Director of Oíche Shamhna, An Ancient Mystery, David Ryan writes about the making of the two part series on RTÉ ONE Sunday at 7.30pm and Bank Holiday Monday at 6.30pm, investigating the roots of the festival in Ireland.
For a documentary-maker, Oíche Shamhna or Halloween is a subject like no other. This is a special time of year, a very old celebration that may go back thousands of years, and its traditions give us an insight into how our ancestors made sense of the world.
In setting out to make a documentary on the subject, one needed to be conscious of what Halloween consists of today – a fascinating blend of modern elements, like firework displays and superhero costumes, and more traditional ones, such as bonfires and barm bracks. Is there an overarching or unifying theme that draws all these elements together? One seemed to stand out from all others: the idea that a mysterious Otherworld draws close at this time. Oíche Shamhna marked the transition from autumn to winter, and because of this people saw it as a liminal and supernatural time when the barrier between this world and the Otherworld dissipated. This why many believe that ghosts and spirits roam free during Halloween.
Féachann an clár seo ar na traidisiúin a bhaineann leis an bhféile chomh maith leis an dlúthcheangail atá idir Éirinn agus fréamhacha na féile. Fiosraítear an nóisean den saol eile a bheith níos gaire dúinn ag an am seo den bhliain ná aon am eile toisc go bhfuil muid ag dul i dtreo an dorchadais.
Cé go bhfuil cuid mhór den seanchas a bhaineann le hOíche Shamhna anois úsáidte mar bhealach le hearraí a dhíol, fiosraíonn an clár seo an tslí go mbaintí úsáid as cleachtais le dul i ngleic leis an saol eile agus daoine a bhí imithe ar shlí na fírinne.
Also, tradition and mythology tells us that ordinary humans can access this Otherworld by conducting magic rituals. And whether we realise it or not, these rituals still infuse many Halloween customs. When we look for the ring in the barm brack we are using the power of the Otherworld to try and divine the future. When we make jack o'lanterns we are imitating an otherworldly character who’s said to wander in limbo. When we put on masks and costumes, we are disguising ourselves so the creatures of the Otherworld won’t recognise us. So in the documentary we ask the question, well, what is this Otherworld? Does it exist? Can you access it, and if so how? And what does it tell us not only about the celebration of Oíche Shamhna itself, but about what it means to be human?
Folklore, mythology and psychology all offer clues to the answers. And now, science and archaeology add tantalising evidence to the mix. We filmed at several major ancient sites that have Samhain and Otherworld connections, including Navan Fort (Eamhain Mhacha) in County Armagh, and the Cave of the Cats (Uaigh na gCat) in County Roscommon. The huge circular enclosure of Eamhain Mhacha acted as a place of ritual for thousands of years, and new evidence from archaeology suggests it was built as a portal to the Otherworld. Medieval mythology suggests that supernatural power emerged here on Oíche Shamhna. Likewise, medieval tales refer to Uaigh na gCat as an entrance to the Otherworld, unleashing hosts of supernatural creatures on Oíche Shamhna. Now, scientists have succeeded in dating the manmade entrance to this cave, indicating when the stories may have first become popular. In the documentary, we retell the medieval legend of Nera, who enters Uaigh na gCat and finds himself in the Otherworld. Experts in archaeology, psychology and mythology discuss the meaning of the tale and explore the possibility that the Otherworld could be a proxy for the unconscious mind.
I measc na háiteanna ar tugadh cuairt orthu don taifead, bhí Eamhain Mhacha ki gContae Ard Mhacha chomh maith le hUaigh na gCat i gContae Ros Comáin. Cloisfear tuairimí ann ó shíceolaithe, sheandálaithe agus miotaseolaithe maidir leis an saol eile a thagraítear dó a bheith úsáidte mar bhealach le cur síos ar an intinn chomhfhiosrach.
Not everyone will agree with the interpretations put forward, and of course everyone is entitled to interpret Oíche Shamhna in their own way. But one thing is certain: this is a time like no other, a moment on the threshold of winter when we pause and allow the ethereal and the esoteric into our lives. And it’s been like that for a very long time indeed.
Oíche Shamhna, An Ancient Mystery, Dé Domhnaigh, 26 Deireadh Fómhair, 7.30 agus Dé Luain, 27 Deireadh Fómhair ag 18.30 ar RTÉ ONE
