The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-19
RELIGION AMI CUSTOM.


From the Nationdl RerieU.
Here is the origin Of the golden head
dress Of the Friesland peasant women:
The heather king, on hearing that his
daughter was a Christian, compelled her
to wear a crown OF spikes in mockery OF
the Crown OF Thorns; and, on his own con-
version, as he could not efface the scars
upon her brow, he covered them with a
golden helmet, which was Immediately
adopted as their headdress by all Christian
women in the land.
In Old England the child learned his
alphabet from a horn book in which a cross
was prefxed to the first line OF letters,
which for this reason was called the Christ
Cross row." At the mead of the old horn
books the rhyme was often placed:
chrlst's Cross be my speed.
In all virtue TO proceed.
For the same reason "Cristus" is a name
given in Spain to the alphabet for children.
which in France becomes "CroiS de Jesus
or "Croix du bon Dieu."
Great as the Christian element is in all
European tongues, perhaps when the Span
iards call Castilian "cristiano," the Chris
tian language, they are not making an al
together u%nfounded boast. Z un JESUS
is the Castilian equivalent to the German
"~augenblick," the Italian "momento.' 1t
seems to me that the phrase has an element
which is wanting in the sin a jify' or half
a mo- of our own argQt. How touching
is the Spanish colloquial phrase meaning
"to assist a dying person" "decir los Je-
suses," "to say the Jesuses.' There is a
verb "Jesusear,' "to frequently repeat the
name Of Jesus" The Spanish word for
a beggar is 4pordiosero,' one who asks aid
"por Dios." or course, in Spain God
means God Incarnate, God crucifed. The
Russian beggars say "for Christ's sake"-
the plea of mar to man.
Judas was more detested than Satan him
self, because, it was argued, Satan had be-
trayed man, Judas had betrayed his God
At the present day he liz hanged in efigy
on each Good Friday from the yardarm Of
Spanish ships. In Provence he is ham
mered, and is, speaking generally, the Guy
Fawkes of Catholic countries. 1t was Or
dained that no Christian should be baptized
by the name OF Judas, so that IL any one
wished to name his child after the other
st. Jude he must call him Thaddeus. The
tradition that Judas was a redhaired man
Is preserved in the French poll de Judas"
A fiery red beard was commonly called a
Judas beard "Herod' is a popular term
of vituperation in Russia.
Cara de hereje' face OF a heretic), in
Spanish, denotes a monster OF ugliness;
-scomunicato," excommunicate, "sbat-
~tezzato' (apostate, having renowned ones
baptism) may be heard often on a Tuscan
market day. "Unbaptize me II l do not
speak the TRUTH an italian peasant will
say.
1 saw the other day on the wall Of a
try cottage the st. John Baptist Of the
Corpus Christi professions, a curly headed
boy leading q lamb with a silken string.
For centuries in England, as still all over
the world, st. John and his lamb and his
cross were part of the furniture of all mems
minds. He was always the living mon
trans" "the Shower the Finger ~eternally
pointing "Ecce Agnus Del" The legend
is that when his body was burned "the
finger with which he showed Our Lord"
was preserved, and Is still kept at st. Jean
du Doigt in Brittany. 1t will be said Of a
wicked old woman she would pervert the
lamb Of st. john
As to the Apostles, the first fragment OF
old custom which comes to mind is the
Apostle Spoon Modern meagreness gives
one spoon at a christening, but in the old
magnificent days a set Of twelve, each bear
ing the head of an Apostle, was given to the
child just received into their fold. They
were the guardians and helpers Of all Chris
tendon. What a breath Of democratic
poetry, what a glimpse of true greatness
there is in the phrase common to many
languages, ito go on the Apostles horse
In my nursery days | remember a crying
child being spoken Of as Peter Grievous.
| nave no doubt this was a survival Of
medieval days, and referred to the words
Of the Gospel: And Peter went out and
wept bitterly