New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-01
A SWISS FESTIVAL,
THE PROCESSION OF BACCHUS AT. YEvEY-
A CUSTOM SEVEN HUNDRED YEARS OLD.

NpVpV.
The festival of the vine-growers is in progress,
and a very beautiful sight it is and well worth
a long Journey to see. The patriotic Swiss nave
turned out en- masse Ten thousand of them or 'wd
the huge amph theatre But few foreigners are mere
The English and Americans :" have not yet de-
scended from the high Mountains as my parper
puts it, and the French are conspicuous by 'helt
absence. 1t is hard to get Ffenchmah ou1 OF
France. especially when he has the Eifel Tower
to worship
word Of history. About seven hundred years
ago. in the twelfth century, n number OF Nlhc-
growers, at TIE instigation of the monks OF this
neghborhood- monks of IIaut Crest-unlted to
form society for the better culture of the Vlne
They crowned the best grape-growers. and gave
prizes of more or less value. Then followed a
feast, in which the products of their industry
played, of course, conspicuous part lhis went
on for many years under the patronage OF the
Church, till the Reformation came. With 1t set
in reaction against all Catholic fetes. They
were turned into rdcule and the sacred e1ilces
in which they were held were pillaged or de-
stroyed. What began in sport often ended in
bloodshed, until the civil authorities interviewed
and pitt a stop TO all these celebrations.
Within a hundred years. with better established
government and milder manners this feast has
been revived. 1t was held in 1888 and again in
1893 1851 and 1868. 1t so successful in
1865 that arrangements were long ago made to
celebrate another. This promises to be the most
successful of all, for they have organized pro-
cession that is not only beautiful in itself but
is thoroughly classical and appropriate. Yester-
day saw it from window on the line of march
First came the members of the society," beaded
by its president lie still retains the old church
name and is called the Abbot-President.
The abbot of this year is a gentleman of posi-
ton, recently President of this Republic. He
accompanied by his Counsellors, gentlemen of the
neighborhood proprietors and vine growers. They
were dressed in the costume OF Swiss gentlemen of
the early eighteenth century, green coats, embroid
cred waistcoats white breeches, long stockings
and buclled shoes, powdered wigs and cooked hats
They were followed by their employees, overseers,
experts vine visitors, etc, etc. also in appropriate
costumes This was the business part of the
procession Then came the allegorical part, con-
sisting Of the four seasons.
They were led by Spring-Pales, the French call
her. Now will any Undergraduate, if he can spare
few minutes from his arduous studies in
athletics tell us who Pales was? Not Pallas
Athene: there was nothing festive about her-she
was an old maid My goddess is Pales. She rode
upon high triumphal car, drawn by fat oxen, and
such oxen large broad, cream-coored, with great
lazy, lustrous, languishng eyes the very eyes
from which Juno took her favOrite epthet Why
can't we have such oxen at home instead of those
high-h.Ted red-cclored creatures.
Paes in white and blue, was attended by
her High Priest also in white and blue,
and he was supported by his two acolytes. The
car of the goddess was covered with flowers, and
preceding her and following her came little girls
in the same colors, with straw hats and seemingly
bare legs, but the propreteS were duly preserved
by fesh-colored stockings. They carried flowers
in their hands, and they wore flowers in their
hats. while the charoteer in his hair shirt and
leather belt bore the classic prick, with which he
prodded the lingering oxen.
pales was succeeded by Ceres, or Summer. Her
colors were white and red. She was surrounded
by her mowers and gardeners; shepherds, male
and female and herdsmen. In this part of the
procession l was struck by seeming anomaly.
Among the Roman agricultural implements borne
by the peasants I distinctly recognized American
hoes and rakes, and ploughs and harrows. Then
followed oxen and cows, with bells hung about
their necl1s, big as church bells: herdsmen
with goads and cattle dealers with highcrowned
straw hats The hat of our traditional stage
Yankee is an exact copy in beaver.
The Young woman who represented Ceres was
pretty. Her cheeks perhaps little high
colored but Pompeii has taught US that rouge
was not unknown to the Roman ladies. Her eyes
were brown, and her form was perfect. She rode
on n stately ear, likewise drawn by large-eyed
oxen. Her chariot was heaped high with wheat.
ucr dress was of red and white; her ornaments
were of wheat and the red poppy and the blue
cornfower Her young men and maidens carried
wheat sheaves; some rode upon wagons loaded
with wheat some carried fails, some beehives.
III Sul
season.
After Summer came Autumn-Bacchus in all his
glory. mounted high on the traditional Bacchana-
Ian chariot His dress and that Of his attendants
was composed principally of vine leaves and
panther skins Bacchus was represented by
Young boy or girl / could not decide which but
boy | bekeve His head was covered with
cranes and vine leaves lie was drawn by white
horses wearing blankets Of panther skins, and
led by Ethiopians-they should have been East
Indians His High Priest went before him, and
his Sotvrs and Fauns. and his black goat with
oilded horns followed after him. One gentle.
manly Satyr wore monOce-the latest thing from
Iondon-in A style and with u grace that would
have made Joseph Chamberlain turn green with
envy Many Of the Fauns and Satyrs wore
spectacles and goggles green or blue. Indeed.
| was rather pained by my discovery of the prev.
alence of ophthalmic diseases among the ancient
Romans. They were not much given to study.
They spent most of their leisure MON nS IN knock
inT their peghbOrs on the head, and other out-Of-
| door amusements, and the German text, beloved
of Bismarck, was happily unknown to them |
confess, therefore, that was at loss 10 account
/ for the green goggles.
In the train of Bacchus came Silenus. lie rode
upon n patient ass and as he is supposed TO be in
n constant state OF mild inebriation.
n gentleman from :" Africs sunny fountains
Here noticed survival of the
Churchs part in this fete. Two stout peasants
bore huge bunch of grapes swung upon a pole.
These were the Grapes Of Canaan" The biggest
bunch ever grown on Californian soil was baby
bunch compared with these Grapes OF Canaan
both in the size OF the grapes and OF the bunch,
| Nor was poetry wanting in this procession.
/ Our Racchus has had his meets. too win nlt