Yule-Tide In Many Lands Part 5

The Swedes have four legal holidays at Yule, beginning the day previous to Christmas, and they make merry while they last. Besides having the _Jul-gran_ or Christmas tree, each family places in the yard a pole with a sheaf of grain on top for the birds' Christmas dinner, a pretty custom common to many countries.

Business is very generally suspended during Christmas, the day following, Twelfth Day, and the twentieth day.

"Do as your forefathers have done, and you can't do wrong," is said to be the motto of the Swedes. So the customs of their forefathers are strictly observed at Yule-tide.

_Svea_, the feminine name of Sweden, the "Queen of the North,"

contains what is popularly believed to be the burial-places of Wodin, Thor, and Freya. The mounds are about one mile from Upsala and are visited by travelers from all parts of the world. Antiquarian researchers, however, have recently had a word to say in doubt whether these mounds contain the remains of the renowned beings, those ancient travelers. The Swedes, however, still cling to the belief that the bones of Wodin, the Alexander of the North, rest beneath the sod at Upsala. In these mounds have been found the bones of a woman and of a dog, a bracelet of filigree work, and a curious pin shaped like a bird, but no sign of Wodin's presence. Yet peasants believe that Wodin pa.s.ses by on dark nights, and his horse's shoe, with eight nail-holes, is exhibited in the museum at Utwagustorp.

New Year's Day is of comparatively little importance; the Christmas trees are usually relighted for the enjoyment of the poorer children and gifts are made to the needy. The Yule festivities are prolonged for two weeks in many places, during which the people visit from home to home and enjoy many social pleasures. The devout attend church services each day, abandon all work so far as possible, and on January thirteenth generally finish up the joyous season with a ball.

The Swedes do not trim their churches with evergreen at Yule-tide as that is an emblem of mourning with them, and is used instead of c.r.a.pe on the door and often strewn before the hea.r.s.e and also upon the floor in the saddened homes, so of course at Christmas they would not think of using it for decorations. But where they can afford it or can procure them, they use flowers to decorate their homes.

In Denmark, Christmas is a time of unusual merriment and rejoicing. No one who can possibly avoid it works at all from the day before Christmas until after New Year, but spends the time in visiting, eating, and drinking. "May G.o.d bless your Christmas; may it last till Easter," is the usual salutation of the season.

With the people of Denmark the favorite dish for Christmas dinner is a goose; every one, even the cattle, the dog, and the birds, receive the best the larder affords on this occasion. There is a peculiar kind of cake that is made for each member of every family, and, for some reason not explained, the saltcellar remains on the table throughout Yule-tide.

Those who own fruit-trees feel it inc.u.mbent upon them to go at midnight on Christmas Eve and with a stick in hand strike each tree three times saying as they do so, "Rejoice, O Tree,--rejoice and be fruitful."

In Denmark it is believed by many that the cattle rise on their knees at midnight on Christmas Eve, but no one ever seems to have proved this saying to be true.

In this country also the children delight in listening to stories of trolls who have been driven to the island of Bornhern by the parsons although they once ran riot through Zealand, and the little folks sing pretty songs of Balder, the sun G.o.d, which are a special feature of the season.

It is customary to usher in the New Year with a noise of firearms of every description.

THE CHRISTMAS SHEAF

Far over in Norway's distant realm, That land of ice and snow, Where the winter nights are long and drear, And the north winds fiercely blow, From many a low-thatched cottage roof, On Christmas eve, 'tis said, A sheaf of grain is hung on high, To feed the birds o'erhead.

In years gone by, on Christmas eve, When the day was nearly o'er, Two desolate, starving birds flew past A humble peasant's door.

"Look! Look!" cried one, with joyful voice And a piping tone of glee: "In that sheaf there is plenteous food and cheer, And the peasant had but three.

One he hath given to us for food, And he hath but two for bread, But he gave it with smiles and blessings, 'For the Christ-child's sake,' he said."

"Come, come," cried the shivering little mate, "For the light is growing dim; 'Tis time, ere we rest in that cosy nest, To sing our evening hymn."

And this was the anthem they sweetly sang, Over and over again: "The Christ-child came on earth to bless The birds as well as men."

Then safe in the safe, snug, warm sheaf they dwelt, Till the long, cold night was gone, And softly and clear the sweet church bells Rang out on the Christmas dawn, When down from their covert, with fluttering wings, They flew to a resting-place, As the humble peasant pa.s.sed slowly by, With a sorrowful, downcast face.

"Homeless and friendless, alas! am I,"

They heard him sadly say, "For the sheriff," (he wept and wrung his hands) "Will come on New Year's day."

The birdlings listened with mute surprise.

"'Tis hard," they gently said; "He gave us a sheaf of grain for food, When he had but three for bread.

We will pray to G.o.d, He will surely help This good man in distress;"

And they lifted their voices on high, to crave His mercy and tenderness.

Then again to the Christmas sheaf they flew, In the sunlight, clear and cold: "Joy! joy! each grain of wheat," they sang, "Is a shining coin of gold."

"A thousand ducats of yellow gold, A thousand, if there be one; O master! the wonderful sight behold In the radiant light of the sun."

The peasant lifted his tear-dimmed eyes To the shining sheaf o'erhead; "'Tis a gift from the loving hand of G.o.d, And a miracle wrought," he said.

"For the Father of all, who reigneth o'er, His children will ne'er forsake, When they feed the birds from their scanty store, For the blessed Christ-child's sake."

"The fields of kindness bear golden grain,"

Is a proverb true and tried; Then scatter thine alms, with lavish hand, To the waiting poor outside; And remember the birds, and the song they sang, When the year rolls round again: "The Christ-child came on earth to bless The birds as well as men."

--_Mrs. A.M. Tomlinson._

CHAPTER V.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

YULE-TIDE IN RUSSIA

"Light--in the heavens high, And snow flashing bright;-- Sledge in the distance In its lonely flight."

--_Shenshin._

In this enormous kingdom which covers one-sixth of the land surface of the globe, and where upwards of fifteen million human beings celebrate in various ways the great winter festival of Yule-tide, it will be found that the people retain many traditions of the sun-worshipers, which shows that the season was once observed in honor of the renewal of the sun's power. With them, however, the sun was supposed to be a _female_, who, when the days began to lengthen, entered her sledge, adorned in her best robes and gorgeous head-dress, and speeded her horses summerward.

Russian myths indicate a connection with the Aryans in the remote past; their songs of the wheel, the log, the pig or boar, all show a common origin in centuries long gone by.

Russia to most minds is a country of cold, darkness, oppression, and suffering, and this is true to an altogether lamentable extent. But it is also a country of warmth, brightness, freedom, and happiness. In fact, there are so many phases of life among its vast population that descriptions of Russian life result about as satisfactorily as did those of Saxe's "Three blind men of Hindustan," who went to see the elephant. Each traveler describes the part he sees, just as each blind man described the part he felt, and each believes he knows the whole.

There are certain general features of the Yule-tide observance that are typical of the country. One is the singing of their ancient _Kolyada_ songs, composed centuries ago by writers who are unknown.

They may have been sacrificial songs in heathen days, but are now sung with fervor and devotion at Christmas time.

In some places a maiden dressed in white and drawn on a sledge from house to house represents the G.o.ddess of the Sun, while her retinue of maidens sing the _Kolyada_, or carols. Here again appears the ancient custom of gift-making, for the maidens who attend the G.o.ddess expect to receive gifts in appreciation of their songs.

The word _Kolyada_ is of doubtful origin. It may refer to the sun, a wheel, or a sacrifice; there is no telling how, when, or where it originated, but the singing of these songs has been a custom of the people from time immemorial, and after the introduction of Christianity it became a part of the Christmas festivities.

Ralston in his "Songs of the Russian People" gives the following translation of one of these peculiar songs:

"Kolyada! Kolyada!

Kolyada has arrived.

On the Eve of the Nativity, Holy Kolyada.

Through all the courts, in all the alleys, We found Kolyada In Peter's Court.

Round Peter's Court there is an iron fence, In the midst of the Court there are three rooms, In the first room is the bright Moon, In the second room the red Sun, And in the third room, the many Stars."

Strangely enough the Russians make the Moon the _master_ of the mansion above, and the Sun the _mistress_, a twist about in the conception of these luminaries worthy of the Chinese, and possibly derived from some of Russia's Eastern invaders. In the above song, the Stars, like dutiful children, all wish their luminous parents good _health_,

"For many years, for many years."

In parts of Russia, the Virgin Mary and birds take the place of the Sun and Stars in these songs, which are sung throughout the Yule season by groups of young folks at social gatherings, or from house to house, and form the leading feature of the Christmas festivities.

It is hard to realize that the stolid, fur-clad Russian is a child of song, for such seem to belong to sunny climes, but throughout his life from the cradle to the grave he is accompanied with song. Not modern compositions, for they are quite inferior as a rule, but those melodies composed ages ago and sung repeatedly through generation after generation, usually accompanied with dancing in circles.

The _Kolyadki_ cover a variety of themes relating to the G.o.ds, G.o.ddesses, and other celestial beings, to all of whom Christian characteristics have been given until they now form the sacred songs of Yule-tide.