Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-29
TOYS AND RELIGION
THE TRUE HISTORY OF SOME
CHILDREN's PIAYTHINaS.
Long and Honorable Ancestry Of the
Jumping Jack and the
Baby's Rattle.
woman's Home Companion.

From the Woman's Home Companion.
The familiar toys with which children
play have long and honorable ancestry.
In past ages these playthings were regard
ed as seriously as the tools and weapons
and other appurtenances OF man. More
than that, they were often his most cher
fshed possessions; they were symbols Of
his religious aspirations, factors in his
worship, sometimes the very images OF the
gods themselves" So says Stewart Culin.
curator Of the archaeological museum of the
University of Pennsylvania.
What very ordinary and amusing toy is
a jumping Jack! Almost exactly like 1t Is
an idol which was made by the Maoris of
New Zealand. They used this idol in their
religious dances, swaying 1t to and fro.
We find the same curious object among the
INDIANS OF the northwest; It closely resem-
bles our toys, but is employed as an instru-
ment In ceremonies to propitiate the gods.
A baby's rattle looks innocent and SIM
pie enough; 1t seems made just to quiet
children; in reality it is one of the Oldest
and most sacred implements of worship
that the world knows When you shake a.
tin rattle before baby's eyes to make him
stop crying you are doing just what priests
1900 years ago did when they worshiped
their gods.
Buddhists and the Rattle.
Up on the great plateau of Tibet Bud
dhist priests in strange garments still
shake gruesome rattle, made of two hui
man SOULS covered with parchment. when
they want to drive out evil spirits or to
call attention to their prayers. The we'll
known chld's ''hobby horse is an almost
exact Imitation of a toy horse used by the
Sioux Indians in their war dances and in
vested with sanctity by their medicine
men,. We quote further:
The scissors toy, made of jointed Stats
is sold on the streets everywhere. and
when 1t has clowns head which suddenly
grows into long-jacketed man 1t is very
funny. But how different the first of
this toy! Would you believe 1t, and isn't
1t very strange. that the ancestor Of this
toy was once actually an appurtenance in
Christian worship? But it's true, never
theless. such queer things the whirligig Of
time brings about! Over in England a
thousand years ago. when the monks want
ed to help the people understand the birth
of Christ and it's significance, they acted it
all out for them in a little play. These
were called miracles, and out Of them grew
our modern drama. In these plays the
scissors toy was used by the star bear
er" to carry the 'Star of the East The
Zuni Indians have precisely the same in
strument to initiate lightning and project
the greater "cosmical worm in their re-
ligious rites.
Certain toys. as everybody knows, are
dSSOCidleO Win certain umeS or the year.
Top time and marble time are quite
definite seasons. In China Japan and other
eastern countries the use Of toys at par
dcular seasons can be traced back, in
many cases. to religious festivals. In
Corea there Is a children's festival on the
eighth day Of the fourth month, and the
chief plaything at that time Is an image
made of paper. weighted with clay in such
a way as to enable it Immediately to re-
sumo an upright position if laid on its side
This image, which is called the 'O-tok-i,"
or Upright Standing One" is a survival
of an ancient deity worshiped in the days
before Buddhism came into being. Pass
Ing on to a consideration of our own
Christmas season and of the Christmas
tree, which Is its most spectacular feature
Mr. Culin says:
The Tree at Christmas.
Most of US know that the tree comes to
us direct from Germany. And we know
of the tree worship of the Druids which
Obtaihed' In England and France, and which
probably had some influence on the later
use of the tree in the Christian festival
But we do not all know that a similar fes-
tival with the tree as browning feature
Is observed among many heather nations,
and that 1t comes from sun worship, which
Is older than history. The revival of the
sun after the winter Solstice has ever been
the subject of rejoicing, and of celebration
by ceremonies which represent the new
light brought back to the world Our tree,
with Its small candles, it's gilded knick-
knacks and toys for the children, is Ill
rect descendant Of this old festival in
honor of the sun.
= Traces of 1t exist in Iceland, where the
service tree" is found adorned with burn
ing lights during Christmas night. The
English yule log is faint survival Of this
festival But it is beyond these that
wish to draw your attention back further
even than the Druid mysteries of the Gallo
forests. 1t is to China, that home of all
wonders and Of all history. 1t has been
shown that as long ago as PAT b. c.
tree with hundred lamps and flowers was
placed on the steps Of the audience hall
This appears again in the records of Prin-
cess Yang, who lived 1875 A. D.. and
who caused hundred-lamp tree eighty
feet high to be erected on a mountain.
1t was lighted during New Year night.
and the illumination was seen for hun
dreds of miles, eclipsing the light of the
moon This candle-tree is no longer light
ed In China, being replaced by an unusual
number Of lanterns. which are hung every
where. suggestion Of the tree, however
still survives in Japan. At the New Year
two evergreen trees are placed without, on
either side of the door, Their tops are
tied together with the sacred band of
straw, and various objects, dried Holsters
and oranges, are fastened to their branches
These curious analogies between the toys
Of nations so widely separated are regard
ed by Mr.. Culin new Illustration of
the fundamental unity of the human race