Halloween

 

Halloween, the word, you will not be surprised to know, comes from the Scots.  'Hallow,' refers to 'Saints,' and 'All Hallows' Eve,' is the evening before 'All Saints Day.'  Hallow's eve, called 'e'en' in Scots gives us the name we now know.

In Roman Empire days many Christians were martyred for their faith.  Usually the church would offer a 'feast day,' for them, however, there were numerous martyrs at one time so it was decided to commemorate all faithful dead Christians, whether martyred or not, in one day, 'All Saints Day.'  

As is usual in Christina belief these things get watered down or amended to suit the outside influences of the day.  So 'All Souls Day,' arose to commemorate the dead and pray for them as they went through purgatory.  The Reformations soon put a stop to that!  However, for many centuries this was popular, as was the belief that such souls would wnder the earth seeking vengeance on their enemies before the sped of to heaven.  It was said these souls would disguise themselves as they moved about, hence the dressing up today.  

While the Reformation cleansed nothern Europe from such beliefs some remained.  One concerned leaving food forthe dead on their graves.  Bread marked with a cross was placed on each, today we have hot cross buns, at great price from supermarkets, and few leave these on graves of dead relatives. 

Samhain, was the Celtic festival celebrating the end of the harvest days and beginning of winter, it was celebrated on the 1st of November.   Many myths came into play here, fear of the supernatural, the dead arising again, and divination of the future.  Various methods were attempted but only one appears to have come down to us, 'Bobbing for apples.'  This has little spiritual insight, however, anyone attemting to bite an apple floating in a bucket of water will soon knowhow difficult this can be.  Especially when someone shoves your head right inside!  We also had treacle tarts hanging from the ceiling, the idea was to eat these, with hands behind your back, fun for kids mind.

'Guising,' continues in Scotland.  Kids dress up, knock on doors and offer an act of some kind in exchange for money of sweets.  This goes back to the 16th century when 'beings' were said to wander the earth.  A disguise could protect you from them, though how this protected people from kids knocking at the door is not stated.

The introduction of 'Trick or Treat,' from the USA into the illiterate English has become popular in the last 50 years.  This was actually begun by UNICEF to collect money for children in developing countries.  Boxes for cash were given to kids to go round the doors, millions of dollars were gathered this way.

The introduction of 'horror,' appears to have begun in an attempt to poke fun at Satan by showing his defeat by Jesus on the cross.  I'm not sure Chinese tat from Tesco is a proper Christian success in this endevour.  

The lantern comes from a tale, possibly Irish, in whick Jack catches the devil climbing up tree.  By making a sign of the cross on the tree he traps the devil and makes him promise never to allow him into Hell.  When he dies Jack is not allowed inti heaven, the devil keeps his promise and refuses him in hell also.  However, the devil throws a lump of coal to him which Jack places in his lantern which he carries as he wanders failing to find rest.

Dearie me...

So many events are followed around the world which began in the days of long ago.  When we examine them we realise what a lot or rubish we have been taught by our forefathers.  Much supertitious nonsense, much supernatural fear, and far to little biblical truth.   

   

Middle of Night Worrying

This happened to me last night.  

Awake at just before 2 am, and still awake at just after 4 am.  My mind filled with failures, mistakes, errors and the thought that worse is to come.  

I awoke again at ten minutes to six bleary, worn out, and unwilling to rise.  I managed to return to sleep for an hour or so and when I woke my mind was quite peaceful.  

How come this happens?

A quick google leaves me with no answers.  Tiredness is of course one reason, the brain expects you to  be asleep in the middle of the night and is weak in defending worries.  So, once awake that fear appears, the worry re tomorrow, the people you wish to avoid, the memory of failure from the past, all crowd in.  During the day these may appear but other activities drown them out, in the night, especially the long winter nights now approaching, these are free to wander around the brain.

I read of people with full time anxiety synedrome taking herbal measures to cure this, I'm not sure they work.  The only answer is to return to sleep, or if not able, to rise, drink tea and eat something, this settles the body somewhat, the mind follows.  

Of course some people like to hang on to there worries.  It allows them to dwell in self-pity, or resentment, or just escape their life.  None of this brings reprieve in my view, just harm, and self harm at that.  

There are those who suffer various kinds of insomnia that requires medical help, but I do not refer to that.  I think this middle night anxiety is something common to all, the infrequent late night anxiety that disappears with dawn.  Maybe the body gives more cortisone as we rise, maybe sleep has done its work, maybe we just did not eat properly in the evening, maybe, just maybe, we will never know.

Jesus of course is the answer.  Failure to trust his response causes many fears, and failure to respond to him at 3 am engourages fears, do we not trust him?  Sometimes we just wallow instead of being faithful.

 

Scotland's Royal Saint

                     

Old Maps

I love old maps.  

Especially those covering places I have lived in.  This map appears to date to 1896, though this cannot be guaranteed.  The railways were added in 1902.  I love it because at the top is the area in which I spent my first two years of life, and returned to for school and church.  As my late brother said, 'This is our home.'  He said that even though he had not lived there since 1953, but home area it was and remains.      

Granton Road was our area.  This is because dad moved there in 1911 and was based in the middle of the wee dot we see to the right of the road, just north of Granton Road Station.  That was our tenament, and it remains in use today, but without us.   That makes me wonder about the people who have lived there both before and after us.  What happened to them?  Do the present occupiers see the area as we saw it?  

Certainly things have changed a lot.  One half of the harbour has been filled in and new blocks of flats tower over the other half.  The railways we all knew have gone, including the high embankment that once took goods into town.  That embankment blocked the view of the local houses for well over a hundred years, so much light can now fill those dwellings.   

While we occupied the tenaments to the right we see dotted around the big houses, now either divided into flats, or selling for over a million at a time.  Our small two room tenament sold recently for just over £100,000.  Before I was born my dad laughed at a neighbour who paid £100 for his!  

The area marked as 'Trinity,' became a large playing field.  Our school was created in 1932 to replace the one dad went to down near the harbour.  That building still stands with the doors marked 'Boys,' and 'Girls.'  What it is used for now is unknown.  

The playing field was filled with Royal Navy equipment, in a variety of quickly erected huts, during the war.  With the housing shortage afterwards these were commandered by many seeking a new home.  Today it is a sports field of various sorts.  

The chip shop is now a Chinese, or is it Indian, the phone box has gone, the Co-op shop might be still there but is modernised, and the police box (think 'Tardis') remains but for what use?  The shops have been amalgamated into one large succesful shop.  

Time passes, memories remain.  An old map can waste hours of work time if you manage it properly. 

I'm glad I found this one.  

 

Tiger

                                                                      Big Cats India

The other day there was one of those stories about daft people.  This one may of course have been mentally ill, and it sounds likely, as he climbed over two fences, and entered the cage in a zoo where a pair of tigers lived.  

Now we all make mistakes, we all go into places by error rather than design, but deliberately entering the cage of a man eating beast is not a mistake we make easily.  So this chap enetered the cage and soon afterwards was dying, no doubt with quite a bit of pain on offer.  The zoo staff stepped in but could not save him and not surpisingly he died there.  

The tiger of course was merely protecting himself and his mate, he saw a danger approaching and defended himself, who can refuse him that right?

Now I used to like going round zoos, the animals are great, many would be dead in the wild today, and almost all appear happy.  Those who say they ought to be released usuqally can afford to trek across the world to spot such animals in the wild, I cannot.  Zoos do a lot of great work protecting and helping animals and we must support them.  These tigers may well have been seen as pests in India and shot when near villages or townships.  It is safer in the UK for them.  

How though do we stop people getting into cages?  The truth is we cannot.  Fances and gates do not stop the determined or the mentally ill, they will get through to their cost.  Nothing can stop them.

Some wanted the animal killed for this attack.  Why remove an animal for being itself?  No reason for that.  The tiger is not a wild dog which attacks people while owned by a non caring owner, the dog, and preferably the owner, ought to be put down.  It has become wild, so has the owner.  The tiger must however, remain.

 

Harvest

It was Harvest Festival service on Sunday, though to be honest I cared little for it.  The common cold that has held me prisoner for three weeks did not ease up much for the day.  While most symptoms had gone the cough and tiredness remained.  I attempted five minutes snooze before the service but was woken by people pretending to be friends.  This did not ease my mood.

I coughed and spluttered, along with one other sufferer who also had to be there, trying not to fall asleep of spread germs everywhere.  In this I failed.  The thing is I was doing the prayers so could not avoid being there.  Normally I would have missed out but I had prepared and having missed several meetings already it was wise to attend.  I was wrong.

So, eventually I got the chance to pray.  I croaked my way through it, noticing the expressions on the faces as I did so, and walked limpingly back to my seat watched by dead eyes.  I did not stay for the anniversary dinner that followed, I went home to bed for the rest of the day.

Here we are three weeks since this bug began and I am still coughing loud enough to wake the folks downstairs.  Getting to sleep leads to racking coughs, they hear each one.  Hopefully it will subside now, there is not much strength left inside me after this.  

Of course nothing has been done, lots to do and with the weather getting chilly I looked at the bpiler and found a wee leak at the pressure gauge knob.  Oh goody!  Of course the knob will not turn, even after a can of UB40 has been blown onto it.  I may require a man in to fix it before I use it again.  Exploding boilers worry me.

Then there is all the other work that has been left lying, someone has to do it, and I suppose it is good for me to exercise by working.  It never done me much good when working mind.  

Meanwhile, all around the world is in a mess, tyrants and their lackeys destroy and steal.  Never mind, remember psalm 37, 'Fret not because of the wicked.'  You see, Jesus remains Lord of all.

 

Spem in Alium, Culture.

 

Poverty And the Rich

 

Man Cold