Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of I Heart Radio.
Speaker 1: Hey brain Stuff, Lauren bog Obam here say it with us. Sawen,
Speaker 1: that's the correct pronunciation of the word, spelled s A
Speaker 1: m h A i N. It's the name of an
Speaker 1: ancient pagan festival that helped lay the groundwork for modern Halloween.
Speaker 1: Not that one displaced the other. Sawen is still around
Speaker 1: and is still celebrated today around the world. Contemporary Pagans,
Speaker 1: from Wiccans to Druids gather each year to observe the
Speaker 1: traditions and rituals associated with it. Beasts are shared, but
Speaker 1: Sawin isn't just another costume party with an emphasis on
Speaker 1: the creep factor. For observers and many pagan communities, it's
Speaker 1: a deeply spiritual time of reflection and remembrance. Historical records
Speaker 1: don't give us a very clear picture of what the
Speaker 1: first Sawan celebrations might have entailed, and the festival is
Speaker 1: Celtic in origin, and it's name comes from the Old
Speaker 1: Irish language. During Ireland's early medieval period, which lasted from
Speaker 1: about four hundred to eleven CE, Salwen marked the onset
Speaker 1: of winter transition has always been a central theme of
Speaker 1: this festival. One medieval Irish tale says that Salwen is
Speaker 1: when the summer goes to its rest. Nowadays, Salwen is
Speaker 1: usually observed from October thirty one through November one. That
Speaker 1: puts it about halfway between the autumnelt equinox and winter
Speaker 1: solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, and Pagans living below the
Speaker 1: equator often wait until April and May to hold their
Speaker 1: Sawn rituals. By the time this holiday rolled around, the
Speaker 1: summer harvests were over and done with, yet the harshest
Speaker 1: part of the winter season was still a few weeks away.
Speaker 1: According to the two thousand three book Stations of the Sun,
Speaker 1: a History of the ritual year in Britain by historian
Speaker 1: Robert Hutton, this made Salwin a perfect backdrop for important
Speaker 1: tribal meetings in pastoral Ireland, some lasted for days. Quite
Speaker 1: a few Irish folk stories are set during Sawen. Many
Speaker 1: involved the death of kings and other dangerous or deadly happenings.
Speaker 1: Supernatural forces became associated with the festival. Fairies, for instance,
Speaker 1: were said to be especially active during Sawen. While historians
Speaker 1: debate its origins, at some point the belief arose that
Speaker 1: Sawin was also a time when the spirits of one's
Speaker 1: dead ancestors had easier access to our world, opening the
Speaker 1: door for communication between the living and the deceased. But
Speaker 1: Sawin got some competition in the late eight hundreds. More
Speaker 1: than three hundred years earlier, Pope Bonifast the fourth had
Speaker 1: established May nineteenth as a Christian day of remembrance, honoring
Speaker 1: those who had died for their faith. But in eight
Speaker 1: seventy three CE, this holiday, the Feast of All Holy Martyrs,
Speaker 1: was moved to November one. Later it would be renamed
Speaker 1: All Saints Day. Was the date change a bid to
Speaker 1: christianize Sawen rituals. The idea has been suggested, but some
Speaker 1: scholars have their doubts either way. Halloween as we know
Speaker 1: it now owes a huge debt to Well Saints Day.
Speaker 1: Another name that Christian tradition goes by is All Hallow's Day.
Speaker 1: Past generations gave the night before that is October thirty one,
Speaker 1: a title of its own, All Hallow's Eve. As time passed,
Speaker 1: this was shortened to Halloween with a dash an apostrophe,
Speaker 1: before the label ditched its punctuation marks and became simply Halloween.
Speaker 1: Secular Halloween traditions these days may involve trick or treating,
Speaker 1: costume parties and watching It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,
Speaker 1: or a horror film. But if you're a modern day pagan,
Speaker 1: you might have a slightly different itinerary. On October one
Speaker 1: and into November one, dumb suppers are among the traditions
Speaker 1: Sawan celebrants may choose to observe. This custom calls for
Speaker 1: a place setting to be set out and often left
Speaker 1: empty at an otherwise hearty meal. This symbolically acknowledges deceased
Speaker 1: ancestors or other family members or friends who died. All
Speaker 1: of the living guests eat in silence as they reflect
Speaker 1: on the departed and the nature of life and death.
Speaker 1: Sometimes attendees burn messages written for the person or people
Speaker 1: in question. Sometimes the dinner's courses are handed out in
Speaker 1: reverse order. There's lots of room for variation. Making the
Speaker 1: tradition personal is often part of the concept. Sawin Observers
Speaker 1: may also participate in quiet meditation or divination ceremonies, or
Speaker 1: may decorate their personal altar with goards, dried coin, husks,
Speaker 1: and other autumnal symbols. Because remembrance is such an important
Speaker 1: aspect of Sawan. The altar will often include photos, symbols,
Speaker 1: or belongings of loved ones who have died outdoors. Bonfire
Speaker 1: rituals are Sawyn staple among Druids and other observers. A
Speaker 1: pagan groups who keep gardens sometimes treat the festival as
Speaker 1: a hard deadline for their harvests. Any edible material that
Speaker 1: isn't gathered by the time Sawan ends is left behind
Speaker 1: as a gift to the spirits and in keeping with
Speaker 1: this festival's and assist on tradition, some observers treat Salwin
Speaker 1: is the beginning of the Celtic New Year. But this
Speaker 1: doesn't mean that all Wickens, Druids, and other contemporary Pagans
Speaker 1: swear off of secular Halloween. Some enjoy the secular Halloween
Speaker 1: season but just don't engage with it on October thirty one.
Speaker 1: Others make time for both trick or treating and Sawin rituals.
Speaker 1: Today's episode was written by Mark Mancini and produced by
Speaker 1: Tyler Clang. For more and That's unless of other curious topics,
Speaker 1: visit how stuff works dot com. Brain Stuff is production
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