Halloween and Origins of Its Monsters

Halloween and Origins of Its Monsters

All Hallows' Eve, a holiday that falls on October 31 that in many cultures is celebrated to pay homage to the dead, and is observed on the night before All Saints' Day when Christians, particularly Catholics pay homage to the martyrs and saint of the faith. However, over time as All Hallows's Eve evolved with a more anti-Christian and sinister significant, to include monstrous dead and evil witches, the holiday day of Halloween was born to counter the anti-Christian effectiveness, in which marketing knowingly or unknowingly help to do so. The result being that over the centuries, Halloween has become an acceptable night of fun for all who wish to celebrate it.

However, what of the origins of these fiends that supposedly stalk the night freely and unopposed on Halloween? Where do they fit into our modern culture, where we like to believe ourselves free of the ancient superstitions and folklores? If so, why do they still persist today?

True, some superstitions and folklores are based on the unexplained, allegory tales, and even grotesque true stories.

In an article written by Tina Donvito entitled, “The Origins of the 15 Spookiest Halloween Monsters”, she gives us some insight into why we still celebrate Halloween, its creatures of the darkness and the grave.

 Bonus: Having posted the above, I want to share a story poem I wrote as part of a poetry assignment when I was at the university. The poem is entitled, “The Faithful”.  I decided to post it because of a recently purchased (pictured below) Halloween decoration reminds me of it. The poem fits into our notions of the Halloween's grotesque. I hope you enjoy it. 

 

The Faithful 

As I walked along the river bank,

One lonely autumn day,

I was taken by surprise,

As I stood and watched my lover rise. 

A rotten thing from the sandy clay.  

 

I told myself, This should not be. 

For at the trial, way back in May,

My brothers were sworn in to say,

After my disgrace, he had ran away. 

 

Well, like the morning glories, he thrust my way,

My lover had gathered much decay.

And like the bullet peeping from his ghastly brow,

His putrid cologne did not force me to back away. 

 

The sight of this peaceful specter

Who, in life, dared to love me,

Did not make me feel any less gay.

And, despite all of his apparent afflictions,

 

He somehow managed to say,

“Dear lady, after all this, you still love me,

As true as yesterday,

So I have returned once more,

To take you away.”

 

After he had finished this,

I knew within myself

That he had only spoken

What I had desired for him to say.

 

Evelyn Frances Altheimer-Fain

 

Happy Halloween!