Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-12-16


pany he SHOULD bring him, was astonished
at seeing his new master vanish into the
earth as soon as the bargain had been made.
Terrified at the thought of having agreed to
wolk for so mysterious parsonage, he
quickly resorted to the clergyman, who ad-
yised him to fulfill his engagement, and to
play nothing but psalms. Accordingly, as
soon as Christmastide arrived, the weird
stranger made Ahis appearance, and
beckoned the fiddler to spot where the
company were assembled. On reaching
his destination he at once struck rp psalra
tune, which so enraged his audience that
they instantly vanished, but not without so
violently bruising him that it was not with
out some difficulty he succeed in reaching
home and narrating his Christmas expert
ences to the family as they were gathered
round the Preside.
In Germany Christmas Eve is the season
of all Others when fairies are supposedato be
most active, keeping their festival on the
mountain tops. Then, we are told, the
rough stone is transformed into brilliant
crys;sl-veins of gold starting out artist
cally into majestic pillars-beneath which
graceful canopy feasting AMI dancing are
kept up with protracted enthusiasm. The
attendants on these fairy gatherings are
generally beautiful Swedish girls, who have
unwarily partaken of the contents of the
golden goblets offered to them by the
fairies, and thus instantly fSlen into their
power According 10 the legendary lore
found in most parts of Germany, the magic
effect Of these fairy potlons is threefold -
AT the first dranght from that horn, he who
drinks forgets Heaven; at the second, he
forgets earth; at the third, he forgets his
betrothed BRIDE" Hence, on Christmas
Eve persons are recommended to stay at
home, because the fairies on this night de-
light to Wsylay the lonely traveller, COMPEL
ing him 10 take q drsught Of Christmas
cheer from their enchanted goblet. Among
the large class of tolk.tales connected with
this superstition, may be quoted one which
tells how, when Christmas feast was being
given in German village, one of the guests,
attracted by the sound OF music from with
cut, was induced to leave the festive scene
indoors and TO wander towards the spot where
the music seemed to come. He had, how
ever, not gone many steps before he was
met by two beautiful girls, who askedshim
to Join their Christmas gambols in neigh
boring field, which, after little persuasion,
he consented to do. On arriving at the
fairies gathering, for such il was he was
surrounded by numberless little beings ali
anxious TO welcome him; one OF whom
handed him cup OF wine, after drinking
which he forgot his former state and thought
of nothing except the ieastiug and dancing
of the fairies. When he had been enjoying
himself in this manner for some time, the
fairies reminded him Of his own home; but
what was his establishment when on passing
through the village to find everything in
decay, and allhis relations and friends dead,
for the spell of the fairies cup on him had
lasted u hundred years.
One German version Of the well known
legend of the man in the moon connects
this wretched individuals solitary iupris
onment in that isolated region with his
having stolen cabbages from his neighbor' s
garden on Christmas Eve When just in
the act of escaping with his load he was
perceived by some psssers By, who, there
and then, coniured him up in the moon.
| There he stands in the full light Of the
moon, to be seen BY everybody, having his
stolen load of cabbages on his back for all
eternity. He only has q minutes change
one day in the year, when he is said to turn
round once on Christmas Eve.
Again, the wild huntsman is said in Ger
many to make nightly excursions through
the air for the twelve nights of Chris tmas,
alarming all who hear him m his furious
progress. He generally rides on large
white horse, no less than four-and twenty
| fierce dogs accompanying him. According
to tale quoted by Mr.. Thorpe in his
Northern Mythology" in every place
through which he passes the hedges fall
with crash, the road opening of its
own accord before him. He rides with such
speed that his dogs often fail to keep pace
with him and frequently may be heard pant
ing and bowling Occasionally one is left
behind, as happened one year at Wolfsdorf,
where it remained painting, bowling without
iutermission until the following Christmas
Eve, when the Wild Huntsman again took
il with him. Hence various precautions
were formerly taken to prevent the Wild
Hurtsman approaching any particular
street-one special rule being that there
should be no baking.
1t is also dangerous to spin at Christmas
time or the Wild Huntsman will gallop
through it, On one occasion woman re-
fused TO take the usual warning, and had no
sooner sat down to spin on Christmas Eve
than she fell into deep sleep, and was only
awoke by the entrance Of stranger, who,
without any apology for intruding, asked for
her spinning wheel and commenced spiun-
ing. Before long he used up all the flax
she had, and on his asking for more, she
was obliged to give him her supply OF wool.
Still, however he kept on calling for more,
and his angry demands SO frightened and
terrified the poor woman that, although it
was but four in the morning, she reused up
her neighbour-a cunning old crone-aud
acquainted her with the strangers mysteri-
Gus request. Happily, she quickly per-
ceiyed the nature Of the visitor, and hence
was not long in driving him away by some
magical charms; for had she not done so,
his presence might have cost the woman
her life.
Of the numerous folk-tales which have in
the course Of centuries clustered round the
Christmas festival in Russia, one Of the
most popular refers to the celebration OF the
winter solstice. That it is said that the
Sun-a female being-arrays herself in her
holiday attire, and, seated in her telega,
urges her horses upon the summer track.
In many places, says Mr.. Ralston, in his
Songs of the Russian People" (lS72, p.
1917, it has been customary to represent
this solar goddess-popularly designated
Kolyada-by girl dressed in white, who,
seated in q sledge, is driven about from
house to house, while the young people who
accompany her sing various songs, of which
the following is specimen:
Kolysda! KolysdS!
Holyada has arrived
On the Eve OF the Nativity,
We went about, We sought
Holy Kolyada
Through all the courts, in all the alleys,
We found Kolyada, &C.
Tradition, too, says that at this season of
the year all kinds Of hidden treasures are
specially revealed to mankind, in connec.
ton with which belief the following ta,e
quoted BY Mr.. Ralstou is current: Between
4 \ u e e IL :.