The Origins of Halloween

By Laurie Siblock

Halloween has become a much-loved holiday when adults and children alike dress in costume and attempt to scare the daylights out of each other. This frighteningly fun holiday has been around for over 2000 years but its origins were much more serious than the lighthearted celebrations we have today. The history of Halloween begins with the Celts of Northern Europe, a hunting and herding people, who celebrated the harvest as well as the onset of winter when they brought the herds in to shelter. Only the hardiest of the herd were kept and fed over the winter. The others were slaughtered making it a time of great feasting and celebration of the harvest. This communal feast was dedicated to Samhain (pronounced “SOW-in, the word means “end of summer”). Samhain was also the Celtic Lord of the Dead and it was believed that October 31st was the one night when the veil between the living and the dead was most permeable. In an act of self-preservation, people disguised themselves as ghosts and spirits in order to blend in with the real ones and they led parades out of town in the hopes of leading evil spirits away.

In 2009, Lang Pioneer Village Museum, re-invented our Spooky Halloween event to shed light on the historic origins of Halloween. At All Hallows’ Eve between 6 pm and 9 pm on October 28 and 29, the Village is the perfect setting for delving into earlier traditions that have morphed into our modern Halloween customs. Visitors to All Hallows’ Eve will encounter many spirits. They may not be visible (although some people can see them) but they will be here in the shadows, in the whistling winds and gloom of the night. Bring the whole family to experience a fun night of wandering spirits, divination, “soul-cakes”, bone-fires, the magic of the fairies, eerie tales that will astonish you and jack-o-lanterns. Do come well-disguised for, as the Celts believed, the veil between this world and the next will be very thin. You’ll want to blend in.

Laurie Siblock is the Assistant Manager at Lang Pioneer Village Museum. Her role in the Village, beginning in 2006, involves crafting special events and working with special projects like the Jacquard Loom Project and Aabnaabin Camp, a First Nations encampment circa 1825 developed in partnership with Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations. She is also a member of the Kawartha Truth and Reconciliation Support Group. When not at Lang Pioneer Village, she can be found with her nose in a book, often related to First Nation history and social justice, or working away in her fibre art studio.

Tattoos in the Victorian Period

By: Elizabeth King

It isn’t very often that I have the chance to get in period dress anymore, but I recently had the pleasure of being outfitted as one of the characters in the Museum’s Historic Literary Walks. When dressing up, there are certain rules we’ve adopted here at the Village to be as authentic as possible when representing the fashion of the years we portray. They’re all pretty obvious; no noticeable make-up, no bright, unnaturally coloured hair showing, no modern face piercings visible, and no nail-polish. Checking myself, I was okay on all fronts, relieved.

But then…it struck me!

A few months ago I got a visible tattoo. It’s a tiny one, and it’s not very noticeable at a glance, but it’s right on top of the middle finger on my left hand. And if I gesticulate, you notice it. This got me thinking…am I going to have to wear gloves? Am I going to be banned from getting into costume, will I ever look authentic in our costumes again? It actually worried me! I decided I needed to know more – because if there’s one thing you can be sure of when it comes to me – I love a soap box, and I want to be ready with my argument for why it’s going to be okay. So here it is folks - I can still be a Victorian lady, even with a tattoo! This is why…

In England and the U.S. in the early 1800’s, tattooing was a shocking and scandalous art seen only amongst the lower classes - sailors, criminals, and women of ill repute. All of this changed, however, in the 1860’s when Queen Victoria’s son, the then Prince of Wales, had a cross tattooed on his body as a symbol of religious devotion while on a trip to Jerusalem. Two of his children followed suit, and in the 1880’s, had tattoos done as well. They were vocal about emulating their father. This caused, like most taboo things, an interest to blossom. Now that a few important people showed an interest, it started what would be a trend among the Aristocracy at the time. In one article I read that "in 1898, in an article in the Harmsworth Monthly Pictorial Magazine, author R.J. Stephen estimated as many as 100,000 people in London (England) alone had tattoos."

I should explain that these tattoos were not visible and prominently out on display. People were quite tricky about hiding their ink, and it wasn’t common to see the work.  Today, tattoos are a mainstream phenomenon and very much on display. Not so in the Victorian era. Although it was happening, and people knew, the owners of the work would wear jewelry and accessories to cover it up until they wanted it seen.

When looking up information for this article, I came across some information about Lady Churchill (yes, that’s Winston’s mama!). If that isn’t an example of a Victorian lady, I don’t know what is. Apparently, she was known for wearing bracelets. It was her signature accessory. In 1906, in the New York Times, it was reported that these bracelets were actually worn to cover the tattoo of a serpent that wrapped around her wrist. Lady Churchill is pictured below.

There she is – a tattooed Victorian lady, who if she moved her arm and hand the right way, had a visible tattoo! (She is actually a VERY interesting lady to read about. If you feel like a trip down “feminists in history” lane, go google her! She worked, she was an artist, she had affairs – and 3 husbands – and according to lore, she is responsible for what we now know as the Manhattan cocktail).

Like most trends, once it trickled down to the middle and working classes, the Aristocracy lost interest. Tattooing went underground again. One of the more colourful items that is documented is that it became a popular attraction in the carnival to have women who were completely covered with tattoos tell terrible stories about being forced into them against their will. These stories- dark, fascinating, and terrible - were not always true. Here are some photographs of tattooed women who were part of the carnival scene:

Nora Hildebrandt

Maud Stevens Wagner (a tattoo artist herself!)

 So the result of all of this…

I could wear gloves, or a ring, and cover my ink when I am in period dress.

But I could also argue that as a matter of personal choice, I don’t follow convention and there were plenty of Victorian women who didn’t.

The point is, we’re not talking about a Victorian dress and a cell phone here. Tattoos existed, the MACHINE for tattooing even existed, and it’s not outside the realm of possibility.

Elizabeth King is the Administrative/Volunteer Coordinator at Lang Pioneer Village Museum.  She has been working at the Village since May of 2009.  Elizabeth is passionate about history, costuming, reading, vegan culinary crusades and environmental pursuits. When she isn’t in the middle of a project at Lang, she is often found with her head in the clouds.

In Flanders Fields – Part 9: Canadian Sniper - Francis Pegahmagabow, First Nation’s War Hero

By Joe Corrigan

In 2014, Clint Eastwood produced a major motion picture entitled “American Sniper” starring Bradley Cooper. The movie was based on the autobiography of Chris Kyle, the most effective U.S. sniper in the conflict in Iraq. The most prolific sniper of the First World War was Francis Pegahmagabow, an Objibwe who was born on what is now the Shawanaga First Nation near Nobel, Ontario. It is believed that Francis Pegahmagabow was born on March 8th or 9th, 1889. In Objibwe his name was Binaaswi “the wind that blows off”. His parents both passed away of an unspecified illness at an early age and Francis was raised by Noah Nebimanyquod who had also raised Francis’s father. He grew up in Shawanaga where he learned how to hunt and fish and was guided in his values by a mix of Catholicism and Anishnaabe spirituality. He completed his education in 1912 and worked that summer for the Department of Marine and Fisheries on the Great Lakes as a marine fire fighter. During this time Francis was given a small leather pouch that he believed gave him special protection from danger, a fact that certainly had an impact on his military career.

Shortly after the outbreak of the Great War in August 1914, Francis Pegahmagabow enlisted in the Canadian Army, despite government discrimination that initially discouraged aboriginals from joining the war effort. After a period of training at Valcartier, Quebec, Francis sailed for England with the rest of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF). By February 1915, the CEF took its place in the trenches of Belgium where Francis was posted to the 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion of the 1st Canadian Division. The 2nd Battle of Ypres in late April of 1915 was where Francis first saw combat along the rest of the CEF. This was the battle where the Germans unleashed chlorine gas for the first time in the war. The Canadians faced this new threat and held their line with great courage and determination. It was during this time that Francis, or “Peggy” as he was known to his mates, began to establish a reputation as an effective sniper and scout. Shortly following the battle Francis was promoted to Lance Corporal. He was recommended by his commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Frank Albert Creighton, for the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) for his “disregard for danger and faithfulness to duty”. The DCM was considered second only to the Victoria Cross in terms of importance but Creighton’s recommendation was downgraded to the Military Medal (MM).

Francis was wounded during the Battle of the Somme in late 1916 but returned to the line in time for the Battle of Passchendaele, around the 6th or 7th of November 1917, where he earned a bar to his Military Medal, the equivalent of winning the medal once again. On August 30, 1918, during the Battle of the Scarpe, Francis braved heavy machine gun and rifle fire to bring ammunition to his post that had nearly run out and helped repulse several heavy German counter attacks. For this action, Francis was awarded a second bar to his Military Medal.

Francis Pegahmagabow, 1945

Over the course of the war, Frances earned the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal along with his Military Medal and 2 bars and was promoted to Corporal. He was credited 378 sniper kills. During his work as a scout he would often infiltrate enemy trenches at night, often taking pieces of uniforms from the German soldiers as they slept. His prowess in this regard resulted in his capture of over 300 prisoners over the course of the fighting. Francis’ faith in the special protection of that little leather pouch saw him taking chances that others would not dare to copy.

By the end of the First World War, Francis Pegahmagabow was the most decorated First Nations soldier in the CEF. He married in later life and fathered six children. He was an advocate for First Nations issues and was twice elected chief of the Parry Island First Nations.

For those who wish to learn more about Francis Pegahmagabow there is a Wikipedia page on his life. Francis is also the subject of a book entitled “Pegahmagabow: Legendary Warrior, Forgotten Hero” by Adrian Hayes which was published in 2003. The You Tube series “The Great War” has an episode of its feature “Who did what in WW1?” on Francis’ life. You can find the link by clicking here.

As a tribute to this intrepid warrior, a life size statue of Francis was erected in his honour on National Aboriginal Day, June 21st, 2016 in Parry Sound, Ontario. The figure of Pegahmagabow has an eagle on one arm, a Ross rifle slung from its shoulder and a caribou at his feet representing the Caribou Clan that he belonged too. In case you’re wondering from what was noted in a previous edition of “In Flanders Fields” the Ross rifle, though discredited due to its tendency to jam and overheat in the rapid fire requirements of combat, was an excellent and extremely accurate firearm for the stealthy role of the sniper.

Joe Corrigan has been Museum Manager at Lang Pioneer Village since February of 2003. He has been a lifelong student of history. His specific areas of interest are Canadian and world political, military and sports history with a particular focus on biographical works. Joe has been interpreting Sir John A. Macdonald at the Museum's Historic Dominion Day event since 2007.    

           

            

"In Flanders Fields" Part 8 - The Battle of the Somme - July to November 1916

By Joe Corrigan

In February of 1916, the German army launched a major offensive on the Western Front targeting the French City of Verdun. The City was a strategically important objective which was heavily defended by a number of fortifications built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. After their humiliating defeat by the Prussians in the 1870s, France vowed that they would never suffer the same fate again. The French poured massive financial and human resources into the defense of the area.

By the third year of World War I, all thoughts of a quick and decisive victory had long since faded away. Following the initial invasion of France and Belgium in August 1914, the Allies (France, Belgium and Britain) and Germany had fought each other to a standstill. What resulted by the end of that year was a line of trenches extending from the English Channel in the north to Switzerland in the south. All but a tiny portion of Belgium was in the control of the Germans as was most of northeastern France. Only a small portion of the line was actually in German territory. The combatants had realized that this would be a war of attrition and, at Verdun, the aim of the Germans was to draw more and more French soldiers into the caldron with the aim of “bleeding France white”.

Canadian Howitzer World War I

As the battle around Verdun grew in scope and the casualty lists lengthened, the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was urged to launch an offensive in their sector to draw off German reserves and relieve pressure on the French army. General Sir Douglas Haig, the commander of the BEF, chose to launch his offensive at a location near the River Somme, a place where the British and French sectors met. Two years of trench warfare had forced a change in the strategies employed by the British high command. In the attack on the Somme, they planned to eliminate German resistance with a massive artillery barrage and the detonation of a series of massive explosions in several underground mines they dug below the enemy’s front line trenches. The expectation was that, with this massive demonstration of firepower, the British troops would face little resistance in making major gains into German territory. Unfortunately, in World War I, the advantage always rested with the defender and, the planned British strategy, though it may have been successful in 1915, failed to address the new realities of trench warfare in 1916.

During the week beginning on June 24th, British artillery fired over 1,700,000 shells into the German positions. Unfortunately, as manufacturing techniques were still suspect, a large percentage of the shells failed to explode. The barrage was composed of both high explosive and shrapnel shells, the latter being largely ineffective in cutting the massive networks of barbed wire that the Germans had constructed to support their trenches. The mines which the British exploded on the morning of July 1st, immediately before the attack, did extensive damage to the German’s forward trenches in a number of places. The problem was that the Germans had established a system of “defense in depth” which meant that there were several lines of trenches behind the front lines, which were lightly manned. These subsequent lines of trenches had deep dugouts in which the vast majority of the German defenders were able to ride out the week-long barrage to emerge dazed but fully prepared to deal with the British assault.

What transpired was the bloodiest day in British army history. The British and empire troops sustained 57,000 casualties on the first day alone, most occurring in the first few hours. These casualties included the men of the Newfoundland Regiment who attacked that morning at Beaumont Hamel. Of the 780 Newfoundlanders who went over the top on the morning of July 1, 1916, 684 were either killed or wounded. It was a terrible price to pay for the island colony with a population of 250,000 people and impacted Newfoundland for generations. July 1st is known as Memorial Day in Newfoundland and has been commemorated in conjunction with Canada Day since Newfoundland became part of Canada in 1949.  

Beaumont Hamel Memorial

Newfoundland caribou badge

The Battle of the Somme continued until November of 1916. The Canadian Corps moved into the line in September of that year. On September 15, the Canadian Corps attacked near the village of Courcelette. The village was captured by the end of the day with the 22nd Battalion’s Quebecers and the 25th Battalion’s Nova Scotians holding out against determined German counter attacks. Courcelette was the first battle in which the Canadians attacked in conjunction with tanks. During their participation in the Battle of the Somme, the Canadians sustained a total of 24,029 casualties.

Shrapnel burst over Canadian trench

Canadians after Courcelette

 

Wounded in Trench Courcelette

In the end the British had achieved limited gains at a price of over 420,000 killed, wounded and missing. The French suffered an additional 200,000 casualties and German losses were estimated at 500,000. The futility of the Somme and Verdun offensives lead to a mutiny by the French army and a revision of tactics on behalf of the British. General Sir Arthur Currie, at the time a division commander with the Canadian Corps, studied the results of these battles in detail and his analysis contributed greatly to the successful attack of Vimy Ridge which would take place on April 9 to 12,1917.

Canadian stretcher bearers

Sommes late 1916

The Battle of the Somme has come to symbolize the futility of brave soldiers being betrayed by their generals’ tactics in hopeless efforts against overwhelming odds, the lasting legacy of World War I.

           

            

 Joe Corrigan has been Museum Manager at Lang Pioneer Village since February of 2003. He has been a lifelong student of history. His specific areas of interest are Canadian and world political, military and sports history with a particular focus on biographical works. Joe has been interpreting Sir John A. Macdonald at the Museum's Historic Dominion Day event since 2007.    

The Lang Pioneer Village Experience

By Marcus

Visiting this historical village that replicated life in Peterborough County in the 19^th century was an experience I surely cannot forget. Being transported back in time, it was particularly fascinating to see the buildings where families like the Ayottes, Fifes, and Fitzpatricks once roamed and lived their every day lives.  During my 3-day experience at Lang Pioneer Village, I was captivated by the number of buildings, artifacts, including tools, and costumes people used during pioneer times. Back in the 1800s it was such a difficult life.

The pioneers lived in cabins that seemed so simple, small and cramped. But, having a shelter, a wood stove for heating and cooking, an area to sleep and eat, was all a family needed. However, according to today’s standards families' homes require so many modern amenities like two car garages, multiple televisions, many rooms and multiple appliances. This journey was so important for me because it allowed me to disconnect from the modern world of phones, electronics and big cities so that I can see how people lived before my time; small communities, small buildings and houses, no electricity and actually connecting with their surroundings for entertainment. 

Keene Hotel, Lang Pioneer Village, Circa 1870's

Something else that I found particularly fascinating was the price of the hotel rooms at the Keene Hotel. The room that they referred to as the “best room” costs a grand total of 75 cents.  I couldn’t believe that 75 cents back then could get you shelter, a hot dinner, fully operational bathroom and a bed to sleep on where as 75 cents cannot even buy you, say, a chocolate bar now-a-days. But I found that the upstairs has a creepy sort of vibe because it was just so dark and knowing it was an old building that inhabited people from a long time ago. To me the building has strong presences of spirits that might have been there before.

Glen Alda Methodist Church, Lang Pioneer Village, Circa 1898

Although it was interesting to see the Hotel, my favorite of all the buildings at Lang Pioneer Village was the Glen Alda Methodist Church. It was my favorite because it seemed so small yet enough space to practice Christianity. Myself being a Christian, it was amazing to see how the people before me practiced religion. The windows were so beautifully tinted and it just filled my mind with knowledge and interest to see an original Hymn number board and an organ from the 1890’s. Sadly, my time at Lang Pioneer Village had to draw to a close but I will always remember what I learned about the importance of preserving our heritage, learning how people lived in the past and the importance of giving back to the community, in which I gave back by helping out at Lang Pioneer Village.

  

Marcus is a grade 10 student at Trinity College School and guest writer for the Museum.

Education Back in the Day

By Erik

As we all know, our ways to live and services around the world have changed through the years, and of course, school is no exception.

I had the chance to travel back in time to the 19th century by visiting Lang Pioneer Village’s school. I became a witness of how classrooms used to be, sorry, how the classroom used to be. That’s right, the school used to be just one classroom with all the students from different grades being taught at the same place.

Another big difference between the past and present of the schools is the way to teach. The 19th century happened years before the birth of the Digital Revolution so people weren’t able to learn or teach through the benefits of technology. Instead, they were taught by chalk boards and used mini chalk boards as notebooks as well. Sure, chalk boards are still being used today to teach, but most of our education and assignments are applied in computers.

Discipline applied in school is another aspect of school that has also changed. They used to have a board telling the rules about the way the students should behave during class and if they refused to obey they would have consequences. Rules in the classroom were simple but solid, for example, not leaving your desk without permission, being silent during class, not disturbing peers, among many other rules. The rough part was the punishment of not following these rules. Through the years the rules became the basic structure of discipline in school but punishments were becoming smoother until the point that punishments were no longer intimidating for kids, much like it is today.

Erik is a grade 11 student at Trinity College School and guest writer for the Museum.

Marcus Vinson

By Suzanne

The following is a fictional story about what it might have been like for a male student who wanted to become a teacher in the late 1800s.

I want to be a teacher. I remember sitting in class, just being so captivated about what the teacher had to say. We weren’t a rich family, but we managed. My sisters and I would walk to school, hand in hand, through my Pa’s fields and over the creek that ran between where we kept the livestock and where we grew the harvest every summer. Carol and Ethel were never as excited to go to school as I was, they were always stopping to chase butterflies or toads or mice. I had to be the mean older brother that dragged them away from their play. They didn’t know it yet, but school was the most important thing in their lives at the moment. It was our ticket to a better, cushier, comfier life. Once we were educated and got good jobs, we could finally get our Ma and Pa to stop working so hard. We could take care of them like they did for us. I wanted to go to a good school, a good high school or college. I didn’t want to wind up like one of those kids sitting in the back of the schoolhouse at 19 years, I wanted something better. When I turned 17 I took the entrance exams for Harvard, it was far away from home, but I wanted it. The exam was on literature, and Greek, and Latin. I remember staying after school almost every day, studying with my teacher. She told me to give up. She said that Harvard was only for rich students but I wouldn’t listen. My Pa got real mad. He wanted me to stay home and help him in the fields. I got a couple spankings, but I knew that he wanted me to succeed; it’d just be hard. He wanted me to make it; he just didn’t think I could. When the time finally came, I wrote the exam. I was shaking. It was scary, my Ma tried to talk me out of going that day. I went anyways. The results didn’t come in until about a week later. I was too scared to go to school until then, or even help Pa out in the field. I stayed in bed, helped Ma take care of Ethel and Carol. I vomited a few times thinking about failing. In the end, I passed. My Ma cried, I think my Pa did too- just where we couldn’t see him. I went on to study at Harvard. I learned an awful lot about Latin, and Greek. I didn’t have much time to visit my family, but we wrote to each other whenever we could. My Pa couldn’t read, so Ma had to read it to the family. Eventually I graduated and became a professor. I wanted to teach, I loved to learn, so I wanted to help others do the same. I went on to teach at several smaller schools, and eventually became a professor at Harvard. My parents were proud, and never failed to express it. I invited them to come live with me, I made a good amount of money at my job, and could afford to take care of them both. They agreed, and brought Carol and Ethel with them. Shortly after the move, Ethel became a seamstress and got married and moved out. Carol never married, but I knew that she was happy. She got a job at the General Store selling fabrics to all the ladies in town. It makes me sad to think of all the kids back home who never made it far in school. I guess they must have taken it for granted. I resolved to never let any kid of mine do that. As I grew older, my Pa and Ma never stopped thanking me. Ma kept the house clean and Pa took care of my gardens. I could never have asked for a better life. I knew to thank myself as it was my work that got me here, even when not another soul believed in me. I guess that’s why I’m writing all this down. I don’t want anyone out there to be wallowing in self-pity, thinking that they have bad luck. Your future is in your hands, you just have to work for it.


Suzanne is a student at Trinity College School and guest writer for the Museum.