Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 7, 1896.djvu/174

150 (2.) There is another "sacred spring" near Eresos; only a hollow in the rock, where water is seen sometimes.

(3.) Near Mesotopos there is a chapel; and beside it is another sacred tree, this time a tree whose name was given variously as or. It had a funny little red pod of irregular shape, but what its botanical name is I know not. There were women's embroideries and whole garments of children on this tree, besides rags.

(4.) At the head of the and about four hours from Mytilene, at "Lap Mill," are two shrines, both shadowed by trees, and each sacred to a separate St. George: one Christian and one Moslem. The Moslems revere a St. George of their own, whose tomb I have seen at Damascus; but in default of the right one, a Moslem worships the St. George of the Christians. However, here he can take his choice. The Moslem shrine faced the opposite way to the Christian, and had wax candles in it; the Christian shrine had rags and dresses as usual in it and hung upon an agnus castus outside.

(5.) By the waters of the gulf, an hour or so from Mytilene, is another little chapel, upon the very shore, or St. Healer. I could see no spring, but there were (and still are) hot springs in this gulf; and I make no doubt this is an ancient site. Æsculapius was the great god of Mytilene in olden days. By the roadside, above this chapel, are sacred trees with rags as usual; one was an olive. The chapel is invisible from the road, which is some twenty feet higher.

(6.) St. Eudokimos, a shrine in the town of Mytilene, where nearly all the votive offerings are onions fastened to a tree, the same kind of tree as No. 3, by sick folks.

(7.) In another shrine, which I have not seen, women leave as offerings the wooden frame on which they spin and wind thread.