Saturday, October 24, 2009

Demons and muses and contests, oh my!

Duendes are the dark side of muses. Akin to demons, duendes mercilessly drive people to creativity rather than using inspiration, sometimes resulting in the person's insanity or death.

In my Wild Rose Press short fantasy, The Duende and the Muse, a duende and a muse team up to inspire a lackluster poet. It's all about balance, the yin and yang.

Since ancient times, people believed they could work against evil forces with certain practices. If you're superstitious, maybe you'll want to try one of these:

To ward off evil on Halloween, walk around your home three times clockwise and three times counterclockwise.

Hide all knives on Halloween night so that returning spirits won't come to any harm.

Place a turnip on your gatepost on Halloween so no evil spirits can harm you or your home.

Lock up your cat on Halloween to prevent an elf from entering your home on your cat's back and creating havoc.

Ring a bell (not a doorbell) on Halloween to ward off evil spirits for the entire year to come.

Keep your windows closed so no bats can fly into your house and bring death.

Dress up in masks and costumes to deceive spirits who may be seeking you out.

Appease the spirits of the dead and feed the souls of any visiting ancestors by leaving food outside.

Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of The Duende and the Muse! I'll announce a winner tomorrow night.