| The ancient Celtic New Year festival of Samhain | | | | Otherworld disappeared and for a moment man |
| became known in Christian times as Halloween | | | | and spirit had free access to the Other's world. |
| when like many other ancient Celtic festivals it | | | | Magical horses, bulls and birds, fairies and other |
| was adapted by Christianity. It marks the end of | | | | strange and wonderful creatures are said to have |
| Celtic pastoral year when the herds of | | | | wandered freely about the land. |
| domesticated animals were led back to the | | | | Some tales tell of two young men tempted into |
| shelter of their stalls for the winter and the | | | | crossing over by a beautiful fairy woman into a |
| beginning of the new year which is marked by | | | | house full of revelers, who are feasting and |
| ancient customs of ritual cleansing and renewal. | | | | dancing wildly. There one of the young men |
| Great splendid, dramatic and terrifying events | | | | accept a cup of fairy wine while his companion |
| occur at this time and it is the occasion of joyful | | | | leaves. The companion returns on the morrow |
| celebration. | | | | only to find friend, house and women vanished, |
| Throughout the Celtic world, all fires were | | | | not to be seen again until the following Halloween |
| extinguished and ritually reignited from the sacred | | | | when they and the young man are seen again, still |
| druidic ceremonial fires. All night the landscape was | | | | dancing. |
| illuminated by countless sacred fires. It was a | | | | And there are many more stories too numerous |
| magical and very spiritual time when the | | | | to mention here. |
| separation between the earthly world and the | | | | |