The /x/ Files, Issue Fifty

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Redpill Me On ... Halloween

Straddling the line between fall and winter, plenty and lack, life and death, Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition. It is thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts. In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1st as a time to honor all saints and martyrs; the holiday, All Saints’ Day, incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows’ Eve and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a secular, community-based event characterized by child-friendly activities such as trick-or-treating. In a number of countries around the world, as the days grow shorter and the nights get colder, people continue to usher in the winter season with gatherings, costumes and sweet treats.

Samhain was one of the four main festivals of the Gaelic calendar, marking the end of the harvest and beginning of winter. Traditionally, Samhain was a time to take stock of the herds and food supplies. Cattle were brought down to the winter pastures after six months in the higher summer pastures. It was also the time to choose which animals would need to be slaughtered for the winter. Bonfires were lit on hilltops at Samhain and there were rituals involving them. Accounts from the 18th and 19th centuries suggest that the fires (as well as their smoke and ashes) were deemed to have protective and cleansing powers. People also took flames from the bonfire back to their homes -- in some places, people doused their hearth fires on Samhain night, then each family solemnly re-lit its hearth from the communal bonfire, thus bonding the families of the village together. The bonfires were also used in divination rituals.

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Samhain was seen as a transitional time, when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld could more easily be crossed. This meant the spirits could more easily come into our world. It was believed that the spirits needed to be appeased to ensure that the people and their livestock survived the winter. As such, offerings of food and drink or portions of the crops would be left outside for them. The dead were also honored at Samhain. The beginning of winter may have been seen as the most fitting time to do so, as it was a time of 'dying' in nature. The souls of the dead were thought to revisit their homes seeking hospitality. Places were set at the dinner table and by the fire to welcome them.

Dressing in costumes was a part of Samhain from at least the 16th century and was recorded in parts of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. It involved people going from house to house, usually reciting songs in exchange for food. It is suggested that it evolved from a tradition whereby people impersonated the souls of the dead, and received offerings on their behalf. The modern custom of trick-or-treating may have come from the custom of going door-to-door collecting food for Samhain feasts, fuel for Samhain bonfires and/or offerings for the spirits. Alternatively, it may have come from the All Saints' custom of collecting soul cakes. The traditional illumination for guisers or pranksters abroad on the night in some places was provided by turnips or beets, hollowed out to act as lanterns and often carved with grotesque faces. They were also set on windowsills. By those who made them, the lanterns were variously said to represent the spirits or supernatural beings, or were used to ward off evil spirits.

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Today's Halloween customs are also thought to have been influenced by Christian dogma and practices derived from it. Halloween is the evening before the Christian holy days of All Hallows' Day on November 1st, thus giving the holiday on October 31st the name All Hallows' Eve. By the end of the 12th century All Hallow's Day, along with All Souls' Day on November 2nd, had become holy days of obligation across Europe, and involved such traditions as ringing church bells for the souls in purgatory, and criers dressed in black to parading the streets, ringing a bell of mournful sound and calling on all good Christians to remember the poor souls. "Souling", the custom of baking and sharing soul cakes for all christened souls, has also been suggested as the origin of trick-or-treating. The custom dates back at least as far as the 15th century and was found in parts of England, Germany and Austria. Groups of poor people, often children, would go door-to-door during Allhallowtide, collecting soul cakes, in exchange for praying for the dead, especially the souls of the givers' friends and relatives. Soul cakes would also be offered for the souls themselves to eat, or the 'soulers' would act as their representatives.

Celebration of Halloween was extremely limited in colonial New England because of the rigid Protestant belief systems there. Halloween was much more common in Maryland and the southern colonies - annual autumn festivities were common, but Halloween was not yet celebrated everywhere in the country. However, in the second half of the 19th century, millions of Irish fleeing Ireland’s potato famine immigrated to America and helped to popularize the celebration of Halloween nationally. Taking from Irish and English traditions, Americans began to dress up in costumes and go house to house asking for food or money. Young women believed that on Halloween they could divine the name or appearance of their future husband by doing tricks with yarn, apple parings or mirrors.

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In the late 1800s, there was a move in America to mold Halloween into a holiday more about community and neighborly get-togethers than about ghosts, pranks and witchcraft. At the turn of the century, Halloween parties for both children and adults became the most common way to celebrate the day. Parties focused on games, foods of the season and festive costumes. Parents were encouraged by newspapers and community leaders to take anything "grotesque" out of Halloween celebrations. Because of these efforts, Halloween lost most of its superstitious and religious overtones by the beginning of the twentieth century.

By the 1920s and 1930s, Halloween had become a secular, but community-centered holiday, with parades and town-wide parties as the featured entertainment. Due to the high numbers of young children during the 50's baby boom, parties moved from town civic centers into the home, where they could be more easily accommodated, and the centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating was also revived, but with an emphasis on the children collecting sweets. Today, Americans spend an estimated $6 billion annually on Halloween, making it the country’s second largest commercial holiday.


Compiled from articles featured on www.history.com and www.wikipedia.com

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Coast to Coast AM with George Noory


Monday: Hollywood Ghosthunters/ Mysterious Space Signals

In the first half, members of the Hollywood Ghost Hunters, Rick McCallum, Louis Horowitz, and Robert Pendergraft discussed the many haunted locations they've investigated and described details of their ghost adventures in places such as the Queen Mary, the Whaley House, and the Linda Vista Hospital. In the latter half, senior astronomer at SETI Seth Shostak talked about the latest sets of mysterious signals from space and other anomalous findings.


Tuesday: Luciferian Agenda/ Hauntings & the Paranormal

In the first half, Robert Stanley, the editor of UNICUS magazine, discussed his latest work on the Luciferian agenda and its history. In the latter half, Theresa Argie and Cathi Weber, known as the Haunted Housewives, spoke about an array of haunted topics including paranormal historic preservation, true crime hauntings, and strange supernatural legends.


Wednesday: War on Witches

Author and researcher Mitch Horowitz discussed the growing popularity of witchcraft, and the worldwide revival of Wicca and pagan traditions. Yet, with this upsurge, there has been an unfortunate increasing wave of violence against witches. Open Lines followed.


Thursday: Earthfiles WikiLeaks Special

In a special three-part report, Earthfiles investigative reporter Linda Moulton Howe shared her conversations with Canadian UFO investigator and author Grant Cameron about the ongoing October 2016 WikiLeaks' dump of hacked John Podesta's emails.


Friday: The Infamous Smurl Haunting

Filling in for George Noory, Dave Schrader welcomed Carin Smurl, who detailed the dire haunting in her family's Pennsylvania duplex, where a TV burst into flames, scratches appeared on walls, empty rocking chairs swayed, and foul odors permeated the place.

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Paranormal Podcasts


Last Podcast on the Left: Richard Chase, Part I: The Cat Tree

It’s Heavy Hitter time with one of the lesser known but most brutal killers out there, Richard Chase AKA the Vampire of Sacramento! It’s the most blood-soaked series yet as we cover his early life as a MacDonald Triad poster boy, his LSD-fueled trips to the rabbit farm, and his first murder.

Link: http://cavecomedyradio.com/podcast-episode/richard-chase-part-i-the-cat-tree/


Paranormal Podcast: Married to the Paranormal

Greg Newkirk and Dana Matthews join us on this BONUS episode to discuss the life of being a married couple who’s world revolves around the paranormal. In part two, Tony Spera joins us to talk about his in-laws and the groundbreaking paranormal investigation couple Ed and Lorraine Warren.

Link: http://jimharold.com/married-to-the-paranormal-paranormal-podcast-454/


The Paracast: October 30th, 2016

Gene and guest co-host Greg Bishop, of “Radio Misterioso,” present noted Canadian UFO researcher Chris Rutkowski with a UFO sighting update. For Halloween, he’ll also focus on “ghosts and UFOs,” and where there are, in fact, actual differences, or if they are actually two manifestations of the same phenomenon.

Link: http://www.theparacast.com/


Mysterious Universe: 16.16

For this Halloween special we bring in Lucas arts sound design professionals to carve the spookiest effects in full 3D virtual reality binuaral LSD audio. Or we may just have a sound board of creaky doors and cat screeches... What we do have 100% confirmed is enthralling tales of Italian time machines invented by Venetian monks, the forefathers of EVP, and a collection of time slip experiences to the medieval age.

Link: http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2016/10/16-16-mu-podcast/

Expanded Perspectives: The Salem Witch Trials

On this episode of Expanded Perspectives the guys start off the show talking about how Australian researchers have discovered that peptides contained in the milk of Tasmanian devils can kill some of the most deadly bacterial and fungal infections, including golden staph. Then, Russian researchers have stumbled on the site of this lost weather station, along with a handful of wartime relics from the 1940s. Among the artifacts discovered on the island are objects bearing Nazi insignia and swastikas. Most importantly for the researchers, many of the items also appear to be marked and dated to give further confirmation that this is the real deal.

Then, Cam re-tells a terrifying experience one camper had in Michigan with what is believed to be a Bigfoot like creature. Then, a recent article claims the Earth faces another ICE AGE within 15 years as Russian scientists discover that the Sun is cooling. After the break Kyle talks about the Salem Witch Trials. The Salem witch trials occurred in colonial Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693. More than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft, and 20 were executed. Eventually, the colony admitted the trials were a mistake and compensated the families of those convicted. Since then, the story of the trials has become synonymous with paranoia and injustice, and it continues to beguile the popular imagination more than 300 years later.

Link: http://www.expandedperspectives.com/the-salem-witch-trials/


Skeptoid: Photographic Memory

Pop culture tells us that some people have photographic memories. What's the real story?

Link: https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4542

Thinking Sideways Podcast: Oct282011.com

Registered on August 7th, 2011, a website that loaded a dark page with white text is at the heart of this mystery. Who ran it, what was is it for, and what was meant to happen on October 28th, 2011? A cult? A hoax? The cryptic clues on the site leave almost all to the imagination.

Link: http://thinkingsidewayspodcast.libsyn.com/oct282011com


Astonishing Legends: The Mothman, Part 2

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Mothman! Well, we’re pretty sure “Mothman” isn’t any of those things, neither a moth nor a man, or some unholy combination of the two. If the descriptions by over 100 witnesses are accurate and the symptoms of seeing such a sight are related, then whatever this creature is, it’s abilities may go beyond even what is considered possible for an earthly cryptid. Magical flight, a burning, mesmerizing gaze, and haunting dreams are some of his reported traits, but is clairvoyance also one of them? What if Mothman knew your fate, but wasn’t capable or allowed to tell you? And for an even bigger stretch of the imagination, what if Scott goes “off the chain” in this episode? Now, this may all seem like silly balderdash to your sophisticated and skeptical nature, but what kind of hosts would we be if we couldn’t deliver a tale of a real monster in time for Samhain? After all, it is Halloween.

Link: http://www.astonishinglegends.com/portfolio/ep-051-mothman-part-2/

Blurry Photos Podcast: Ghost Stories 5

Get ready for some serious bum-puckering, Blurry Photos is back for ghost stories 5! Chock full of terrifying tales and stupid stories, the boys find some frights in more ways than one with ghost stories 5. A creepy ocean tale. A story of spooky shadows. Petrifying poems. And Bloody Mary makes more than a cameo in this year’s lineup. Enjoy the creeps, and enjoy just how terrible some stories are written. Lock the doors, curl up by the fire, and have one last hurrah before the next BP holiday of Saturnailya!

Link: http://www.blurryphotos.org/ep-165-ghost-stories-5/


Stuff They Don't Want You to Know Podcast: Election, Part II: Top Clinton Conspiracies

Mere days before the US election, it seems overwhelmingly likely that either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will become the next President of the United States. Both candidates have been the source of great controversy, and in the second part of this series we explore the facts, fiction, controversy and conspiracy theories surrounding the Clinton campaign.

Link: http://www.stufftheydontwantyoutoknow.com/podcasts/top-clinton-conspiracies.htm


Bizarre States: Peas and Carrots: The Halloween Special

Jess and Bowser celebrate halloween with updates from the clown corner, Charlie The Choo Choo, the Bermuda Triangle and listener stories!

Link: http://nerdist.com/bizarre-states-108-peas-and-carrots-the-halloween-special/

The Higherside Chats Podcast: Austin Coppock | Astrology & The Elite

Join Greg Carlwood of The Higherside Chats podcast as he talk astrology and the elite with powerhouse guest, Austin Coppock. Most people who have gone deeper than their weekly horoscope have probably realized the eerie accuracy of a quality astrological reading. Even if you haven’t done much personal investigation, a look through history will show that from the Egyptians to Nazi Germany, powerful leaders and monarchs have often kept their chief astrologers nearby and held their advice in high regard. Chalk it up to superstition if you so choose, but one can’t ignore the actions and belief systems of the elite. It’s certainly no coincidence we’ve been told to pay no never-mind as they discretely pour their energy into this aspect of reality. Even if the mechanisms behind astrology are still unclear, it seems the gears of the great cosmos operate like a grandfather clock of probability. Luckily, today’s guest is here to help us shed some light on this topic and help us better understand the applications of astrology. As a popular writer, teacher, “reader of the stars”, and recommendation of The Higherside’s favorite wizard Gordon White, Austin Coppock has cemented his superior status among the astrological community with 20 years of knowledge.

Link: http://thehighersidechats.com/austin-coppock-astrology-the-elite/


The Dark Myths Collective:

We are a group of podcasters dedicated to producing high quality and emotionally power-packed listening experiences. While our shows span the full spectrum of genres from history to fiction to crime stories, what binds them together is that they explore the darker side. This allows you to cross genres and discover podcasts you might not have found.

Link: http://darkmyths.org

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Editor's Note:

As a bonus (and because I'm secretly a cu/ck/), I'm including a recipe for Soul Cakes. Bake 'em up and give 'em to your religulous friends, or eat them all and laugh at people who can't have fun on Halloween.


Soul Cakes

Ingredients:

6 ounces butter (175 g)
6 ounces sugar (175 g)
3 egg yolks
16 ounces flour (450 g)
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (Mixed spice)
4 ounces currrants or raisins (100 g)
A pinch of saffron (optional)
Milk to mix

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375F/180C.

Cream the butter and sugar together and then beat in the egg yolks, one at a time.
Sift the flour into another bowl with the spices and then add to the butter, sugar and egg mixture.
Stir in the fruit and add enough milk to make a soft dough, similar to biscuits/scones.
Roll the dough out and cut out little cakes with a biscuit cutter. Mark each cake with a cross and then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake the cakes for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Cool on a wire rack and the store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.


Happy Halloween, Samhain, All Saints' Day, or whatever stupid Protestant faux-Halloween activity you choose to perform and make your kids miss out on cherished memories for!


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Until Next Time

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Happy fucking Halloween, you filthy animals

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Another great thread, OP.

>>18284669
19 of those executions were done by hangings. The twentieth one was from torturing a guy to confess. Since he remained mute he could not be tried (if he was tried the government would have taken his property as opposed to his sons inheriting it).

These threads should be stickied

>>18286942
Yes, I know. Giles Corey. MORE WEIGHT!

Great thread. Thanks OP

>>18284639
Cheers, Ed

Thanks OP! Definetly would read again.

>>18287699
Not the worst idea posted on /x/