Samhain

"I am to be sacrificed in the wicker man as King of the Harvest! Like Ealdorman Simkin before me, and all before him."

―Ealdorman Cynon mentioning Simkin to Eivor, c. 876

Concept art of the Samhain festival

Samhain is a yearly festival that is held on the evening of 31 October and continues into 1 November.

History

On 31 October 856, ealdorman Simkin and his fellow constituents of Glowecestrescire celebrated the Samhain festival in Glowecestre and prepared the Wicker-Man, for it was Simkin's duty to burn within it. Before committing himself to self-sacrifice in the Wicker-Man, he gave the ealdorman's crown and guardianship of his daughter Brigid to his successor, Cynon, who vowed to continue the alliance between the Christians and pagans in the community. After Simkin burned inside the Wicker-Man, twenty years passed with good tidings within the shire, particularly between the leaders Cynon and the druid priestess Modron, who raised their daughter Gwenydd.

On 31 October 876, the Samhain festival was held again, and this time, it was Cynon's turn to burn within the Wicker-Man. However, his successor Tewdwr preached a new Christian path, which worried Cynon and Modron about the future of the shire and their daughter. So, with the arrival of Brigid's fiancé Gunnar and his guest, the Viking shieldmaiden Eivor Varinsdottir, Modron devised of a scheme to frame Eivor of murdering Tewdwr. After Eivor played her part as the Mari Lwyd, Cynon, with the help of the bandit Gwilim, drugged both Tewdwr and Eivor's drinks as they staged Tewdwr's house by killing his guards and leaving Eivor alone in the house. The next day, Eivor woke up alone in Tewdwr's house and discovered Tewdwr's men slain and the potion made to drug her. When she left the house, Eivor was accused by Cynon of killing Tewdwr and was labeled an enemy.

While the festival still played out, Eivor escaped from Cynon and his men and then met with Modron. Realizing she needed a distraction, she aided Eivor and sent to seek out a druid named Halewyn about the drug she found. Modron kept a close eye on Eivor and aided her while secretly planning out her next steps. After Eivor saved Tewdwr from Gwilim and his bandits, Modron casted blame on Cynon and promised to take care of Tewdwr. However, when Eivor left to seek Cynon, Modron carried Tewdwr back to her hideout in Ochre Caves. Yet, Modron's plan was thwarted by Eivor, who saved Tewdwr from Modron's sacrificial ritual. After the last event of the burning of the Wicker-Man, Eivor thus gained an ally in Glowecestrescire with Tewdwr.

Gallery

• 
  Eivor looks at the Wicker-Man

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Sword of the White Horse (mentioned only)