Gloucester County Democrat., 1905-07-06
PAUS AND PlNkSTER.


The Dutch Easter Time Festivals In
the Mohawk Valley
Next to New Years day Paus and
Pinkster were the more popular and
generally observed holidays Of the old
Dutch In the Mohawk valley. Paus
was Easter and Pinkster was Whit
sunday. Pinkster was particularly
gala day, when young and old gave
themselves up to jollity and boisterous
fun. The joys Of the day began in the
morning with sports, outdoor games
and contests and ended late at night
with indoor games and dancing. There
were .'egg butting' and riding at the
zing." The latter sport was probably
rural adaptation of the tournaments
of the days of chiyalry The neces-
sary arrangement was cord tied
across the road just above the heads of
men on horseback. From this cord was
suspended by short string finger
ring. Each horseman was provided
with short. sharp pointed stick about
the size Of a meat skewer, which was
held between the first finger and
thumb The competitors were obliged
to ride at full gallop under the cord
and attempt to thrust their "lances"
through the ring and carry it off three
times When one of the contestants
had accomplished this he was chased by
all the other contestants. II he sue
ceeded in reaching the goal without be-
ing caught he was the winner. The
prize was the payment by the other
contestants Of the bill for himself and
his best girl at the dance and supper to
be given in the evening. If, however,
he was caught he was obliged to foot
the bill for his captor and his best girl
For a week before Pinkster the in
habitants, black and white, began to
make ready for the festival by erecting
booths of boughs from the thickly
leayed trees and shrubs on place in
or near the village chosen because of
its convenience and beauty. In these
booths the tables were set with good
things to eat and drink. Besides the
segg butting" and riding at the ring"
there were impromptu horse races,
wrestling matches and occasional
scraps" The music for dancing was
provided by the fiddle and jewSharp
Pinkster was a great occasion for the
slaves. On this day they had unusual
liberty to enjoy themselves according
to their own IDEAS One way of doing
so was dance, which was no doubt
relic Of one of the many religious
dances brought from Africa by the
captured slaves. The music was OBJ
tanned from a huge drumlike instru-
ment four or five feet long and a foot
In diameter, covered at either end by a
tightly stretched sheepskin This was
held between the legs of the largest
and oldest slave in the community.
This drum he would beat with palm
and fingers, and all the time he sang a
wordless song, which as the excite
ment increased would become wild and
weird and was accompanied by mus
cular contortions, wagging and twist
ing of the head and rolling of the eyes.
One after another of the slaves would
join in the dance as the spirit moved
him or her to do so till the musician
was surrounded by a ring of black and
yellow twisting, wriggling, hysterical
negroes, who for the time were thou
sands of miles away In the heart of
superstitious Africa One by one they
would fall to the ground exhausted,
when their places would be taken by
others who were just beginning to feel
the moving of the spirit. 1t was not
unusual for this wild dance to continue
through two days. New York Tribune.