This cache is in honor of all things Halloween. Paisley's favorite season is autumn and we really enjoy the history and folklore surrounding this holiday. Samhain (pronounced Sow-wen) was the biggest and most significant holiday of the Celtic year. The Celts believed that at the time of Samhain, the veil was at its thinnest and ghosts of the dead were able to mingle with the living. People gathered to sacrifice animals, lit bonfires in honor of the dead, to aid them on their journey, and to keep them away from the living. In old England cakes were made for the wandering souls, and people went "a' soulin'" for these "soul cakes." Today Halloween is becoming once again an adult holiday or masquerade, like Mardi Gras.
The Raven is one of type2bill's favorite animals. Birds have been part of the Halloween tradition for a long time. The birds most commonly shown are crows and ravens, which are members of the corvidae family. Folklore often represents corvids as clever and even mystical animals. They are considered the most intelligent of the birds, demonstrating self-awareness and tool making ability. The Celtic peoples strongly associated corvids with war, death, and the battlefield. The poem "The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe may have led to the association of ravens and hence crows at Halloween.
Congratulations to dugfresh for the FTF!
Please be careful and respectful. No need to step past the fence.
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- This geocache has an approved Permit to be placed at this location on property managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Visitors are responsible for acquainting themselves with policies and rules pertaining to State Parks areas.
- The following items may not be placed in the geocache: food, illegal substances, medications, personal hygiene products, pornographic materials, hazardous materials, or weapons of any type.
- By searching for the cache, visitors agree that they are responsible for their own actions, and acknowledge that neither the State of Washington nor the cache owner is responsible for any loss or injury that may occur in relation to such search.
- Report any incident, problem, or violation to State Parks staff.
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