Foolish fire creatures

This is a very old traditional belief in the "Foolish Fire" creatures. These are known as ignis fatuus, which is Latin for "giddy flame" or basically they're mostly called Will-o'-the-wisps. Today the most famous household flame creatures are the Jack - o'-lanterns. Others are called different names like hobby lanterns, hinkypunks, friar's lanterns and even fairies! 

While many people associate them with pumpkin carvings every Halloween, there's a true phenomena about these mysterious lights. In other parts of the world, these orbs of fiery dancing lights are called Spook Lights, Marta Lights and St Louis Light in the Americas while in Norway are the Hessdalen Lights and in Thailand they're called Naga Fireballs. There's many folk stories about them. While science has a logical explanation about the lights, fairy tales and legends give them life and magic.

In Britain and Ireland, these firelights were believed to have been spirits of the dead. So as the veil is thin during this time of year, people made their own fire creatures by hollowing out vegetables and placing tea candles inside. Before the introduction of pumpkins, Europeans used other vegetables instead mainly turnips. This is practiced still today even when many prefer using pumpkins, because there's something very olde world about seeing turnip hob o' lanterns. Pumpkins are now widely available and they can grow in vast numbers in a small garden! 

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Witch elm

This is a tree also spelled as "wych elm". The species grows in the British Isles, with its close relatives in Europe from Scandinavia to Italy, as well as in the Arctic Circle and parts of Asia. This tree is also called Scots elm and Ulmus glabra since it grows very much in the north in Scotland as it enjoys harsh winters. Regarded as a tree that heals wounds, especially with it's astringent properties in the leaves and bark. Its leaves and fruit is edible. 

Despite it's magical sounding name, the word "witch" refers to the supple type of wood, coming from Old English "wice", hence the other spelling. Also even though witch elm is pliant, it's water proof and has got some fighting spirit against Dutch elm disease although not totally immune. There are many types of elms so in Britain don't confuse witch-elm (or wych elm) with English elm. English elms are tall and slender, while witch elms are bulky shaped.

Wych elms are often associated with death and darkness in folklore. Its long believed that wands were made from witch elm. These trees were connected to the Underworld in Celtic mythology, In Greek myth, the very first witch elm grew right where Orpheus played music for his undead lover Eurydice that he rescued from the Underworld. The nymph of the west, named Erytheia, turned herself into a witch elm tree in the Garden of Hesperides. A chilling mystery happened in 1944 when children were playing and then they discovered a dead woman inside the hollow of a witch elm tree. To this day the victim is unknown but still someone keeps writing graffiti "Who put Bella in the wych elm?"      

Witch elms or wych elms do well for industry and can make excellent weapons as people have used the wood to create bows. These trees have been favoured to build coffins, wheels, piers, groynes and underground pipes because the wood is so water proof. Witch elms tolerate the most polluted cities, and they can produce yellow dye.

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Samhain/Winternights/Alfablot

The season of Samhain, also called All Hallow's Eve and Halloween, comes with the thinning of the veil, or lowering of realms between the living and the dead. It can be viewed as a time when Summer is fading away and Winter is closing in. It's for many celebrations including the honouring of ancestors with warm spiced food and drink. 

A holiday named Winter Nights that happens roughly middle of October, sometimes viewed as the turn of a new year by the Germanics. The season of Samhain and Winternights is famous for pumpkins, apples and bonfires, as well as ghosts. Meditation, scrying, rune divination and spirit communication works stronger at this time. 

Another interesting fact is a Norse ritual called Alfblot, occurring late in October. It was regarded as a sacrifice of animals to the elves. It was considered sacred and was a private ceremony done in homesteads instead of in public at great halls or in the open town squares. No one would dare to interrupt them and no outsider would think of bursting in. Today the ritual sacrifice has been replaced to eating red meat. Both Celtic and Germanic made small contained fires (later on it was lanterns were made with putting candles in hollow pumpkins and turnips). 

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