The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-04-08

.. - yUE CIRCULATION OF THE DIS
..f..,, = LARGER THAN TIE COMBINED
,...lJ.,rfrN OF AL THE OTHER DAILY
y,ysrATFES or THE CITY.
,,o, 1 Cmmc TO Study Mythology.
iIy liarl Blind.
remember. many years ago, having once
,... q Young German peasant, rather intelli-
,,E. who could read and write. aS all Ger
-g, ,sa.auts can, but who startled me by
a,,t extraordinary superstition.
o. nnA here" he said. and his face assumed
,.fv weird, supernatural aspect, "look
.., . p m1u may learn all about the future
a' j. :5ing 10 happen, and how things in
~, world are to succeed each other--only,
. .o..>t use means which should not like
, :.r. and I'm sure you wouldn't"
T suspected al once that he was referring
..., 80 ol some sign Of witchcraft-Somc
lie Ah,aca0&hla, which, in the opinion OF
. .J,,r yptsaEtS, ,-rcndcrS 4 person liable to
, ,.tytlrS away by the evil powers and
.r.,.l, "NcN. lei lis see. Perhaps would
=, IT,"
u. ;irn said. in an Endertone. "If, on
...."- OUT OF church Oh Easter Sunday, Il
= steps backwards, making sign Of dis
pert. and il. whilst walking backwards
..H-h tie churcii-door he looks through
-. ut The same time breaking out into
lugitrr. he will see the future, and the
.un ~ aEi coming things in that egg. But,
u,., ,rria hehcr Herr it will cndangcr
ans soul; and you will not do it, ana
..,y | won't.
rnua not help laughing aloud when l
ri tGis tale, though there WaSn no egg 10 DC
sod ;,!ru.i.:h; and tancied that II ever l
come upon Il meaningless aoSurdiiy. 1t
.. certainly this wonderful egg story. l
lbs, i&.2~incd for moment that that blue
Il. ,niId-liccd peasant countryman of mine
.,p,in 4 warn" of his own. and that
.AaH.,' Hc wanted to play Il joke upon Il
,n.llrtn.
,,v md hy came to investigate the sub
!ic uad mentioned. Ithcn, most strange
.av. perceived. aud hy close study OBJ
ned. the irrerutabS proofs thatSEbat had
-mod nclAas ESSas sonssIse--.couid bc
+ a,.r aya; = = = and that it had Il
min. n il y<&Ae f-bcs about Jupiter
.,,!.g ns a golden rain. and similar
~. Agyp their more or less descending
iii. .,u.". though the real sense is overlaid
u.n LgccntiiC iiagcry-hv k!na OF
,...t run wild, which has ESCAPED from all
trr'ai control.
SON. in the ca>r Of tlIit young peasant /
nI3 ttmt. lmwittin2ly, hc was the posses
..g nt very remarkable torso, or chip, OF
.u;puir mythology, which, properly under
lnl. contained Il preSentimcnt-in very
lidc and mystic form, no doubt. but still 4
',."i,i.tnent for early conccptioll-of that
.rrnl theory" which is now the Guvoritr
..rry ot the nr,jorty Of scientific men. The
rtpirsru,> germs in general. III the egg
g. iureiu,hcyS saw the sy3ubol OF the gradual
,.lonnrul and succession OF things. BY
Iii. through The eg~. therefore. metaphors
st} pGthiDs. q &!inll>sc WAS to he obtained
'H. future Coll}&c Ui events.
t.,i; wiIy WAS Easter Sunday selected fol
5. niece Of Witrhcratt of which that peasant
,D,,: Hrcui>c ut Easter-time, III gray an
.g,lilT, a heather German festival WAS held
u apnpr OF the Goddess Ostara, or Eostre,
I'm whose nAme the word Easter" - is de-
ed. and WHO. IS the representative Of the
rtlt!xing sun, and Of ihc creative powers OF
.ta@uiG @}iiu@. has the egg tor her emblem.
, tili, very dAy We. in Germany, lis well as
= CoIoti, people in some OF the northern
..t ca-.,.M counties of England, present
.i.!gGI .,GGut EtiStcr-time with egss. Iht
'.;.a cHc~ II Ecr,nauy arc playful!y told that
; h1r" comes at uglit 10 ily those eggs: anC
~ Easter morning white rabbit Is. there
"Yr. often let run out Of the room 80 rs tC
,Jnirm them in thi, hcrctical notion about
,r,mal history. Fancy bread is then also
'rni>.rl in me shape Of Il hare. The reason OF
III, ril>tUtl Is tllat the liare, too. on account
III, - iFoij;i,-,ry. "a> sacred to the Goddess
,,tllr: that i, TO fruitful nature.
Nlem | was told by my young peasant
Int :; person. in order TO see tue future, had
% 20 out backwards from church, it meant
bat hc who did this turned his face towards
BE- cast. where OStara was supposed tC
t"el,: for churches of old were mostly bull
N ,llt their entrances looking westward. Th,
of d>rcspcct WAS TO show that he WHO
de it turned away for the momcnt from the
.,ri.tian religion towards the old pagan
anrd. 70 look through all cgg OH the day
>Drr;aily devoted to the goddess OF spring
'y5.> considered Il means OF investing persol
Ai'', the power OF seeing the germ OF al
uiu.". and thus to forecast their develop
,r.t. and 10 anticipate the future.
Bat nCW about the laughter. Why were
We 20 laugh when looking Gu Easter Sun
i y through an egg? Here ! found that tho
aarhtcr represented the smile Of Nature il
piing; even rs we still speak of "smilins
rldS sin German lacheade Fielder.
pUnd that ut the pagan Easter celebration:
@ laughing chorus represented that smile
md what is more, that in the Church, III tht
W,tidic A:ses, 1or Emnv centuries after th'
,vcltlrow OF the ancient Wodan religion
hc priest on Easter Sunday had first to tel
. congregation merry tale, and then tt
ryak out into what was called al Easter
anyhter-- OstergelGchter.
pUtting this and that together, became
."agc that, in superstition apparently de.
al Of al significance, IA theory of nturl
,lr,.I.Sophy was incrllstatcd, in an inccptiye
ui5mantary. childish form but il theory.
.i;cr all. which some wise man, some Ger
man Druid. ,av have held in more rc;t
-,,Gt H. shape, rs an esotclic science. Bu
j. i uat very strange that the queer piece o
!'Gy.,a mic mythology which stuck fast in tht
,ouu. PEASANTS mind. and Of which ht
round not get rid in spite Of his meclanica
knowledge Of the catechiSm, should turn on
- hc Il Hear relation Of the doctrine OF Pas
'cur; about which. short time ago, there
Wa passage of arms in the Times between
p distinguished and Il rising man of science
Professor Tyndall and DR.. Bast;an?
V hrl we once have got hold Of such q
@," think We Shall feel more interested, no
'H'n in ht:,uiii'Ul fairr t;,les-which are alst
D. ''-' r">ilur Of our torctatlier's creed-blll
80" III ~ltiHIstitious customs, in which We
as -"mctmr. read very surprising thoughts
u ,ynera'ion, long 2onc by. |. for my part
rir say that the more | entered into the
11IF q these matters the more j became
nNEiGcrd that it WAS OF no use fighting
-@:m,t surl, h"licts by simply calling them
d t,,,EiSh and uoIlStnSc for some
~ The people chung TO them as il they
" 5" Nat there was IN enchanted poetical
. ,.,.r I,f,i,l.., tl,ar,;n v.}t,h ,,nl,, so