Hallowe'en

Hallowe'en The eve of All Hallows' is frightening and exciting, when the summer closes and winter opens up to the dying time.

The spirits will be abroad so the menfolk must make the fires to keep them away. The old women aren't afraid though, they speak to the dead this night, and are told the future in reply.

The abbot and our priest disapprove of the whole thing and say we would be best to stay at home and pray for our souls instead of making a riotous time in the dark. Truth be told, I think so too. So tomorrow Matilda and I will be at mass to pray to all the saints in Heaven on All Saints' Day. Tonight, though, we will be out there with the rest, dancing around the fires, laughing and screaming all at once at the villagers dressed as ghost and demons.

Next day is All Souls' and we will all be at mass to pray for the poor souls in purgatory, especially our kin who have died. We must show mercy to recieve mercy.

There was a very real danger of death visiting the medieval village during the winter especially if the harvest was a poor one.

Food supplies had to be carefully rationed to make them last until the first of the spring crops matured.