Halloween has its origins in the Celtic festival of Samhain.
Many of the modern-day practices of Halloween have connections to Samhain. Luke
Eastwood's book, "Samhain: The Roots of Halloween," does a great job
of explaining the meaning and history behind the holiday and the practices
associated with it.
The book itself is short, containing only about 140 pages
(including the bibliography). However, it is packed with a variety of
information, ranging from the very start of Samhain to modern-day celebrations
around the world. It covers a wide variety of topics pertaining to Samhain. The
explanations of what was believed and how the various practices tied into the
beliefs was interesting and helps readers appreciate why we celebrate Halloween
the way we do today.
The book is illustrated by Elena Danaan. All of the
illustrations are black and white, but they add to the book by showing a visual
of what is mentioned in the writing. Many of the illustrations are captioned,
describing what is being shown. This is helpful, especially for the images
where it is not quite as clear. Having illustrations, particularly of the
places mentioned, allows readers to be a part of the places so essential to the
celebrations of Samhain.
This book is very detailed and informative, but it does seem
a bit off-topic at points. It feels like some of the mythology veers off-topic
and is not directly relating to Samhain. Also, there is a section on the archaeological
digs done at Tlachtga. While this site is crucial to the origins of Samhain, recounting
what was found during each dig, and then summarizing this again after, felt
like a lot of extra information. A simple list of what was found would have sufficed
with a blurb about where to find more detailed info.
Overall, this book is a great comprehensive look at the
celebrations of Samhain. The book is short, making it a relatively quick and
easy read for those wanting to learn more about the origins of Halloween.
Rating: 7/10 spirits
Related Articles:
-Book Review: Celtic Myths and Legends: https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/2024/11/book-review-celtic-myths-and-legends.html
-Book Review: "The Graves Are Walking": https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/2024/10/book-review-graves-are-walking.html