New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-26

pRMS FOR CRESSErS
Midsummer was Of old most important day. III
n the one which by its meaning and It's time OF oc-
rurrencc stands opposite 10 Yue, and 1t may even
have been the greater Of the two. 1t is the festival OF
tho summer sostice as Yulc Is that of the winter
sosticc. The word Yue means wheel, in reference
m the Turning of the sun its southwark course and
wheel was also used emblcmatical!y In the ceicbf'-
ton of midsummer, because of the turning OF The sun
in its northward course. 1t day sacred 10 the
SUM- and that fact illustrated by some Of It's best
established customs. A most important part Of It's
celebration was the Rinding of bonfres on hilops'
and this has survived down TO modern times There
were also sacred and human and other sacihces
and the effect of all these things was supposed 10 DC
10 further abundant harvcSts and to take away the
sins the diseases and the general miSforunes OF The
people ...
An old homy gives some queer particulars aDoht
fires on ST. John the Baptist's Eve. They were Oh
three kinds says the first of bones the second OF
wood and the third OF bones and wood together Inc
hone0re was 10 drive away dragons which flew over
the land on this night spreading disease ior says 'e
homily there is nothing that dragons hate so in'ch
ne the smell OF burning bones. This name " Dohe-
fire" sounds Interestingly like bonfire. The deFNa.
ton Of this word is by no means certain tniS oiu
custom may have something to do with IL or 1t NV!
not Tho wood fire was In horor OF The s''n'' o'''
kennynge that saynt Jyhan was EA"rhe "a
light to the people" The fire Oh "o'u
ond homes together was emblem Of his rartYFooh'
Naogcorgus q poet whose attacks on the eerc"l''c'
conducted or sanctioned by the Church OF home nave
done much 70 preserve the knowledge OF some OF i'
tells OF the rolling Of burning wheel from NIL Top
and says the people supposed That TINS Wouu '"e
away their sins and other evils There used ID DC
cnstom also OF jumping through tho bonhres, ree'
nrobobly of some old tests Of Innocence.
Midsummer Day and Eve ere remarkable IN tic
number OF their associations Win spirits ana WIN
t,1es and enchantments we'll as signs ana diV'ha-
hqlie
,,st,s Eve the spirit OF sleeping person wou icaVc
the body and go to the place where he was 70 o'' anu
this myth and variations of it have lcd TO numerous
other peculiar beliefs and customs IL uscl ~ p7
babit to watch In the church porch on 81 ''n" V'
and then the watcher would see at midnight inc SPLITS
% al, Win were 10 die In the parish within the fohp"-
tho ceor come md knock at the door oil the chhf''
THE watching would be peculiarly d''ir;iOe act o
couse II seems that the soul OF q person WIN h'p'
awake all night could not wander from Ms D"iS VIII"
he would have the power 10 soc the slhr'N % 'i''
,vbo selept II IS related that once while ssvra persons
W.. non,,,g This watch one OF them fell inio sleep
tror, which he could not be aroused ana before nc
awoke his companions saw his appariuoh 20 10 Wv
church door and knock. The same supcrsluous PRIV
tcc or one almost exactly Ike II, uSed also 10
thought appropriate 70 st. MARKS Eve anu NV p',I.- ~
III. walking of spirits forboding Of death seems 10
have been more marked In the case VI ''"' '"e' "
In that OF st. johns Eve.
Yet tho feeling that 1t was n good tmng 70 hcep
o~.ko nil through the night preceding M'uSunh'pi
Dav mov have had something to d. with the old Gus
,on, ., London and other Epglish cities OF sctahg
. o,c, an this night though the danger OF public
Sis,nr,.nce ON night OF great feasting ana reVe"S
may also have been a reason for the watch 'i'he"s
~ high and low degree in thousands nsed 10 come ''
opd toln I'm n procession which must hi'c oeen
h,,n,apt sight with its itch and gay dresses anu
.-,ror &c paccants and It's torches whlie all 'io'
A.. ,ror xcd bcacons and torches lighted the streets
hitch wore usually dark in those days. or rn'hcr
nights There the mayor WIN MS s"''u-oc'''.
fo,,man and torch-bcarcrs, there were Tue "'Soi
officers and the sherifs with their trains thcre VIZ
ola soldiers, drummers, fifers, standard ana ens's.
horrors sword players, trumpctcis on hor'oo'
cru,crs orchcrs morris dcnccrs, constaDcs hHd III
,arcr,l everybody who could add to the enicncS W
yratch or the gorceousncSs OF Il proccssion' |'0 ""
r,ustcr had passed about the city ana expoS'o ''''
the admiration Of TIE tOwpsmcn tue watch WIS So' ."
various points with injunctions to Keep the peace "
,,ou,ro into all disturbances Of II ana 10 rc""n vi
An,y On sunrise which in England IS pretty early az
this season OF the year.
Tho torches used both In the procession itsel anu
o,onc the way were commonly called cresSeS' ~
consisted OF baskets vessels OF iroi o'eh "'auo -
fancIful shapes, placed on poles ana containing mn
COTS OF rope saturated with pitch' OF o'''cr
comhns,ible Thei. may have been anothcr rem
80, q, coy.n ,ues I'm honor OF the sun. thogh toro"'s
oro n,fura enough Accomplishments OF any proceeSio
NJ night A watch was set Ia inc same wa, anu W." =,
.,n,,., non,p and Circumstance on the ewes VI o.
po,or .,a 81 Paul King Henry VIII came 10 see the
rr.,,ro ro+c, on st. Johns Eve In London early III
,. GINS n ,,.s 90 mich pleased with the spectacle
,bat he came again 10 IT Oh ST. PEERS eve WIZ.
o,asn Katharine Eut few years later ne apoHs"ou
,se ,rst,m probably thinking 1t dangerous ''"' D
,,o bodv OF citizens should be permitted ID e"'"cr
ID arms. ,,.., ,. o, 1.-Two in
chester must have been delightful CIV 10 hNo :"
tho. or four hundred years ago. LIE there seems ~
have been a continuous passing show. Noooiu"'b y.
a, ordinance of 1854 a pageant for midsummer va. "
consis, NJ four giants, unicorn. Two
one camel, one luce drngon ana SIX hoop' 80,
These were made chiefly Of pasteboard ana "e'e 49,
nainted ard decorated In 1899, the mayor. s." n,
iI,rdware coused the giants 10 be broken up anu NJ"
.,f,una for fhern nan In armor IN inc pageant D
two wears later another mayoi John ha'ci"c, 49,
th.m Tbrr were discontinued while inc '""''
-..,h hc,d sway and established aTl' INV
ereot re.cing when Charles came becx 10 !, pr,
has hccn conjectured that this use OF giants ~ -
cessop mar form tie explanation Of the mno"s ''' .,
co,,.6 Car and Macog which have been so ioOe j" Tue
Tandem c.u,,dbal, and arc still TO be seen there.
sornc,Hor Of the Druid influence on tue P'p"'
hs,,ofs Of midsummer may be found In the iorls -
dsvInst,on prse.tseA then, the most OF the" "pr
Of more cheerful sort than that already u''0"
A. ,s.-rsnp VINO was to die within the year.
,orr. ,vomen Who seems to have been bound 10 s",e
t>nrn who was 70 % oeS ebe&