Samhain Mysteries

Author Baine Baoisgne

1. What is Barm Brack?
   A)  Bog water used for scrying on Samhain.
   B)  A special Samhain brew.
   C)  The feast offered to the dead.
   D)  A bannock with charms baked in it to tell your fortune.
   E) A nickname for the púca.

2. Samhain can be translated to mean?
   A)  Night of the Shamans.
   B)  Day of the Dead.
   C)  End of the Summer.
   D)  Summer of Sorrow.
   E) Halloween.

3. The apples we enjoy at Samhain are a reminder of Emhain Abhlach which means?
   A)  Isle of Apples.
   B)  Mother Goddess.
   C)  Crone Goddess.
   D)  Maiden Goddess.
   E) Land of Promise.

4. One of the main figures of Samhain is the Cailleach, which is?
   A)  Old Splitfoot.
   B)  Old Hag.
   C)  A friendly ghost.
   D)  Headless horseman.
   E) Hazel nuts.

5. According to Irish folklore, what awakens at Samhain to wreak havoc?
   A)  The Hibernians.
   B)  The Northwind.
   C)  The Brown Bull.
   D)  The Black Pig.
   E) The White Bull.

6. What leads an old Irish door to door procession on Samhain?
   A)  The Dullahan.
   B)  Lair Bhan.
   C)  Dobhar Chu.
   D)  The Candyman.
   E) Riki-Tiki-Tavi.

7. What is a parshell?
   A)  The shell of a dead spirit who roams on Samhain.
   B)  A relative of the parsnip, a popular ingredient in Samhain stew.
   C)  A traditional Irish dish made with cabbage and praties.
   D)  A charm of woven straw hung on the door at Samhain.
   E) Another name for the "Bone-Fire" or known today as a "Bonfire".

8. These are called guisers, vizards, hugadais or buachaillí tuí. They are?
   A)  Carved turnips with candles inside.
   B)  Burning brands and embers that are snatched from the Samhain bonfire.
   C)  Mobs of marauding young people who "trick or treat" during Samhain.
   D)  Ghosts and goblins who come to visit you on Samhain.
   E) The Boogeymen.

9. What is the Fleadh nan Mairbh?
   A)  A type of bardic poem recited on Samhain.
   B)  Keening for the dead.
   C)  A passage grave in Meath.
   D)  The hill at Tara where the beaconfire is lit.
   E) Food offerings for departed loved ones.

10. The Celtic year began with An Geamhradh and ends with Am Foghar. Respectively these are?
   A)  January and December.
   B)  Spring and Winter.
   C)  Winter and Harvest.
   D)  Imbolc and Winter Solstice.
   E) Halloween and Christmas.