Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1916-12-09
Christmas
Cribs OF the
Tyrol

first resting place of the infant
I'LL Christ, which one sees occa.
sionally in the churches of this
country are not to be compared with
those OF Europe, especially the remark
able ones made by the peasants of It.
ally and Of the Tyrol In the latter
country there has been of recent years
decided revival Of interest in these
groups representing the nativity Of
| Christ.
1t Is not unusual to see one with sew.
eral hundred figures. Not alone the
birth of the Saviour, but the alteration
OF the shepherds, the arrival of the
kings with their soldiers and courtiers
the flight into Egypt, Jesus In the TEN.
pie, and even the marriage at Cana
are represented
The TyroFs cribs have been famous
for centuries, and the people were Just
~ proud of them until the spirit of
modern enlightenment" invaded the
land and crib building was denounced
as childs play. Enterprslng antigua
rians and art sellers eagerly bought III
all the old cribs and then sold them at
good profit to tourists.
Many fine specimens have disappear
ed from the land. but fortunately
few of the best We're acquired by ma.
tional museums The best two TyrOl Is
known to have had, the "Ursulinen.
krlppe' of Innsbruck and the Moser
crib Of Bozen, are now in the Bavarian
National museum at Munich A third,
the Jaufenthaler crib, is In the Vienna
museum.
Originally it belonged 10 a family In
Wilten, now part of Innsbruck. 1t
contained 154 animal figures, "A build
ings and 256 human figures 1t in
cluded solid woodcarvings. figures the
heads of which Were wax and others
whose heads and limbs were movable
Some Of these date back as far as the
year 100 Seven scenes were repre-.
scented
The Moser crib Of Bozea was much |
more extensive Moser's city" was in |
Itself "A masterpiece and included pal,
aces. gushing fountains monuments
Of King David and towers with six
city clocks striking the hours of the
night. 1t was valued at more than
$4,000 during Mosers lifetime.
The UrsuIines' crib was particularly
famous on account of the gorgeous
dressing OF the figures The angels
we're clad as courtiers of heaven In
he rich court COS mncs of the seven
zenith century
These masterpieces are now lost to
Dyrol. 1t can hardly cause surprise,
hen, that serious minded men began
o entertain grave fears for their re
naming works Of art This fear had
PRACTICAL result in the formation of a
Ociety whose object was to prevent in
uture the reckless expectation and ,
elling of old cribs and to revive the {
pirit that produced them. {
Tyrolcse cribs may be divided into
wo general classes, the oriental type
nj the Tyrolese. In the latter class
he crib owner takes it for granted |
hat Christ was born in TyrOl, hence
people and dress are purely
'yrolese In all the cribs the stable
f Bethlehem is either the ruin of a
astle according TO legend Christ first
aw the light of day in the ruins Of the
over of David or part Of temple
} show that the stable of Bethlehem
as the first Christian temple or else
Is a simple cave on the mountain
ide.
The stable of Bethlehem and its in
lates always remain the center of the
reat scene, the rest is merely the set
ng. The crib means much to the
jmlly. After weeks of careful, pain
aking labor everything is ready, but
he holy family is not there After
upper on Christmas eve the parents
e crib, the gospel scene is read aloud
I'd the little ones, quick to detect the Il
Dsence of the "Christkind" are told
at the holy family are still seeking a
elter and finding none. The sadness
at at first expresses itself on their
nocent faces soon gives way to joy
they recall that perhaps there Is M
ON In their own home-at least they 81
II make room. At midnight the sol n
IN church bells call all to mass, and
len the family returns, 10. there lies u
2 infant in the manger, while Mary III
d Joseph knee in humble alteration XIX
its side