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Author
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Comment
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lisam9
Registered User
(3/30/02 9:25:06 am)
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Halloween in fairy tales?
I'm currently researching a book on the history of Halloween, and it seems to me that the holiday has been featured in at least one European fairy tale.... I already have all the Celtic/British/Welsh/Scottish references to both Halloween and Samhain, so I don't need those. Am I missing the obvious?! All help is greatly appreciated!
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Helen
Registered User
(3/30/02 9:36:11 am)
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Re: Halloween in fairy tales?
Perhaps you're thinking of "Tam Lin"? I seem to recall at least a few variants of that tale when the date of All Hallows Eve is significant.
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Jane Yolen
Unregistered User
(3/30/02 11:43:33 am)
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Tam Lin
Absolutely right. On All Hallows Eve, young Tam Lin is to be made a teinde to hell unless someone helps him.
Jane
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lisam9
Registered User
(3/31/02 9:56:28 am)
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Re: Tam Lin
Actually I did have Tam Lin already (and by the way, there's a wonderful
web site available, in which some thoughtful person has actually
organized and compared various different versions of this poem -
it's at www.tam-lin.org ).
Somehow I was thinking that there might have been a variant Grimm's
or other European tale that mentioned the holiday by name. Thanks
for the mention, though!
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swood
Unregistered User
(4/3/02 9:55:06 am)
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Finn Maccoul
Someone else mentioned Finn MacCoul on the board recently. One of the Irish hero's adventures involves his battle of the spirits on Halloween. According to superstition of the time, going out on Halloween was incredibly dangerous as one's soul might be claimed by spirits from the otherside. (Faerie or otherwise.)
I can't recall if the evening is actually called "Halloween" or where I read it. Perhaps someone else on the board might be able to help with this?
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Jess
Unregistered User
(4/4/02 9:40:12 pm)
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A shot in the dark
I have some vague recollection on doing a paper in college about Modest Moussorgski's Night on Bald Mountain that there was some fairy tale or folk tale reference to St. John's Eve in a poem by Nickolay Gogol, which was the inspiration for the music. Perhaps you could look to Gogol's work. St. John's Eve is similar to Halloween in some cultures although it occurs on the summer equinox. Hope this helps.
Jess
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Elizabeth
Unregistered User
(4/9/02 11:54:02 am)
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Faerie
Isn't All Hallows the night when the nine faerie riders take up the hunt? Also every seven years the tiend to hell is paid on Halloween night.
Liz
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