Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Horripilation – Wordplay Wednesday™ 10/09/2019


Sneaking Up on Spooky 

Only four Wordplay Wednesdays until my favorite Holiday of the year! Today and the rest of this month’s words all have a connection to this ethereal celebration.

Anticipation … ♪ can you feel it? Let’s get spooky …

HORRIPILATION (hô ripʹɘ lāʹshɘn) n. – the erection of hair on the head or body, as from fear, disease, or cold; goose bumps. [WW #237]

Ah, yes, HalloweenAll Hallow’s EveSamhain … however you say it, at some point in the coming weeks, you’ll feel horripilation at the anticipation of ghosts, goblins, witches, warlocks, and the intrepid stroke of midnight, as the veil lifts between our world … and the next …

Oh, the horror of it! Or for some, the absolute glory of it.

How much do you know about this ancient observance and its tradition of horripilation? To start, the Celtic Samhain* mentioned above, is where the global customs began. *The entrance passage to the Mound of the Hostages on the Hill of Tara is aligned with the rising sun around Samhain. The Mound of the Hostages is 4,500 to 5000 years old, suggesting that Samhain was celebrated long before the first Celts arrived in Ireland about 2,500 years ago.

For most of us, it’s the FUN of it! Whether you don a creepy costume or stay home with a big bowl of goodies by the door and a stack of horror movies queued up, enjoy the tingling (and safe) horripilation of the Holiday.
 
Channel your inner Wolfman Jack and howl at the moon. It’ll release your anxieties and confuse the hell out of your neighbors! "My eyes beheld an eerie sight ..."  ♪ Aaaawwooo!

Word Challenge: HORRIPILATION. Consider your beliefs of the connection between this world and the otherworld, as you slip horripilation into your week of eerie writings.

Learning knows no prejudices or boundaries, and it isn’t fattening! Expanding your mind is a no-cost, simple joy. Do you feel that way too? What’s your inspiration? Share your creative genius and Wordplay Wednesday comments below.

Write first for yourself … only then can you write for others. (L.Rochelle) 

 
Wicked Witch of the West           

[LinDee Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and an author by way of Rock & Roll. She has published two books (of three) in her Blast from Your Past series about pioneering R&R Radio DJs. True behind-the-mic tales make GREAT Holiday Gifts available on Amazon (eBook and print): Book 1Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959; and Book 2Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging Sixties. Coming soon … The Psychedelic Seventies!]

Note: Dictionary definitions are quoted from Webster’s New World College Dictionary.
Endnote: FYI – All links in the PFP site are personally visited, verified, and vetted. Most are linked to commonly accessed sites of reputable note. However, as with everything cyber-security, use at your own discretion.

E-N-Dzzzzzzzz  

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