The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1946-12-24
Charming Folklore Legends Cluster
About Three Kings Of Christmas Story

Traditional folklore and legends
regarding the Three Wise Men who
brought gifts to the Holy Infant in
Bethlehem provide an interesting
background to the Christmas story.
The number of wise men are us
ually set at three because of three
gifts Gold, Frankincense, and
Myrrh. This is all that is definitely
known about the Kings of the ORR
ent. The remainder of their lives,
and who they were, and where they
came from, is not positively known.
Some tradition sets the number of
wise men to be as high as twelve.
According to folklore, gathered by
various historians, the three wise
men were Balthasar, King of Ethi-
opia, who was about forty years of
age. His gift was frankincense.
King Caspar had just turned twenty
and he brought for his gift, myrrh.
Melchoir, King of Arabia, brought
gold. His age was given as sixty.
These three men travelling from diff
ferent points in the east met by
chance at Ur and travelled the rest
of the journey together.
Perceiving the star they set out
for the Jewish Capital, although the
prophets foretold of this birth in
pa+LIaba,,, apd baoanca +La Cfar
rose in the sign of the zodiac that
influenced the Jewish nation. The
fact that they stopped at Herod's
palace in Jerusalem is explained in
that they naturally expected the
newborn King to be born there in
a palace.
Herod was terrified because the
prophets had proclaimed that power
would pass from him and his fam
lily. Herod upon hearing this news
sent his counselors among the Jew
ish people to determine what tradi-
tion said about the birthplace of the
King of the Jews. Hearing it was
Bethlehem he directed the Kings on
their way, and asked that they re-
turn and give him the direction so
that he too might pay homage.
Herod of course had ulterior mo-
tives for his past life showed that
he was a murderer. Therefore, the
vision or dream that appeared to the
wise men to return another way and
not to revisit Herod was apropos
and is presumed to have saved the
Christ Child's life.
When the wise men visited the
tavern stable they fell down and
worshipped Him, and presented Him
with their gifts. Gold for a King;
frankincense for the High Priest;
myrrh for the Great Physician and
Healer. Mary gave them a linen
band taken from the Christ Child's
clothing, and small box.
Upon examining the box they
found a small black stone which they
thought of little value, and so they
cast it into a well. Upon touching
the water, fires from heaven came
down and ignited the well, and they
were amazed. Being sure there was
some holy significance to this, they
each retrieved and carried fire back
to their country, and built huge
churches to altar this sacred fire so
that it might burn eternally.
Folklore continues that upon their
return home the Kings gave all their
worldly possession to the poor and
went about in civilian attire preach
ing of the Prince of Peace. Per-
forming this mission the three Kings
were martyred in India for their
faith.
Three hundred years later their
bodies were transferred by the En-
press to Constantinople and en-
shrined. During the crusades their
bodies were again moved, first to