The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1913-12-26


low that we know has made
his appearance on. earth in 50 man,
guiSes that the secret OF his first com
Ing threatens to remain forever vcilc,
In the midst of antiquity. No one caI
say with any certainty just when III
first mndr his appearance among pre-
historic men. for merry old Santa II
one form or another delighted chil
drcns hearts in many pagan house
hold centuries before the commence
mcnt OF the Christian crn and prior t.
amy recorded history.
The name of Santa Claus. i'y whlcl
he is known in America. Is the l'utrl
pet name for St Nicholas The nnlM
kriss \rngle, by which he Is know,
in England. Is n corruption ut tl,ris
l<inllcin or tine Christ child lsui th,
festivities ,hn, distinguish ChristnIn
existed long before christianity. ana
Jolly god Ct good cheer appears ns tn
pcrSoniiication of the period from th
earlier pagan times Now the SAINT:
Claus of today Is simply lhn, old lnl'
god sobered up. washed and purified
The nionysia of Tho. Greeks the Sn,
urnnlin of the Romans. the TWrh
Nights of the old \orsem"n nn! of tn
Tculuns an celebrated the coming ~
the winter solsticr People then CAV
themselves up TO all sorts of revrI
and excess In the DionySla the rtlr
sentative figure WAS not the y",ln
Dionysus or Haccnus. hut III" nre'
chrery aud disrrluInble eSlIenns. ih
chief of the Saiyrs and the god q
drinknrdS In the Sntnruhiia II wa
I Saturn: IN the G"r,.anic feasls II wu
Thor. both hang bearded and whit
haired gods like Siienus
Now, although the central fE'Ir" q
the Christian festival Is TN" child Eor
the Christ Iindiein. the influence q
long pagan cnstol was too strnn
within the breasts of the early chr,
tians TO be easily superseded The 4"
/ dition of hoarA age as the true repre-
sentative OF the dying year aud Its u
tcnhnnt ioII.irn,Ions still rrn"inr
smoldcring nndrr the nshes OF IN
past II burst into new lame whr
4 the past was too far back to he LOOKED
4 upon with the fear and anthgonism q
/ the church and there seemed no longp
any danger OF n relapse Into paganIsn
/ AT first however. the more dlgnilir'
representative WAS chosen ns more Il
Keeping with the occasion Satur
! was unronsciously rcbnptlzed as 81
+ Nicholas. the name of the saint who's
4 festival occurs in December and VIII
as the patron Of young people Is eslt
cially fitted for the patronage OF III
festival which hns come to be lookr'
upon as especially that of the young
At first st. Nicholas did not suppressed
the Christ Child. but accompanied hin
in his Christmas travels, as, indeed, h.
still does in certain rural neighboT
hoods OF Europe where the modcr
spirit has been least felt.
st. Nicholas according to the hag
oogist. was Il bishop of Myra. VIII
fourishrh early in the fourth century
He is the patron OF children am
schoolhoys
IT Is strange that everywhere 81
Nicholas Is most hollOrrh and his feas
day most observed the most pions am
instructed among the common propl
know little of the legend of the snih'
He Is trrntcd with that mixture Of 50
robustness and fiivulity which b"cOm"
n dying myth.
In southern Germany and Austria
youth CARRIED ns 81 Nicholas and NJ
coinpnniph by two angels and wh"l
troop of devils In hidcous masquerade
with blHrkencd fnccs ana clankin
chains. on Dec. 5 st Nicholas fiesta
day, makes a round OF certain house
where the little ones of the villa.
have been collected. To the good chi
dren he brings gifts of nuts and M
pies. while the naughty ones are Irf
to the devices of the satanic follower
In his train.
IN many places the hnglcnr over
shadows in Importance both the Chris
Child and st. Nicholas. He appchr
under different names and in diflerei
gniscs. In Lower Austria he is IN
frightful Krampus. with his clankin
chains and horrible dpvil'S mask. wlI'
notwithstanding his gilded nuts an
apples. gingerbread and toys, whir
he carries in his basket. Is the t"rrc
Of the nursery In Hanover lIolSt"'
and Mecklcnbnrg he Is known as Cla'
In Silesa his name Is Joseph
Sometimes the bugbear was femhl
In Lower Austria she was called W
I3uuelfrai Tn Siinbin 1t was IN
Rerchtel who chnslisr1 children. tn
did not H'in diligently. with rods. h'
rewarded the industrious with drit
pears, apples and nuts.
The female bogy survives esper'nll
IN Russia and In italy. In the form'
place she Is known as the Rabousllk'
In the latter as the Brfnna Refana
corruption Of Epiphania or Epip'l;
ny. for 1t is on Epiphany. Jan g. t','
the Italians make presents to the
children in comInenioratiOn o! the CIR
given by the three wise men to Chr1
a data