The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-06-18 00:00:00

A DANCING PROCESSION

The Derlin Correspondent of the Daily Telegraph writes :7

Not far from those places of rendezvous for all
nations of the civilised world a, spectacle has been
attracting the curiosity of thousands which leads us
back to the depths of the Middle Ages, although it is
repeated year by year. lam speaking of the village
of Echternach and its far-famed dancing procession.

From 15,000 to 20,000 pilgrims—l could not obtain
more accurate information about the numbers—
assemble on some meadows within Prussian territory,
but close to the confines of the Grand Duchy of Luxem-
bourg. The inhabitants of different villages—men and
women apart—collect behind their clergymen, and a
band of musicians is placed in the front. As the
clock strikes five on Tuesday morning in 'Whitsuntide
a priest walks up the steps of a rude wooden pulpit,
and thence addresses the innititude, then already
swollen to an incredible extent by sightseers, who come
by special trains and every imaginable vehicle to be
present at the performances.
The community which happens to be nearest the
road stands forth, preceded by their priest, who how-
ever, does not dance. Two men or two women hop
away first two steps in advance, and then one back-
wards, the band playing a most monotonous tune.
"Abraham had seven sons, seven sons; seven sons had
Abraham," are the words to this terrible melody,
which each successive set, as they join the procession,
take up with increasing vigour. Hour after hour
passes away before the last people have started on
their miles of way to the foot of the Church of St.
Willebrod, whence they go up fifty steps, ronnd and
round the altar, and finally descend the fifty steps.
"Nothing can exceed the excitement and exhaus•
tion among the dancers, old and young. Great are
the numbers of those who, in spite of an occasional
draught of water offered by charitable bystanders,
sink down on the grass or on the dusty road not to
rise for hours. The question is naturally asked—
What does all this menu? The answer is : It is
intended to perpetuate the remembrance of a
frightful epidemic of St. Vitus's Dance, which carried
off hundreds of victims in the neighbourhood
referred to some time during the fifteenth century ;
to offer up prayers and vows to the patron saint :
to recognise a miraculous cessation of the epidemic,
and it is a fulfilment of vows then made that, in
gratitude, there should be yearly dances performed—
two hops iorward and one backward, as closely re-
sembling the visitation from which Heaven had
delivered them as rhythm and good taste would
allow.
During the French occupation in 1793 the proces-
sion was forbidden, but the easy -going Dutch
Government of Luxembourg have allowed it to be
revived.

Up to 11Ionday £2,400 had been contributed towards
the Livcrpopi memorial to Lord Beaconsfield. It 15 expected
that the memorial will take the form of a statue to be placed
in one of the public thoroughfares.
The Marquis of Stafford and the directors of the
London and North-Western Railway Company, who have
been travelling in the United States on railway business,
arrived at Liverpool on Monday by the steamer Germanic.