Comments on: De-Paganizing Halloween (Again)

By: branruadh

branruadh — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 06:35:00 +0000

That would appear to be the only reference to Sawan based on what I’ve dug up. Quite minor, in short, and hardly anyone someone who studies the lore with a less prejudiced eye than a fundamentalist Christian would conflate with a holiday. I’ve also seen commentary that some writers have tried to claim Crom Cruach’s other name was Samhain, but this is completely unsupported conjecture on their parts.

By: Jason

Jason — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 16:27:00 +0000

An entry for “Sawan” does appear in Mike Dixon-Kennedy’s “Celtic Myth and Legend” where he is described as brother to Cian and Gobban. He was in charge of a magical cow which was stolen by Balar. I haven’t found anything further in my library. But then my area of study in Celtic myths was mostly in the Welsh and Gaulish.

By: branruadh

branruadh — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 05:57:00 +0000

Where did you see “Sawan” or “Samain” presented as a minor hero in Irish mythology? I have never heard of this.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 22:31:00 +0000

Hey Jason,

Nice chatting with ya. Perhaps we'll cross paths again.

Regards,

~Jason Furtak~

By: Jason

Jason — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 21:47:00 +0000

To further clarify the quote from the above article.

"Samain" or "Sawan" was minor hero in Irish Celtic myth notable only for having his magical cow stolen by Balor. There is no proof that "Samain" was a god or worshiped in any fashion.

Gwynn ap Nudd was perhaps a Celtic god of the dead. He was Welsh, not Irish in origin.

While the Celts are all linguistically linked, different regions had different gods (and myths about those gods). There are few proven "pan-Celtic" deities.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 21:30:00 +0000

Jenn –

Apparently, Muck-olla is miss sited as a “boogy-man” of halloween. The following article meantions it:
http://altreligion.about.com/library/weekly/aa101502a.htm

“There was a very minor Celtic god of herders called Samhain or Saman, but the Celtic God of the dead was called Gwynn ap Nudd. A creature named Muck-olla did exist, but was a havoc wreaking mythological bull out of much later Welsh legend.”

Hope this helps,

~Jason Furtak~

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 21:10:00 +0000

No, just a lable branded on my back.

My hope is in something better than what this world provides. I'm not certain why anyone would find arrogance in this statement.

Debates on non-essential issues just fills the time.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 19:37:00 +0000

… “believer” in something better: Arrogance!

By: Jason

Jason — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:34:00 +0000

“Don’t you find it interesting that Christians would be celebrating a “harvest festival” as an alterntive to Halloween?”

…and they say irony is dead.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:19:00 +0000

Fair enough. Thanks for sharing.

Don't you find it interesting that Christians would be celebrating a "harvest festival" as an alterntive to Halloween? Follow me here: In their context Halloween is from All Hallows Eve'ning the night before All Saints Day. Now they feel that Halloween has been brought back to the pagan origins so they respond by having a Harvest Festival. What was it again that the pagan traditions where celebrating? You get where I'm going here.

Nice, chatting with ya.

Jason Furtak, "Believer" of Something better