Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-04-02

the Passover with his disciples At
the crucifiXion Joseph received a few
drops of Christ's blood into the cup.
which thereafter became known as the,
Sangraal, Sangreal, or Holy Grail, be-
cause the blood had not only sancti~
fled it, but had given miraculous pow
ers as well On every Good Friday
morning these powers were renewed
dove coming down from heaven and
depositing in the cup a consecrated
wafer. Many a time did the chalice
aid and sustain Joseph and his little,
band Of followers, who took it with
them to England, where they estab-
lshed the first monastery at Glaston-
bury. But sin finally appeared among
the flock and angels carried the Holy
Grail away
In Palestine there grows a creeping
plant with long, hard thorns-the-
Spina Christi-which may have fur.
nished material for the crown of thorn
placed on the Savior's head. One of
the legends says that the willow was
used for this purpose, and that, in
sorrow for causing so much agony, it
dropped and wept, its sharp thorns
changing into soft leaves, that they
might never again cause any pain.
And ever since it has been known as.
the weeping willow. Other legends
relate that this change in the willow
came because its branches were used
as scourge upon the Saviors back.
In Germany, France and England it
was generally believed that the crown
was made from hawthorn twigs. In
Italy the barberry, in the West Indies
the cashew tree, and elsewhere the
brier rose, acanthus, wild hyssoD and
acacia bear this stigma.
A great deal of bird lore is linked
with the stories of the Passion. There
is a Danish legend that as Christ was
suffering on the cross three birds
came and alighted upon it One cried.
"Styrik ham, styrik ham," Strengthen
him, strengthen him!J, and since that
time tho stork has been known as a
bird OF strength and blessing. The
second, it was interpreted, cried "Sva1
ham. sval ham," (Refresh him, re-
fresh him), and the swallow was like
wise thought to be bird of blessing.
But the third cried, "Puen ham," (Tor-
ture himD, and so from that hour
the lap-wing has been accused among
birds The Swedish legend is the
same, with the addition of a fourth
bird, the turtle dove, which, flying
thither cried, "Kyrie, Kyriet" Lord.
LordD and it's voice has ever since
been limited to that single word of
lament
An owl, according to the Spanish,
was so dazZled by the sunlight 1t did
not perceive that 1t had alighted upon
the cross. But as night came on 1t
saw, and, frightened, called, Cruz,
cruz" Gross, GROSSLY as it flew away
And from that moment the owl has
kept repeating this cry and has been
able to see only after darkness falls.
The crossbill, in an unsuccessful
effort to draw out one of the nails
which fastened the Savior to the
cross, twisted it's beak and dyed its
plumage with the Martyrs blood.
Concerning the robin there is a sim
liar tradition, expressed in verse, as
follows
To the Savior's throh bling head
She fondly strove. His blood It's said,
Dyed all her tender bosom red.
Since then no hand disturbs her nest,
No prowlng beasts her young molest-
That sacred bird of rudy breast.
Some of the early Italian painters
have in the foreground of their cruel
fixion scenes the white wood sorrel,
purple-stained, which Is said to have
grown at the foot of the cross, and to
have been colored from the blood
which dropped upon it. The fact, as
Ruskin points out, that the leaf of
this plant possessed the power of
quenching thirst, may have been an
other reason for its introduction into
the pictures.
One species of the orchid, which in
Cheshire is called Gethsemane, and
whose petals are marked with dark
stains; the passion flower, symbohcal
of the crown, the scourge, the spear
and the nails; the arum, tiger lily and
scarlet anemone-all, it was believed,
were mute witnesses Of the crucif1x-
ion. And the white lily, emblem of
purity, has always been connected
with the stories Of the Virgin and OF
Christ