|
Witches,
Goblins, & Trick or Treat
Ever
wonder how, when and where Halloween came into being? Actually, if it
hadn’t been for Pope Benedict IV kids today would have nothing to do but
play video games and watch TV each October 30, for it was in the year 609
AD that the good Pope set aside November 1 as a day devoted to honoring
martyrs, and therefore saints, both known and unknown. Formally entered
into the Roman Catholic calendar in the year 900 AD, the day became known
as All Saints Day and is observed to this day by Catholics around the
world.
What’s
so Scary?
The
scary part emanated in England where the day became known as All Hallows
and the evening before (Oct. 30) was dubbed All Hallows Eve, soon
shortened to Halloween.
As
a kind of counterbalance to the holiness of All Saints Day, practices
dating to pre-Christian pagan days were revived. In preparation for the
coming of winter poor people would appear on the doorstep of the well off
and demand food, clothing and alms. To the warm and cozy householder these
scruffy souls must have seemed evil indeed. And to the cunning scruffy
what could be more natural than to exploit the squeamishness of the well
heeled? Witches and Goblins.
The
poor, especially the elderly and even more so old women, became the
scapegoats for any calamity to visit a medieval village. And so evolved
the image of the witch.
The
American Heritage Dictionary defines a goblin as “A grotesque, elfin
creature of folklore thought to work mischief or evil,” an image
perfectly in sync with small fry getting into scary costumes and knocking
on doors.
Witches
by the Million
In
doing research for The Witch of Greenwich Village this writer discovered
that there seem to be myriad witches in our midst. In the innumerable
mentions of the word witch on google some truly bizarre sites are cited,
including: Witch School.com, How to Kill a Witch, Witch Hunter, Witch
Magazine, Tools of the Witch, etc.
Anyone
who thinks that witchcraft, Satanism and black magic are things of the
past should think again. Criminal cases involving such accusations crop up
every year, the young sometimes accusing their own parents of involvement
in the occult.
For a synopsis,
an excerpt and reviews of this
writer’s novel please visit
http://www.thewitchofgreenwichvillage.com
Frank O’Donnell
bio
Playwright/Novelist
Frank wrote the
book and lyrics for Robin for Good, a musical comedy based on the Robin
Hood legends. It played to rave reviews and standing ovations at the
Muskoka Festival in Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada for a summer season. His
drama Twisters was produced on Theatre Row in Manhattan. Eight of his one
act plays have been seen in a variety of venues. The Witch of Greenwich
Village, Frank’s first novel, is currently in print. For a synopsis and
an excerpt please visit http://www.thewitchofgreenwichvillage.com
The father of seven children and five grandchildren, Frank and his wife
Dolores reside on Long Island, New York. As an actor O’Donnell appeared
in over thirty plays and nearly a dozen films.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
Back
to Articles |
