Before newfangled Halloween returned to the British Isles, there were celebrations such as the Welsh Calan Gaeaf. First day of winter. The night before that day, the veil was at its thinnest and spirits roamed the earth.
As the autumn winds grow colder and the days grow shorter, the people of Wales prepare for Calan Gaeaf, a festival steeped in archaic tradition and incredible folklore. This Celtic festival, celebrated on the night of October 31, marks the transition to winter – when the veil separating the living from the dead thins, allowing spirits to move freely among the living.
Like its more eminent counterpart, Halloween, Calan Gaeaf is a time when ghostly apparitions and supernatural forces are said to roam the land. But in Wales, the night is especially filled with tales of terrifying ghosts, haunted intersections and ominous signs of death. It's a night when even the bravest avoid going outside after dim.
The beginning of the Calan Gaeaf celebration
Calan Gaeaf, which means “first day of winter” in Welsh, has its roots in the archaic Celtic festival of Samhain. For the Celts, this night marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of the dim half of the year, when the world grew cool and the dead returned to walk among the living. Or maybe this is really the tradition of all Celts? Some argue that there is actually no evidence that Samhain was ever celebrated in Wales, which leads some to believe that it is more of a Gaelic than Celtic custom.
But how far back does the history of this holiday go? The word Galan or Calan actually comes from Latin, calends “first day of winter”.
However, it is Celtic to date the day. The night before the day is called Nos Galan Gaef and this is when the spirits from the other world, i.e NO they say they go out to play. The Celts counted their days beginning the night before, not the morning off.
The same term occurs in Cornish and is called Kalan Gwav or Allantide as it is most commonly called today. In the Breton language in newfangled France it is called Kalan Goañv.
Wales, with its prosperous Celtic heritage, embraced these archaic beliefs and Calan Gaeaf became a night filled with both celebration and fear. Bonfires were lit in villages to ward off malevolent spirits, and families gathered in homes to share stories of ghosts and ghouls, all while warily observing the night outside.
The haunting presence of a black guinea sow
Of the many incredible characters associated with Calan Gaeaf, none is more feared than Hwch Ddu Gwta, the terrifying black stepmother without a tail. Legend has it that Hwch Ddu Gwta roams the Welsh countryside on Calan Gaeaf in the company of a headless woman, Y Ladi Wen, tracking down those who dare to venture outside after sunset. Anyone unlucky enough to encounter this spectral beast would surely be doomed, dragged into darkness or even into the underworld itself.
To avoid Hwch Ddu Gwt and other restless spirits, people hurried home before dim, locking their doors tightly. The thought that someone could be caught outside was terrifying to many, as it was believed that on this haunted night, ghosts could devour anyone in the open.
Campfire fun also involved one of the men putting on a pigskin and chasing the children to keep the fear and legend alive.
Omens and dim omens during Nos Galan Gaeaf
In addition to lurking spirits, Calan Gaeaf is a night filled with archaic customs and rituals. One of the most unsettling traditions was a form of divination – the attempt to look into the future and know one's fate, especially regarding death. People gathered around bonfires (campfire) and throw stones into the fire, with each person marking their stone with a special symbol or name. After the fire was extinguished, the stones were recovered. It was said that anyone who ran out of stone in the morning would die before the next Calan Gaeaf. You could also see people who would die if you ran around the church three times and looked through the keyhole of the church door.
Another dim tradition involved looking in the mirror at midnight on Calan Gaeaf with the belief that the face of your future spouse or, terrifyingly, a skull would appear behind you. If you saw a skull, you would never get married and die within a year.
The boys cut ten ivy leaves, threw one away and put the rest under the pillow. It would facilitate them see the future, and if they touched the ivy, they would see witches or witchesas they slept. Men also dressed in women's clothes imitating Gwrachod and went door to door for treats. It was believed to ward off evil spirits.
The girls grew roses in hoops that they could walk through. They then cut a rose and put it under their pillows to see their future. Peeled apple peel was also thrown on the shoulders to spell the first letter of the future husband.
Modern Halloween celebrations in Wales
Although today many of these ancient customs have disappeared, the fear of the ghosts residing on Calan Gaeaf still lingers in the corners of Welsh folklore. It seems that ancient ways of celebrating have been swallowed up by the highly commercialized American Halloween.
On this eerie night, even skeptics can't facilitate but shiver down their spines as the wind howls through the hills and night falls. After all, as the ancient stories warn – if you leave too tardy for Calan Gaeaf, you may just come face to face with something that is not of this world.
So when October 31 rolls around in Wales, be careful not to stray too far from home. Hwch Ddu Gwta may be watching you, and the ghosts may be closer than you think.
Reference:
Nos Galan Gaeaf: a established Welsh celebration eclipsed by newfangled Halloween
Scary Wales – Halloween Night – BBC Bitesize
Image Source: Pixabay.com
