Halloween Myths and Legends
Halloween has long been believed to be associated with witches, vampires, werewolves, mummies and many other mythical evil beings. As a tribute to these ancient legends many people will wear witch or vampire costumes to attend Halloween parties. | | Witches
Witches are believed to be mostly women and have been linked with Halloween for centuries. Witches are linked to paganism which is an old religion that believes in herbal medicine and using nature to guide and heal people. In the 13th Century the Church deemed all practices of this old religion as being linked with the devil and therefore, evil. Subsequently witches were persecuted and killed. In the late 20th Century an interest in paganism resurfaced, and people again began to revive the old love of nature and share a belief in its magic. |
Vampires
Bloodsucking vampires are scary characters that lurk in the shadows on Halloween night. Vlad the Impaler has been sited as the historical Dracula, and during his time as ruler of Wallachia, which is now known as Romania as he would brutally kill and then display his victims remains was what earned him the name of implaer. The name Dracula originates from Vlad’s father who was part of an ancient Christian Brotherhood, known as the Order of the Dragon. This order was dedicated to fighting the Turks, and Dracula or Dracul literally translates as ‘son of Dracul’ or ‘son of the dragon’. The idea of drinking blood dates back to early pre-Christian religious practices, which although considered taboo believed that by consuming the body of the dead would ensure a continued unity with them. Symbolic gestures that speak of consuming the body and blood of another can be read in accounts of the Last Supper. Ghosts
Ghosts are a common feature that is associated with Halloween celebrations. In every religion there is a belief in the afterlife or what happens to our souls when we die. In Britain the ancient tradition of All Souls Night was to welcome lost souls back to earth and help them to enter heaven.
Many people believe that the existence of ghosts is a result of the energy that is left behind by an emotionally strong person or event. Modern ghost hunters have devises that are able to locate and track this energy. Werewolves
Werewolves are mythical beasts that are said to roam the streets on Halloween. In folklore a werewolf is a man will transform into a wolf when a full moon is present, and will then devour all who crosses his path.
The word werewolf originates from the old Saxon language as ‘were’ means man, and by combining with wolf you get manwolf. The legends surrounding werewolves were very popular with ancient Greeks, and have also been cited in many of the world’s folklores. In areas where wolves are not found the belief has been altered to include werelions, weretigers and even werebears, and all of these beasts are considered to be shape shifters. Mummies
A mummy is a corpse that still retains some of the soft tissue that it had when it was alive, this can include skin, organs and even muscles. The mummification of the dead originates from the Egyptians, who would have great ceremonies to preserve there lost pharaohs.
The Egyptians believe that the vital source and the personality of a person would leave them when they died, however, they could be coaxed back if the body was offered to them.
The mummification process could take up to 70 days, and during this time the body would have all organs removed, except the heart as this was believed to be the source of thought. The body was then rinsed with wine and filled with salt. Following this the skin would then be massaged, and then perfumed with amulets as a way to appease the gods. Then finally the body would be covered with resin and wrapped in linen bandages. | 
