The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1893-12-22
his conquest with the sword, forced his
countrymen to confess.


countrymen to confess.
THE POWER OF THE CROSS.
Then the celebrations had to be
changed. The December Yuletide had
been the main season for Scandinavian
rejoicing. The pirate vikings generally
spent their short summers in conquer
ing everything that they could over
come and carrying away everything
that they could get their hands on.
When their season was over and naviga-
ton practically closed, they divided
their booty among their wives, sweet
hearts, friends and acquaintance. They
cared little ABOUT religion, and knew
almost nothing about masses but
"wassail' they were heavy on and old
customs had to be kept up.
During the long Northern nights
there was but little occasion or oppor-
tunity for work; but the chances for
celebrating were almost unlimited.
Eating and drinking, boastful attempts
to outshine each other in outward gen.
erosity, but oftener reckless extrava-
Christianity could not overcome these
habits Of the people, and so it adopted
them, finding analogous circumstances
in Chr stan history to give them
color. 'Gold, frankincense and myrrh
were the Oriental Christmas gifts, and
these were offered to the Saviour. But
the interchange of gifts of love and
friendship at Christmas time is the
direct result ofthe pirate viking custom
in Old Norway at "Yuletide.'
The religious system of ,Odin, Thor
aud Freia has passed away but their
names are, with us to this day, in
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and
some of their customs have as strong a
hold now as they had when heathenism
among our Nosthern ancestors was
entirely triumphant.
THE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS.
are mainly Scandinavian. The mistletoe
bough and the bay and holly are British
(Druidic). The German legend of
Knecht Rupert is adopted as the
Christian st. Nicholas, which, when
pronounced broadly by the Holland
S G
For three hundred years after the
beginning of Christianity, Christmas
was most movable feast. In the Eas
ern churches it was celebrated in April
and May, but in the fourth century the
25th December was adopted, mainly
because it is just after the longest night
of the year, and therefore, typical of
the deliverance from darkness, which
the new religion proposed to accomplish
Tradition has further taught that the
Saviour was born at midnight. On this
account, as early as the sixth century
the churches celebrated the event by
mass at midnight, as one before day
break and one later in the morning.
OF this custom ran the couplet:
"That only night in all the yea"
Saw the stoled p.iest the chalice rear
THE OLD SCANDINAVIAN SONGS.
at yule tide were war songs, loud and
boasting; drinking songs, with many
rlbald jest, and love songs. These
were gradually aud gently changed
into carols, in which other reasons
were given for rejoicing than shary
tricky, and often very unfair victories
over the weak in personal hand-,o hand
encounters. This accounts for the
peculiar phraseology Of many of the
old carols. 1t was a great change for
an old boars head reyeler to be called |
to sing:
''God rest ye. merry gel emen,
L. It 1T thing you dismay;
For Jesns Christ, le S ,viour
Was born for you t lis day.
These four lines epitomize much of
st. Paul's policy of Cali things to all
men," and were undoubtedly among
the means of preaching the Gospel to
the British and Scandinavian world.
MUSICAL SCIENCE.
has been one of the result Of Christianit
progress. The church took it up whe,
the Greeks and R mans lett il, and tt
old modes are still more or less preserN
ed in the Gregorian tunes as used I,
this day. Coming westward, the
Anglican chant and the German hymns
that came from the German popular
songs, were incorporated. Counterpart
came finally to make varied melody
ont of absolute monotony, and the
colosscl catherdrals were rendered voca !
with unsurpassable voice compositions.
AS musical science has grown organs
and other instruments have been in
troduced, until now the fullest develop
ment of musical resources is only to be
found in grand operas, grand oratorios
and grand masses. The prejudice of
of some denominations of Christians
against instrumen tai music in churches |
is gradually, but surely, dying away.
Tne limit of Christmas music at present
is generally the fullest extent of the
purse that provides. !
THE PIANO IN THE CHURCH.
The future will undoubtedly add one /
instrument that finds, at present, but
little ecclesiastical employment, and ,
that is the modern piano. The ancient !
harp has lost its place on account of
IL,