Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1908-04-18

the Saturnalia and even Surpliced that
feast in its own service it worked to
continue two Other great festivals of
pagan Rome and have them held Oh
the date of Easter.
These festivals were the LupcrcaliH,
held on Feb. IL, and the Arval broth
erhool. celebrated about the end of
May. The Lupercalia was in honor of
IupcrcIIS. the god of puriication and
fccundity. Goats and dogs were sac
riiiccd to him in his temple on the day
set aside for his Worship: in the blood
of the sacrifice Il sword was dipped by
a priest. and with its point the fore
heads of the noble Roman youths were
touched. Another priest washed away
the blood with milk The youths,
stimulated 10y great drafts of wine and
clad only in the torn skin of goat
just sacrificed and holding in their
hands thongs of the same. followed
by Il great procession of the priesthood
ana crowds in holiday attire ran from
one side of the street to the other,
striking with the gpatSkin whips at
lllt women WHO presented themselves
for the blows.
The feast Of the Arval brotherhood
was celebrated in honor of the twelve
foster brothers of RomuluS. gods who
continued the fertility of the fields. to
which LuprrcUl gave the initiative. 1t
was held in the grove of Dea Dia,
about five miles from the city, and
gave opportunity for annual athletic
games. There was an egg shaped track
in the grove. and on this races were
run, with eggs for prizes, Eggs were
wagered too, and in all there was
such an abundance of eggs brought 10
the grove that moe than likely tn"
holiday mcrrymakers Gorged them
selves with them after the running
and the wagering We're done.
Whence the Romans got the idea of
aSSociItimg the egg with fertility is
not certain. The Egyptians, however,
had for centuries before regarded the
egg as Il symbol of the renovation of
man after the deIuge. Indeed. almost
all peoples had religious ceremonies i'll
which it figured as emblematic of re,
production. 1t was therefore especial
Iy fitting for the great festivals with
which all the peoples welcomed spring.
From the Jewish missionaries to the
Christians in Rome had been handed
down the tradition that the Hebrew
put an egg on the table at the Pass
over to typify the departure from
Egypt Perhaps this link between the
Passover and the games in the grove
of Dca Dia had to do with suggesting
the merging of the Arval and Lupercal
and holding both at the Easter time,
season midway between. However
that be, the thing was done when the
Christians became powerful enough to
do it.
Among the Germans, the Gauls and
the people of the present British is
lands the absorption of their ancient
spring festivals by this new one of
Easter was easy. 1t came to them
from Rome with their new religion
and Glanced to be about the time they
held their own pagan spring feasts in
honor of the gods they supposed to
be awakening nature.
Among the Germans the hare as well
as the egg had a part in the spring
feaSts as an emblem of fccundity. So
close was the association that even
now the children there believe that the
hare lays their Easter eggs, and as the
rabbit is cousin to the hare it is not
strange that the children of English
speaking people have the same curious
belief about that frisiy animal and hold
it sacred to Easter.
WALTON WILLIAMS.