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| | From:  _vixedjuju_ (Original Message) | Sent: 1/9/2008 5:35 AM |
Protect your property and yourself - make a Parshell! 
by Bridget Haggerty
The Parshell is a Hallowe'en cross which is customarily woven on
October 31st. It is placed over the front door, on the inside of the house,
and is believed to help protect against ill-luck, sickness and evil
spirits until the following All Hallow's Eve...
A new one was made the next year and the old one moved to another part
of the house. Often, the old Parshell was placed in the barn to help
protect the livestock. Custom decrees that on taking down the old cross,
one must say "Fonstarensheehy." What this means, we have no idea, but
we'll try to find out!
In the meantime, here are very simple directions for making a Parshell:
Materials:
1. Two sticks, each about seven inches long.
2. Tape or string to tie the sticks together.
3. Straw or similar plant material; we purchased a bag of rafia at a
craft shop and this works well.
Method:
1. Fasten the two sticks together at right angles to form a cross.
2. Begin attaching strands of straw at the center of the cross.
3. Moving clockwise, weave the straw over one stick and under the next,
going around the cross. Stop before you get to the ends of the sticks-
a few inches of stick should be exposed. Your Parshell is now ready to
be attached over your front door, on the inside.
Caution: For your Parshell to be effective, it must be made on October
31st - you can' make it ahead of time, nor can you use Irish
procrastination as an excuse and make it after Halloween.
Beyond making Parshells, here are some other things you can do to
protect yourself on Hallowe'en:
If there are children in the house, they should be sprinkled with holy
water; in the old days, a dead ember from the fire was put in the
cradle.
To protect against being carried off by the fairies, it was the custom
to carry a black handled knife or have a steel needle stuck in a coat
collar or sleeve. If by chance, the fairies did lead a person a stray,
he or she could confuse them by turning the coat inside out. The fairies
would no longer recognize their victim and their attentions would be
diverted elsewhere.
Wild fruit, such as blackberries, must never be eaten on Hallowe'en
night or after that date because it was believed that the dreaded evil
spirit, the Púca, had spat on it.
Should you meet up with the fairies, it is said that if you throw the
dust taken from under your feet at them, they will be obliged to release
any captive human in their company.
When throwing out water, one must always shout seachain! (beware!) or
chughaibh an t-usce! (water towards you!). This warning enables the
ghosts and fairies to step aside so they won't be splashed - something that
must be avoided at all costs, lest you bring down their wrath upon you
and your loved ones.
Finally, before retiring, you must be certain to place a portion of the
evening meal outside for the fairy folk. Your hospitality will be duly
noted (as will the lack of it!)
So there you have it , a fair flahoolagh of cautionary measures to keep
in mind - or drive you out of it - this Hallow's Eve and Samhain. Shona
dhuit Samhain - Happy Halloween to you!
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