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Throughline

The Dance of the Dead

Throughline

NPR

Society & Culture, History, Documentary

4.7 β€’ 15K Ratings

πŸ—“οΈ 28 October 2021

⏱️ 51 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Halloween β€” the night of ghost stories and trick-or-treating β€” has religious origins that span over two thousand years and over time, the Catholic Church, pagan groups, and even the brewing company Coors have played a role in shape-shifting the holiday. How did Halloween turn from a spiritual celebration to a multi-billion dollar industry? From the Great Famine of Ireland to the Simpsons, we present the many evolutions of Halloween.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

One November night, a woman, coming home late at the hour of the day, grew tired and sat

0:18.7

down to rest.

0:20.4

When a young man came up and talked to her, we hes a bit and you would see the most beautiful

0:26.3

dancing you ever looked on.

0:28.4

Here, by the side of the hill, she looked at him steadily.

0:33.2

Why are you so sad and dispeel as if you were dead?

0:38.3

Look well at me.

0:39.3

Do you not know me?

0:41.5

Yes, I know you now.

0:45.4

You were young breathing that was drowned last year without fishing.

0:49.2

What are you here for?

0:52.8

Look at the sides of the hill and you will see why I'm here.

0:57.3

She looked and saw a great company dancing to sweet music and among them all, the dead

1:04.1

who died as long as she could remember.

1:08.0

Men, women and children, all in white and their faces were pale as the moonlight.

1:14.8

Now run for your life, for it once the fairies bring you into the dance, you will never be

1:21.2

able to leave them anymore.

1:23.3

But while they were talking, the fairies came up and danced round her in a circle, joining

1:29.5

their hands.

1:30.5

And she felt the ground in a faint and no no more till she woke up in the morning in

1:36.8

her own bed at home.

1:40.3

And they all saw her face was pale as the dead and they knew that she had got the fairies

...

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