The Pagan Mysteries of Halloween: Celebrating the Dark Half of the Year

by Jean Markale

Book Overview

A comprehensive examination of the rituals and philosophies of the Celtic holiday of Samhain, the inspiration for Halloween. * Presents the true meaning of this ancient holiday and shows how contemporary observances still faithfully reflect the rituals of pagan ancestors. * Explains why this holiday, largely confined to the English-speaking world since the advent of Christianity, has spread throughout the rest of Europe over the last two decades...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0892819006
• ISBN13: 9780892819003
• Release Date: August 2001
• Publisher: Inner Traditions International
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.9" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Excellent book, full of Hallowe'en (Samhain) facts.

Received this book in a timely manor. Very happy with the book and the service. Good book for the first time Pagan read.

An Exhaustive Book About Halloween, Originally Called Samhain

Samhain. This is a word that many people are not familiar with today. It is the ancient Celtic name that was transformed (by converts into Christianity centuries ago) into what has become known today as "All Saints' Day", "The Day of the Dead", "All Hallows Eve" or the better known name of Halloween. The ancient Celtic calendar, as author Jean Markale wrote in his book "The Pagan Mysteries of Halloween: Celebrating the Dark Half of the Year", was divided into two parts: the light half that begins with Beltane and the dark half that begins with Samhain. Originally a lunar calendar, the dates for Beltane and Samhain would shift with the orbit of the moon (similar to the Jewish calendar); but eventually, the two dates became fixed points in the more common solar calendar on May 1 and November 1. Because the Celts regarded a day to begin at sundown, Samhain begins on the eve of November 1, or October 31. For the Pagan Celts, Samhain was the beginning of the year and was celebrated for several days. Spiritually and symbolically, it was regarded as the time when the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead (which the Celts referred to as the Other World) becomes very thin, allowing people from the land of the living and spirits from the Other World to cross between the two. The Pagan Celts also viewed Samhain (whose celebrations lasted for several days) to be when time was essentially abolished or suspended. This is exemplified in some Celtic stories that Mr. Markale describes where an individual that enters the Other World at Samhain may, to this world, be gone for hundreds of years; but to the individual, perhaps only hours or days have passed. And the converse could also happen: someone who enters the Other World may think he/she is there for a very long time, but may have only been gone for a few minutes, hours or days in this world. Here to, the concept of birth, death and rebirth comes into play through the symbolism of the cauldron (such as the famous Gundestrup Cauldron), as well as with the mounds that the Celts made throughout Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales and other areas that they inhabited as Mr. Markale accurately describes. Christian missionaries and evangelists who visited these areas (including the famous Saint Patrick), instead of completely eliminating the celebration of Samhain, replaced it with the concept of "All Saints' Day" or "The Day of the Dead". Though the Christian concept of an afterlife (which includes the possibility of punishment for sin) differs greatly from the Celtic one (everyone goes to the same Other World), symbolism such as the cauldron remain intact. Centuries later, children began to wear masks and carry carved out fruit with candles inside (jack o'lanterns) to symbolize the ghosts of the dead. This is but a very small sample of the exhaustive information that Mr. Markale wrote in what is seemingly a rather short book of less than 160 pages and only four chapters. Some r

From the viewpoint of an Historian, a Poet and a Philosopher

Jean Markale is described as a poet, philosopher, historian and storyteller. His field of specialty is pre-Christian and medieval culture and spirituality. He is a very well known French author of over 40 books and is a specialist in Celtic studies at Sorbonne University in Paris. It is not surprising then that Mr. Markale has written a most profound study of the Celtic celebration of Halloween or Samhain from the perspective of an actual historian and philosopher. The original of this book was first printed in France in 2000 and was translated and brought to the English speaking market in 2001. I must first congratulate Mr. Graham for his extraordinary translation of this book. Not being fluent in French, I would never have tackled such a volume, but Mr. Graham has preserved, in my opinion, the poetic flavor of Mr. Markale's work. It flows rather than reading dry and halting, like many tomes on this subject. The book is composed of only four chapters: The Celtic Festival of Samhain, The Fantastic Night, The Festival of All the Saints and The Shadows of Halloween. This is followed by a conclusion. While the number of chapters is small, the content of each is enormous, giving page after page of facts, religious comparisons, philosophies and supporting evidence for the practices of this misunderstood holiday. I believe the best way to summarize what this book is about is to quote the author from his Conclusion: "It is a way not of "taming death" as Montaigne said, but of exorcising it by establishing a direct line between before and after, which will display the permanence of life in all its aspects and all its states. This is the appropriate lesson to draw from Samhain and its survivals, whether the Christian All Saint's Day or the folklike manifestations of Halloween." His book weaves these final thoughts into understanding as he unfolds the various aspects of this philosophy. I will only attempt to outline the book by its chapters, as it is difficult to take any of his material out of context without it suffering. The need to read, meditate and appreciate the written word as presented by Mr. Markale is one of the wonderful plus' of this book. To read it with all the footnotes as well as endnotes intact is to grasp the full appreciation of well researched work that pieces together the myths and stories and history with solid evidence. He creates a very balanced approach to defining what the origins and mysteries of Samhain were how it survived forced evolution and he brings it all into modern day understanding. There is a very extensive bibliography and one worth exploring if you wish to cover this topic further. The Celtic Festival of Samhain examines the Celtic origins of this holiday. It examines the Celtic calendar, the division of the "Light of the Year" with the "Dark of the Year", compares the myths with evidence derived from recorded stories and histories and supports it with the culture of the Celtic people. He ma

Pagans and Halloween Lovers -- A Book For You!

If Halloween is your favorite holiday, then this book is for you! It's a scholarly exploration of the holiday's origins. Because the Pagan Celtics didn't leave many written records, there's not much to go on, but Markale does a plausible and interesting job. According to the author, whose picture on the back cover will cause nightmares, Halloween is descended from the pre-Christian Irish holiday of Samhain.Samhain, the end of the old year and the beginning of the new, is November 1. It is a time for renewal and the establishment of harmony. If the King had done a good job during the year, his powers were renewed. Legal contracts were also reviewed and renewed, and communal properties were redistributed if necessary to prevent discord. Everyone was required to attend the festivities, regardless of rank or class. Feasting, combined with heavy beer and mead drinking, created an air of joviality and a willingness to let bygones be bygones, preparing for a fresh new year.Samhain is also a time of spirituality, when a door between our world and the Land of Promise opens, and contact with the Sidh, or fairy people, is possible. The fairy people appear to be the ghosts of the dead, who exist in a parallel world underground and have knowledge of the future. Sometimes they play evil tricks on mortals, but sometimes they provide assistance or convey special powers. Intercourse with them is also possible.Is this underground world a metaphor for the subconscious? We only know that Samhain is a time of altered consciousness when time itself is compressed or expanded. Hemp and/or magic mushrooms may also have had a ritualistic role.The Celtic concept of the afterlife differs from the Christian in that there is no punishment for sin, nor special reward for the righteous. It's simply a place where all dead souls go.The holiday eventually became Christianized and transformed into All Saints Day. When children today collect candy or money on October 31, they would be surprised to learn that they are actually collecting offerings for the dead!The holiday was implanted into Calvinist Scotland where the author says the people were more "rational" than the Irish Catholics. It was there that the shades of the dead were replaced by youths in masks and costumes. It is also in Scotland where the custom of making lanterns out of hollowed-out vegetables originated.Eventually the holiday made its way to the New World along with Irish and Scottish immigrants. It eventually spread to French-speaking Canada, and then to France where the holiday has been adopted. Its success on the Continent "is because the American-Celtic model corresponds perfectly to the latent customs of western Europe, customs smothered or censured for a number of centuries but which were only waiting for an invitation to come back to life."

An informative consideration of enduring myths

Just in time for Halloween comes Pagan Mysteries Of Halloween, an informative consideration of the enduring myths surrounding the October holiday. The author has researched the roots of rituals and ceremonies surrounding Halloween: her focus on the festivals which marked the transition from the light to the dark side of the year makes for a revealing account.