Sharp County record., 1878-05-17
May.Day Customs.

Though May-pole and Morris dane
inc were the most common, there were
other curious customs in different parts
of Great Britain. In one place, the
Mayers went out very early to the woods,
and gathering green boughs, decorated
every door with one. A house contain
ing a sweetheart had a branch OF birch,
the door Of a scold was disgraced with
alder, and a slatternly person had the
modification to find branch OF nut
tree at hers, while the young people
who oversight found their doors closed
bY a nail over the latch.
In the Scottish Highlands, in the
eighteenth century, the boys had Gu
rious custom. They would go to the
moors outside of the town, make a
round table in the sod, by cutting
trench around it, deep enough for them
to sit down to their grassy table. On
this table they would kindle a fire and
cook q custard of eggs and milk, and
knead a cake of oatmeal, which was
toasted by the fire. After eating the
custard, the cake was cut into as many
parts as there were boys; epiece was
made black with coal, and then all put
into cap. Each boy was in turn blind
folded, and made to take piece, and
the one who selected the black one was
to be sacrificed to Baal, whose favor
they wished to ask for their harvest.
The victim in that day had only to leap
through the fire; but there is little
doubt that the whole thing was a sur
vivaI from the days when human beings
were really sacrificed.
In the island Of Lewis, in the west OF
Scotland, there prevails custom OF
sending man very early on May-day
to cross a certain river, believing that
if a woman crossed it first the salmon
would not come into the stream for a
year.
The Dutch May-pole was still differ
ent, being surrounded by trees stuck in
to fower-pots, and ornamented with
gay-colored flags, and hoops with gar
lands and gilt balls hanging. Another
sort had wooden dolls made to repre-
sent the figures of peasants, nailed
against the pole by their hands and
knees, as though climbing it. There
were also figures of birds and people. In
some parts of Germany it was the firm
belief of the common people that GER
tain ill-dispoSed beings met on a high
mountain on May-day to dance and
feast, with no good intentions to their
human neighbors. Accordingly on the
day before, every family was careful to
have a thorn of a certain kind, which
was stuck into the door as a protection.
The Scandinavians, whose first OF May
is not very balmy, had of old a curious
fight between Summer and Winter.
Winter-or the man representing him
was dressed in Skins, armed with fire
forks, and threw snow-balls and pieces
of ice. Summer was dressed in green
leaves and summer dress. They had q
mock fight which was called "Driving
away Winter and welcoming Summer"
and in the Isle of Man, where Norwegi-
ans had rule for many years, this Gus
tom fingered until very lately.
But, as the years went on, these merry
games died out, and few years ago
May-day was in London simply the feS-
tival of chimney-sweepS and milk-maids,
certainly falling off from the times of
King Henry VIII. The only traces Of
the old custom of going a-Maying were
the garlands of the mlk-maids and the
acknowledgement Of the sweeps. The
garland $50 caIled) was made of silver
plate, borrowed for the day, and fasten-
ed upon sort Of pyramid. Accompa-
nying this droll garland were the maids
themselves in gay dress, with ribbons
and flowers, and attended by musicians
who played for them to dance IN the
street. Some times COW was dressed
in festive array; with bouquets, and rib
bons on her horns, neck and tail, and
over her back net, stuck full of flowers.
Thus highly ornamented, the meek
creature was led through the streets.
The sweeps brought out the Jack-in-
the-green, which was tall cone made
of green boughs, decorated with flow
ers, gay streamerS and flag, and car
ried by a man inside. Each Of these
structures was followed by band Of
sweeps who assumed certain charac-
ters, the fashion of which had been
handed down from the palmy times of
May-day.
There were always lord and lady
who wore ridiculous limitations of fash
ionable dress, and made ludicrous at
tempts to initiate elegant manners. Mad
Moll and her husband were another
pair who fourished in tawdry, gay-cOl-
ored rags, and tatters, he brandishing a
sweeps broom and she ladle. jim
Crow and fancifully bedizened ballet
dancer in white muslin, often swelled
the ranks, and the rest of the party rig