Hallowe'en, Samhain, Day of the Dead: They All Come A-Knockin'
A good Samhain and happy new year to all my friends who celebrate!
For the rest of us: Happy Halloween! As has been my annual tradition, today I provide a plethora of links related to ghosts, ghouls, and all things spooky and cool. Find link lists from previous years at my Halloween tag. This post is a little heavy on the National Geographic links--but they're featuring such great stuff this year that I couldn't resist!
First, get yourself in the mood as Vincent Price reads "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe (YouTube video).
For a little more storytelling from the master, listen to WNYC's Selected Shorts episode, "Tales of Terror," hosted by Neil Gaiman, with readings of Poe stories by Rene Auberjonois, Terrence Mann, and Fionula Flannagan among others. (Link goes to the site, where you can hear the whole episode.)
The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress presents a well-researched history of Hallowe'en, which includes an interesting bibliography on the subject.
Learn a little something about the ghosts of Seattle, a city steeped in seasonal -- and otherworldly -- darkness.
National Geographic presents a slideshow of scary things found by explorers on expedition. Some of this stuff will definitely give you the creeps!
And while we're on the subject of science, read about some of the scariest scientific experiments ever done, including zombie dogs, earth-swallowing black holes, deadly nurses, and more.
Continuing the zombie theme, the truth is that A Zombie is a Slave Forever: This New York Times Op-Ed explores the origins of zombies and paints them in all their stark, historic terror.
There's always someone insisting that you can communicate with the dead. Smithsonian Magazine's piece on The Fox Sisters and the Rap on Spiritualism tells the fascinating ostory f a group of spiritualists and their quest for vindication -- or perhaps the specter of riches?
The Top 10 Cemeteries to Visit: Discover the coolest places the dead congregate across the world. I've been to some of these; I even know someone buried in one!
Enjoy something dark and delicious. The Seattle Times offers up some seasonally appropriate noshes. I may have to try some of these....
Speaking of something dark and delicious, read about the great New England vampire panic. It's new history to me, and very interesting indeed.
Hallowe'en, Harvests, and Honoring the Dead: Take National Geographic's Halloween Quiz.
And lastly, Henri the Existential Cat bemoans the unspookiness of modern Hallowe'en (YouTube video). He's so put-upon.
Happy Hallowe'en!
For the rest of us: Happy Halloween! As has been my annual tradition, today I provide a plethora of links related to ghosts, ghouls, and all things spooky and cool. Find link lists from previous years at my Halloween tag. This post is a little heavy on the National Geographic links--but they're featuring such great stuff this year that I couldn't resist!
First, get yourself in the mood as Vincent Price reads "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe (YouTube video).
For a little more storytelling from the master, listen to WNYC's Selected Shorts episode, "Tales of Terror," hosted by Neil Gaiman, with readings of Poe stories by Rene Auberjonois, Terrence Mann, and Fionula Flannagan among others. (Link goes to the site, where you can hear the whole episode.)
The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress presents a well-researched history of Hallowe'en, which includes an interesting bibliography on the subject.
Learn a little something about the ghosts of Seattle, a city steeped in seasonal -- and otherworldly -- darkness.
National Geographic presents a slideshow of scary things found by explorers on expedition. Some of this stuff will definitely give you the creeps!
And while we're on the subject of science, read about some of the scariest scientific experiments ever done, including zombie dogs, earth-swallowing black holes, deadly nurses, and more.
Continuing the zombie theme, the truth is that A Zombie is a Slave Forever: This New York Times Op-Ed explores the origins of zombies and paints them in all their stark, historic terror.
There's always someone insisting that you can communicate with the dead. Smithsonian Magazine's piece on The Fox Sisters and the Rap on Spiritualism tells the fascinating ostory f a group of spiritualists and their quest for vindication -- or perhaps the specter of riches?
The Top 10 Cemeteries to Visit: Discover the coolest places the dead congregate across the world. I've been to some of these; I even know someone buried in one!
Enjoy something dark and delicious. The Seattle Times offers up some seasonally appropriate noshes. I may have to try some of these....
Speaking of something dark and delicious, read about the great New England vampire panic. It's new history to me, and very interesting indeed.
Hallowe'en, Harvests, and Honoring the Dead: Take National Geographic's Halloween Quiz.
And lastly, Henri the Existential Cat bemoans the unspookiness of modern Hallowe'en (YouTube video). He's so put-upon.
Happy Hallowe'en!