could help the sun in his seeming decline- could prop his failing stcps and rekindle the sinking flame of the red lamp in his feeble hand. In some stich thou,hts as these the mid- summer festivals of our European peasantry may perhaps have taken their rise. Whatever their orioin, they have prevailed all over this b quarter of the globe, from Ireland on the west to Russia on the east, and from Nor@vay and Sweden on the north to Spain and Greece on the soutli. Accordin- to a mcdixval writer, the three great features of the midsummer celebration were the bonfires, the procession witti torches round the fields, and the custom of rolling a wheel. He tells us d-iat boys buriied bones and filth of various kinds to make a foul smoke, and that the smoke drove away certain noxious dra,ons which at this time, excited by the summer heat, copulated in the air alid poisoned the wells and rivers by droppin', thclr seed into them; and he explains the custom of trundlin, a wheel to mean that the sun, havin, now reached the highest point in the ecliptic, be,ins thenceforward to descend. The main features of the midsummer fire-festival resemble those which we have found to characterise the vernat festivals of fire. The similarity of the two sets of ceremonies will plainly appear from the followino, Z, examples. A writer of the first half of the sixteenth century informs us that in almost every villa-c and town of Germanv public bonfircs were kindled on the Eve of St. John, and younc, and old, of both sexes, -athered about them and passcd tt-ie time in dincin., ancl singing. Peop'le on this occasion wore ch@iplets of mt-igwort and vervain, and thev lookcd at tl-ic fire through bunc@ies or' larkspi-ir ivhicl-i they held in tlielr hands, bcllcvlng that this WOL]ld preserve their eyes in a healthy state throti-liout the yeir. As each departed, he threw the inu,@N,ort ind vervain into the fire, saying, "May all my ill-luck depart and he burnt up with these." At Lower Konz, a '11, 'tuatecl on a h'Ils'de ovcrlook'ng the Moselle, the midsummer vi -igc si 1 1 1 1 festival used to be celebrated as follows. A quantity of straw was collected on the top of the steep Stromber-- Hill. Evcry inliibitant, or at 21 least everv householder, had to contribute his share of straw tc) the pile. At iil,,,htiall the whole male population, men and boys, mustered on the I i; I THE FIRE-FESTIVALS OF EUROPE Ch.lxii - THF, FIRE-FESTIVALS OF 722 allowed to 'oin them, but top of the hill; the women and girls were not . g half-way down the slope. had to take up their position at a certain sprin On the summit stood a huge wheel completely encased in some of the straw Which had been jointly contributed by the villagers; the rest of tt-ic straw was made into torches. From each side of the wheel the axle- tree pro')ected about three feet, thus furnishing handles to the lads who were to guide it in its descent. The mayor of the neighbouring town of Sierck, who always received a basket of cherries for his services, gave the signal; a lighted torch was applied to the wheel, and as it burst into flame, two young fellows, strong-limbed and swift of foot, seized tl-ie handles and began running with it down the slope. A great shout went up. Every man and boy waved a blazin, torch in the air, and took care to keep it alight so long as the wheel was trundling down the hill. The great ob')ect of the young men who guided the wheel was to plunge it blazing into the water of the Moselle; but they rarely succeeded in their efforts, for the vineyards which cover the greater part of the declivity impeded their pro-ress, and the wheel was often burned out before it reached the river. As it rolled past the women and girls at the spring, they raised cries of joy which were answered by the men on the top of the mountain; and the shouts were echoed by the inhabitants of neighbouring villages who watched the spectacle from their hills on the opposite bank of the Moselle. If the fiery wheel was successfully conveyed to the bank of the river and extinguished in the water, the people looked for an abundant vintage that year, and the ii-ihabitants of Konz had the right to exact a waggon-load of white wine from the surrounding vine- yards. On the other hand ,they believed that, if they neglected tc, perform the ceremony, tl-ie cattle would be attacked by giddiness and convulsions and would dance in their stalls. Down at least to the middle of the nineteenth century the midsummer fires used to blaze all over Upper Bavaria. They were kindled especially on the mountains, but also far and wide in the lowlands, and we are told that in the darkness and stillness of night the moving groups" lit up by the flickering glow of the flames, presented an impressive spectacle. Cattle were driven through the fire to cure the sick animals and to guard such as were sound a,,ainst pla,ue and harm of every kind b 0 throughout the year. Many a householder on that day put out tl-ie fire on the dol-ncstic hearth and rekindled it by means of a brand take" from the midsummer bonfire. The people jud-ed of the height to which b the flax would IrOIA7 in the year by the height to which the flames of thr- 0 TI-IE \Ill)suli@VEi'l- rlRES lx' r. IRE S -1, , - TI-IE \III)S'Ulli@VE@ bonfire rose; and whoever leaped over the burning pile was sure not to suftcr from backache in reaping the corn at harvest. In many parts of ax would grow as high as the young Bavaria it was believed that the fl people leaped over the fire. In others the old folk used to plant three ks from tt-ie bonfire in the fields, believing that this would charred stic 1 1 make the flax grow tall. Elsewhere an extinguished brand was put in the roof of the house to protect it a@ainst fire. In the towns about I Z, Warzburg the bonfires used to be kindled in the market-places, and the young people A,,ho Jumped over them wore garlands of flowers, especially of mu,wort al-id verva'n, and carried spri,s of larkspur in their hands. They ttiou@ht that such as looked at the fire holding a bit of larkspur before their face would be troubled by no malady of the eyes throughout the vear. Further, it was customary at Wiirzburg, in the sixteenth century, for @he b'shop's followers to throw burning discs of wood into the air from a mountain which overhangs the town. The discs were discharged by means of flexible rods, and in their fli@ht through the darkness presented the appearance of fiery dragons. Similarly in Swabia, lads and lasses, hand in hand, leap over the mid- summer bonfire, praying that the hemp may grow three ells high, and they set fire to wheels of straw and send them rolling down the hill. Sometimes, as the people sprang over the midsummer bonfire they cried out, "Flax, flax! may the flax this year grow seven ells high!" At Rottenburg a rude effigy in human form, called the Angelman, used to be enveloped in flowers and then burnt in the midsummer fire by boys, who afterwards leaped over the glowing embers. So in Baden the children collected fuel from house to house for the midsummer bonfire on St. John's Day; and lads and lasses leaped over the fire in couples. Here, as elsewhere, a close connexion was traced between these bonfires and the harvest. In some places it was thought that those who leaped over the fires would not suffer from backache at reapin,. Sometimes, as the youn@ fol'K sprang over the flames, they cried, "Grow, that the hemp may be three ells high!" This notion that the hemp or the corn would grow as high as the flames blazed or as the people jumped over them, seems to have been widespread in Baden. It was held that the parents of the young people who bounded highest over the fire would have the most abundant harvest; and on the other ributed nothing to the bonfire, ' . d that hand, if a mai-i cont I it was imacyine ZD there would be no blessing on his crops, and that his hemp in particular would never grow. At Edersleben, near Sangerhausen, a high pole was TI-IE FIRE-FESTIVALS OF EURoplg 724 Ch. ii - TI-IE FIRE-FESTIVALS OF EURopl planted in the ground and a tar-barrel was hung from it by a chain which reached to the ground. The barrel was then set on fire and swung round the pole amid shouts of joy. In Denmark and Norway also midsummer fires were kindled on St. john's Eve on roads, open spaces, and hills. People in Norway thought that the fires banished sickness from among the cattle. Even yet the fires are said to be lighted all over Norway on Midsummer Eve. They are kindled in order to keep off the witches, who are said to be flying from all parts that night to the Blocksberg, where the big witch lives. In Sweden the Eve of St. John (St. Hans) is the most joyous night of the whole year. Throughout some parts of the country, especially in the provinces of Bohus and Scania and in districts bordering on Norway, it is celebrated by the frequent discharge of firearms and by huge bonfires, formerly called Balder's Balefires (Balder's Biilar), which are kindled at, dusk on hills and eminences and throw a glare of light over the surround- ing landscape. The people dance round the fires and leap over or through them. In parts of Norrland on St. john's Eve the bonfires are lit at the cross-roads. The fuel consists of nine different sorts of wood, and the spectators cast into the flames a kind of toad-stool (B,4ran) in order to counLeracL the power of the Trolls and other evil spirits, who are believed to be abroad that night; for at that mystic season the mountains open and from their cavernous depths the uncanny crew pours forth to dance and disport themselves for a time. The peasants believe that should any of the Trolls be in the vicinity they will show themselves; and if an animal, for example a he or she goat, happens tc, be seen near the blazing, crackling pile, the peasants are firmly persuaded that it is no other than the Evil One in person. Further, it deserves to be re, marked that in Sweden St. John's Eve is a festival of water as well as of fire; for certain holy springs are then supposed to be endowed with wonderful medicinal virtues, and many sick people resort to them for the healing of their infirmities. In Austria the midsummer customs and superstitions resemble those of Germany. Thus in some parts of the Tyrol bonfires are kindled and burning discs hurled into the air. In the lower valley of the Inn a tatterdemalion effigy is carted about the village on Midsummer Day and then burned. He is called the Lotter, which has been corrupted into Luther. At Ambras, one of the villages where Martin Luther is thus burned in effigy, they say that if you go through the village between eleven and twelve on St. John's Night and wash yourself in three wells, you will see all who are to die in the following year. At Gratz on St. john's Eve Ch.lxii - THE MIDSUMME:R FIRES 725 (the twenty-third of June) the common people used to make a puppet called the Taterinann, which they dragged to the bleaching ground, and pelted with burning besoms till it took fire. At Reutte in the Tyrol, people believed that the flax would grow as high as they leaped over the 'dsummer bonfire, and they took pieces of charred wood from the tni fire and stuck them in their flax-fields the same night, leaving them there till the flax harvest had been got in. In Lower Austria bonfires are kindled on the hci,hts, and the boys caper round them, brandishing lighted torches drenched in pitch. Whoever l'umps thrice across the fire will not suffer from fever within the year. Cart-wheels are often smeared with pitch, ignited, and sent rolling arid blazing down the hillsides. All over Bohemia bonfires still burn on Midsummer Eve. In the after- noon boys go about with handcarts from house to house collecting fuel and threatening with evil consequei-ices the curmudgeons who refuse them a dole. Sometimes the youn, men fell a tall straight fir in the woods and set it up on a hcight, where the girls deck it with nosegays, wreaths of leaves, and red ribbons. Then brushwood is piled about it, and at nightfall the whole is set on fire. While the flames break out, the young men climb the tree and fetch down the wreaths which the girls had placed on it. After that lads and lasses stand on opposite sides of the fire arid look at one another through the wreaths to see whether they will be true to each other and marry within the year. Also the girls throw the wreaths across the flames to the men, and woe to the awkward swain who falls to catch the wreath thrown him by his sweetheart. When the blaze has died down, each couple takes hands arid leaps thrice across the fire. He or she who does so will be free from ague throughout the year, and the flax will grow as high as the young folks leap. A girl who sees nine bonfires on Midsummer Eve will marry before the year is out. The singed wreaths are carried home and carefully preserved throughout the year. During thunderstorms a bit of the wreath is burned on the hearth wltl-i a prayer; some of it is given to kine that are sick or calving, arid some of it serves to fumigate 1-iouse and cattle-stall, that man and beast may keep hale and well. Sometimes an old cart-wheel is smeared with resin, ignited, and sent rolling down the hill. Often the boys collect all the worn-out besoms they can get hold of, dip them in Pitch, and having set them on fire wave them about or throw them high into the air. Or tl-iey rush down the hillside in troops, brandishing the flaming brooms and shouting. The stumps of the brooms and embers from the fire are preserved and stuck in cal-)ba,e gardens to protect the cabbages from caterpillars and gnats. Some people insert charred sticks