Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-09-29
THE DANCING SAINTS.
PROCESSION OF RELIGIOUS ENTHU-
SiASTS AT EcHTERNAcH.

4 Singular Form of Worship Which In
Celebrated in Luxembourg on Whit Tues
day-An Exceedingly Difficult and Ex-
hausting Kind OF Dancing.
On Whit Tuesday morning Of each year
the little village of Echternach, in Luxem-
burg is the scene of a curious religious cele-
bration, popularity known as les saints dan
SAINTS, or the leapihg procession. In the
ages of Faith" men looked on this disorder
as judgment from heaven because of their
SINS and thought that by imposing on them
selves voluntary pellances they might, like
the NiLevites, arrest the hand of God. Act
ing on this belief, while some tasted and
prayed, Others moved and wrlthed convul
sively for hours at time as If they were
really afflicted with the disease they sought
to avert Sometimes whole communities
adopted this extraordinary modification,
but, abuses arising, the Catholic church con-
demned such practices; and though traces Of
the custom may be found in several German
towns, notably in Cologne, where every year
q dozen young men and women, under the
name of die haligen Maacheu und Knechte,
dance in the carnival procession, this celebra-
ton at Echternach is the only one OF its kind
sanctioned at the present day and which con-
tinues to retain many of It's original features
THOUSANDS OF PILGRIMS.
The village was once famous place of pill
grimage, and is still frecuented by crowds Of
sufferers from paralysis, epilepsy and similar
affections, Who come from the Eifel, Upper
Moselle and Saar chiefly to obtain for them
selves or for some one dear to them the cure
OF any nervous complaint. They are nearly
all peasants, and sometimes come from a great
distance, arriving almost worn out. Huge
dormitorias are annually prepared-great
barn like apartments, each capable Of ac-
coEnnodaIng about sixty inmates. who make
the best OF the situation, and seek repose On
beds of straw. Each in his own corner eats
the food which, If provident, he has brought
wit him, or has, if careless, purchased in
&c ernach at a somewhat higher rate The
pilgrims arrive in det&chments of thirty,
forty, or more, with their parish priest and
the banner OF their patron saint Many come
by train, and all are met by ths local clergy
men, who welcome them, direct them answer
their questions and, dividing them according
10 sex, conduct them to their respective dor
mitories. Great order and good humor pre-
vail as a rule. The toughest peasant lads
obey their priests with the utmost docility.
There is no drinking or confusion, and most
seem impressed by the belief that they are
taxing part in solemn act Of religion
There are few visitors of tho better classea
and such are easily accommodated at the inns
or in the farmers houses.
All day long on Whit Monday and until
far in the night the pilgrims pour in; the
total seldom amounts to less than 1900. As
soon as il is light on Whit Tuesday morning
the village is astir; by a N. large parties
pass along the street on their way to the
church, chanting as they 60. There they
confess and communicate, that they may OBJ
serve more solemnity in an exercise which
might easily degenerate into a frolic and
need TO be suppressed By O'Clock all are
assembled round a wooden pulpit erected in
meadow near the bridge over the Sau. AT
8 fifty priests more, III abs and StOleS pre-
coded By a cross bearer and acolytes, advance
from tine little town singing the "Veni
Creator Spiritus." One among them mounts
the lpit and breaches on the life and virtues
Of st. Willibrod, exhorting his hearers to put
aside vanity and levity. and to perform the
devotion in q spirit of faith. As many of the
pilgrims are too old or too feeble to join in
the exertions Of tn" more robust, clergy
man now crosses the bridge, followed by al
who do not intend to take part in the leaping
procession. They sing the htany and hymn
of St. Wilibrod as they go, invoking him
Destroyer of Idols; Continual Preacher of
the Gospel, Untiring Laborer in the Vine
yard OF the Lord and Healer of the Sick"
THE DANCING SAINTS.
The way is now cleared for the dancing
saints. After few preliminary chords tbs
han Ctri yss eli n1
called, Adam He Had Seven Sons" and
simultaneously the thousands OF heads begin
moving from side to side in time to the melo
dy. It takes ten minutes or quarter of an
hour TO get the multitude into order; but at
last they are placed five or six abreast keep
ing the lines unbroken by holding handler
chiefs or taking arEls-a needful precautiOI:
whore many are epileptics At last all ans
placed and off they go; but their ,ate of pro
gress is very slow. The short tune runs al
most automatically UP and down; and the
rule is that by the ascending melody the pill
grims should dance or hop three steps for
ward, and by the descending melody two
back. Ii any one cares to try the experiment
he will find there is much labor entailed With
but little result
Each contingent usually brings its own mu
a
drum, or any one Of these instruments; but
should they come unprovided, there are many
Itlnerant musicians willing to play for con-
sideration. Soon the exertion begins to tell;
the faces flush and the breath comes short
the movements grow slower and slower and
almost cease. then. after brief interval ths
pilgrims resume their dancing movements
with renewed yigor, only to relax their efforts
as before. They do not stop once, however,
until the prescribed distance is accomplished.
From the bridge the dancers make their
way through the village street, by the steep
hill to the church, up the sixty-two steps,
three forward and two back all the time
through the right aisle Of the church, round
the altar, beneath which lie the bones of St. |
Wilhbrod. down the left aisle, through the |
churchyard, twice round a great cross that |
stands there: and then the exhausted crowd |
scatters, the leapiug procession is over.
Not the least curious feature in this cele- |
oration is that many VINO are unable to take |
part in il hire others TO dance in their stead |
Boys and girls may be had by the judicious |
expenditure OF few SOUS who VIII leap WITH |
8 vigor proportioDate 10 their hope OF earn |
ing an extra gratuitv when all is over. The |
more wary among the pilgrims often refuse |
TO pay beforehand, and insist on their repre |
sentatlves accomplishing a certain distance |
before they express themselves satisfied They |
thus secure that a certain amount OF work Is
done; but there Is, even with this precaution, |
n drawback; no one can be sure that thoSs
who Offer their services have not previously,
)een engaged by Others, and thus earn doubi.
NJ fr,-.ll La fAs-I fgr a SIN A.