Arizona republican., 1911-01-29
A WEIRD PILGRIMAGE.
Cure Sought by Sleeping One Night
 Beside a Certain Plant.

"The weirdest pilgrimage on earth is the phrase in which one writer de- scribes the ceremony which takes place once a year. on the night of the Ascen- sion. at place in Roumania.
 situated to the northeast of the town of Targu- Giu. in the western di- vision of Roumania. is a great arid plain. and on it." according to this writer in the Wide World. grows a wonderful plant. termed in the varA nacular Frasinel Uhe healer). or in Latin. Dictamnus albus pr Dictamnue pers
 The peasants firmly believe that d night-this one night of the year spent among the plants will cure all ills. and they flock to the place by thou sands. It was to see this pilgrimage without a parallel that We visited the place on the eve Of the Ascension.
 "On reaching the edge of the plain we find many hundreds of carts, and every moment the crowd is increased by newcomers. In the distance can be seen groups occupying claims Others further afield gre searching for the plant. Those in charge of the carts are
 
 or mamaliga Cmaize meaD. with onions. olives or garlic.
 All are shivering with cold. for no fire must be lighted there tonight on every other occasion the opportunity Of an outing is seized as an excuse for much wine drinking. but today the great wooden wine bottle. the ploska. is strangely absent. All one sees are the graceful earthenware water jars. from which one drinks from an opening in the handle
 People from all parts of western Roumania visit this place of miracu- lous cures Arrived at the ground where the plant is mostly to De found each party hunts out a root At dusk clean sheet is spread near it and the sick person. also in white. takes his place upon it. Three holy candles are then placed about the plant as also a bowl of water.
 Then the patient-by proxy, for he must not speak word from the time he lies down until he gets up in the morning says the prayers used on this occasion. These are chanted by old women known as 'matuza.' or aunts. and should be repeated fifteen times in order to effect cure These aunts act in turn for different persons. receiving from each loaf of bread and what ever else the sick person can afford to give.
 The pilgrim sleeps all night with his head close to the stalks of the plant or evergreen leaves or blades cf grass In the morning. immediately after sun rise. the bowl must be examined. for if this happens to contain leaves or flow CTS of the plant. evergreen leaves or blades of grass. then the auguIy is good and the patient will eventually recover.
 TT, however. it contains dead leaves. bits of earth. sand. or the like. then the portent is death, and that soon. So implicit is the belief in the aupurv that when it is unfavorabIe in the case pi d child the peasant parents very oft ih give the little one no further atten- lion. regarding it as doomed anyway
 Those to whom the bowl oracle is favorable must pluck their plant and 'n the way home cast 1t into running water. sThat directs the course of the nalady away from them. These for unate ones who receive good signs generally come d second and A third -ear
 Ihe Roumanian peasant goes to bed | 'arly' and so before it is fairly dark inc 'lain IS left to the sick pilgrims. When | We were there comparatively few spec- | ators stayed to see the night vigil | hrough. The sick themselves. ex- 'ept for the poor wretches whose suf- erings made rest impossible. were wrapped in sleep. With the candles beside them and their reads toward the guardian plants they ooked like phantoms in their white garments.
 The 'aunts' moved slowly among hem. lighting taper blown out bv he wind. or sitting chanting the prayers in the hideous nasal manner T the Greek church Where there vas child one or other of it's reIa ives sat by if: all others had re- turned to their carts to sleep in or nder them
 As the sun rose behind the blue 1ountains. flooding the valleys and urning the white of the pilgrjms' rappings of gold. they were all reused rom their slumber. for just after sun ise not the least strange .part of this ceremony has to he performed This the washing of the faces and reasts of the patients. all of them joking toward the fiery orb mean nile. The water from the bowl is sed for this operation. but first all everyone looks eagerly into it read his or her fate
 There are looks of happiness. ughter and chatter where the night (