# In an Early Halloween Spirit **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 8, 2014, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-an-early-halloween-spirit/697868 "2014-09-08T14:49:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JoseB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/joseb/32/1530_2.png) [@JoseB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseB)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-an-early-halloween-spirit/697868/1 "2014-09-08T14:49:05Z")
Well, Halloween is still almost two months away, but I thought of getting into the “early” spirit of the thing (hey, if big commercial centers can start pushing Christmas stuff two months before Christmas, why can’t I do the same with Halloween? 😉 ). Anyway – I would like to hear (OK, read) creepy legends from your country/region/locality; mysterious things; stuff to (hopefully) raise the hairs at the base of your neck. Or, at the very least, stuff that will be interesting from an anthropological/sociological point of view 🙂 As issuer of the call, I will begin with stuff from my own country, Spain. (1) “LA SANTA COMPAÑA” Galicia is the northwestmost region of Spain, and it is chock-full of popular traditions and legends that can have a rather creepy touch. Culturally (although not linguistically) the area is question is Celtic, and you have your typical stories about the “fair folk”. A typical example (although it is from the neighboring region of Asturias) is that of the “xana” ([nicely explained here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xana)). However, _the_ legend from Galicia is the “santa compaña” – basically, a procession of the dead that wanders throughout the forest and fields of a parish, led by a living person whose terrible fate was to be enchanted by the santa compaña. This living person is forced to walk in front of the dead, guiding them, and the only way for this unfortunate to be freed is to find another living person to take his or her place. Otherwise they will keep wandering and walking around – in some traditions, forever; in others, the guide ends up dying of hunger and thirst and becomes part of the procession of the dead, which are now actively looking for somebody else to guide them. They are supposed to be omens of death – if the santa compaña visits a house (passing by it), someone is going to die there. Information: [here you have some basic stuff.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Compa%C3%B1a) (2) “AKELARRES” “Aquelarre” (in Spanish) or “Akelarre” (in Basque) is the word for “Witches’ Sabbath”; it has been adopted straight from Basque into Spanish. There are MANY places in the Basque Country and Navarre which tradition marks as the places where Witches met for their rituals and debauchery. Akelarre might mean “The meadow of the He-Goat” in Basque (although the etymology is disputed). However, it is true that Basque mythology mentions a kind of deity called “Akerbeltz”, which means “The Black He-Goat”. Interestingly enough, although there is a very big tradition about witches and their things in the whole area of the Basque Country, the Spanish Inquisition tried few people for witchcraft (almost nothing in comparison to the witch-hunts in Central Europe at the time). The most famous Witch-related place in the area is Zugarramurdi, a small Navarrese village right on the border with France. There is a cave nearby that has traditionally been associated with Witches’ Sabbaths (akelarre) for the past few centuries. As a matter of fact, there are now “official witches’ sabbaths”, celebrated every year on the summer’s solstice in the cave. As far as I know, nowadays they tend to be basically a big festival… Although I have a friend whose mother considers herself to be a 100% honest-to-deity witch, and attends the akelarre of Zugarramurdi every year… [Here is a photo of the 2009 Sabbath in the Cave of Zugarramurdi.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akelarre_%28witchcraft%29#mediaviewer/File:Zugarramurdiko_Akelarrea._Nafarroa,_Euskal_Herria.jpg) As an aside, Basque mythology can be fascinating. I will leave here just a couple of wikipedia links to some of their most important figures: Mari (ancient goddess of the Basques): [Mari (goddess) - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mari_%28goddess%29) Mari was supposed to be related to the “lamiak”, a kind of nature spirit of lakes and rivers: Lamia (nature spirit of lakes and rivers): [Lamia (Basque mythology) - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamia_%28Basque_mythology%29) (3) “THE CURSED VILLAGE” There is a village in the province of Burgos called Ochate. It has been abandoned since 1934, when the last inhabitant moved to a nearby village called Imiruri. Ochate began to die when a new road was opened in the beginning of the 19th century that made travel easier but bypassed Ochate. The old road that went through the town was left in disrepair, and slowly but surely the village died, its inhabitants moving to Imiruri. As of today there are no roads or paths that take you to Ochate. You have to basically hike cross-country to reach the place. It is eerie, still rather well preserved (the church tower still stands like a tall finger in the middle of nowhere), and inevitably it has attracted a LOT of legends and creepy stories. It is said that the place is beyond haunted by all those who used to live there, who died there, and saw their beloved village die an ignominious death. Obviously they are said to be rather upset about it. And it is also said that the place will place a curse upon those who just go there willy-nilly to gawk at it. It will _demand_ respect. Otherwise you will be fucked. So, if you go visit Ochate some day, be respectful, appreciate its stark and sad beauty, don’t go around painting graffiti and don’t touch anything. Just look, and share a kind thought for those who lived there their entire lives and saw their home die. ================================= And that’s it for now 🙂 Care to share legends, creepy stuff and mysteries from your area? I think we all would love to read them! Get closer to the bonfire and toast your marshmallows 😉 JoseB ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-an-early-halloween-spirit/697868/2 "2014-09-08T15:22:10Z")
I live near Salem, a town that makes millions annually on spooky tours and so-called witchcraft. I’m a skeptic and not much fun to bring on these tours, though. 😃 This legend is new to me, though. Apparently there’s a race of evil troll-like critters in Massachusetts called the Pukwudgie. Legends originate with the Wampanoag tribe but “sightings” continue into modern times. From the link: > [@](#): > > Joan was walking her dog through the state forest in Freetown, Massachusetts, on a cold Saturday morning in April when she saw the monster. As she and her dog, Sid, walked down the path, Sid became anxious and strayed a few feet into the woods. Joan followed him in, and stopped short. Her dog was lying completely flat in the leaves, and on a rock ten feet away was a Pukwudgie. She described him as looking like what she would describe as a troll; two feet high with pale gray skin and hair on his arms and the top of his head. The monster seemed to have no clothes, but it was difficult to tell because his stomach hung over his waist, almost touching his knees. His eyes were a deep green, and he had large lips and a long, almost canine nose. > > The Pukwudgie stood watching her, staring straight at her with no expression, almost like it was stunned to see her. Joan froze and remembers thinking the air in her lungs had been pushed out. Sid finally came to and ran back towards the trial, dragging Joan who was still holding the leash tightly. > > Although the whole exchange took less than thirty seconds, it remains with Joan ten years later. She has not gone back to the forest, but feels that might not be enough. Three times since the event she has woken up to find the demon looking in on her. It has never attacked her or spoken to her, she has merely seen it looking through her bedroom window, staying just long enough for her to notice him. All three times she claims she was fully awake and could move if she had to. > > Another man in Framingham, Massachusetts had a experience that forced him to remain away from the woods. Tim was in a forest when he saw a bright orb in front of him. Having investigated the paranormal he was excited and tried to snap a photo with his digital camera. The ball of light disappeared and reappeared a few feet further into the woods. Tim followed, losing the spirit several times before he realized he had traveled more than thirty feet off the path into a thickly wooded area. He became scared and slowly made his way back to the path, only to find a two foot man standing there, walking towards him. He turned and ran, and looking back saw the figure move back into the woods. > > Tim reported that what he saw had walked upright and had used its arms to push something aside when he fled to the forest. He had moved with a slight limp, but “like a human”. Hmmmph. _raised eyebrow_