11/11/2023 0 Comments Medieval outfits reference![]() One of the most famous Samhain-related stories is “The Adventures of Nera,” in which the hero Nera encounters a corpse and fairies, and enters into the Otherworld. The myths state that the battle unfolded over the period of Samhain. One of the most popular Samhain stories told during the festival was of “The Second Battle of Mag Tuired,” which portrays the final conflict between the Celtic pantheon known as the Tuatha de Danann and evil oppressors known as the Fomor. Similar are the Sluagh, who would come from the west to enter houses and steal souls. Riding flame-eyed horses, their appearance was a death omen to anyone who encountered them.Ī group of hunters known as Sluagh or Faery Host might also haunt Samhain and kidnap people. The Dullahan sometimes appeared as impish creatures, sometimes headless men on horses who carried their heads. ![]() The Lady Gwyn is a headless woman dressed in white who chases night wanderers and was accompanied by a black pig. Some specific monsters were associated with the mythology surrounding Samhain, including a shape-shifting creature called a Pukah that receives harvest offerings from the field. It was expected that ancestors might cross over during this time as well, and Celts would dress as animals and monsters so that fairies were not tempted to kidnap them. Some documents mention six days of drinking alcohol to excess, typically mead or beer, along with gluttonous feasts.īecause the Celts believed that the barrier between worlds was breachable during Samhain, they prepared offerings that were left outside villages and fields for fairies, or Sidhs. Anyone who committed a crime or used their weapons during the celebration faced a death sentence. There was also a military aspect to Samhain in Ireland, with holiday thrones prepared for commanders of soldiers. Failure to participate was believed to result in punishment from the gods, usually illness or death. ![]() Cattle were sacrificed, and participants took a flame from the communal bonfire back to their home to relight the hearth.Įarly texts present Samhain as a mandatory celebration lasting three days and three nights where the community was required to show themselves to local kings or chieftains. The wheel was considered a representation of the sun and used along with prayers. During this time of year, hearth fires in family homes were left to burn out while the harvest was gathered.Īfter the harvest work was complete, celebrants joined with Druid priests to light a community fire using a wheel that would cause friction and spark flames. Ancient Celts marked Samhain as the most significant of the four quarterly fire festivals, taking place at the midpoint between the fall equinox and the winter solstice.
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