Samhain and the Gates of Hell - PG

Speaker: John Ward

In Dante’s Inferno, our hero passes through the Gates of Hell, which bear an inscription, the final line of which is the famous phrase "Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate", or "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here." No such ominous eloquence greets the visitor to pagan Ireland’s Gates of Hell.

The pagan festival of Samhain, now replaced by the Christian feast of Hallowe’en is the time at which one of these gates are said to open and evil has a free reign to lurk and snatch its victims as it sees fit before the dawn. From these portals spirits emerge from and wreak havoc. As landmarks go, having the Gates of Hell in your locality surely tops any list of undesirable adjoining properties. Neighbours from Hell how are you. Amongst some 240 or so ancient archaeological sites, here is a forlorn place called Owenynagat or 'the cave of cats' that ironically in its heyday was regarded as the most prestigious address in ancient Connaught being situated near Tulsk in County Roscommon, at what is now known as Rathcroghan.

See our full article on these gates here: https://www.racontour.com/samhain-and-the-gates-of-hell/

#Samhain #Halloween #Otherworld #Supernatural #Hell #Gates of Hell #Roscommon #Ireland #myths #superstitions

© 2021-2022 Racontour Productions. This clip forms part of the Celtic Calendar audio archive from Racontour Productions. Feel free to share if enjoyed, but with a credit or a social media tag to Racontour Productions please.
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