The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1915-05-04
SACRED LEGENDS
and TRADITIONS
Most of Those Which Center
About the Life of Christ Had
Their Origin During the
Middle Ages.


THE countless legends which center
j about the life of Christ while upon
earth, came into popularity, for the
most part, during the 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 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
branch of the Tree of Knowledge. Dur
ing his wanderings he reached the site
! OF Jerusalem. and thrusting the stan
into the earth ii took root and -four
ished. And, when, years later. ii was
cut down, it served as the cross of
the crucifixion,
I
known-how once it was tall, stout,
tree but how, after being used for the
cross, it 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;
To beams of sacred palm His outstretch-
ed hands;
A cypress tree His tortured body bore,
On olive wood His kingly title stands.
But the legend of the cross mos
widely spread and most generally be
} lieved in the olden time is as follows;
] Adam, having lived to a great age
and feeling that death was not fal
distant. babe his son Seth bring t
J him either the fruit of life which grew
/ in the garden of Eden, or the oil o
mercy which flowed there and which
: had been promised to Adam upon hi
expulsion from the garden. Seth mad
> his way to Paradise by the footprint
r of Adam and Eve, over which do gras
: had ever grown. The angel to whor
Seth made known his errand gave hir
|, tree seeds, from the fruit of the ire
|, Of which Adam had eaten, and d
Q rected that they be placed unde
Adams tongue just before his buria
e In the course of time Adam died an
t. the angels instructions were carrie
d out.
e Soon there sprang from Adam
grave in Hebron three trees-a ceda
e a cypress and pine tree. These Ion
I, grew together. forming but one trunl
=, which came to be regarded as symbt
p of the Holy Trinity This tree. tran
l. planted by Moses and later by Davi
grew to be very beautiful But eve
It its beauty did not prevent Solomo
d from cutting it down in order to cor
plete his temple, for which beam
'e enormous size was lacking. But eaC
a. time that the beam cut from this TIRE
was fitted, it would be either too lars
IN or too small and such a strange ci
Is cumstance was taken as a sign that
If should not be used
Id Some time afterward, most version
lie agree. the beam was buried where Il
pool of Bethesda was at a later tin
he discovered. During Passion week Il
l wood rose and fioated on the surfa
to of the pool and the Jews used it f
the crucifxion cross.
ed The legend of the Holy Grail has
important place in literature and a
ed According to tradition a descenda
J. of Adam and Eve found one of I
n large emeralds from the crown of Lu
nd fer-an angel who had been expell
from heaven-and made from it
i'll beautiful cup. This cup came into t
possession Of Joseph of Arimathea
whose house Christ kept the feast