The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-01-02
German Legend Beautifully illustrates
Origin of the Christmas Tree
Approach of Winfred, the Great Chris
tan Knight to the Forest of Central
Germany, Where Thor's Worship-
Ders Had Met to Offer Human Sac.
riice-What the Lesson of Christ
mas Teaches

TIC" NoiAiohy 1,Ioo years ago. 1t IS
Christmas eve. Winfred. a great
Christian knight from England. at
the head of a little band of pilgrims
in sledges moves silently uorthward
over the dry snow. The 81 rise ot
the winter sun sinks below the tree
tops; giant shadows are thrown
athwart the tall monarchs of the for
est; and, wrapped in his sable man.
tie, hurries the darkness swiftly On.
Winfred cheers his weary followers
IN a voice that refreshes them lika
wine.
1--WE have work to do we hear
/, him say, before we feast tonight. Fo:
> this is yule-tide, and the heather peo.
pie of the forest have gathered at the
YAK or GelsmaL 70 worship their god
Thor; and strange things will be sect
there and deeds which make the heart
sick and the soul black.
But we are sent to tighten their
darkness, and we will teach our kin>-
men to keep a Christians with us such
as the wood has never known. For
ward then, in Gods name"
so they journey on through the
bleak shadows by the light of the cold
moon and the white evening star.
Wolves howl in the distance. and the
night wind gently dreams in the fir
tops. Anon they reach the Thunder
Oak where Thor's worshippers are
met to offer human sacrifice. 1t is a
weird throng. Around a fire of blal.
ing taggots, in the form of a white
crescent are sturdy warriors CLAD in
white; white-robed women, silver
JeWeled; aged men in snowy fur man
ties; groups of children clad in the
snowy purity of lambs wool; and the
shaggy-browed priest of Thor, whose
white beard sweeps his breast.
Solicitations are exchanged with the
newcomers, and then the ceremonies
begin. This night we hear the
priest say, 1.-The great Thor, the god of
thunder and war. to whom this oak is
sacred, is grieyed for the death Of
Balder, and angry with his people be-
cause they have forsaken his wor-
Ship
The old priest demands a sacrifice of
blood to prOpitiate the heather god;
he advances toward the group of chill
dren n lays his hand upon the eld-
est son of the prince of the tribe, who
is dearly beloved of all the people. The
boys father, DUKE A1vold, breathes
deeply and leans SO heavily on tho
handle of his spear that the wood
cracks; the child's mother bends for
ward from the ranks and drags at the
silver chain about her neck until the
rough links pierce the flesh, and the
red drops fall unheeded on the snow of
her breast. But despite this touching
show Of tilial affection II maternal
tenderness, the relentless priest takes
the child. blindfolds him n makes
him kneel in the center of the semi
circle. He raises aloft a heavy stone
hammer, but the mothers piercing
cry rings out: me! not Asulf!"--
and the cruel hammer, descending, is
caught on the sturdy staff of Winfred,
is turned aside and shivered to pieces
on the in%terposing edge OF the stone
altar, as the mother springs forward,
n enfolds in her arms her darling
first-born.
Then Winfred speaks:-"Hearken,
We sons of the forest. No blood shall
flow this night save that which pity
has drawn from a mothers breast. For
this is the birth night of the white
Christ, the son of the All-Father, the
Saviour of mankind. Fairer is he
than Balder the Beautiful, greater than
Odin the Wise, kinder than Freya rhe
Good. Since he has come sacrifice Is
ended. The dark Thor, on whom you
have Vainly called. is dead. Deep N
the shades of Neiffeiheim he is lost
forever. And now on this Christ-night
We shall begin to live. This Blood
tree shall darken your land no more.
In the name of the Lord I will destroy
it"
Then he grasps the broad axe from
the hand of Oregon, and striding to The
oak begins to hew against it. Then
the sole wonder in Winfred's life
comes to pass. For, as the bright blade
circles above his head, and the flakes
of wood fly from ne deepening gast.
Sin The boHy Of the tree a whir.'ag
Win passes over the !nrAst. it grips
tie oak from its { n:ndat"ns. back
Yard it fans like n 'nwer g""enii.@ as
II splits as"n.ie- i'm fur :ieces nut
il st be1i1 1 T., All an"s"nc1 stands
a young 81 tree. pointing a green snire
towards the stars
Winfred lets drop the axe and turns
again to speak to the people: This
little tree. a child of the forest, shall
be your holy tree tonight. It is the
wood of peace, for your houses are
built of the fir. 1t is the sign of an
endless life, for its leaves are ever
green. See how it points upward to
heaven. Let this be- called the tree
of the Christ-Child; gather about it,
not in the wildwood, but in your own
homes: there it will shelter no deeds
of blood, but loving gifts and rites of
kindness" :
So they take the fir tree o its
place and carry it in joyful procession
to the edge Of the glade, and lay il
on one of the sledges. The horse
losses his head and draws bravely at
his load, as if the new burden had
lightened it, when they come to the
village. Alvoid bids them open the