St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1891-08-01
LEGENDS RELATING TO MUSIC.


he Origin Of the Chiaese scale-A Cruel
Hlsaoo Emperor.
The Chinese claim to have obtained
their musical scale from . miraculous
bird There are also traditions regard.
ing the inventions of musical instru-
ments. The most popular ones of the
Chinese are assigned to period when
China was under the sway of Heavenly
spirits," about b. &. 5000.
Confucius. the great Celestial philosO-
pher, on one occasion, happening to
hear some divine music, is reported to
have been 50 enraptured rs not to have
tasted food for three months. 1t is a
japanese tradition that the Sun God
dess, in resentment of the violence of q
brother, retired into q cave, leaving the
universe in darkness The gods, in
their concern for the welfare of man.
kind, devised music to draw her from
her retreat, and were successful.
An old Swedish tradition tells of a
harper who made his instrument out Of
the bones of . young girl killed by a
wicked woman. Her fingers were the
turning screws and her golden hair tho
strings The harper played and the
murslercss was killed.
The Hindoos tell Of days long gone
when the gods forbade mortals to sing
. certain song on pain of being burned
to death. A cruel emperor once COM
manded . celebrated musician TO sing
that song. In vain the unhappy man
attempted to excuse himself The EN-.
perOr was firm.
The musician, after bidding his fam
lily an affectionate farewell, placed him
self in the waters of the Jumma until
they reached his neck. After he had
sung . strain or two the water became
hot and began 70 boil. In terrible
agony, the musician pleaded again to be
excused. but the inexorablc monarch
commanded that the song be finished.
The musician continued his singing,
and, although immersed In water,
flames burst from his body and it was
reduced to ashes.
The legendary fairies are proverbially
fond of music, and arc described as a
numerous, merry people, always sing
ing like crickets." Among the many
stories told about them is the following:
"A New Zealand chief had gone ont
with his dogs 20 hunt When night
came on he found himself on the top of
. high hill. Then it was that the FAIRIES
and almost frightened him
to death.
"He lighted . fire and that scared
them . little. Whenever the fire blazed
up brightly of went the fairies aud hid
and when it burned low
back they came close to it, singing and
mcrrily. The terrified chief
bcthought himself Of his jas
par neck ornament and his earring
made from the tooth of . shark.
chastity tearing them from his per-
son. he placed them on q stick driven
into the ground. The fairies approach
ing looked at the jewels and finally
took the shadow from them and de-
parted, leaving the trinkets on the
stick"
Then, too, there is the characteristic
Irish story of Maurice Connor, a celc-
brated bag-pipcr. One day, as he was
playing on the seashore . beautiful
0uy Will 8tCCu AoAG C0toC w AIOau Tic
'ea, dancing and singing most charm
ngly.
When she invited him to 60 with her
md TO marry her he could not resist
Thus Maurice Connor became the hus-
,and of the beautiful sea nymph. And
he union was happy, too, for say the
,eople Of Kerry, ON . still night the
'ounds of . bag-pipe of the coast arc
'card. and they are quite sure that it is
music which they hear.
The story is told of famous Arab
named Al-Farabi. who ap-
reared in disguise, before the court Of
aliph Of Bagdad, while that monarch
vas enjoying his daily concert Al
'arabi was permitted to exhibit his
kill. He began to sing in . peculiar
vay and accompanied himself on the
lutte. All the courtiers and even caliph
limself began TO laugh uproariously.
suddenly the musician changed his
une, and his audience were moved to
eara Again he sang and played. This
ime with such effect that the courtiers
'ecame furious and would have fought
ach other had not the musician ap-
'eased them. Al-Farabi concluded his
by soothing his auditors
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