【新译 X 世界】NO.66:万圣节的起源地

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IN THE MIDDLE OF A FIELD in a lesser known part of Ireland is a large mound where sheep wander and graze freely. Had they been in that same location centuries ago, these animals might have been stiff with terror, held aloft by chanting, costumed celebrants while being sacrificed to demonic spirits that were said to inhabit nearby Oweynagat cave. This monumental mound lay at the heart of Rathcroghan, the hub of the ancient Irish kingdom of Connaught. The former Iron Age center is now largely buried beneath the farmland of County Roscommon. Ireland is pushing for its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

在爱尔兰鲜为人知的地区，一块田地的中部有一个大土丘，羊在那里自由地游荡和吃草。如果数百年前它们就在同一地点，这些动物可能会因恐惧而僵硬，被高唱圣歌、穿着盛装的庆祝者高举，同时被供奉给居住在Oweynagat洞穴附近的恶魔灵魂。这座不朽的土丘位于古爱尔兰康诺王国的中心城市拉特科根的中心。前铁器时代中心现在大部分被埋在罗斯康门县的农田下面。爱尔兰正在争取将其列入联合国教科文组织世界遗产名录。

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Spread across more than two square miles, Rathcroghan encompasses 240 archaeological sites, dating back 5,500 years. They include burial mounds, ring forts (settlement sites), standing stones, linear earthworks, an Iron Age ritual sanctuary—and Oweynagat, the so-called gate to hell. More than 2,000 years ago, when Ireland’s communities seem to have worshipped nature and the land itself, it was here at Rathcroghan that the Irish New Year festival of Samhain (SOW-in) was born, says archaeologist and Rathcroghan expert Daniel Curley. In the 1800s, the Samhain tradition was brought by Irish immigrants to the United States, where it morphed into the sugar overload that is American Halloween.

    这里占地两平方英里，包括240个可追溯到5500年前考古遗址。它们包括墓穴、环形堡垒（定居点）、立石、土方工程、铁器时代宗教圣地等。考古学家兼拉思罗根专家丹尼尔·柯利说，2000多年前，当爱尔兰社区似乎崇尚自然和土地本身时，正是在这里，拉思罗根诞生了爱尔兰萨姆海因新年节日）。19世纪，爱尔兰移民将萨姆海因传统带到了美国，在那里它演变成了美国的万圣节。

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Dorothy Ann Bray, a retired associate professor at McGill University and an expert in Irish folklore, explains that pre Christian Irish divided each year into summer and winter. Within that framework were four festivities. Imbolc, on February 1, was a festival that coincided with lambing season. Bealtaine, on May 1, marked the end of winter and involved customs like washing one’s face in dew, plucking the first blooming flowers, and dancing around a decorated tree. August 1 heralded Lughnasadh, a harvest festival dedicated to the god Lugh and presided over by Irish kings. Then on October 31 came Samhain, when one pastoral year ended and another began. Rathcroghan was not a town, as Connaught had no proper urban centers and consisted of scattered rural properties. Instead, it was a royal settlement and a key venue for these festivals. During Samhain, Rathcroghan was a hive of activity focused on its elevated temple, which was surrounded by burial mounds for the Connachta elite.

    麦吉尔大学退休副教授、爱尔兰民俗学专家多萝西·安·布雷（Dorothy Ann Bray）解释说，前基督教时代的爱尔兰人每年分为夏季和冬季。在这个框架内举行了四次庆祝活动。2月1日的Imbolc节恰逢产羔季节。冬天结束时，这里有很多习俗，比如用露水洗脸，摘下第一朵花，围着装饰好的树跳舞。8月1日是卢格纳萨德节的前夕，这是一个献给卢格神的丰收节，由爱尔兰国王主持。10月31日，萨姆海因到来，象征一个牧年结束。这里不是一个城镇，因为没有合适的城市中心，由分散的农村财产组成。相反，它是一个皇室居住地，也是这些节日的重要场所。在萨姆汗时期，拉思罗根是一个活动中心，主要集中在其高耸的神庙上和康纳克塔派精英的墓地。