Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-08-03
A sAVANT ON DANCING.
A German Philosopher Talks-The Old
Pagan Dnnces-Mora Health.

A German Philosopher Talks-The Old
Pagan Dances-Mora Health.
NJ. Bohne, in his history of German
dancing and its future, observes: Man
only knows dancing. The bear lance does
not count because it has no psychic inn
pulsion." Why DOVE dance? he demands.
Ninety per cent. do so for amusement. 0
30 secure n substitute for a vapor bath,
and / for the love Of aesthetics. But
dancing is also a marriage broker. a sort
Of matrimonial agency. However. The
dance is also a civilizing agent. With
our ancestors nature meal only music
and dances, which, too, were attributed
10 the gods. The author states the Old
Germans were a dancing people; modern
Germans are not. and that you can travel
two months in Germany without pcrcCiv-
ing a walter: whereas, voyage bat cicht
DAYS in Spain. fandmngos will be visible
everywhere. The demon Of daEce seizcs
the Spaniards in the streets, ON the public
places, under the porchCs of houses. The
first musician who arriy Is and can touch
a guitar will compel tn servant tn throw
away her broom. the water carriers to
lay down their ritcl rrs. the mulcteers
will abandon their ilules, and the inn
keeper will quo his ,iHner-tO dance all
with soul and body. The ~Spaniarls have
ALWAYS a foot in th, air ready to spring;
so had snce the Id Germans, auJl 50
much 50 that their ishops hal the greatest
difficulty to prevent their hOcks dancing
in the churches-thu initiating the early
Christians.
However, sacred dancing was only a
form for expressing great joy. Renan
maintains dancing never figured in the
Christian liturgy, and VI, De Presscnse
agrees-for once-with Renan. Indeed.
the church had much difficulty to sup
press the old pagan dances. Bishops am
princes Numbered against them. but the
votaries up to the Twelfth century held
their dances at night in the cemeteries.
where they had the stimuli Of mystery,
the fear Of being surprised and the feel
ing that they were doing wrong. In tie
Sixteenth century Germany had n singu-
Tar death dance" executed at wedding
parties. Lots were drawn TO find the in
dividual who was 10 die; the doomed one
then stood in the center Of the room, the
others danced round and the individual
after a while staggered, fell-became
dead. All stopped. then the dancers
chanted n pretty dirge-a funeral hymn.
II the departed was a man, each girl
came one by one and kissed him on the
forehead. and vice versa if n woman:
with the last death kiss he rose. the music
played a gay air and the t%riumrhal ronde
surrounded the resurrectionist.
The real creators If that queen of
dances, the waltz, were the Nicnncsc.
and they ~monopolize il still. 1t is thus
that Mussct wrote: Il would like a
French duchess 10 be able To dance as
well as a German cattle ,'rpvcr." II.
Boiine hI.ryrs dancing Is dyius, K rot
dead. Tie workmeE are ,loli,itatel ly
factory life and soured ly socialism. Tie
Sons of the rich are worn out 10y excess.
by hot bel lessons and examination
educational pressure, perhaps. Piety, too
has departed, for true piety made no per-
SON sad; vino and beer are adulterated;
people DO not now get intoxicated. hut
poisoned. In fact, the moral health ~
modcrns is less coed than that Of their
ancestors, who were more patient under
suffering, more brave in the struggle If
life, because less egoti.tcai. We are de-
voted only 10 ourselves. Toronto Week.