The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1889-06-06
FROM THH KUSFY PAST.
Many SupsIStinOnS Rooted Ia To Old
PaGla Beliefs.
OlInging g the IgnOFAneS Of ths
Past ~ Well Ne % Its wisdom
-sThe UnluckY Nay.

you, In q general way, what now wish
10 emphasize, that the largest part OF
them are modern survivals Of old natur
myths sad pagan religions. That the
old world is still vital in us We are giving
evidence every day Of our lives. Our
common speech is full Of traces Of old
beliefs, just as the racks under our feet
are fun Of fossils and tricks Of creatures
long since exist. Our carniyals, Mardi
Gras and Lents; our christmas trees, yule
logs, gift making, mistletoe boughs and
evergreens; our New Year and Mayday
festivals; our Easter rejoieings, Easter
eggs and carols; all Of these are thou
ands Of years old and have their sources
In all nations and all religions.
The peasants Of England still kindle
their Bell fires which, across the darkness
Of the centuries, dame out an answering
signal TO the old Ph9nicians; and they
were kindled at the still more antique
fires Of the older PeEsians; and even these
last are only modern representatives Of
the old first fires Of the first Worshipers,
who, In far Cd dimness Of the years, first
made on earth = FIRE in honor Of their
heavenly god, the sun. The past, then,
where IL Il? II Is all about us and in Us
it, wisdom not only, but lis folly. We
elothe ourselves In It's robes Of wisdom,
and we still gather about US the tattered
and gTotesque rags Of its ignorance.
| We will now particulariIe just little.
Why should Friiay Be now regarded as
an unlucky day? Nobody ever proved Il
90. As many facts against the notion
can be found a. those that favor Il. Only
u people get fancy in their heads, they
always forget the times when their fancy
misses fire, and only remember when Il
hits. Is there anything in the nature d
one day In the week to make 1t different
from Others7 Nothing. Al days equally
are caused by the turning Of the earth on
il axis, and thus bringing its different
sides successfully toward the sun. Sup
pose we should begin . new count, and
call Wednesday Monday, and so on.
would Friday, when We got to II, still be
unlucky2 No. friends, the reason is here.
In one Of the old forms 81 pagAnism-
this relic Of which has still survived
Friday was dedicated TO Freyia, the
Pagan Venus. Christianity naturally
cursed the day and lis worship, which
was corrupt and corrupting. So poor
Freyja's day was given up to fish diet
and N fortune. I wonder they kept the
fish, for Il was sacred 10 Freyja, and this
is the reason why Friday is fish day still,
| Saturday used TO be the unlucky day
saturn's day, and hence the name. And
, As Saturn was always q gloomy and ma
/ lignant god d came 70 be thought unlucky
10 begin anything on his day. And die
you ever think Of IT, This is the Ole
Jewish Sabbath or day Of rest. And be
yond question here Is the origin Of The
Sabbath. Fint Il was unlueky to do any
thing on that day, because they wen
afraid Of the god who ruled 1t; then, Al
|, the conception Of the god changed, they
4 Fsirained from work, because, for some
reason, they supposed he wanted then
10. Our Sunday 10 still Saturday, Sat
urn's day, to thousands, and they still
keep Il, because they are afraid Of thu
god who IL supposed to have made it hi
own.
IT,. -. No.. iIIn..-..;on I, 4. ali