Trick or Treat Give Away 2014


Trick Or Treat!

The 2014 Trick or Treat Give Away has concluded! The winner will be contacted via email. Thank you to all the folks who Trick or Treated! Visit Halloween Artist Bazaar to find more holiday events and give aways through out the year. We appreciate your interest in Halloween Artist Bazaar and for keeping the spirit of Halloween alive!

Keep your Jack o’ lanterns lit in solidarity, and to all a
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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How To Enter:

Visit one of the contributing HAB artist shops and leave them the message “Trick or Treat” in the subject line.
Next like the HAB Facebook page and message us “Trick or Treat” on our wall.
Fill out the form below.

Official Rules

Entry deadline is Midnight on October 20th 2014. The Winner will be chosen at random. One entry per person. Winner will be notified via email. The prize will ship on October 21st 2014. The winners name will be posted on the Halloween Artist Bazaar website and Facebook page. Members of Halloween Artist Bazaar are not qualified for entry.No age restrictions. Contest open internationally, however please note that prize may not arrive before October 31st due to international shipping delays.*your countries custom charges may apply.*

Contributing Halloween Artist Bazaar Artists:(check back as the list grows and photo’s of the winnings are posted!)
Twilight Faerie
Art By Sarada
Ghost Gap
Gothbunny
Jan’s Beads
Jynxx Designs
Odd Origins
Tocsin Deigns
twistedpixelstudio
Wicked Alterations
Sauvage Raven Creations
Lttle Shop of Horrors

The Will o The Wisp


The Will o’ The Wisp
-By Angelique Duncan

Will o’ the wisp quite literally meaning the will of the wisp. A thing that is completely hopeless yet perused despite the difficulty and even impossibility of ever finding or catching it. Wisp being a torch made from burning straw.

On nearly every continent a phenomenon exists that has never completely been explained: glowing lights that appear and hover over the ground. Most commonly they have been sighted in marshy places such as swamps, ponds and rivers although there are some regions where they have been seen in the thick of forest, in prairies and desert mountain ranges. Sometimes they are seen in cemeteries. Usually no bigger than a fist, although there have been reports of small lights the size of candle flames and others the size of a melon. The colors vary as well. Typically they are described as white with bluish or greenish tint, although yellows, oranges, violet and red lights have been seen. Despite the variations in the lights that have been described there are two universal consistencies to the phenomenon. First, these lights cannot be captured and when observed they seem to interact with the viewer by following or “leading them”. The second is that they are not completely explained by science.

Early theories explaining the lights are that they are formed from methane gas escaping from the earth and spontaneously combusting as it is released. A more sophisticated theory is that the lights form from a combination of phosphine, diphosphane and methane produced from decomposed organic matter and create phosphoric acid when in contact with water vapor and ignite by photons released when in contact with oxygen. These theories could account for glowing spheres seen in marshes and swampy areas.

Other theories are that the lights are an electrical phenomenon of random ball lightening formed from naturally occurring electricity in the air. One belief is that as fault lines move piezoelectric materials such as arsenic or quartz are heated and escape through water vapor causing an electrical reaction, a possible explanation for the lights seen over desserts and prairies if those elements are present.

The lights have been attributed to being the result of bioluminescence in which luciferin is released and reacts with oxygen to emit a greenish or bluish light. Bioluminescence occurs in fireflies and glowworms and a handful of other creatures and insects. Some fungus and algae’s produce this glowing affect attributing the occurrence of glowing spheres to spores being released in clusters causing the glow affect.

Perhaps to a certain degree one could say that any one of these scientific theories would be a sound explanation for the sightings of hovering glowing orbs over landscapes. Except that in some regions and continents where the will o’ wisp have been seen the aforementioned conditions aren’t present to create them. Another inconsistency is that the descriptions of the lights that have been reported are not exclusively consistent with the light effect that would be produced by the environments and reactions stated by the theories. Witnesses have claimed to see light emitting orbs that are bright enough to illuminate their surroundings and others claim to see faint translucent flickers with their light contained.

Other explanations exist explaining the will o’ the wisp. Their reason for being may be found in folklore and legend. It is widely believed across European counties that the wisps are faeries or magical elemental beings. Depending on the region the mysterious lights are interpreted through folklore as mischievous faeries that use their “fairy fire” to trick travelers into following them, only to leave them stranded in a bog or marsh far from the path the traveler was on. It is said the lights resemble torches or lanterns from a distance causing a lost traveler to be drawn to them in hopes of finding their direction back to their village. One of the most widely held beliefs is that they are faeries who either are mischievously attempting to trick travelers into following them, either to lead them to the faerie realm or merely to guide them from their path and cause confusion.

Others say the lights are not faeries, but wicked goblins of the Pooka or Puca variety whose intent is malicious and wish to kidnap or cause harm to humans by tricking a wandering traveler into following them to swampy places from where the person is never seen or heard from again.

Different versions of this mythology exist in Mexico, South America and Asia. The stories are nearly identical to the European tales yet the explanation as to what the lights actually are differs. In Mexico and South America, the lights are associated as witches casting spells, luring humans to follow them for sinister intent involving witchcraft.

In Asia the lights are believed to be the wandering spirits of the dead. Ghosts who have not passed into heaven, destined to stay on earth. The deviation of the story, being that the lights will appear over open waters to lead fishermen astray from shore. Some believing them to be the ghosts of dead fishermen or people who have drowned and whom wish to bring more souls underwater to live with them.

These stories of “ghost lights” corresponds with Norse and Scandinavian mythologies that the wisp are believed to be guardians of ancient graves, protecting them from desecration by leading people away from the burial spot. In many cultures spheres have been sighted in graveyards and cemeteries.
Some say they are the spirits of the dead looking for companionship by leading souls to their graves where the lights trick them into the misfortune of staying. A similar folklore states that the lights are a warning of a pending death and that a funeral will be held soon. Some traditions tell that the lights will appear close to buried treasure and if one is brave enough to follow the light and survive they will be rewarded with the riches. No one to date has returned from following the floating lights bearing treasure.

In Europe another common theory is that the floating lights are the souls of unbaptized children forced to stay on earth until they receive baptism. The legend goes that a man of faith came across three unbaptized travelers who asked to be baptized and when the man went to baptize them the souls of all the un-saved children of the earth appeared with hopes to pass into heaven. The man spent the entire night baptizing souls until the sun rose. Those who he did not baptize that night are said to be the lights of unbaptized children who wander the earth.
A variation to the myth is that the lights are the souls of scoundrels not allowed into heaven and rejected by hell. Many cultures associate the will of the wisp with the origins of Jack o’ lanterns, that the lights are souls who are trapped in a cold dark hell on earth and have been given only a lump of coal to light their way and keep warm.

Not all mythologies surrounding the wisps are foreboding. Some stories tell that the lights are benevolent in nature. Pixie lights are pixies who live in the deep of woods who if treated kindly and with respect will help lead a lost traveler who has gone astray back to the path home. Hence the meaning the will of the wisp in that only the barrier of the wisp torch will decide one’s fate.

Sightings of explained lights that hover over water and land have been documented through out history and sightings continue to modern day. As to what or who they are there is no solid single explanation. Perhaps they are the elegant result of chemicals and electrical phenomenon. Maybe they are something ancient and enchanting. There isn’t a definitive answer, thus the will o’ the wisp remains a mystery, and that in and of itself is something magical.

Image “Will Of the Wisp” Copyright Michelle Angelique Duncan

Angelique Duncan is proprietor of Twilight Faerie Nostalgic and Capricious Objects. Check out her artist page to find links to her shops and vintage inspired traditional holiday art. Visit again next month for more traditions and folklore.

The Secret History of Gnomes.


The Secret History of Gnomes.
-By Angelique Duncan

When one sees a statue of a garden gnome one would never realize the grand and noble history that they hold. Their beginnings are much loftier than the life they hold now, residing in the suburbs among the daises and St. Augustine.

The name Gnome quite literally means “Earth Dweller” and is synonymous with Pygmaei or as we know the term today, Pygmies. Once believed to stand 3-4 feet tall, masculine, strong in physique with long beards. Their possible history reaches back to the ancient Roman Greco era to a tribe in Greek mythology who were secondary deities who co existed with humans. The Gnomes were considered highly skilled in nature magic. Gnomes were seen as benevolent beings that were intelligent and wise, hard working in manual labor, peaceful in nature yet fierce defenders when necessary. They were the guardians of farmland; gardens and small livestock and forest animals. When lands were under attack they rode upon goat back brandishing spears to drive out the invaders.

In Roman mythology they were considered akin to the Roman fertility god Priapus protector of livestock fruit and gardens and considered very virile. It is believed that Gnomes are depicted consistently as male figures in history and rarely referenced as female in that the Gnomes were defenders of the meek and all things worthy of protection. It is believed they were very protective of their women and would defend them to all cost against predators and intruders, and later in history from humans.

In Celtic and Germanic lore, the Gnomes were a tribe attributed with Earth element magic and were defenders of mines and under ground tunnels. It was believed that gnomes could move through the Earth and breath underground with the same ease their human counterparts do above ground in the air. Some associate Gnomes as descendants of the Dwarves of Germanic and Norse legends for the ability to move underground and the belief that Gnomes were skilled miners. It was thought that they helped to build under ground tunnels to hide treasures and riches of the fae folk after the great invasions of ancient Ireland, and from humans in modern times.

The history and genealogy of the Gnomes is also believed to be traced to the Tomte or Nisse of Scandinavian folklore. The Tomote are sometimes believed to be an incarnation of a deceased ancestor of the home who comes back to defended the children and animals of the estate and would help with chores, particularly gardening and farm work. The Scandinavian folklore of the Tomote gave rise to the legend of and has associations with the winter elves who appear at Yule.

The size of the Gnomes is widely accepted as a physical attribute, although some historians and mythologist suggest that their representation of small size was more figurative than literal in that in their possible origins they came form lesser spirits or gods. The modern depiction of Gnomes in literature is significantly smaller than what is written in ancient mythology. The modern accepted stature of a Gnome is 2-3 feet tall and in many instances as short as 1 foot tall.

One theory between folklorist and mythologist is that Gnomes adapted to the world around them. That the Gnomes became smaller to better navigate an ever-increasing population of humans and development. Shape shifting to a smaller size helps to keep them hidden. Others believe that the gradual change of Gnomes appearance was the result of the Christian church marginalizing pagan deities through depictions of art and restructuring of legends to aid in making Christianity more palatable to Pagans. Many descriptions of Pagan deities through the Christian church had their attributes downplayed and magical properties lessened. Benevolent entities and magical creatures of Pagan nature religions were often diminished from noble in spirit to mischievous sometimes comical and in most instances considered dangerous as the Church weaned the populace from their previous beliefs to Christianity. By making these entities appear small made them seem less powerful than the Church and what it’s religious deities had to offer. Stories of Gnomes were homogenized more closely with legend of Dwarves and described as irritable, impatient, war like and ugly in appearance. The Gnomes as stoic guardians eventually faded into the stuff of myths.

The use of small statues of Gartenzwege or garden dwarf has remained tremendously popular through out Europe since the 1600’s. Folks would display a small porcelain statue of a Gnome in there home as a protector. Tying to the legends of the Tomte. It was common practice to keep either a wooden, terracotta or ceramic Gnome in ones garden to act as a guardian to discourage nighttime intruders invading ones crops. A popular folk tale in the 1970’s was that Gnome statues secretly came to life after dark working their gardens, shooing away pests. When the sun rose they returned to their post, turning back to stone.

The industry for lawn statues grew in time with demand for garden gnomes becoming hugely popular in pre Word War II Germany. Most were produced from hand sculpted molds, however declined post war to only a few original family manufacturers. They are now mass- produced all over the world using cheaper materials. The depiction has changed as well. Once the imagery was more sober and wise in appearance however after release of Disney’s ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarves”, Gnome statues took on the more rounded chubby appearance and became seen as more comical nature. Gnomes have had many depictions in literature and often interchangeable to different small statured magical species, affecting their representation in art and statuary.

Till this day Gnomes enjoy popularity in culture. Garden Gnomes have become a central figure in games and pranks known as “gnoming”. One incarnation of “gnoming” is to steal a Gnome from it’s garden and place it randomly in another so that the Gnome travels the neighborhood, often appearing in unconventional places like on rooftops or inside mailboxes. Another popular fad is to send a gnome with a note attached to travel around the world to see how far it will go and if it will return back to it’s previous location. Some Gnomes become victims of theft that results in a ransom note listing bizarre demands.

Perhaps the existence of Gnome like creatures has existed in so many cultures and mythologies due to their ability to travel great distances undetected under ground. Maybe those cheery faced, pointy hat statues decorating the lawns of the sub-burbs still enjoy late night adventures. Is it possible the reason the petunias were spared from the grasshoppers as the result of the fierce protection of ones garden Gnome? Maybe. The only one who knows is the Gnome, and he is stone faced and isn’t speaking.

Angelique Duncan is proprietor of Twilight Faerie Nostalgic and Capricious Objects. Check out her artist page to find links to her shops and vintage inspired traditional holiday art. Visit again next month for more traditions and folklore.

Christmas in July, Halloween in June


Christmas in July, Halloween in June
-By Angelique Duncan

Most folks have heard the expression “Christmas in July”. It usually is used to express a great and unexpected surprise. There seems to be differing opinions and documentation of when the slogan was actually was first actually used. Some historians trace the term back to the 1930’s and 1940’s to different Christian church entities and clubs in regards to annual events involving decorated trees, gift giving and all the trappings of the winter holiday in the hot summer month of July. First official use of the term “Christmas In July” was from an American movie of that title that was released in 1940. However the concept has much deeper and practical origins.

The notion finds its roots in the Victorian era of the 1800’s and early 1900’s. The Victorians, despite being quite extravagant in their winter celebrations with in decorations and gifts were also frugal and inventive people. The practice of purchased gifts at the Christmas holiday did not surface until much later in modern history. The Victorians would primarily give hand made gifts. The common practice was for each family member to make a gift for each other member of the family. For this to be pulled off in time for winter, a lot of planning and preparation was required.

Most gifts were made from what one could find in nature or in ones home. The making of gifts and holiday decorations for the home became part of the summer ritual. During the summer months, materials from nature were readily available. Starting the craft projects early in July gave a window of roughly 6 months to complete the projects of sewing, collecting and drying flowers, canning and preserving special foods from the garden, using oils to sent sachets and pomanders and to build collages or paint objects.

The Victorian practice of hand crafting ones Christmas gifts carried over into the 1930’s during the Great Depression when resources were scarce. In lieu of purchasing items, holiday gifts were from what one could make from what they had on hand. Later in 1944 during World War II, the United States Postal Service and greeting card industry promoted a postal campaign to collect letters and cards in early July for soldiers overseas to help ensure that they would be received for the holidays.

In the 1950’s with rise in incomes and commercialism advertisers for department stores caught on to the phrase to help boost retail sales during the leaner profit months of summer. The idea gained momentum for bargain hunters, who would begin their holiday shopping early in the year. This also allowed for retailers to push out old inventory to make room for the next year’s products.

In the years of the 1950’s through the 1970’s retail marketing of the Christmas holiday season began the day after Thanksgiving, on what is now known as Black Friday. Stores would set Christmas displays and begin their holiday sales for what is considered season of the greatest profits for retailers though out the months of November and December.

In an effort to extend the shopping season and sell more Christmas merchandise retailers began to push the start of the holiday season earlier and earlier each year. The market for winter décor exploded. By the late 1980’s retailers would begin to play holiday music and stock Christmas items the day after Halloween. By the 1990’s and into the new millennium retailers began putting out their holiday merchandise as early as June and July and have capitalized on the “Christmas In July” slogan in hopes to capture revenue from folks doing their holiday gift and decorating shopping early.

The phenomenon of capitalizing and commercializing holidays carried over to Halloween. With the rise in popularity of Halloween in past decades, retailers have taken notice. Sales of Halloween themed items for home decorating, parties, yard decorations and costumes now follows a close second to Christmas related sales and is gaining.

During the early 1990s and 2000’s Halloween entered a surge in popularity in American culture. However availability of quality unique Halloween decorations was limited in the big retail market. Most decorations and costumes prior to the late 1980- 90’s were home made. As the desire for Halloween décor that was on par with Christmas decorating grew, so did the market for Halloween art. Small independent artist and individuals who built yard – haunting décor had found their niche. With the advent of the Internet and the growth of an online upstart auction site known as eBay, demand for handmade Halloween soared. An entire market of Halloween collectors was born. One of a kind direct from the artist creations was highly sought after.

As this national love of all things Halloween grew, national retailers took notice and followed suit. The large retail chains began to offer Halloween collectibles, home decor and elaborate yard art that hit their shelves by late August and September. Big retailers honed in on what was offered by the independent online sellers and created an entire industry of Halloween retail revenue.

Sales of Halloween themed collectibles for home decorating, parties, yard decorations and costumes now follows a close second to Christmas related sales and is gaining. With this popularity of Halloween, retailers now set out mass-produced Halloween items as early as July, often along side the Christmas wares. This has drastically hurt the profits of small independent Halloween artist and yard haunters who once enjoyed a reliable fall retail season for Halloween sales.

From this history a campaign of Halloween in June was born. Independent artist Julia Chibatar proprietor of Ghostgap had the idea in 2013 to create a month dedicated to Halloween outside of it’s traditional month of October as an answer to the commercial concept of Christmas in July. Halloween in June is a month long celebration of all things Halloween with particular emphasis on independent Halloween Artist and their handmade wares. The celebration is a combined effort of Halloween groups comprised of independent artist to raise awareness of the small retail businesses and artist who gave origin to the Halloween retail phenomenon. It is an opportunity to showcase one of a kind handcrafted works available for purchase direct from the artist before the onslaught of big retail Halloween hits the shelves.

Halloween in June is presented by Spooky Cute Etsy Team
Halloween Artist Bazaar Artist Group
And Halloween 24/7 Etsy Team.

Angelique Duncan is proprietor of Twilight Faerie Nostalgic and Capricious Objects. Check out her artist page to find links to her shops and vintage inspired traditional holiday art. Visit again next month for more traditions and folklore.

The Faeries


The Faeries
-By Angelique Duncan

They are known as faerie, fairy or faery, the fae or the fay, the wee people or the little folk. The word derives from Latin fata or “the Fates”. From old French we are given the word “faerie”. The term was once used to describe any of several races or breeds of small, often humanoid enchanted mythological creatures. The faeries earliest history comes from the Celtic peoples who tell that the faeries were of the Tuatha De Danann who came from north of the earth or from the sky and were defeated in a great war for power and retreated in the hills and mounds of Europe. In other ancient folklore they were once worshiped as benevolent Gods and Goddesses presiding over natures various elements and it was held that the Fae were innate and organic to the earth. Their purpose was to protect Mother Nature and keep mankind in check with the laws of nature.

With the rise of Christianity, the church viewed the various enchanted races as something evil. Mythologies surfaced that the faeries were the ghost of demoted angels, or lesser demons. It was believed that God closed the gates of heaven. The angels who were in heaven remained, all demons who resided in Hell were trapped and those who where locked out were the faeries. The theory was that they were not evil enough to be banished to Hades, but not pure enough to pass into heaven. The belief that they were something to be feared and unnatural to Gods law spread.

The Puritans decreed that any relations with the fae folk was a punishable crime of witch craft and that anyone who was friendly with them was consorting with evil. Sightings of faeries became more scarce and the stuff of folklore. This may have been from people fearing persecution if it was found that they had seen faeries or because the faeries themselves became less visible and had retreated further into hiding for fear of capture and death by the church. The faeries reputation became more sinister and fearsome. Stories were told of faeries that snatched children or travelers to take back to their realm. They were blamed for failed crops, trickery, vandalism of homes, theft of livestock and other malice.

With the romanticism of the Victorian era faerie lore experienced a renaissance and a renewal of their image. Although still frowned upon by the church and the growing scientific community, the mystical creatures were no longer viewed by the populace as evil but mischievous and magical. Through depiction of art, theater and literature the term faerie or fairy became more specific to an image of enchanted miniature humanoids with wings. Often they were painted or described as young, beautiful seductive women of nature or virile chiseled men of strength. Fairy tales were hugely popular during the era and the Victorians held a fascination with all things ethereal and enchanted. The faeries began their heyday in popular culture.

Faerie themed parties were popular, as little girls and women would dress in fluffy dresses and home made wings to mimic the popular image of the fae. Many would leave gifts of honey, sweets and shiny tokens to attract fairies to their gardens. It was thought at the time that if one appeased the fairies with gifts they would not practice their mischief on ones home. A common activity was to host “fairy hunts” where folks would take to wooded places and gardens with nets and jars in hopes of catching a glimpse or capturing a fairy. The fairy fascination went so far as to inspire grand and elaborate hoaxes claiming proof of fairies existence. The Cottingley Fairy photographs being the most celebrated and widely publicized. Claims of fairy sightings and interactions were on the rise.


As society turned from religion and spirituality to emphasizing scientific thought moving further into the 20th century the belief in faeries and the enchanted waned. The faeries once again were stashed into hiding from the physical word and became the stuff of children’s books and child’s-play. The faerie remained in art imagery throughout the 1950’s, however the only fairies seen were costumed girls at Halloween or birthday parties.

Faeries in popular culture experienced another revival in the late 1960’s and 70’s through art and the New Age spiritual movement. People began to revisit the old nature religions and modern witchcraft was on the rise, sympathy for the lost faerie magic emerged and new folklores and mythologies surrounding the wee folk was developed. This revival was short lived as in the 1980’s a return to conservative ideology took hold and Christianity once again was on the rise. Simultaneously science and reasoning grounded in logic created an environment where all things magical were once again frowned upon and relegated to myth.

It is not known for certain if the faeries actually existed, or if they are the creation of the human imagination. In the 21st century they are still depicted in art and film and have a place in pop culture. Modern pagans still believe in them and have faith in their history as tangible and real. Ironically, in the past couple of decades science has made discoveries that may bring us closer to proving that the wee folk did actually exist. In the late 1970’s the remains of a small humanoid skeleton that was later named “Lucy” was found in Ethiopia. Archeologist found remains in 2003 of what is believed to be a new strain of humanoids referred to as Homo Floresiensis, nicknamed “Hobbit”. The petrified bones were human in nature however very small statured. Multiple remains of an entire colony of prehistoric small people standing only 3 feet to 3.5 feet tall were discovered in caves in the Philippines. Tunnels have been discovered in hills across Europe that have indications they were built by humans yet are only big enough for a child to fit through. Artifacts of tools have been found in and around the tunnels, but no one is sure what purpose these tunnels served. In the pursuit of understanding human history, science may lead to the magical faeries.

A 2007 hoax was perpetrated in Derbyshire claiming an intact faerie corpse had been discovered. Although a hoax, it brandished international attention and an outpouring of people who believed it to be true. When it was disclosed that it was indeed a hoax, many were vocally disappointed. The hoax hit a nerve with people. It illustrated that despite all our rational thinking, scientific thought and generally conservative beliefs, collectively people wanted to believe it was true. They wanted faeries to be real. After all these centuries people still have a profound connection to the notion of enchanted beings that exist in the forest and gardens of Earth.

Who is to say for certain that once upon a time a race of mystical faerie beings didn’t once walk among us casting enchantments? Or maybe, they still do. Perhaps on a warm May evening if one is very still and very quiet they may catch a glimpse of a passing faerie moving through the garden or forest floor.

Hilda Miller

Image copyright 2014 Michelle Angelique Duncan

Angelique Duncan is proprietor of Twilight Faerie Nostalgic and Capricious Objects. Check out her artist page to find links to her shops and vintage inspired traditional holiday art. Visit again next month for more traditions and folklore.

The Rabbit On The Moon


The Rabbit On The Moon
-By Angelique Duncan

Some folks look at the moon and see a Man in the Moon. Others see a rabbit. Depending on how one looks at it the rabbit on the moon takes different shape. The rabbit on the moon has appeared in many different cultures with varying explanations as to how he arrived to his lunar destination. In early Chinese texts a story is told that the rabbit is mixing herbs or medicine for the Gods or immortals and is seen as holding a mortar and pestle. Some say that the rabbit was put on the moon to dim it’s light as to not be brighter than the light of the sun.

A common folklore that has been repeated in Chinese, Japanese and South American cultures is that the rabbit’s image on the moon is in honor of a lone rabbits generosity and sacrifice. The story goes that a test is set upon three animals on a night with a full moon. In some tellings the rabbit’s companions are a fox and a monkey, in others it is an otter rather than a monkey. A weary traveler is starved and in need of nourishment. The fox gathers fruit for the traveler. The otter or monkey gathers fish. The rabbit with an inability to gather proper food other than blades of grass leaps into the fire that had been built and offers him self as the meal. A rendition of the fable tells that the fox and monkey refuse to help the traveler, yet the rabbit is willing to sacrifice himself. The traveler, who in some versions of the tale is the Buddha, sometimes the Śakra or other respected sage, reveals himself and is so touched by the rabbits generosity to make such a sacrifice of compassion removes the rabbit unharmed from the flames and bestows immortality on the rabbit through the moon.

In some versions the rabbit is lifted to the moon and returned to Earth. In other versions the rabbit is lifted to the moon to run free. Some say that the image of the rabbit on the moons surface is the reflection of the smoke from the fire and others say it is the Rabbits immortal spirit casting a shadow. In these the tales the rabbit’s image is a reminder of his compassion. The rabbit is sometimes perceived as running across the moon and sometimes seen as sitting in an upright position. Others see the rabbit as laying with paws tucked in.

Another fable tells of a rabbit who wanted to fly to the moon. No one was willing to make the journey to take him. Finally a crane offered to make the flight. They flew with the rabbit clinging to the cranes neck. The weight of the rabbit stretched out the cranes neck and legs. The rabbit clenched so tight to the crane one of his paws began to bleed. As they reached the moon the rabbit brushed the cranes head with a bloody paw as he reached out to touch the surface. It is said that this is why cranes have stretched legs and necks as well as the red spot on their heads; it is a reminder of the brave journey made to help the rabbit. When the moon is full one can still see the rabbit who rode to the moon.

Image copyright 2014 Michelle Angelique Duncan

Angelique Duncan is proprietor of Twilight Faerie Nostalgic and Capricious Objects. Check out her artist page to find links to her shops and vintage inspired traditional holiday art. Visit again next month for more traditions and folklore.

The Appearance of Leprechauns


The Appearance of Leprechauns
-By Angelique Duncan

In March the Leprechauns begin to appear. They are often the ambassadors of Irish mythology and a modern symbol of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. In early history they are described as short statured around three feet tall with red hair and often bearded, wearing red topcoats and always in a hat. Their coats were said to have rows of seven brass buttons. Their appearance was generally tidy and dapper with a stoic demeanor.

It is believed that the Leprechauns were the cobblers and bankers for the faeries and mystical folk. Legend has it that they would hold coins and shiny objects of value for the fairy clans in crocks that they would store in burrows and under mounds. To keep the wealth safe from humans, the Leprechauns were the only ones who knew where it was buried. They carry two pouches, one with silver coins that will magically reappear in the pouch once paid. In the other pouch they carry magical gold coins that they reserve for when they are in a tight spot and need to bribe or distract to get out of a situation. The gold coins are said to turn to ash once handed out and the Leprechaun has escaped out of sight.

In many legends the Leprechauns are deemed generally cranky, serious, hard working creatures, with strong ethics and are mostly solitary. Other than their shoemaking and bank dealings with the various faerie races, they prefer the company of other Leprechauns. They have earned the reputation of being miserly and tricksters. The reputation as mischievous tricksters is garnished by the great lengths and persistent measures they will go to evade humans.

Their aversion to humans stems from ancient history of Ireland, as it is believed that they were descended from the Tuatha de Danann. After being defeated in a series of power struggles, the Leprechauns, along with the other mystical tribes where driven under ground to live in caves and mounds. It is said that the Leprechauns were charged with the duty of protecting the riches of the ancients when they went into hiding.

A common theory is that later in history when Christianity took hold across Europe the followers of the ancient religions were eradicated and the remnants of the magical faeries and Leprechauns were driven further into hiding. Legends of the hidden treasures surfaced among humans and it was believed that if one could capture a Leprechaun, they could be forced to lead humans to the pots of hidden gold. It was thought that if one could follow a Leprechaun to the “end of a rainbow” the treasure would be found. It was once held that rainbows were markers to the buried ancient wealth and acted as portal openings to the enchanted underworld. To cross paths with a Leprechaun is said to be a rare occurrence and usually ends in frustration for the human who tries to capture and extract the location of the treasure from the Leprechaun.

The modern incarnation of Leprechauns are depicted as wearing all green, presumably to emphasize the wearing of the green and Irish pride for St Patrick’s Day. They are often described as unruly, prone to drunkenness, random mischief and vandalism. One explanation for the personality change in Leprechauns from their past reserved countenance is that what is being described in modern times is not actually Leprechauns, but Cluricans who are part of a different race that is related to Leprechauns. Although similar in physical appearance and possibly related to the Leprecaun, Cluricans are a separate race in the order of magical folk. Cluricans are noted for a love of harsh drink, rabble rousing and terrorizing livestock and crops to spite humans. They are said to be short in stature and untidy in appearance.

The practical explanation of the Leprechauns modern appearance and demeanor is that over time the folklore associated with the magical folk is mostly moot and forgotten. The modern Leprechaun that is associated with St. Patrick’s Day is an amalgamation of descriptions from fictional literature, film and early American stereotypes of the Irish.

St Patrick’s Day originated as a Christian holiday celebrating the victory of St. Patrick driving the “snakes” out of Ireland. The “snakes” are metaphorical for St. Patrick eradicating the non-Christians from Ireland. It was a celebration that the Pagan gods and myth had been muffled. Although regionally some do still celebrate March seventeenth as a holy religious day, in the modern United States it is marked as a day of Irish Pride for the obstacles overcome by immigrants in the new world. It is celebrated with merriment, wearing of green, exaggerated claims to Irish heritage, much drinking and the appearance of Leprechauns.

If there are still Leprechauns left in the world, they must get quite a chuckle at the irony that a holiday that once was created to celebrate their extinction, now celebrates their image as the quintessential Irish icon. Should you have the good fortune to glimpse a Leprechaun crossing your path raise a glass to honor him and his kind, he’s had a rough history and has managed to endure the test of time. Word of advice, don’t bother to try and follow him. He won’t tell you where the crock of gold is buried.

Angelique Duncan is proprietor of Twilight Faerie Nostalgic and Capricious Objects. Check out her artist page to find links to her shops and vintage inspired traditional holiday art. Visit again next month for more traditions and folklore.

Krampus, The Valentine Devil


Krampus, The Valentine Devil -By Angelique Duncan

Krampus originated in early history as a winter holiday icon as the antithesis to St Nicholas or Santa Clause. He was a reminder to children to be good. He is the horned devil like creature with one human foot and one hove and a long tongue who would carry away naughty children in his basket to his liar in the Black Forest. In his early incarnations he was depicted as menacing and gruesome, a sight to be feared.

Greeting cards in the early nineteenth century with the frightening image of Krampus became popular as a way of giving warning to children that Krampus was watching. As the greeting card industry grew in popularity, images of Krmapus became more tongue in cheek and humorous in nature and were targeted to adults. Krampus remained sinister in his appearance despite his more comical and sometimes romantic escapades.

Krampus began to emerge in modern history on greeting cards in a more adult context depicted seducing and voyeuristically interacting with attractive and often scantly dressed women. This more romantic and erotic version of Krampus began to appear not only at Yule and Christmas time but found their way to the lowbrow Valentines Day greeting card market. Krampus evolved into a less gruesome monster to a more sophisticated and human like devil form. He began to be featured wearing suits and sports jackets and sometimes wore a cape. With his new smoother appearance Krampus sometimes took on an almost cupid like role matchmaking couples or “pulling the strings” of romance. The card sentiments were subversively erotic in nature and Krampus had become synonymous with deviant sexuality. In a role reversal Krampus cards sometimes displayed a woman in a “Krampus” suit seducing or chasing a man. Some cards even put Krampus in the submissive role, shown as the captive of a pretty woman.

In last 50 years Krampus began to appear outside of his activities with seduction and would commonly appear in traditional Valentine settings with his switch broom, hearts and symbols of romance as a Valentines Day Devil. During the 1960’s as sugary kitschiness gained in popularity in the greeting card industry, Krampus became sweeter and gentler in his appearance and youthful. His basket and chains were replaced with a pitchfork. He often was illustrated as red or wearing a red suit and more traditional devil-like with smaller horns and more human. The Krampus card sentiments became cheeky with puns and plays on words. Krampus had become the pre-curser to the Valentines Day devil we often see today.

Angelique Duncan is proprietor of Twilight Faerie Nostalgic and Capricious Objects. Check out her artist page to find links to her shops and vintage inspired traditional holiday art. Visit again next month for more traditions and folklore.

Father Time, Death and the New Year


Father Time, Death and the New Year -By Angelique Duncan

The ringing of the New Year marks the arrival of Father Time to take away the old year. He is often depicted bearded, wearing a cloak, carrying a scythe and an hourglass. Sometimes accompanied by a crow, often Father Time’s companion is Baby New Year. In some renderings he is winged. His arrival marks an end of time and sometimes the death of an era.

It is believed that Father Time is the embodiment of the ancient Greek deity Chronos or Kronos. With many of the Greek deities, they carried over to the Roman mythologies. Chronos and the Roman deity Saturn were of similar nature. Both were Gods of Harvest and were depicted as carrying a scythe in which they would use to cut down crops. An overlapping mythology from the Greeks is that of Cronis, who castrated and killed his father Uranus by using a scythe. Some historians tell that the mythologies of Chronis and Cronis are of the same deity, some contend that the two are separate entities serving different mythological functions, much as Zeus and Saturn are similar in functions in their perspective cultures.

The word Saturn has the meaning to sow. Chronis holds a dual meaning of time and crow, hence where the crow companion who appears in illustrations of Father Time fits in. The scythe shape carried by the two deities is symbolic that time rises and falls and inevitably all things must end.

During the Renaissance era Father Time emerged as the keeper of time passage and our modern image of the deity was formed. He carries with him a scythe that cuts down time and timepiece either an hourglass or a clock face, symbolizing the constant flow of time forward.

It was once believed that we each have our own hourglass that is kept by Father Time. When our “time is up” and we have come to the end of our time on Earth, he comes to collect. During the renaissance era Father Time was also synonymous with the Reaper of Death. The imagery of the elderly male wearing a cloak with broad wings that collected souls at the end of their life was split to another entity of what is known today as the Grim Reaper, a skeletal man with a beard in a dark cloak with a scythe and hourglass in hand. The imagery of death developed his own persona and through out time no longer was depicted with the beard and hourglass, however the hooded cloak and scythe remain part of his repertoire.

Some cultures believe Father Time works alone, gathering the years as they expire. Others believe that Father Time and Baby New Year are the same entity. As the old year expires Father Time collects it and passes a New Year to the Baby to hold guardianship over and bring to maturity. As the year progresses so does the Baby to become the next incarnation of Father Time to hand off that year to a new Baby and the cycle continues. Some believe that the two work in concordance, but are individual entities independent of each other. The Father collects the old decayed era that has come to an end; the Baby brings the new fresh era.

The Baby New Year has his origin in Greek mythology of a baby that was ceremonially carried in a basket to symbolize the rebirth of the fertility God Dionysus. The custom of The Baby New Year was practiced by Germans and carried over to America through their migrations. The modern image of the Baby New Year now sports a top hat and a banner sash with the year he is custodian over tied across his chest. It was the Victorians, with their fascination of dressing children like adults, who are responsible for Baby New Years fashionable top hat.

Across cultures and spans of time a common theme of a Fatherly elderly bearded man appears at Winter. The Holly King is the Celtic God of the dying year. He rules from Summer Solstice through the Winter Solstice. The Holly King represents the darkness and decay of winter. Depicted often as a bearded man with a Holly crown. Some historians correlate the Holly King to Father Christmas. Father Christmas is depicted as a bearded man wearing a robe; in lieu of a scythe he carries a staff. Father Christmas was the precursor to the bearded St Nicholas and later Santa Claus. The Holly king is also thought to bear resemblance to Old Man Winter, the deity who reins over the winter months and brings cold, snow and the “death” of the sun until it’s season.

Each of these bearded fellows has their place in their cultures mythology and history. They may all be offspring in some fashion of the same mythology. They may serve to tell the story of Chronos or Saturn, defining end of eras and the sowing of time in the cross cultural belief that has stood the test of time. The image of Father Time holding his scythe and hourglass counting the minutes until it is time to collect the next expired year remains.

Farewell old year. A very happy young new year has arrived.

Angelique Duncan is proprietor of Twilight Faerie Nostalgic and Capricious Objects. Check out her artist page to find links to her shops and vintage inspired traditional holiday art. Visit again next month for more traditions and folklore.

The Legend of the Christmas Spider


The Legend of the Christmas Spider-By Angelique Duncan

One of our cultures most common holiday customs comes from a very old German and Ukrainian legend of one of the tiniest and misunderstood of creatures. The tradition of covering ones holiday tree in shiny sparkly tinsel originates from the Legend of the Christmas Spider. There are different versions of the legend however the root of the story is mostly the same across cultures.

Once upon a time a gentle mother was busily cleaning the house for the most wonderful day of the year. Not a speck of dust was left. Even the spiders had left their cozy corner in the ceiling and had fled to the attic to avoid the housewife’s busy cleaning.

At last, it was Christmas Eve. The tree was decorated and waiting for the children to see it. The poor spiders were dismayed, for they could not see the tree, or the presents that waited for morning. The oldest and wisest spider suggested that perhaps they could peep through the crack in the door to see this glorious sight. Pretty soon all was quiet, so the spiders quickly crept into the room. The tree towered so high that they couldn’t see the ornaments on top. In fact, the little spiders’ eyes were so small that they could only see one ornament at a time. They all scurried up the trunk, out along each branch, filled with a happy wonder at the glittering beauty. The spiders loved the Christmas tree. All night long, they danced in the branches, and every place they went left a trail of dusty, gray web. When at last they had inspected every bit of the Christmas tree, it was shrouded in the dusty gray of spider webs.

In one version of the story the spiders realized what they had done and were panicked to undo what they had done to the tree and feared once it was discovered they all would be killed. They prayed for mercy as they tried to figure out how to fix what they had done. An angel appeared in answer to their prayer. She offered that one spider would have to be sacrificed to save the rest. The oldest wisest spider offered himself since it had been his instigating that brought the spiders to this dilemma. The angel turned the spider to sparkling ice and transformed the webs into glittery strands of shiny metal. The spiders were in awe that what they had done had made the tree even more beautiful.

This story is told in versions with different entities transforming the webs to silver and gold. Some cultures tell that it was Santa Clause or Father Christmas who upon discovering the web covered tree felt sympathy for the spiders, and for the housewife who had worked so hard on decorating the tree. He touched his hand to the web and transformed it to what we now know as tinsel. The story is also told in a version that arrived much later in history that the baby Jesus helped the spiders and transformed the webs.

Another telling of the Christmas Spider legend from the Czech republic tells that a poor woman who could not afford traditional holiday decorations or gifts yet wanted to provide something beautiful for her children. So she went to the woods and found a tree to put up in their home. She spent the day polishing and cleaning her humble home in hopes of brightening their meager holiday. As she swept her floors a spider narrowly escaped the broom. The women noticed the spider and felt sorry for it. Rather than kill the spider or toss it outside into the winter cold she let it live but asked that she retreat to the attic out of site. In gratitude for the woman’s kindness and mercy, the spider crept down from the attic and labored through the night spinning beautiful webs onto each branch. On Christmas morning the sun shone through the window and hit the webs turning them into silver. The women and her children woke to find the magnificently decorated tree and the exhausted spider on a branch. The story spread and from then on a spider on ones tree was seen as a sign of good fortune.

One rendition of the legend tells that a woodsman went to the woods to cut his tree before a pending snowstorm. A spider had taken shelter in the branches in hopes to avoid the cold and had fallen asleep. When the spider awoke it found it had been moved inside. Seeing the blizzard of snow falling outside the window the spider was overwhelmed with gratitude to the woodsman for bringing him into his warm home. The spider spun decorative webs over the tree in pure joy. When the sun rose the next morning the webs turned to silver glistening on the branches. The woodsman was so pleased with the silver the spider had spun he revered the spider as a token of fortune and each year there after when bring in the annual holiday tree he would collect a spider to shelter the winter in it’s branches.

The Victorians would hang one small ornate spider on their Christmas trees to up hold the tradition and as a reminder of where tinsel came from. This tradition like so many others has fallen to the wayside and has become buried in obscurity of the lost history of the winter holidays. So when your decorating your holiday trees this year, hang a little tinsel in honor of its origin. And when you’re cleaning your home before your holiday company arrives, if you see a spider go scampering past your broom have mercy and spare its fragile little life. It just wants to stay warm and the act of holiday kindness may just bring your home good fortune.

Angelique Duncan is proprietor of Twilight Faerie Nostalgic and Capricious Objects. Check out her artist page to find links to her shops and vintage inspired traditional holiday art. Visit again next month for more traditions and folklore.