Balder the Beautiful Part 26

[398] J. Boemus, _Mores, leges et ritus omnium gentium_ (Lyons, 1541), pp. 225 _sq._

[399] Tessier, "Sur la fete annuelle de la roue flamboyante de la Saint-Jean, a Ba.s.se-Kontz, arrondiss.e.m.e.nt de Thionville," _Memoires et dissertations publies par la Societe Royale des Antiquaires de France_, v. (1823) pp. 379-393. Tessier witnessed the ceremony, 23rd June 1822 (not 1823, as is sometimes stated). His account has been reproduced more or less fully by J. Grimm (_Deutsche Mythologie_,*[4] i. 515 _sq._) W.

Mannhardt (_Der Baumkultus_, pp. 510 _sq._), and H. Gaidoz ("Le dieu gaulois du Soleil et le symbolisme de la Roue," _Revue Archeologique_, iii. Serie, iv. (1884) pp. 24 _sq._).

[400] _Bavaria, Landes- und Volkskunde des Konigreichs Bayern_ (Munich, 1860-1867), i. 373 _sq_.; compare _id_., iii. 327 _sq_. As to the burning discs at the spring festivals, see above, pp. 116 _sq_., 119, 143.

[401] _Op. cit_. ii. 260 _sq_., iii. 936, 956, iv. 2. p. 360.

[402] _Op. cit_. ii. 260.

[403] _Op. cit._ iv. i. p. 242. We have seen (p. 163) that in the sixteenth century these customs and beliefs were common in Germany. It is also a German superst.i.tion that a house which contains a brand from the midsummer bonfire will not be struck by lightning (J.W. Wolf, _Beitrage, zur deutschen Mythologie_, i. p. 217, -- 185).

[404] J. Boemus, _Mores, leges et ritus omnium gentium_ (Lyons, 1541), p. 226.

[405] Karl Freiherr von Leoprechting, _Aus dem Lechrain_ (Munich, 1855), pp. 181 _sqq._; W. Mannhardt, _Der Baumkultus_, p. 510.

[406] A. Birlinger, _Volksthumliches aus Schwaben_ (Freiburg im Breisgau, 1861-1862), ii. pp. 96 _sqq._, -- 128, pp. 103 _sq._, -- 129; _id., Aus Schwaben_ (Wiesbaden, 1874), ii. 116-120; E. Meier, _Deutsche Sagen, Sitten und Gebrauche aus Schwaben_ (Stuttgart, 1852), pp. 423 _sqq._; W. Mannhardt, _Der Baumkultus_, p. 510.

[407] F. Panzer, _Beitrag zur deutschen Mythologie_ (Munich, 1848-1855), i. pp. 215 _sq._, -- 242; _id._, ii. 549.

[408] A. Birlinger, _Volksthumliches aus Schwaben_ (Freiburg im Breisgau, 1861-1862), ii. 99-101.

[409] Elard Hugo Mayer, _Badisches Volksleben_ (Strasburg, 1900), pp.

103 _sq._, 225 _sq._

[410] W. von Schulenberg, in _Verhandlungen der Berliner Gesellschaft fur Anthropologie, Ethnologie und Urgeschichte, Jahrgang 1897_, pp. 494 _sq._ (bound up with _Zeitschrift fur Ethnologie_, xxix. 1897).

[411] H. Gaidoz, "Le dieu Gaulois du Soleil et le symbolisme de la Roue," _Revue Archeologique_, iii. Serie, iv. (1884) pp. 29 _sq._

[412] Bruno Stehle, "Volksglauben, Sitten und Gebrauche in Lothringen,"

_Globus_, lix. (1891) pp. 378 _sq._; "Die Sommerwendfeier im St.

Amarinthale," _Der Urquell_, N.F., i. (1897) pp. 181 _sqq._

[413] J.H. Schmitz, _Sitten und Sagen Lieder, Spruchworter und Rathsel des Eifler Volkes_ (Treves, 1856-1858), i. 40 _sq._ According to one writer, the garlands are composed of St. John's wort (Monta.n.u.s, _Die deutschen Volksfeste, Volksbrauche und deutscher Volksglaube_, Iserlohn, N.D., p. 33). As to the use of St. John's wort at Midsummer, see below, vol. ii. pp. 54 _sqq._

[414] A. Kuhn und W. Schwartz, _Norddeutsche Sagen, Marchen und Gebrauche_ (Leipsic, 1848), p. 390.

[415] Monta.n.u.s, _Die deutschen Volksfeste, Volksbrauche und deutscher Volksglaube_ (Iserlohn, N.D.), pp. 33 _sq._

[416] C.L. Rochholz, _Deutscher Glaube und Brauch_ (Berlin, 1867), ii.

144 _sqq._

[417] Philo vom Walde, _Schlesien in Sage und Brauch_ (Berlin, N.D.), p.

124; Paul Drechsler, _Sitte, Brauch, und Volksglaube in Schlesien_ (Leipsic, 1903-1906), i. 136 _sq._

[418] J. Grimm, _Deutsche Mythologie,_*[4] i. 517 _sq._

[419] From information supplied by Mr. Sigurd K. Heiberg, engineer, of Bergen, Norway, who in his boyhood regularly collected fuel for the fires. I have to thank Miss Anderson, of Barskimming, Mauchline, Ayrs.h.i.+re, for kindly procuring the information for me from Mr. Heiberg.

The Blocksberg, where German as well as Norwegian witches gather for their great Sabbaths on the Eve of May Day (Walpurgis Night) and Midsummer Eve, is commonly identified with the Brocken, the highest peak of the Harz mountains. But in Mecklenburg, Pomerania, and probably elsewhere, villages have their own local Blocksberg, which is generally a hill or open place in the neighbourhood; a number of places in Pomerania go by the name of the Blocksberg. See J. Grimm, _Deutsche Mythologie_*[4] ii. 878 _sq._; Ulrich Jahn, _Hexenwesen und Zauberei in Pommern_ (Breslau, 1886), pp. 4 _sq._; _id._, _Volkssagen aus Pommern und Rugen_ (Stettin, 1886), p. 329.

[420] L. Lloyd, _Peasant Life in Sweden_ (London, 1870), pp. 259, 265.

[421] L. Lloyd, _op. cit._ pp. 261 _sq._ These springs are called "sacrificial fonts" (_Offer kallor_) and are "so named because in heathen times the limbs of the slaughtered victim, whether man or beast, were here washed prior to immolation" (L. Lloyd, _op. cit._ p. 261).

[422] E. Hoffmann-Krayer, _Feste und Brauche des Schweizervolkes_ (Zurich, 1913), p. 164.

[423] Ignaz V. Zingerle, _Sitten, Brauche und Meinungen des Tiroler Volkes_*[2] (Innsbruck, 1871), ii. p. 159, -- 1354.

[424] I.V. Zingerle, _op. cit._ p. 159, ---- 1353, 1355, 1356; W.

Mannhardt, _Der Baumkultus_, p. 513.

[425] W. Mannhardt, _l.c._

[426] F. Panzer, _Beitrag zur deutschen Mythologie_ (Munich, 1848-1855), i. p. 210, -- 231.

[427] Theodor Vernaleken, _Mythen und Brauche des Volkes in Oesterreich_ (Vienna, 1859), pp. 307 _sq._

[428] J. Grimm, _Deutsche Mythologie_*[4] i. 519; Theodor Vernaleken, _Mythen und Brauche des Volkes in Oesterreich_ (Vienna, 1859), p. 308; Joseph Virgil Grohmann, _Aberglauben und Gebrauche aus Bohmen und Mahren_ (Prague and Leipsic, 1864), p. 80, -- 636; Reinsberg-Duringsfeld, _Fest-Kalender aus Bohmen_ (Prague, N.D.), pp. 306-311; Br. Jelfnek, "Materialien zur Vorgeschichte und Volkskunde Bohmens," _Mittheilungen der anthropologischen Gesellschaft in Wien>_ xxi. (1891) p. 13; Alois John, _Sitte, Brauch und Volksglaube im deutschen Westbohmen_ (Prague, 1905) pp. 84-86.

[429] Willibald Muller, _Beitrage zur Volkskunde der Deutschen in Mahren_ (Vienna and Olmutz, 1893), pp. 263-265.

[430] Anton Peter, _Volksthumliches aus osterreichisch-Schlesien_ (Troppau, 1865-1867), ii. 287.

[431] Th. Vernaleken, _Mythen und Brauche des Volkes in Oesterreich_ (Vienna, 1859), pp. 308 _sq._

[432] _The Dying G.o.d_, p. 262. Compare M. Kowalewsky, in _Folk-lore_, i.

(1890) p. 467.

[433] W.R.S. Ralston, _Songs of the Russian People_, Second Edition (London, 1872), p. 240.

[434] J. Grimm, _Deutsche Mythologie_,*[4] i. 519; W.R.S. Ralston, _Songs of the Russian People_ (London, 1872), pp. 240, 391.

[435] W.R.S. Ralston, _op. cit._ p. 240.

[436] W.R.S. Ralston, _l.c._

[437] W.J.A. von Tettau und J.D.H. Temme, _Die Volkssagen Ostpreussens, Litthauens und Westpreussens_ (Berlin, 1837), p. 277.

[438] M. Toppen, _Aberglauben aus Masuren_*[2] (Danzig, 1867), p. 71.

[439] F.S. Krauss, "Altslavische Feuergewinnung," _Globus_, lix. (1891) p. 318.

[440] J.G. Kohl, _Die deutsch-russischen Ostseeprovinzen_ (Dresden and Leipsic, 1841), i. 178-180, ii. 24 _sq._ Ligho was an old heathen deity, whose joyous festival used to fall in spring.

[441] Ovid, _Fasti_, vi. 775 _sqq._

[442] Friederich S. Krauss, _Sitte und Brauch der Sudslaven_ (Vienna, 1885), pp. 176 _sq._