The Elbert County tribune., 1915-04-02
SACRED LEGENDS
AND TRADITIONS
Most of Those Which Center
About the Life of Christ Had
Their Origin During the
Middle Ages.

r HE countless legends which center
1 about the life OF Christ while upon
earth, came into popularity, for the
most part, during tie middle ages, and
were given unbounded credence by
the ignorant. superstitious people of
that day, whose beliefs were yet
tinged by the influence of paganism
Upon these sacred legends are based
many of the most famous paintings in
the world, and not a little of its poetry
and song.
The traditions concerning the cross
upon which the Savior was crucifed
have come down to us in varied forms.
A Greek legend tells that when Adam
was expelled from the garden of Eden,
he took with him a STAFF made from a
branch of the Tree of Knowledge. Dur
ing his wanderings he reached the site
of Jerusalem, and thrusting the staff
into the earth 1t took root and Jfiour-
ished. And. when, years later it was
cut down, it served as the cross Of
the crucifixion.
The story of the mistletoe is better
known-how once it was tall, stout,
tree but how, after being used for the
cross, 1t became accursed. a mere
weak parasite. The legend that the
aspen tree was used for the cross is
assigned to the Germans, who be-
lieved that, out of remorse and fear
its leaves were made to shiver per-
petually.
To cedar were His pierced feet nailed sore; ;
ed hands;
A cypress tree His tortured body bore
On olive wood His kingly title stands.
But the legend of the cross most
widely spread and most generally be-
lieved in the olden time is as follows:
Adam. having lived to great age,
and feeling that death was not far
distant bade his son Seth bring to
him either the fruit of life which grew
in the garden of Eden, or the oil of
mercy which flowed there and which
had been promised to Adam upon his
expulsion from the garden. Seth made
his way to Paradise by the footprints
of Adam and Eve, over which no grass
had ever grown. The angel to whom
Seth made known his errand gave him
tTee Steus, iTOHl lle lTult Vi the Tree
of which Adam had eaten, and di-
rected that they be placed under
Adams tongue just before his burial.
In the course of time Adam died and
the angels instructions were carried
out.
Soon there sprang from Adams
grave in Hebron three trees-a cedar,
a cypress and pine tree. These long
grew together, forming but one trunk,
which came to be regarded as a symbol
| of the Holy Trinity. This tree. trans
| planted by Moses and later by David,
| grew to be very beautiful But even
| Its beauty did not prevent Solomon
from cutting 1t down in order to COM
plete his temple, for which beam of
| enormous size was lacking But each
time that the beam cut from this tree
was fitted, it would be either too large
| or too small, and such a strange cir
cumstance was taken as sign that 1t
| should not be used.
| Some time afterward, most versions
| agree, the beam was buried where the
pool of Bethesda was at later time
discovered. During Passion week the
wood rose and fioated on the surface
of the pool and the Jews used it for
the crucifixion cross.
The legend of the Holy Grail has an
important place in literature and art.
According to tradition a descendant
of Adam and Eve found one of the
large emeralds from the crown OF Luci-
fer-an angel who had been expelled
from heaven-and made from it a
beautiful cup. This cup came into the
possession of Joseph of Arimathea, in
| s.hosa houea Chriss Kent tha faost of