Hello fellow ghouls and fiends. We have been a little lax around here about getting our blog posted to daily and well just beat us, okay? The little knee biter and all that goes with him keeps all us Dravors pretty busy.. not to mention it is our favorite time of year and we've been out doing all those things we are supposed to sit down and post up here for people to read.Ahem.
Xane has had her sights set on finishing up the decorating festivities and such. Mostly that involves dusting all the things that sit out all year, straightening tombstones and making sure the spiders and lizards have had their yearly baths.
This time of year is huge for family too. Its our damn new year after all! So spending time with the little munchie is a big thing too. In that vein we are headed out into the world of the living to see some dead things. Some zombified, dead things. Zombieland is on the menu for today! The littlest of our clan is dying to see it and we are going to all go out and oblige him!
Xane has also been creating some halloween ornaments that will be up for sale next week. They are cute and some of the glow in the dark! They will also be at an extra special price just for the holiday!
Dane is making some extra special handmade wonders as well. Those are top secret though and shall not be posted! Muahhh ah ahh a... yeah you'll just have to wonder about that one.
That's enough about us. Now for something completely different.... A little Halloween history for ya kids!
The Jack O' Lantern
There are a few different historical stories that explain the origins of the Jack o' Lantern. The earliest mention of Jack o Lantern, or Jack's Lantern, refers to the story of Stingy Jack. An old Irish thief who tricked the devil into never taking him to hell. This left Jack in a predicament when he died, as heaven wouldn't have him either. The devil did give Jack an eternal ember from the fire of hell to light his way in the darkness between heaven and hell and sent him on his way. Jack put the ember in a carved out turnip, his favorite food (that says something about him right there, ew) and went on his way in the darkness. From then on the people of Ireland carved out turnips and other root vegetables to make these Jack O' Lanterns. They brought them to North America with them and eventually the idea was applied to pumpkins.
There are also references to these lanterns or the idea of them being applied to the will-o'-the-wisps,
ignis fatuus, ghost light. These bog or peat marsh lights are said to recede if approached and carry with them the story of Stingy Jack as explanation.
Either story gets you to the same conclusion. Try to trick the devil and you're gonna end up carrying a stinky old turnip around with a flame in it. Or something like that.
People used to carve and light Jack O' Lanterns to ward off evil spirits. Now we carve and light them for fun. They also serve the purpose of a light left burning for those souls that wander on Halloween night, when the veil is lifted and the dead walk among the living.
So, carve your pumpkins and light the way, while keeping the evil spirits at bay.
A pumpkins just the thing to make the long dead spirits sing.
Candle for a flame to catch
Becareful when you light the match!
The stars shine down from above
And even dead things need some love
So, carve your pumpkins and light the way, while keeping the evil spirits at bay!
~Xane Dravor 2009
And, we'll see you next time!
Xane and Dane Dravor
Check out Xane's weekly articles on HandmadeNews.Org - This weeks article here!
You can order the devil you see above on our Artfire shop - just message us!
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