The Indianapolis journal., 1896-10-25
LEGENDS OF HALLOWEEN
OBSERVED As "ALL SAINTS" DAY,
THOUGH OF PAGAN ORIGIN.
Customs Associated with 1t the Out
growth of Ancient Superstitions-
Interesting Folklore.

"Amang the bonnie winding banks.
Where Doom rims whipping clear.
Where Bruce ance ruld the martial ranks,
An shook the Carrick spear.
Some merry. friendly, countra folks,
Together did convene.
To burn their nits. and pou their stocks,
An, haud their Halloween.
All Saints, All Hallows, or All ITallow-
tide-day is supposed to have its origin in
the conversion in the seventh century of
the Pantheon at Rome into a Christian
place Of worship and its dedication TO the
Virgin and all the maryrs. 1t was first
celebrated on May i, but this date was sub
seqeutly changed to Nov. l and under the
designation of Feast of All Saints set apart
q general commemoration in their honor,
and such retained by the Anglican and
American Episcopal churches. In Roman
Catholic countries it is the csutom on that
day to visit the cemeteries for devotions or
for laying floral tributes on the graves of
relatives.
But Halloween is without doubt of pagan
origin. for nothing in the churchs observ-
snce OF the following day of All Saints can
be said to be connected with the csutoms
and practices ith WI ich it is DISTINGUISHED.
The pagan Saxons' celebrated Nov. /, called
1.-The day of the Apple Fruit" to a goddess,
who presided over fruits and nuts, and it
is curious fact that this date was also the
great autumn festival of the sun, in
thanksgiving for the harvest of the Druids.
from whom without doubt our ancestors
derived many of the superstitious ideas Pc
culiar to the season.
The Druids were firm believers in the
transmigration of souls. Every year, ac-
cording to their belief, on the evening be-
fore the thanksgiving festival Saman, the
lord of death. called forth to final judg-
ment the souls that had been assigned
within the last year to occupy the bodies
of ;nimals. By means of charms, magic
and sacrifices to Baal by their living rela-
tives and by gifts to the priests for inter
cession their behalf, the punishment of
the wicked might be Iessened. The usual
sacrifices were calves and black sheep. In
the remote districts of Ireland at this sea-
son a collection OF bread butter, cheese
and eggs was taken from house to house,
the fatted calf and black sheep We're
slaughtered and there was much baking of
griddle cakes. There was also a presenta-
ton of lighted candles in honor of st. Co
lomb Kill. who became the Christian subst-
tute for Sarnan, the vigil OF All Hallows
day. Many years before All Saints day the
ancient Ir:sh prayed to Saman in front of
their lighted candles for the souls of dead
relatives Fires on Halloween are a relic
replaced by the lighting Of candles.
AT Blanford Forum, in Dorsetshire, there
was "a custom, before the reformation, of
ringing bells at All Hallowtide for all Chris
tian souls Bishop Burnet gives letter
from King Henry VIII to Cranmer against
6uperstitious practices, wherein the vigil
and ringing of bells all the night upon All
Hallows day are directed to be abolished
and the said vigil to have no watching
or ringing" Early in the reign of Queen
Elizabeth injunction ordered THAT the
supe rfiuous ringing of belts at All Hallow-
tide and All Souls day, within the two
nights next before and after, be abolished
Halloween was regarded the time of
all others when supernatural influences
prevailed, and night set apart for the
universal walking abroad of spirits, both
of the visible and invisible world. On this
evening it was thought that even the hui
man spirit was able to detach itself from
the body and wander abroad while the
gift of divination and the power asserted
by Glendower of calling spirits from the
vastly deep" were his who chose to avail
himself of the privileges of the occasion.
THE WALPURGIS LEGEND.
TO the student of folklore and tradition
1t may be interesting to notice how clearly
allied Halloween seems to be to the Wal
purgis night of the Germans, the witch
festival or assembling of the evil spirits on
the summit OF the Brocken, which was
supposed to occur on the eve of May /,
curiously enough the very day originally
dedicated to the Christian martyrs and
saints. The Walpurgis legend being al
most coetaneous and early associated with
the latter day. it is very likely that in
England the change to Nov. of the fes-
tival day carried with it the supersttions
attributed to the preceding night Where
church usages and traditions still survive
halloween is devoted to sports and prac-
tical jokes Nuts and apples are very
much in favor, the name "Nutcrack
Night prevalent in some parts of Eng
land, taking its origin from the former. In
Scotland. where SO many of these super
stitions took firm root long ago, it was a
popular belief Creferred to by Scott in THE
Monastery) that children born on Hal
loween We're possessed of certain mysteri-
Gus faculties, such as that of perceivng
and also eonversing with supernatural be-
ings.
We must look to the "land o. brown heath
and shs ggy wood" which Burns immortal
izod. for the origin and preservation of
many of these customs.
The initial Halloween custom among the
Scotch pelsantry that of pulling the
kali stock. The young people, blindfolded
and hand in hand. went into the kali yard
or garden, and each pulled the first stalk
that came in his path, after which the
company returned to the fireside to look
at their prizes. III footnote to Burns
poem. Halloween we have the following
explanation of this custom: 'If the stalk
is big or little. straight crooked, it is
prophetic of the size and shape of the
grand object of all their spels-the hus-
band or vile. If any yird, or earth stick
TO the root, that is the tocher or fortune;
and the taste of the custoc, that is, the
heart of the stem, is indicative of the nat
ural temper and disposition. Lastly the
stems are placed somewhere above the
head of the door; and the Christian names
of the persons whom chance brings into
the house. are, according to the priority of
placing. the names in question:
In Ayreshire the Three Luggies' formed
an important feature of the Halloween
sports. Three dishes We're required. Clean