The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1908-10-06
DANCE IN CHURCH
SURVIVAL OF CUSTOM
OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
Cathedral at Seville, Spain, the Scene
Of Remarkable Ceremonial Of
Which the Origin Is Lost
in Antiquity.

Not cue of the many relics of the
middle ages, with which Spain still
abounds, is more curious than the
dancing before the altar which takes
place every evening during the &C.
taves of the Immaculate Conception
December 8 to 49, and Corpus Dom
mi (three days after Ascension day.
in the cathedral Of Seville.
This church il the largest Gothic
cathedral in the world. 1t is lit by
no fewer than SO windows and is a
veritable museum of art, but the
browning glory of this venerable pile
is it's fifteenth and sixteenth century
stained glass, the designing of which
is upon doubtful authority ascribed
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 choristers or seises. numbering 10
or IL formerly it was six. wearing
plumed hats and dressed as pages of
the time of Philip I'LL; the colors OF
the clothes vary; for the &C.
fave 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 il a sort Of minuet) is
solemnly performed. devoid of all IT.
reverence and levity.
At the December festival the vast
church Is in darkness. save for the
lights Of the high altar, and the ef-
feet is most impressive. The chants
which the choristers break out into
merely add to the solemnity of the oc-
casion, which is not in the least de-
gree lessened by the sound of the cas-
tanets the seises play. There are two
sets of music, and they are used upon
alternate evenings, the sale of which
is jealousy guarded against by the
chapter.
A 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 Sc delight
ed that they were able to detain them
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 sanons, gave such OPP
position that there was quite a tu-
multi, and the matter was referred to
Rome. The pope of that time wish
ing to e the dance, the choristers
were taken to the Eternal City, where
they performed before the head of
~Christendom, who merely laughed, but
to please the archbishop and at the
same time to appease the canons he
said the dancing might continue until
the clothes were worn out; to avoid
this the dresses, which are of striped
silk, have always been partially re-
stored at a time, and now they bid
fair to last forever.
The other legends are connected
with the Jews of Toledo, who formed
the only community Of medieval
Europe that was not confined to a
Ghetto, with all its prosecuting regu-
lations. One Of the reasons given for
this is that at the time Of the cruel
fixion, or a little before. the Sanhe-
drin of Jerusalem sent around to all
the Jewish colonies asking whether
or not the Christ was the long expect
ed Messiah, and the Jews Of this city
were the only ones who returned an
affirmative answer, for which they re-
ceived their freedom.
Another legend says the cause Of
this singular circumstance was that
when the Christians endeavored to
confine these Jews to a Ghetto the lat
ter proved that before the crucifixion
their ancestors were living in Toledo
and SO they were g%uiltless OF that
crime.