Show notes
The strange history of a claim that transformed a festival name into a sinister deity.
Episode 24 of The Depths of Halloween. Elias, Mara and the Archivist debate the history, folklore and modern claims behind Was Samhain a Celtic God of Death?. The production distinguishes documented history from folklore and later reinterpretation where the evidence is uncertain.
Estimated scripted runtime: about 15.7 minutes before performance pacing.
Topics in this episode
- The claim
- How myths reproduce
- Real Celtic deities
- A useful myth-busting lesson
Sources and further reading
- Library of Congress: The Origins of Halloween Traditions
- Library of Congress: Halloween: Topics in Chronicling America
- Smithsonian Magazine: The Celtic Origins of Trick-or-Treating
- Smithsonian Magazine: When Halloween Was All Tricks and No Treats
- HISTORY: How Jack O’Lanterns Originated in Irish Myth
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