Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1890-09-03
THE DANCING PROCESSION.

Description of Quaint Annual Roltg.
ious Fote at Echstornaol,.
While the Passion Play is going on at
Oberammergau there has been going on
in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg the
annual dancing procession of St. Wilt
brord, says the Brussels correspondent
Of the New York Tribune. It occurred
at the small town OF Echsternach on
May ~, the Tuesday after Whitsuntide.
St. Willibrord, who lived in the SO venth
century, was to the Netherlands,
Femisl and Lower Countries what St.
Patrick was to Ireland. He carried
the Christian faith to those regions,
civilized them as much as it was posi-
BILE in those barbarian times, and finally
sought rest for his last day at
Echsternach, where he founded
an abbey. The legend says that
when the saint died the marble tomb
prepared for receiving his body was
found to be too short; but that it was
miraculously heightened so that the
sanity corpse could be laid in it. Ira
dition claims that when st. Willibrord
returned at last from his holy Pilgrim
age to Echsternach the villagers could
not restrain their joy, and demonstrate
1t by the sacred dances, which are re-
newed every year, two days after Whit
suntide. Only during che French revo-
luton was the custom interrupted. 1t
is now more than ever kept up, and
10000 people took part in the latest
ceremony. The peasants believe in the
legend, according to which the saint
Furnishes the Indifferent and incred ulous
by inflicting their cattle with an cpl
demic, the efforts of which are like
epilepsy.
The pilgrims arrive from oil places
within radius of forty miles, Most of
them come on foot camping wherever
they can, in open air or in barns. All
among them who possess and can play
upon musical instruments bring them
along, such as flies, drums, comets.
etc., and play on them as an accom-
paniment to the dance. In the morn.
ing all this crowd forms itself on the
German territory, beyond the bridge
which crosses the Sure. the river front.
Ter between the Grand Duchy and Ger
many. A priest, who must have been
born at Echsternach, addresses the
crowd, places himself at it's head, and
the pilgrims begin to tramp on the
bridge in the direction of the old church.
The advance guard; preceded by SEX
ton dressed in red clerical robes, sings
praises or litanies of St. Willibrord in a
calm, digniaed religious tone which
strangely contrasts with the clamor OF
the thousand instruments which &C.
company the extraordinary dances
of the people forming the bulk of the
procession. Those dances are nothing
but repeated jumps; and the highest
jumps are considered the greatest evil
dence of devotion. The pilgrims ad.
vance slowly in rows, blocking up en-.
tirely the streets, women holding chill
dren in their arms, old people being
supported on both sides by friendly as
sistants, peasants with satchels on
their backs, containing provisions to
last during the pilgrimage. All these
people never cease for a moment to
dance or rather to jump as high as they
can until they reach the old church,
where the priests bless the many ar ii.
Giles they want to place under St. Will
brords invocation. The pilgrims spend
the remainder of the day in the streets
of Echsternach. Were regular fete,
somewhat like Flemish kermesse, il
held. They then take up again their
| tramp to their homes.