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IRLANDA, LA CUNA INDISCUTIBLE DE HALLOWEEN.

Halloween es un momento fantástico del año y al contrario que las Navidades en la actualidad, puede ser celebrado sin tener que pedir una segunda hipoteca de la casa para poder comprar regalos, asociados ahora de manera obsesiva con la festividad. En muchos aspectos Halloween se celebra en la actualidad del mismo modo que se celebraba en la antigüedad. Una vez más, al contrario que la navidad, la cual se ha alejado bastante de sus orígenes, Halloween todavía mantiene un grado de autenticidad. Esta afirmación, por supuesto, depende de qué parte del mundo procedas, pues Estados Unidos ha reinventado recientemente esta celebración como una cultura moderna procedente de América conocida como “Truco o Trato”, aunque afortunadamente no ha logrado borrar sus verdaderas raíces en ciertos lugares como Irlanda, donde la gente no está dispuesta a tolerar que se olviden los orígenes de esta festividad. Esto es debido a que, como vais a ver en esta entrada del blog, aunque también existen abundantes paralelismos con las tradiciones celtas escocesas, Halloween indudablemente se originó en Irlanda.

La palabra Halloween tiene sus orígenes en la Iglesia Católica. Proviene de una contracción de All Hallows Eve. Durante el siglo VIII, la Iglesia Católica designó el primer día de Noviembre como el día de Todos los Santos, todos los Hallows (o santificados). Pero en el siglo V a. C. y durante muchos años antes en la Irlanda celta, ya se celebraba el final del verano el 31 de octubre con una fiesta. Esta fiesta pagana era llamada Samhain, el año nuevo celta.

El Samhain tiene de hecho miles de años de antigüedad, pero el cristianismo logró mezclarse con estas tradiciones en algún momento a lo largo de la historia.

Los celtas celebraban el Samhain (la festividad más adelante conocida como Halloween) o Fiesta de los Muertos, cuando los difuntos regresaban de nuevo para visitar el mundo de los mortales. Esta “Oiche na Sprideanna” (la Noche de los Espíritus) marcaba el final del verano. Es la noche en que la línea que separa los dos mundos se hace más delgada y los espíritus del inframundo caminan por la tierra. La gente creía generalmente que los espíritus de sus familiares muertos permanecían en la casa hasta las doce de la noche del día siguiente y se les proporcionaba una silla vacía alrededor del fuego del hogar. Era una costumbre en esta noche colocar nabos huecos con brasas ardiendo en las ventanas para guiar a los muertos hasta la casa, así como barrer el suelo de la cocina cuidadosamente y encender un buen fuego para dar la bienvenida a las almas de los familiares fallecidos que todavía estaban en el purgatorio. A la mañana siguiente un ojo perspicaz podía ver la marca de unos pies en las cenizas. Si las huellas se dirigían en dirección hacia el fuego no había de qué preocuparse, pero si señalaban hacia la puerta quería decir que una muerte iba a producirse en la familia durante el año venidero.

Esta fecha era la ocasión perfecta para organizar una reunión familiar tras la trashumancia. La trashumancia era la costumbre de llevar las vacas y las ovejas a los pastos de verano en páramos lejanos en las tierras más altas. Los más jóvenes e incluso familias enteras dejaban el pueblo cuando los campos eran segados y se mudaban al área de la trashumancia. Se construían pequeños hogares con hierbas y tierra que techaban con ramas o brezos. Una o dos sillas, una olla de hierro, una cesta y algunos objetos domésticos se enganchaban a la grupa del burro. La pequeña mantequera también colgaba de un lado del animal.

En la reunión del Samhain, cuando las ovejas y las vacas se traían de vuelta de los pastos de verano, encendían fuegos para marcar el final del periodo de crecimiento y el anuncio de un nuevo año.

Esta era la noche en la que la mujer de la casa abría los armarios de la cocina y preparaba un pequeño festín para la familia. Incluso en la casa más pobre se preparaba algo especial aquella noche. Castañas, manzanas y otras frutas de otoño ocupaban un lugar importante en los pasatiempos de la fiesta y la adivinación del futuro. A menudo se lanzaban repollos o nabos a las puertas de las casas de los vecinos para asustarles en una especie de juego en esta noche especial, posiblemente también el origen de la tradición de lanzar frutas y huevos a las puertas de las casas en la actualidad en la noche de Halloween.

Eran muy populares los juegos acerca de la identificación de un futuro marido. En uno de los juegos se colocaban cuatro platos sobre una mesa. Se echaba agua en uno de ellos, un anillo en otro, un poco de arcilla en el tercero y pajitas, sal o avena en el último. Entonces alguien era guiado hasta la mesa llevando una venda que le cubría los ojos, y según el plato en el que ponía la mano, así sería su futuro. El agua significaba migración, el anillo matrimonio, la arcilla muerte y el cuarto plato prosperidad. Después se vendaban los ojos a otros mientras los platos se cambiaban de orden en la mesa. En otro de los juegos una hoja perfecta de hiedra se depositaba en un cubo con agua fría. Si a la mañana siguiente la hoja de hiedra no tenía imperfecciones entonces la persona tendría asegurados doce meses de buena salud. Si no…

La comida especial que se servía era el Colcannon, un plato todavía muy popular en Irlanda que consiste en puré de patatas hervidas mezcladas con repollo verde cocido y cebolla cruda hecha trocitos. También se podía añadir beicon, todo ello sazonado con sal y pimienta. La diferencia principal entre el colcannon de aquella época y el que se puede comer ahora en algún “gastro pub” es que por aquel entonces el factor miedo lo producían los juegos que acompañaban la cena, en cambio el susto actual viene cuando te traen la cuenta en el restaurante! De postre se servía el Barmbrack, un pastel de fruta que normalmente escondía una moneda o un anillo.

La costumbre ahora popularizada de pedir dulces y caramelos de puerta en puerta, sin embargo, no se remonta a la época de los celtas, sino que según parece surgió de una costumbre llevada a cabo en Europa en el siglo IX que consistía en una especie de favor que se le hacía a las almas de los fallecidos. Los cristianos primitivos se desplazan de pueblo en pueblo mendigando el “pastel de difuntos”, trozos de pan con pasas. Cuantos más pasteles recibieran de la familia en cuestión mayor era el número de oraciones que se rezaban por el alma de los familiares fallecidos. En esos tiempos la creencia era que los muertos permanecían en el limbo en un periodo de espera indeterminado y que las oraciones que se rezaran por ellos podían acelerar el proceso de traslado al cielo.

Aunque en Irlanda sí que existe una tradición consistente en disfrazarse para visitar casas y recibir algún obsequio, que se realiza con la intención de complacer a los Aos Sí (las hadas). Los Irlandeses se lanzaban a la oscura y tenebrosa noche, sin temer a los espíritus, yendo de granja en granja buscando ofrendas para ganarse el favor de las hadas. “Guising” o “Mumming” fue la primera versión del “Truco o trato”, pues la gente de la zona se disfrazaba, llamaba a la puerta de sus vecinos y ofrecía canciones o poemas a cambio de algún presente. Cualquier vianda o donación que se recibiera era ofrecido a los Aos Sí para evitar que destrozaran los campos de labranza y mataran al ganado como castigo a los poco generosos humanos.

Los druidas celtas encendían hogueras y se disfrazaban (de aquí surgió la tradición moderna de disfrazarse en Halloween) normalmente con cabezas y pieles de animales para ahuyentar a los fantasmas o los diablos que deambulaban por la tierra durante el Samhain y evitar así ser llevados con ellos al inframundo; su aspecto terrorífico debía poder ahuyentar a cualquier ente que tuviera la intención de hacerles algún daño. El resto de la gente también se disfrazaba con máscaras para confundir a los espíritus y para que los muertos que volvían esa noche y habían tenido con ellos alguna rencilla en vida, no pudieran reconocerles y llevarles al más allá antes de tiempo. Las cenizas que quedaban de las hogueras eran después utilizadas para adivinar el futuro de los siguientes siete meses. No importa lo valientes y salvajes que fueran los irlandeses, como ejemplo decir que cuando los romanos fueron a cruzar al otro lado del Mar de Irlanda y tras echar un vistazo, se lo pensaron mejor y dijeron algo así como “mejor dejamos la invasión de esta tierra para otro momento”; sin embargo incluso el más valiente y bravo de los irlandeses temía encontrarse con ciertas criaturas en la noche de Halloween, como el Puca, un espíritu que puede cambiar de forma y transformarse en un caballo negro o con el Dullahan, un temible jinete que monta un caballo negro y lleva su propia cabeza bajo el brazo, mientras agita un látigo fabricado con una espina dorsal humana. Todo podía ocurrir en esta noche, incluso durante el Samhain alguien podía despertarse en mitad de la noche y encontrarse en la oscuridad a un familiar fallecido sentado alrededor del fuego de la cocina.

Uno de los disfraces más populares de Halloween es el de Jack O'Lantern que también tiene su origen en el folclore irlandés. Una de las leyendas habla de un herrero, un alma perdida a quien el diablo había entregado un nabo hueco en el que había metido una brasa ardiendo. Este herrero estaba destinado a deambular por la tierra durante toda la eternidad, debido a un incidente en el que Jack había invitado al diablo a beber en una taberna y le había convencido para que este se transformase en una moneda para poder pagar al tabernero, y cuando el diablo se transformó en moneda Jack decidió que prefería utilizarla para otros propósitos y se la metió en el bolsillo junto a una cruz de plata, para que el diablo no pudiera volver a tomar su forma original.

Otra de las leyendas habla de un hombre llamado simplemente Jack, conocido por ser un borracho y un filibustero, que engañó al mismísimo Satán para que se subiera a lo alto de un árbol para coger una fruta. Entonces Jack talló una cruz en el tronco del árbol, atrapando al diablo en lo alto. Jack hizo un trato con el diablo, si nunca más volvía a tentarle, le dejaría bajar del árbol.

Según cuenta la leyenda, tras su muerte, a Jack se le negó la entrada al cielo debido a sus maldades, pero también se le negó la entrada al infierno por haber engañado al diablo. De modo que el diablo le dio una sola brasa para alumbrar su camino a través de la fría oscuridad. La brasa, proveniente del mismísimo fuego del infierno, fue puesta dentro de un nabo hueco para que le iluminase el camino mientras vagaba eternamente. Los irlandeses comenzaron a llamar a este curioso personaje “Jack of the Lantern” o “Jack el del farol”, convirtiéndose con el tiempo en “Jack O´Lantern”.

La leyenda cuenta que la gente en Irlanda y Escocia comenzó a hacer sus propias versiones del farol de Jack tallando caras grotescas en nabos, patatas y remolachas, poniéndolas en sus casas para ahuyentar a este tenebroso personaje así como a otros espíritus malignos. En los Estados Unidos, donde  el nabo no era tan popular, se comenzó a utilizar una calabaza en su lugar.

El juego de las manzanas es otra costumbre originada en el folclore irlandés. Consiste en llenar un cubo con manzanas y atraparlas con la boca. Cuando los celtas fueron absorbidos por el imperio romano, adoptaron muchos rituales de origen romano siendo uno de ellos la adoración de Pomona, la diosa de la cosecha. Pomona era a menudo representada sentada en una cesta de frutas y flores. Las manzanas eran la fruta sagrada de la diosa y muchos juegos de adivinación que incluían manzanas pasaron a convertirse en rituales y costumbres del Samhain. La utilización de manzanas siempre fue considerada una práctica muy popular para la adivinación. Atrapar manzanas con la boca era una forma de adivinación relacionada con el matrimonio, siendo la creencia que la primera mujer que consiguiera morder una manzana sería la primera en casarse aquel año. Pelar las manzanas también era un sistema para adivinar la primera letra del nombre de un futuro esposo. También se utilizaba para predecir cuántos años se vivirían; cuanto más larga fuera la monda, más larga la vida de la persona que pelaba la manzana.

Muchos juegos que ahora se realizan en Halloween están asimismo basados en las prácticas de adivinación llevadas a cabo por los antiguos irlandeses.

Para ver la cara de tu futuro esposo, ponte delante de un espejo a medianoche y mira por encima de tu hombro izquierdo o mírate en un espejo mientras sujetas una vela.

Se dice que los espíritus escribirán el nombre de tu futuro esposo en una torta de harina de maíz y la pondrán al lado de la cama de un niño.

Si miras dentro de un pozo a las 11 de la mañana del día de Halloween, se revelará tu futuro.

Si una mujer joven deposita un huevo en frente del fuego y de él mana sangre, tendrá éxito en conseguir al hombre que desea.

Si te comes una manzana en frente de un espejo verás el reflejo de tu futuro marido.

Si una mujer joven quiere saber si sus amantes le son fieles, debe poner tres nueces en las barras de una parrilla al fuego, nombrando a cada nuez con el nombre de un amante y junto a estas tres otra nuez con el nombre de la mujer. Si una nuez se parte o salta esto significa que el amante es infiel. Si una nuez empieza a arder significa que sus amantes la tienen en alta consideración. Si una nuez arde junto a la que había nombrado con su propio nombre significa que ella y ese amante están destinados a casarse.

Otro modo para que una mujer pueda descubrir la identidad de su futuro amor es amarrar juntas las ramillas de un arbusto sagrado con un hilo de seda, representando a una pareja. Las ramillas se ponen en un círculo de arcilla y se posiciona un carbón ardiendo dentro del círculo. Si las ramillas empiezan a arder significa que la pareja tendrá en el futuro una relación romántica.

Si se pone un caracol en un plato con harina, cubriéndolo con otro plato y dejándolo así hasta la mañana siguiente, el rastro del caracol debería mostrar el nombre del futuro marido.

También era tradicional hacer una tarta para esa noche que contuviera monedas y otros objetos. Hoy se incluye normalmente un anillo para simbolizar la buena suerte. En el pasado el anillo significaba matrimonio, un dedal significaba que nunca encontrarías marido, un botón que te quedarás soltero y, recibir una moneda, significaba futuras riquezas.

Halloween era referido como un momento en el que se creía que el futuro y el pasado coincidían y durante una sola noche cada año ambos existían en el presente. Si el futuro colisiona con el presente en Halloween, qué mejor ocasión para averiguar qué traerá el futuro. Otro método para adivinar el futuro muy practicado por las mujeres consistía en meterse en un campo de repollos y buscar uno que estuviera bien crecido, todo esto con los ojos vendados. Una vez escogido un repollo en particular había que arrancarlo del suelo, con raíces y todo. La mujer entonces se quitaba la venda de los ojos para ver las raíces del repollo. Si estaban intactas y había una cantidad considerable de tierra todavía pegada a ellas, entonces su amado sería un hombre rico. Sin embargo desafortunadamente este método no indicaba si el hombre rico iba a ser malo o amable. Para averiguar esto debían ir a casa, cocer el repollo en una olla y si el repollo sabía amargo significaba que tu relación iba a ser bastante tóxica, sin embargo si el repollo era dulce el futuro marido sería amable, educado y buen amante.

Otro método de averiguar qué tipo de hombre sería tu futuro marido o mujer consistía en lanzar al fuego de una hoguera algunos cabellos de tu propia cabeza. Las llamas mágicas producidas por el pelo ardiendo provocaban vívidos sueños acerca de la futura pareja.

Por supuesto no podemos dejar de mencionar que muchos de estos rituales y tradiciones acerca de encantamientos solían hacerse en nombre de alguna deidad maligna y por tanto conllevaban un cierto riesgo. Se cuenta la leyenda de una joven sirviente que trabajaba en una casa señorial en Armagh, que delante de un espejo la noche de Halloween trató de llevar a cabo el ritual que le proporcionaría la imagen de su futuro amante, pero este se volvió en su contra y lo que vio reflejado en el espejo fue su propia muerte.

Algunos rituales eran verdaderamente tétricos, como el que consistía en poner en un plato varios montoncitos de sal representando cada uno de estos montones a un miembro de la familia, si uno de los montones de sal se derrumbaba, significaría que ese miembro de la familia moriría en el año venidero.

Ni que decir tiene que las supersticiones, ya de por sí una parte importante de la vida de los irlandeses se multiplicaban por diez en la noche de Halloween. En esta noche la gente evitaba tomar atajos a través de playas, caminos que rodearan la costa o acantilados, por miedo a que las hadas les hicieran caer al mar. Como todos sabemos las hadas y los goblins van robando almas mientras vagan la tierra en la noche de Halloween, pero también sabemos que si les lanzamos el polvo que se encuentra bajo nuestros pies, no tendrán más remedio que liberar a esas almas que han capturado. Pero incluso si eres lo suficientemente afortunado como para salir sano y salvo de Halloween el 31 de Octubre aún corres peligro si ciertos seres te encuentran deambulando en la calle la última noche de Noviembre, la fecha oficial del fin de la temporada de las hadas. Esta era la noche en la que los muertos se iban de fiesta; bailaban con las hadas en las colinas y bebían su intenso vino. Tras esa noche retornaban a descansar a sus ataúdes, del mismo modo que nosotros nos vamos a descansar hasta el próximo viernes en el que volveremos con alguna otra historia mágica en nuestro “Viernes de Leyenda” del blog. Esperamos haberos entretenido con esta entrada especial dedicada a la noche de Halloween y por favor recordad que no hay nada que temer en lo que se refiere a Halloween, las supersticiones o la muerte; hay muchas más razones para tenerle miedo a los vivos, especialmente a aquellos que se toman la vida (y este blog) demasiado en serio, aunque afortunadamente, al igual que las cosas malas que ocurren en la noche de Halloween, no abundan demasiado!!

Bea H.

IN ENGLISH!!!!

IRELAND, THE UNQUESTIONABLE CRADLE OF HALLOWEEN.

Halloween is a fantastic time of the year and, unlike Christmas these days, it can freely be celebrated without having to re-mortgage your house in order to buy the expensive gifts now associated with the festive season! In many ways it is as much enjoyed in modern times in the same fashion as it was many years ago. Unlike Christmas, which has developed into something far removed from it's origins, Halloween still maintains a degree of authenticity. This statement, of course, depends on what part of the world you come from as the USA has certainly re-branded the occasion as a modern cultural version known to all as 'Trick Or Treat', but much the same as American Football has come to Europe as a tolerated variation on an original sport, 'Trick Or Treat' has thankfully not dominated October 31st to the extent of obliterating the European version of Halloween as a respected tradition and most people in Ireland generally frown on any attempt to take it away from it's origins. This is quite possibly because, as you will find out in this post, although there are parallels with an abundance of Scottish celtic traditions, Halloween undoubtably originated in Ireland!

Halloween, or 'Samhain' as it is also known, supposedly has its origins in the Catholic Church; the name 'Halloween' came as a result of the shortening and joining together of it's first known title, ' All Hallows Eve'. During the 8th century the Catholic Church designated the first day of November as the day for All Hallows to be acknowledged, and in this respect many people believe this to be the beginnings of what we now refer to a Halloween.  But during the 5th century, and for many years before this, Celtic Ireland the end of summer was already being celebrated with traditional parties and festivities on the 31st of October, 300 years before the Church's inauguration of the same event. This pagan celebration in Ireland was called Samhain, the celtic new year!

Samhain is actually thousands of years old, but Christianity mixed in with it somewhere along the line. The Scottish for Halloween is Samhain also the Scottish Gaelic word for November, the same as in Irish and the Scots-English word came much later.   

The celts used to celebrate the festivity of the Samhain, (later acknowlwdged as the origins of Halloween) or 'Celebration of the Dead', on which occasion all the deceased returned once again to visit the mortal world. This “Oiche na Sprideanna” or Night of the Spirits signified the end of the summer. This is the night in which the line that separates the worlds of the dead and living  gets thinner and allows the spirits of the underworld to penetrate it and walk the Earth of the living. People generally believed that the spirits of the deceased stayed in the places they visited until twelve midnight of the next day. It was a custom to place hollowed out turnips with burning coals inside on the window sills to guide the dead towards a house and to 'carefully brush the kitchen floor that day and light a good fire' to welcome the souls of those deceased family members who were still wandering around in purgatory. And an empty chair was also placed beside the fireplace for them.  The next morning someone with a perceptive eye could see the footprints of a certain pair of feet in any scattered ashes around floor beyond the hearth. If the footprints were pointing in the direction of the fire then there was nothing to worry about, but if the footprints pointed towards the door it meant that a death would happen in the family within the coming year.

This 31st of October date was an occasion to organise a family gathering after waht is known as the 'transhumance', which was the custom of moving an entire family in order to take their liveestock including cows and sheep to and from different summer and winter pastures, from low valleys to far away moors in higher lands. The youngest or sometimes entire families would leave the established village s when the fields were barren and they would move to each area of the 'transhumance'. There they would then construct small temporary houses built with tree branches and mud. One or two chairs, an iron pot, a basket and some other domestic objects were attached to a donkey´s back and off they went to pastures new. The small milk churn was also going with them.

In the gathering of the Samhain on October 31st, when the sheep and the cows had been brought back from the summer pastures, the families would light fires to signify the end of the growing period and the announcement of what to them was a brand new cycle, a new year.

This was the night in which the woman of the house would freely open the usually guarded kitchen cupboards and prepare a small feast for the family. Even in the most humble household something special was cooked that night! Chestnuts, apples and other autumn fruits occupied an important place in party games during the celebrations and also in the divination of the future. Often turnips and cabbages were thrown towards the neighbour´s doors to innocently frighten them in the manner of a game on this special night, possibly the origin of a current tradition of throwing fruit and eggs towards the doors of houses on Halloween night.

During Samhain, the original Irish halloween, it was very popular amongst the men and women of the time, and a long time afterwards, to play games about trying to identify their prospects regarding their possibilities of securing a future husband or wife. During one of the games four plates were placed on top of a table. Water was poured onto one of them, a ring on another, a bit of clay in a third plate and hay, salt or oats in the fourth and last one. Then an inquisitive person was blindfolded and guided towards the table, and depending on where that person would rest their hand then that is the way their future was supposed to be determined by. The water plate meant migration, the ring plate marriage, the clay plate meant death and the fourth plate with  hay, salt or oats meant prosperity. Then someone else would be blindfolded while the plates were positioned differently on the table in order for them to find out what the future had in store for them. It was obviously an exceptionally powerful time of year for these people to use these methods to believe what they would determine by the placement of a hand on plate! In another one of the games, if they could be called games as the consequences seemed exceptionally diverse if believed,  a perfect leaf of ivy was placed in a bucket full of cold water. If next day the ivy leaf still had no imperfections, it meant that the person was guaranteed to have twelve months of good health. If not…

The special meal that was served that night was the Colcannon, a traditional dish still very much in vogue in Ireland today consisting of boiled mashed potatoes mixed with boiled green cabbage and chopped raw onion. They would also add some bacon, all of it seasoned with salt and pepper. The difference between the Samhain version of Colcannon and the one found on the gastro pubs and restaurants in modern day city centres is back then the scare factor came with the fun and games accompanying the meals, whereas today you are more likely to get the fright of your life when the restaurant bill comes!  For dessert they had Barmbrack, a fruit cake that usually had a coin or a ring hidden inside and finding it either produced a pleasant surprise for the recipient or a visit to the village horse doctor to have a broken tooth removed!

As mentioned it has become a very popular custom in recent and present times for the USA to celebrate Halloween by their their custom of 'trick or treat', when children dress in scary outfits visiting their neighbours and receiving sweets or as the Americans refer to them as 'candy' in return for the kids attempting to scare the shit clean out of them! This modern 'trick or treat' tradition has it's versions in Europe and the UK although it's not commonly regerred to as having any particular name on this side of the Atlantic, but it still involves fancy dress and a visit from door to door asking for, in many cases here, money instead of 'candy'! The visits, if resulting in someone answering the door instead of them shouting 'f*ck off' from their living room because you're the 30th kid to knock their door that night, were usually accompanied then by a little eerie song, 'Halloween is coming and the goose is getting fat, please put a penny in the old man's hat, if you haven't got a penny, a halfpenny will do, if you haven't got a halfpenny then God bless you'! This song, however, is definitely a recent development in 'dressing up for Halloween' as there has been no occesion documented through history of Halloween being celebrated with the 'fattening' of a goose, and therefore the song being used to extract hard earned cash from grumpy people sitting freezing at the end of October is actually a Christmas song, an equally scary time these days when it comes to the price of Johnny's new playstation and the bicycles for the other three kids!

Halloween may well have originated as a version of the 5th century Irish Celts' Samhain, this tradition of 'trick or treat' however, did not find it's roots in the medieval Irish customs, but rather it started in Europe in the 9th century and consisted in some sort of lip service to the souls of the deceased. Primitive Halloween Christians went from town to town begging for “soul cakes” which were actually nothing more than pieces of bread with dried grapes, so a fruit loaf to you and I, but invaluable to a hungry beggar. The more cakes they received from a household who had recently suffered a death in the family, the more number of prayers they said for the deceased's family members who had shown them generosity. Prayers may have seemed a light payment for valuable food, but it was popular belief back in those times that the souls of the dead were waiting for an undetermined period of time in limbo and the prayers said for them could possibly accelerate their entrance into heaven. These days if someone calling dressed up was given a piece of fruit bread they would probably wait until you closed the door and then stick it back through your letter box shouting a prayer of a different kind, and one not likely to appeal to those in limbo!

In Ireland the tradition of disguising yourself to visit and receive was another effort to appease the Aos Sí (fairy people). The Irish braved the nearness of the spirit world to travel farm to farm in search of offerings to win their favor. “Guising” or “Mumming” was the first version of trick or treating, as locals knocked on doors in disguise, offering songs and poems in return for goodies. Any treats received were offered to the wandering Sí to discourage them from destroying harvests and livestock as punishment for ungenerous humans.

Prior to this the Celtic druids celebrating Samhain also did indeed dress for the occasion, but as Freddy Kruger was, at that time, quite a period away from influencing typical October 31st costumes, they used to light bonfires and dress up instead with animals heads and skins (which influenced the later tradition of going out in disguise on Halloween, although thankfully in modern times instances of opening your door to see young Sally from down the street standing there carrying a cows head are few and far between ) to chase away the ghosts or the demons that wandered the Earth during Samhain and this way they themselves were avoiding being taken to the underworld. As you can imagine the horrific aspect that these disguises would evoke would be enough to scare any evil entity which tried to harm or worse, abduct them. The rest of the people also wore ugly masks and disguises to confuse the spirits and to try to stop the dead from identifying individuals who they had disliked during their own lifetime. With the ashes from the bonfires they would then predict the future for the next seven months. The Irish were looked on as a brave and wild race, a people who were so fierce that the Romans had a look across the Irish sea and thought, emm, we'll give invading that country a miss, but the most courageous hearts still feared an encounter with with the Pooka, a shape changing spirit which could adopt the appearance of a black horse, goat or hare and may more frighteningly be a goblin and bearer of good or bad fortune, or the Dullahan, a fearful rider on a black horse who carries his or her own head under one arm and brandishing the terror of it's spine whip…or maybe during Samhain someone would wake up in the darkness of the night to find a deceased family member sitting in a chair beside the kitchen fire. On Halloween night, anything was possible.

One of the most popular and visibly recognisable Halloween characters today is Jack O´Lantern who also has his origins in Irish folklore. One of the legends surrounding this character talks about a blacksmith called Stingy Jack who invited the devil for a drink and convinced him to shape-shift into a coin to pay with. When the devil obliged, Jack decided he wanted the coin for other purposes, and kept it in his pocket beside a small, silver cross to prevent it from turning back into the devil.

Jack eventually freed the devil under the condition that he wouldn’t bother Jack for one year, and wouldn’t claim Jack’s soul once he died. The next year, Jack tricked the devil once more by convincing him to climb up a tree to fetch a piece of fruit. When he was up in the tree, Jack carved a cross into the trunk so the devil couldn’t come down until he swore he wouldn’t bother Stingy Jack for another ten years.

When Jack died, God wouldn’t allow him into heaven and the devil wouldn’t allow him into hell. He was instead sent into the eternal night, with a burning coal inside a carved-out turnip to light his way. He’s been roaming the earth ever since. The Irish began to refer to this spooky figure as “Jack of the Lantern,” which then became “Jack O’Lantern.”

This legend is why people in Ireland and Scotland began to make their own versions of Jack’s lantern by carving grotesque faces into turnips, mangelwurzels, potatoes and beets, placing them by their homes to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits and travellers.

The apples game is another custom originated in the Irish folklore. It consists in filling a barrel with apples and catch them with the mouth. When the Celts were swallowed by the Roman Empire they adopted many rituals of roman origin, being one of them the worshiping of Pomona, the harvest goddess. Pomona was often represented sitting on top of a fruits and flowers basket. The apples were the sacred fruit of the goddess and many divination games that included apples ended up being part of the rituals and customs of the Samhain.

The use of the apples was always a very popular practise for the divination of the future. Grab apples with the mouth was a divination practice related to marriage, being the belief that the first woman that got to bite an apple would be the first one to get married that year. Peeling the apples was also used to foresee the first letter of the future husband's name. It was also used to predict how many more years of life were left; the longer the peel was, the longer the life of the person peeling the apple. An apple is also suspended from a string and children are blindfolded. The first child to get a decent bite of the apple gets to keep their prize. 

Divination or prophecy games are still played in Ireland during Halloween, a clear echo of the Island’s pagan ancestry. These games were first used to predict the greatest events in the lives of the community – marriage and death. On Halloween night, an unmarried woman was encouraged to sit in an unlit room and look into a mirror to glimpse the face of her future husband. To see the face of your future husband you only had to place yourself in front of a mirror at midnight and look over your left shoulder, or look at yourself into a mirror while you held a candle in your hand. But this game was only for the brave as a skull would appear in the mirror if the woman was destined to die before she married.  

It is said that the spirits will write the name of your future husband in a cake made from corn flour and they will place it beside a child´s bed.

If you look inside a well at 11 in the morning on the day of Halloween, your future will be revealed. 

If a woman places an egg in front of a fire and blood comes out of it, she will be successful in getting the man she wants.

If you eat an apple in front of the mirror you will see the reflection of your future husband. 

If a young woman has three lovers and wants to know if they are all faithful to her, she must put four nuts onto the bars of a grill on the fire, naming each nut with the name of each lover as well as the fourth one carrying her own name. If a nut breaks or jumps it means that the lover with that name is not faithful. If the nuts starts burning it means her lovers hold her in great consideration and high regard. If a nut burns beside the one that carries her own name it means she and that lover are destined to get married.

Another way for a woman to be able to discover the identity of her future lover is to join the branches of a sacred bush with a silk thread, representing a couple. The branches are placed in a clay circle and a burning coal is put inside the circle. If the branches start to burn it means the couple will have a romantic relationship in the future.

If a snail is placed in a plate with flour, covering it with another plate and leaving it that way until next morning, the snail´s trail should spell out the name of her future husband.

It was also traditional to bake a cake for Halloween night which had coins and other little prize objects hidden inside. Today a ring is usually included to symbolise good luck. In the past a ring would mean marriage, a thimble meant you would never find a husband, a button meant you would never find a wife and finding a coin meant future riches.

Halloween was revered as being a time when it was believed that the future and past coincided, and for one night only every year, all time frames existed in the present. If the future collides with the present at Halloween, what better time could there be for looking into what the future may hold. Another method of gettinga glimpse into your future could be achieved if you lived within proximity of a cabbage patch. You simply had to don a blindfold, run into a field of growing cabbages then search around the ground for a nice big head of cabbage and pull it out of the ground, roots and all. The inquisitive woman then uncovered her eyes in order to check the revealed cabbage roots. If she had extricated the vegetable with roots intact and a good amount of earth still attached, then her beloved will be a wealthy man. However unfortunately this method of determining a future lover or husband did not indicate as to whether or not he will be nasty or kind! This could be achieved though by going home with your newly harvested cabbage and cooking it up in a Colcannon. If the cabbage was bitter, then a less-than-pleasant man may well be in your future. But if the cabbage was sweet then her fate holds a kindhearted, pleasant and loving mate.

Those who didn't live in the Irish countryside would have struggled to make use of the cabbage patch method of fortune telling, however A small Halloween bonfire is touted as a way to help envision a future partner. Bonfires featured significantly in ancient Celtic celebrations of Halloween or Samhain and their flames along with a few strands of a person's hair could encourage dreams of future love. The man or woman simply had to snip a few strands of their hair, and drop them into the burning embers of a Halloween fire. The magical flames of the burning hair will encourage vivid dreams of the person's future spouse. Again it was still not reveal if the person you are to marry will fulfill all your dreams.

It was also thought that if you washed some item of your clothing in a running brook on Halloween, hung it on a thorn bush and then waited, you would see a vision of your future lover come to turn the washing on the bush.

Of course what also be finally mentioned is that the traditions and spells carried out on Halloween night were thought to be in the name of the devil and therefore carried a certain risk. One story has it that on Halloween a young servant girl who worked in a stately home in Armagh was trying out a spell in front of the mirror to find a lover, but it went wrong and she saw something too horrible to reveal to anyone, and the girl was certain she would die. The other staff in the house tried to calm her fears by laughing it off, but sure enough, the next night she was found Iying dead on the floor in front of the mirror with her face horribly contorted and the glass shattered in pieces around her.

Naturally at this time there were many supposed predictors of death, including knocking over a candle on Halloween which was considered a very ill omen Small piles of salt were often placed on a plate, one to represent each member of the family. A pile that caved in signified death within the year for that person. 

At Halloween people avoided taking shortcuts across beaches, coastal rocks or cliffs for fear the fairies would lead them astray. As we all know fairies and goblin collect souls as they trawl the earth on Halloween night, but the story also goes that if you threw dust from under your feet at the fairy they would release any souls they kept captive.   Even if you managed to negotiate Halloween and enter November unscathed there could still be trouble lying ahead for you if you were out walking on the last night of November, the official closing of the fairy season. This was the night for the dead to have their fling; dancing with the fairies on the hillsides and drinking their potent wine. After that they would return to rest in their coffins until the following November. On that note we will return to our resting places until the next Myths and Legends update on the Harv's Twisted Artwork Blogspot, we hope that you have been entertained by this seasonal Halloween special post, and please remember that in reality there is nothing really  to be afraid of with regards to Halloween, superstitions or the dead, there are many more reasons to be afraid of the living, especially those who take this blog far too seriously, but thankfully, like bad things that happen on Halloween, there are not too many of them!

Bea H.

(SCROLL DOWN FOR TEXT IN ENGLISH)

Puede resultar extraño que un artista de Belfast haga exposiciones sobre temas irlandeses en España en vez de en Irlanda del Norte, pero puede ser comprendido fácilmente si le echamos un vistazo a los vínculos que unen a estos dos países, especialmente cuando se trata de los mitos y leyendas, que se han convertido en una parte importante del blog de Harv.
La segunda exposición que tuvo lugar este verano en España se llevó a cabo en Madrid y mostraba una variada colección de todos los estilos de sus pinturas y dibujos. Sin embargo en Julio se llevó a cabo otra exposición en un rincón mágico del norte de España, Asturias, que tiene una particular relevancia debido a que estos dibujos ilustran un libro escrito en español por una servidora, Bea H, que trata única y exclusivamente de los mitos y leyendas de Irlanda del Norte, así como algunos lugares mágicos que visitar en esa región. Uno de los capítulos de este libro está dedicado precisamente a las relaciones y los vínculos que unen a España con Irlanda!
Los muchos visitantes que tuvo la exposición, titulada "Irlanda del Norte - Mitos y Leyendas", hicieron muy buenas críticas y fue increible ver cómo, debido también a las descripciones que acompañaban a cada dibujo, los visitantes de lugares del norte tan diversos como el País Vasco, Galicia, Navarra y Cataluña por nombrar algunos expresaron las comparaciones que existen entre muchas de las criaturas que protagonizan los dibujos que representan los mitos y leyendas de Irlanda del Norte de Harv, con otros muchos con los que estaban más familiarizados, pues eran originarios de sus regiones en el norte de España!!
Esto ya había sido mencionado por los organizadores de la exposición y fue la razón por la que quisieron hacerse cargo de la exposición en primer lugar, pero para Harv fue una sorpresa oir a los visitantes hablar de sus propias bestias, personajes y leyendas de sus respectivas partes de España mientras admiraban los dibujos de las legendarias criaturas que el artista creía eran únicas y exclusivas de su tierra, el Ulster! La exposición fue organizada en un centro cultural de Asturias como parte de una colección de obras de artistas extranjeros residentes en España. La colección de Harv era de particular interés para los organizadores debido a que las leyendas y mitos asturianos tienen muchas similitudes con las leyendas y mitos irlandeses.
Sirenas, hombres lobo, vampiros, banshees, trolls y demonios, todos son representados en las obras de arte de Harv y al parecer el Norte de España tiene su propia colección de criaturas y personajes que son extremadamente similares a aquellos representados en los dibujos de la exposición.
Los eventos y las experiencias que describimos a continuación demuestran que sin duda existió y existe un vínculo entre los dos países y explica por qué no es tan extraño después de todo que un hombre del Ulster exponga sus dibujos sobre mitos y leyendas en una región de España!


LOS MILESIOS O CÓMO LOS IRLANDESES DESCIENDEN DE LOS GALLEGOS

Los milesios son considerados los últimos invasores de la isla de Irlanda y la sorpresa surge cuando descubrimos que los milesios procedían exactamente de la región de Galicia, en el noroeste de España.
La historia sobre la última invasión de Irlanda comienza con un valiente guerrero de nombre Breogan, quien fundó la ciudad de Brigantia, conocida en la actualidad como A Coruña y donde también construyó el famoso faro que hoy en día aún existe y se conoce con el nombre de Torre de Hércules. Breogan tuvo diez hijos y uno de ellos, de nombre Bile le dio un nieto llamado Golam, con quien comienza esta curiosa historia. Golam estuvo en Escitia, donde contrajo matrimonio con Seng, la hermosa hija del rey Reffloir, que le dio a su vez dos hijos, y más tarde partió hacia Egipto donde se volvió a casar, esta vez con la hija del faraón con la que tuvo más descendencia.
Cuando decidió regresar a su tierra con toda su familia, se encontró con que su abuelo Breogan y su padre Bile habían fallecido y las tribus sometidas se habían rebelado, saqueando el lugar y dejándolo en la más absoluta desolación. Algunos seguidores de su abuelo habían logrado esconderse en los bosques y Golam fue en su busca reuniéndolos para poder luchar contra los rebeldes y recuperar sus tierras, venciendo en todas las batallas que se llevaron a cabo, adoptando así el nombre de Mile o Miled, que significa guerrero vencedor o el exterminador. Durante muchos años fue gobernador de estas tierras hasta que una extraña enfermedad se lo llevó al otro mundo, dándole a las tribus sometidas una excusa perfecta para rebelarse de nuevo.
Ith, que era otro de los hijos de Breogan y un estudioso y experto en diferentes artes, se encontraba un día en lo alto del faro o Torre de Hércules observando el horizonte con ciertos instrumentos de su invención, cuando divisó una isla muy lejana cuya existencia desconocía y decidió embarcarse en una aventura para averiguar qué clase de tierra era aquélla. La isla era evidentemente Irlanda, que entonces se llamaba Inis Ealga, gobernada por unos Tuatha De Danaan que luchaban entre sí por conseguir las tierras que antes habían compartido. Ith sufrió una emboscada por parte de tres reyes con los que intentaba llegar a un acuerdo en este nuevo territorio y los hijos de Golam, convertidos en poderosos guerreros y ya en aquel entonces conocidos como Los Hijos de Mil, se lanzaron a invadir la isla para vengar la muerte de Ith. Llegaron a Irlanda un 1 de mayo del año 500 a. C., y los Tuatha De Danaan, que querían ganar tiempo para que sus druidas pudieran realizar algún conjuro que les llevara a una victoria y así  librarse de sus invasores, intentaron engañar a los hijos de Mil. Amergin, uno de los hijos, alejó sus barcos una distancia de nueve olas, lejos del alcance de los Tuatha de Danaan, más interesado en preparar una estrategia que les hiciera vencer al enemigo que en los conjuros de sus oponentes. Actualmente aún se conservan en Galicia algunos rituales que están relacionados con las nueve olas, como en la playa de A Lanzada, donde darse un baño en el mar saltando nueve olas en una noche de luna llena es una forma de propiciar la fertilidad de la mujer.
Cuando los barcos se alejaron los druidas de los Tuatha De Danaan aprovecharon esta ventaja para hacer llegar una tormenta mágica con el objetivo de alejar mar adentro los barcos de Amergin, pero no lo consiguieron pues este era un magnífico estratega y los hijos de Mil Espaine derrotaron a los Tuatha De Danaan que ya estaban debilitados a causa de sus luchas internas y tuvieron que huir a esconderse en los sidhe, bajo las colinas. Los hijos de Mil se trasladaron a la isla con todas sus familias y Amergin decidió darle el gobierno a los hermanos Eremon y Eber Finn, a los que no les gustó la idea de Amergin de que reinaran por turnos, primero uno y después el otro por lo que, finalmente, decidieron dividir la isla en norte y sur y así poder reinar los dos al mismo tiempo. Tras establecerse en Irlanda los hijos de Mil Espaine, procedentes de A Coruña, la isla no volvió a sufrir invasiones, pero muchos de los habitantes de la actual Galicia viajaron a Irlanda para establecerse allí con sus familias en esta nueva tierra conquistada, de lo que se podría deducir que los irlandeses actuales descienden de los españoles, más específicamente de los gallegos.


LA ARMADA ESPAÑOLA: EL NAUFRAGIO DEL GIRONA

En Mayo del año 1588 la Armada Española, la mayor y más poderosa flota nunca vista, partió de Lisboa, en Portugal. El objetivo de Felipe II era acabar con el poder de Isabel I e imponer y restaurar la fe católica en la Inglaterra protestante. Bajo el mando del Duque de Medina Sidonia, la Armada constaba de 130 navíos de diferentes tipos, tamaño y nacionalidades con 29.453 hombres y 2.241 armas de fuego de todo tipo. Supuestamente debían encontrarse en los Paises Bajos con tropas dirigidas por el Duque de Parma, embarcarlas e inmediatamente proceder a la invasión de Inglaterra. Las tormentas y los galeones ingleses más ligeros  dispersaron a la poco manejable Armada Española y muchos de los barcos fueron dañados o se hundieron en el mar. Sin posibilidad de volver por el mismo camino decidieron rodear la costa de Irlanda e intentar volver a España por esos medios. El mal tiempo climático, las tormentas, el mar cruel que rodea la isla y los acantilados mortales hicieron naufragar a la mayoría de los barcos que quedaban. Aunque muchos de los navíos pudieron ser rescatados alrededor de la costa irlandesa, la realidad era que aquellos hombres de la tripulación que lograron llegar a tierra firme no tenían garantizada su vida, pues se había ordenado a los soldados ingleses en Irlanda que se diera muerte a cualquier español que se encontraran por aquellas tierras. Todavía hoy se pueden localizar muchos restos de naufragios en la costa.
Uno de los barcos naufragados más impresionantes de la Armada fue El Girona, que actualmente se encuentra al norte del Condado de Antrim, en la costa de Portballintrae. El Girona se hundió la mañana del 26 de Octubre de 1588 y fue descubierto por el marino y arqueólogo belga Robert Senuit.
El Girona era un galeón empujado por el viento y los remos. Capaz de llevar hasta 500 hombres, fue el buque insignia de la Escuadra de Nápoles bajo el mando de Hugo de Moncada. Su capitán fue el italiano Fabricio Spinola de Genova y su tripulación incluía a 120 oficiales españoles. Aparte de cañones, transportaba 8.000 piezas de artillería. En el momento del naufragio llevaba 1.300 hombres incluyendo los supervivientes de otros barcos como Don Alonso Martínez de Leiva, un joven excepcionalmente bien parecido descrito por muchos en España como un hombre muy importante para el futuro del pais. Sobrecargado, el barco chocó contra un acantilado en Lacada Point al norte de Antrim y se hundió casi inmediatamente. Solamente 5 tripulantes sobrevivieron a la tragedia.
El reverso de los billetes del banco norirlandés Ulster Bank representa imágenes asociadas con la Armada Española, conmemorando el hundimiento de 24 barcos de la Armada en la costa del Condado de Antrim en el fatídico año de 1588. El billete de 10 libras representa al navío Girona, el de 20 libras representa el monumento de Lacada Point, lugar del naufragio,cerca de la Calzada de los Gigantes y el Castillo de Dunluce. El billete de 50 libras representa una medalla conmemorativa del naufragio y el billete de 100 libras muestra a la misma Armada Española. 
Cuando Robert Stenuit investigó el lugar del naufragio el barco estaba irreconocible y hecho pedazos pero el tesoro que llevaba con él pudo ser recuperado. Abalorios de oro y plata, distintivos de los diferentes rangos, motivos religiosos, prendas pertenecientes a los seres amados, cinturones de monedas y casi 1.200 monedas de oro y plata. Una cruz de Santiago hecha de oro que podía haber pertencido al mismo Alonso de Leiva, que era un caballero de la Orden de Santiago. Una salamandra de oro y rubíes, el talismán preferido de los soldados pues la mítica salamandra podía sobrevivir al fuego. Esta en particular también sobrevivió al agua! Toda esta colección de tesoros está cuidadosamente expuesta en una sala dedicada exclusivamente al Girona en el Ulster Museum en la ciudad de Belfast.


EL CASTAÑO ESPAÑOL

En el cementerio de la Iglesia de San Patricio, en Cairncastle, en la costa norte de Antrim se alza un viejo castaño español. Las ramas retorcidas y nudosas de este misterioso residente contrastan con los árboles nativos y los arbustos que crecen a su alrededor.
Los vecinos cuentan la historia de un joven noble que se ahogó cuando la Armada Española fue hundida en la costa de Ballygally en 1588 al intentar España invadir las costas inglesas. El cuerpo del noble fue encontrado por las gentes de la zona quienes le enterraron en el cementerio de la iglesia de San Patricio, llevando aún las ropas con las que le habían encontrado. En su tumba creció un castaño español, posiblemente proveniente de alguna semilla escondida en sus bolsillos. Otros dicen que el joven noble se llenó los bolsillos de castañas al darse cuenta de que el barco en el que viajaba estaba a punto de naufragar y las castañas le servirían para comerlas y mantenerse vivo durante más tiempo. El castaño español aún permanece allí, y algunos trozos han sido analizados, demostrándose que su datación es del siglo XVI, lo que da crédito a la leyenda local.


LA TUMBA DE LA MUJER ALTA. THE WINDY GAP, OMEATH (EL HUECO DEL VIENTO)

La Tumba de la Mujer Alta o “El Cairn de Cauthleen” es la tumba de una noble española que se casó con Lorcan O´Hanlon, el hijo menor del “cean” o jefe de Omeath. Antes de su muerte, el cean había ordenado que sus tierras fueran divididas entre sus dos hijos, Conn óg y Lorcan. Pero Conn óg engañó a su hermano llevándole al Lug, una hondonada en las montañas de Aenagh, diciéndole que le daría toda la tierra “tan lejos como alcanzara su vista”. Pero la niebla y la desolación de aquella hondonada eran el único legado de Lorcan. De cualquier modo Lorcan poseía un barco y comenzó a mercadear con Oriente, labrándose al fin una  fortuna y haciéndose rico. En uno de sus viajes a Cádiz, en España, salvó de forma muy valiente las vidas de un noble español y de su hija Cauthleen. Lorcan quedó prendado de Cauthleen, una descendiente de los grandes O´Donnell del Ulster y se enamoró de ella inmediatamente. Los dos formaban una pareja muy hermosa; ella medía 2 metros 13 centímetros, solo 7 centímetros menos de lo que medía Lorcan. Cauthleen ya estaba prometida a otro hombre pero Lorcan la conquistó con grandes demostraciones de amor y promesas de una vida futura maravillosa si se iba con él a Omeath. La pareja se fugó y cuando llegaron al Lago Carlingford las gentes de la zona quedaron encantadas con una belleza tan alta y adornada con tantas joyas. La pareja siguió el camino de la montaña hasta que llegaron al Lug u hondonada  situada entre las rocas. Lorcan animó a su prometida a colocarse en el centro del  valle y a mirar alrededor hasta donde le alcanzara la vista, pues él era “Señor de todo lo que ella podía ver”. Cauthleen miró alrededor y su decepción fue tan grande y la nostalgia de lo que había dejado atrás en España fue tan penetrante que cayó al suelo desmayada y murió. Lorcan quedó tan aterrorizado de que la visión de sus umbrosas tierras hubiera causado la muerte a su prometida española que se arrojó en las turbias aguas del pantano en el cruce de caminos. Su cuerpo nunca fue recuperado. Los vecinos sin embargo sí que recogieron el cuerpo de la mujer alta y cavaron una tumba para ella en el “Lug Bhan Fada” (la hondonada de la mujer alta) donde aún yace. Cada persona puso una piedra en la tumba para construir un cairn funerario en el lugar donde duerme el sueño eterno la española, en el hueco de la decepción y las promesas incumplidas. 


Estas son simplemente algunas de las historias, provenientes de unas fuentes con una enorme cantidad de documentación que garantizan que la mayoría de lo aquí relatado está basados en hechos reales, pero incluso dejando a un lado el aspecto misterioso y mítico de las leyendas no puede ser negado que existe un increíble y sin embargo desconocido vínculo entre España e Irlanda que ha existido durante siglos. Es un vínculo rico y variado que merece ser tenido en cuenta por los extranjeros que visitan España provenientes de la Isla Esmeralda. Dejad para el año que viene los destinos más turísticos y modernos y daros una vuelta por el norte de España que os introducirá en una cultura que  os puede resultar vagamente familiar y quizás visitéis lugares, monumentos y gentes que os dejen con una extraña sensación de dejavú. Esto se debe a que todos estos lugares tienen muchas más cosas en común con Irlanda (Norte y Sur) de lo que podíais haberos imaginado!

Bea H.


IN ENGLISH!!!

A Belfast artist having exhibitions in Spain rather than in Northern Ireland may seem strange to some but it might be easier understood when the historical relationships between the two countries are given some attention, especially when it comes to the themes of myths and legends which are a substantial part of Harv's blog.
The second of his summer exhibitions in Spain took place in Madrid and featured a wide and varied range of his paintings in all styles. However a July exhibition in Asturias in the North of Spain was of particularly relevance to everything pertaining to the blog because this event focused solely on the artwork Harv had created for a new book on Northern Ireland Myths and Legends, a tome written by, again of particular interest, a Spanish author Beatriz Guijarro Araque. The book, during one major section, features Myths and Legends associated with these historical relationships between Spain and Ireland!
The many visitors who attended the exhibition, entitled 'Irlanda Del Norte - Mitos Y Leyendas', were very appreciative of the artwork on display, and because each painting featured a description below it in Spanish as to what each image portrayed, it was amazing how the people from the Spanish north land, people from all over the region, Basque Country, Galicia, Navarra, Catalonia to name a few, were able to compare many of the Northern Ireland myths and legendary creatures featured in the artwork to a multitude of those they were already familiar with themselves, but incredibly originating in the north of Spain! The parallels were astounding!
This had been mentioned by the exhibition organisers as to why they wanted to put the display on in the first place, but it was a complete surprise to Harv to hear visitors to the exhibition all being able to talk of their own mysterious beasts, characters and tales from their own parts of Spain while gazing at artwork featuring legendary creatures and stories which, to the artist, purported as all having originated in his homeland of Ulster! The showing of the art was held in a culture centre in Asturias as part of a multi-cultural gathering of artists who live in Spain but who are not native to the country. Harv´s artwork was of particular interest because in the Asturian part of Spain many of the subjects he featured in his Myths and Legends collection could be easily related to by residents from the north of the country, especially those of a superstitious nature, of which, as in Northern Ireland, there are many!
Mermaids, Wolf Men, Bear Warriors, Vampires, Banshees, trolls and demons, are all depicted in Harv's Myths and Legends artwork, and it seems that the North of Spain has it's fair share of their own creatures and characters all very similar to many portrayed at the exhibition, but they are not necessarily evidence of encounters and experiences between Ireland and Spain. The following, however, are events and experiences which do describe how an irrevocable link existed, and indeed exists between the two countries and hopefully then explains why an Ulster man displaying his artwork in Spain is not such an unusual thing after all!
   

THE 'MILESIANS' OR HOW THE IRISH ARE DESCENDED FROM THE SPANISH GALICIANS

Have you ever looked at a friend or someone you know well and thought they have beautiful Spanish eyes or a skin complexion maybe more associated with a more Mediterranean heritage? Even as a result of knowing this person well you are absolutely knowledgeable about their immediate family ancestry, but if you dig a little deeper you might discover that their appearance may be due to a case of them really having Spanish ancestors, even if they don't know it themselves! This is because back in medieval times a nation known as the 'Milesians' are considered to be the last successful invaders of the island of Ireland, and considering the contents of most of this blog it will come as no surprise to learn that these Milesian settlers came from a region known as Galicia which can be found in the north west area of Spain!
The story of the final invasion of Ireland begins with a warrior known as Breogan, who founded the Spanish region of Brigantia. This area is now known as A Coruña and it is a region filled with many myths and legends as well as existing places and monuments of interest such as the famous lighthouse known to this day as the Tower of Hercules. The mighty Breogan had ten children and one of them, a son named named Bile, married and gave him a grandson named Galam, without whom this curious story may not have originated. Before his Irish adventures began Galam travelled to many other nearby parts of the world including Scythia, an ancient part of Europe's north east, where he married the very beautiful Seng,  daughter of King Reffloir who ruled Scythia. Seng gave Galam two children before they realised that the marriage was not working out, they separated and Galam later left for Egypt where he remarried, this time with a Pharaoh's daughter, and with this Egyptian royal princess he had two more offspring.
   Galam received word in Egypt that his grandfather Breogan was seriously ill and right away returned to his Spanish homeland of Brigantia with his immediate family. However he did not make it in time, and upon arriving immediately discovered that his grandfather had died. Further bad news met Galam as he then discovered that the whole region of Brigantia was in a complete and utter state of rebellion and wondering how this could be the case when his father Bile was such a revered and respected warrior he was then hit with the terrible news that Bile had also died in a battle with the rebels while trying to restore order to the land! The rebels, believing they were now free to control the region, had ransacked the place and leaving Brigantia in total desolation. Some dwellers who had remained faithful to the beliefs of Breogan had managed to hide in the woods and it was Galam's main objective at that point to reunite those loyal to his Grandfather, to then stand by the side of Galam reuniting as a major force in the land and then seeking out and destroying the rebels in an attempt to regain the region and bring it back to it's former glory. Under his expert leadership and charismatic dominance  the army of Galam went into battle on all fronts and won every encouter with the enemy which took place, the reputation of Galam and his forces reaching the lives of all who lived in the Brigantia region and they gave him the name of Mile or Miled, which means 'victorious warrior' or, in actual fact 'the exterminator'! For many years after reuniting the tribes he was governor of these Brigantian lands until unfortunately a strange disease which even a fierce and courageous warrior could not defeat took him to another world, giving the rebellious tribes another perfect excuse to rise and cause havoc once again. The sons of Galam were too young to prevent or take to battle during this uprising, they were to become known as the 'Sons of Mil' and would play a major part in the next part of our story which involvesthe Irish connection. 
Ith, their uncle, who was another son of Breogan, very much a scholar more than a warrior and expert in various arts, none of which included war, was one day at the lighthouse known as the Tower of Hercules. There at the top of the monument using instruments of his own invention he was watching the horizon when, due to his development of a particularly powerful viewing device,  he saw a distant island never known to have existed as instruments until that point had not been accurate or powerful enough to see the distance required to discover it. Ith then immediately decided to embark on an adventure to find out what kind of land he had documented. The island was evidently Ireland, which was then known as Inis Ealga and governed by a race called Tuatha De Danaan. These warriors were currently fighting amongst each other for dominance of Inis Ealga, the Ireland they had previous shared peacefully but now wanted to win and rule. Galam's sons, the 'Sons of Mil' were by now powerful Spanish warriors themselves and Ith was sent to the new land of Ireland in order to attempt to not only discover a new culture, but also to try to ensure peace between the two regions once the Tuatha De Danaan then also discovered of Spain's existence. However once he had reached the Emerald Isle the Spanish ambassador Ith was ambushed by three violent kings of the Tuatha De Danaan while on his way to try to reach an agreement with the more peaceful rulers of Ireland and upon hearing of this the sons of Mil were so enraged that peace became secondary to their intent to avenge the death of their uncle and they set about building an armada to invade the new land. They reached the coast of Ireland on May 1st on 500 BC. The Tuatha De Danaan saw them just off shore and witnessing a massive naval attack even for 500 BC standards they panicked into making swift decisions in order to buy time for their druids to perform spells which, to them, would ensure the defeat of the invading Spanish warriors. Using every trick they had they tried to deceive the children of Mil, however Amergin, one of the children, kept their boats away from the shore at a distance of nine waves repelling any spears and arrows, working out the strength of the Irish opposition, discovering that indeed they were more interested in spells that what the Spanish had in abundance, battle awareness and after signalling to the other boats under the command of the Sons of Mil the attack from the sea towards Irish land commenced. In the Spanish region of Galicia today which was previously the area where Brigantia was situated they still preserve some rituals from the era of Galam which are exactly related to the legend of the nine waves, especially in A Lanzada, where young women swim in the sea attempting to jump nine waves on a full moon night, this way attempting to promote the female fertility.
When boats containing the druids of the Tuatha De Danaan parted, apparently frightened of the invasionary force, Amergin took this as an opportunity and a sign that his forces should make their way towards shore where the land battle would begin. The druids thought they had double-crossed the Spanish and from behind them created an almighty storm which they thought would sink their boats before they could get to dry land, but the protection of the nine waves ensured that their efforts were wasted and the Sons of Mil with their mighty army landed in Ireland. The Tuatha De Danaan were by now already weakened by in-fighting and divided they were no match for the Spanish invaders who were motivated by the revenge of their uncle. The Irish warriors were defeated and forced to flee and hide in the areas known to house the Sidhe, seeking santuary within its vast hills.    
The victorious sons of Mil moved to Ireland with all their families and Amergin decided to give the government of these new 'Spanish Lands' to two brothers, Eremon and Eber Finn. They were both appreciative of the gesture of the conqueror but they also did not enjoy the prospect of ruling this new Spanish frontier either together or in turns as Amergin had originally desired. He reluctantly allowed them to settle their differences by dividing the new Ireland into two, a north and south ensuring that both could be classed as ruling at the same time. Many of the Spanish soldiers who helped the Sons of Mil defeat the Tuatha De Danaan remained in Ireland, some went back to A Coruña and word spread of the similarities between this new country and where they were from encouraging much of the Galician population to make their way to Ireland to get a piece of the land which was then being ruled under Spanish authority. This was the last invasion of this kind to happen on Irish soil so what could be deduced from the whole circumstance is that whether they know it or not, much of the current Irish population, north and south, may well be descendants of the Spanish who were the last large foreign force to occupy the Emerald Isle, and even more specifically, descendants of the Galicians!


THE SPANISH ARMADA: THE WRECK OF GIRONA

In May 1588 the Spanish Armada, the largest and most powerful fleet ever seen, left Lisbon in Portugal. The aim of Felipe II in releasing this invasionary force towards the north was an attempt to end the power and rule of Elizabeth I and to then impose and restore the Catholic faith in what had become Protestant England. Under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia, the Armada Navy consisted of 130 ships of different types, sizes and nationalities, the sailing army consisting of 29,453 men and an carrying an arsenal of 2,241 firearms of all kinds. They were originally supposed to sail to the Netherlands were they would be joined by troops led by the Duke of Parma, recruit and board these additional soldiers and immediately proceed towards an invasion of England. Unexpected storms, the obvious nightmare of any sea-faring invasionary force, along with lighter English galleons somehow dispersed the unwieldy and largely Spanish Armada. many of the captains and crew were inexperienced in bad weather conditions and many of the ships were fatally damaged or sunk there and then in the sea. Without setting foot on English soil the decision was made to attempt to retreat to Spain, but the way back by a traditional route was now blocked by English warships, and it was decided to sail around the British coastline to the north coast of Ireland and to try to reach Spain along the west coast of Ireland. The bad weather however persisted and the cruel seas and rocks off the rugged Irish coast claimed many of the ships. Even those crewmen who managed to reach dry land were not guaranteed their lives as instructions had been sent to occupying English soldiers in Ireland that they were to put to death any Spanish survivors who made it ashore to ensure they could not attempt to invade England again! Today there are still many wrecks off the Irish coast.
The most famous and impressive shipwrecks of all was the Spanish naval warship known as the Girona, the remains of which are currently located just off off the coast of Portballintrae on Northern Ireland's North Antrim coast. The Girona sank on the morning of October 26, 1588 and was discovered by Belgian marine archaeologist Robert Senuit who was also the world's first 'aquanaut'.
Girona was a galleon driven through the sea by the wind in her sails and and oars of her crew. Able to carry up to 500 men it was the flagship of the fleet of Naples the whole of which was under the command of Hugo de Moncada. The Girona's captain was the Italian Fabrizio Spinola of Geneva and its crew included 120 Spanish officers. The ship, heavily laden was carrying guns and 8,000 pieces of artillery. At the time of her shipwreck Girona was carrying 1,300 men, many from other stricken ships in the defeated Armada, including survivors from other ships such as Don Alonso Martinez de Leiva who was an exceptionally handsome young man described by many in Spain as being very important to its future! Immensely overloaded, Girona hit rocks in cruel seas just off the cliffs along Lacada Point, North Antrim and she sank almost immediately. Tragically only 5 of the crew survived.
The obverse designs of the Ulster Bank banknotes actually feature images associated with the Spanish Armada, commemorating the wrecking of the 24 Armada ships off the coast of County Antrim in that fateful year of 1588. The 10 pound note features the ship Girona. 20 pound note features the chimney at Lacada Point, Giant's Causeway, near Dunluce, County Antrim, where the Girona was wrecked. The 50 pound note features a commemorative medal and the 100 pound note features the actual Spanish Armada.
When Robert Sténuit excavated the wreck-site in 1968, the ship's timbers had been ground to smithereens, but a rich haul of treasure - pathetic gold and jewelled trinkets, badges of rank, religious charms, tenderly inscribed love-tokens, money chains and nearly 1,200 gold and silver coins - showed where the offspring of Spain's 'best' families perished.
The cross of Santiago, of gold enamelled in red, could have belonged to Alonso de Leiva himself. He was a member of the Order of Chivalry of Santiago. The gold salamander, set with rubies, is particularly poignant. It was a talisman favoured by soldiers because the mythical salamander could live in fire. This one survived water, too. All of these precious artefacts are on collective display in a dedicated Girona exhibition within the Ulster Museum in Belfast.

   
THE SPANISH CHESTNUT TREE

In the cemetery of St. Patrick's church in Cairncastle on Northern Ireland's Antrim coast, an old Spanish chestnut tree stands. The twisted and gnarled branches of this mysterious resident contrasts greatly with all the other native trees and the shrubs that grow around them.
Residents of Cairncastle tell the story of a young nobleman who drowned when one of the ships from the Spanish Armada was sunk off the coast of Ballygally in 1588 while trying to escape after the failed Spanish invasion of England days before. The nobleman's body was washed ashore and discovered by local people of the area who quickly buried him in the churchyard of St. Patrick with all the clothes he had been wearing while at sea. If you venture to this graveyard now you will see no headstone commemorating the Spanish officer's burial, and indeed if you ask in any of the surrounding villages or tourist offices they will tell you that the event did not take place and no Spanish sailors rest in St. Patrick's graveyard. But it is undeniable that a Spanish chestnut tree is so out of place in this graveyard that the only explanation for it's existence is the theory that the Spanish nobleman who was recovered from the cruel seas back in 1588 had some seeds in his pockets, perhaps a panic grab from a nearby sack as the ship he was on was sinking knowing he may have to eat them to stay alive, shoving them into his pocket just before going overboard. The Spanish chestnut tree is still there, and some pieces have been analysed in recent times and they date back to the sixteenth century, which gives credence to the original accounts of the nobleman's discovery and burial, a member of the Spanish Armada lying peacefully in a Northern Ireland graveyard.


THE LONG WOMAN´S GRAVE. THE WINDY GAP, OMEATH

The Long Woman’s Grave or “The Cairn of Cauthleen” is the grave of a Spanish noble woman who married Lorcan O’Hanlon, the youngest son of the “Cean” or Chieftain of Omeath. On the death of the Cean he ordered that his lands be divided between his two sons, Conn óg and Lorcan. However Conn óg tricked his brother Lorcan by bringing him up to the Lug or hollow in the mountains at Aenagh, telling him that he would give him the land” as far as he could see”. The mist and the bleakness of the hollow was Loracan’s only legacy. However Lorcan owned a ship and begun trading in the East, making his fortune and becoming prosperous. On one of his voyages to Cadiz, Spain he bravely saved the lives of a Spanish nobleman and his daughter. Lorcan was enchanted by Cauthleen, a descendent of the great O’ Donnells’ of Ulster and fell in love with her. The pair made a handsome couple; she was 7ft tall, only three inches smaller than Lorcan. Cauthleen was already engaged to be married but was wooed by Lorcan’s professions of love and the promises of the good life that they would have back in Omeath. The pair eloped when the couple arrived in Carlingford Lough the locals were enchanted by this tall beauty adorned with jewels. The couple set along the mountain path until they came to the Lug or Hollow in the rocks. Lorcan bade his bride to stand in the centre and look around as far as she could see as he “Was Lord of all she could survey”. Cauthleen looked around, so great was her disappointment and the realisation of what she had left behind in Spain, she fell to the ground and died. Lorcan was horrified that his duplicity had caused his bride to die and flung himself into the murky waters of the marsh at the crossroads. His body was never recovered. The locals found the long woman’s body, and dug a grave for Cauthleen in the “Lug Bhan Fada” (Long woman’s hollow) where she lay. Each person laid a stone on the grave to raise her burial cairn and here she sleeps today in the hollow of her disappointment and unfilled promises.

These are just some of the stories with an incredible amount of written documentation guaranteeing that much of the accounts are based on actual facts, but leaving aside the mysterious and mythical aspects of the legends it cannot be denied that there is an incredible, if largely unknown, relationship between Spain and Ireland which has existed for centuries. It is a relationship which is rich and varied and deserves to be at the forefront of people's minds when they think of visiting Spain, give Benidorm a miss and visit the regions in Northern Spain which will open your eyes to a culture that may seem vaguely familiar, you'll maybe witness places, buildings and people with an enormous sense of deja vu, and this is mostly because those places, buildings and people are more closely associated with Ireland north and south than you had ever previously imagined!

Bea H.