The Snowflake Chronicles

October Fantasy Newsletter (Deadline 10/3/16}

Mythological Monsters #10

The Monsters and Myths of Halloween

Have you met your doppelganger?

About This Newsletter

It's that time of year again when children's heads fill with visions of candy corn and parents walk the aisles of supermarkets looking for Halloween candy deals. Soon little monsters and other Halloween myths will walk from door to door seeking sweets to quell their candy cravings. There are numerous myths, monsters, and misconceptions about Halloween. I am not going to discuss the misconceptions about this holiday because most people can find those by doing a search of the internet.

Letter from the Editor

There are all sorts of Halloween myths and monsters. Some of these scary creatures are from ancient legends and some are modern urban legends. One of these legends is the doppelganger, which is German for "double walker". It refers to the theory that every human being has a twin or body double that is either good or bad depending on whether the person it looks like is good or bad. According to this theory you do not want to meet your doppelganger or ghost double face to face.



Halloween can be a scary holiday because of its association with the dead. One ancient myth warns us not to turn around if we hear footsteps behind us on Halloween night because it is the dead following us. I have to say that, as a child, the only footsteps I hear following me on Halloween night were those of my brothers and sister when we went trick or treating. However, the ghostly footsteps behind a character is a good way to build the suspense in a mystery, horror, or fantasy story.



Some of the scariest and spookiest legends of Halloween come from Irish and Celtic mythology. One of these myths concerns a hero, a young man who kills a fire creatures threatening a town in Ireland. While another has to do with Queen Maeve and a cattle raid during Samhain. There are numerous Celtic myths concerning Halloween and Samhain that could be the basis for a Halloween short story or novel. One of the wonderful things about the internet is that authors can research these stories without leaving the comfort and safety of their own homes on Halloween night.



Halloween, in many places, is a time for remembering and celebrating the lives of family and friends who have passed beyond the veil. It is also a time for telling ghost stories and recounting scary myths from one's cultural heritage. I encourage the readers to submit stories or poems on this subject so that I can include them in the next newsletter.

Editors' Picks

1. A Cautionary Tale
2. Her Dark Desire
3. The Legend of Jack-O-Lantern
4. Mars Trapped Genie in a Bottle
5. Untitled
6. The Last Halloween

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Excerpt: The inside of the tree was warm, like a space heater bellowing out a constant hotness. Outside the cold wind kept whistling within the small hole the diminitive wood nymph lived in. She took a spoon and dipped it into the random can of corn she stumbled across on her scavenger hunt. Aerial tasted her concoction she created and chewed loudly into a piece of corn. It burst inside of her mouth with a sweetness and she rubbed the back of her hand against her face.

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Excerpt: Angel looking for her Valentine’s desire.
         Demon looking to satiate his loin’s want.
         His lust-filled cravings spurred by Hell's impish choir.

STATIC

The Legend of Jack-O-Lantern  (E) Poor plain wee Jack wanted to be part of the Halloween-Pack #2063670 by Carol St.Ann

Excerpt: There was a wee pumpkin named Jack
         Who drove all the other pumpkins bats.
         For he wanted a name
         that would grant the same fame
         As the members of Halloween-Pack.

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Excerpt: The vastness of space and the planet stretched out before a genie as they walked on the red planet. The sensation of the lighter gravity greeted his senses as his footsteps left impressions in the red sand. It had a tropical like sensation as the humid air clung to his uncovered form. Rain showered from above and pelted his body. The sun’s warmth still shone and it warmed his skin while droplets beat down. For a second he paused and reveled in the sensations. It was so different from earth when he had been called to before.

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Excerpt: Everything that I am about to commit to page is nothing, but the pure and absolute truth. To think that I am mad or simply making up the whole scene in order to garner attention is absolutely mistaken. The horrors that I am going to convey to you are absolutely the reason why these godforsaken doctors have decided to try to hide me away in this... place. I can only hope that someone, anyone, sees these pages and does the sanest thing possible: destroy that damned house on top of the hill!

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Excerpt: "I'll go to every house except Crazy Ethel's," Bobby Jennings said as he and his best friend, Tim Moore, started on their Trick or Treat trek.

Feedback from "Fantasy Newsletter (September 7, 2016)" 

Elfin Dragon-finally published writes: Wow, modern movie monsters. Alien is good but I always think of Predator.