SC - SC: Meals for the Eating of Sins

[Elysant at aol.com]

- -Poster:<Elysant at aol.com>

Fredrich wrote:

> When I was thinking about the discussions about funeral feasts, I 
remembered 
> reading about the custom of sin eaters years ago in distant 
> lifetime(teenager).  People whom were hired to eat the sins of the departed 
> so that they could go to heaven or some sort of pleasant afterlife.  This 
was 
> symbolized by eating food off of or by the body of the departed.  (Don't go 
> there) I believe that this was/is(?) a welsh custom.

Well, I do know that it isn't currently practiced in the part of Wales I come 
from. :-)  As to the past - I don't know whether this was practiced there or 
not.  We have a lot (as I'm sure you're aware) of old customs that sometimes 
surface, e.g., the placement of 5 yew trees around the local church (built in 
the 1850s) to protect it from evil, etc., but I haven't heard of that one - 
sorry Fredrich.

> I am curious how much of this may be fact?  I am also curious about what 
> period foods were eaten during all Hallows eve both from a Christian 
> Standpoint and that of pagan persona during early period.  I forget what 
the 
> Celtic holiday at that time.

The Celtic holiday is Samhain - Celtic New Year's Day (November 1)

- - from the Calendar published by the Celtic League (American Branch) :-

"After the last apples are picked, agricultural work ceases, and the year 
begins again with it's dark winter half, in which the earth rests and 
fertility is renewed.  During the festival all household lights are 
extinguished and then re-lit from the ceremonial bonfire.  Because the period 
of the New Year is considered to be a gap in Time, barriers between our world 
and the Otherworld are removed, and one can cross from one world into the 
other.  Providing hospitality to one's dead ancestors is an important part of 
the feast, since the dead return to visit the homes where they lived.  The 
suspension of the laws of space and time extend to the laws of society, so 
that all kinds of role switching and boisterous behaviour can be indulged in. 
 The Brythonic names of the Feast are 'Calan Gaeaf' (Welsh), 'Calan Gwaf' 
(Cornish), 'Kala-Goanv' (Breton) all of which mean 'First day of winter'." 

I don't know what foods would be traditional or eaten in Period at this time 
of year specifically, except that the church usually has a Harvest Festival a 
little time before that and baskets of donated fruit and bread are laid by 
the altar for a special church service and distributed to the poor afterwards 
(these days the local old people home gets them).  Also, "bobbing for apples" 
and "apples on a string" are popular Halloween games in Britain.  So I'm 
imagining at least things like apples and other autumnal fruit would probably 
be prevalent in feasts at this time of year.  Understand though that I have 
no documentation for this.

As an aside, it's interesting to note that on November 5th only 5 days later 
there is Bonfire Night in Britain (a.k.a. Guy Fawkes Night or Fireworks 
Night).  Some say the reason that this tradition is still held so faithfully 
by the Brits is because it rekindles the folk memory of the old Celtic 
festival.  BTW - My memory of the food we ate at Bonfire night is hot cocoa 
and baked potatoes (baked in foil in the fire).
 
Elysant
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