Inside the Irish ‘hell caves’ where Halloween was born. Plus, Paul McCartney's inspiration for 'Lady Madonna'

Also, an asteroid sample returned to Earth; wild bears in Disney World  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌    ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  

 

POMPEII’S UNDUG SECRETS VIEW ONLINE

POMPEII’S UNDUG SECRETS

Hi friend, thanks for being a subscriber! Please make sure you are signed in to unlock your full subscriber experience.

HALLOWEEN COSTUMES BEGAN TO WARD OFF DEMONS Tuesday, September 26, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we discover the caves where Halloween emerged, question why a wild bear was loose at Disney World, revisit the Nat Geo photograph that inspired The Beatles’ ‘Lady Madonna’ ... and dissect an asteroid sample that returned to Earth.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY RONAN O'CONNELL Today’s trick or treaters owe a debt to a darker ancient Irish rite, where chanting, costumed celebrants sacrificed animals to demonic spirits of the cavernous subterranean underground. People disguised themselves as ghouls, not for sweet treats, but to save themselves from being dragged into the caves by the demons. Where are these caves (an entrance to one above)? How did the tradition go worldwide? HOW HALLOWEEN BEGAN

Unlock this article with Nat Geo Premium! Get access now to exclusive stories, plus a century of archives, photos, and videos. See subscription options starting at just $19/yr.

A gateway to the demon-filled underworld: A temple once stood at the archaeological site of Rathcroghan (depicted above). It was the main meeting place of the Connaught kingdom 2,000 years ago. Read more.

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

PHOTOGRAPHS BY NASA/GODDARD/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

Asteroid sample returned to Earth is a time capsule of the ancient solar system (Above, images of when a spacecraft approached and touched the asteroid’s surface.) The complicated truth about Vitamin D Do collagen supplements really work? Looking for home remedies? These 6 herbs might be able to help. Pompeii still has many secrets to uncover—but should we keep digging? Meet Henry VIII’s most underrated wife—the queen who survived

Ringling Circus is back—but this time, without animals Cage-free or free-range: You may not be getting what you think you’re paying for. They move in herds? A surprising discovery upends what we know about turtles. What do we think about when we think about Rome? Capturing stunning moments in nature Related: Invisible Wonders: Photographs of the Ancient World What is Oktoberfest—and why is it actually in September?

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

PHOTOGRAPH BY COREY ARNOLD Bears... on vacation: Bear populations are expanding, which means they’re likely to wind up in busy human areas. Some of the latest sightings? A North Carolina backyard (above). A Canadian hiking trail (makes sense). And Disney World (yes, really). WHAT’S GOING ON?

PHOTO OF THE DAY

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARY MCCARTNEY, MPL COMMUNICATIONS Did you know? The inspiration for The Beatles’ song ‘Lady Madonna’ was drawn from a photo Paul McCartney (above) saw in a National Geographic magazine. What better day to revisit it than today, the anniversary of the release of the group’s Abbey Road album in 1969. Related: The ultimate itinerary for Beatles fans WHO WAS LADY MADONNA?

LAST GLIMPSE

PHOTOGRAPH BY GIANLUCA COLLA, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION Do they really work? Collagen supplements claim to support and strengthen skin, hair, nails, and bones—just to name a few. (Above, wrinkled hands.) But does the science match the marketing? We sought experts to find out. LEARN MORE

Today’s soundtrack: The Cave, Mumford & Sons Thanks for reading our newsletter! It was edited and curated by Jen Tse, Hannah Farrow, Nancy San Martín, and David Beard. We'd love to hear from you: david.beard@natgeo.com. Keep shining!

SHOP DONATE SUBSCRIBE TRAVEL

READ OUR LATEST STORIES

SHOP

DONATE

SUBSCRIBE

TRAVEL

Clicking on the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and National Geographic Channel links will take you away from our National Geographic Partners site where different terms of use and privacy policy apply. This email was sent to: mitch.dobbs.pics@blogger.com. Please do not reply to this email as this address is not monitored. This email contains an advertisement from: National Geographic | 1145 17th Street, N.W. | Washington, D.C. 20036 Stop all types of future commercial email from National Geographic regarding its products, services, or experiences. Manage all email preferences with the Walt Disney Family of Companies. © 2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC, All rights reserved.