Ignoring the mountain of Christmas decorations piling up at Tesco (wait your bloody turn, Santa), the spooky season is now in full swing. It’s finally time for pumpkins, skeletons, ghosts, schlocky horror movies, and this year…Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
It might seem like an odd choice for a fantasy RPG to release onHalloween, but it couldn’t be more fitting. The holiday is rooted in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (‘sow-win’), in which pagans celebrate the barrier between the physical and spirit worlds breaking down (thanks,History Channel). It marks the midpoint between the autumnal equinox and winter solstice, making it one of the most important days in the Celtic calendar (as perIrish Myths).
Revellers would hold festivals to please the gods and even feed the dead, hoping to weather the harsh cold until the next harvest. It was believed that the darker nights stemmed from the sun itself descending into the Underworld each year, allowing the lord of the dead and his legions to walk the Earth. The living would don costumes to blend in with the wandering spirits in what the Scottish called ‘guising’, and they would even perform tricks to get gifts that would ward off evil souls.
Pagans would typically celebrate for three days and three nights, and those who didn’t were believed to be punished by the gods — so you’d best get to playing Veilguard!
The Veilguard is aboutSolas tearing down the Veil, allowing demons and ancientelven godsto spill into Thedas from the Fade. Sounds familiar, eh? The direct similarities are clear, but we can also infer a couple of thematic parallels that only go to show how ingrained the idea of Samhain is within concepts of the Veil.
One of the gods that Solas unleashes is Elgar’nan, who, as stated bythe Fandom wiki, may have once been represented by the Solium constellation, ie the Sun. If true, it ties beautifully into the idea of the Sun descending into the Underworld during Samhain.
Another fascinating connection is our hub in The Veilguard — The Lighthouse. Located beyond the Veil inthe Fade, this lavish mansion where we can rest our head safely for the night might have its roots in some of Samhain’s most striking iconography. During the celebrations, pagans would create enormous, sacred bonfires, believing that they held back the darkness of winter and scared away evil spirits. What better than a towering beacon of fire within the Fade itself to hold back similar forces?
Much like the Dalish elves knowing little of their heritage, the meaning of this festive season has been muddied as time marched on from pagan rituals. Most now see it as an opportunity to watch their favourite horror movies, dress up in fun costumes, and if they’re younger, go door-to-door collecting sweets. There’s nothing wrong with that, holidays adapt and grow over time and are refitted into more modern contexts, but it’s refreshing to see a game like The Veilguard inspired so deeply by the season’s Celtic roots, rather than using it as little more than an aesthetic.
It’s no coincidence that The Veilguard is launching on Halloween, and in fact, it might be one of the most unashamedly Halloween games we’ve ever had.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
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Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the long-awaited fourth game in the fantasy RPG series from BioWare formerly known as Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. A direct sequel to Inquisition, it focuses on red lyrium and Solas, the aforementioned Dread Wolf.
