Dr Robert Bohan Profile picture
Oct 25, 2021 24 tweets 11 min read Read on X
Thread: Halloween, as the world knows it, is an Irish invention from ancient Irish-Celtic roots. It’s correct name is Samhain & marks the end of the Harvest. It was culturally appropriated by the Christian Church as All Hallows’ Eve. Here’s an overview. #Samhain ImageImageImageImage
Samhain was seen as the time when the concrete & the spirit worlds met & was a portal to the Otherworld. All sorts of spirits, particularly malevolent ones, walked amongst the living! Irish people brought it with them as they migrated to all parts of the world from the 4th C. Image
My work is inspired, in part, by Celtic mythology & art. I’ve currently got a special offer where you can acquire one of my drawings for €149 or two for €199. Take a look at this thread!
Traditions associated with Samhain go back 2,000 years in Ireland. These include bonfires & the carving of turnips (pumpkins were not grown in Ireland). Turnips are scarier & tougher to carve! Such carving became widespread in Britain & the US with Irish migration. ImageImage
Folklorists have suggested that carved turnips were used to scare away malevolent spirits on a night when they roamed the countryside. A similar rationale is given for Sheela Na Gigs - which guard the exterior of ancient churches established by Irish religious figures ImageImageImage
The Christian Church expunged mention of Samhain from records & also sought to ban the festivities as a form of pagan worship. Despite this the four key festivals clung on in the oral record & in folklore (the four are Samhain, Imbolc, Bealtaine & Lughnasa) ImageImage
Dressing up is also an Irish tradition. The Folklore Commission noted boys would dress up as old men or hags/Cailleach (the Cailleach is a key figure in ancient mythology & for instance the Banshee (Bean Sídhe) is a version of her. Dressing up contact evil spirits! ImageImage
As children go door-to-door they request that households ‘Help the Halloween Party’ (due to Americanisation this is being replaced by ‘Trick or Treat’). Sweets, nuts & apples are the usual gift. The important thing was the portal element & offerings that were made ImageImage
Simple games were often played after a traditional feast (feasta). One was the peeling of an apple in one continuous rind, others were snap-apple & apple-bobbing. Many centred on the divination of the future. Thus the Celtic harvest offering & prophecy tradition survived Image
An Irish fruit bread was & is made for Samhain. It’s called the Barm Brack (Speckled loaf). The fruit celebrated the harvest. Inside, items were hidden for divination & fecundity. These included a ring (for marriage), a coin (for wealth) & a pea (bad luck). Image
There were also superstitions associated with the festival. Many centre on the barriers between the real & spirit worlds breaking down. They often link to so-called ‘Fairy Forts’ which are liberally scattered over Ireland (in fact these are usually abandoned Iron Age hill forts) Image
Another spirit associated with Samhain is the Phooka (Púca) which is usually translated as a spirit or ghost. It’s role was to kidnap the unwary, who went out after midnight, & took them away to the Otherworld. It may be a Viking introduction as it is known as Puck in England. Image
The Samhain feast has a rich & firm grasp of the Irish Imagination. It is, perhaps, no surprise that the scariest figure in the world’s imagination was invented by an Irish writer. Dracula, by Dubliner Bram Stoker, was published in 1897. Image
The Irish Early Medieval period (which we think of as Celtic) was a time of friction between ancient traditions & gods & the Christian Church. The transition to Christianity was done by assimilation & appropriation. ImageImage
Up until the cataclysmic Irish famine Irish was the common tongue. In the Great Hunger (1845-52) over 1 million died, 2 Million emigrated & English became the common tongue. Thus the Victorian English of calling, what had been Deities (Aos Sí) - ‘fairies’ (Pic: Nuada, c1000BC) Image
In Ireland today it’s likely you’ll hear tales of a farmer having no luck since he demolished a ring fort or cut down a Hawthorn. Even a motorway was moved to respect a Fairy Tree - Irish ‘fairies’ are not cute, don’t have wings & are human sized (Pic: Paul Henry) Image
Little People (a name derived from Changelings which were the size of children) are believed to be folk memory of the ancient Celtic Gods, who were associated with trees, woods, wells, rivers, rocks, objects & places. These sites were often ‘Christianised’ (Stone head, Iron Age) Image
Across the Island are Sacred Trees - Bile (pronounced ‘Bill-eh’). Some are said to be healing & others had roles in demarcation, divination & identity. Many were appropriated by the early Christian Church & Celtic Gods turned to Christian Saints (Pic: Ballyshannon Rag Tree) Image
A feature of Sacred Trees was the power of prophecy or divination. A tree in the Midlands used to have coins pushed into it to ensure that the act would bring the migrant home (sadly it died of metal poisoning). The tree was beside a Relig circular shaped 3-4th C graveyard. Image
The Banshee (Bean Sídhe - Otherworldly woman) was a supernatural death messenger who warned by wailing & combing her long hair. She cries for Gaelic families & may have been a Tuatha Dé Danann or Sovereignty Goddess (representing the land of Ireland) Image
You can read a story associated with a Fairy Fort from the Folklore Commission here: irisharchaeology.ie/2015/06/a-fair…

Due to the tradition of respecting Fairy Forts & perceived bad luck in damaging them, many have survived to this day. Drawings in the thread are by Harry Clarke c1920 Image
Here’s more on my Affordable Art Project. These are drawings that evoke love, hope & joy. I ship my art worldwide from Ireland
Scotland also celebrates the feast. This is due to the influence of the Dál Riada, an Irish monarchy that ruled in SW Scotland. The cultural influence of Ireland was such that the modern name ‘Scotland’ means land of the Irish (Scot is synonymous with Irish)
Scots Gaelic has its origins in the Irish language too. Here’s more on the relationship: scottishhistorysociety.com/dalriada/

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More from @RobertBohan

Jun 3, 2023
Thread: For many this Pride is one of the scariest of modern times. Criminalisation of Trans kids & adults, banning of Pride, media campaigns against LGBT+ ppl, violence & persecution are found from the EU, thru the UK to the US.

I want to show how LGBT+ ppl are heroic. Image
Willem Arondeus (1894-1943) was a Dutch artist & writer, a proud gay man, a founder member of the Dutch Resistance & Righteous Among the Nations for saving Jewish lives.

He demonstrated that LGBT+ ppl are not cowards & will not be cowed. Image
He grew up in Amsterdam. When he was 17 he told his parents that he was gay & they later kicked him out for refusing to hide it (aged 18). To eke out a living he painted, created illustrations & wrote. He discovered in himself a fierce independence. Image
Read 26 tweets
Jun 3, 2023
During the Irish same sex marriage [SSM] referendum I pointed out to a friend that the Irish media’s coverage was homophobic & dehumanising.

They, a straight cis guy, who supported SSM disagreed. I proved it to him, to his shock, & he donated to the Yes side in response.
I asked him to replace every mention of Gay or Lesbian, in a newspaper article, with Jewish.

He came back to me saying ‘do you realise how bad this is?’ 👀

He was genuinely shocked.
So here’s another exercise everyone can try.

Show me a Gutter Critter & I’ll show you a Nazi.

It really is chilling how mainstream this hate is, not just online but, in the media.
Read 4 tweets
Jun 3, 2023
It amazes me the number of ppl with ‘Christian’ in their bios who seem to be completely unaware of Jesus being Gay. There are gonna be some awkward conversations at the Pearly Gates [John 13:23]*

Happy Pride! Image
*given that entire ‘churches’ are based on Leviticus & a disputed version of who can shag who, it’s amazing that Christianity overlooks how often JC is shown as Gay for Jonno. Leviticus, BTW, also says it’s AOK to own slaves, sinful to wear cotton-Lycra jocks & eat surf & turf…
Matthew 7:5 has some relevant side-eye

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Read 6 tweets
Jun 2, 2023
The stupidity of ethnic English nationalism really is breathtaking. Europe is not miles away -
the British border is in Ireland [no wonder these tulips tied themselves in knots over it!]. In light of that ignorance, not knowing that GBS is Irish, is relatively minor!
I think that colonial history should be compulsory in English schools. Being a nationalist is the norm in most of Europe. However being an ethnic nationalist, with its emphasis on exclusion, is [to put it mildly] problematic. Ask anyone who has studied the period 1939-45.
Just to be clear Matthew was being humorous & I was agreeing with him. Today I’ve really realised how few ppl actually read threads & jump on the first Tweet with their opinion. Having said that I doubt anyone will read this 😉 .@DrMatthewSweet
Read 4 tweets
Jun 2, 2023
Thread: To celebrate Pride Month I put together a celebration of LGBT+ artists & writers who have been central to Irish culture & our sense of who we are. Given past persecution it’s impressive how important they have been or are presently! ImageImageImageImage
Mary Dorcey (b 1950) is a poet, writer & member of Aosdána. Her work is critically acclaimed & moving. She has campaigned for LGBTQI & has provided a voice for the community through activism & words

‘I have seen mad women in my time
- I have never seen them mad enough.’ (1991) ImageImage
Here’s an overview of my own art. It’s all about love, hope & happiness.
Read 36 tweets
Jun 2, 2023
Thread: I love using bold vibrant colours, pattern & clarity of line in my ink on paper drawings. Sometimes they look deceptively simple, but if you zoom in you can see why they can take up to eight hours to draw. Here’s some more drawings Image
Visit Etsy to see all my available drawings that you can purchase right now: etsy.com/ie/shop/robboh…

Wild Orchids (2021) | Original ink on paper drawing by Robert Bohan
Buy here: etsy.me/3MJHx9H ImageImage
Japanese Ground Orchids (2021) | Original ink on paper drawing by Robert Bohan
Buy here: etsy.me/3piLysf ImageImage
Read 18 tweets

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