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https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zjcxwty

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Who were the Vikings and where did they come from? - BBC Bitesize

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Find out who the Vikings were and where they settled in Britain. This KS2 history guide also explains where the Vikings came from and how they invaded Britain.

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KS2 History Vikings learning resources for adults, children, parents and teachers.

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The Vikings were farmers. When the farmer died the farm was passed to the oldest son in the family. The Vikings had a lot of children! This meant that there were a lot of people which had to choose between being workers on their brother's farm or going over the seas in search of fame and fortune or new land. Stories about how easy it was to get rich on such expeditions spread like wild fire over Scandinavia.

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The Vikings were farmers. When the farmer died the farm was passed to the oldest son in the family. The Vikings had a lot of children! This meant that there were a lot of people which had to choose between being workers on their brother's farm or going over the seas in search of fame and fortune or new land.

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Information about Vikings from the DK Find Out website for kids. Improve your knowledge with facts about Vikings and learn more with DK Find Out.

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The Vikings were a smart, creative, artistic, democratic people. Their society was built on law and order. In fact the word "law" comes from Old Norse, the Viking language. Women had rights and family was important. They loved their kids. They loved their boats. They made everything beautiful - their clothes, their weapons, even their water buckets. They were very clean. They created wonderful stories about their gods and goddesses. They loved games, especially games of agility or skill. They were farmers, craftsmen, traders, explorers, looters, and fierce warriors.

The Vikings dominated parts of Europe for over 600 years - from around 400AD to about 1070 AD. Come meet the talented people of the north!
For Kids Viking Geography Viking Families & Daily Life Viking Names Viking Society Vikings Homes Viking Food and Drink Viking Clothing, Hairstyles, Jewelry Viking Entertainment & Sports Viking (Norse) Art & Music Viking Religion Norse Gods and Goddesses Viking Myths Viking Mythical Monsters Viking Stories and Sagas Viking Jobs
Viking Longboats (also called longships)
Viking Exploration Viking Looting Viking Traders, Goods, Money Viking Settlers Viking Towns Viking Warriors Viking Written Language - Runes, Runic Inscriptions, and Runestones Our Days of the Week - Named for Norse Gods Interactive Viking Games For Teachers Viking Lesson Plans

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The Vikings for Kids and Teachers - Lesson Plans, Games, Powerpoints, Activities

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The Vikings were a smart, creative, artistic, democratic people. Their society was built on law and order. In fact the word "law" comes from Old Norse, the Viking language. Women had rights and family was important. They loved their kids. They loved their boats.

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Introduction to the Vikings in Britain

The Viking Age in Britain began about 1,200 years ago in the 9th Century AD and lasted for just over 200 years.

About the year 800, bands of fierce raiders began to attack our coasts. They were the Vikings (also called the Danes although they didn't just come from Denmark. See below).

The Vikings came across the North Sea, just as the Anglo-Saxons had done 400 years earlier. In time, like the Anglo-Saxons, the Vikings made their home here. They drove the Saxons out of part of the country and took it for themselves.

King Alfred, Saxon king of Wessex, fought them in a great battle, but he could not drive them right away and had to let them have part of the country, called Danelaw.

Viking

1. Where did the Vikings come from?

2. Who were the Vikings?

3. When did they invade Britain?

4. Alfred the Great and Danelaw

5. Why did the Vikings invade Britain?

6. Where did the Vikings settle in Britain?

7. What religion did the Vikings follow?

8. What were Viking houses like?

9. What were Viking clothes like?

10. Timeline

11. Other Viking websites

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Introduction to the Vikings in Britain The Viking Age in Britain began about 1,200 years ago in the 9th Century AD and lasted for just over 200 years. About the year 800, bands of fierce raiders began to attack our coasts. They were the Vikings (also called the Danes although they didn't just come from Denmark.

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10 facts about the Vikings - National Geographic Kids

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Discover ten fascinating facts about the Vikings with Nat Geo Kids! Who were the Vikings? Where did they travel? When did they invade? Uncover it all, here!

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The Vikings first invaded Ireland in 795 AD. A small group of Norse warriors attacked a monastery on the east coast, plundering it of its valuables such as relics, and laid it to waste.

The history of the Vikings in Ireland spans over 200 years and although it can be considered short-lived, they did make important contributions to the Irish way of life.

The first Vikings to arrive in Ireland

The first group of Vikings to invade Ireland was most likely Norwegian, known as the Finngaill, the fair foreigners. The translation, which is often debated, could have been related to either their ethnicity, their skin or hair color, or even the color of weapons and battle clothing. Another theory is Finngall refers to old foreigners and that it's not related to a physical description.

The Vikings, who were referred to as heathens, first appear in the Annals of Ulster 795AD compiled by the monastic movement in Ireland.

The burning of Rechru by the heathens, and Scí was overwhelmed and laid waste.

There are two possible locations for Rechru. Rathlin Island, located on the northeast coast it's only a short distance from Scotland or Lambay island, located a few miles from the Dublin coast. Wherever its location, it marked the beginning of a more aggressive invasion.

Viking attacks on Irish monasteries

The Vikings stayed close along the Irish coast. They targeted many of the Irish monasteries located near the coast and on riverbanks. They used the waterways to their advantage and plundered the monasteries in hit and run attacks.

The monasteries, more than just places of worship, gained a reputation throughout Europe as places of excellence. The settlements were often community and political hubs that secured silver & gold relics. Not only did the monasteries face the threat of attack from the Vikings, but they also faced a bigger threat from the Irish.
Why did the Vikings attack monasteries?
There are various theories on why the Vikings attacked monasteries in Ireland. One such theory suggests the Vikings, who were pagan, preyed on the monastic movement. They stole and damaged relics, took hostages, and killed the clergymen. Another theory is that word got to the Scandinavians, who were elsewhere in Europe, that Ireland's monasteries had great wealth. Or did the warriors accidentally stumble upon their first monastery, as they scouted to expand the Norse Kingdoms?

The Annals of Ulster mention some of the earlier attacks by the Vikings.

798AD: The burning of Inis Pátraic by the heathens, and they took the cattle-tribute of the territories, and broke the shrine of Do-Chonna, and also made great incursions both in Ireland and in Alba.

802AD: Í Coluim Chille was burned by the heathens.

806AD: The community of Í, to the number of sixty-eight, was killed by the heathens.

807AD: The heathens burned Inis Muiredaig and invade Ros Comáin.

There were only a few attacks in the first 25 years of the Norsemen finding Ireland but by 820 AD they began an escalation of attacks.

They first attacked Corcach Mór (Cork), located on the south-west coast and a year later took a 'great number of women' prisoners after plundering Étar. By 825AD they were performing several raids all within the same year.

Did the Irish fight against the Vikings?

Ireland had no centralized government when the Vikings arrived. The island was split into several Kingdoms that were fragmented into smaller sub-kingdoms and territories. The political mark-up of Ireland was complex and often violent.

Along with the High King there were several other kings, and chieftains, none of which worked as a centralized government. There was a constant power struggle between the kings and chieftains so battles were a common occurrence between the Irish Kingdoms. The absence of any unified front in Ireland made it easier for the Vikings to invade with each Kingdom having to protect their own territory.

The Annals do mention the slaughter of heathens on 811 AD by the Uliad, a Kingdom located in northeastern Ireland. A year later, another slaughter of heathens occurred, this time in western Ireland in a small territory called Umall, in today's County Mayo.

Just over 40 years since the Vikings first invaded Ireland, their larger fleets began to arrive in Irish waters. The Annals of Ulster describes the arrival of a large Norse fleet in 837 AD

A naval force of the Norsemen sixty ships strong was on the Bóinn, and another one of sixty ships on the river Life. Those two forces plundered the plain of Life and the plain of Brega, including churches, forts and dwellings. The men of Brega routed the foreigners at Deoninne in Mugdorna of Brega, and six score of the Norsemen fell.

Its arrival pathed the way for a more permanent presence of Vikings in Ireland.

Viking Settlements in Ireland

When the latest big Norse fleet arrived they built encampments known as longphorts, a winter camp. The camps allowed the Norsemen to take shelter on land for longer and also venture further inland were they'd hunt for food and valuables.

Once such longphort that played a critical role was the Viking settlement in Dublin called Dyflinn. It sat on the south bank of the River Liffey, opposite an earlier founded Gaelic settlement called Áth Cliath.

located downriver, Dyflinn was further inland than usual but it still had quick access to the Irish sea. The Norse upgraded their longphort turning it into a trade port. It linked with other ports in the Norse Empire creating a large network of trading.

Other founded Viking settlements in Ireland included Cork, Limerick, Waterford, and Wexford. Before long, they assimilated into the Irish way of life becoming tradesmen and town-dwellers.

The arrival of the Dark foreigners

As the Finngaill (fair foreigners) continued their new life in Ireland another wave of Vikings arrived in 851 AD. These new Vikings were different from the previous invaders, so much so, the Irish called them the Dubgaill (Dark foreigners). Used to refer to rival groups of Vikings, the meaning of fair & dark foreigner is often debated.

The Dubgaill arrived in an expedition of 140 ships and traveled into Dublin. The Annals of the Four Masters notes:

The dark heathens came to Áth Cliath, made a great slaughter of the fair-haired foreigners, and plundered the naval encampment, both people and property. The dark heathens made a raid at Linn Duachaill, and a great number of them were slaughtered.

The Dubgaill were likely Danes, arriving in Ireland to drive out the Findgaill and claim authority over Ireland. They claimed Kingship of Dublin establishing an alliance with other Irish Kings but at the same time making enemies.

Forcing the Vikings out of Ireland

By 902 the King of Leinster and the King of Brega launched an attack on the Dublin Viking settlement. The Viking King of Dublin and his followers fled Ireland half dead and abandoning most of their ships.

It wouldn't be long until the Viking warriors returned to Ireland, but with a greater force.

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History of Vikings in Ireland - Ancient Irish History Timeline

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In 795AD the first Vikings invaded Ireland. The Norse landed on Irish shores in their longboats attacking their first Irish monastery on Rathlin Island.

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During early Christian Ireland many of the monasteries were often attacked by different groups. The Irish sometimes raided monasteries looking for treasures. However, the problem worsened for the monasteries in the eight century when the Vikings or Norsemen from Scandinavia began to raid Ireland. They were feared by everyone because they killed anyone who got in their way or took them as slaves.

In 795 AD Viking longships began to raid various places in Ireland. At first they attacked the monasteries along the coast and later they raided inland. The Vikings were great experts at building boats which were used for long journeys. Some of their longships have been found underwater in places like Roskilde in Denmark .

We know that the Vikings stole treasures from Ireland because many of them were later found. For example, one of these treasures, Ranvaig's Casket, was given on loan to the National Museum of Ireland. It is usually in the National Museum of Denmark.

The Vikings who came to Ireland from 795 AD to 840 AD were mainly from the area now known as Norway. The Danish Vikings came to Ireland from about 849 AD and fought the Norse Vikings.

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During early Christian Ireland many of the monasteries were often attacked by different groups. The Irish sometimes raided monasteries looking for treasures. However, the problem worsened for the monasteries in the eight century when the Vikings or Norsemen from Scandinavia began to raid Ireland.

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We are going to learn about the life of Countess Markievicz, a famous and important historical figure. Pick a topic below.

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Constance Markievicz, in full Countess Constance Georgine Markievicz, née Gore-Booth, Markievicz also spelled Markiewicz , (born February 4, 1868, London, England-died July 15, 1927, Dublin, Ireland) was an Anglo-Irish countess and political activist who was the first woman elected to the British Parliament (1918), though she refused to take her seat. She was also the only woman to serve in the first Dáil Éireann (Irish Assembly), in which she acted as minister of labour (1919-22).

Constance Gore-Booth was born into the Anglo-Irish aristocracy and grew up at her family's estate, Lissadell, in County Sligo, Ireland. Her father, Sir Henry Gore-Booth, was a landowner and philanthropist, and her sister Eva later became a key figure in women's suffrage. Constance was presented at the court of Queen Victoria in 1887 and enrolled at London's Slade School of Art in 1893. In the late 1890s she traveled to Paris, where she met Count Casimir Dunin-Markievicz of Poland; they married in 1900.

In 1903 the Markieviczes moved to Dublin, where Constance's interests soon turned from art to Irish politics. At age 40, in 1908, she embraced Irish nationalism, joining the revolutionary women's group Inghinidhe na hÉireann (Daughters of Ireland) and the Sinn Féin political party. The following year she formed Na Fianna Éireann (Soldiers of Ireland), a republican organization loosely based on the Boy Scouts, in which young boys were trained to be nationalist soldiers.

In 1911 she was arrested for demonstrating against King George V 's visit to Ireland. This was just the first of several arrests and imprisonments for Markievicz, whose political activism resulted in jail time intermittently for the rest of her life. In 1913-14 she provided food for workers and their families during a labour dispute in which thousands of people were locked out of their workplaces for refusing to reject union membership.

In April 1916 Markievicz took part in the Easter Rising, a republican insurrection in Dublin against British government in Ireland. After the general surrender, she was arrested and imprisoned. Though many women had participated in the uprising, Markievicz was the only one to be court-martialed; she was sentenced to death, but the sentence was commuted to a lifetime of penal servitude on account of her gender. The following year, under a general amnesty, Markievicz was released, but she soon ended up back in jail for supposed participation in a plot against the British government. In December 1918, while still carrying out a prison sentence, Markievicz was elected to the House of Commons as the representative for Dublin's St. Patrick's division. Along with the other members of Sinn Féin, she refused to swear an oath of allegiance to the king and, thus, did not take her seat. Instead, under the leadership of Eamon de Valera, the Irish republicans set up their own provisional government, Dáil Éireann.

After her release from prison, Markievicz served in the first Dáil Éireann as the minister of labour, a post she held from 1919 until she was defeated in the 1922 elections. That same year the Irish Free State was established, and Dáil Éireann was incorporated as the lower house of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament). Markievicz was elected to the Dáil in the 1923 general election but, along with the other members of Sinn Féin, she again refused to swear allegiance to the king and did not take her seat. Instead, she devoted herself to charity work. Markievicz joined de Valera's Fianna Fáil party on its founding in 1926 and was again elected to the Dáil in 1927. She died a month later, without having taken her seat.

Alison Eldridge

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(born February 4, 1868, London, England-died July 15, 1927, Dublin, Ireland) was an Anglo-Irish countess and political activist who was the first woman elected to the British...

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Constance Georgine Markievicz ( Polish: Markiewicz Gore-Booth; 4 February 1868 - 15 July 1927), also known as Countess Markievicz and Madame Markievicz, was an Irish politician, revolutionary, nationalist, suffragist, socialist, and the first woman elected to the Westminster Parliament, and was elected Minister for Labour in the First Dáil, becoming the first female cabinet minister in Europe. She served as a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South constituency from 1921 to 1922 and 1923 to 1927. She was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Dublin St Patrick's from 1918 to 1922.

A founding member of Fianna Éireann, Cumann na mBan and the Irish Citizen Army, she took part in the Easter Rising in 1916, when Irish republicans attempted to end British rule and establish an Irish Republic. She was sentenced to death, commuted to life imprisonment on the grounds of her gender. On 28 December 1918, she was the first woman elected to the UK House of Commons, though, being in Holloway Prison at the time and in accordance with party policy, she did not take her seat. Instead, she and the other Sinn Féin MPs (as TDs) formed the first Dáil Éireann. She was also one of the first women in the world to hold a cabinet position, as Minister for Labour, from 1919 to 1922.

Markievicz supported the anti- Treaty side in the Irish Civil War. She continued as (abstentionist) Dáil member for Sinn Féin until 1926 when she became a founding member of Fianna Fáil. She died in 1927.

Constance Georgine Gore-Booth was born at Buckingham Gate in London in 1868, the elder daughter of the Arctic explorer and adventurer Sir Henry Gore-Booth, 5th Baronet, an Anglo-Irish landlord who administered a 100 km ² (39 sq mi) estate, and Georgina, Lady Gore-Booth, née Hill. During the famine of 1879-80, Sir Henry provided free food for the tenants on his estate at Lissadell House in the north of County Sligo in the north-west of Ireland. Their father's example inspired in Gore-Booth and her younger sister, Eva Gore-Booth, a deep concern for working people and the poor. The sisters were childhood friends of the poet W. B. Yeats, who frequently visited the family home Lissadell House, and were influenced by his artistic and political ideas. Yeats wrote a poem, "In Memory of Eva Gore-Booth and Con Markiewicz", in which he described the sisters as "two girls in silk kimono, both beautiful, one a gazelle" The gazelle being Eva, with whom Yeats described as having, "a gazelle like beauty". Eva later became involved in the labour movement and women's suffrage in Great Britain, although initially Constance did not share her sister's ideals.

Marriage and early politics

Gore-Booth wished to train as a painter, to her family's dismay; in 1892, she went to study at the Slade School of Art in London, where she lived at the Alexandra House for Art Pupils, Kensington Gore, founded five years before by Sir Francis Cook, a wealthy great-uncle of Maud Gonne. One of her contemporaries there was Blanche Georgiana Vulliamy. It was at this time that Gore-Booth first became politically active and joined the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS). Later she moved to Paris and enrolled at the prestigious Académie Julian where she met her future husband, Casimir Markievicz, an artist from a wealthy Polish family from present-day Ukraine. Markievicz was known in Paris as Count Markievicz, a title that was the norm for large landowners in Poland at this time. When the Gore-Booth family enquired as to the validity of the title, they were informed through Pyotr Rachkovsky of the Russian Secret Police that he had taken the title "without right", and that there had never been a "Count Markievicz" in Poland. However, the Department of Genealogy in Saint Petersburg said that he was entitled to claim to be a member of the nobility. Markievicz was married, though separated, at the time; his wife died in 1899 and he and Gore-Booth married in London on 29 September 1900. She gave birth to their daughter, Maeve, at Lissadell in November 1901. The child was mainly raised by her Gore-Booth grandparents. Stanislas, Casimir's son from his first marriage, accompanied the couple to Ireland after their honeymoon visit to his homeland.

The Markieviczes settled in Dublin in 1903 and moved in artistic and literary circles, with Constance gaining a reputation as a landscape painter. In 1905, along with artists Sarah Purser, Nathaniel Hone, Walter Osborne and John Butler Yeats, she was instrumental in founding the United Arts Club, which was an attempt to bring together all those in Dublin with an artistic and literary bent. This group included the leading figures of the Gaelic League founded by the future first President of Ireland, Douglas Hyde. Although formally concerned only with the preservation of the Irish language and culture, the league brought together many patriots and future political leaders. Sarah Purser, whom the young Gore-Booth sisters first met in 1882, when she was commissioned to paint their portrait, hosted a regular salon where artists, writers and intellectuals on both sides of the nationalist divide gathered. At Purser's house, Markievicz met revolutionary patriots Michael Davitt, John O'Leary and Maud Gonne. In 1907, Markievicz rented a cottage in the countryside near Dublin. The previous tenant, the poet Padraic Colum, had left behind copies of The Peasant and Sinn Féin. These revolutionary journals promoted independence from British rule. Markievicz read them and was propelled into action.

In 1908, Markievicz became actively involved in nationalist politics in Ireland. She joined Sinn Féin and Inghinidhe na hÉireann ('Daughters of Ireland'), a revolutionary women's movement founded by the actress and activist Maud Gonne, muse of WB Yeats. Markievicz came directly to her first meeting from a function at Dublin Castle, the seat of British rule in Ireland, wearing a satin ball-gown and a diamond tiara. Naturally, the members looked upon her with some hostility. This refreshing change from being " kowtowed"-to as a countess only made her more eager to join, she told her friend Helena Molony. She performed with Maud Gonne in several plays at the newly established Abbey Theatre, an institution that played an important part in the rise of cultural nationalism. In the same year, Markievicz played a dramatic role in the women's suffrage campaigners' tactic of opposing Winston Churchill's election to Parliament during the Manchester North West by-election, flamboyantly appearing in the constituency driving an old-fashioned carriage drawn by four white horses to promote the suffragist cause. A male heckler asked her if she could cook a dinner, to which she responded, "Yes. Can you drive a coach and four?" Her sister Eva had moved to Manchester to live with fellow suffragette Esther Roper and they both campaigned against the anti-suffragist Churchill with her. Churchill lost the election to Conservative candidate William Joynson-Hicks, in part as a result of the suffragists' dedicated opposition.

In 1909 Markievicz founded Fianna Éireann, a nationalist scouting organisation that instructed teenage boys in scouting, in the style of Robert Baden-Powell's then-paramilitary Boy Scouts. At the Fianna's first meeting in Camden Street, Dublin, on 16 August 1909, she was almost expelled on the basis that women did not belong in a physical force movement. She had drawn in Bulmer Hobson, who had earlier founded a less successful boy scout group in Belfast. He supported her, and she was elected to the committee. She was jailed for the first time in 1911 for speaking at an Irish Republican Brotherhood demonstration attended by 30,000 people, organised to protest against George V's visit to Ireland. During this protest Markievicz handed out leaflets, erected great banners emblazoned Dear land thou art not conquered yet, participated in stone-throwing at pictures of the King and Queen and attempted to burn the giant British flag taken from Leinster House, eventually succeeding, but then seeing James McArdle imprisoned for one month for the incident, despite Markievicz testifying in court that she was responsible. Her friend Helena Molony was arrested for her part in the stone-throwing and became the first woman in Ireland to be tried and imprisoned for a political act since the time of the Ladies Land League.

Markievicz joined James Connolly's socialist Irish Citizen Army (ICA), a volunteer force formed in response to the lock-out of 1913 to defend the demonstrating workers from the police. Markievicz recruited volunteers to peel potatoes in the basement of Liberty Hall while she and others worked on distributing the food. As all the food was paid out of her own pocket, Markievicz was forced to take out loans and to sell her jewellery. That year, with Inghinidhe na hÉireann, she ran a soup kitchen to feed poor children and enable them to attend school.

In 1913 Casimir Markievicz moved back to Ukraine, and never returned to live in Ireland. However, they did correspond and he was by her side when she died in 1927.

In the Inghininidhe na h-Éireann magazine Bean na h-Éireann, Markievicz's advice to women was: "Dress suitably in short skirts and strong boots, leave your jewels in the bank and buy a revolver."

Easter Rising

As a member of the Citizen Army, Markievicz took part in the 1916 Easter Rising. She was deeply inspired by the founder of the ICA, James Connolly. Markievicz designed the Citizen Army uniform and composed its anthem, based on the tune of a Polish song.

Markievicz fought in St Stephen's Green, where on the first morning -according to the only two pages surviving of the diary of an alleged witness - she shot a member of the Dublin Metropolitan Police, Constable Lahiff, who subsequently died of his injuries. Other accounts place her at City Hall when the policeman was shot, only arriving at Stephen's Green later. It was long thought that she was second in command to Michael Mallin, but in fact it was Christopher "Kit" Poole who held that position. Markievicz supervised the setting-up of barricades on Easter Monday and was in the middle of the fighting all around Stephen's Green, wounding a British army sniper. Trenches were dug in the Green, sheltered by the front gate; however, after British machine gun and rifle fire from the rooftops of tall buildings on the north side of the Green including the Shelbourne Hotel, the Citizen Army troops withdrew to the Royal College of Surgeons on the west side of the Green.

The Stephen's Green garrison held out for six days, ending the engagement when the British brought them Pearse's surrender order. The British officer, Captain (later Major) de Courcy Wheeler, who accepted their surrender was married to Markievicz's first cousin, Selina Maude Beresford Knox.

They were taken to Dublin Castle and then to Kilmainham Gaol through what Matt Connolly described as "several groups of hostile people". There, she was the only one of 70 women prisoners who was put into solitary confinement. At her court-martial on 4 May 1916, Markievicz pleaded not guilty to "taking part in an armed rebellion...for the purpose of assisting the enemy," but pleaded guilty to having attempted "to cause disaffection among the civil population of His Majesty". Markievicz told the court, "I went out to fight for Ireland's freedom and it does not matter what happens to me. I did what I thought was right and I stand by it." She was sentenced to death, but the court recommended mercy "solely and only on account of her sex". The sentence was commuted to life in prison. When told of this, she said to her captors, "I do wish your lot had the decency to shoot me".

Markievicz was transferred to Mountjoy Prison, Holloway Prison and then to Aylesbury Prison in England in July 1916. She was released from prison in 1917, along with others involved in the Rising, as the government in London granted a general amnesty for those who had participated in it. It was around this time that Markievicz, born into the Church of Ireland, converted to Catholicism.

In 1918, she was jailed again for her part in anti-conscription activities. At the 1918 general election, Markievicz was elected for the constituency of Dublin St Patrick's, beating her opponent William Field with 66% of the vote, as one of 73 Sinn Féin MPs. The results were called on 28 December 1918. This made her the first woman elected to the United Kingdom House of Commons. However, in line with Sinn Féin abstentionist policy, she did not take her seat in the House of Commons.

Markievicz was in Holloway prison, when her colleagues assembled in Dublin at the first meeting of the First Dáil, the Parliament of the revolutionary Irish Republic. When her name was called, she was described, like many of those elected, as being "imprisoned by the foreign enemy" ( fé ghlas ag Gallaibh). She was re-elected to the Second Dáil in the elections of 1921.

Markievicz served as Minister for Labour from April 1919 to January 1922, in the Second Ministry and the Third Ministry of the Dáil. Holding cabinet rank from April to August 1919, she became both the first Irish female Cabinet Minister and at the same time, only the second female government minister in Europe. She was the only female cabinet minister in Irish history until 1979 when Máire Geoghegan-Quinn was appointed to the cabinet post of Minister for the Gaeltacht for Fianna Fáil. Her Labour department was concerned with setting up Conciliation Boards, arbitrating labour disputes, surveying areas and establishing guidelines for wages and food prices.

Civil War and Fianna Fáil

Markievicz left government in January 1922 along with Éamon de Valera and others in opposition to the Anglo-Irish Treaty. She worked actively for the Republican cause in the Irish Civil War, including directing the Citizen Army in the occupation of Moran's Hotel in Dublin. After the civil war she toured the United States. She was not elected in the 1922 Irish general election but was returned in 1923 for the Dublin South constituency. In common with other Republican candidates, she did not take her Dáil seat. She was arrested again in November 1923. In prison, she went on hunger strike, and within a month, she and other prisoners were released.

She left Sinn Féin and joined the Fianna Fáil party on its foundation in 1926, chairing the inaugural meeting of the new party in La Scala Theatre. In the June 1927 general election, she was re-elected to the 5th Dáil as a candidate for Fianna Fáil, which was pledged to return to Dáil Éireann, but died only five weeks later, before she could take her seat. Her fellow Fianna Fáil TDs signed the controversial Oath of Allegiance and took their seats in the Dáil on 12 August 1927, less than a month after her death. The party leader Éamon de Valera described the Oath as "an empty political formula".

Markievicz died at the age of 59 on 15 July 1927, of complications after two appendicitis operations, a dangerous surgery in the days before antibiotics. She had given away the last of her wealth, and died in a public ward "among the poor where she wanted to be". One of the doctors attending her was her revolutionary colleague Kathleen Lynn. Also at her bedside were Casimir and Stanislas Markievicz, Éamon de Valera and Hanna Sheehy Skeffington. Prior to her death, Esther Roper maintained a vigil at Constance's bed with Marie Perolz, Helena Molony, Kathleen Lynn and other friends. Refused a state funeral by the Free State government, she was laid out in the Rotunda, where she had spoken at so many political meetings. Thousands of the Dubliners who loved her lined O'Connell Street and Parnell Square to pass by her body and pay their respects to 'Madame'. It took four hours for the beginning of the funeral, starting from the Rotunda, to reach the gates of Glasnevin Cemetery. Eamon de Valera gave the funeral oration, while Free State soldiers stood on guard to prevent the rifle salute that Michael Collins had called "the only speech which it is proper to make above the grave of a dead Fenian".

Her former Citizen Army colleague the playwright Seán O'Casey said of her: "One thing she had in abundance-physical courage; with that she was clothed as with a garment."

In 2018, a portrait of Markievicz was donated by the Irish parliament to the British House of Commons to commemorate the 1918 Representation of the People Act, under which, some women were allowed the right to vote for the first time in the United Kingdom.

In 2019, a Dublin City Council Commemorative Plaque was unveiled at Markievicz's former home in Dublin, Surrey House on Leinster Road in Rathmines.

In Spanish: Constance Markievicz para niños

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Learn Constance Markievicz facts for kids

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For a very long time, the Vikings believed in many gods and goddesses. These gods were called the Norse gods, or gods of the north. The gods of the Vikings looked like ordinary people. They had the same faults that people have like jealously and temper. The Norse gods were not immortal, but they lived very long lives and had magical powers. The Norse gods made their home high in the sky, in a place called Asgard. The gods' palaces were made of gold and silver. The prettiest and biggest of them all was Odin's home, Valhalla. (Odin was king of the gods.)

There was another place - Midgard or Middle Earth. Middle Earth was inhabited by giants, elves, dwarfs, goblins, monsters, and humans. The Vikings believed the storm-giants, frost-giants, ice-giants, rock-giants, elves, dwarfs, goblins, and most of the monsters who lived in Middle Earth were invisible to humans, and that's why humans never saw them. But these creatures were not invisible to the Norse gods.

The gods were forever running into dangerous creatures, giants especially, sometimes on purpose! The Vikings never worried that their gods might be hurt in their encounters with giants. The giants were big, but the gods were clever. Besides, the Norse gods could always get away if things got too rough. A rainbow bridge, named Bifrost, connected Asgard to Middle Earth. The god Heimdall guarded the bridge so that no giant could enter Asgard (or anyone else uninvited.) Like all the Norse gods, Heimdall had magical powers. He could see for 100 miles night or day. He also had a great sense of hearing. He could hear grass grow! Hardly anyone ever got by him.

Odin (also known as Woden) was the god of poetry, wine, knowledge, and war, as well as ruler of the gods. Odin was sometimes called the Raven God because he had two ravens who sat on him, one on each shoulder, named Hugin (Thought) and Munin (Mind). Every day, Hugin and Munin flew around the Viking world, spying on humans, creatures, and gods. They returned to Odin each evening, and reported everything they saw like the tattletales they were. Odin was grateful to his two ravens for the news they reported. Odin kept his ravens, but he also made a deal with a wise, old giant. Odin traded one of his eyes in exchange for all the wisdom in the world. That's why Odin has two eyes early in his life as ruler, but only one eye later on that he covered with an eye patch, and also explains how he became the god of knowledge.

Thor was Odin's son. Thor was the god of strength, thunder, storms, and big muscles. He had a magical belt, a magic hammer, iron gloves, and a chariot pulled by two goats named Toothnasher and Toothgrinder.

Loki was Odin's adopted son. Loki was a trickster, a mischief maker, and a shape shifter. In different Norse myths, Loki turned himself into a fly, a horse, a fish, an old woman, and a seal to trick someone. Loki loved pranks. Some of his pranks caused death, like the time he tricked Odin's wife into telling him how to kill the god Baldur.
As the myth goes:

Baldur had been having nightmares. He was convinced someone was trying to kill him. He asked Frigga, Odin's wife, for help. Frigga cast a spell that magically blocked things that might hurt him from reaching Baldur. When the other gods heard about it, they amused themselves by using Baldur as a target, throwing darts, arrows, sticks, rocks and even axes at Baldur. Everything bounced off him harmlessly. Although it was a bit startling to find an axe hurled at his face, he was Baldur the Good, and good gods did not complain.

It was not long before Loki became sick and tired of hearing what a good sport Baldur was. Loki shiftshaped himself into an old woman and went looking for Frigga. When he found her, Loki (the old woman) complimented Frigga on her spell. "Can nothing get through?" Loki (the old woman) asked her in amazement.

Delighted with the compliment, she whispered: "Mistletoe. I left out mistletoe. After all, what harm could mistletoe cause, and besides, it would not be sporting to block everything!"

That was all Loki needed to hear. He cut a twig of mistletoe at an angle to give it a sharp point. Then he helped an old god, going blind, to join in the fun. When it was the old god's turn to toss something at Baldur, Loki guided his hand, and helped him toss the twig with such force that it pierced Baldur's heart. Baldur the Good fell down dead. Loki acted as shocked as the other gods, but inside he was laughing.

That was Loki. You could not trust him, not at all.

Sif was the goddess of the harvest, and Thor's wife. She was very proud of her long, blonde hair. One day, as a prank, Loki cut her beautiful hair. Sif was so sad. She cried tears so heavy with salt that her tears fell on Middle Earth, and the crops could not grow. To fix this, and to avoid an angry beating by Thor, Loki asked the dwarfs to spin her some new hair, which fortunately for Loki, they did.

Freya and Frey were sister and brother. Freya was the goddess of fertility, growth, love, and war. She cried golden tears when she was unhappy, which was quite often. It made her unhappy to see Viking warriors fallen in war. Odin allowed Freya to help only half of the fallen Viking warriors recover from their wounds. The other half were delivered to Odin by the Valkyries, the she-warrior gods, where they entered Odin's Hall, also known as Valharra. Freya's chariot was pulled by two cats (the wild kind that live in Scandinavia.) Freya's brother, Fray, was in charge of the dwarfs and elves. Frey had a ship that folded into his pocket, and a magic sword that could fight on its own. His chariot was pulled by a golden pig.

Idunn was the goddess of youth and beauty. She grew the golden apples that all Norse gods had to eat regularly to stay young, healthy, and strong. Without Idunn's golden apples to eat, the gods would quickly age and become old. Ultimately, they became old anyway, but the apples gave them a very long life.

The Three Norns - The three Goddesses of Fate were named "What has been", "What is", and "What must be". The Vikings believed that each Viking was connected to their fate by an invisible thread. When it was time for a life to end, the Norns would take their scissors and cut the thread. (Does this sound familiar? The ancient Greeks had three goddesses called the Fates, who had the same job as the Norns. But the ancient Greeks lived more than a thousand yearsbefore the Vikings. Like the ancient Romans, the Vikings plumdered more than goods. They plundered ideas, inventions, and even gods!)
Viking Myths Viking Monsters Viking Beliefs Our Days of the Week - Named for Norse Gods

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Gods and Myths - The Vikings for Kids and Teachers - Lesson Plans, Games, Powerpoints, Activities

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For a very long time, the Vikings believed in many gods and goddesses. These gods were called the Norse gods, or gods of the north. The gods of the Vikings looked like ordinary people. They had the same faults that people have like jealously and temper.

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15 Amazing Viking God & Goddesses Facts | Beano

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How much do you about the Viking gods and their wacky ways? It’s time to find out with these 15 amazing facts all about the Norse gods!

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Watch stories from Norse mythology told in a fun but faithful style for 7-9 year olds. The stories feature famous characters such as Loki, Odin and Thor. Suitable for Key Stage 2 English.

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Odin, Thor, Loki - the Gods of the Vikings - had many wonderful adventures which have inspired the likes of Wagner.

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Welcome to Britannica School, a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Primary, Middle and Secondary School.

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Welcome to Britannica School, a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Primary, Middle and Secondary School.

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The Stone Age was such a long period of time that it has been divided into three main parts:

The Early Stone Age

The Middle Stone Age

The New Stone Age

This part of history is called prehistory. It was before people had learned to write. Here we will learn about Ireland at the time of the Middle Stone Age and the New Stone Age.

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The Stone Age was such a long period of time that it has been divided into three main parts: The Early Stone Age The Middle Stone Age The New Stone Age This part of history is called prehistory. It was before people had learned to write.

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NEW! ASK Britannica... YOUR QUESTIONS. OUR ANSWERS, POWERED BY AI.

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Carving vegetables, eating treats, and playing games. Discover how Halloween is celebrated around the world.

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Tlachtga where the Great Fire Festival at Samhain was celebrated.

As millions of children and adults participate in the fun of Halloween on the night of October 31st, few will be aware of its ancient Celtic roots in the Samhain (Samain) festival. In Celtic Ireland about 2,000 years ago, Samhain was the division of the year between the lighter half (summer) and the darker half (winter). At Samhain the division between this world and the otherworld was at its thinnest, allowing spirits to pass through.

The family's ancestors were honoured and invited home whilst harmful spirits were warded off. People wore costumes and masks to disguise themselves as harmful spirits and thus avoid harm. Bonfires and food played a large part in the festivities. The bones of slaughtered livestock were cast into a communal fire, household fires were extinguished and started again from the bonfire. Food was prepared for the living and the dead, food for the ancestors who were in no position it eat it, was ritually shared with the less well off.

Christianity incorporated the honouring of the dead into the Christian calendar with All Saints (All Hallows) on November 1st, followed by All Souls on November 2nd. The wearing of costumes and masks to ward off harmful spirits survived as Halloween customs. The Irish emigrated to America in great numbers during the 19th century especially around the time of famine in Ireland during the 1840's. The Irish carried their Halloween traditions to America, where today it is one of the major holidays of the year. Through time other traditions have blended into Halloween, for example the American harvest time tradition of carving pumpkins.

Two hills in the Boyne Valley were associated with Samhain in Celtic Ireland, Tlachtga and Tara. Tlachtga was the location of the Great Fire Festival which begun on the eve of Samhain (Halloween). Tara was also associated with Samhain, however it was secondary to Tlachtga in this respect.

The entrance passage to the Mound of the Hostages on the Hill of Tara is aligned with the rising sun around Samhain. The Mound of the Hostages is 4,500 to 5000 years old, suggesting that Samhain was celebrated long before the first Celts arrived in Ireland about 2,500 years ago.

Celtic Earth Works on the Hill of Tara

The Hindu Diwali (Divali, Deepavali) Festival known as the Festival of Lights occurs about the same time as Samhain. Diwali marks the Hindu New Year just as Samhain marks the Celtic New Year, could it be that Diwali and Samhain have a common root in antiquity?

An excerpt from Tlachtga: Celtic Fire Festival by John Gilroy.

The Festival of Samhain marked the end of the Celtic year and the beginning of the new one and as such can be seen to the equivalent of New Year's Eve. We have seen how the Celts believed that night preceded day and so the festivities took place on the Eve of Samhain. There is no doubt that that this festival was the most important of the four Celtic Festivals. Samhain was a crucial time of year, loaded with symbolic significance for the pre-Christian Irish. The celebrations at Tlachtga may have had their origins in a fertility rite on the hill but it gathered to itself a corpus of other beliefs which crystallised at the great Fire Festival.

The perceptible, and apparent, decline in the strength of the sun at this time of year was a source of anxiety for early man and the lighting of the Winter Fires here symbolised mans attempt to assist the sun on its journey across the skies. Fire is the earthly counterpart of the sun and is a powerful and appropriate symbol to express mans helplessness in the face of the overwhelming sense of the decay of nature as the winter sets in.

Now the sun has descended into the realm of the underworld, the forces of the underworld were in the ascendency. The lord of the underworld, unfettered from the control of the sun, now walked the earth and with him travelled all those other creatures from the abode of the dead. Ghosts, fairies and a host of other non-descript creatures went with him. The Lord of the Dead in Celtic mythology can be identified as Donn.

Mythology tells us that when the invaders of Ireland known as the Miliseans landed at the Boyne, they made their way to Tara. Once there, they were advised by the Druids that they should return to their ships and sail off the shore to the length of nine waves. When they were on the sea a great storm arose which scattered their fleet. The commander of one of the ships was Donn. His ship was broken to pieces in the storm and he himself drowned along with twenty four of his comrades. He was buried on the Skellig Islands off the coast of Kerry.

He is the first of the new wave of invaders to meet his death in Ireland and, as such, he became elevated to the status of god of the dead. The place of his burial became known as Tech Donn - The house of Donn, and soon became identified with with the otherworld. The Celts were fascinated with tracing their ancestry back as far as they could and often they identified their earliest ancestors with the gods of their peoples. Hence, a belief arose that when they died they went to the house of their ancestor, the god of the otherworld.

It is interesting to note that the abode of Donn, on the Skellig Islands, is just a few miles from the traditional home of Mog Ruith at Valentia Island. As well as being geographical neighbours, both are closely associated with Samhain, when it can be said that Mog Ruith as sungod sojourns at the realm of the underworld, the abode of Donn.

Donn is seen as a retiring god who prefers the isolation of the bleak Skelligs and remains aloof from the other gods. His name means "brown" and he is associated with the shadowy realm of the dead. O'hOgain tells us that a ninth century text attributes a highly significant quotation to him "To me, to my house, you shall come after your death"

Many other sources say that the dead assemble at his house and describe deceased people travelling to and from here. Fishermen in the area were wont to hear strange boats passing to the island at night and the names of those who disembarked were called out. Later Christian writers claimed that the souls of the damned lingered at his house before departing for hell. Not surprisingly, aspects of his personage have been adapted by Christian writers in their portrayal of the devil.

Samhain being the feast of the dead can now be clearly seen as incorporating the cult of Donn into its celebrations but how they did so remains uncertain. The Fires were in all likelihood lit in honour of the sungod - here manifesting as Mog Ruith, but certain other of the trappings are clearly associated with the Lord of the Dead. The idea that Samhain is a juncture between the two halves of the year saw it acquiring the unique status of being suspended in time - it did not belong to the old year not the new. It could be said that time stood still on this night and the implications of this were immense. During this night the natural order of life was thrown into chaos and the earthly world of the living became hopelessly entangled with the world of the dead. But the world of the dead was itself a complicated place, peopled not only by the spirits of the departed, but also with a host of gods, fairies and other creatures of uncertain nature.

The unwary traveller, caught away from home on this night, could expect to encounter any one or many of these creatures and it was always advisable to stay indoors. Ghosts were everywhere and may or may not have been harmful to the living. It is interesting to note that the manuscripts tells us that all fires in the country must be extinguished on this night and could only be relit from the great flames from Tlachtga. This, of course, is not to taken literally but symbolised the brief and temporary ascendency of the powers of darkness at this time of year.

During this period all the world was in darkness and the dead were abroad. When the fire at Tlachtga was lit, it gave the signal that all was well and all other fires could now be relit. The fires at Talchtga were the public celebration of the victory of light, while the relighting of the household fire marked the domestic celebration of the feast. Now the spirits of dead ancestors could be welcomed back into the home with safety and posed no threat to the household. This theme is repeated constantly in Irish literature. MacCollugh tells us that the cult of the dead culminated at the family health. Very often the spirits of ancestors sought warmth around the fireside on this night. Fires were left lighting in the grate to warm the spirits and food was left out for them. Even though the ancestral ghosts were benign, it was still a good idea to avoid them by going to bed early.

However, the ghosts may not have been entirely benign. They needed some sort of appeasement in the form of ritual offerings on this night. So long as the offering was forthcoming the ghosts were happy and benevolent, but if the offering was withheld another side of the ghosts features were presented. Bad luck would descend on the household and all would not be well the coming year. Some vestiges of this tradition may survived in the modern Halloween custom of "trick or treat". Children, dressed as ghosts and witches, invite the household to make a donation or face the consequences. The 'treat' may represent the ritual offering while the 'trick', nowadays a harmless prank, may have in antiquity, represented the malevolent consequences of inadequately appeasing the ancestral ghost on this night.

But it was not just time that was dislocated at Samhain. Just as the festival stands on the boundary between Summer and Winter, all other boundaries were in danger at this time. The boundaries between a mans land and his neighbours were a dangerous place to be on this night. Ghosts were to be found along these points and a style between adjacent land was a place of particular dread and best avoided. Bridges and crossroads were also likely places to encounter ghosts. Naturally enough, burial places were avoided on all nights but particularly on this night. Every sort of a ghost was to be seen here and the dead mingled freely with the living.

The practice of divination - telling the future, was an important part of everyday life for the Celts and it is certain that this art formed a central part of the festivities occurred at Tlachtga at Samhain. Vestiges of this can be seen today at Halloween are familiar with the practice of going to the church at midnight on Halloween and standing in the porch. The courageous observer will see the spirits of those who will die in the coming year if he watches closely, but runs the risk of meeting himself. Similarity, girls watching in a mirror on this night will see the image of the man they will marry but also run the risk of seeing the devil.

Those brave enough to go to a grave yard at midnight and walk three times around the graves will be offered a glimpse the future but again run the risk of meeting the devil. This latter example is interesting as it preserves the three time sunwise turn so important to the Celts in the ritual. The possibility of meeting the devil may represent the well known Christian attempt to associate the pagan god of the dead with the devil of Christian belief. This being the case, Donn the Lord of the Dead, left his island home on this night and travelled freely throughout the country. Whether he carried off souls is unclear, but it is likely that he did. The ritual offerings on the Winter Fires may have been an attempt to appease him until, such time in history, he was replaced on the arrival of Christianity by the devil.

The early Irish manuscripts are littered with references to the magical significance of Samhain. It marked the end of the fighting and hunting season for the warrior troop known as the Fianna. At Samhain they retreated into winter camp, quartering themselves on the general population until the return of Summer at Beltainne. Fionn MacCumhail chose Samhain as the time to present himself before the court at Tara for the first time, while it was also at Samhain that the god Lugh made his dramatic entrance to the same court. The Connaught queen, Meave, waited until Samhain before setting out on the great Cattle Raid of Cooley.

Fionn MacCumhail, Lugh and Cuchulainn - Meave's opponent, are the three great figures of Irish mythology and it is interesting to note how Samhain is the time chosen by the writers to introduce their arrival on the scene. The Battle of Mag Tuired (supposedly in County Mayo) was fought at Samhain. It seems that when the early writers wish to impart a magical quality to the events they are depicting, they choose the Festival of Samhain for the occasion. There remains little doubt that Samhain held a central place in the imagination of the Celts, where the festivities associated with several local gods became entangled, over the course of perhaps a thousand years, with the feast of the god of the dead. Remnants of these celebrations have come down to us in our own celebrations of Halloween.

An excerpt from Tlachtga: Celtic Fire Festival by John Gilroy.

This short Irish film traces origins of Ireland's biggest Halloween Carnival in Derry back to
troubled years of 1980s. It also traces origins of Halloween to the Celtic festival of Samhain.

Ancient cultures such as the Neolithic (Stone Age) people who build Newgrange in Ireland aligned their monuments to the major solar events, the Winter Solstice, the Spring Equinox, the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox. The solar year was further divided to mark the half way points between the major solar events giving the cross quarter days of Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain.

Boyne Valley Private Day Tours

Pick up and return to your accommodation or cruise ship. Suggested day tour: Newgrange World Heritage site, 10th century High Crosses at Monasterboice, Hill of Tara the seat of the High Kings of Ireland and the Hill of Slane where St. Patrick let a Paschal fire in 433More ...

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Samhain (Samain) - The Celtic roots of Halloween

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Tlachtga where the Great Fire Festival at Samhain was celebrated. As millions of children and adults participate in the fun of Halloween on the night of October 31st, few will be aware of its ancient Celtic roots in the Samhain (Samain) festival.

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Download FREE teacher-made resources covering 'History of Halloween For Children'

The History of Halloween for Children

Halloween is the second-most popular holiday in the United States after Christmas. It's a time of spooky celebrations, haunted houses, costume parties, and of course, delicious candy.

But how much do you really know about the holiday's history? Jack-o'-lanterns, apple bobbing, trick-or-treating, and even the practice of dressing up in costume are all older than you might think. Some of these traditions date back hundreds of years!

How old is Halloween?

There is some debate over Halloween's earliest origins. We can't know for certain how much the holiday's traditions resembles the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain that came before it. With that being said, many common elements mean that Halloween that it goes back over 2,000 years.

That's a lot of history to cover!

Keep reading to find out more about the history of Halloween, from Samhain to the present day. Ever wondered what the Celts believed? What about Halloween's relation to All Saints' Day on November 1st? Find out the answers to these questions here!

The Celtic Holiday of Samhain

To fully understand the history of Halloween, we need to go way back into the distant past to visit an ancient civilization: the Celts.

This group of people lived in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and France around 2,000 years ago. They had their own traditions, religions, and folklore. One of their main festivals took place around harvest time, marking the beginning of the cold winter to come.

This was called Samhain, which literally means "the end of summer." It marked the Celtic New Year.

At this harvest festival, the Celts wore costumes and feasted together as a community. Often, there would be bonfires lit to ward off evil spirits. This is because they believed that this was the one night of the year they could walk the earth.

All Saints' Day and All Hallows' Eve

Halloween's past might have been pagan, and its present might be mostly secular, but for centuries Halloween was considered to be a Christian event. It was related to All Saints' Day.

Pope Gregory III made the decision to move All Saints' Day from May to November 1st - right around the time of Samhain. This was a day of remembrance and celebration of the dead, specifically the martyred saints.

The eve of All Saints' Day was also an important event, with many names. While it might have had an official name of All Saints' Eve at one point, it soon became All Hallows' Eve.

From there, All Hallow's Eve was shortened to "Halloween," bringing us the name of the holiday. This event featured folk traditions similar to the original Samhain, and remained popular in Scotland and Ireland.

November 1st remains a popular holiday, too. In Mexico, you can find the Day of the Dead celebrations, which focuses on remembering those who have passed on with vibrant festivities. Comparing these two holidays would be a ton of fun!

Halloween in the 20th Century

How was Halloween brought to America?

Halloween traditions existed in the United States before the 1800s, as they came over with different waves of settlers from other parts of the world. However, Halloween as we know it started to pick up in popularity during the 19th century.

This coincided with a tide of migration from Ireland as a result of the Great Irish Famine. As people left for a better life in America, they brought with them their own folk traditions. These included All Saints' Day on November 1st, and All Hallow's Eve.

The practice of "souling," or going from door-to-door to ask for soul-cakes, was one of the main ones.

Scottish and Irish Origins of Halloween

The Scottish and Irish origins of Halloween can be seen in many of the traditions that exist to this day. These include jack-o'-lanterns, dressing up in costume, bobbing for apples, and trick-or-treating.

Let's look at one of the most iconic symbols that you can see dotted around neighborhoods all across the United States when October comes around.

The History of Jack-o'-Lanterns

Jack-o'-lanterns existed before the move to North America, but in a different form. Traditionally, people carved turnips instead of pumpkins, as the vegetable was native to Ireland and easier to come across.

Upon moving to America, Irish immigrants swapped to pumpkin. These were popular in the United States as they were not only easier to find in stores, but also easier to carve because of their softer centers.

Jack-o'-lanterns come from an old Irish legend about a mean and sly man called Jack. He played tricks on people. The legend says that when he died, he had to walk the dark afterlife forever as a result of his past misdeeds, with only a hollowed-out turnip with a candle inside.

Jack of the Lantern was shortened to "jack-o'-lantern," and the tale became a popular one to retell on Halloween.

A Brief History of Halloween Timeline

2000+ Years Ago - The Celts in what would later become Britain, Ireland, and France celebrate the ancient festival of Samhain.
609 - Pope Boniface IV is thought to have started the holiday of All Saints' Day to celebrate martyrs. This took place in May.

731 to 741 - Under the reign of Pope Gregory III, All Saints' Day was moved to be celebrated on November 1st. This was likely used to make converting the Celtic people to Christianity more persuasive.

1605 - Guy Fawkes was caught when trying to kill King James I of Britain, and executed. This led to the tradition of Guy Fawkes Day, which included bonfires and effigies. Children and adults would go around house-to-house asking for coin or treats.

1845 to 1849 - Many people immigrated from Ireland and Scotland to the United States. They celebrated both All Saints' Day and All Hallows' Eve, which involved many folk traditions like "souling" that dated back hundreds of years.

1880s - Candy corn was invented.

Early 1900s - Halloween costumes were first mass-produced for children to wear on Halloween. These were cheap and disposable, as they were often made of paper.

1912 - In Kansas, a local woman, Elizabeth Kreubs, protested against the vandalism that took place during Halloween celebrations. She began to encourage a local family-friendly (and safer) Halloween, with less destruction of property.

1939 to 1947 - Halloween celebrations died down during World War II owing to sugar rationing and a lack of interest in a holiday focusing on the dead.

1950s - Halloween returns to form, and children begin to receive wrapped candy in their buckets. The practice of trick-or-treating becomes widespread.

Teaching Resources on Halloween

With all this new knowledge of the history of Halloween, why don't you put it to good use this October?

We have a wide range of resources to support your teaching needs, whatever they may be. To browse through these, simply click on the links below. They'll take you to a collection appropriate for your children's grade:

If you're still not sure where to start, check out the three resources we've linked below!

The History of Halloween PowerPoint

You can easily teach your upper-grade elementary students about many of the facts found in this Teaching Wiki using our History of Halloween PowerPoint. It answers questions such as:

When did Halloween celebrations begin?

Why do we trick or treat on Halloween?

Where did the name Halloween come from?

Why do people wear costumes on Halloween?

Why do we make Jack-o'-lanterns on Halloween?

Not only that, but it comes with fantastic illustrations to catch and keep children's attention. This includes pictures of children in historical dress from Celtic times, as well as other symbols of Halloween.

At the end, you can informally assess students' knowledge of Halloween using a quick multiple-choice quiz.

Why Do We Enjoy Being Scared? Reading Comprehension Activity

Throughout all of human history, scary stories and folk tales have been a favorite pastime. Many people actually enjoy being frightened, choosing to watch scary movies or read horror books. You can use this Halloween-themed reading comprehension passage with questions to inform your children about why this is.

It covers information about the human fight or flight mechanism, including what happens when this response is triggered, and what part of the brain is responsible.

This has been designed by teachers for fifth-grade students, but you might also want to use it with precocious young readers.

Halloween KWL Chart

KWL charts are a wonderful way for children to record what they know, would like to know, and what they've learned. Why not try out our Halloween KWL Chart with your K-2 students!

This graphic organizer allows them to track pre-existing knowledge, displaying it in a neat, visual way. You can also read through the completed grids at the end to identify areas that children may want to revisit before the unit of work comes to an end.

Best of all? It's easy to print out and add to your teaching toolkit - a handy resource that you'll have in hand in no time at all.

A Video on the History of Halloween

Lastly, if you want something a bit more audiovisual to support your students' learning style, check out this fantastic video on the history of Halloween.

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The History of Halloween for Kids | Twinkl - Twinkl

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Want to teach children the history of Halloween to Children? This wiki has plenty of clear and concise information about how the festivity came to be, including a history of Halloween timeline.

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Samhain - the original Halloween! | Articles | CBC Kids

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August 11, 2022

Before there was Halloween, there was (say "SAH-win"). It was a Celtic festival celebrated about 2,000 years ago. People in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man would take part.

Samhain marked the end of the harvest season. They say it was a time when the divide between this world and the realm of the spirits was thinner.

People believed that spirits could make their way into our world and walk among the living. They were careful to make sure they didn't run into any of them.

When was Samhain celebrated?

It started at sunset on October 31st and ended on November 1st. The Celtic calendar, in these areas, divided the year into two halves. There was the light half and the dark half.

Samhain marked the beginning of the dark half of the year. The days would be shorter and colder.

Two fall holidays in one!

A lot of the traditional Halloween activities you know come from Samhain celebrations. But there's another fall holiday it's similar to - Thanksgiving!

Samhain was a harvest festival. Crops were harvested. There were big bonfires. People gathered together and held huge feasts and celebrations.

All of these events helped them prepare for the hard winter to come.

Ghostly visitors from the other side

Many people believed Samhain to be the most dangerous time of year. All sorts of spirits and sprites would roam the earth.

Most of these didn't have people's best interests at heart. There were many rituals and traditions to keep people safe.

People made huge bonfires. They would leave offerings of food and drink for the spirits. Sometimes they would even leave them portions of their crops.

The first trick-or-treaters

Guising was a part of Samhain. People dressed up in costumes. They would go from house to house and recite songs in exchange for food. Sounds like trick-or-treating!

The costumes were meant to look like fairies and spirits. By pretending to be a spirit, It was believed that you would be protected from them.

Later on, wearing costumes led to "Mischief Night" in some places. Playing pranks on Halloween has been a tradition for over 300 years!

Dinner with your ghostly ancestors

It wasn't just evil spirits that visited our world during Samhain. Relatives and ancestors who had passed on were said to visit.

There would be a place set at the dinner table and one by the fire. Just in case they made it back to our world.

Samhain isn't as widely celebrated today as it used to be. But many of its traditions have turned into Halloween. Who knew you had the Ancient Celts to thank for trick-or-treating?

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Samhain - the original Halloween! | Articles | CBC Kids

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Before there was Halloween, there was Samhain, a Celtic festival celebrated about 2,000 years ago.