Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-12-01
Legends OF the Rose.

LeGtnuS ot lut hOScs
The Catholic ROSARY, which the Ger.
maus call RUsenkranz, or rosewreath, sug-
eests that originally tue worshippers may
have counted their prayer with roses; at
any rate, it seemed certain that for long
time the larger beads were cslled roses.
But this was the case IN Germany before
the introduction of Christianity. The
rose was held to be the favorite flower OF
the maternal goddess Holda, who, as we
have before seen, was often called ''Frau
Rose" or "Mutter Rose" 1t wus party
transferred, with all other symbols OF Hol-
ia, to the Madonna, who is frequently
called "Marienroschen. Mary, it is said,
dries her veil on a rose-bush, " hich thence
forth bears no more roses. But there has
been q tendency to associate the white
rose particularly with the Virgin Mary, that
being chiefly chosen for her fete days,
while the warmer and more earthly feel.
ings associated with Frau Rose are still
represented in the superstitions connected
with the red rose. If white rose bloom
10 autumn it denotes an early death; II a
red an early marriage. The red rose, 1t
is held, will not bloom over grave. In
Posen the .'rose-apple" is carried by the
country maiden in her breast to keep her
lover true. In ThuriDgia she who has
several lovers may name rose leaves after
them and scatter them on the water; the
leaf that sinks last is that of her
truest lover, or predestined husband.
Some OF the superstitlons concerning
the rose in Germany are singular; as
for instance, the custom found In some
places of throwing rose leaves on coal
fire tor good luck, and the saying that a
rose bush pruned on ST. Johns day will
bloom again in the autumn. The relation
of the flower " blood is widely believed.
Thus one may find in France and Italy, as
well as Germany, the saying that drop oil
ones blood buried under a rose-bush will
bring rosy cheeks. The rose is also asso
ciated with ala ancient charm once univer-
sal in Germany, still frequent In Swabia
and Westphala, against nose bleed
ing, and indeed ali kinds of hemor-
rhsges. This formula in Westphalia runs
thus; ''Abek, Wabek, Fabek; in Christ's
garden stands three red roses-one for the
good God, the other for Gods blood, the
third for the angel Gabriel ,blood, Ipray You
cease to flow |" In Swabia it is said; "On
our Lord Jesus grave spring three roses -
the first is Hope, the second Patience, the
third Gods Will: blood, | pray you be
still !" Sometimes again 1t is, "ln Gods
garden bloom three roses -Blood-drop,
Blood stop, and Blood-still," etc. These
runes have curious notifications. In st.
Louis, Missouri German named Stretger
last year committed murder, and
afterwards suicide. In his room was
found the following charm against
hemorrhage: "At the grave of Christ bloom
three flowers first is Jugend, the sec.
ond is Tugend, the third is Gubel {? UbelD.
Repeat three times and the blood will
cease to fow." I have somewhere me,
with legend that the HOMEGROWN Of
Christ was made from rose-brier, and that
the drops of blood that started under it.
and fell to the ground, blossomed to roses
the fable has been recalled to me, though
l cannot trace it, by the felicitious lines
of the most gifted American poetess, (Mrs.
Howe)
''Men saw the thorns on Jesus brow,
But angels saw the roses"
A similar idea pervades the story of dorm
roschen," known to English readers as
1.-THE Sleeping Beauty or Rosebud,
who, it will be remembered, sleeps IN q
palace surrounded by formidable thorn
thickets, in which all who approached per
ished save the true prince, to whom the
thorns were all roses. through which he
passed with ease. There is, by.the-way
IN the same legend, as it original
ly appears in the Eslda of Samund
a curious "Reminiscences OF the Orienta
symbolism which connected the rose
with silence and sleep. When Sigurd
there enters the castle and arouses Bryn
hllda, she tells the story of her trance il
these words: 1.-TWO kings commended; one
hight Hialmgunner, and he was old but o.
mickle might, and Odin had promised him
the victory. / telled him in fight; bu,
Odin struck my head with the sleepy
thorn, and said l should never be again
victorious, and should be hereafter we'd.
ded. From the "Sdcred Flora" by NJ d.
Con,oaq, in Harper's Magazine for Deem.
Der