The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-12-22

llSHl w nile the hfe idStcu tHcic was
great drinking, singing and telling OF
tales.
Come bring with noise.
My merrie. merrie boys,
The Christmas log to the firing;
While my good dame she,
Bids you all be free,
And drink 10 your hearts desiring
with the last years brand
Light the new block, and
For good success in his spending
On your psaltries play,
What sweet luck may
Come while the log is tending
In some places the self-extinction OF the
the Yule-log was portentious OF evil,
while it was considered an omen Of i'll
if a squint-eyed person or one with bare
feet should appear while the log was
burning. a portion of the old log of tie
preceding year was sometimes kent 10
light the new log and 10 preserve me fam
lily from harm in the meanwhile. and the
candle that was lighted on Christmas
morn should be large enough TO burn IN
til the close of the day, otherwise -
would portend evil TO the family during
the ensuing year.
The Christmas banquet of medieval
times was a very brilliant again, Iollow-
ed by spectacular performances. particu-
larly at court, where professions, dancing.
and the act OF ailegories were favorite
amuSements. Besides the representations
the ballet frequently acted some simple
story. A favorite allegory represented
Prometheus stealing the spark from hea-
ven and making his escape, Vulcan and
Venus forging the bolts OF Jove, the fail
of Phaeton. the love of Semele and its IA
tai catastrophe. and Love and Beauty set
ting the Universeon fire with their united
power.
From the time of Henry VIII. until
nearly the close of the seventeenth cen-
fury the boar's head was a favorite dish
on Christmas Day. This was an event of
great pomp and ceremony. After the
guests had assembled around the festive
board the procession of retainers ap-
pesred. Then.
''- was brought the lusty brown
BY old blue-coated serving man;
Then the grim boar's head frowned on
high,
Crested with bays and rosemary.
''While round the merry wassail bowl
Garnished with ribbons blithe did trowl.''
At Queens College, Oxford the bringing
in of the boar's head was attended with
professional honors. The boar's head was
carried in by the strongest Of the guards
men, singing a merry stave. Here Is the
Oxford version in its sixteenth Ventury
dress:
Caput afri differo
Redens 'laudes' domino.
The boar's head in hand bring I
With garlands gay and rosemary,
I pray you all sing merrily.
Qui estis in convivio.
The bore's head. understands.
Is the 'chefe' seruyce in the lande;
Loke where ever IL be fonde
Servite- cum cantico.
For this hath ordeyned our stewarde
To cheer you all this Christmasse,
The bore's head with mustarde.
Solo: Our steward hath provided this
In honor of the king of bliss;
Which on this day to be saved is
In regimensi atrio..
Chorus: Caput. afri, etc.
Solo: The bore's head I understands
Is the bravest dish in all the land;
When thus bedecked in a gay GAL
land;
Tu ct US serve cantico.
The last verse is thought to be mod
arnized form of an old tune handed down
by tradition.
The turkey a Christmas dish was in
-roduced into England in the sixteenth
century. and is therefore OF less antiquity
han the huge sirloin of beef or The minca
pie Mince pies were first shaped IKE a
nanger, as were the Yule cakes given
Dut by the bakers to their customers
The plum porridge later developed into
he plum pudding, which dates from ECO
At the old Christmas fsasts peacVcks and
frames formed some of the dishes. Before
being roasted the peacock was carefully |
skinned and after leaving the oven .be