I Can’t Believe It Is Samhain!

Yes, it is true, I am actually posting on Halloween, or in ancient Celtic tradition, Samhain, a harvest festival. I recently have been working on a story set in Celtic France and Scotland that begins with the Samhain festival. The opening scene is a village along the Somme River in Picardy. War between the Celts and the Romans was about to escalate. Yes, this is going to be a naturist fiction tale as the tribe in particular was famous as the naked, blue-painted warriors, the same as the blue-painted warriors in Scotland, the Picts.

Samhain = Halloween. Will you dress like your potential Celtic ancestors for a Halloween evening? I don’t do Halloween though I do give out treats to neighbourhood children. After all, there is a need to do something to fit into a community. Many adults in the community are well aware of my proclivity to spend as much time nude as possible. They don’t challenge me on that. However, if I should be giving out treats while nude, I would be in very serious legal trouble, and my future in the community would be “Leave!” Now, as promised, a peek at the story unfolding.

~

Samhain, A village along the Somme River, 45 AD

“So, Dru thinks he is a bull,” Fiacha snorted. “Any cow can be serviced by a bull, but a woman is not a cow. A real woman wants a warrior to bed.”

The youth who were gathered, just outside of the inner row of adults, laughed at the jibe, including Drutalos. The teasing was a release from the tensions they all felt. They worked hard, trained as warriors with single-minded purpose, and waited for the harvest celebration when they would cease being youth and become adults. The full moon heralding the Lughnasadh festival was less than a week away. Waiting was hard.

A commotion signaled the emergence of the tribal council. Boudica stepped onto a stump in front of the council hut.

“The Romans will be returning. In a matter of weeks, they will be arriving in Samarobriva. We need to take care of our harvest as quickly as possible and hide as much of the produce as possible. The Romans will strip the land of everything in order to feed their soldiers. Whatever can’t be harvested must be destroyed.”

The hubbub quickly silenced as she held up her hand.

“The village will be dismantled. All able-bodied men and women will join with other tribes to harass the enemy as soon as possible. As well, we are sending our youth and those too young or too old to fight, to our cousin tribe across the sea. When the Romans have been expelled, we will once again rebuild our homes here along the river. We will travel north to join the other tribes immediately following the Samhain festival. I have committed to bringing five thousand Ambiani to battle the Romans.”

There were more than ten thousand able-bodied men and women along the river. Some would be protecting the route along the river so that there would be safe passage for those heading to the homeland of the Picts. Others would stay in the forests to protect the sacred places and the druids. With the news given, Boudica climbed down from the stump and walked over to Lugorix and smiled.

“I see you are again pestering these beautiful young women, Lugo.”

“Mother, will we be able to join the warriors to fight the Romans? We all want to know. After all, we will be adults come the Lughnasadh festival.”

“No. You and your friends will be the guardians of those who must be protected at all costs. You will serve as their guard. They will be safer in the land of the Picts, our cousins. It won’t be forever, Lugo.”

Lugorix was disappointed, but he knew better than to question his mother. After all, she was the commander in charge for several of the riverside villages.