A Soulful Halloween

If your children are considering 'trick or treating' tonight, or dressing as clowns, tell them to stop behaving like Americans and get back to their roots.

Halloween Kit

For a return to the customs of the British Isles they will need to:

• Carve a lantern out of a traditional turnip
• Wear hessian suits and a straw mummer's mask, like those (above) made by Straw Craft Ireland
• Learn the Souling Song

The Souling Song should be sung to responsive neighbours. Said neighbours should bake a soul cake or two to complete the exchange or woe betide them!

Woe betide you!

The Watersons will demonstrate how to sing the Souling Song to maximum effect:

Putting the willies up the neighbours

The kids might also wish to sing a rendition of The Crow at Play by Hypnopazūzu, a contemporary song that conjures ancient images of sheela na gigs and Wicker Men; and a song more than guaranteed to put the willies up the neighbours.

Hypnopazūzu are Martin 'Youth' Glover of Killing Joke and David Tibet of Current 93. With its psychedelic drone, tribal drums and the folk-chant delivery of strange and unsettling lyrics by David, Crow at Play is sinister enough to be included on any Halloween playlist.