Spooky Symbolism: The History

and Meaning Behind Iconic

Halloween Images
Every October, as Halloween approaches, were surrounded by the same
familiar imagery. Everywhere we look, theres the flickering glow of a ghoulish
jack-o-lantern, a room covered in spooky cobwebs, and people wearing bloody
fangs or witches hats. But where did these associations come from, and what
do they mean? Read on for a quick primer on the origins of classic Halloween
images and symbols.

Skeletons and ghosts have roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, from
which the modern-day Halloween is derived. The festival took place on the
night of October 31, marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning
of the cold, dark winter. It was, in essence, a festival of the dead. The Celts
believed that on this night, the boundary between the realms of the living and
dead became blurred the dead returned as ghosts and they could walk
amongst the living.

This day of the dead association still remains strong today. Thats why
symbols of death like graveyards and haunted houses are so ubiquitous
around Halloween. Skeletons and ghosts too are eerily symbolic reminders of
the otherworld, death, and human mortality.
Jacks lantern
Believe it or not, the original jack-o-lantern wasnt a pumpkin it was a
turnip.

According to Irish folklore, a fellow nicknamed Stingy Jack played a trick on

the devil and was condemned to forever wander the earth without a resting
place. Armed with only a glowing ember from the devil to light the way, Jack
put it into a carved-out turnip and made a makeshift lantern. The Irish called
him Jack of the Lantern, or Jack OLantern for short.
On All Hallows Eve (now known as Halloween), people in Ireland and Scotland
would carve scary faces into turnips and potatoes and place embers inside of
them, in hope of warding off evil spirits and Stingy Jack. European immigrants
adapted this tradition when they traveled to the United States, soon
discovering that pumpkins made for perfect jack-o-lanterns. Nowadays, they
are a familiar sight on windowsills and doorsteps every Halloween.

Even ancient civilizations had legends and folklore about supernatural,

demonic, blood-drinking entities primitive vampires, if you will. But Bram
Stokers 1897 classic horror novel Dracula really brought the modern version of
vampires to life. These creatures are synonymous with horror and the undead
because they are often described to be revenants human corpses that return
from the grave to torment the living. Their connection to death and the
supernatural make them a fitting symbol for Halloween.
Bats have long been associated with mystery, evil, death, and the
supernatural. Theyre only active at night, plus they live in caves (which evokes
the underworld). Vampires are also often said to transform into bats, a
connection popularized by Stokers novel and the many Dracula films.
One theory for the link between bats and Halloween has to do with the festival
of Samhain. When the Celts celebrated the end of the harvest on October 31,
they would light bonfires to keep evil spirits at bay. This practice would attract
insects and, in turn, bats.
If you see a witch at Halloween, chances are youll probably see a black cat
nearby.
The connection between black cats, witches, and evil goes way back. In
medieval Europe, it was common belief that the devil could turn himself into a
black cat. During the witch hunts, accused witches were frequently found to
have black cats as companions. Since the cats were well-concealed and
unnoticed in the dark, they seemed like perfect partners for witches, and
people believed they were familiars (demons that could help witches with
dark magic).
The color black is often associated with death, bad luck, mystery, and evil, so
its no surprise that black cats have become objects of superstition. With their
glowing, orb-like eyes and pitch black fur, they add a spooky flair to Halloween
imagery.

The spider is a powerful and ancient mythical symbol. Because they can spin
webs, they are associated with magic and the supernatural in many folk
stories. They can also be linked to danger, fear, ensnarement, and deception
(think of the phrase spin a web of deceit). Cobwebs are a natural
accompaniment to Halloween their presence instantly evokes a creepy
feeling that something has been dead or abandoned for a long time.
We all recognize her she has a pointy hat, a wart on her hooked nose, and
shes often seen riding her broomstick past a full moon. Perhaps the most
quintessential Halloween symbol of all is the witch.
The iconic image of a witch as we see it today is a caricature, but it is still
closely associated with evil and misfortune. In fact, the greeting card industry
added witches to Halloween cards in the late 1800s, thinking they would be a
good visual representation for the ghoulish holiday.
In the Middle Ages, witchcraft was associated with devil worship and black
magic, and it was widely feared throughout Europe. During the witch hunts that
took place later in Europe and America, mass hysteria spread as thousands of
women were accused of witchcraft and sorcery and subsequently killed.
Witches are literary figures too; they were portrayed as wicked, ugly hags in
Shakespearean plays and many European folk tales.
Halloweens iconic images are centuries-old, and theyre laden with powerful
meaning. Many of these symbols connect to our worries around human
mortality, danger, and fear itself. Together, the images are rooted in rich history
and folklore, and they add important meaning to our cultural traditions.