ISSUE 76 October 1. 2012

ALL HALLOWS’ EVE SYMBOLS

WATERHOUSE SYMBOLISM NEWSLETTER#76

S P E C I A L HISTORY OF ALL HALLOWS’ EVE SYMBOLS All Hallows’ Eve must be rec- ginnings of the celebration of  Broken tree limb ognized that it is not a holiday All Hallows’ Eve came from conveys mortality that has been celebrated the observing those changes. versus immortali- same way over the centuries ty (therefore symbols change). It Those beginning observations has been reinvented in differ- were based on the idea that  Owl conveys ent guises over the centuries evil spirits were responsible for watchfulness, and the best way to explore blights and other problems wisdom or con- those subtle guises are to look related to the harvest. To ward templative soli- at All Hallows’ Eve in different off these evil spirits they set tude cultures like Ireland, Great huge bonfires to invoke help Britain, and the United States. from the gods. The beginning  Witch conveys the celebrations were thought as a occult, magic and All Hallows’ Eve have pagan festival of the dead and time secret powers origins even though its etymol- of supernatural intensity her- ogy is Christian because it is alding the onset of winter. Sir  Skull with wings quite literally the eve of All James Frazier sums it up well conveys passage Saints Day (November 1). It is in Golden Bough (1890) when of time also connected to Celtic festi- he wrote “the night which val Samhain or Samuin marks the transition from au- (pronounced sow-an or sow-in) tumn to winter seems to have From a wonderful book that meaning “when the summer been of old the time of year Caleb purchased for me at the I N S I D E goes to its rest”. Before we when the souls or the depart- Boston MFA of Mexican Day of THIS ISSUE: had books, newspapers, televi- ed were supposed to revisit the Dead posters sions, computers and cell their homes in order to warm Cemeteries 2 phones, the focus was much themselves with the good more on the changing of the cheer provided from them in seasons and how those chang- the kitchen or the parlour by Death Portraits 2 es affected our lives. The be- their affectionate kinfolk”.

Creatures of the 2 Night (Owls)

Creatures of the 3 BROKEN THINGS Night (Witches) In this issue, we will look at many will die but the bottom of the tree Harvest Items 3 will live. Also, notice on the tree (Jack-O-Lantern) things that have symbols related to Halloween. The grave marker is there are a couple of acorns which for Captain William Warren who is a symbol of resurrection. Disguises 3 died September 28, 1850 at the Even though the broken branch age of 39 years, 3 months & 11 Skeleton will die, the acorns will fall to the 4 (Kiss of Death) days. ground and will become new seed- It means mortality versus immor- lings and eventually new trees. tality because the top of the tree Mount Warren Cemetery in Deer Island, Maine P a g e 2 ALL HALLOWS’ EVE

CEMETERIES

This painting by Jacob Van The literal translation of sar- Ruisdael (Dutch, 1628/9- cophagus is flesh eating. 1682) is called The Jewish Cemetery, 1655-60 and is The ruined building is a sym- from the collection of The bol of decay or how short Detroit Institute of Arts. one’s life is here on earth.

Notice the dead tree and A rainbow and clearing sky fallen over tree stump which can be seen in the back- is always a symbol of death ground which is a symbol of and the idea that the per- hope and eternity. son’s life was cut short be- fore they reached their prime. I just recently purchased a wonderful book on several The sarcophagi on each side European Jewish cemeteries of the painting are always called “Houses of Life” by symbols of death and decay. Joachim Jacobs. This image is in the book.

DEATH PORTRAITS

During the Nineteenth Centu- and black, a keepsake book, Clothes ry, it was the custom to ease and the threatening sky. the grief caused by the loss of The boy, dressed in his best make a family members through clothes— the manner in which mourning rituals, observed statement. deceased children were usu- during the initial period of ally attired for burial— stands Costumes death, when the bereaved on the porch of his home family would formally view a tell a holding his hat, as if in the act portrait of the dead person. story. of departing from his family. This painting to the right is a The painting is “Portrait of a posthumous portrait by the Boy”, 1856, attributed to presence of the traditional ~Mason James B. Read, Minneapolis mourning colors of red, white Cooley Institute of Arts. Creatures of the Night ( O w l s )

This stone owl is from Pere with the Northwestern Native and war if it is to defend the Lachaise Cemetery, in Paris. American Culture, the image- home from outside enemies. ry of the owl was thought of In funerary art, the owl con- protector and guider in the The owl is seen as a protec- veys watchfulness, wisdom or underworld. tor in the Ancient Greece contemplative solitude. In culture and other cultures. different cultures, the owl In the Ancient Greek culture, was part of the burial pro- the owl conveys foresight The owl is also linked to early cess. In prehistoric European because they can see at cultures of Mexico and is times, the owl bones were night. It is the attribute of seen in Day of the Dead cele- buried with the dead and Athena, goddess of wisdom brations. I S S U E 7 6 P a g e 3

Creatures of the Night (Witches)

The witch conveys the occult, magic, known witch, stated that it is difficult and secret powers. Witch hazel con- to tax witches and fortune tellers part- veys a spell. I remember my grandpar- ly because of the erratic sums of mon- ents having witch hazel in a bottle in ey they receive. The law was voted their bathroom. down because the lawmakers were There was a bizarre article on Yahoo frightened of being cursed. last year about how the Romanian This painting is called Witches by Hans Senate was trying to enact a witch tax Baldung Grien, (c. 1484 – 1545), and all fortune tellers and witches Woodcut (1508). He was a German would have to produce receipts and painter and printmaker who was con- they would be held liable for wrong sidered the most gifted student of predictions. The article goes onto to Albrecht Dürer. . say that Marina Campina, a well-

Harvest Items (Jack - 0 - L a n t e r n )

This watercolor on paper by The carving of the Jack-O- out through the dark with a I would rather Andrew Wyeth called “Jack Be Lantern does not come into candle within!” Nimble”, shows the mischie- being until 1866. In the Unit- sit on a vous side of the Jack-O- ed States, the carved pumpkin pumpkin and Lantern. It is named after the and Halloween become associ- have it all to phenomenon of strange light ated with the harvest and the flickering over peat bogs, beginning of winter. myself than be called ignis fatuus or jack-o'- crowded on a lantern. The poet, John Greenleaf Whit- velvet cushion. tier , born in 1807, wrote in his Notice there are four pump- poem, The Pumpkin, “Oh!— kins and the number four Fruit, loved of boyhood—the ~Henry David stands for solidity, comprehen- old days recalling, when wood- Thoreau siveness, intellect, and justice. grapes were purpling and Notice the moon to the left brown nuts were falling! which conveys magic, intuition, When wild ugly faces were and fantasy. carved into its skin, glaring

DISGUISES

Disguises convey concealment from the very famous play the or changing a person's physical Phantom of the Opera by An- appearance, including a wig, drew Lloyd which conveys evil- glasses, makeup, costume or ness, escapism and another other ways. world. The poster to the right is from a 1920 edition. Camouflage is one type of dis- guise for people, animals and If you have seen the play, you objects. Hats, glasses, change know the story is full of sym- in hair style or wigs, plastic bols such as death, the next surgery, and make-up are also world, darkness and evil. used.

One famous disguise of the late 20th Century (1986) is What are your ideas for future newsletters?

Waterhouse

WATERHOUSE S Y M B O L I S M NOTES FROM THE EDITOR NEWSLETTER#76 As you can see by this newsletter, All Hallows’ Eve is one of my most favorite holidays. Windfall House There are so many wonderful symbols con- 108 Main Street Sandwich, MA 02563 nected to the holiday. I have also been able www.windfallhouse.com to curate an exhibition at the museum called Cell: 774 251-8620 “All Hallows’ Eve” and it has been fun explor- Home: 508 888-3650 Work: 508 428-7581 ing the visual arts part of the holiday too. E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.tinyurl.com/ waterhousesymbolismliday Take care, The mission of Waterhouse Symbolism is to research and document symbols locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. Richard Waterhouse

Skeleton (KISS OF DEATH)

Notice the skeleton head is kissing

the life out the young man who has just recently died. He is a symbol of

death here on earth—the young man “ succumbs to the kiss of death. In early American colonial cemeteries (1650-1750), the skull is seen occa- sionally with wings which is a symbol of the fleeting passage of time. Later on, the skull is replaced by the hour glass which conveys life ending when the sands of time runs out. The most famous movie hourglass is in the Wiz- ard of Oz and is turned over by the Wicked Witch of the West who explains to Dorothy that she will die when the stand runs out. The gravestone is from Monumental Cimeterio, Milan, Italy. If you haven’t visited this incredible cemetery, you should because the sculpture is amaz- ing.