The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-04-15
ghe aahia Daily Eagle Tuesday grorriuo apr s. 800.

which thew cali the Hun Festival. 50 the
origin must be referred TO some trait Of the
old system of nature worship which was the
religion OF the primitive Aryans. No doubt
some psculiarity of the season, perhaps the
general riot Of the natural mans blood and
of awakening nature, first suggested day Of
sport and unreason. In the course Of time
many Of tho tricks and practical jokes Of
April were COMPOUNDED with those Of the
Feast OF Fools, which must take rank as the
mostextraerdiHary Of the many fantastic fol-
lies which old paganisrn bequeathed to Chris
tiaHfty.
It began with the SaturnaIa. The Romans
believed that Saturn, after being dethroned
by his son Jupiter, bad reigned long in Italy
and established golden age. So they had a
Saturn's festival Late in December, when all
strict etiquette was laid aside and all distinc-
lions Of rank abolished. Slaves ate first and
were waited on by their masters. Dainty
ladies served food to beggars. No one could
claim any privilege Of rank, and in some in
stances the license extended so far that men
of wealth and distinction thought it prudent
to maintain disguise during the entire festi-
val The Christian fathers preached against
the custom, but it survived, and at last OBJ
Dd1l0Q q OO4SESUS1 place III ODSSTV-
ances.
Every age the absurdity grew greater.
Balaam'S ass was introduced and soon became
the great central figure. Later, the ass on
which the infant Jesus was carried into
Egypt and the ass on which the mature Jesus
rode into Jerusalem were introduced with
many ceremonies, which would shock modern
Christians, Mock pOpes, archbishops and
other dignitaries were chosen and held local
rule through the festival, being known as
Pope Of Fools" Archbishop of Numb
skulls" ''Boy Bishop and Patriarch of
Sots." They took possession of the churches
and went through a muInmery Of the priest
" offices, even the EasS and the absolutior.
At length the buriesque reached a point
where reason and religion alike revolted
Rituals were issued for the mock worships,
and the ass was introduced into the church
Many songs were written in his honor One
sung for many years at Beauvius, France, as
the ass moved towards the altar, ran as fol-
lows;
OTientis partibus-
Advenayit asipus-
Pitcher ct fortissimus,
Sarcinis aptisSinus.
He Sire Ane, he!
luis HdS Deeu 6OI45"GaL freely TRANSLATED:
From the regions of the east
Blessings the bonny beast
Came the donkey stout and strong,
With our packs to pace along.
Bray, Sir Donkey, bray!
Then the mock priests, with real priestly
robes worn inside out, holding prayer books
upside down and wearing spectacles made Of
lemon peel, went through a service, in which
they ridiculed at random the local folIies.
Sometimes charcoal and -four or noxious
smelling weed seed We're used for incense, and
the service went on amid a confused uproar
Of limitations Of pigs, cows and asses. When
the ceremony was to closs the priest placed
his hands beside his head, moved them like
ears and brayed his loudest three times, to
which the people responded with loud and
prolonged bray. In many places nuns dis
guised themselves in mems clothes and took
part.
When the custom reached such abuses re-
form was not far off, but traces of it lin
gered till the Fifteenth century. Remnants
of these observances passed over to Christ
mas and April fools day. On very ancient
monuments April is typifed by dancing