"The Wicker Man" and "The Last Wave" – favorite movies from the 1970s | pagan, masks, ritual, aboriginal magic

bought a couple of things online last week – a book, and 2 DVDs – 

– i really want to get the book that the movie The Wicker Man was inspired by (Ritual, by British actor and author David Pinner), but this time i got one based on the movie, just curious/ i hope its a good read anyway; and, will still be getting Ritual!

– Two movies are the top of my must have list: "The Wicker Man" – this is the original (1973), not the newer one with Nicolas Cage!; and, Peter Weir's "The Last Wave" (1977) with Richard Chamberlin.

THE WICKER MAN

• "The Wicker Man" – a 1973 British mystery horror film directed by Robin Hardy. The screenplay by Anthony Shaffer, inspired by David Pinner's 1967 novel Ritual, centres on the visit of Police Sergeant Neil Howie to the isolated island of Summerisle, in search of a missing girl. Howie, a devout Christian, is appalled to find that the inhabitants of the island have abandoned Christianity and now practise a form of Celtic paganism.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wicker_Man

a couple of Wicker Man videos on Youtube –

Wicker Man Highlight Musical Picks - May Pole

Procession The Wicker Man 1973

THE LAST WAVE

• "The Last Wave" – a 1977 Australian mystery drama film directed by Peter Weir. It is about a white solicitor in Sydney whose seemingly normal life is disrupted after he takes on a murder case and discovers that he shares a strange, mystical connection with the small group of local Australian Aborigines accused of the crime.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Wave

see also: whats more: "Walking in Dream" from "The Last Wave" (video)

... meanwhile, in Austria :: SEIDÄ PASS @ Dun Aengus Rattenberg (Visit Tirol / Austria)

update ::: NEW VIDEOS FOR 2107 NOW ONLINE – Facebook

 5.12.2016 - SEIDÄ PASS @ Dun Aengus Rattenberg (Visit Tirol / Austria) More "Perchten" Videos: facebook.com/seidaepass 👍

SEIDÄ PASS - Facebook

ABOUT
(German below)
☛ SEIDÄ PASS - Tankcore from Tirol – Austria ☚
As one of dozens traditional "Perchten" groups in our region we're on the roads in Brixlegg, Kramsach, Rattenberg and its surroundings to chase the evil "winter ghosts" within the so called "Perchtenlauf" each year on the 5th and 6th of December since 1999!

The name of this tradition most likely derives from the legend figure "Perchta". Our group consists of 25 people: a "Hex" (=witch), multiple "Läufer" (=runners) and plenty of "Tamperer" (=drummers) who are smashing on old gas canisters of cars.

Tradition, creative rythms, fun and show are important elements of our yearly "Hexentanz" (=dancing witch) events as shown in the video!


GERMAN:
☛ SEIDÄ PASS - Tankcore aus dem Tiroler Unterland ☚
Seit 1999 sind wir als eine von zig Perchtengruppen im Tiroler Unterland (Österreich) am 5. und 6. Dezember auf den Straßen von Brixlegg, Kramsach, Rattenberg und Umgebung unterwegs um im Rahmen eines alten Brauchtums - den sogenannten "Perchtenlauf" - die bösen Wintergeister zu vertreiben.

Der Name leitet sich am ehesten von der Sagengestalt "Perchta" ab. Unsere 25-köpfige Gruppe besteht aus einer "Hexe", mehreren "Läufern" in Fellgewändern und einer Vielzahl von "Tamperern", welche auf alten Autokanistern lautstarke Trommelklänge erzeugen. Tradition, kreative Rythmen, Spaß und ein gewisser Showfaktor werden bei unseren "Hexentänzen" jedes Jahr erneut zum Ausdruck gebracht!

(Facebook) ... meanwhile, in Austria: 5.12.2016 - SEIDÄ PASS @ Dun Aengus Rattenberg (Visit Tirol / Austria)

SEIDÄ PASS - Facebook

crossposted to WHAT NEXT NEWS & RANDOM BLOG

Wilder Mann | Charles Fréger

Wilder Mann | Charles Fréger

www.charlesfreger.com

Samhain... precursor to our "Halloween"

Samhain is believed to have Celtic pagan origins and there is evidence it has been an important date since ancient times. Some Neolithic passage tombs in Ireland are aligned with the sunrise around the time of Samhain. It is mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature and many important events in Irish mythology happen or begin on Samhain. It was the time when cattle were brought back down from the summer pastures and when livestock were slaughtered for the winter. As at Bealtaine, special bonfires were lit. These were deemed to have protective and cleansing powers and there were rituals involving them. Like Bealtaine, Samhain was seen as a liminal time, when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld could more easily be crossed. This meant the Aos Sí, the 'spirits' or 'fairies', could more easily come into our world. Most scholars see the Aos Sí as remnants of the pagan gods and nature spirits. At Samhain, it was believed that the Aos Sí needed to be propitiated to ensure that the people and their livestock survived the winter. Offerings of food and drink were left outside for them. The souls of the dead were also thought to revisit their homes seeking hospitality. Feasts were had, at which the souls of dead kin were beckoned to attend and a place set at the table for them. Mumming and guising were part of the festival, and involved people going door-to-door in costume (or in disguise), often reciting verses in exchange for food. The costumes may have been a way of imitating, and disguising oneself from, the Aos Sí. Divination rituals and games were also a big part of the festival and often involved nuts and apples. In the late 19th century, Sir John Rhys and Sir James Frazer suggested that it was the "Celtic New Year", and this view has been repeated by some other scholars.

In the 9th century AD, Western Christianity shifted the date of All Saints' Day to 1 November, while 2 November later became All Souls' Day. Over time, Samhain and All Saints'/All Souls' merged to create the modern Halloween. Historians have used the name 'Samhain' to refer to Gaelic 'Halloween' customs up until the 19th century.

… In parts of southern Ireland during the 19th century, the guisers included a hobby horse known as the Láir Bhán (white mare). A man covered in a white sheet and carrying a decorated horse skull (representing the Láir Bhán) would lead a group of youths, blowing on cow horns, from farm to farm. At each they recited verses, some of which "savoured strongly of paganism", and the farmer was expected to donate food. If the farmer donated food he could expect good fortune from the 'Muck Olla'; not doing so would bring misfortune. This is akin to the Mari Lwyd (grey mare) procession in Wales, which takes place at Midwinter. In Wales the white horse is often seen as an omen of death. In some places, young people cross-dressed In Scotland, young men went house-to-house with masked, veiled, painted or blackened faces, often threatening to do mischief if they were not welcomed. This was common in the 16th century in the Scottish countryside and persisted into the 20th. It is suggested that the blackened faces comes from using the bonfire's ashes for protection Elsewhere in Europe, costumes, mumming and hobby horses were part of other yearly festivals. However, in the Celtic-speaking regions they were "particularly appropriate to a night upon which supernatural beings were said to be abroad and could be imitated or warded off by human wanderers".

Samhain - Wikipedia

photo: A Mari Lwyd, the Welsh equivalent of the Láir Bhán
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samhain#/media/File:Mari_Lwyd_(wiki).jpg


see also: what next: BBC Archive - #OnThisDay 1948: The villagers of Abbots Bromley | the weird and wonderful world of English folk customs

▶ BBC Archive - #OnThisDay 1948: The villagers of Abbots Bromley | the weird and wonderful world of English folk customs | hobby horse videos

BBC Archive - #OnThisDay 1948: The villagers of Abbots Bromley...:
1948: "The villagers of Abbots Bromley performed their annual traditional dance. Warning: contains some horny imagery."

Abbots Bromley Horn Dance, Staffordshire, c. 1938 | English Folk dance and song society

SEE ALSO: Let us introduce you to the weird and wonderful world of English folk customs – Museum Crush

Hooden Horse, Beckenham, Kent, 1950 (Photographer: Unknown) | English Folk dance and song society

English Folk Dance and Song Society: The National Organisation for the Development of the Folk ArtsCecil Sharp House, 2 Regent's Park RoadLondon

i am particularly intrigued by hobby horses... and, ended up starting a playlist:

hobby horse playlist on Youtube