Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-05
MYTHS OF HALLOWEEN.
ORIGIN OF SOME or TIE LEGENDS
THAT ATTACH TO OCT. 81.

Period Dear to Romantic Young Mea
and afaideas-Old Formulas Used TO De-
eide the All Important Question SIS to
Who Would Be the Bride or the Groom.
From its first organization Halloween
has been invested with peculiarly mys-
tic character. 1t is an almost universal
superstition that supernatural influences
then have unusual power; that devils,
witches and fairies are abroad; that all
spirits are free to roam through space,
and that the spiritual elements in ali
living humanity can be detached from
corporal restraint and made 10 read its
own future or to reveal Co others what
fate may have in store Tor them As
there is nothing in the church celebra-
ton of the ensuing day OF All Saints TO
justify these singular ideas and customs
associated with Halloween, and as none
of them are of religious character we
may justly regard them SIS relics OF pagan
times.
READING THE Future.
has been deemed. as ii still is. the occa-
sion par excellence for divining the an
swer 10 that momentous question which
absorbs so large q share of the thoughts
of romantic young men and maidens,
"Who is TO marry whom? The means
employed TO gain this much desired in
formation are as quaint and curious as
they are numerous and varied. For this
purpose every time and every country
almost every district Of every country
has had its own charms and spells pecu-
liar to itself, and they have furnished an
almost inexhaustible theme to folk poets
and compilers of folklore.
Those of Scotland have been most
graphically described by that greatest Of
all poets of the people, Robert Burns.
In his poem of Halloween" he has
given us a most vivid account of more
than half score of Halloween charms
and spells peculiar to the Scottish peas
antry.
In a very old book of folk lore called
eye True Arte to Reade Xe Future" is
found the following:
II a maid would know ye name OF We man she is
TO marry let her on All-HauOween steal out 20 a
LINE kiln and throw therein clue of blue yarn,
still holding 10 We other end Presently sc end in
ye kiln viii be sharply pulled Thea ye maid
must say Who hOlds3N WhereupOu We voice of
her future husband Win pronounce his name
both ye Christian and We surname.
The only obstacle 70 the successful per-
Torrance of this spell is the difficulty Of
finding an old lime kiln, but as lime
kilns will be in great demand among our
women when the important statement
made in the above paragraph becomes
generally known, and rs q demand for
any article in this country is speedily
met by an abundant supply the number
of lime kilns will Doubtless soon be
largely augmented, to the great delight
Of anxious, matchmaking mammas and
their dutiful offspring.
YE MYSTERIES.
Water, nuts and apples bear a promi-
nent part in the spells and charms Of
Halloween. 4 quaint old book Of charms
published in Edinburgh in 1870, entitled
odd Father Times Bundle of Faggots
Newly Bound Up" declares that al in
falhble means Of getting 4 view of your
future husband or wife is 10 go 20 bed
Halloween with glass of water, in
which a small silver OF wood has been
placed, standing on a table by your bed
side. In the night you viii dream of
falling from a bridge into the river, and
of being rescued by your future wife or
husband, whom you VIII see as distinct
ly as though viewed with waking eyes.
This charm is thus alluded to by the
English poet Gay:
Last Halloween I0nge1 my lora 10 sea,
And tried a spell to csi her up n me.
With wood and water standing 10y nay SIDE
/ dreamed dream aud saw ny own sweet
blsde
In a folklore book. called eye Mys-
teries Of the Wytchcraft." there is given
a charm ''by which Il maid may know il
We man she loves be true" To perform
this, the maid is directed TO pluck at
midnight on All Halloween two month
ly roses with long stems, naming one for
herself and the other for her lover. She
must then go directly To her sleeping
room without speaking 10 any one, and
hAcNAtLE D1ctiC III h''t AAhH7t ~ A44~ t4t-
stems Of the two roses together and
then repeat the following lines, mean
while gazing inteu,ly upon the rose
named for her lover:
Irvine Irvine, AMI intertTine;
Let nay hove be wholly mine.
u his heart be kind i.nd true
Deeper grow ais rOse' hue
II her swain be faithful. the color Of
the rose representing him VIII grow
darker and more intense. OF ali toe
many Halloween speIls and charms aseo- +
ciated with nuts, one Of the oldest Is thai
which prevails IN some Of highlands
northern counties. and which Il 10 the .
effect that II young nan or woman .
will go at midnight Halloween 70 3 val I
nut tree and walk around it three tinlez.
CRYING out each time: Let him (or herr I
that is to De my true love bring me some 4
wainuts," the future wife or husband /
viii be seen in the tree gathering its /
fruit. The poet Gay thus refers n ms
''PastoralsT 10 this custom;
Last Halloween sought C. walnut trse
l. hopes my true i0~e f@ee atas r,lizht ss.s
Three times called. th-es tiz.es Fais "a space
rsea In tAe tree 1 az ~ sr4s los~s feee
Chicago LINES.
TIE FIRST STEAMSHIP.