![]() ![]() It was a peasant ritual, sprung up from time immemorial." Anyone who wished could approach the fiery effigy, toss a branch into the crackling flames, and in so doing metaphorically "burn away" anything he did not wish to carry into the quiet, deep reflection time provided by winter's enforced inactivity. It was an awesome sight-a giant flaming wicker man, burning bright against the encroaching night. At sunset on the night of the ceremony, it would be lit on fire. ![]() Tradition had it that at the end of the harvest season, before the winds of winter began to blow, that a straw effigy would be erected right outside the palace. It was believed to be a time when the barrier between the living and the dead was thin, & those who had passed on could be sensed by those still alive. ![]() One was somber, one was celebratory, and this one was a bit of both. "There were several smaller festivals leading up to Hallow's End.
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