The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-04-03
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
! 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 stan 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 -four
ished And, when, years later, 1t was
cut down, it served as the cross of
the crucitixion,
The story of the mistletoe is better
known-how once It was a 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 SILVER 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 most
widely spread and most generally be
iieved In the olden time 10 AZ follows:
Adam, having lived to q great age
and feeling that death was not faI
distant, babe his son Seth bring t.
him either the fruit Of life which grew
In the garden Of Eden, or the oil oi
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 whoI
Seth made known his errand gave hin
tree seeds, from the fruit OF the tre'
of which Adam had eaten, and di
rected that they be placed undel
Adams tongue Just before his burial
In the course Of time Adam died ant
the angels instructions were carriet
out.
Soon there sprang from Adam
grave In Hebron three trees-a cedar
cypress and pine tree. These loni
grew together, forming but one trunk
which came to be regarded as a symbo
OF the Holy Trinity, This tree trans
planted by Moses and later by David
grew to be very beautiful. But evel
its beauty did not prevent Solomon
from cutting It down IN order to con
plete his temple, for which beam O
enorm GUS size was lacking But eac
time that the beam cut from this ire
was fitted, It would be either too larg
or too small, and such a strange eli
cumstance was taken as a sign that
5 should not be used.
Some time afterward, most version
agree. the beam was buried where III
pool OF Bethesda was at later tim
r discovered. During Passion week tn
wood rose and floated on the surfac
OF the pool, and the Jews used 1t fo
the crucifxlon cross,
The legend OF the Holy Grail has a
important place in literature and ar
According to tradition descendar
e OF Adam and Eve found one OF III
large emeralds from the crown OF Luc
fer--an angel who had been expelle
, from heaven-and made from 1t
beautiful cup. This cup came into ii
possession Of Joseph of ACimathea,
whose house Christ kept the feast (