The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1908-12-31
DANCE IN CHURCH
CURIOUS SURVIVAL OF CUSTOM
OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
Cathedral at Seville, Spain, the Scene
Of Remarkable Ceremonial Of
Which the Origin Is Lost
in Antiquity.

NO. tNe OF Int many IcliNS "a NhD
middle ages, with which Spain eth
abo2nds Is more curious than the
dancing before the altar which takes
place every evening during the oc'
taves OF the immaculate Conception
December s TO 80 and Corpus Dom
mi three days after Ascension day)
in the cathedral of Seville.
THIS church is the largest Gothic
cathedral in the world, 1t is lit by
10 fewer than SO windows and is a
yeritable museum of art, but the
GROWING glory of this venerable pile
is its fifteenth and sixteenth century
stained glass, the designing Of which
to Raphael, Titan and Michael An
gelo. 1t is within this wonderful edi-
fee. says the Pail Mall Gazette, that
takes place the most quaint ritual OF
all Christendom.
/ The dance is performed by two rows
OF char'sters or seises. numbering 10
or ~ formerly it was six). wearing
/ plumed hats and dressed as pages Of
/ the time Of Philip Ill.,; the colors Of
/ the clothes vary; for the oc-
| taye OF Corpus Domini they are red
and white, while blue and white are
/ worn during the Immaculate Concep-
( ton To the slow music of violins this
dance (which is a sort of minuet) is
solemnly performed. devoid of all ir-
reverence and levity.
At the December festival the vast
! church is in darkness, save for the
I lights of the high altar. and the ef
feet is most impressive. The chants
which the choristers break out into
merely ada TO the soIemnity of the oc
casion which is not in the least de
gree Iessened by the sound of the cas-
tanets the seises play. There are two
sets of music, and they are used upon
1 alternate evenings, the sale of which
is jealousy guarded against by the
/ chapter.
\ legend says this singular ritual
originated at the time of the siege Of
Seville by some boys going out to AL
Gala. where they danced before the
Moorish army. which they so delight
ed that they were able to detain then
while the Spaniards manned the walls
but really the origin of this dancing
is quite obscure
Another interesting legend relates
that a certain archbishop of Seville
about 200 years ago wished to sup
press this ritual, but the citizens, to
gether with the canons, gave such op
position that there was quite a tn
mutt, and the matter was referred Il
Rome. The pope of that time wish
ing to see the dance, the choristeri
were taken to the Eternal City, wher'
they performed before the head o
Christendom. who merely laughed, blu
TO please the archbishop and at TIL
same time to appease the canons b.
said the dancing might continue unit
the clothes were worn out; to avoiC
silk, have always been partially re
stored at a time, and now they BIZ
fair to last forever.
The other legends are connecte,
with the Jews of Toledo, who forme,
the only community of medieva
4 A-NA NlE ltldN as uOL COnHutu 10
Ghetto, with all its prosecuting regr
lations. One of the reasons given 10
this is that at the time OF the cruc
! fxion, or a little before, the Sanht
drin of Jerusalem sent around to a.
= the Jewish colonies asking wbethe
or not the Christ was the long expec
ed Messiah, and the Jews of this cit
hn
affirmative answer. for which they r.
ceived their freedom.
Another legend says the cause c
this singular circumstance was ths
when the Christians endeavored (
confine these Jews to a Ghetto the la
ter proved that before the crucifiuo
their ancestors were living in Toled
, and so they were guiltless Of this
2 crime.