Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 21, 1910.djvu/452

 4IO Reviews.

was before. The key of the position for the study of the subject is to be found in Denmark, and the author speaks with special praise of the collection made by E. T. Kristensen. Ballads were still alive in Jutland in the nineteenth century, and the ballad- dances of the present-day Faroe Islanders preserve what was not so long ago the favourite amusement of the old Danish country- houses. This being the case, it is very interesting to find that, in spite of the close connection between Denmark and Germany, the ballads of the latter country have had but Htde influence on those of the former. Nor does there seem to have been any very close connection with those of England ; in fact, the author finds that it is with France that the Danish ballads are most closely linked. The connection between the ballad and folklore is dealt with incidentally, the author pointing out that " there is a freedom of communication, — a free passage, — between the popular tales {mdrchen) and the ballads, with this most important condition, that nothing shall be taken up by a ballad except what is fit for the ballad form." The subject must not be too large or too complicated, and for this reason many fairy tales are unfit for ballad treatment on account of the great variety of adventures which they exhibit. Further, the fairy tale generally has a happy ending, which is not beloved of the ballad. This is a very illuminating and interesting study of a most fascinating subject.

B. C. A. WiNDLE.

Certain Quests and Doles. By Charles Peabody. (From the Putnam Anniversary Volume). Cedar Rapids, Iowa; The Torch Press, 1909. 4to, pp. 344-367.

This reprint contains a number of interesting notes on seasonal customs, — Christmas, Easter, and the like, — with questing songs, most of which, we think, have already appeared in the columns of Folk-Lore. In places the collection rather suffers from the fact that the information is somewhat " thrown together," if we may use that expression without any offence. For example : —

" HOLY WEEK. — In England on Palm Sunday it was the custom to throw cakes from the church-towers to the children ; and in Belgium, dainties {onblies)