 Horror/Scary: June 21, 2006 Issue [#1065] |
  Horror/Scary
This week: Edited by: zwisis
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"Midsummer is the time when the sun reaches the peak of its power, the earth is green and holds the promise of a bountiful harvest. The Mother Goddess is viewed as heavily pregnant, and the God is at the apex of his manhood and is honoured in his guise as the supreme sun."
“Litha, Summer Solstice”: http://www.byzant.com
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In the northern hemisphere June 21 is generally considered the longest day of the year, and traditionally it's the first day of summer - Summer Solstice. This is a bit of a contradiction, given that another of the day’s names is Midsummer - an ancient reference to the fact that this day is in the middle of Europe’s agricultural season. And there's another contradiction - the longest day on the annual calendar can sometimes fall a day or two later, depending on the year in question!
The point of this newsletter is to give you some background information about a significant date and the traditions and rituals that have evolved around it. I feel there is much information here that can be used as the background for a story in the horror genre. I remember a horror film called “Spellbinder”, and one of the scenes was – I think - based around Summer Solstice. Since the advent of Christianity some 2000 years ago there is a view that ancient religions such as Paganism are inspired, controlled or even led by Satan. Thus their solstice celebrations are rejected because they are viewed as Satanic in origin. All of which serves as great background for a horror writer’s imagination.
All over the world and throughout time the month of June has featured a number of religious and spiritual days, mostly linked to the Summer Solstice. Although people living in the Southern Hemisphere celebrate their summer solstice on December 21, the cultural and historical information about this date is still relevant.
At this point I want to make an observation - Christianity has incorporated Midsummer into the calendar, observing the feast day of St John the Baptist on June 24. It’s thought that this is because Summer Solstice was a celebration of victory of sun and light on the longest day of the year over darkness and death. It’s also the alleged date of St John’s death. Interestingly it is directly opposite the feast day of the birth of Christ. St John baptized Jesus and proclaimed him The Saviour, so this particular day is supposed to point to Jesus’ triumph over death.
We now return to the traditions of this festival …
Summer Solstice is also called Litha or St. John's Day, and in Pagan times it was an important religious event. Tribes would gather to celebrate the longest day of the year. Whole communities would participate in the celebration, paying homage to nature and the planets. Mother Earth was commemorated as “The Goddess”, while “The God” was represented as the Sun King. The festivities were filled with colour – yellow for the harvest, green representing nature and blue for the sky. Some of the rituals that took place during Summer Solstice are kept alive today by modern Pagan faiths. They include:
 Staying up all night to welcome the rising sun at dawn.
Keeping a sacred fire burning all night.
Dancing around the sacred fire to the beat of drums.
Burning a Yule wreath in the sacred fire.
Making a promise to Mother Nature to do something to improve the environment.
Exchange magical gifts with fellow Pagans.
Exchange songs, stories and poems with other people.
Summer Solstice was celebrated by the Slavs, the Celts and many Germanic tribes, with massive bonfires a main feature of the festivities. The Druids celebrated it as the marriage of Heaven and Earth. Customs and rituals were performed all over Europe, and over time Summer Solstice evolved into a night of fire festivals and love magic. Oracles were consulted, predictions were made and spells were cast. Midsummer Night became focused on lovers and fortune telling, commemorating the magic of the year’s shortest night, nature and the woods. A maiden could learn the identity of her future husband, a pair of lovers could leap through the bonfire flames to bring them luck and spirits and demons would be banished. Other leapt over the flames in the belief that the higher the leap the taller the crops that year! Customs to ensure the health and fertility of the land, domestic animals and humans were performed, and the church, the nobility and the peasants would join in the celebrations. Cities and towns marked the occasion with parades, plays and festivals in the market place, the town green and nearby forests.
Adding to the celebration of nature and her gifts was the inclusion of herbal potions, water and brooks that were supposed to contain healing attributes. Water customs conducted during the Summer Solstice, such as cleaning and decorating fountains and wells persist in many European cultures to this day. The Germanic tribes called this festival “Johannisnacht”, and tell of the healing powers of a magical pool and a fern that blooms only at Midsummer. Herbs gathered at this time and specific foods like baked elder flower blossoms were also believed to be able to heal and bring health.
Here’s some more information about how ancient peoples observed the Summer Solstice.
Prehistoric Europe
Many remains of ancient stone structures can be found throughout Europe, apparently serving religious and astronomical purposes. These structures were built before writing was developed, so we can only speculate on the significance of the Summer Solstice to the builders. The most famous of these structures is Stonehenge, on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire in the United Kingdom. It was built in three stages, between 3000 and 1500 BC. The main axis is aligned on the midsummer sunrise, an orientation that was probably for ritual rather than scientific purposes. Four "station stones" form a rectangle whose shorter side points in the direction of the midsummer sunrise.
Ancient China
Their Summer Solstice ceremony celebrated the earth, the feminine and the yin forces, complimenting the Winter Solstice which celebrated the heavens, masculinity and yang forces.
Ancient Gaul
The Midsummer celebration was called Feast of Epona, named for a mare goddess who personified fertility, sovereignty and agriculture. She was portrayed as a woman riding a mare.
Ancient Rome
The festival of Vestalia lasted from June 7 to June 15, in honour of the Roman Goddess of the Hearth, Vesta. Married women were able to enter the Shrine of Vesta during the festival. At other times of the year, only vestal virgins were permitted inside.
Ancient Sweden
Each town set up and decorated a Midsummer tree, around which the villagers would dance. Women and girls would customarily bathe in the local river, a magical ritual, intended to bring rain for the crops.
Native Americans
The Natchez tribe worshipped the sun and believed their ruler was descended from him. Every summer they held a first fruits ceremony. Nobody was allowed to harvest the corn until after the feast.
Males in the Hopi tribe dressed up as Kachinas - the dancing spirits of rain and fertility who were messengers between humanity and the Gods. At Midsummer the Kachinas were believed to leave the villages to spend the next six months in the mountains, visiting the dead underground and holding ceremonies on their behalf.
Neopaganism
This group of religions conducts ancient Pagan ceremonies. Of these Wicca is the most common. Loosely based on ancient Celtic beliefs and practices, Wiccans recognize eight seasonal days of celebration, called “sabbats”. The Summer Solstice sabbat is often called Midsummer or Litha. Wiccans may celebrate the sabbat on the evening before, at sunrise on the morning of the solstice, or at the exact time of the astronomical event.
Happy Summer Solstice/Midsummer/Litha!
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schipperke
What a horrific quote to start off a great newsletter! Have you seen "Puppet Master" series of movies? Scary! I think the old dolls, like the Brue dolls from the 1800's are the spookiest.
I have heard of “Puppet Master”, but I don’t believe I’ve ever seen any of films. schpperke, you’ve reminded me of Charlie, the ventriloquist’s dummy operated by Edgar Bergin. His daughter, Candice Bergin (yes, the actress) has often spoken of the eerie the way her father behaved towards “Charlie”… almost as though the dummy was human! Apparently he would insist that Charlie sat and ate at the table with the family…
A thinker never sleeps 
I've always found dolls creepy because they are supposed to look human but they are completely devoid of any life. Of course it’s creepier to think of them moving because they are so empty it would seem like some malevolent force was moving them. There's an extremely interesting commentary in Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence about the psychology of humans and dolls. "One question repeats throughout the film: Why are humans so obsessed with recreating themselves?" Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence Philosophy
My sentiments exactly, A thinker never sleeps . It’s the eyes, I think – they are so human, and yet the lack of intellect and light in them is very chilling indeed. That question is very interesting indeed, and I wonder how doll manufacturers would answer it. Thank you for writing to the newsletter!
scribbler
I've always been a doll person, so my stories that include dolls have always been...pleasant? (or at times wistful) but now you've opened a whole new door for me. BRING ON THE DOLLS!
Are we going to see a series of battles between good and bad dolls now? That would be interesting, {susuer:eothyne}, and I’d love to see how you decide if Barbie should be good or bad! And when you’ve written a story about an evil doll/s please send it to me - I’ll use it in the newsletter.
dogfreek21
Horrific! Nice newsletter, good point!
I know you’re a teen, dogfreek21. I have to wonder – do you find dolls cute or creepy? Or perhaps you (like me) prefer your pets to a doll! Thank you for writing in!
MercWriter
Fascinating and informative NL about dolls--I enjoyed it! I've never liked the theme of malevolent dolls, heh, so naturally all my Barbies were evil tyrants who terrorized my stuffed animals until they were overthrown and eaten. 
Out of curiosity, know of any stories about malevolent sock puppets?
Thank you for your kind comments, MercWriter . Have you read the response to schipperke’s comment? Malevolent ventriloquist’s dummy… the thought of that “sock puppet” Lamb Chop turning evil is rather frightening! And I also preferred my stuffed animals to dolls. Power to the Stuffed Animals!
Deelyte- Chillin'
I was never so into dolls either, as a child. I had only brothers and I would play baseball and 'Army' a lot faster than they would play dolls and house. Dolls do and always have creeped me out a little and I think they are good carriers for terror in any horror story. I think it's because they have that fixed content expression while going about their evil.  Good job with the newsletter.
Those fixed expressions are indeed unpleasant, {suser delight}. But I find those dolls with the eyes that open and close to be the worst – those eyes are so realistic! At least Barbie’s eyes are painted!
scarlett_o_h
Like you I never owned a doll as a child - I much preferred stuffed animals. (Especially ducks and bears) To this day I dislike the look of dolls and the porcelain ones make my flesh crawl. I can well understand why they make good subjects for horror stories. Your research and well presented facts were very interesting as always. I admit I only scan some Newsletters  but yours is always a 'must read.' Thanks for making the Horror Newsletter one of my favourites. You're a doll...erm a sweety. Lol
Thank you. scarlett_o_h for your very kind comments. I enjoy researching and preparing the newsletters, and it’s great to know when someone appreciated them! Returning the compliment… DOLL!!! 
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