‘Be still, O heart, and let all whom you have loved rise from the grave of your breast’ - Karl Rahner
Written sources mentioning the festival of All Hallows began appearing in England in the late eighth century. In Old English this time was known as ‘ealra halgena maessedaeg’ which means the mass day of All Hallows. By the end of the 15th century, it became ‘halwe’ and not long after, the first week in November was called Hallowtide. The name ‘Halloween’ became popularised thanks to the poem of the same name by Robert Burns written in 1785. All Hallows Eve was never observed by the Anglo Saxons and was only specifically found in Celtic lands. To read more about the historical origins of All Hallows and the Celtic festival of Samhain please go to my previous article.
In Ireland, All Hallows was known by many different names. It was called Oiche Shamhna, Sean-Shamhain, Puca Night, Snap Apple Night, Hallow e’en and Oiche na Sprideanna (Spirit Night). On the Isle of Man it was known as Hollantide and took place on 12th November (Old All Saints Day). The Irish believed that the fairies and the dead came out on 2nd of November and not on All Hallows’ Eve. On this night, people swept the floors and stoked the hearth fire before going to bed early. The hearth’s poker and tongs were crossed and placed on the hearthstone. The front door was left on the latch and the kitchen table prepared for each family member that had passed; ready for a warm welcome. Some people left out food, drink and tobacco in the living room and candles were placed in the windows of any room that a person had died in. For others, a candle was placed in the window that was facing the direction of the graveyard or a lantern was left all night on the grave itself. Many Irish people lit a candle for each of their dead while saying prayers for the repose of their souls. Sometimes the candles were left to burn down by themselves while others were blown out. At Hallowtide, it was strongly believed that the souls of the dead could cross the veil between the worlds in order to help any of their descendants who needed it. The entrances to burial mounds were left open and lit within by candlelight throughout the night until the cock crowed at dawn. This permitted the dead to find their way.
The great Hallow fires took days to build before they were set alight. Peat, furze, heather, fern, tar barrels and broken timber were all piled high, in some cases as high as a haystack. These communal fires were known as teanlas, teanlay, tandles or tindles and were lit to comfort the souls caught in limbo. Families knelt and prayed around the flames while holding burning handfuls of straw. Farmers in Lancashire tossed pitchforks of burning straw into the air from the highest point of the farm, flinging it as high as they could over the land to purify the soil and protect it from evil influences. This ensured that their crops would grow tall and healthy. Many fields in the north of England were named Purgatory Field and there is still a Purgatory Field and Purgatory Farm in Lancashire today. Here ceremonial fires blazed until the 17th century when they morphed into the bonfires of Guy Fawkes’ Night on 5th November. Today we are led to believe that this date celebrates the failed assassination attempt of King James in 1605. In the north of England, hearth fires were extinguished before being relit from these communal fires, but all outstanding debt had to be settled before this was permitted.
Fires could also be seen burning on top of ancient burial mounds such as the Bronze Age tumulus known as the Mound of the Dead at Fortingall, Perthshire. The fire was built on top of the Plague Stone, called so because it was believed that plague victims were buried here. The fire was lit on 11th of November (Old All Hallows’ Eve) by the older men of the community who used friction (neid fire) or flint after which people danced around the flames. As the fire diminished, young boys jumped across the embers while others took burning brands and walked around the boundaries to invoke protection. This ritual died out in 1924. In regions where farmsteads were scattered across a wider area, families had to build their own fire to bring in protection for their homes and fields over the coming year. Carrying burning torches of bog-fir, broom or heather dipped in grease and lit from the fire, they walked sunwise around their fields and farmstead followed by their children and servants. In later years the torches were lit from the family hearth. Stealing a neighbour's burning peat or scattering their fire was believed to transfer their good luck to you. It was once a custom in parts of England to beg for fire on 31st October at wealthier people’s homes. Fire was generally gifted along with money on this day.
On All Hallows, a large fire would be built opposite the main entrance of Balmoral Castle. A procession of kilted clansmen and men playing bagpipes would march up to the fire with a trolley carrying an effigy of Shandy Dann, a hideous witch. Her evil crimes were read out loud to the large crowd before the trolley and the witch were thrown into the flames amidst cheers and shouts. It is said that Queen Victoria enjoyed this custom very much and would often attend the festivities.
In Wales, horns were blown to scare away evil spirits and folk would run backwards and forwards through the bonfire smoke and walk sunwise round the flames. The closer you dared to get to the flames the luckier you would be in the coming year. Marked stones were thrown into the fire and were searched for the following morning. It was bad luck, even a death omen, not to find your own stone in the ashes.
In Lancashire, there was a custom called ‘Leeting the Witches’, which means ‘scaring the witches’. It was believed that lighting a candle and carrying it around the fells between 11pm and 12am on All Hallows’ Eve would unnerve the witches and therefore keep them away. However, it was also thought that the witches would do their best to extinguish these flames which would bring misfortune to the carrier. If the candle flame remained lit the carrier would be safe for a season, but if a witch succeeded in blowing it out, then that was a terrible sign. In other places, people waved fiery brands in the air to keep the witches away. Welsh witches could not harm anyone tonight whilst the church bells were ringing. Attending church with ground ivy leaves in your pocket forced witches in the congregation to reveal themselves and a rowan twig in the left pocket or the left side of the bodice served as protection.
Another name for All Hallows is Mischief Night and many tricks were played. Latches were tied, gates left open, ploughs stolen and projectiles thrown at doors. It was a perfect pretext for petty revenge. In Scotland, throwing cabbages at doors was so popular that they had special courts for people that had gotten carried away with a cabbage on All Hallows’ Eve! Children played games this evening such as apple bobbing where each child dunked their head in a barrel of water and attempted to catch one of the floating apples inside with only their mouth. Snap apple was a similar game, but this time the apple was tied to a string that hung from the ceiling. The apple harvest ends at this time of year and these games might possibly be relics of an old rite that was performed in gratitude for this fruit harvest. In Yorkshire, Mischief Night took place on 4th November.
Punkie Night traditionally fell on the fourth Thursday in October, when children would walk through the streets carrying a carved turnip with a candle inside. Their singing procession was led by the Punkie King and Punkie Queen, a boy and a girl who had carved the best lanterns of all the children. They knocked on doors asking for money or candles to put inside their lanterns. A Punkie lantern was always intricately carved, more so than the crude Jack O Lantern, with the most popular designs being flowers and animals. The word Punkie means the same as Bogey. Sometimes these lanterns were stuck on poles and covered in a white cloth or a face was cut into it and a candle placed inside. Strategically placed on a gate post or in a tree, its purpose was to scare away witches and evil spirits.
“Moonlight, starlight, Bogeys won’t be out tonight”.
“It’s Punkie Night tonight,
It’s Punkie Night tonight.
Give us a candle, give us a light.
If you don’t you’ll get a fright.”
In the Shetland Isles, children dressed up in long white robes and wore masks at All Hallows. Known as ‘skeklers’, they were supposed to represent Bogeys. One of the children would dress in black to represent the folkloric Devil. Emboldened by their disguises, they went from house to house asking for cake and money. On All Saints’ Day, the islanders observed a day-long fast which ended in the evening with a feast of castrated ram. On the third Sunday of October, in the Old Calendar, the islanders celebrated Winter Sunday, the day before the cattle were brought back from summer grazing.
On the Saturday closest to All Hallows’ Eve, apple pickers in Penzance, Cornwall displayed their largest apples in their windows. Called ‘Allan Apples’, it was customary to offer them to every family member for good luck. Young women put them under their pillow to dream of their future sweetheart and young men did the same to ensure good luck in the future. To guarantee a year free from catching a cold, Cornish folk would stand under an apple tree wrapped in only a bed sheet while eating an Allan Apple. Some Cornish families still celebrate the festival of Allantide today, eagerly gifting one another these lucky apples. Melting, then rapidly cooling Allantide metal in cold water is one more tradition that can still be found today in Cornwall. Whatever shape the metal forms will answer your question about the future. Many people believe that Allantide is the Cornish equivalent of Halloween and St Allan has his feast day at this time of year too, along with the autumn Allan markets that once took place all over Cornwall. St Allan’s existence, like many of the early Celtic saints, is questionable and he most likely appeared alongside this ancient pagan festival due to the influence of the Celtic Church. In Cornish, ‘aval’ means apple and ‘avallen’ means apple tree.
On the Isle of Man, Hallowe’en was known as Holland-tide Eve or Hop-Tu-Naa, a name believed to have the same origins as the Scottish Hogmanay. This is sometimes shortened to Hogunna. Marking the end of summer, it was a time for celebrating the last harvest and preparing for winter. Traditionally, young boys went from house to house carrying turnips or cabbages on sticks in the hope that they would be rewarded with apples, bonnag (fruit cake) herring or possibly sweets and the odd penny, in return for chanting the Hop-Tu-Naa song. Young girls stayed at home divining who they were going to marry. Dumb Cake or Soddag Valloo, made from flour, eggs, water and suet was baked and eaten in silence while walking backwards to bed. This guaranteed that their future husband would appear to them in a dream. Other ways to discover your future husband were to eat salted herring, eggs with their shells or even soot. Hop-Tu-Naa is the night that the Hogmen, local fairies, move from one fairy hill to another to the sound of musical bells and elf horns. The stress of moving home puts them in a grumpy strop and any human that gets in their way will wish they hadn’t.
“Jinny the Squinny (witch) went over the house
to fetch a stick to lather the mouse,
Hop-tu-naa.” (A witch charm)
In Wales, when the Hallowe’en bonfires had died down, people ran home as fast as they could to safety, fearful of meeting the phantom Black Sow. They believed that on this night a small black sow with a ringed tail would be sitting on every stile ready to attack the last person to get home. The Black Pig with no tail was known to be the Devil in disguise. He could also appear as an old crone at a spinning wheel or even carding wool. Because of this danger, children were kept safely indoors. In Scotland, the ashes from the Hallowe’en bonfires were scattered across the fields not only to fertilise them, but to scare off the Muckle Black Sow. It was also a dangerous thing to find yourself at a crossroads on All Hallows’ Eve, for the spirits of the dead congregated here. The song ‘Black Pudding on the Stile’, originates from the slaughtering of pigs at this time of year.
Fairies were on the lookout for humans on All Hallows’ Eve. People blackened their faces with ash from the hearth or wore masks to disguise their identity because black ash was known to be both protective and lucky. The Irish shouted ‘Seachain’ on All Hallows’ Eve (which means beware) before throwing out water to warn ghosts and fairies to move out of the way.
People, animals and property were all sprinkled over with Holy Water at Hallowtide. Children were especially vulnerable at this time so a piece of iron or a dead ember from the bonfire would be placed in a baby’s crib and sometimes in Ireland, oatmeal and salt were put on children’s heads to protect them from the fairies. The Irish protected themselves from being taken away by the fairies by carrying a black handed knife or they pinned a needle made from steel to their coat collar. It was believed that if you turned your coat inside out it would confuse the fairies because they would no longer be able to recognise you and would therefore go on their merry way. If you were to meet a fairy, then to throw dust at them from under your feet was the thing to do as it forced them to release any captive human. Journeys had to end before sunset and a piece of bread crossed with salt (a witch repellent) kept a traveller safe. A rowan cross either held in the hand or placed on the bridle was another protective charm. Some people believed that it was never wise to leave a door ajar on this night because an unwelcome visitor might let themselves in and stay for ever. In Ireland, a plain wooden cross was hung on the thatch above the door or a cross was placed on the ground outside the door. In remote parts of the Cambridgeshire fens in the 19th century, people placed food on the doorstep to appease any witch who might approach the house. Salt was put in key holes and animals were locked away safely. A cockerel was killed and its tail feathers hung up on stable doors. The scattering of osiers (long willow twigs) on all the exterior thresholds was also done. Each region had their own charms of protection.
“Nine ivy leaves I place under my head
To dream of the living and not of the dead,
To dream of the man I am going to wed,
And to see him tonight at the foot of my bed.”
All Hallows Eve was the most popular night of the year for divination, especially for love, marriage and death. There are far too many examples for me to share here, but I will mention a few of my favourites. In Derbyshire, young girls placed a crooked sixpence and a sprig of rosemary under their pillow hoping to dream of their future husband. Pouring molten metal into cold water and deciphering its shape afterwards was another popular form of divination. If they wanted, each family member could choose an unblemished ivy leaf and immerse it in a glass of water. In the morning if there were no spots on their leaf then they would live another year but if it was spotted they would die within the next twelve months. Pulling a cabbage from the garden on this night was supposed to determine the suitability or otherwise of a future partner. Cabbage roots full of dirt indicated his or her prosperity, while the taste, whether bitter or sweet, reflected their temperament. The first person to walk through a door which had a cabbage stalk wedged into it would have the same name as their future spouse.
In Scotland, Mash o’ Nine Sorts was a traditional Hallowe’en dish served to unmarried guests with ‘divinatory’ items hidden inside, each with a specific meaning. Made from potatoes, leeks, peas, parsnips, carrots, turnips and cream, each guest took a spoonful. On the Isle of Skye, instead of vegetable mash it was a creamy porridge. If you found the ring then you would marry within the next twelve months. Other items might have been a coin for future wealth, a button for remaining a bachelor, a thimble for ending up in prison or a wishbone for your true heart’s desire. In Wales, the traditional Hallowe’en dish was also mashed vegetables but mixed with raw milk. The Welsh also left a meal called Bwydcennad y Meirw outside with vessels filled with water to ensure blessings in the coming year. Other folk left the last of the grain and potato harvest in the ground for the same reason. Food that was left outside also served to placate any otherworldly creature. In Ireland, the Hallowe’en dish was called Colcannon, Pandy or Champ (mashed potato with boiled cabbage and raw onion). A hole was made in the middle for a large knob of butter which the mashed potato was dipped in before being eaten. Stampy Cakes made from grated raw potato, flour, sugar, caraway seeds and cream was another Halloween delight. Boxty Cake was similar but made with mashed potato instead. Oatcakes, batter pancakes, dumplings, apple cake, blackberry pie were were also enjoyed. The poor went door to door asking for bread, cake, butter, cheese, eggs and money for their Hallowe’en meal.
The month of October was once a time for celebrating the Harvest of the Sea. All along the coast of Britain, little fishing villages would give thanks for the sea’s bounty. Fishing boats and their nets were blessed by the local priest while churches were decorated with fishing paraphernalia. Some places like Looe and Penzance in Cornwall still hold festivals today. In Scotland on the Isle of Lewis, the inhabitants of the village of Bragar once honoured a sea god named Shony (Seonaidh) on All Hallows’ Eve. The weeks leading up to this date were spent bringing bags of malt to St Mulvay’s Chapel on the Butt of Lewis, a place that is believed to have been the site of the god’s ancient temple. Ale was brewed from the malt by the women of Lewis as an offering to the old god. On All Hallows’ Eve just before the church service, a priest waded into the sea up to his waist carrying a cup of ale which he poured into the water and in Gaelic called out; ‘Shony, I give you this cup of ale, hoping that you’ll be so kind as to send us plenty of sea-ware (seaweed) for enriching our ground for the ensuing year’. Afterwards, a silent observance was held in the chapel during which a candle was burned. Songs and dances ended the evening. This custom faded out in the 19th century and was most likely a remnant of an ancient sacrificial rite for plentiful fish and seaweed in the coming year. Some say that the ritual was suppressed and instead the locals gathered to call on Briannuil to ‘send a strong north wind to drive plenty of sea-ware ashore’. On the west coast of Scotland, men were known to also wade into the sea and chant, ‘O God of the Sea, put weed in the drawing wave, to enrich the ground, to shower on us food.’ In the past, seaweed was crucial for fertilising the land.
A very strange procession of ‘messengers’ on the behalf a shadowy figure called the Muck Olla travelled from Ballycotton to Trabolgan in Ireland. The men blew on cow horns while being led by the White Mare, a man dressed in white robes. A long speech was said at each farm explaining that the Muck Olla would look kindly upon the farm if offerings were made to him or else catastrophe would befall the farm. Understandably, as this took place at night as well, the farmers were scared into generously donating milk, butter, eggs, grain, potatoes and wool. Everything that was collected on this night was sold to waiting buyers. Was this a relic of an ancient sacrifice to a god or theft in the guise of old folklore?
As I mentioned previously, if you would like to learn about the historical origins of Samhain and All Hallows then please see my previous article. Also keep your eyes open for my next article which I will be sharing very soon on the topic of traditional Hallowe’en crafts with instructions so that you can make them yourself.
I hope you found this article interesting and please share if you did. All the research I have done here is from the same books that I have shared at the end of previous articles.
Brightest blessings,
Elissa
Very well researched and thanks for sharing the lovely painting.