European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 31, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A halloween primer by Kevin Dougherty Kaiserslautern bureaus Ith the possible exception of Christmas no other Holiday is More steeped in folklore than halloween. Legend has it that halloween night is the time when the Bridge Between the world of the living and the world of the dead is easiest to Cross. Of course the value of such a communicable opening depends on a person s viewpoint and nerves. Halloween has its origins in the ancient celtic festival known As Sambain. The festival Marks the beginning of Winter and the death of summer. Sambain Means end of summer according to the encyclopedia of witches and witchcraft. To christians Sambain is known As All hallows eve which was shorten to halloween. The custom of trick or treating possibly originated from when Irish peasants went door to door to collect Money bread cake cheese eggs butter nuts apples and other food in preparation for the festival of St. Columb kill according to the witches encyclopedia. As an aside Sambain also Marks the beginning of the celtic new year a time of getting rid of weaknesses. Pagans once slaughtered animals that were unlikely to survive the Winter. Another ritual of the new year Calls for writing Down weaknesses on a piece of paper and tossing it into the fire to eliminate the shortcomings. The tradition of making new year s resolutions supposedly has its origin in this festival. For the French halloween May include a visit from a Goblin  itself to households to both help and plague residents according to the witches encyclopedia. Goblins which Are wandering spirits perform household chores at night and discipline children. Goblins give presents to Good children and punish those who Are naughty. But goblins have a mischievous Streak. They sometimes will keep the household up at night by banging pots and pans moving furniture knocking on Walls and doors and snatching bedclothes from slumbering bodies. In England and Germany goblins Are the equivalent of brownies and Kobald respectively. Another wandering soul associated with halloween is the will of the Wisp or Jack o lantern. Denied entry into both heaven and hell the lost soul drifts about at night clothed in a Luminous garment or carrying a lighted Wisp of Straw according to the witches Book. The Jack of lantern is said to lure travellers into the marshes. Aside from will of the Wisp the English also refer to it As the Corpse Light. The eerie glow of a Corpse Light forecasts death in a household by hovering Over a rooftop or even appearing on top of the Chest of the person about to die. Early pagans created the prototype of today s Jack of lanterns for benevolent purposes said air Force staff sgt. Nathan Crisp a practising Witch. Pagan witches would cast magical spells in perpetuity on Jack of lanterns. Any child illuminated by the Light of the Jack of lantern would be protected from evil. Per Sis itch. So. Ken Edson the Chicksands priory is believed to be haunted by a ghost year round and by Modem terrors on halloween. Raf Chicksands haunted House by Meridith Winder . Bureau the priory at Raf Chicksands England is an Ideal place for the base s haunted House. For according to local legend the place might actually be haunted. During the last five halloween the priory has been filled with modern ghosts and goblins. Base personnel have re enacted scenes from hell Raiser the Texas Chainsaw massacre Nightmare on Elm Street and other tales to scare the wits out of those foolish enough to attend. We have quite a bit of blood and Gore All Over the place said Bob Taylor who works at the youth Center and helps put on the event. In the Chain saw massacre scene we actually have a false Arm that Sticks up into this coat he said. Whenever the Wall Falls Down this Guy comes out in a Jason mask and he actually Hacks off the  other rooms including the basement Are used for similarly horrifying scenes. But while these scenes Only happen during halloween another haunting May have been taking place for hundreds of years. The priory which is approximately 900 years old is supposedly haunted by a nun of the Gilbertine order. According to legend the nun Rosata violated the first precepts of the order and became pregnant during a love affair with a Church official. After being forced to watch her Lover s execution Rosata was allegedly entombed in a priory Wall. It s said that she still walks around the priory on the 17th of each month searching for her lost love. A member of the family that owned the Sis John Bohn orthere Are two theories behind the halloween Jack of lantern one that it was used to Lead travellers astray the other to protect children from evil. Property for nearly 500 years believes there May be some basis to this Story. This concerns my late aunt mrs. Dorothy Chapman said Sarah Saunders Davies. As a child she apparently was having Tea or playing with her Mother in either the yellow or Blue drawing room. She s reputed to have said to her Mother of who s that lady in Black that just walked through the end of the room " Saunders Davies believes children Are very psychic but her aunt s Mother dismissed the incident As either nobody being there or that the lady had been imagined. But my aunt remembered it All her life so it obviously made quite an Impact on her she said. It s been said that a lot of  have seen the ghost especially people that were stationed there during the War world War ii said Saunders Davies who is related to the Osborne that lived in the priory for Over 400 years. The priory was surrendered to King Henry Viii in 1538 when the Gilbert Ines refused to abandon the roman Catholic Church. The Chicksands estate was then granted to Richard Snowe a London grocer and his wife Elizabeth in 1540. The Osborne were bequeathed most of the land in 1576 by Snowe s son Daniel. The land was then sold to the Crown in 1936 and the Royal air Force established the base in 1939. The priory has remained a part of the base serving As a communications Center during world War ii and later As a social Center. It has also become a tourist attraction drawing visitors hoping to see a ghost. / this halloween those who make their Way to the building will see plenty. It May not be the image of a nun but it will be something they won t quickly forget. Page 16 the stars and stripes saturday october 31,1992