Curious Myths of the Middle Ages Part 12

In Pomerania, a laborer's son, Jacob Dietrich of Rambin, was enticed away in the same manner.

There is a curious story told by Fordun in his "Scotichronicon," which has some interest in connection with the legend of the Tanhauser. He relates that in the year 1050, a youth of n.o.ble birth had been married in Rome, and during the nuptial feast, being engaged in a game of ball, he took off his wedding-ring, and placed it on the finger of a statue of Venus. When he wished to resume it, he found that the stony hand had become clinched, so that it was impossible to remove the ring. Thenceforth he was haunted by the G.o.ddess Venus, who constantly whispered in his ear, "Embrace me; I am Venus, whom you have wedded; I will never restore your ring." However, by the a.s.sistance of a priest, she was at length forced to give it up to its rightful owner.

The cla.s.sic legend of Ulysses, held captive for eight years by the nymph Calypso in the Island of Ogygia, and again for one year by the enchantress Circe, contains the root of the same story of the Tanhauser.

What may have been the significance of the primeval story-radical it is impossible for us now to ascertain; but the legend, as it shaped itself in the middle ages, is certainly indicative of the struggle between the new and the old faith.

We see thinly veiled in Tanhauser the story of a man, Christian in name, but heathen at heart, allured by the attractions of paganism, which seems to satisfy his poetic instincts, and which gives full rein to his pa.s.sions. But these excesses pall on him after a while, and the religion of sensuality leaves a great void in his breast.

He turns to Christianity, and at first it seems to promise all that he requires. But alas! he is repelled by its ministers. On all sides he is met by practice widely at variance with profession. Pride, worldliness, want of sympathy exist among those who should be the foremost to guide, sustain, and receive him. All the warm springs which gushed up in his broken heart are choked, his softened spirit is hardened again, and he returns in despair to bury his sorrows and drown his anxieties in the debauchery of his former creed.

A sad picture, but doubtless one very true.

Fatality of Numbers.

The laws governing numbers are so perplexing to the uncultivated mind, and the results arrived at by calculation are so astonishing, that it cannot be matter of surprise if superst.i.tion has attached itself to numbers.

But even to those who are instructed in numeration, there is much that is mysterious and unaccountable, much that only an advanced mathematician can explain to his own satisfaction. The neophyte sees the numbers obedient to certain laws; but _why_ they obey these laws he cannot understand; and the fact of his not being able so to do, tends to give to numbers an atmosphere of mystery which impresses him with awe.

For instance, the property of the number 9, discovered, I believe, by W. Green, who died in 1794, is inexplicable to any one but a mathematician. The property to which I allude is this, that when 9 is multiplied by 2, by 3, by 4, by 5, by 6, &c., it will be found that the digits composing the product, when added together, give 9. Thus:--

2 9 = 18, and 1 + 8 = 9 3 9 = 27, " 2 + 7 = 9 4 9 = 36, " 3 + 6 = 9 5 9 = 45, " 4 + 5 = 9 6 9 = 54, " 5 + 4 = 9 7 9 = 63, " 6 + 3 = 9 8 9 = 72, " 7 + 2 = 9 9 9 = 81, " 8 + 1 = 9 10 9 = 90, " 9 + 0 = 9

It will be noticed that 9 11 makes 99, the sum of the digits of which is 18 and not 9, but the sum of the digits 1 + 8 equals 9.

9 12 = 108, and 1 + 0 + 8 = 9 9 13 = 117, " 1 + 1 + 7 = 9 9 14 = 126, " 1 + 2 + 6 = 9

And so on to any extent.

M. de Maivan discovered another singular property of the same number.

If the order of the digits expressing a number be changed, and this number be subtracted from the former, the remainder will be 9 or a multiple of 9, and, being a multiple, the sum of its digits will be 9.

For instance, take the number 21, reverse the digits, and you have 12; subtract 12 from 21, and the remainder is 9. Take 63, reverse the digits, and subtract 36 from 63; you have 27, a multiple of 9, and 2 + 7 = 9. Once more, the number 13 is the reverse of 31; the difference between these numbers is 18, or twice 9.

Again, the same property found in two numbers thus changed, is discovered in the same numbers raised to any power.

Take 21 and 12 again. The square of 21 is 441, and the square of 12 is 144; subtract 144 from 441, and the remainder is 297, a multiple of 9; besides, the digits expressing these powers added together give 9. The cube of 21 is 9261, and that of 12 is 1728; their difference is 7533, also a multiple of 9.

The number 37 has also somewhat remarkable properties; when multiplied by 3 or a multiple of 3 up to 27, it gives in the product three digits exactly similar. From the knowledge of this the multiplication of 37 is greatly facilitated, the method to be adopted being to multiply merely the first cipher of the multiplicand by the first multiplier; it is then unnecessary to proceed with the multiplication, it being sufficient to write twice to the right hand the cipher obtained, so that the same digit will stand in the unit, tens, and hundreds places.

For instance, take the results of the following table:--

37 multiplied by 3 gives 111, and 3 times 1 = 3 37 " 6 " 222, " 3 " 2 = 6 37 " 9 " 333, " 3 " 3 = 9 37 " 12 " 444, " 3 " 4 = 12 37 " 15 " 555, " 3 " 5 = 15 37 " 18 " 666, " 3 " 6 = 18 37 " 21 " 777, " 3 " 7 = 21 37 " 24 " 888, " 3 " 8 = 24 37 " 27 " 999, " 3 " 9 = 27

The singular property of numbers the most different, when added, to produce the same sum, originated the use of magical squares for talismans. Although the reason may be accounted for mathematically, yet numerous authors have written concerning them, as though there were something "uncanny" about them. But the most remarkable and exhaustive treatise on the subject is that by a mathematician of Dijon, which is ent.i.tled "Traite complet des Carres magiques, pairs et impairs, simple et composes, a Bordures, Compartiments, Croix, Cha.s.sis, equerres, Bandes detachees, &c.; suivi d'un Traite des Cubes magiques et d'un Essai sur les Cercles magiques; par M. Violle, Geometre, Chevalier de St. Louis, avec Atlas de 54 grandes Feuilles, comprenant 400 figures." Paris, 1837. 2 vols. 8vo., the first of 593 pages, the second of 616. Price 36 fr.

I give three examples of magical squares:--

2 7 6 9 5 1 4 3 8

These nine ciphers are disposed in three horizontal lines; add the three ciphers of each line, and the sum is 15; add the three ciphers in each column, the sum is 15; add the three ciphers forming diagonals, and the sum is 15.

1 2 3 4 1 7 13 19 25 2 3 2 3 18 24 5 6 12 4 1 4 1 10 11 17 23 4 3 4 1 2 22 3 9 15 16 14 20 21 2 8

The sum is 10. The sum is 65.

But the connection of certain numbers with the dogmas of religion was sufficient, besides their marvellous properties, to make superst.i.tion attach itself to them. Because there were thirteen at the table when the Last Supper was celebrated, and one of the number betrayed his Master, and then hung himself, it is looked upon through Christendom as unlucky to sit down thirteen at table, the consequence being that one of the number will die before the year is out. "When I see," said Vouvenargues, "men of genius not daring to sit down thirteen at table, there is no error, ancient or modern, which astonishes me."

Nine, having been consecrated by Buddhism, is regarded with great veneration by the Moguls and Chinese: the latter bow nine times on entering the presence of their Emperor.

Three is sacred among Brahminical and Christian people, because of the Trinity of the G.o.dhead.

Pythagoras taught that each number had its own peculiar character, virtue, and properties.

"The unit, or the monad," he says, "is the principle and the end of all; it is this sublime knot which binds together the chain of causes; it is the symbol of ident.i.ty, of equality, of existence, of conservation, and of general harmony. Having no parts, the monad represents Divinity; it announces also order, peace, and tranquillity, which are founded on unity of sentiments; consequently ONE is a good principle.

"The number TWO, or the dyad, the origin of contrasts, is the symbol of diversity, or inequality, of division and of separation. TWO is accordingly an evil principle, a number of bad augury, characterizing disorder, confusion, and change.

"THREE, or the triad, is the first of unequals; it is the number containing the most sublime mysteries, for everything is composed of three substances; it represents G.o.d, the soul of the world, the spirit of man." This number, which plays so great a part in the traditions of Asia, and in the Platonic philosophy, is the image of the attributes of G.o.d.

"FOUR, or the tetrad, as the first mathematical power, is also one of the chief elements; it represents the generating virtue, whence come all combinations; it is the most perfect of numbers; it is the root of all things. It is holy by nature, since it const.i.tutes the Divine essence, by recalling His unity, His power, His goodness, and His wisdom, the four perfections which especially characterize G.o.d.

Consequently, Pythagoricians swear by the quaternary number, which gives the human soul its eternal nature.

"The number FIVE, or the pentad, has a peculiar force in sacred expiations; it is everything; it stops the power of poisons, and is redoubted by evil spirits.

"The number SIX, or the hexad, is a fortunate number, and it derives its merit from the first sculptors having divided the face into six portions; but, according to the Chaldeans, the reason is, because G.o.d created the world in six days.

"SEVEN, or the heptad, is a number very powerful for good or for evil.

It belongs especially to sacred things.

"The number EIGHT, or the octad, is the first cube, that is to say, squared in all senses, as a die, proceeding from its base two, an even number; so is man four-square, or perfect.

"The number NINE, or the ennead, being the multiple of three, should be regarded as sacred.

"Finally, TEN, or the decad, is the measure of all, since it contains all the numeric relations and harmonies. As the reunion of the four first numbers, it plays an eminent part, since all the branches of science, all nomenclatures, emanate from, and retire into it."

It is hardly necessary for me here to do more than mention the peculiar character given to different numbers by Christianity. One is the numeral indicating the Unity of the G.o.dhead; Two points to the hypostatic union; Three to the Blessed Trinity; Four to the Evangelists; Five to the Sacred Wounds; Six is the number of sin; Seven that of the gifts of the Spirit; Eight, that of the Beat.i.tudes; Ten is the number of the commandments; Eleven speaks of the Apostles after the loss of Judas; Twelve, of the complete apostolic college.

I shall now point out certain numbers which have been regarded with superst.i.tion, and certain events connected with numbers which are of curious interest.

The number 14 has often been observed as having singularly influenced the life of Henry IV. and other French princes. Let us take the history of Henry.

On the 14th May, 1029, the first king of France named Henry was consecrated, and on the 14th May, 1610, the last Henry was a.s.sa.s.sinated.