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Young Adults

A noite de Samaín

By Pepe Carreiro

About this book

According to old Celtic traditions and even those of previous settlers, the year is divided into two seasons, the summer and the winter. There are no periods in between. Moving from one season to the other happens precisely on the last day of Autumn and the first day of November. This is the night of Samaín (Halloween).

However, if that were all there is to Celtic traditions and those before them, the whole story would be just a change in the weather.

But things are not that simple. The night of Samaín, apart from separating these two periods, mixes the world of the dead and the living. And that is definitely a different story. Precisely the story that our old friends the inhabitants of the settlement of Castro de Baraño, the Barbanzóns, live in this book.

Book fragment

(texto on the scanned page)

Tara: BUT THEY, IGNORANT AS THEY ARE, JUST CELEBRATE THIS NIGHT AS THEY ALWAYS DID AND YOU, THOUGH YOU ARE LAUGHING, HAVE NOTHING TO CELEBRATE.

Bre: YES, THE NIGHT OF SAMAÍN IS GOING TO BE A NIGHT LIKE ANY OTHER. WE WONT BE AFRAID.

Local man: IF WE LOSE OUR TRADITIONS WE LOSE OURSELVES. IT IS AS IF SOMEBODY HURT OUR ARM.

Lerancos: THAT IS THE PRICE FOR BEING CIVILIZED, OR DID YOU THINK SUCH THINGS COME FOR FREE?

Local woman: IT IS THE PHOENICIANS WHO ARE TO BLAME. BEFORE THEY CAME I USED TO CRAVE FOR BEER AND NOW, AFTER HEARING THEM SPEAK ABOUT THEIR WINE GODS THIS FOAMY DRINK DOES NOT SUIT MY TASTES ANY MORE.

Local woman: IT IS THE SAME WITH ME AND OIL. PORK LARD BURNS MY STOMACK NOW.

Bre: ANYWAY THE THING IS THAT WE DO NOT HAVE ANYONE TO FRIGHTEN US TONIGHT.