Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-01-16

enfeebled both in body and in mind nc
longer paid the same attention to the
affairs Of the earth, and men having
no oneto look after them, fell into e.
vii courses, and became the prey Of
the evil spirit. AT lengtn the gods fin
| ding matters get worse and worse every
day, reused their last remains Of vigor,
I and combining together, forced Loke
to restore the tree. s.- n -
| The Druids paid particular reverence
to the apple-tree, because the mistletoe,
| was supposed to grow only an it and
also on account of the usefulness OF
the oak, and usefulness Of its fruit T.
In consequence Of this feeling, the APP
pie was cultivated in Britain from the
earliest ages of which we have any re-
cord; and Glastonbury was called the
apple orchard, from the quantity ofap-
pies grown there previous to the time
ofthe Romans. Many old rites and
ceremonies are therefore connected with
this tree, some of which are practised
in the orchard districts even at the
present day. Con Christmas eve,"
says Mrs. Bray. s.the farmers and their
men in Devonshire take a large bowl
of cider, with a toast in it, and carrying
| it in state to the orchard, they salute
the apple-trees with much ceremony,
in order.to make them bear well next
season. This salutation consists in
throwing some of the cider about the
roots of the ree,placing bits ofthe toast
on the branches, and then forming
themselves into ring, like the bards Of
old, set up their voices and sing song,
which may be found in Brands Popu-
lar Antiquities. In Homes Every
Day Book, this custom is mentioned,
but with some slight variations.
The wassail. bowl, drunk on All
Haliow Fen, Twelfth Day Eve,
Christmas Eve, and on other festivals
of the church, was compounded of ale,
sugar, nutmeg, and roasted apples,
which every person partook of, each
taking out an apple with the spoon, and
then drinking out ofthe bowl. Some
times the roasted apples were bruised
and mixed with milk or white wine in
stead Of ale; and some parts Of the
country apples were roasted on string
till they dropped off into a bowl Of
spiced ale beneath, which was called
Lambs Wool The reason of this
name,- which is. common to all the
compounds Of apples and ale, is attrib-
uted by Vallancy to its being drunk
on the 31st of October, All Hallow
Fen; the first day of November being
dedicated to the angel presiding over
fruit, seeds, &C., and therefore named
La Mas Ubhal, that is the day of. the
apple fruit, and this being pronounced
lamosool, soon became corrupted by the
English into lambs wool. Apples
were blessed by the priests on the Goth
of July, and an especial form for this
purpose is preserved in the, manual OF
the church of Sarum.
The custom Of bobbing forapples on
All Hallow Fen, and on All Saints
Day, which was former. common over
laA the England, and is still practised
in some parts of Ireland, has lately
been rendered familiar by M'Clise's
mastery painting Of the Sports Of All
Haflow Fen. A kind Of hanging
beam, which was continually turning
was suspended from theroofoftheroom,
and an apple placed at one end, and a
lighted candle at the other. The par
ties having their hands tied behind
them, and being to catch the apple with
their mouths, frequently caught the
1 candle instead. In Warwickshire, APP
pies are tied to string, and caught al
in the same manner, but the lighted
candle is omitted; and in in the same
county the children roast apples on a
string on Christmas Eve; the first who
can catch an apple whenit1 drops from
the string, gettingit. In Scotland, Jap
Piles are put into q tub of water, and
then bobbed for with th the mouth.
The ASH, according to heather N.Y.
theology, furnished the wood Of which
Cupid made his arrows, before he had
learned to adopt the more'fatai cypress.
In the Scandinavian Edda, is sta
ted that the court Of the gods is held
under mighty ash, the summit Of
which reaches the heavens, the BRAN
ches overshadow the whole earth, and
the roots penetrate to the internal re-
gions. An eagle rests on its summit
to observe every thing that passes, to
whom squirrel constantly ascends TO
report those things to which the exalted
bird may have neglected to notice
Serpents are twinned round the trunk,
and from theroots there spring too lin