Hallow
Encyclopedia
To hallow is "to make holy or sacred, to sanctify or consecrate, to venerate". The adjective form hallowed, as used in The Lord's Prayer
, means holy, consecrated, sacred, or revered.
word for "holy" is either hailags or weihaba, weihs. "To hold as holy" or "to become holy" is weihnan, "to make holy, to sanctify" is weihan. Holiness or sanctification is weihia. Old English like Gothic had a second term of similar meaning, weoh "holy", with a substantive wih or wig, Old High German
wih or wihi (Middle High German
wîhe, Modern German Weihe). The Nordendorf fibula
has wigiþonar, interpreted as wigi-þonar "holy Donar" or "sacred to Donar". Old Norse vé
is a type of shrine
. The weihs group is cognate to Latin victima, an animal dedicated to the gods and destined to be sacrificed
.
and Hallowmas. Halloween (or Hallowe'en) is a shortened form of "All Hallow Even", meaning "All Hallow's Eve" coopted to be "All Saints' Eve". Hallowmas, the day after Halloween, is shortened from "Hallow's mass", and is also known as "All Hallow's Day" or "All Saints' Day".
Hallows can, but did not originally, refer to saint
s, the relic
s (including remains) of the saints, the relics of god
s, or shrine
s in which relics are kept. Since the essence of these saints or gods were often considered present at their shrines and in their relics, hallows came to refer to the saints or gods themselves, rather than just their relics or shrines.
Samhain predated Christianity; All Hallow's Eve was the alternative celebration. Like celebrating Christmas in December when Jesus was more than likely born in April (shepherds in the fields and all that) to co-opt Saturnalia and all the Mythraic holidays.
Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer is a central prayer in Christianity. In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, it appears in two forms: in the Gospel of Matthew as part of the discourse on ostentation in the Sermon on the Mount, and in the Gospel of Luke, which records Jesus being approached by "one of his...
, means holy, consecrated, sacred, or revered.
Etymology
The noun is from the Old English adjective hálig, nominalized as se hálga "the holy man". The GothicGothic language
Gothic is an extinct Germanic language that was spoken by the Goths. It is known primarily from the Codex Argenteus, a 6th-century copy of a 4th-century Bible translation, and is the only East Germanic language with a sizable Text corpus...
word for "holy" is either hailags or weihaba, weihs. "To hold as holy" or "to become holy" is weihnan, "to make holy, to sanctify" is weihan. Holiness or sanctification is weihia. Old English like Gothic had a second term of similar meaning, weoh "holy", with a substantive wih or wig, Old High German
Old High German
The term Old High German refers to the earliest stage of the German language and it conventionally covers the period from around 500 to 1050. Coherent written texts do not appear until the second half of the 8th century, and some treat the period before 750 as 'prehistoric' and date the start of...
wih or wihi (Middle High German
Middle High German
Middle High German , abbreviated MHG , is the term used for the period in the history of the German language between 1050 and 1350. It is preceded by Old High German and followed by Early New High German...
wîhe, Modern German Weihe). The Nordendorf fibula
Nordendorf fibula
thumb|300px|right|The Nordendorf II fibulaThe Nordendorf fibulae are two mid 6th to early 7th century Alamannic fibulae found in Nordendorf near Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany....
has wigiþonar, interpreted as wigi-þonar "holy Donar" or "sacred to Donar". Old Norse vé
Vé (shrine)
In Germanic paganism, a vé or wēoh is a type of shrine or sacred enclosure. The term appears in skaldic poetry and in place names in Scandinavia , often in connection with a Norse deity or a geographic feature. The name of the Norse god Vé, refers to the practice...
is a type of shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
. The weihs group is cognate to Latin victima, an animal dedicated to the gods and destined to be sacrificed
Animal sacrifice
Animal sacrifice is the ritual killing of an animal as part of a religion. It is practised by many religions as a means of appeasing a god or gods or changing the course of nature...
.
In current usage
In modern English usage, the "hallow" appears mostly in compounds in HalloweenHalloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
and Hallowmas. Halloween (or Hallowe'en) is a shortened form of "All Hallow Even", meaning "All Hallow's Eve" coopted to be "All Saints' Eve". Hallowmas, the day after Halloween, is shortened from "Hallow's mass", and is also known as "All Hallow's Day" or "All Saints' Day".
Hallows can, but did not originally, refer to saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s, the relic
Relic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
s (including remains) of the saints, the relics of god
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
s, or shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
s in which relics are kept. Since the essence of these saints or gods were often considered present at their shrines and in their relics, hallows came to refer to the saints or gods themselves, rather than just their relics or shrines.
Samhain predated Christianity; All Hallow's Eve was the alternative celebration. Like celebrating Christmas in December when Jesus was more than likely born in April (shepherds in the fields and all that) to co-opt Saturnalia and all the Mythraic holidays.
In literature
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the seventh and final book in J.K. Rowling's Harry PotterHarry PotterHarry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
series.