The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1908-10-07
TRIP BEFORE ALTAR
ePANIsti CUSTOM is RELIC or
I1,GCLE AGES.
: Curious Steps Are Taken In Seville
Cathedral in Ceesrnber-Church
ls a Large One and Much Re-
semhIes a Museum.

Not one of the many relics of the
middle ages, with which Spain still
nhounds, is more curious than the
dancing before the altar which takes
place every evening during the octaves
OF the Immaculate Conception Ode.
cember to 49, and Corpus Domini
(three weeks after Ascension day. In
the cathedral of Seville.
This church is the largest Gothic
cathedral in the world. II is lit by
no fewer than SO windows, and is
yeritable museum of art. but the
crowniug glory of his venerable Pile
is its fifteenth and sixteenth century
stained glass, the designing of which
is upon doubtful : tc
Raphael. Titan an1 MlolseI AI.e-o
II is within this wonde ful ediHc- mat
takes place the most quaint ritual OF
all Chris endom.
The dance is performed by two
rows of choristers or seses. number
ing ten or twelve formerly it was
SKI, wearing rlumed hats and dressed
Is pages of the tine Of Philip H.. the
colors Of the clothes vary; for the oc
tave 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 ali
irreverence and levity.
AT the December festival the vast
church is in darkness, save for the
lights of he high altar, and the eff
feet is consequently most impressive.
The chants which The choristers break
out into merely add 10 the solemnity
of the occasion, which is not i'm the
least degree lessened by the sound OF
the casranets 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 70 Al
Gala, where they danced before the
Moorish army, which they so delight
ed that they were able to deta ain them
while the Spaniards manned the walls;
but really the origin of this dancing
js quite obscure.
Another interesting legend relates
that 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 tu-
multi, and the matter was referred to
Rome. The pope of that time wish
ing to see 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 time, and they now bid
fair to last forever.
The other legends are connected
with the Jews of Toledo, who formed
the only community of medieval Eu
rope that was not confined to Ghet
to, with all its prosecuting regu
lations. One of the reasons given
for this is that at the time OF
the crucifixion, or a Little before
the sanhedrin of Jerusalem sent
around to all the Jewish colonies ask
ing whether or not the Christ was the
long-expected Messiah, and the Jews
of this city were the only ones who re
turned an affirmative answer, fol-
which they received their freedom.
Another legend says the cause OF
this singular circumstance was that
when the Christians endeavored tt
,confine these Jews to Ghetto the lat
ter proved that before the crucifxior
their ancestors were living in Toledo
and so they were guiltless of that
crime.