News

Haunted History: Where Halloween Comes From Part 1

Published

10 years ago

October 1, 2014

“Sisters, All Hallow’s Eve has become a night of frolic, where children dress in costumes and run amok!”—Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson, Hocus Pocus

We hear this line in the movie Hocus Pocus and we laugh because we can’t imagine Halloween being anything but a fun night for kids to trick or treat and adults to dress up and be as naughty as they want to be for that one night out of the year. We never imagine that it could have ever been anything else. But, where did Halloween come from? What was it when it began? To find the answers, we’ll have to take a journey together back in time to the lands of the Celts and their ancestors, whose practices would become the holiday we celebrate today.

While no one can nail down exactly when this celebration began, our nearest estimate for its earliest incarnation is around 5000 years ago. At the time, people’s lives revolved around the seasons of the year and one of the largest gatherings would happen at the time of the final harvest. It had no name that we know of yet, but the entire clan would come together as the last of the grains and vegetables that would ensure their survival through the winter were stored. Bonfires would be lit and the people would dance around them, giving thanks to the Gods for another year of bounty. From the earliest time, fire had been a symbol of the Divine in whatever guise, and they reveled in the connection they felt to the Gods in the warm glow of the flames.

As time passed, and the Paleopagan peoples of the region became more organized, a caste system developed that would affect all parts of their lives. A priestly caste, known as Druids, had come to power and they led the people in celebration of the four fire festivals throughout the year as well as ministering to their daily needs. Druids also acted as ambassadors between clans and judges for wrongs committed in the tribes. This is the first time when our holiday/celebration is given a name and that name is Samhain (pronounced “SOW-en”). Meaning “Summer’s end”, Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and the descent into the “darker” part of the year as the Winter solstice approached.

It was at this time that Samhain began to take on another layer of celebration and meaning. The people were taught that on this night, the veil between this world and the next was at its thinnest. It became common belief that our ancestors would roam the earth on Samhain night. Families would place an extra setting at their tables with food and drink for their loved ones who might pay them a visit. Candles were lit and placed in windows to guide the spirits to their destination.

But it wasn’t only their loving ancestors who could cross that veil. Other spirits could make that journey, as well, and not all of them had good intentions. In order to protect themselves from these mischievous spirits, the wise men and women of the Druid classes taught the people to be cunning on Samhain night. They were familiar with the stories of the “will o’ the wisp” which were spirits who appeared as small lights in the darkness. Travelers would follow the lights and become lost in the forests and marshes. So, the people would hollow out large turnips and place a candle or lightly smoldering coal inside to carry with them on Samhain night. Their hope was that the spirits would see their light and think they were fellow spirits, thus diverting the attention away from them. It also became common practice at this time, for villagers to put on masks to hide their identity and further confuse the spirits who might try to cause them harm. Here, of course, was the birth of our modern traditions of Jack O’ Lanterns and wearing costumes on Halloween night.

The Druid priests would call the clans together around the fires to dance and revel as they had always done. The wise women, learned in the ways of magick and the foretelling of the future, would cast their lots and read the signs to predict the events of the coming year. Young men and women would make charms to reveal the identity of their intended lovers. It was a golden time for them and their beliefs, but there was a new political and religious power on the rise and it would soon change the course of the people and their beliefs for all time.

I hope you enjoyed Part 1 of my series on the history of Halloween! Come back next week for Part 2!

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

2 Comments

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Movies

Watch ‘Immaculate’ At Home Right Now

Published

1 hour ago

April 16, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Just when we thought 2024 was going to be a horror movie wasteland, we got a few good ones in succession, Late Night With the Devil and Immaculate. The former will be available on Shudder starting April 19, the latter just had a surprise drop on digital ($19.99) today and will be getting physical on June 11.

The film stars Sydney Sweeney fresh off her success in the rom-com Anyone but You. In Immaculate, she plays a young nun named Cecilia, who travels to Italy to serve in a convent. Once there, she slowly unravels a mystery about the holy place and what role she plays in their methods.

Thanks to word of mouth and some favorable reviews, the movie has earned over $15 million domestically. Sweeney, who also produces, has waited a decade to get the film made. She purchased the rights to the screenplay, reworked it, and made the film we see today.

The movie’s controversial final scene wasn’t in the original screenplay, director Michael Mohan added it later and said, “It is my proudest directorial moment because it is exactly how I pictured it. “

Whether you go out to see it while it’s still in theaters or rent it from the convenience of your couch, let us know what you think of Immaculate and the controversy surrounding it.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Movies

Politician Spooked By ‘First Omen’ Promo Mailer Calls Police

Published

2 hours ago

April 16, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Incredibly, what some people thought they would get with an Omen prequel turned out to be better than anticipated. Maybe it’s partly due to a good PR campaign. Maybe not. At least it wasn’t for a pro-choice Missouri politician and film blogger Amanda Taylor who received a suspicious mailer from the studio ahead of The First Omen’s theatrical release.

Taylor, a Democrat running for Missouri’s House of Representatives, must be on Disney’s PR list because she received some eerie promo merch from the studio to publicize The First Omen, a direct prequel to the 1975 original. Usually, a good mailer is supposed to pique your interest in a film not send you running to the phone to call the police.

“I was freaking out,” says the blogger who filed a police report about #TheFirstOmen PR. “My husband touched it, so I’m screaming at him to wash his hands.” The studio, for its part, regrets frightening anyone but notes that “most people had fun with it” https://t.co/9vq7xfD8kI pic.twitter.com/9KUMgvyG2Q
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) April 13, 2024

According to THR, Taylor opened the package and inside were disturbing children’s drawings related to the film that freaked her out. It’s understandable; being a female politician against abortion it’s no telling what kind of threatening hate mail you’re going to get or what might be construed as a threat.

“I was freaking out. My husband touched it, so I’m screaming at him to wash his hands,” Taylor told THR.

Marshall Weinbaum, who does Disney’s public relations campaigns says he got the idea for the cryptic letters because in the movie, “there are these creepy drawings of little girls with their faces crossed out, so I got this idea to print them out and mail them to the press.”

The studio, maybe realizing the idea wasn’t their best move, sent out a follow-up letter explaining that it was all in good fun to promote The First Omen. “Most people had fun with it,” adds Weinbaum.

While we can understand her initial shock and concern being a politician running on a controversial ticket, we have to wonder as a film enthusiast, why she wouldn’t recognize a crazy PR stunt.

Perhaps in this day and age, you can’t be too careful.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

News

A24 Joins Blockbuster Movie Club With Their Biggest Opening Ever

Published

3 hours ago

April 16, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Everyone welcome A24 to the big leagues! Their latest film Civil War has broken a few records over the weekend. First, it’s the highest-grossing R-rated film of the year. Second, it’s the highest-grossing opening weekend A24 film ever.

Although reviews of the action film are polarizing, it certainly captured the curiosity of moviegoers. Even if the ambiguous screenplay didn’t blow them away, they seemed to find it entertaining. Furthermore, a lot of ticket buyers lauded the film’s sound design and IMAX presentation.

While not a straight-out horror movie, it does weave a thread on the hem of the genre thanks to its disturbing subject matter and graphic violence.

It’s about time A24 came out of the independent movie trenches and into the blockbuster category. While their features are embraced by a niche group, it was time they swung for the fences to generate a bigger payday to compete with behemoth studios such as Warner Bros. and Universal who have been making money hand over fist over the past few years.

While Civil War’s $25 million opening isn’t exactly a windfall in blockbuster terms it’s still solid enough in the mainstream movie-going climate to predict further success, if not by word of mouth, then by curiosity.

A24’s biggest money maker to date is Everything Everywhere All at Once with an over $77 million domestic haul. Then it’s Talk to Me with over $48 million domestically.

It’s not all good news. The film was made in-house for $50 million so if it tanks by week two, it could turn into a box office failure. That could be a possibility as the guys behind the Scream reboot, Radio Silence, will be on the marquee themselves for their vampire flick Abigail on April 19. That film has already generated some good buzz.

Even worse for Civil War, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone’s own actioneer The Fall Guy is ready to usurp Civil War’s IMAX real estate on May 3.

Whatever happens, A24 has proven over the weekend that with the right subject matter, an increased budget, and a streamlined ad campaign, they have now entered the blockbuster chat.