On Terence Winch's BirthdayIsn't it beautiful? Johann Zoffany's paintingof a production of Ben Jonson's The Alchemist, 1770,and Terence sent me the image to accompanythe note he writes each Sunday to introducehis pick of the week to a select circle of smartand sophisticated readers, a different noteeach Sunday with a different image, eachas compelling as this one, so I start with itin anticipation of November 1st, his birthday,(and that of Glen Terence Hartley, agent of Astrophil and Stella).Anticipation can blend celebration and collaborationso I ask the man himself for ideas such as Samhain,which, he explains, is pronounced "sow [rhymes with "now"]OK, Terence. Take it away. -- DLWhat is Samhain?
The ancient Celts believed the year was divided into two parts, the lighter half in the summer and the darker half in the winter. Samhain was the division between these halves – the end of the Harvest, and the time when the veil between our world of the living and the world of the dead was at its thinnest.
Oíche Shamhna (October 31) is Halloween and Lá na Marbh (November 1) is the Day of the Dead, or All Saints Day when those who have passed away are remembered.
An Irish Halloween Blessing
At All Hallow's Tide, may God keep you safe
From goblin and pooka and black-hearted stranger,
From harm of the water and hurt of the fire,
From thorns of the bramble, from all other danger,
From Will O' The Wisp haunting the mire;
From stumbles and tumbles and tricksters to vex you,
May God in His mercy, this week protect you.For Annie Finch's 1997 poem "Samhain," which she defines as "the Celtic Halloween," click here:https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/53066/samhain
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How I love this Irish Halloween blessing, especially the goblin and pooka and black-hearted stranger! Thank you, Terence, and happy Nov 01 birthday! P.S. Oct 31 is John Keats's birthday.
Posted by: Emily Fragos | November 02, 2022 at 02:46 PM
Thank you, David. I'm honored. All the saints and souls thank you as well.
Posted by: Terence Winch | November 05, 2022 at 09:03 AM