Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Hallow E'en & the Bat.



Bats have long been associated with Halloween, but the connection is by far less ominous than some would suspect. In Halloween's ancient origins, people would gather together around giant bonfires to ward off evil spirits. Attracted to the warmth and bright light of these fires were many small flying insects, natural food for hungry bats. People saw the bats flickering in and out of the firelight during the festivals and they became a feature of Halloween lore.
The link between the bat and Halloween became strengthened with the discovery of the Vampire Bat in the 17th century. Tales of bats that drank blood had circulated throughout Europe for centuries before, but it wasn't until the Spanish exploration of Central and South America that there was physical proof. It was a natural association for a dark holiday, a creature that lapse the life blood of it's prey in the dark of night. ^_^

5 comments:

Guillaume said...

Ah, bats, they are sod eliciously sinister. Funny that in the novel Dracula, vampire bats were described as big, while they are in reality very small.

Broom Hilda said...

They are pretty small, thank goodness!~

^_^

The Artful Gypsy aka Wendy the Very Good Witch said...

Did I tell you how we found a dead bad laying next to our car last year outside of a store one night? Well I thought it was just the coolest thing to see it up close and show the kids. It wasn't squished, just dead. So we all checked it out, and then later Scott tells me that we are all gonna get some disease or rabies from touching it...ha! GREAT! I'm happy to report that he was wrong...but still. Maybe it's best not to touch them when you find dead ones!

Broom Hilda said...

There was a dead bat in my backyard right by our pool one year. Marc comes in the house and says, "There's a dead bat in the yard." I asked if he got "rid" of it...he said no! Jeez! I had to get a shovel and dispose of it in the woods myself. He's such a scaredy cat. Anyhoo, it was tiny and cute. I felt bad. We always have bats flyin' around here as soon as the sun starts to set. It's so cool to see them fly about.

^_^

The Artful Gypsy aka Wendy the Very Good Witch said...

I've been told I have bats in my belfry...ha ha! ;o) Say hi to ole Spooky for me...he is so funny!