The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1909-12-24

Egyptians, they require clever to hunt them
capable of getting great results from small
data"
period these authors wrote all learn
ing science confined very circle of
initiates. The common folks kept in strict igno-
rance meaning of their festivals; the mys-
teries hidden book to their true significance,
only the outward and visible sign of the celebrations
within their ken How far the secrets were kept
by these initatesa combination compared with which
steel sugar sink insignifcance-
is too well known to student Thus in
1t is impossible trace definitely the actual basis of
these ancient myths and customs and attempts
force must necessarily remain much in the nature of
patchwork outfit gathered here and there from
the ancient writings helps work the quilt but the
ultimate stage has a somewhat crazy appearance.
1t is all the exasperatng, because many these
early writer's such Herodotus Plutarch and others
have stopped short in their screeds just when
words would have the knots that prevent
from unraveling the skein. They initiates and
thus to silence. Their oaths however did pre-
them whetting curiosity and leaving po-
ston where Putarch cynicay remarks, it would in
deed be clever task to get great results from small
data"
Athenaeus another of the old Greek gossipers in
speaking of the policy of the Romans in adopting
toms of peoples whom they had conquered For it
is the conduct of prudent abide by those ancient
institutions under which they and their ancestors have
lived and made upon and subdued the rest of the
world; and yet at the time if there any
fui honorable institutions among the peoples whom
they have subdued those they take for their imitation
time they take their prisoners And this
tanning their national customs at the same time intro
duced from the nations whom they had subdued every
relic desirable practices which they found This
measure, the policy of the early fathers adapt
ing heather and sacrifices festivals
church. With them, however, it rather case
adaptation than of adoption, believing that the
der of things would easier to the converts
Christian religion if the changes not made too
sweeping too harsh. Thus is that many
customs connected with festivals have down to
from time long prior to the birth of the Saviour
Unlike the many customs with the ceebra-
ton of Christmas those of the beginning of the New
Year to bear of the stamp of paganism At
the same time such show rather close resem-
blance due in large to the fact that both
be the celebrations round the festival
the Saturnaia and winter sostice when the old year
out and the in; period of general re-
oicing and must be admitted of degree
dysm, noise and license which all the fumnations of
church councils in the Middle Ages city
and orders OF chiefs OF police In these later have
been unable to suppress The youngster of to-day with
his horn is just prominent in creating racket
his prototype of couple of thousand years ago.
Of late years period been largely re-
stricted to the of Christmas and New Year.
mery the period closely following Christmas day
of continuous ollifcation. Mummers perambulated the
of the towns and villages and the Misrule
the Abbot of Unreason the Abbas Stutorum held
sway. The "Fete of Fools" celebrated the three
days following Christmas eliminating Holy Innocents
day in general jamboree, in which not the
spared Young people dressed themselves
up the dignitaries of the church. the
very Offices to have been paraded and dances held
in churches. The second of the Council Cog
mac held in 1860, put under pain of
such masqueraded bishops. etc. At the councils
held at in 1431 and Bourges in 1885, fumna
hurled against the "Fete of Fools" while
early 1912 the celebration abolished by the council
held at Paris Yet the custom of masquerading the
days following Christmas is not yet extinct in dis
tcts of France and elsewhere but the celebration has
shorn of much of its picturesqueness and at the
same time Of it's extreme license.