The Secret of Halloween

Halloween (31st October) is supposed to be a 'Celtic' festival but has an Old English name - it is a corruption of All Hallows Eve. This has become more popular over the past few years here in England, mainly because it has become yet another time of the year to sell to the consumer-masses. Nevertheless, it is an ancient festival and we are going to look into its roots - in  Germania.

There are certain articles associated with Halloween and these, when analysed, point to an ancient Ancestral Festival of the Dead Heroes. We shall look at these now -

• The masks - these are a dim remembrance of the Cultic Masks used in Germanic Ritual by the ancient Mannerbunde or Cultic-Warrior Bands. Originally these would be of totem animals such as the Wolf, Bear and the Boar. 
• The skeletal garb and the skeletal masks, which again were part of the war-band or Heri as told by Tacitus when he referred to a Germanic war-band known as the Harii who were dressed like skeletons and whose appearance was supposed to frighten their enemies. In reality their masks and war-paint would probably have signified that they were invoking their Ancestral Spirits into themselves. 
• The weapons such as the Axe (Thunor-Forseti), the Trident (Woden) and the Sword (Tiw) which are still part of the regalia used by children for Halloween.
• The Pumpkin, which is a rather more modern edition, but the symbolism is that of Light and Order - the role of the young AEthlingas. The hollowed out pumpkin may also be seen as a skull, with associations to the dead.
• The Xtians have distorted this into a kind of 'devil worship' and the Trident helps this lie on somewhat, being the weapon of the 'Devil'. But the essence of an ancient Festival of the Dead remains hidden in the background. Woden (as the Horned One) was transformed into the 'Devil' and he is the Ancestral God. 
• 'Trick or Treat' may not be a new thing imported from the USA because it could be a dim recollection of the Sacred Stealright where the youthful warriors were either given something for their role as protectors of the tribe or they would cause a nuisance of themselves in some way or another.

In Odinism, Wotanism and Wodenism we celebrate a festival called The Einheriar or in  WF we also call it the Ancestral Rite. This coincides with the 'Armistice Day' on November 11th, which is a modern corruption set on this day by the Dark Forces. Due to the calender changes by the Xtian Church 11 days , which suggests that this change made the festival of November 11th move 11 days back to October 31st. These are thus one and the same festival. 

We have also the date between these - November 5th - which is obviously some form of ancient Fire-Festival remembered and latched on to 'Guy Fawkes' at some time so as to keep it going. We have thus an 11-day festival with the dates 31st October, 5th November and 11th November as being the key points. 

We have the following ideas from this -

• This is an Ancestral Rite based upon the Germanic concept of the Ahnenkult (Ancestral Cult) and the Totenkult (Death Cult). This is symbolised by the Deaths Head symbol or Skull & Crossbones. 
• This is a Fire-Cult which held Fire-Rites remembered in the 'Guy Fawkes Night' festivals. 
• The rites were held in the autumn period which was known as the Way of the Ancestors. This time of year was when the veil between the Nine Worlds grew thin and the Ancestral Spirits could one again join with the living. 
• The regalia - masks, weapons, skeletal make-up etc. - were a dim remembrance of the Cultic Warrior Rites based around Ancestral Worship and the Rites of Woden (as the Ancestral God).

The Death's Head derives from the Skull & Crossbones which is clearly associated with the god Woden - the One-Eyed Hunter-God. We have here confirmation that the Ancestral Cults were part of the Woden-Cult.