The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-12-29
Oracles of the Twelve Nights.
BY ALEXANDER TILE IN DIE GARTEN-
LAUBE. TRANSLATED BY L. b.
FLETCHER.

"The Twelve Nights" are as old as
Germany itself. This mystic period
occurs about the time of the winter
solstice which, according to popular
belief in Germany, falls on the night
before Christmas.
Of the original Twelve Holy Days,
six preceded that night and six fol-
lowed, but in the greater part Of Ger
many they are now held to extend from
Christmas to Epiphany. In Bavaria
they have not been shifted so far, and
comprise the time between St. Thom-
ass day (the twenty-first of December)
and New Years day, inclusive. In
Franken and Mecklenburg, on the 9th
er hand, they extend from the second
to the thirteenth of January.
During the period Of the Twelve
Nights the supernatural powers hold
sway, AMI mortals who know how to
ask may receive true answers to ques-
tions about their future fortunes.
The wind, the buds on the trees, the
lowing of cattle, the accidental fall of
any of the Christmas decorations, the
arrangement of the branches on the
Christmas tree, all give warning Of
coming events, according to common
superstition.
The ancient Germans, when they de-
sired to penetrate into the future or to
learn the will Of the gods, threw beech.
en- rods upon a white cloth, and in the
figures formed by the rods they saw
words which their priests arranged
into sentences of oracular import.
This solemn rite, which decided ques-
tions of life and death, and determined
mighty wars and the fate of whole peo-
pies, has degeneratcd in the course of
centuries into harmless sport which
is still extant in many different forms,
and has for its usual object the solu
tion of questions relating to the all-im-
portant matter of marriage. These
oracles are appealed to most commonly
in tue season of the Twelve Nights.
Equally universal throughout Ger
many is the belief in the prophetic
character of animals, especially domes-
tic animals, at this season.
1t bevy of girls in Pfullingen, Sax
ony, desire to know which of them will
be married first, they catch gander
and blindfold him.
Then, joining hands and singing,
they walk around the reeling bird
The lucky maiden is the first one
touched by the gander in his efforts to
escape.
At Lorch on the Rhine, on the
Thursday before Christmas, black
pullet is drugged and laid on the floor.
The young people surround her until
she awakes and runs away. The
couple between whom she passes in
escaping will be married within year.
In the Bukowina each girl bahcs
cake on Christmas eve, anoints it lit
orally with grease and puts her indi-
viduai mark on it.
The cakes are then all laid in a row
on a low table, and the dog is called in.
Of course the wise creature knows who
is to be married first, and he imparts
the desired information by devouring
her cake first. Or if, forgetting his
lofty mission, he throws himself upon
the cakes in a highly promiscuous man
ner, or upsets the table, the oracle is
interpreted as indicating that the girls
will all be married on the same day.
Another series of soothsaying games
may be grouped together under the
name of "The Floating Candies"
In the Bukowina, if three or four
girls meet in the evening hap
pens frequently enough, as there is
great running from house to house at
this season-thcy shut themselves up
in room, taking care that no one is
looking through the key-hole. Then
each girl fastens taper on little disk
of wax, and all the disks are foated in
a large bowl Of pure spring water, and
all the tapers lighted at the same in
slant.
She whose lightship is first wrecked
will be the first TO marry, and the nee
essary young man may be expected to
manifest himself very shortly. In
Saxony the game is played on New
Years eve, and somewhat differently
If only girls are present, each in turn
places on the water three walnut shells
in which lighted tapers are fixed.
One she'll is for her lover, one for her.
self and one for 'the parson." If the
first two come together it denotes
speedy engagement, and if''the parson"
joins the pair he will do so in another
sense before long. If the girl has sew
eral obvious or putative lovers, she
launches shell for each. He whose
shell touches her own is destined to be
the favored one, and "the parson" plays
the same role as before.
Sometimes the young men join the
girls in the game. In this case taper
is floated for each person, and, as be-
fore, collisions denote engagements, Or,