfires, Or offerings for the Aishi. Alternatively, It may have come from the All-Hallowtide custom of collecting soul cakes. The traditional illumination for geysers or pranksters abroad on a night in some places was provided by turnips or mangle-wurzels hollowed out to act as lanterns and often carved with grotesque faces. They were also set on windowsills. By those who made them, The lanterns were variously said to represent the spirits of supernatural beings, Or were used to ward off evil spirits. These were common in parts of Ireland and the Scottish Highlands in the 19th century. They were also found in Somerset. In the 20th century, They spread to other parts of Britain and became generally known as jack-o'-lanterns. In the Brittonic branch of the Celtic languages, Samhain is known as the Kalans of winter. The Britannic lands of Wales, Cornwall and Brittany held festivals on October 31st, Similar to the Gaelic one. In Wales, It is Calan Gaeaf. In Cornwall, It is Allentide or Calan Gwaf. And in Brittany, It is Calan Gwan. The monks celebrate Hāptanā on October 31st, Which is a celebration of the original New Year's Eve. Traditionally, Children carve turnips rather than pumpkins and carry them around the neighborhood singing traditional songs relating to Hopdana. It is suggested that many of the modern secular customs of All Hallows' Eve, Halloween, Were influenced by the festival Samhain. Other scholars argue that Samhain's influence has been exaggerated, And that all hollows also influence Samhain itself. Most North American Halloween traditions were brought over by Irish and Scottish immigrants in the 19th century. Then, Through American influence, These Halloween traditions spread to many other countries by the late 20th century.

Reviews

Being of Celtic heritage, I found this one very interesting. Thanks Benjamin.