Warning! Do Not Take This Ride Share On or Near Halloween!

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow resurfaces every year around Halloween. Washington Irving’s 1820 tale of a headless horseman who terrorizes the real-life village of Sleepy Hollow is considered one of America’s first ghost stories—and one of its scariest. But Irving didn’t invent the idea of a headless rider.

But Irving didn’t invent the idea of a headless rider. Tales of headless horsemen can be traced to the Middle Ages, including stories from the Brothers Grimm and the Dutch and Irish legend of the “Dullahan” or “Gan Ceann,” a Grim Reaper-like rider who carries his head.

A likely source for Irving’s horseman can be found in Sir Walter Scott’s 1796 The Chase, which is a translation of the German poem The Wild Huntsman by Gottfried Bürger and likely based on Norse mythology.

Irving had just met and become friends with Scott in 1817 so it’s very likely he was influenced by his new mentor’s work. The poem is about a wicked hunter who is doomed to be hunted forever by the devil and the ‘dogs of hell’ as punishment for his crimes.

Irving’s story takes place in the New York village of Sleepy Hollow, in Westchester County. In it, lanky newcomer and schoolmaster Ichabod Crane courts Katrina van Tassel, a young heiress who is also being pursued by the Dutchman Brom Bones. After being rebuffed by Katrina at a party at the van Tassel farm where ghost stories are shared, Ichabod is chased by a headless horseman (who may or may not be his rival) who hurls a pumpkin at the man, throwing Ichabod from his horse. The schoolmaster vanishes.

Irving may have drawn inspiration for his story while a teenager in the Tarrytown region. He moved to the area in 1798 to flee a yellow fever outbreak in New York City, according to the New York Historical Society.

He “would have been introduced to local ghost stories and lore at an impressionable age,” Bradley says. “He cleverly weaves together factual locations—the Old Dutch Church and churchyard, ‘Major Andre’s Tree,’ some actual family names, including van Tassel and Ichabod Crane—and a little bit of Revolutionary War history with pure imagination and fantasy,” Bradley says. “It’s a melting pot of a story, and thus totally American.”

Franz Potter, a professor at National University who specializes in Gothic studies, says the headless horseman, as a supernatural entity, represents a past that never dies, but always haunts the living.

“The headless horseman supposedly seeks revenge—and a head—which he thinks was unfairly taken from him,” Potter says. “This injustice demands that he continually search for a substitute. The horseman, like the past, still seeks answers, still seeks retribution, and can’t rest. We are haunted by the past which stalks us so that we never forget it.”

As for folklore mixing with history when it comes to the character of Ichabod Crane, The New York Times reports an actual Col. Ichabod B. Crane was a contemporary of Irving who enlisted in the Marines in 1809, serving 45 years. But there’s no evidence that the two ever met, according to the newspaper.

America’s first ghost story, Bradley says, has endured because it accommodates the changing American imagination.

“It inspires people because it reminds them that there are still some American mysteries, some half-truths that may never be fully known—and that’s the whole point,” she says. “The ‘Legend’ lends itself to any interpretation, and it continues to fascinate and terrify us in the best possible way.”

Forgotten History:

Largely forgotten today, Washington Irving has an odd historical legacy that dips deep into the families and lands of Westchester County.

The tale of Rip Van Winkle, the man who famously fell asleep for years and years and awoke to a changed, unfamiliar world, is about as familiar as it gets when it comes to American folklore. Likewise is the famously tall and gaunt Ichabod Crane (“one might have mistaken him for … some scarecrow eloped from a cornfield”), scared out of his wits in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by the terrifying, blood-curdling sight of the Headless Horseman.

As rooted in folklore as “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” are, they are not, in fact, popular legends and myths that sprang up during the early years of the United States — they are works of fiction penned by Washington Irving.

Largely forgotten today, Washington Irving has an odd historical legacy. His literary output has long been a part of the American vernacular, yet the actual source of these writings — the author himself — has basically fallen into obscurity. If this were not influence enough, the word “knickerbocker” — a denizen of New York City — also springs from Irving’s pen. (Hence the nickname of the storied NYC NBA franchise.)

The year 2019 marked the bicentennial of the publication of The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., which was serialized between 1819 and 1820. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” was published as part of The Sketch Book in March 1820. Because of the serialization, the anniversary of the Sleepy Hollow-based short story was celebrated in 2019–2020, and with that comes an opportunity to restore Washington Irving to his rightful stature.

The physical and psychological landscape of the Hudson Valley are part and parcel of Irving’s most famous fictional creations. “Sleepy Hollow” transpires near “Tarry Town” (as Irving styled it), “a retreat whither I might steal from the world and its distractions and dream quietly away…”

Washington Irving lived and worked here in the Hudson Valley, and the region’s beauty and mystery remain forever linked to his writing output. Sleepy Hollow is a real place, of course, as is Tarrytown. Irving is the namesake of the village of Irvington. Local drivers can avail themselves of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge. It doesn’t take much to ascertain his regional influence.

As a town, “the legacy of Sleepy Hollow and that of Washington Irving are closely shared,” according to Henry Steiner, official historian for the Village of Sleepy Hollow. “Sleepy Hollow has been influenced by Irving, and Irving by Sleepy Hollow. One legacy would not be the same without the other. Irving was a prolific writer, but his two most famous, iconic works are ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ and ‘Rip Van Winkle.’ Sleepy Hollow is the real place that inspired Irving’s best work, and the reception of this short masterpiece was instrumental in establishing Irving’s great fame. He returned the favor by making Sleepy Hollow, the place, world-famous.”

Irving’s expansive estate, Sunnyside, is located in Tarrytown and is an active historical and educational site that hosts a wide range of visitors. Sunnyside, according to Historic Hudson Valley’s Karen Clark, celebrates Washington Irving “and his impact on the region and on literature in general. He had a lasting impact on our culture.” This makes his general unfamiliarity today all the more puzzling. The young United States of the early 19th century, flush with independence, nevertheless struggled with a deep-seated inferiority complex. Europe was the fount of culture and knowledge. “Writing in New York at the beginning of the 19th century,” according to scholar William L. Hedges, “meant writing for an audience bent on viewing itself as sophisticated.”

Irving did not disappoint. “Sleepy Hollow,” with its innovative mixture of the American colloquial inflected with a good dose of spooky German folklore, pushed him into the rank of literary celebrity, one of the first hugely acclaimed writers to come out of the United States. Other writers of the time — like Edgar Allan Poe — were eager for his approval. The public clamored for his autograph. He broke bread with President Martin Van Buren. Irving’s friendly letter to Charles Dickens thrilled the British writer to no end — such was the international renown of Washington Irving.

The beautiful Sunnyside offers tours from May through November. Irving, according to Clark, “actually designed his home and designed the landscape, as well, creating ponds, vistas, a garden.” Besides being a place of striking visual attractiveness, Sunnyside also functions as a student-friendly educational resource, with school group tours and events specifically geared toward the younger set.

Irving spent many, many years in Europe (duly noted and criticized in some quarters) and, in the 1840s, served as American minister to Spain. Sunnyside, though, was eventually his permanent home, where he wrangled with publishers, lived amid his large extended family, and over a lifetime produced an astonishingly varied, prodigious output that ran the gamut from fiction, essays, biographies, travelogue, and — perhaps most surprisingly — a work on the Prophet Muhammad.

The Headless Horseman is a true staple of the fantastic. Not surprisingly, interest in “Sleepy Hollow” spikes during the Halloween season, and with that are added visitors to the village and the Historic Hudson Valley properties. Popular events “Horseman’s Hollow” and “Irving’s Legend” celebrated their 10th year in 2019, thanks to their popularity among locals.

“Visitation has doubled in this time frame, now approaching 50,000 just for these events alone,” says Clark of the 2019 season. “In all, we’ll welcome well more than 250,000 people from all 50 states and several countries to greater Sleepy Hollow country this fall. We are proud to help drive this tremendous economic engine for the area.

in 2019, Historic Hudson Valley launched a brand-new event. “The Sleepy Hollow Experience” was “an outdoor, immersive theatrical experience [that is] a retelling of ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.’ There’s music, and you can follow the characters from scene to scene around the grounds,” according to Clark. Historic Hudson Valley also had experts on hand during another event, named “Home of the ‘Legend,’” at Sunnyside for those who sought some historical context amid the spookiness.

That context does not negate the role of Washington Irving as a writer. In April 2020, Historic Hudson Valley planned to participate in an academic conference — open to the general public — that was set to convene to discuss Irving’s enduring importance.

More than two hundred years ago, the world read the jolting words that “Ichabod was horror-struck on perceiving that [the horseman] was headless! But his horror was still more increased on observing that the head, which should have rested on his shoulders, was carried before him…” And generation upon generation has collectively shivered. Washington Irving’s considerable legacy endures and should be only deepened since the bicentennial year.

So if the Uber Driver shows up on or near Halloween night on a horse or with a detached head (which might or might not be a pumpkin), do not take that ride!

Happy Halloween!

Quote The Raven  “Nevermore, Nevermore”

 

Edgar Allan Poe (né Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism in the United States, and of American literature. He was one of the country’s earliest practitioners of the short story, and is considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre, as well as a significant contributor to the emerging genre of science fiction. He is the first well-known American writer to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career.

Poe was born in Boston, the second child of actors David and Elizabeth “Eliza” Poe.  His father abandoned the family in 1810, and when his mother died the following year, Poe was taken in by John and Frances Allan of Richmond, Virginia. They never formally adopted him, but he was with them well into young adulthood. He attended the University of Virginia but left after a year due to lack of money. He quarreled with John Allan over the funds for his education, and his gambling debts. In 1827, having enlisted in the United States Army under an assumed name, he published his first collection, Tamerlane and Other Poems, credited only to “a Bostonian”. Poe and Allan reached a temporary rapprochement after the death of Allan’s wife in 1829. Poe later failed as an officer cadet at West Point, declared a firm wish to be a poet and writer, and parted ways with Allan. Poe switched his focus to prose, and spent the next several years working for literary journals and periodicals, becoming known for his own style of literary criticism. His work forced him to move among several cities, including Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City. In 1836, he married his 13-year-old cousin, Virginia Clemm, but she died of tuberculosis in 1847. In January 1845, he published his poem “The Raven” to instant success. He planned for years to produce his own journal The Penn (later renamed The Stylus), but before it could be produced, he died in Baltimore on October 7, 1849, aged 40, under mysterious circumstances. The cause of his death remains unknown, and has been variously attributed to many causes including disease, alcoholism, substance abuse, and suicide.

Poe and his works influenced literature around the world, as well as specialized fields such as cosmology and cryptography. He and his work appear throughout popular culture in literature, music, films, and television. A number of his homes are dedicated museums. The Mystery Writers of America present an annual Edgar Award for distinguished work in the mystery genre.

Edgar Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 19, 1809, the second child of American actor David Poe Jr. and English-born actress Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe. He had an elder brother, Henry, and a younger sister, Rosalie. Their grandfather, David Poe, had emigrated from County Cavan, Ireland, around 1750.

His father abandoned the family in 1810, and his mother died a year later from consumption (pulmonary tuberculosis). Poe was then taken into the home of John Allan, a successful merchant in Richmond, Virginia, who dealt in a variety of goods, including cloth, wheat, tombstones, tobacco, and human trade. The Allans served as a foster family and gave him the name “Edgar Allan Poe”, although they never formally adopted him.

The Allan family had Poe baptized into the Episcopal Church in 1812. John Allan alternately spoiled and aggressively disciplined his foster son. The family sailed to the United Kingdom in 1815, and Poe attended the grammar school for a short period in Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland (where Allan was born) before rejoining the family in London in 1816. There he studied at a boarding school in Chelsea until summer 1817. He was subsequently entered at the Reverend John Bransby’s Manor House School at Stoke Newington, then a suburb 4 miles (6 km) north of London.

Poe moved with the Allans back to Richmond in 1820. In 1824, he served as the lieutenant of the Richmond youth honor guard as the city celebrated the visit of the Marquis de Lafayette.  In March 1825, Allan’s uncle and business benefactor William Galt died, who was said to be one of the wealthiest men in Richmond, leaving Allan several acres of real estate. The inheritance was estimated at $750,000 (equivalent to $19,000,000 in 2023).  By summer 1825, Allan celebrated his expansive wealth by purchasing a two-story brick house called Moldavia.

Poe may have become engaged to Sarah Elmira Royster before he registered at the University of Virginia in February 1826 to study ancient and modern languages. The university was in its infancy, established on the ideals of its founder Thomas Jefferson. It had strict rules against gambling, horses, guns, tobacco, and alcohol, but these rules were mostly ignored. Jefferson enacted a system of student self-government, allowing students to choose their own studies, make their own arrangements for boarding, and report all wrongdoing to the faculty. The unique system was still in chaos, and there was a high dropout rate. During his time there, Poe lost touch with Royster and also became estranged from his foster father over gambling debts. He claimed that Allan had not given him sufficient money to register for classes, purchase texts, and procure and furnish a dormitory. Allan did send additional money and clothes, but Poe’s debts increased. Poe gave up on the university after a year but did not feel welcome returning to Richmond, especially when he learned that his sweetheart Royster had married another man, Alexander Shelton. He traveled to Boston in April 1827, sustaining himself with odd jobs as a clerk and newspaper writer, and started using the pseudonym Henri Le Rennet during this period.

 

On October 3, 1849, Poe was found semiconscious in Baltimore, “in great distress, and… in need of immediate assistance”, according to Joseph W. Walker, who found him.  He was taken to the Washington Medical College, where he died on Sunday, October 7, 1849, at 5:00 in the morning. Poe was not coherent long enough to explain how he came to be in his dire condition and why he was wearing clothes that were not his own. He is said to have repeatedly called out the name “Reynolds” on the night before his death, though it is unclear to whom he was referring. His attending physician said that Poe’s final words were, “Lord help my poor soul”. All of the relevant medical records have been lost, including Poe’s death certificate.

It was raining in Baltimore on October 3, 1849, but that didn’t stop Joseph W. Walker, a compositor for the Baltimore Sun, from heading out to Gunner’s Hall, a public house bustling with activity. It was Election Day, and Gunner’s Hall served as a pop-up polling location for the 4th Ward polls. When Walker arrived at Gunner’s Hall, he found a man, delirious and dressed in shabby secondhand clothes, lying in the gutter. The man was semi-conscious and unable to move, but as Walker approached him, he discovered something unexpected: The man was Edgar Allan Poe. Worried about the health of the addled poet, Walker stopped and asked Poe if he had any acquaintances in Baltimore who might be able to help him. Poe gave Walker the name of Joseph E. Snodgrass, a magazine editor with some medical training. Immediately, Walker wrote Snodgrass a letter asking for help: magazine editor with some medical training. Immediately, Walker wrote Snodgrass a letter asking for help:

Baltimore City, Oct. 3, 1849

Dear Sir,

There is a gentleman, rather the worse for wear, at Ryan’s 4th ward polls, who goes under the cognomen of Edgar A. Poe, and who appears in great distress, & he says he is acquainted with you, he is in need of immediate assistance.

Yours, in haste,

JOS. W. WALKER

To Dr. J.E. Snodgrass.

 

On September 27—almost a week earlier—Poe had left Richmond, Virginia, bound for Philadelphia to edit a collection of poems for Marguerite St. Leon Loud, a minor figure in American poetry at the time. When Walker found Poe in delirious disarray outside of the polling place, it was the first anyone had heard or seen of the poet since his departure from Richmond. Poe never made it to Philadelphia to attend to his editing business. Nor did he ever make it back to New York, where he had been living, to escort his aunt back to Richmond for his impending wedding. Poe was never to leave Baltimore, where he launched his career in the early 19th century, again—and in the four days between Walker finding Poe outside the public house and Poe’s death on October 7, he never regained enough consciousness to explain how he had come to be found, in soiled clothes not his own, incoherent on the streets. Instead, Poe spent his final days wavering between fits of delirium, gripped by visual hallucinations. The night before his death, according to his attending physician John J. Moran, Poe repeatedly called out for “Reynolds”—a figure who, to this day, remains a mystery.

Poe’s death—shrouded in mystery—seems ripped directly from the pages of one of his own works. He had spent years crafting a careful image of a man inspired by adventure and fascinated with enigmas—a poet, a detective, an author, a world traveler who fought in the Greek War of Independence and was held prisoner in Russia. But though his death certificate listed the cause of death as phrenitis, or swelling of the brain, the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death have led many to speculate about the true cause of Poe’s demise. “Maybe it’s fitting that since he invented the detective story,” says Chris Semtner, curator of the Poe Museum in Richmond, “he left us with a real-life mystery.”

 

Newspapers at the time reported Poe’s death as “congestion of the brain” or “cerebral inflammation”, common euphemisms for death from disreputable causes such as alcoholism. The actual cause of death remains a mystery. Speculation has included delirium tremens, heart disease, epilepsy, syphilis, meningeal inflammation, cholera, carbon monoxide poisoning, and rabies. One theory dating from 1872 suggests that Poe’s death resulted from cooping, a form of electoral fraud in which citizens were forced to vote for a particular candidate, sometimes leading to violence and even murder.

The historical Edgar Allan Poe has appeared as a fictionalized character, often in order to represent the “mad genius” or “tormented artist” and in order to exploit his personal struggles. Many such depictions also blend in with characters from his stories, suggesting that Poe and his characters share identities. Often, fictional depictions of Poe use his mystery-solving skills in such novels as The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl.

No childhood home of Poe is still standing, including the Allan family’s Moldavia estate. The oldest standing home in Richmond, the Old Stone House, is in use as the Edgar Allan Poe Museum, though Poe never lived there. The collection includes many items that Poe used during his time with the Allan family, and also features several rare first printings of Poe works. 13 West Range is the dorm room that Poe is believed to have used while studying at the University of Virginia in 1826; it is preserved and available for visits. Its upkeep is overseen by a group of students and staff known as the Raven Society.

 

Edgar Allan Poe: Odd and interesting facts about the dark and mysterious poet behind ‘The Raven’

1. How old was Poe when he became an orphan?

Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on Jan. 19, 1809, but he was immediately abandoned by his father in 1810.

A year later on Dec. 8, 1811, at age 24, Poe’s mother, Eliza, died of tuberculosis, according to The Poe Museum.

Poe and his two siblings were then taken in by their godparents, John and Frances Allan, a wealthy family from Richmond, Virginia.

 

2. How much was Poe paid for ‘The Raven’ when it was published?

Poe’s best-known work is the descriptive, dark poem entitled “The Raven.”

He sold the now-iconic poem to a literary magazine, The American Review, for its February 1845 issue, — for a grand total of $9. It printed the poem with the pseudonym “Quarles.”

However, that same year in January, a New York magazine — The Evening Mirror — released an advanced copy of the poem under Poe’s name.

3. How old was Poe’s wife, Virginia Clemm, when they wed?

Poe married his cousin, Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe, when he was 27 years old.

When Poe and Virginia wed, she was only 13 years old, wrote The Poe Museum.

The two met a year before, when Poe invited his cousin and his aunt, Maria, to stay with him in Richmond, The Poe Museum says.

 

4. How many theories exist about the death of Edgar Allan Poe?

There are as many as 26 theories about Poe’s cause of death, reports The Poe Museum.

Some of the possibilities noted include dipsomania, heart disease, tuberculosis, toxic disorder, hypoglycemia, diabetes, alcohol dehydrogenase, porphryia, Delerium tremens, rabies, murder, flu, heavy metal poisoning and carbon monoxide poisoning.

 

5. How long does it take to recite ‘The Raven’?

Poe’s well-known poem consists of 18 stanzas, with six lines in each stanza — 108 lines in total.

The poem can take 24 minutes to recite if spoken at a rate of 250 words per minute, according to readinglength.com.

 

6. How many pets did Poe and his wife have?

Poe had one tortoiseshell cat named “Cattarina,” which is rumored to have perched on the poet’s shoulders when he was writing short stories.

“Cats were a source of much solace to the writer whose life was as tormented as his tales,” the same source also said.

 

It has been rumored Poe had a Siamese cat as well — and a film adaption of the poet’s life depicted the writer with a pet raccoon. However, there’s no conclusive evidence for these claims.

7. For how many years did the mysterious ‘Poe Toaster’ leave Cognac and three roses at Poe’s grave site?

For over 70 years, a mysterious person called the “Poe Toaster” — dressed in black and wearing a white scarf and large hat — left a bottle of Cognac and three red roses on Poe’s grave every year on January 19, Poe’s birthday.

The tradition came to a mysterious end in 2009 — and the identity of the person or persons has not been discovered, according to Smithsonian Magazine.

8. How many sports teams did Poe inspire with his work?

Edgar Allan Poe is the inspiration behind one NFL team, the Baltimore Ravens.

In 1996, the pro football team took a new name inspired by Poe’s most famous work.

“Named after a mythical bird in a famous poem, the new NFL team in Baltimore became the Ravens ‘evermore’ team on Friday, March 29, 1996,” shared the Baltimore Ravens history page.

 

The Raven

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. “

“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—

Only this, and nothing more.”

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.

Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow

From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—

For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—

Nameless here for evermore.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain

Thrilled me—filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;

So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating, “

“’Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door—

Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;—

This it is, and nothing more.”

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,

“Sir,” said I, “or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;

But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,

And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,

That I scarce was sure I heard you”—here I opened wide the door;—

Darkness there, and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,

Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;

But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,

And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, “Lenore!”

This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, “Lenore!”—

Merely this, and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,

Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.

“Surely,” said I, “surely that is something at my window lattice,

Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore—

Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;—

‘Tis the wind and nothing more.”

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,

In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore.

Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;

But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door—

Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door—

Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,

By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore.

“Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,” I said, “art sure no craven,

Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore—

Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night’s Plutonian shore!”

Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,

Though its answer little meaning—little relevancy bore;

For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being

Ever yet was blest with seeing bird above his chamber door—

Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,

With such name as “Nevermore.”

But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only

That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.

Nothing further then he uttered—not a feather then he fluttered—

Till I scarcely more than muttered, “other friends have flown before—

On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.”

Then the bird said, “Nevermore.”

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,

“Doubtless,” said I, “what it utters is its only stock and store,

Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster

Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore—

Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore,

Of ‘Never—nevermore’.”

But the Raven still beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,

Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door;

Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking

Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore—

What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore

Meant in croaking “Nevermore.”

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing

To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core;

This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining

On the cushion’s velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o’er,

But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o’er,

She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then, me thought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer

Swung by Seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor.

“Wretch,” I cried, “thy God hath lent thee—by these angels he hath sent thee

Respite—respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore;

Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!”

Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”

“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!—

Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,

Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted—

On this home by horror haunted—tell me truly, I implore—

Is there—is there balm in Gilead?—tell me—tell me, I implore!”

Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”

“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!

By that Heaven that bends above us—by that God we both adore—

Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,

It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore—

Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.”

Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”

“Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend!” I shrieked, upstarting—

“Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore!

Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!

Leave my loneliness unbroken!—quit the bust above my door!

Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!”

Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming,

And the lamplight o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor

Shall be lifted—nevermore!

 

REST IN PEACE EDGAR ALLEN POE!

I Will Order A Stake, Please: Richmond’s Vampire!

The Richmond Vampire (also called locally the Hollywood Vampire) is a recent urban legend from Richmond, Virginia.

Local residents claim that the mausoleum of W. W. Pool (Dated 1913) in Hollywood Cemetery holds the remains of a vampire. Supposedly Pool was run out of England in the 1800s for being a vampire. Oral legends to this effect were circulating by the 1960s. They may be influenced by the architecture of the tomb, which has both Masonic and ancient Egyptian elements, and double Ws looking like fangs. Because this cemetery is adjacent to Virginia Commonwealth University, the story became popular among students, especially from the 1980s onward. It was first mentioned in print in the student newspaper Commonwealth Times in 1976.

Since 2001, the vampire story has been combined with the collapse of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad’s Church Hill Tunnel under Church Hill, a neighborhood of eastern Richmond, Virginia, which buried several workers alive on October 2, 1925. This part of the story showed up online in 2001 and was first reported in print in 2007 in Haunted Richmond: The Shadows of Shockoe.

According to this newer story, the tunneling awakened an ancient evil that lived under Church Hill and brought the tunnel crashing down on the workers. Rescue teams found a unearthly blood-covered creature with jagged teeth and skin hanging from its muscular body crouching over one of the victims. The creature escaped from the cave-in and raced toward the James River. Pursued by a group of men, the creature took refuge in Hollywood Cemetery (2.2 miles away), where it disappeared in a mausoleum built into a hillside bearing the name W. W. Pool.

According to Gregory Maitland, an urban legend and folklore researcher with the paranormal research groups Night Shift and the Virginia Ghosts & Haunting Research Society, the “creature” that escaped the tunnel collapse was actually the 28-year-old railroad fireman, Benjamin F. Mosby (1896-1925), who had been shoveling coal into the firebox of a steam locomotive of a work train with no shirt on when the cave-in occurred and the boiler ruptured. Mosby’s upper body was horribly scalded and several of his teeth were broken before he made his way through the opening of the tunnel. Witnesses reported he was in shock and layers of his skin were hanging from his body. He died later at Grace Hospital and was buried at Hollywood Cemetery.

Rumors of a vampire lurking in the shadows of Hollywood Cemetery have circulated since the 1920s. The mythical figure is described by locals as a ghastly creature — dripping blood and flesh — who slumbers in a tomb on the site’s hallowed grounds.

The urban legend, which had its first known print appearance in The Commonwealth Times, alleges that the vampire escaped during the deadly Church Hill train tunnel collapse of 1925. After the collapse killed and buried several railway workers, the first fanged-creature sighting was reported near bookkeeper William Wortham Pool’s grave.

Mr. Pool is alleged to be a vampire, there seems to be a cult in Richmond that has grown up around him.”

Pool, who resided in Woodland Heights, died from pneumonia at the age of 80 in 1922. His initials, “W.W. Pool,” are engraved into stone; some say the letters resemble a vampire’s fangs. 

Curtis contrasts the eerie subject matter of the local tale with the cemetery’s “peaceful atmosphere,” noting the grounds’ springtime flowers, statues and crosses. According to the article, medical students used to break into the cemetery to steal Pool’s remains. 

Tour guides from Haunts of Richmond, a company that gives walking tours of Richmond’s paranormal past, tell the story of the Richmond vampire in the “Church Hill Chillers” and “Shadows of Shockoe” tours. 

It is said the tale most likely originated in a “game of telephone,” most likely started from a sighting of an injured individual with blood on their face, broken teeth and other injuries after the Church Hill tunnel collapse.

“And that story gets relayed from one person to the next,”  “All of a sudden, you go from an injured individual to there being a vampire.”

Hollywood Cemetery’s long, winding paths wrap around tombstones of various shapes and sizes. The grounds serve as a resting place for many famous Virginians, including author James Branch Cabell and Jefferson Davis, former president of the Confederacy.

The cemetery’s rolling hills also serve as the burial sites of two former U.S. presidents, James Monroe and John Tyler.

The original 1920s tale is more frightening than modern-day depictions of vampires, making it an urban legend that would pass through generations of Richmonders. 

There’s so many ghost stories here in the central Virginia area. Will come and take a Tour?  

The Almanac You May Not Know!  Part Two

Dog Days of Summer:

The “Dog Days” of summer are from July 3 to August 11 each year. They’re usually the hottest and most unbearable days of the season. We often hear about the “Dog Days” of summer, but few know where the expression originated. Some think it’s a reference to the hot, sultry days that are “not fit for a dog.” Others suggest it’s the time of year when the extreme heat drives dogs mad. But where does the term come from? And what does it have to do with dogs? You may be surprised to see is has to do with the stars! Read on.

The phrase is a reference to Sirius, the Dog Star. During the “Dog Days” period, the Sun occupies the same region of the sky as Sirius, the brightest star visible from any part of Earth. Sirius is a part of the constellation Canis Major, the Greater Dog.

In the summer, Sirius rises and sets with the Sun. On July 23rd, specifically, it is in conjunction with the Sun, and because the star is so bright, the ancient Romans believed it actually gave off heat and added to the Sun’s warmth, accounting for the long stretch of sultry weather. They referred to this time as diēs caniculārēs, or “dog days.”

Thus, the term Dog Days of Summer came to mean the 20 days before and 20 days after this alignment of Sirius with the Sun—July 3 to August 11 each year.

 

Summer heat is due to the Earth’s tilt:

While this period usually is the hottest stretch of summer, the heat is not due to any added radiation from Sirius, regardless of its brightness. The heat of summer is simply a direct result of the Earth’s tilt.

During summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the tilt of the Earth causes the Sun’s rays to hit at a more direct angle, and for a longer period of time throughout the day. This means longer, hotter days.

The Dog Days of Summer Explained:

Many people think the phrase “Dog Days of Summer” is an idiom where the words don’t literally mean what they say, but the truth is that when you learn the origins of the term, it was quite literal for them. Technically, people referred to this time of year as the “Days of the Dog Star.”

Ancient Greek and Roman cultures were heavily influenced by astrology and stories of the constellations. They had intricate mythology explaining what they saw in the night sky and used those stories to explain the unexplainable in their lives, including the change of seasons and how it impacted peoples’ behavior. When people noticed a connection between the hottest time of the year and a change in the pattern of Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, they knew it was more than just coincidence. To them, it seemed that when Sirius rose and set with the sun, it was adding warmth to the sky, explaining the extreme heat of this time of year.

In ancient Greek, Sirius means “glowing” or “scorcher” so it makes sense that they named this star after the extreme summer heat in the Mediterranean. The myth behind Sirius is that he is the loyal pup of the hunter, Orion. Most novice astronomers are familiar with Orion and can at least identify Orion’s belt in the night sky as three stars forming a straight line.

Ancient Greeks and Romans’ knowledge of constellations was much more intricate, and they envisioned the image of a dog when they connected the stars closest to Sirius, right next to the constellation of Orion. Ancient Romans referred to this constellation containing Sirius as “Canis Major,” which translates to “Greater Dog.” In ancient Rome, this same period of time where the sun and Sirius rose and set together was known as dies caniculares, which translates to “Days of the Dog Star.”

More on Sirius, “The Dog Star”:

In ancient Greek mythology, Sirius is known to be the loyal dog of the hunter, Orion. But the tales of Orion are not very flattering. Orion was known as an excellent hunter; just ask him to find out how absolutely amazing he was. He was a braggart, an alcoholic, and a sexual predator, which got him into all sorts of trouble in the Land of the Gods. He was blinded, banished, and eventually killed.

 

There are multiple versions of the story of how he was killed, including one in which he brags to the goddess Gaia that he could hunt and kill every animal on earth, so she kills him with a giant scorpion who is also immortalized in a constellation. Through it all, Sirius, his loyal canine companion, is by his side. Sirius’s eternal loyalty follows him into the afterlife where he forms the brightest star next to Orion’s constellation. Sirius is forever by Orion’s side despite his major flaws, providing historical proof that we truly do not deserve dogs.

Actually, many cultures around the world have similar myths about the constellation containing Sirius and envisioned a dog or other canine, such as a wolf or coyote, associated with this star. In China, this same star is known as Heavenly Wolf. For the Alaskan Inuit, this star is called Moon Dog. In Cherokee lure, this star is a dog star that guards the entrance to the Milky Way, known as the Path of Souls. Some Pawnee tribes refer to this same star as a trickster, called the Coyote Star.

Modern Interpretations of the Dog Days of Summer:

Over time, as we have lost the direct connection to the explanation of the phrase, people have substituted their own ideas for what is meant by the “Dog Days of Summer.” This includes the idea of sweltering hot days when dogs are more likely to “go mad,” as well as descriptions of a time of the year when dogs laze about because they are too hot to do anything else. While none of these explanations are tied directly to the origins of the phrase, hot summer days do bring unique risks to dogs and require some additional considerations to keep your pup comfortable and safe.

Special Considerations For Your Dog During the Dog Days of Summer

Be mindful of the heat and take measures to prevent heat stroke and other seasonal dangers during this time of year. This includes avoiding exercise with your pup during the hottest times of day and making sure they have a cool place to rest with plenty of water throughout the day. Dogs should never be left alone in an enclosed vehicle, especially on warmer days. Be cautious with brachycephalic breeds, such as French Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, Bulldogs, Pugs, and Pekingese; they can overheat much more quickly, as well as any dogs with underlying health conditions and dogs who are very young or very old.

Other factors to keep in mind are that this time of year may bring more opportunities for swimming, barbecues, and outdoor celebrations. Be sure pups are always supervised near open water as not all dogs are good swimmers and can fatigue quickly if they cannot get out of the water on their own. Also, keep all the delicious barbecue scraps away from your pup. They can get especially sick from ingesting pointy kabob sticks if they find a little bit of meat still attached, as well as from corn cobs, fruit pits, bones, and foods with ingredients that may be toxic to them.

 

Finally, we all likely know of at least one dog, and maybe a few people, who are terrified of the sound of fireworks. Be sure to create a safe, quiet space for your dog during these kinds of celebrations and consider speaking with your veterinarian about a safe sedative for your pup if they are extremely stressed by these sounds.

While the ancient Greeks may be right that these hot days make dogs pant so hard their tongues look like taffy, summer can be lots of fun for pups with the right precautions. As for the strange behaviors it causes in people, you may want to monitor your horoscope more closely during these Dog Days of Summer.

 

Lammas Day:

Our ancestors celebrated life together with the rhythms of each season. Many of these celebrations were interwoven and connected to nature and Earth’s natural cycles. Lughnasadh or Lammas Day is one of those celebrations.

This observance, traditionally observed on August 1, marked the beginning of the harvest, and especially celebrated the first wheat crop, or that of corn. It derives from the ancient English festival the Gule of August, a pagan dedication of the first fruits that the early English church later converted to Christian usage. On Lammas Day, loaves of bread were baked from the first-ripened grain and brought to the churches to be consecrated. The word “lammas” comes from the Old English hlaf, loaf,” and maesse, “mass” or “feast.” Through the centuries, “loaf-mass” became corrupted in spelling and pronunciation to Lammas. To the Celts, this was Lughnasaid, the feast of the wedding of the Sun god and the Earth goddess, and also a harvest festival. In Ireland, baskets of blueberries are still offered to a sweetheart in commemoration of the original fertility festival. In Scotland, the Lammastide fairs became famous for trial marriages that could be ended without question after a year. Much lore is associated with this day, including this proverb: After Lammas Day, corn ripens as much by night as by day.”

You May wish to celebrate Lughnasadh as a way of honoring nature’s incredible fertile energy at harvest time, and as a way to connect with our natural world on a deeper, more meaningful level. I truly believe that by recognizing and celebrating the little shifts in Earth’s natural rhythms, we can become more attuned to nature and feel more grounded in our everyday lives.

WHAT IS LUGHNASADH/LAMMAS DAY

Lughnasadh, by some cultures known as Lammas Day is typically celebrated on August 1st (or February 1st if you are in the Southern Hemisphere!). However, in Celtic culture, it is celebrated the entire month of August in many cases.

Lughnasadh and Lammas are used interchangeably in modern paganism and spirituality, but their origins may still surprise you. Whichever you choose to recognize, in terms of the wheel of the year, this marks the first of three harvest festivals ending with Samhain on October 31st. It also marks the halfway point between the summer solstice (Litha) and the fall equinox (Mabon).

These two sabbats are undeniably linked and have been celebrated in many different ways for quite a long time. They share common themes of harvest, luck, prosperity, abundance, gratitude, and success after a job well done.

WHERE DO THEY ORIGINATE?

Evidence of harvest festivals such as these have been traced back through most studied cultures.

In 3100-2686 B.C. the Egyptians welcomed their first harvest with a massive feast.

A thousand years later, from 1600 – 1046 B.C. the great Dynasties of China celebrated their harvest during the first full moon of Autumn. In 1621 (A.D.) the first Thanksgiving was held in what would later become America.

In 1843, Reverend Hawker introduced a thanking of the harvest to the church.

But what happened between 1046 B.C. and 1621 A.D. is crucial to how we celebrate these harvest festivals today. In Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man (as well as some surrounding territories) Lughnasadh was born during this time. The festival first became recognized in commemoration of the God, Lugh (Hence the name). These ancient festivals included matchmaking, harvesting, the trading of goods, and athletic competitions.

While the festival of Lughnasadh is mostly attributed to Lugh. The athletic competitions were attributed to his mother who was said to have died of exhaustion preparing the fields for farming. These athletic competitions became known as the “Taileteann Games,” and could be quite dangerous. Some of the competitions are not unlike what we would see in the Olympics today. Things like long jumping, high jumping, running, spear throwing, hurling, archery, boxing, wrestling, swimming and horse racing, were all quite common.

As we know though, not everyone is an athlete! Non-sporting competitions existed just as well including singing, dancing, poetry and storytelling.

During Lughnasadh, trading and making deals were also prominent activities. These could be political, social, or economical. Local leaders would often meet with farmers to make trade agreements regarding the harvested crop and their livestock. While some were feasting, competing, or dealing, others were visiting holy wells to make offerings of coins and cloth. They would then circle the well in the direction of the sun to gain health, wealth and favor from the gods. Because of these individuals, another name was born for Lughnasadh, “Garland Sunday.” This was because they would often decorate the holy wells with flowers and cloth.

Another common activity at this time was trial marriages! Yes, you heard correctly. In these trial marriages a couple would marry with their hands through a piece of wood. The marriage would last a year and one day, and in the end they could ultimately decide to stay married or to separate with no questions asked!

Most notably, this became a time for bidding farewell to the days of summer. In almost all cultures this became a huge feast that was held amongst both friend and foe!

In Celtic cultures, festivals were a time when weaponry was not allowed. This was a time of peace during these early days of the modern world. Before the great feasts and festivals of Lughnasadh could begin, the first grain was offered up to Lugh. At this time, a bull was also sacrificed. The entire bull would then be eaten.

Lammas became a well favored Christian Holiday, and as stated before, adopted many of the traditions of Lughnasadh like performing arts and feasting.  Over the years, many names have come to form for Lammas and Lughnasadh, and many of them you probably have never heard of!

Garland Sunday

Bilberry Sunday

Mountain Sunday

Reef Sunday

The latter two names are derived for those who survived the climbing of mountains, hills and peaks. Still today, many people make a pilgrimage atop cliffs and mountains on Lughnasadh/Lammas.

 

Cats Night Commence:

Cat Nights begin on August 17. This term harks back to the days when people believed in witches. A rather obscure old Irish legend said that a witch could turn herself into a cat eight times, but on the ninth time (August 17), she couldn’t regain her human form. This bit of folklore also gives us the saying, “A cat has nine lives.” Because August is a yowly time for cats, this may have prompted the speculation about witches on the prowl in the first place. Also, nights continue to get longer. Cats, crepuscular creatures, are nocturnal hunters. Their superior night vision means that the nights belong to them.

On August 17, Cat Nights Begin, harking back to a rather obscure Irish legend concerning witches; this bit of folklore also led to the idea that a cat has nine lives.

The term Cat Nights refers to a rather obscure old Irish legend concerning witches and the belief that a witch could turn herself into a cat eight times, but on the ninth time (August 17), she couldn’t regain her human form, thus remaining a cat forever.

 

This bit of folklore also gives us the saying, “A cat has nine lives.” prompted the speculation about witches on the prowl in the first place.

 

Here’s a poem in honor of Cat Nights:

Cat Nights

By old Irish lore

on the 17th of August

more cats are among us

than ever before.

It is said that witches

can turn into a cat.

But no more than eight switches

as a matter of fact.

On the ninth switch

they cannot regain

their life as a witch.

A cat they must remain.

So if in mid August

you should hear the cats yowl

amongst sounds of the locust

when cats are on the prowl

Then you will know

as lore was told over time

that cats will show

lives as many as nine.

By V. Neumann

 

Harvest Home:

Harvest Home, also called Ingathering, traditional English harvest festival, celebrated from antiquity and surviving to modern times in isolated regions. Participants celebrate the last day of harvest in late September by singing, shouting, and decorating the village with boughs. The cailleac, or last sheaf of corn (grain), which represents the spirit of the field, is made into a harvest doll and drenched with water as a rain charm. This sheaf is saved until spring planting.

The ancient festival also included the symbolic murder of the grain spirit, as well as rites for expelling the devil.

A similar festival was traditionally held in parts of Ireland, Scotland, and northern Europe.

Harvest, the season of the gathering of crops. The word is derived from the Anglo-Saxon haerfest (“autumn”) or the Old High German herbist. Harvest has been a season of rejoicing from the remotest times. The Romans had their Ludi Cereales, or feasts in honour of Ceres. The Druids celebrated their harvest on November 1. In pre-Reformation England, Lammas Day (August 1, Old Style) was observed as the beginning of the harvest festival.

Throughout the world, the harvest of the main cereal crop—typically wheat, corn, or rice—has always been the occasion for celebration. Many harvest-related customs have their origin in the animistic belief in a spirit such as the Corn Mother or Rice Mother, and the semi worship of the last throughout the world, the harvest of the main cereal crop—typically wheat, corn, or rice—has always been the occasion for celebration. Many harvest-related customs have their origin in the animistic belief in a spirit such as the Corn Mother or Rice Mother, and the semi worship of the last sheaf was the great feature of the harvest home.

The personification of the crops left its mark upon the harvest customs of Europe. In western Russia, for example, the figure made out of the last sheaf of corn was called the “bastard,” and a boy was wrapped up in it. The woman who bound this sheaf represented the “corn mother,” and an elaborate simulation of childbirth took place, the boy in the sheaf squalling like a newborn child and, on his liberation, being wrapped in swaddling bands. In England, too, there were vestiges of sympathetic magic. In Northumberland an image formed of a wheat sheaf and dressed in a white frock and coloured ribbons was hoisted on a pole. This was the “kern baby,” or harvest queen, and was set up in a prominent place during the harvest supper. In Scotland, the last sheaf, if cut before Hallowmas (the Feast of All Saints), was called the “maiden,” and the youngest girl in the field was allowed to cut it.

Among harvest customs, among the most interesting are harvest cries. The ceremony of the Devonshire reapers, for example, was in the main a continuation of pre-Christian traditions. After the wheat had been cut, the harvest hands would pick a bundle of the best ears, which they called “the neck.” They would then stand in a ring, in the centre of which was an old man holding the neck. At his signal, they would all take off their hats and utter in a prolonged cry “The neck!” three times, raising themselves upright with their hats held above their heads. Then they would cry “Wee yen! Way yen!” or “We haven!” On a still evening in autumn, “crying the neck” had a dramatic effect when heard at a distance.

 

St Luke’s Little Summer:

turning a gorgeous color. It’s a good time for a brief vacation or visit to a park. In Venice, Italy, they say: “San Luca, El ton va te la zuca” (Pumpkins go stale on St Luke’s Day), but here in North America, pumpkins are enjoying their finest hour. Saint Luke is the patron saint of physicians and surgeons so it seems only fitting that the good doctor give us these calm days. In olden days, St. Luke’s Day did not receive as much attention in the secular world as St. John’s Day (June 24) and Michaelmas (September 29), so it was to keep from being forgotten that St. Luke presented us with some golden days to cherish before the coming of winter, or so the story goes. Some folks call this Indian Summer, but that officially occurs between November 11 and November 20.Lovely, summerlike days that occur around October 18 are called Saint Luke’s Little Summer in honor of the saint’s feast day. Around this time, Saint Luke’s feast day, there is a period brief period of calm, dry weather. Of course, it’s difficult to generalize today across the vast continent of North America, but the temperature is usually mild and the leaf colors are.

 

Indian Summer Meaning: What is an Indian Summer or Second Summer?

he term “Indian Summer” has been around for centuries. What is an Indian Summer or Second Summer? Where did this term originate and what is its meaning today? Learn more.

For over two centuries, The Old Farmer’s Almanac has gone by the adage:  “If All Saints’ (November 1) brings out winter, St. Martin’s brings out Indian summer.”

“Indian Summer” is not the best terminology, given the history of the term “Indian” in North America. The weather phenomenon is probably best described using the term that Europeans and British still use: St. Martin’s Summer. This references St. Martin’s Day—November 11—which is the official start of these unusually late warm spells. Another popular term used by the American Meteorological Society is “Second Summer,” which is indeed appropriately descriptive.

n England, Shakespeare used the expression “All Halloween Summer.” Other old terms include the unfortunate “Old Wives’ Summer” and, poetically, “Halcyon Days.”

 

Definition of Indian Summer, Second Summer:

Here are several criteria for this weather phenomenon, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

It’s a period of abnormally warm weather occurring in late autumn between St. Martin’s Day (November 11) and November 20 with generally clear skies, sunny but hazy days, and cool nights.

The time of occurrence is important: It occurs after at least one good killing frost but also be before first snowfall; preferably a substantial period of normally cool weather must precede this warm spell.

As well as being warm, the atmosphere is hazy or smoky, there is no wind, the barometer is standing high, and the nights are clear and chilly.

A moving, cool, shallow polar air mass is converting into a deep, warm, stagnant anticyclone (high pressure) system, which has the effect of causing the haze and large swing in temperature between day and night.

Given above criteria, this weather phenomenon does not occur every year and it occurs more than once some years.

“I am enabled to say, however, that the characteristics of the season, when it appears in all its glory, are a mild and genial temperature, gentle southwestern breezes, unusual brightness of the sun, extreme brilliancy of the moon, a clear, blue sky; sometimes half hidden by a veil of gray haze; daybreaks redder than the splotch on the blackbird’s wing, and sunsets laden with golden fleeces, the wooded valleys aglow with the fires of richly tinted leaves, still clinging to the listless limbs, or lying where they have fallen….” Author Unknown

What is the Origin of Indian Summer?

So where did this term come from? The origin is not certain, but dates back as far back as 1778 in Letters From an American Farmer by the French-American soldier turned farmer Michel-Guillaume-Jean de Crèvecoeur:

“Then a severe frost succeeds which prepares it to receive the voluminous coat of snow which is soon to follow; though it is often preceded by a short interval of smoke and mildness, called the Indian Summer.”

There are many theories. Here are a few of the more plausible ones:

 

Some say it comes from the Narragansett people located in what is now the northeastern United States, who believed that the condition was caused by a warm wind sent from the court of their southwestern god, Cautantowwit (“great spirit”).

Another theory is that Native Americans would routinely use this brief period of warm fall weather as an opportunity to increase winter stores. November is the time to get one’s last harvest in before winter truly shows its head, so a short period of warm weather would be of note around this time.

A third theory suggests that early American settlers mistook the sight of sun rays through the hazy autumn air for Native American campfires, resulting in the name “Indian summer.”

Indian Pudding Recipe 1700’s:

Celebrate November with a delicious, cozy pudding made with native corn! Indian Pudding is a warm baked custard that uses cornmeal, milk, molasses, and cinnamon. The origin of Indian Pudding dates back to the 1700s; it was said to be a favorite dish of Founding Father John Adams! It’s essentially a version of British “Hasty Pudding” (which was made by boiling wheat flour in water or milk until it thickened into a pudding), but in the New World, the Native Americans made cornmeal, which early settlers referred to as “Indian flour.”

the ‘halcyon days’ of December hark back to the kingfisher

This shy little bird is linked to many bizarre beliefs about the weather

Halcyon Days: Kingfisher Bird

The ancients called them the “halcyon days” – a period of fine, settled weather, lasting roughly seven days, which began sometime in the first half of December. During this time, it was said that the kingfisher (also known as the halcyon) would lay its eggs on the surface of the sea.

The phrase, and the concept behind it, originated in ancient Greece, but during the Renaissance was popularised by several writers, including the poet Michael Drayton, who wrote of “the halcyon, whom the sea obeys…” and Shakespeare, where the halcyon features in a speech by Henry VI.

Later, during the last decade of the 19th century, the American poet Walt Whitman wrote of “the brooding and blissful halcyon days!” in his poem Leaves of Grass.

Since then, the phrase “halcyon days” has been adopted into day-to-day language, usually referring to a period of calm, usually in the distant past, rather than necessarily being anything to do with the weather.

There are other strange weather beliefs related to the kingfisher, too. The most bizarre is the idea, dating from Tudor times, that if you hang a dead kingfisher up by its neck, the body will rotate to show the direction from which the wind is coming. There is no evidence that it actually does so; nor does this seem especially useful!

Halcyon Days, which have come to mean any time of happiness and contentment, are actually the 14 days around the winter solstice. According to Greek legend, the halcyon, or kingfisher, built its floating nest around the 14th of December, during which time the gods calmed the seas for the nesting and hatching time.

Where did “Halcyon Days” come from? The bird’s name derives from a myth recorded by Ovid. According to the story, Aeolus, the ruler of the winds, had a daughter named Alcyone, who was married to Ceyx, the king of Thessaly. It’s a longer story but let’s just say that it ends tragically with Ceyx drowning at sea. Grieving Alcyone was about to throw herself into the sea to join her beloved husband. But the gods took pity on the pair, transforming them into halcyons, with the power to still the stormy seas for 14 days near the time of the winter solstice while they hatched their young. (For this reason, mariners credit the kingfisher, or “alcyon bird,” with the power to calm storms and raging seas.)

The “Halcyon Days” usually end by early January. Today, the phrase “Halcyon Days” has come to mean a sense of peace or tranquility. People often use the phrase halcyon days to refer idyllically to a calmer, more peaceful time in their past. It’s also a fitting phrase for the peaceful, joyful spirit of the Christmas holidays today.

 

More accurate are the lines from the 17th-century poet Robert Wild, who wrote, “The peaceful kingfishers are met together about the decks, and prophesy calm weather”. Kingfishers are notoriously shy birds, and so are perhaps easier to see during calm, clear weather – hence the connection between bird and weather forecasting.

 

Beware the Pogonip

The word pogonip is a meteorological term used to describe an uncommon occurrence: frozen fog. The word was coined by Native Americans to describe the frozen fogs of fine ice needles that occur in the mountain valleys of the western United States in December. According to Indian tradition, breathing the fog is injurious to the lungs.

Every year around the week before Christmas, the Old Farmer’s Almanac warns its readers to avoid a weather phenomenon called “pogonip,” an icy winter fog that was evident in parts of Highland County Tuesday morning as droplets of water vapor clung to objects overnight and froze, giving them a shimmering glow at sunrise — and while the almanac says the fog can be dangerous, a local doctor says it amounts to nothing more than a pretty sight.

The word pogonip refers to an uncommon occurrence-frozen fog. The word was coined by Native Americans to describe the frozen fogs of fine ice needles that occur in the mountain valleys of the western United States and Canada. According to their tradition, breathing the fog is injurious to the lungs.

What is also injurious – to lawns, trees, and shrubs, is the lack of snow cover and moisture, especially south and west exposures. Remember, during these conditions check at least once per month in the winter. You will need to hook up your watering hose, apply a sufficient amount of water, use a deep root watering device if necessary, and you must unhook and store the hose when finished. Do not leave the hose attached to the spigot. This may seem like a lot of work, but the time and effort will make for a healthier landscape in the spring.

Some other December pointers:

• Poinsettias perform best in bright, cool locations away from drafts.
• Keep the reservoir in your Christmas tree stand full at all times. Place a couple of

fishing bobbers or brightly colored ping pong balls in the stand so you can monitor the

water level with ease. Think of the tree as a large cut flower which will continue to pull

water up through its trunk.

• Used Christmas tree greens make good mulch to replenish mulch that may have blown

away during the season. Wreaths can be placed directly over perennials and roses.

• Consult the local birding society or wild bird store for the proper care of the birds in

your area.

• Keep an eye out for fruit flies congregating around overripe fruit.
• Indian meal moth adults are most common in homes during the early winter season.

 

So there you have it!  The very common days taken for granted as folklore but still are on the Almanacs radar. 

 

 

 

 

The Almanac You May Not Know!  Part One

Ember Days:

The name is derived from the Latin quattuor tempora, meaning “Four Times” or “Four Seasons.” The specific themes for each Ember Week of the year are as follows:

Spring: the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Ash Wednesday, to give thanks for the rebirth of nature and for the gift of light (usually flowers are offered at this time).

Summer: Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Pentecost, to give thanks for the wheat crop.

Fall: the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the Feast of the Holy Cross (September 14), to give thanks for the grape harvest.

Winter: the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the Feast of St. Lucy (December 13), during the third week of Advent, to give thanks for the olive crop.

As with much folklore, this is grounded in some common sense since the beginning of the four seasons cue the changes in weather as well as a shift in how we keep harmony with the Earth and respect our stewardship of the Earth, our “garden of Eden.”

 

Plough Monday:

The first Monday after Epiphany was the day for the menfolk to return to work after the holidays — although no work was actually done on this day. Dressed in clean white smocks decorated with ribbons, the men dragged a plow (plough) through the village and collected money for the “plow light” that was kept burning in the church all year. Often men from several farms joined together to pull the plow through all their villages. They sang and danced their way from village to village to the accompaniment of music. In the evening, each farmer provided a Plough Monday supper for his workers, with plentiful beef and ale for all.

The day traditionally saw the resumption of work after the Christmas period in some areas, particularly in northern England and East England. The customs observed on Plough Monday varied by region, but a common feature to a lesser or greater extent was for a plough to be hauled from house to house in a procession, collecting money. They were often accompanied by musicians, an old woman or a boy dressed as an old woman, called the “Bessy,” and a man in the role of the “fool.” ‘Plough Pudding’ is a boiled suet pudding, containing meat and onions. It is from Norfolk and is eaten on Plough Monday.

It wouldn’t be a ploughman’s lunch without something pickled: gherkins, pickled onions, and a strong chutney, like Branston pickle or ploughman’s pickle are must-haves. Round off your meal with a nice crusty white or whole grain bread to build your sandwich, and slather on soft butter and Coleman’s mustard.  I have seen this lunch entrée in several English Restaurants and Pubs over the years,  It is called a Ploughman’s Lunch.

Ploughman’s Song: Here is a version from about 1800.

God Speed the Plow

Though the wealthy and great Live in splendor and state I envy them not, I declare it

For I grow my own hams

My own ewes, my own lambs

And I shear my own fleece and I wear it

By plowing and sowing

By reaping and mowing

All nature provides me with plenty

With a cellar well stored

And a bountiful board

And my garden affords every dainty

For here I am king I can dance, drink and sing

Let no one approach as a stranger I’ll hunt when it’s quiet

Come on, let us try it

Dull thinking drives anyone crazy

I have lawns, I have bowers

I have fruits, I have flowers

And the lark is my morning alarmer So all farmers now

Here’s God Speed the Plow

Long life and success to the farmer.

 

Although not mentioned are any of the headaches farmers have always had to contend with – the vagaries of the season, physically demanding work, increasing costs and decreasing prices – it does sum up very nicely the feeling of independence and satisfying productivity that is at the heart of every farmer.  And is a plea for prosperity.

The poem is often sung and again there are many tunes it can be sung to, some traditional and those origins are lost in time as the tunes are altered and used with other lyrics. My favourite is modern by Stackridge which is instrumental. But close your eyes are you are there in the fields working to bring the harvest in, hot and in need of a cider!

 

Distaff Day

The day after Epiphany (January 6) was traditionally the one on which women went back to work after the 12-day Christmas celebration. A distaff is the wooden rod (staff) that holds the flax or wool on a spinning wheel. The term distaff came to refer to both women’s work and the female branch (distaff side) of the family. As is often the case, it’s hard to go back to work after the holidays and not much got done! The women’s husbands would mischievously try to set fire to the flax on their wives’ distaffs, while the women, lying in wait, would retaliate with humor by dousing them with buckets of water. The English poet Robert Herrick wrote: If the maids a-spinning goe Burn their flax and fire their tow. Bring the pails of water then Let the maids bewash the men.

 

Three Chilly Saints Day:

May 11, 12, and 13 are the feast days of Saints Mamertus, Pancras, and Gervais. These three are known as the Three Chilly Saints not because they were cold during their lifetimes, but because these days are traditionally the coldest of the month. English and French folklore (and later American) held that these days would bring a late frost. In Germany, they were called the Icemanner, or Icemen Days, and people believed it was never safe to plant until the Icemen were gone. Another bit of folklore claimed, “Who shears his sheep before St. Gervatius’s Day loves more his wool than his sheep.”

Who Are The Three Ice Men?

Perhaps you’ve heard the old proverb that warns not to plant until after the “Three Ice Men” have passed, but do you know who these mysterious Ice Men are?

Remembering that the last frost of the year generally falls around the feast of Servatius was a useful marker for pre-modern farmers.

More “Chilly Saints” Lore

In some regions, the lore goes on to note that rain will fall on Feast of St. Sophia, marking the beginning of planting season. For this reason, May 15 is referred to as “Zimna Zoska,” or “Cold Sophia” in Poland.

One point of interest is that this bit of lore dates back to before the creation of the Gregorian calendar in 1582, at which time most days of the year shifted somewhat. While the feasts of the Three Chilly Saints are still celebrated from May 11-13 on our calendar, these days used to fall a little later in the astronomical year: May 19-22.

 

Mid-Summers Day

If summer solstice marks the first day of summer, why is “Midsummer” just a few days later?

 

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When And What Is Midsummer?

Midsummer celebrations garland.

If summer solstice marks the first day of summer, why is “Midsummer” just a few days later? Learn the origins of this special holiday and discover fun Midsummer celebrations for your friends and family!

 

Origins Of Mid-Summer And St. John’s Day:

Midsummer celebrates the joy of long, warm days spent outside in the summertime. It’s held near the summer solstice—the first day of summer and the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere—and is believed to be a period of good fortune and fertility. It’s especially beloved in Scandinavia, where the sky stays light into the night. In Sweden (Midsommar) and Finland (Juhannus) are even national holidays.

These days though, Midsummer celebrations are more revelrous than religious, a time to gather with friends and family outdoors for eating, drinking, and merry-making.

Many Midsummer rituals and superstitions have ancient origins (in Finland, it’s thought the holiday may have been meant to keep the thunder and rain god Ukko happy, thus ensuring a bountiful harvest). Midsummer’s Eve also frequently coincides with St. John’s Eve, a night of festivities before the Feast Day of St. John, a Catholic holiday marking the nativity of St. John the Baptist on June 24.

 

Folklore And Celebrations

Because summer is a great time for a party, Midsummer has long been a time of revelry. The early Catholic church capitalized on this by creating the Feast of St. John the Baptist on June 24, six months before Christmas, to coincide with Midsummer (according to the Gospel of Luke, John the Baptist was born six months before his cousin, Jesus, which is why this is a fixed date on the 24th). Many of the traditional festivities associated with St. John’s feast day were held the night before, on June 23, or St. John’s Eve.

Perhaps more than any other day of the year, except Christmas, St. John’s Eve is full of lore. Throughout the world, this night has traditionally been celebrated by lighting massive bonfires, accompanied by music, singing, and dancing. In fact, in Ireland, St. John’s Eve is still known as “Bonfire Night,” and its history stretches back even further than Catholicism in Ireland. At one time, Bonfire Night honored Ãine, the Celtic goddess of love and fertility.

St. John’s Eve bonfires were believed to have magical, protective qualities, and many rituals sprang up around them.

Jumping through the fire was said to bring good luck. Farmers walked in circles around their sheep, carrying torches lit from the bonfire. In certain areas of Ireland, some people still believe that…

If you hold a pebble in your hand while circling a Midsummer bonfire, any wish will be granted. Simply whisper the wish before casting the stone into the fire.

Others believed that the ashes from a Midsummer bonfire would ensure fertility for their crops. Common practices included mixing the ashes with the seeds while planting or spreading them over the fields.

 

Faerie Activity?

Not surprisingly, given the wealth of other lore surrounding the day, the ancient Celts also believed St. John’s Eve was a prime day for faerie activity, second only to Halloween. Anyone who wanted to see one of the wee folk would gather fern spores at the stroke of midnight and rub it onto their eyelids. One had to be careful, though, because the crafty faeries often led unwary humans astray, getting them utterly lost, even in familiar territory. This condition was known as being “pixie-led,” and could be safeguarded against by turning your clothing inside out or carrying a small a few leaves of rue, a strong-smelling evergreen, in your pocket.

 

Midsummer’s Eve is “Herb Evening”

Midsummer’s Eve is also known as Herb Evening. Legend says that this is the best night for gathering magical herbs. Supposedly, a special plant blooms only on this night, and the person who picks it can understand the language of the trees. Other Swedish legends and traditions include placing flowers under your pillow before bed, which will cause you to dream about the one you will marry.

Whether or not you go hunting for faeries to mark the feast of St. John, though, be sure to get outside and have an enjoyable summer!

 

8 Midsummer Traditions To Make Your Own!

1) Build A Bonfire

Bonfires are lit on Midsummer’s Eve to ward off witches and evil spirits and warm up late-night revelers. Build your own (even a small campfire will do) as a way to keep bad luck at bay.

2) Embrace Flower Power

Flower crowns are an essential part of any Midsummer ensemble and symbolize love, rebirth, and fertility. According to Midsummer lore, placing seven different kinds of wildflowers beneath your pillow on Midsummer Eve means you’ll dream of your true love (be sure to pick them in silence for the magic to work).

Speaking of love, there’s even an old Swedish proverb which says, “Midsummer Night is not long, but it sets many cradles rocking” because there’s often an uptick of babies born in March, nine months after Midsummer celebrations.

3) Hoist A Midsummer Pole

Dancing and singing around a Midsummer pole is believed to have been a tradition since the Middle Ages, and is an especially fun one to try at home. Unlike a maypole, which is typically a single pole wrapped with ribbons, a Swedish Midsummer pole (midsommarstång) is usually cross-shaped with loops on each end of the horizontal bar and decorated with flowers and plants.

You can raise your own using wooden poles from the hardware store or tree branches and attaching greenery with twine. Or, simply pick a tree in your yard to decorate and dance around. A typical Swedish tune is the Små grodorna (“The Little Frogs”), sung while hopping around the Midsummer pole.

4) Decorate Your Home With Flowers

Plants take on magical qualities during Midsummer, and it’s believed bringing the outside in by decorating homes with flowers and garlands of greenery is a way to bring good health to everyone who lives there. Flowers from Midsummer can be dried to preserve their powers, then used in a bath over the holiday season as a way to ensure health throughout the dark days of winter.

5) Go For A Walk Through The Dew

Another health-related legend states that walking barefoot through dewy grass at dawn on Midsummer will keep illness away for the year.

6) Feast With Friends And Family

Food is central to Midsummer celebrations, with the Swedish smörgåsbord including dishes like pickled herring, smoked salmon, and meatballs. Boiled potatoes with dill and fresh, cream-covered strawberries are also staples.

7) Play Lawn Games

Midsummer parties are outdoor affairs, and lawn games are often part of the entertainment. In Scandinavia, skittles games where wooden blocks are bowled over by batons (like Kubb in Sweden or Mölkky in Finland) are popular options. Feel free to use the croquet, bocce, or corn hole sets in your garage though—the most important thing is to get guests of all ages involved and playing together.

8) Drink, Toast, And Sing

Imbibing is definitely part of Midsummer celebrations, and plenty of beer, cider, and aquavit (a Scandinavian liquor) are consumed during a celebration. In Sweden, songs or snapsvisor accompany drinks—the Spiritmuseum in Stockholm has compiled a collection of songs translated to English perfect for at-home celebrations. One of the most well-known is Helen Går (“The Whole Goes Down”), a toast sung before taking your first drink.

 

Cornscateous Air is Everywhere:

For most of us, some days begin at a sprint. It might be 10 a.m. before we stop in our tracks and realize we haven’t deeply exhaled yet.

The tension of the world today is likely differs from that of 1792, when Robert B. Thomas published the first “Farmer’s Almanac” in Boston. It’s still around. The 227th edition of “The Old Farmer’s Almanac” hit newsstands recently. (Thomas added the word “Old” in 1832.) He promised then that his quirky calendar-based periodical would be “useful, with a pleasant degree of humor.”

It’s good to know that people in 18th-century America needed a little humor. Heaven knows we need it now in polarized, always-online 21st-century America. The almanac offers a reminder that the natural world exists around the clock, too, and it’s worth noticing. An increasing number of people are doing just that, from farm-to-table-minded millennials to health-conscious retirees and outdoorsy types.

 

Ask the Old Farmer’s Almanac: What’s that cornscateous air?

Answer: Well, as you might guess, it has to do with corn. The old almanac makers dreamed it up, we figure, and used it to signify a time in July when the air is damp and warm, which the farmers considered ideal for growing corn, but which could also pose a serious health threat to old-timers (or others) suffering from asthma, pneumonia or other respiratory ills. Those old-timers were valued work force come husking time, you understand, when every good hand was needed. Our 1805 Old Farmer’s Almanac advised: “If you make a husking, keep an old man between every two boys, else your husking will turn out a loafing. In a husking there is some fun and frolic, but on the whole, it hardly pays the way; for they will not husk clean, since many go more for the sport than to do real work.”

If you’re looking for things to do with corn, try roasting it in its husk over a beach fire or on the grill. You can store corn unhusked (husks still on) in the refrigerator for about two days, but the sooner you eat it, the better it will taste. Right off the stalks is about right. As Garrison Keillor put it, “Sex is good, but not as good as fresh, sweet corn.”

Ask the Old Farmer’s Almanac: Has it ever really rained for 40 days commencing on St. Swithin’s Day?

“In some cases, folks are rediscovering the natural environment they live in,” said “Old Farmer’s Almanac” editor Janice Stillman, speaking by phone this month from Massachusetts.

To guide readers through that rediscovery, the almanac aims to be “refreshing, apolitical,” Stillman added.

Gardens generally fall into the “refreshing, apolitical” category. Those plots of earth tend to be our closest connection to nature. Any gardener will attest that their hobby involves more than just sticking seeds into the dirt and applying water. Productive gardens require healthy soil. The almanac provides the ideal analysis — the “underwear soil test,” and the fall — with all of the tomatoes and sweet corn harvested — is a good time for it.

It’s simple. A gardener buries a new pair of clean, all-cotton, undyed, white men’s underwear in the ground. (The almanac instructions do not include any witty comments if a neighbor spots you doing this.) Leave the undies buried for two months. Dig them up and inspect the remains. Their degree of deterioration indicates the levels of worms, fungi, bacteria and organisms. If just the elastic waistband is left, you’ve got some dandy garden dirt. If they’re intact, your patch of soil has likely been depleted, so pick a new spot. (I’d suggest discarding the shorts, too.)

Just because winter is approaching doesn’t mean gardening must cease. September, specifically the 15th through the 27th, presents the optimum time to plant late-season radishes. Now, for me, a few radishes go a long way, but if you’re an aficionado of this sharp-flavored root vegetable, this is a shovel-ready crop for west-central Indiana in autumn, according to the almanac’s time-tested “planting by the moon’s phases” chart. Such below-ground veggies do best when planted during a waxing moon, when nighttime skies are darkest. (Plant in the daylight, though.)

Gardens aren’t the only escape hatch nature gives humans. On any fair-weather afternoon, Hauteans like to pack sandwiches, chips, sodas and a blanket for a picnic at Deming, Collett, Fairbanks or the nearest neighborhood park. They should skip July outings.  That’s when the almanac says “cornscateous air is everywhere.” I know what you’re thinking: Why would anyone pack a picnic lunch without potato salad? Some may also wonder what cornscateousmeans.

The almanac’s early editors used the term to describe July days of damp, warm air — perfect for growing corn, but risky for sufferers of asthma and respiratory ailments. Even if you’re not afflicted with those illnesses, schedule your picnic for July 21. It’s a Sunday, after all.

Or so says the almanac’s legendarily mysterious weather predictions. Its “secret formula” involves a mix of Thomas’ fascination with sunspot activity, natural signs such as the color of woolly worms and modern technology. Stillman, said confidently, “I don’t see any true snowstorms in the forecast.”

Then she added, “That doesn’t mean there won’t be any.”

“Useful, with a pleasant degree of humor” indeed.

 

This is the end of Part One.  Stay tune for Part 2.

Let Me Tell You All A Story About A Man Named Doc!

Let me tell you a story about a man name Doc!  I love the Wild West legends and my favorite is the notorious Doc Holliday!  He had a bad rap to say the least!  But what I love about him is he was a southern gentleman!  

John Henry Holliday (August 14, 1851 – November 8, 1887), better known as Doc Holliday, was an American gambler, gunfighter, and dentist. A close friend and associate of lawman Wyatt Earp, Holliday is best known for his role in the events leading up to and following the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. He developed a reputation as having killed more than a dozen men in various altercations, but modern researchers have concluded that, contrary to popular myth-making, Holliday killed only one to three men. Holliday’s colorful life and character have been depicted in many books and portrayed by well-known actors in numerous movies and television series. My favorite actor to portray him was Val Kilmer.  It is said he did the best pretrial of Doc and even lost 30 pounds to play the part! 

At age 21, Holliday earned a degree in dentistry from the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery. He set up practice in Griffin, Georgia, but he was soon diagnosed with tuberculosis, the same disease that had claimed his mother when he was 15 and his sister before his birth, having acquired it while tending to his mother’s needs while she was still in the contagious phase of the illness. Hoping the climate in the American Southwest would ease his symptoms, he moved to that region and became a gambler, a reputable profession in Arizona in that day.  Over the next few years, he reportedly had several confrontations. He saved Wyatt Earp, a famous lawman, and gambler, while in Texas. Afterward, they became friends. In 1879, he joined Earp in Las Vegas, New Mexico, and then rode with him to Prescott, Arizona, and then Tombstone. While in Tombstone, local members of the outlaw Cochise County Cowboys repeatedly threatened him and spread rumors that he had robbed a stagecoach. On October 26, 1881, Holliday was deputized by Tombstone city marshal Virgil Earp. The lawmen attempted to disarm five members of the Cowboys near the O.K. Corral on the west side of town, which resulted in the famous shootout.

Following the Tombstone shootout, Virgil Earp was maimed by hidden assailants while Morgan Earp was murdered. Unable to obtain justice in the courts, Wyatt Earp took matters into his own hands. As the recently appointed deputy U.S. marshal, Earp formally deputized Holliday, among others. As a federal posse, they pursued the outlaw Cowboys they believed were responsible. They found Frank Stilwell lying in wait as Virgil boarded a train for California and Wyatt Earp killed him. The local sheriff issued a warrant for the arrest of five members of the federal posse, including Holliday. The federal posse killed three other Cowboys during late March and early April 1882, before they rode to the New Mexico Territory. Wyatt Earp learned of an extradition request for Holliday and arranged for Colorado Governor Frederick Walker Pitkin to deny Holliday’s extradition. Holliday spent the few remaining years of his life in Colorado. He died of tuberculosis in his bed at the Hotel Glenwood at age 36.

Education:

Holliday was born in Griffin, Georgia, to Henry Burroughs Holliday and Alice Jane (McKey) Holliday. He was of English and Scottish ancestry.  His father served in the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War (as a major in the 27th Georgia Infantry).[7] When the Mexican–American War ended, Henry brought home an adopted son named Francisco. Holliday was baptized at the First Presbyterian Church of Griffin in 1852.  In 1864, his family moved to Valdosta, Georgia,[8] where his father would be elected mayor and his mother would die of tuberculosis on September 16, 1866. The same disease killed his adopted brother. Three months after his wife’s death, his father married Rachel Martin.

Holliday attended the Valdosta Institute, where he received a classical education in rhetoric, grammar, mathematics, history, and languages—principally Latin, but some French and Ancient Greek.

In 1870, 19-year-old Holliday left home for Philadelphia. On March 1, 1872, at age 20, he received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery (now part of the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Dental Medicine).  Holliday graduated five months before his 21st birthday, so the school held his degree until he turned 21, the minimum age required to practice dentistry.

Career:

Holliday moved to St. Louis, Missouri, so he could work as an assistant for his classmate, A. Jameson Fuches, Jr.  Less than four months later, at the end of July, he relocated to Atlanta, where he joined a dental practice. He lived with his uncle and his family so he could begin to build up his dental practice. A few weeks before Holliday’s birthday, dentist Arthur C. Ford advertised in the Atlanta papers that Holliday would substitute for him while Ford was attending dental meetings.

Diagnosis of tuberculosis:

Shortly after beginning his dental practice, Holliday was diagnosed with tuberculosis.  He was given only a few months to live, but was told that a drier and warmer climate might slow the deterioration of his health. After Dr. Ford’s return in September, Holliday left for Dallas, Texas, the “last big city before the uncivilized Western Frontier”.

Move to Dallas:

When he arrived in Dallas, Holliday partnered with a friend of his father’s, Dr. John A. Seegar.  They won awards for their dental work at the Annual Fair of the North Texas Agricultural, Mechanical and Blood Stock Association at the Dallas County Fair. They received all three awards: “Best set of teeth in gold”, “Best in vulcanized rubber”, and “Best set of artificial teeth and dental ware.“  Their office was located along Elm Street, between Market and Austin Streets.  They dissolved the practice on March 2, 1874. Afterward, Holliday opened his own practice over the Dallas County Bank at the corner of Main and Lamar Streets.

With coughing spells at inopportune times from his tuberculosis, his dental practice slowly declined. Meanwhile, Holliday found he had some skill at gambling and he soon relied on it as his principal income source. On May 12, 1874, Holliday and 12 others were indicted in Dallas for illegal gambling. He was arrested in Dallas in January 1875 after trading gunfire with a saloon keeper, Charles Austin, but no one was injured and he was found not guilty. He moved his offices to Denison, Texas, but after being fined for gambling in Dallas, he left the state.

Heads farther west:

Holliday headed to Denver, Colorado, following the stage routes and gambling at towns and army outposts along the way. During the summer of 1875, he settled in Denver under the alias “Tom Mackey” and found work as a faro dealer for John A. Babb’s Theatre Comique at 357 Blake Street. He got into an argument with Bud Ryan, a well-known and tough gambler. They drew knives and fought and Holliday left Ryan seriously wounded.

Holliday left when he learned about gold being discovered in Wyoming. On February 5, 1876, he arrived in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He found work as a dealer for Babb’s partner, Thomas Miller, who owned the Bella Union Saloon. In the autumn of 1876, Miller moved the Bella Union to Deadwood, South Dakota (site of the gold rush in the Dakota Territory), and Holliday went with him.

In 1877, Holliday returned to Cheyenne, then Denver, and eventually to Kansas, where he visited an aunt. When he left Kansas, he went to Breckenridge, Texas, where he gambled. On July 4, 1877, after a disagreement with gambler Henry Kahn, Holliday beat him repeatedly with his walking stick. Both men were arrested and fined, but Kahn was not finished. Later that same day, he shot and seriously wounded the unarmed Holliday.[10]: 106–109  On July 7, the Dallas Weekly Herald incorrectly reported that Holliday had been killed. His cousin, George Henry Holliday, moved west to help him recover.

Once healed, Holliday relocated to Fort Griffin, Texas. While dealing cards at John Shanssey’s saloon, he met Mary Katharine “Big Nose Kate” Horony, a dance hall woman and occasional prostitute “Tough, stubborn, and fearless”, she was educated, but chose to work as a prostitute because she liked her independence.  She is the only woman with whom Holliday is known to have had a relationship.

Befriends Wyatt Earp:

In October 1877, outlaws led by “Dirty” Dave Rudabaugh robbed a Santa Fe Railroad construction camp in Kansas. Rudabaugh fled south into Texas. Wyatt Earp was given a temporary commission as deputy U.S. marshal. Earp left Dodge City, following Rudabaugh over 400 mi (640 km) to Fort Griffin, a frontier town on the Clear Fork of the Brazos River. Earp went to the Bee Hive Saloon, the largest in town and owned by John Shanssey, whom Earp had met in Wyoming when he was,   Shanssey told Earp that Rudabaugh had passed through town earlier in the week, but he did not know where he was headed. Shanssey suggested Earp ask gambler Doc Holliday, who had played cards with Rudabaugh.  Holliday told Earp that he thought Rudabaugh was headed back to Kansas. Earp sent a telegram to Ford County Sheriff Bat Masterson that Rudabaugh might be headed back in his direction.

After about a month in Fort Griffin, Earp returned to Fort Clark  and in early 1878, he went to Dodge City, where he became the assistant city marshal, serving under Charlie Bassett. During the summer of 1878, Holliday and Horony also arrived in Dodge City, where they stayed at Deacon Cox’s boarding house as Dr. and Mrs. John H. Holliday. Holliday sought to practice dentistry again, and ran an advertisement in the local paper:

 

 DENTISTRY

J. H. Holliday, Dentist, very respectfully offers his professional services to the citizens of Dodge City and surrounding country during the summer. Office at Room No. 24 Dodge House. Where satisfaction is not given, money will be refunded.

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral:

On Fremont Street, they ran into Cochise County Sheriff Behan, who told them or implied that he had disarmed the cowboys. To avoid alarming citizens and lessen tension when disarming the cowboys, Virgil gave the coach gun to Holliday so he could conceal it under his long coat. Virgil Earp took Holliday’s walking stick.  The lawmen found the cowboys in a narrow 15- to 20-ft-wide lot on Fremont Street, between Fly’s boarding house and the Harwood house. Holliday was boarding at Fly’s house and he possibly thought they were waiting there to kill him.

Different witnesses offered varying stories about Holliday’s actions. Cowboys’ witnesses testified that Holliday first pulled out a nickel-plated pistol he was known to carry, while others reported he first fired a longer, bronze-colored gun, possibly the coach gun. Holliday killed Tom McLaury with a shotgun blast in the side of his chest. Holliday was grazed by a bullet possibly fired by Frank McLaury who was on Fremont Street at the time. He supposedly challenged Holliday, yelling, “I’ve got you now!” Holliday is reported to have replied, “Blaze away! You’re a daisy if you have.” McLaury died of shots to his stomach and behind his ear. Holliday may have also wounded Billy Clanton.

One analysis of the fight gives credit to either Holliday or Morgan Earp for firing the fatal shot at McLaury on Fremont Street. Holliday may have been on McLaury’s right and Morgan Earp on his left. McLaury was shot in the right side of the head, so Holliday is often given credit for shooting him. However, Wyatt Earp had shot McLaury in his torso earlier, a shot that alone could have killed him. McLaury would have turned away after having been hit and Wyatt could have placed a second shot in his head.  A 30-day-long preliminary hearing found that the Earps and Holliday had acted within their duties as lawmen, although this did not pacify Ike Clanton.

Earp Vendetta Ride

Cowboys were identified by witnesses as suspects in the shooting of Virgil Earp on December 27, 1881, and the assassination of Morgan Earp on March 19, 1882. Additional circumstantial evidence also pointed to their involvement. Wyatt Earp had been appointed deputy U.S. marshal after Virgil was maimed. He deputized Holliday, Warren Earp, Sherman McMaster, and “Turkey Creek” Jack Johnson.

After Morgan’s murder, Wyatt Earp and his deputies guarded Virgil Earp and Allie on their way to the train for Colton, California where his father lived, to recuperate from his serious shotgun wound. In Tucson, on March 20, 1882, the group spotted an armed Frank Stilwell and reportedly Ike Clanton hiding among the railroad cars, apparently lying in wait with the intent to kill Virgil. Frank Stilwell’s body was found at dawn alongside the railroad tracks, riddled with buckshot and gunshot wounds.  Wyatt said later in life that he killed Stilwell with a shotgun.

Tucson Justice of the Peace Charles Meyer issued arrest warrants for five of the Earp party, including Holliday. On March 21, they returned briefly to Tombstone, where they were joined by Texas Jack Vermillion and possibly others. On the morning of March 22, a portion of the Earp posse including Wyatt, Warren, Holliday, Sherman McMaster, and “Turkey Creek” Johnson rode about 10 mi (16 km) east to Pete Spence’s ranch to a wood cutting camp located off the Chiricahua Road, below the South Pass of the Dragoon Mountains.  According to Theodore Judah—who witnessed events at the wood camp—the Earp posse arrived around 11:00 a.m. and asked for Spence and Florentino “Indian Charlie” Cruz. They learned Spence was in jail and that Cruz was cutting wood nearby. They followed the direction Judah indicated and he soon heard a dozen or so shots. When Cruz did not return the next morning, Judah went looking for him and found his body full of bullet holes.

The situation in Tombstone soon grew worse when Virgil Earp was ambushed and permanently injured in December 1881. Following that, Morgan Earp was ambushed and killed in March 1882. 

Gunfight at Iron Springs:

Two days later, Earp’s posse traveled to Iron Springs, located in the Whetstone Mountains, where they expected to meet Charlie Smith, who was supposed to be bringing $1,000 cash from their supporters in Tombstone. With Wyatt and Holliday in the lead, the six lawmen surmounted a small rise overlooking the springs. They surprised eight cowboys camping near the springs. Wyatt Earp and Holliday left the only record of the fight. Curly Bill recognized Wyatt Earp in the lead and immediately grabbed his shotgun and fired at Earp. The other Cowboys also drew their weapons and began firing. Earp dismounted, shotgun in hand. “Texas Jack” Vermillion’s horse was shot and fell on him, pinning his leg and wedging his rifle underneath. Lacking cover, Holliday, Johnson, and McMaster retreated.

Earp returned Curly Bill’s gunfire with his own shotgun and shot him in the chest, nearly cutting him in half according to Earp’s later account. Curly Bill fell into the water by the edge of the spring and lay dead.

The Cowboys fired a number of shots at the Earp party, but the only casualty was Vermillion’s horse, which was killed. Firing his pistol, Wyatt shot Johnny Barnes in the chest and Milt Hicks in the arm. Vermillion tried to retrieve his rifle wedged in the scabbard under his fallen horse, exposing himself to the Cowboys’ gunfire. Doc Holliday helped him gain cover. Wyatt had trouble re-mounting his horse because his cartridge belt had slipped down around his legs.

Wyatt’s long coat was shot through by bullets on both sides. Another bullet struck his boot heel and his saddle horn was hit as well, burning the saddle hide and narrowly missing Wyatt. He was finally able to get on his horse and retreat. McMaster was grazed by a bullet that cut through the straps of his field glasses.

Earp and Holliday part company:

Holliday and four other members of the posse were still faced with warrants for Stilwell’s death. The group elected to leave the Arizona Territory for New Mexico Territory and then on to Colorado. Wyatt and Holliday, who had been fast friends, had a serious disagreement and parted ways in Albuquerque. According to a letter written by former New Mexico Territory Governor Miguel Otero, Wyatt and Holliday were eating at Fat Charlie’s The Retreat Restaurant in Albuquerque “when Holliday said something about Earp becoming ‘a damn Jew-boy.’ Earp became angry and left …”

Earp was staying with a prominent businessman, Henry N. Jaffa, who was also president of New Albuquerque’s Board of Trade. Jaffa was Jewish, and based on Otero’s letter, Earp had, while staying in Jaffa’s home, honored Jewish tradition by touching the mezuzah upon entering his home. According to Otero’s letter, Jaffa told him, “Earp’s woman was a Jewess.” Earp’s anger at Holliday’s ethnic slur may indicate that the relationship between Josephine Marcus and Wyatt Earp was more serious at the time than is commonly known.  Holliday and Dan Tipton arrived in Pueblo, Colorado in late April 1882.

Burial:

Holliday is buried in Linwood Cemetery overlooking Glenwood Springs. Since Holliday died in November, the ground might have been frozen. Some modern authors such as Bob Boze Bell  speculate that it would have been impossible to transport him to the cemetery, which was only accessible by a difficult mountain road, or to dig a grave because the ground was frozen. Author Gary Roberts located evidence that other bodies were transported to the Linwood Cemetery at the same time of the month that year. Contemporary newspaper reports explicitly state that Holliday was buried in the Linwood Cemetery, but the exact location of his grave is uncertain.  Though there is no official evidence of this, some claim that Holliday’s father, Major Henry Holliday, a man of means and influence, had his son exhumed and re-buried in Griffin’s Oak Hill Cemetery.

Public reputation:

Holliday maintained a fierce persona as was sometimes needed for a gambler to earn respect. He had a contemporary reputation as a skilled gunfighter which modern historians generally regard as accurate.   Tombstone resident George W. Parsons wrote that Holliday confronted Johnny Ringo in January 1882, telling him, “All I want of you is ten paces out in the street.” Ringo and he were prevented from a gunfight by the Tombstone police, who arrested both. During the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Holliday initially carried a shotgun and shot at and may have killed Tom McLaury. Holliday was grazed by a bullet fired by Frank McLaury and shot back. After Virgil was maimed in a January ambush, Holliday was part of a federal posse led by Deputy U.S. Marshal Wyatt Earp who guarded him on his way to the railroad in Tucson. There they found Frank Stilwell apparently waiting for the Earps in the rail yard. A warrant for Holliday’s arrest was issued after Stilwell was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds. Holliday was part of Earp’s federal posse when they killed three other outlaw Cowboys during the Earp Vendetta Ride. Holliday reported that he had been arrested 17 times, four attempts had been made to hang him, and that he survived ambush five times. 

Character:

Throughout his lifetime, Holliday was known by many of his peers as a tempered, calm, Southern gentleman. In an 1896 article, Wyatt Earp said: “I found him a loyal friend and good company. He was a dentist whom necessity had made a gambler; a gentleman whom disease had made a vagabond; a philosopher whom life had made a caustic wit; a long, lean blonde fellow nearly dead with consumption and at the same time the most skillful gambler and nerviest, speediest, deadliest man with a six-gun I ever knew.”

In a newspaper interview, Holliday was once asked if his conscience ever troubled him. He is reported to have said, “I coughed that up with my lungs, years ago.”

Bat Masterson, who had several contacts with Holliday over his lifetime, the two men coming to dislike each other and tolerate each other only as friends of Wyatt Earp, said “in a magazine essay about Doc Holliday… ‘While he never did anything to entitle him to a Statue in the Hall of Fame, Doc Holliday was nevertheless a most picturesque character on the western border in those days when the pistol instead of law determined issues…. Holliday had a mean disposition and an ungovernable temper, and under the influence of liquor was a most dangerous man…. Physically, Doc Holliday was a weakling who could not have whipped a healthy fifteen-year-old boy in a go-as-you-please fistfight’, pointing out that this was why Doc was quick to go for his gun when threatened.”

Stabbings and shootings:

Much of Holliday’s violent reputation was nothing but rumors and self-promotion. However, he showed great skill in gambling and gunfights. His tuberculosis did not hamper his ability as a gambler and as a marksman. Holliday was ambidextrous.

No contemporaneous newspaper accounts or legal records offer proof of the many unnamed men whom Holliday is credited with killing in popular folklore. The only men he is known to have killed are Mike Gordon in 1879; probably Frank McLaury and Tom McLaury in Tombstone; and possibly Frank Stilwell in Tucson. Some scholars argue that Holliday may have encouraged the stories about his reputation, although his record never supported those claims.

In a March 1882 interview with the Arizona Daily Star, Virgil Earp told the reporter:

There was something very peculiar about Doc. He was gentlemanly, a good dentist, a friendly man, and yet outside of us boys I don’t think he had a friend in the Territory. Tales were told that he had murdered men in different parts of the country; that he had robbed and committed all manner of crimes, and yet when persons were asked how they knew it, they could only admit that it was hearsay and that nothing of the kind could really be traced up to Doc’s account.

Born: August 14, 1851, Griffin, GA

Died: November 8, 1887, The Hotel Glenwood Springs, Glenwood Springs, CO

Buried: November 8, 1887, Linwood Cemetery, Glenwood Springs, CO

Spouse: Big Nose Kate (m. 1877–1882)

Siblings: Martha Eleanora Holliday

Parents: Henry Burroughs Holliday, Alice Jane McKey

Doc Holiday’s Last Words: 

The story is that Doc fully expected to die in gunfight, but upon finding himself at death’s door in a bed instead, he appreciated the irony of his situation and uttered his last words: “This is funny.” This was said as he was looking at his bare feet and not having his boots on. 

Famous Quote By Doc Holiday:

During the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral Doc found himself in the sights of real life gunslinger Frank McLaury who barked, “I’ve got you now, you son of a bi**h.” Always cool under pressure, Holliday simply replied, “You’re a daisy if you do,” and watched as McLaury was shot by Morgan Earp. According to witnesses of the gunfight, Doc Holliday actually uttered these now-iconic Doc Holliday quotes when he found himself in the crosshairs of Frank McLaury, which only adds to the legendary outlaw’s legacy. He had no fear of death, and this was just another example.

I hope you have enjoyed learning a small amount about my favorite Western Legend John Henry “Doc” Holiday! 

High Five for Hydrangeas!

 

If you were to come and visit me, you would notice several colors of Hydrangeas in my yard.  For some reason I am in love with this plant!

The word origin of hydrangea comes from the Greek words for water, hydros and jar, angos because some species are quite water thirsty. The hydrangea was first cultivated in Japan but is native to both Asia and the Americas.

Who has not spent an evening, drinking sweet tea on Grandma’s porch, enchanted by her silver hair, but mostly … her blue hydrangeas? Known as “Grandmother’s Old-fashioned Flower,” hydrangeas are a staple in Virginian landscapes — and weddings.

But, they are not loved by our grandmas and brides alone. The modern world is infatuated with hydrangeas; they win global awards and are featured in celebrity weddings. Also called “The Madonna” of flowering shrubs, hydrangeas have a reputation of being “the perfect shrub” — show-stopping blooms, elegant foliage and understated beauty.

No doubt, Virginians have good taste to love a plant that the world worships. Locally, the smooth hydrangea, or Hydrangea arborescens, is popular as a stand-alone plant in gardens. The oakleaf variety, Hydrangea quercifolia, makes a lovely informal hedge. Over an arbor, the climbing hydrangea flourishes, the Hydrangea anomala. Additionally, the ever-popular Hydrangea macrophylla makes an unparalleled hedge with its floppy mopheads of blooms.

 

Hydrangeas in North America

 

Two well-known hydrangea species, among others, grow wild in North America — the H. aborescens (smooth leaf) and H. quercifolia (oak leaf). Their actual cultivation began in the 1700s. An historic trifecta of our forefathers’ estates is proof: Mount Vernon, Monticello, and Montpelier all cultivated these hydrangeas.

Documents show that in 1792, George Washington planted a native hydrangea, H. arborescens, on the bowling green at Mount Vernon.  Nearby, Thomas Jefferson was designing his gardens and walkways at Monticello. He also included these new shrubs. Today, heirloom H. quercifolia seeds may be obtained from the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants in Monticello. 

Both men purchased their seeds and plants from their friend, William Bartram, of Bartram’s Nursery in Philadelphia. James Madison’s home, Montpelier, also benefited from Bartram’s nursery. Creamy white heads of H. arborescens still border Montpelier’s garden wall.

 

But, who was William Bartram? He was the son of John Bartram, and together, the Bartrams are remembered as perhaps the earliest and greatest American naturalists and botanists. In the 1700s, John and son William explored the American southeast and unspoiled southern Appalachian Mountains, collecting and identifying indigenous plants.

They documented two major native hydrangea specimens. John first came across H. arborescens (smooth hydrangea) in the 1730s. This plant was described in Gronovius’s work, Flora Virginica, 1739. In 1776, William discovered H. quercifolia, the beautiful oakleaf hydrangea native to Georgia. These two varieties of native American hydrangeas formed the groundwork for cultivated hydrangeas, which spread across the states. Concurrently, they were delivered in large volumes in the famous “Bartram’s Boxes” to England and Europe.

Interestingly, before the Bartrams supported the cultivation of hydrangeas, Native Americans had long been using wild hydrangeas medicinally. From them, the colonists discovered their roots were useful as painkillers, as well as for kidney, bladder and other ailments.

Eastern Hydrangeas Meet the West

Many hydrangeas are believed to have originated in Japan. Hydrangeas have a long, documented history there. They are often mentioned in poems composed during Japan’s Nara Period, 710-794 A.D. Japanese diplomats brought them to Hangzhou, China, during China’s Tang Dynasty, 618-907 A.D. From there, they were carried throughout continental Asia.

Hydrangeas hold a solid role in Japanese culture. The hugely popular Ajisai (hydrangea) festivals are celebrated in the blooming seasons of late spring and summer. Pink hydrangeas are given on the fourth wedding anniversary. Hydrangea gardens often grace the grounds of sacred Buddhist temples.  On April 8, Buddha’s birthday, amacha, or tea from heaven, is enjoyed. Amacha is brewed from leaves of the Hydrangea serrata.

Westerners collided with Japan’s hydrangeas via two adventurers from the Dutch East India company. Englebert Kaempfer (1651-1715) and later, Carl Peter Thunberg (1743-1828), were two physicians in search of new medicinal plants. Before their visit to Japan, the West was unaware of these magnificent ornamentals and their role in Japanese life. For centuries, Japan had not been open to foreigners on the island, for cultural and religious reasons.

But, Carl Peter Thunberg managed to collect two hydrangeas in Japan, on the pretext of foraging for fodder for his goat. He described them as Viburnum macrophyllum and Vibernum serratum. Thunberg was later credited for the final names given to these most popular hydrangeas, Hydrangea macrophylla and Hydrangea serrata.

 

An unassuming Englishman brought attention to more Japanese hydrangeas. Charles Maries was a hired “plant hunter” sent to China and Japan in the mid 1800s. His mission was to gather specimens for the famous Veitch Nursery of Exeter, England. He returned with two hydrangeas from Japan — a mophead, H. macrophylla mariessii, which can still be purchased today, and a mountain hydrangea, H. ‘Rosea’.

Unfortunately, Veitch Nursery in Exeter was unimpressed with Maries’ hydrangeas. These plants were then introduced in Paris, France, in 1901, at the Société d’Horticulture. The hydrangeas took center stage. With admiration for these plants, French horticulturists began the quest to breed perfect showstopper French hydrangeas. Their success and enthusiasm mushroomed, spreading throughout much of Western Europe, and eventually throughout the world.

 

Modern Hydrangea Fame

Case in point — in 2018, a hydrangea received the coveted Plant of the Year Award at the prestigious Royal Horticulture Society Chelsea Flower Show. Based in the U.K., the Royal Horticulture Society is THE leading gardening charity in the world. They bequeathed a hydrangea called the Runaway Bride Snow White with first place. An H. macrophylla (big leaf hydrangea), this Japanese hybrid can produce six times the number of normal blooms.

 

Europe boasts two famous hydrangea hot spots. The Shamrock Garden Hydrangea Collection, at Varengeville-sur-Mer in Normandy, France, is the largest collection of its kind in the world. Robert and Corinne Mallet, leading authorities on hydrangeas, have created and maintain this two hectare (five acre) garden as a research, teaching and resource center for hydrangea lovers.

The exotic Azores contain a hydrangea phenomenon. On the lovely Faial Island, thousands of deep blue H. macrophylla (mophead hydrangea) flourish in abundance in July and August. The island is nicknamed the “Blue Island”. Island families lovingly care for these shrubs to perpetuate this living museum.

In 2017, the world learned that fifteen new species of hydrangea were identified in the mountains of South America. Hydrangea lover Daniel J. Hinkley, a well-known plant hunter and author, revealed this advance. Obviously, the story of hydrangeas continues to expand globally, though for most of us, the hydrangeas in Grandma’s garden hold the most meaning.

Hydrangeas 101

Tidewater Virginia is in growing Zone 7 and is a zone that is hydrangea friendly. There are three hydrangea species that are popular in our region.

 

Hydrangea macrophylla — These are the “mophead” or “big leaf” variety. They have huge, showy blossoms and many exquisite colors.

Hydrangea arborescens — One of the native North American species, these are small to medium shrubs that flower in the late spring and summer. They have serrated leaves, and are referred to as the “smooth leaf” variety.

Hydrangea quercifolia — Another of the native North American plants, these are dubbed the “oakleaf” hydrangea. They are hardy in hot, dry summers and produce large blooms. Their magic also lies in their fall foliage—their leaves turn to red, orange and yellow with the shortening days.

Hydrangeas generally prefer partial shade to full sun. They can be planted anywhere — in pots, as an informal hedge, along foundations and fences, or as stand alones in a flower bed. Shrubs

Hydrangeas have different pruning needs — some are pruned in late winter; others are best pruned after the first flowering. Be sure to check online or with a gardening center to find out when a specific hydrangea should be pruned.

Hydrangeas lose their leaves in the winter, and can look sparse in the garden. Plant evergreens near them to keep the landscape looking cheery during cold months. If a very cold winter is predicted, spread extra mulch to protect the roots.

 

Hydrangea flowers can change color, depending the pH of the soil (white hydrangeas do not change color, however). Alkaline soil will produce pink blooms; acidic soil will produce blue blooms. Soil can be tested for acidity. To make soil more alkaline for pinker blooms, add dolomitic lime to the soil. For bluer flowers, add soil sulfur or aluminum sulfate. These products can be found at a garden center, complete with directions for use. A free way to make soil acidic is to save coffee grounds and egg shells from the kitchen, and mix them into the soil. This will also give you that hydrangea blue that is unmistakably unique.

 

Flower Color Matters

While undeniably beautiful, the hydrangea symbolizes many different things from heartfelt emotion to frigidity and bad luck. Most of the stories surrounding hydrangeas are several centuries old but they still affect how we view the flowers today.

When gifting hydrangea flowers to friends or family, make sure to pick the right color to avoid hard feelings. Don’t worry though, we’ve got you covered with some insight into the meaning of the most common shades!

While hydrangeas symbolize different things across cultures, the meanings of the distinct colors are mostly uniform around the world. When you’re looking for the right hydrangea to express your feelings or intentions, no matter where you are, make sure to pick the right color.

Blue Hydrangea

As you already know, the Japanese tradition behind the blue hydrangea derives from the legendary apology of the emperor to his girlfriend. Whether you are in Japan or elsewhere in the world, the blue hydrangea symbolizes your gratitude and understanding for someone else and is always a thoughtful way of admitting that you’re sorry.

 

White Hydrangea

The white hydrangea symbolizes arrogance, vanity or boasting. This meaning probably stems from Victorian times, when men gifted the flowers to prospects they desired. White, however, also symbolizes purity and grace which makes white hydrangeas a beautiful and fitting addition to Easter bouquets!

 

Pink Hydrangea

Pink hydrangeas symbolize true feelings and are a great fit for spring and summer wedding bouquets or table arrangements. Some say pink hydrangeas carry sincere emotions and the meaning of love. Take a closer look at the individual blossoms and you’ll find they resemble a heart!

 

Purple Hydrangea

Last but certainly not least, the purple hydrangea represents the desire for deep understanding and is often chosen for gifts around the fourth wedding anniversary. The color purple is associated with pride, royalty and gratefulness across many cultures and certainly a beautiful way of showing appreciation for your partner after four years of marriage.

 

Hydrangea Facts

Hydrangeas are more than just pretty to look at. They have some surprising tricks up their leaves that make them a fascinating plant to novices and experts alike. Check out the facts below!

The different colors hydrangea blossoms display are directly related to the levels of acidity in the soil.

To bloom in a vibrant to soft baby blue, the hydrangea needs acidic soil with a pH level below 5.5. For purple hydrangeas, the ideal pH level has to be anywhere from 5.5. to 6.5. Hydrangeas that are grown in soil with pH levels above 7 bloom in pink and even red. Grounds with different levels of acidity nearby can lead to beautiful color washes even within the same flower heads.

If you think the colorful flowers are petals, you have been deceived.

 

They are sepals, which are modified leaves that protect the flower bud. The beautiful color variations happen as the sepals age and the overpowering pigments turn the flowers from mundane greens into colorful beauties.

 

Hydrangea leaves contain low levels of the poison cyanide.

Though rarely fatal, consuming the leaves can cause diarrhea, nausea and even seizures so parents of children and pets alike should make sure the flowers are out of reach.

 

Uses for Hydrangea

While you shouldn’t snack on the hydrangea leaves in your garden or bouquet (for reasons explained above), the leaves of the Hydrangea serrata are used by Buddhists to brew a sweet tea consumed as part of a cleansing ritual. It is said to help treat autoimmune disorders as well as malaria, kidney stones and enlarged prostate.

In Western culture, the hydrangea has many different uses. Native Americans used the root as a diuretic and the bark as pain relief specifically for muscle pain and burns.

The hydrangea has a rich history that explains why there are so many different meanings associated with it. Though they can be quite confusing, we hope our color guide helped you understand the flower a little better.

The sheer size and variation of color make the hydrangea a beautiful garden plant that will leave others in awe of your sanctuary. If you don’t own your own green space, enjoy the lush flowers in a beautiful bouquet that will brighten any room with its sweet scent and vibrant blossoms.

 

So plant you some of these wonderful flowers!  You will be happy you did!