Samhain The night of 31 October—Halloween—is "Oíche Shamhna" (Irish), "Oidhche Shamhna" (Scottish Gaelic) and "Oie Houney" (Manx), meaning "Samhain night". The day of 1 November, or the whole festival, may be called "Lá Samhna" (Irish), "Là Samhna" (Scottish Gaelic) and "Laa Houney" (Manx), meaning "Samhain day". These names all come from the Old Irish "Samain" or "Samuin" , the name for the festival held on 1 November in medieval Ireland. This comes from Proto-Indo-European "*semo-" ("summer"). One suggestion is that the name means "summer's end", from "sam" ("summer") and "fuin" ("end"), but this may be a folk etymology. In 1907, Whitley
Samhain Middle Irish writer notes that Samhain is also called "Féile Moingfhinne" (the Festival of Mongfind or Mongfhionn), and that "women and the rabble make petitions to her" at Samhain. Many other events in Irish mythology happen or begin on Samhain. The invasion of Ulster that makes up the main action of the "Táin Bó Cúailnge" ('Cattle Raid of Cooley') begins on Samhain. As cattle-raiding typically was a summer activity, the invasion during this off-season surprised the Ulstermen. The "Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh" also begins on Samhain. The Morrígan and The Dagda meet and have sex before the battle against