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In: Christmas·Mythology, Legends & Folklore·History - Religious
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #19098.
Clement A. Miles’s work is a scholarly survey of the customs that surround the Christmas season, divided into a distinctly Christian section and a second part that examines the survivals of pre‑Christian winter rites. The opening pages explain that readers may skip the first five chapters if they are only interested in the pagan material, and they outline the book’s purpose as a “rough outline map of the field of Christmas customs,” bringing together sources that have previously been scattered across many languages. The author acknowledges the debt owed to earlier scholars such as E. K. Chambers, Dr. A. Tille, Dr. Feilberg and the classic folklorist J. Frazer, and provides detailed footnotes and a bibliography to support the discussion. The contents list reveals a comprehensive treatment, ranging from medieval poetry and liturgy to the Yule log, the Christmas tree, and New‑Year rituals.
The text is written in a measured, academic tone typical of late‑19th‑century scholarship, with a clear, explanatory style that assumes some familiarity with historical and folkloric terminology but remains accessible to the general reader. Its extensive citations and occasional philosophical reflections on the nature of festivals give it a scholarly gravitas that will appeal to students of history, anthropology, or religious studies, as well as to avid hobbyists who enjoy tracing the roots of holiday traditions.
The opening · free to read
In Part I. I have dealt with the festival on its distinctively Christian side. The book has, however, been so planned that readers not interested in this aspect of Christmas may pass over Chapters II.-V., and proceed at once from the Introduction to Part II., which treats of pagan survivals.
The book has been written primarily for the general reader, but I venture to hope that, with all its imperfections, it may be of some use to the more serious student, as a rough outline map of the field of Christmas customs, and as bringing together materials hitherto scattered through a multitude of volumes in various languages. There is certainly room for a comprehensive English book on Christmas, taking account of the results of modern historical and folk-lore research.
The writer of a work of this kind necessarily owes an immense debt to the labours of others. In my bibliographical notes I have done my best to acknowledge the sources from which I have drawn. It is only right that I should express here my special obligation, both for information and for suggestions, to Mr. E. K. Chambers's "The Mediaeval Stage," an invaluable storehouse of fact, theory, and bibliographical references. I also owe much to the important monographs of Dr. A. Tille, "Die Geschichte der deutschen Weihnacht" and "Yule and Christmas"; to Dr. Feilberg's Danish work, "Jul," the fullest account of Christmas |6| customs yet written; and of course, like every student of folk-lore, to Dr. Frazer's "The Golden Bough."
References to authorities will be found at the end of the volume, and are indicated by small numerals in the text; notes requiring to be read in close conjunction with the text are printed at the foot of the pages to which they relate, and are indicated by asterisks, &c.
[Transcriber's Note: The 'small numerals' are represented in this ebook by numbers in {curly braces}. The footnotes appear at the end of the ebook and are indicated by numbers in [square brackets]. Page numbers from the original edition have been retained and appear in the text between |pipe characters|.]
I have to thank Mr. Frank Sidgwick for most kindly reading my proofs and portions of my MS., and for some valuable suggestions.
C. A. M.
The Origin and Purpose of Festivals--Ideas suggested by Christmas--Pagan and Christian Elements--The Names of the Festival--Foundation of the Feast of the Nativity--Its Relation to the Epiphany--December 25 and the _Natalis Invicti_--The Kalends of January--Yule and Teutonic Festivals--The Church and Pagan Survivals--Two Conflicting Types of Festival--Their Interaction--Plan of the Book.
Ancient Latin Hymns, their Dogmatic, Theological Character--Humanizing Influence of Franciscanism--Jacopone da Todi's Vernacular Verse--German Catholic Poetry--Mediaeval English Carols.
Advent and Christmas Offices of the Roman Church--The Three Masses of Christmas, their Origin and their Celebration in Rome--The Midnight Mass in Many Lands--Protestant Survivals of the Night Services--Christmas in the Greek Church--The Eastern Epiphany and the Blessing of the Waters--The Presepio or Crib, its Supposed Institution by St. Francis--Early Traces of the Crib--The Crib in Germany, Tyrol, &c.--Cradle-rocking in Mediaeval Germany--Christmas Minstrels in Italy and Sicily--The Presepio in Italy--Ceremonies with the Culla and the Bambino in Rome--Christmas in Italian London--The Spanish Christmas--Possible Survivals of the Crib in England.
Origins of the Mediaeval Drama--Dramatic Tendencies in the Liturgy--Latin Liturgical Plays--The Drama becomes Laicized--Characteristics of the Popular Drama--The Nativity in the English Miracle Cycles--Christmas Mysteries in France--Later French Survivals of Christmas Drama--German Christmas Plays--Mediaeval Italian Plays and Pageants--Spanish Nativity Plays--Modern Survivals in Various Countries--The Star Singers, &c.
All Saints' and All Souls' Days, their Relation to a New Year Festival--All Souls' Eve and Tendance of the Departed--Soul Cakes in England and on the Continent--Pagan Parallels of All Souls'--Hallowe'en Charms and Omens--Hallowe'en Fires--Guy Fawkes Day--"Old Hob," the Schimmelreiter, and other Animal Masks--Martinmas and its Slaughter--Martinmas Drinking--St. Martin's Fires in Germany--Winter Visitors in the Low Countries and Germany--St. Martin as Gift-bringer--St. Martin's Rod.
CHAPTER VIII ST. CLEMENT TO ST. THOMAS 209
St. Clement's Day Quests and Processions--St. Catherine's Day as Spinsters' Festival--St. Andrew's Eve Auguries--The _Kloepfelnaechte_--St. Nicholas's Day, the Saint as Gift-bringer, and his Attendants--Election of the Boy Bishop--St. Nicholas's Day at Bari--St. Lucia's Day in Sweden, Sicily, and Central Europe--St. Thomas's Day as School Festival--Its Uncanny Eve--"Going a-Thomassin'."
CHAPTER IX CHRISTMAS EVE AND THE TWELVE DAYS 227
Christkind, Santa Klaus, and Knecht Ruprecht--Talking Animals and other Wonders of Christmas Eve--Scandinavian Beliefs about Trolls and the Return of the Dead--Traditional Christmas Songs in Eastern Europe--The Twelve Days, their Christian Origin and Pagan Superstitions--The Raging Host--Hints of Supernatural Visitors in England--The German _Frauen_--The Greek Kallikantzaroi.
The Christmas-tree a German Creation--Charm of the German Christmas--Early Christmas-trees--The Christmas Pyramid--Spread of the Tree in Modern Germany and other Countries--Origin of the Christmas-tree--Beliefs about Flowering Trees at Christmas--Evergreens at the Kalends--Non-German Parallels to the Christmas-tree--Christmas Decorations connected with Ancient Kalends Customs--Sacredness of Holly and Mistletoe--Floors strewn with Straw--Christmas and New Year Gifts, their Connection with the Roman Strenae and St. Nicholas--Present-giving in Various Countries--Christmas Cards.
CHAPTER XII CHRISTMAS FEASTING AND SACRIFICIAL SURVIVALS 281
Prominence of Eating in the English Christmas--The Boar's Head, the Goose, and other Christmas Fare--Frumenty, Sowens, Yule Cakes, and the Wassail Bowl--Continental Christmas Dishes, their Possible Origins--French and German Cakes--The Animals' Christmas Feast--Cakes in Eastern Europe--Relics of Animal Sacrifice--Hunting the Wren--Various Games of Sacrificial Origin.
CHAPTER XIII MASKING, THE MUMMERS' PLAY, THE FEAST OF FOOLS, AND THE BOY BISHOP 295
English Court Masking--"The Lord of Misrule"--The Mummers' Play, the Sword-Dance, and the Morris Dance--Origin of St. George and other Characters--Mumming in Eastern Europe--The Feast of Fools, its History and Suppression--The Boy Bishop, his Functions and Sermons--Modern Survivals of the Boy Bishop.
CHAPTER XIV ST. STEPHEN'S, ST. JOHN'S, AND HOLY INNOCENTS' DAYS 309
Horse Customs of St. Stephen's Day--The Swedish St. Stephen--St. John's Wine--Childermas and its Beatings. |11|
Principle of New Year Customs--The New Year in France, Germany, the United States, and Eastern Europe--"First-footing" in Great Britain--Scottish New Year Practices--Highland Fumigation and "Breast-strip" Customs--Hogmanay and Aguillanneuf--New Year Processions in Macedonia, Roumania, Greece, and Rome--Methods of Augury--Sundry New Year Charms.
The Twelfth Cake and the "King of the Bean"--French Twelfth Night Customs--St. Basil's Cake in Macedonia--Epiphany and the Expulsion of Evils--The Befana in Italy--The Magi as Present-bringers--Greek Epiphany Customs--Wassailing Fruit-trees--Herefordshire and Irish Twelfth Night Practices--The "Haxey Hood" and Christmas Football--St. Knut's Day in Sweden--Rock Day--Plough Monday--Candlemas, its Ecclesiastical and Folk Ceremonies--Farewells to Christmas.
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