Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Halloween History Countdown - Day 11




Day 10, and let's go to Wales then, cariad.


From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calan_Gaeaf and http://www.mysteriesofwales.com/customs.html

"Calan Gaeaf is the name for the first day of winter in Wales. Winter Eve is called Nos Calan Gaeaf or Ysbrydnos. It's the time of the year when spirits come to life.

Families lit bonfires on Calan Gaeaf. Stones would be placed in the fire with the names of the family members on them. The superstition was that each person whose stone was missing the following morning would die within the year.

There would also be tales of a spirit of a black sow with no tail which is called yr Hwch Ddu Gwta in Welsh. It was known that this black sow would be present in the area on Winter Eve with a headless woman."

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