Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 4.djvu/507

 n s. iv. DEC. 2.3, i9ii.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

501

LONDON, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1911.

CONTENTS. -No. 104.

NOTES : Christmas in Brittany, 501-Mistletoe, 502 Christmas Bibliography Whittington and his Cat : Eastern Variants, 503 Christmas : its European Names

Portrait at Hampton Court Portrait found in an Indian Bazaar, 505 Needles in China Lord Herbert of Cherbury's Rabbinical Studies Capt. Cuttle's Hook, 506.

QU ERIES : Edward Casaubon St. William's Day Threading St. Wilfrid's Needle- West India Committee The Staple of Calais Keats's ' Ode to a Nightingale ' " Amurath to Amurath succeeds "Authors Wanted, 507 Straw under Bridges Lord Tilney Bishops addressed as "My Lord" White: Warren: Milburn John Bright Eliza Wesley Col. Gordon" United States Security"

Peploe Grant of Arms, 508 Thomas Cromwell, 1752 Dr. Richard Russell Grandfather Clocks in France T. Martin, Miniature Painter Suasso de Lima 'May- fair ' Balzac Philip Savage Caversham : Chapel of

St. Anne, 509.

REPLIES : Hebrew Medal, 510 Long's Hotel Anti- gallican Society, 512 " Pe . . tt " W. Alabaster, 513 Foreign Journals in the United States E. Purcell "The Swiss Cottage " Yarm : Private Brown, 514 Britannia Regiment ' Convict Ship ' Spenser and Dante, 515 Prime Serjeant Authors Wanted Porch Inscription, 516" Walm " G. Woodberry 28th Regi- mentRiming History of England, 517 Urban V.'s Name North Devon Words Donny Family Lowther and Cowper Families, 518.

NOTES ON BOOKS : ' Pins and Pincushions.' Booksellers' Catalogues.

OBITUARY : W. T. Lynn-W. M. Graham Easton. Notices to Correspondents.

CHRISTMAS IN BRITTANY.

ONLY now am I reading Anatole Le Braz's admirably told ' Vieilles Histoires de Pays Breton,' and I feel that I should like to impart something of my enjoyment to those within the circle of ' N. & Q.' who are alive to the charm of the folk-lore of a rugged race, which, even in these days, keeps much to itself, and has no great opinion of the rest of mankind.

In a chapter headed ' Nedelek ' = Christ- mas, we have an account of the beliefs which the Bretons have interwoven with the Gospel story. A few days before Christmas singers go about the streets, carolling the Nativity, and often the rustics assemble on churchyard steps at night, regardless of the weather, and give a musical rehearsal of its incidents. The Breton legend teaches plainly that it was not because there was actually no room in the inn at Bethlehem that St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin were refused admission, but because the host wished to reserve such accommodation as he had for carriage-people. " No, no : go

along," cried he within his closed doors ; " we do not house vagabonds." It was only when his son, who was studying for the priesthood, pleaded for the old man and the Maid, that they were allowed to take shelter in the cattle-shed, where, before morning,

a Mother laid her Baby In a manger for His bed : Mary was that Mother mild, Jesus Christ her little Child.

When she wished for help in the swathing, Joseph sought aid from the inn ; but the surly host refused to be disturbed from his comfortable Breton bed (lit clos) near the hearth, and said that his household could not be troubled. In the end he allowed his daughter Bertha, who had but stumps within her sleeves, to accompany the pleader to the shed ; and as soon as she had the Infant placed upon her lap, she no longer lacked arms and hands wherewith to put on the swaddling clothes. Then did Bertha, whose very smile, thereafter, proved miraculous, sing a cradle-song, which Breton mothers still use and sick children at the sound of it fall asleep and are cured. "Thou hast watched by me on earth to-night," said Our Lady to her ;

" thou shalt enjoy near me the light of endless day. Thy festival shall be celebrated just before mine. Women in childbed shall invoke thee in their pain, and bless thee in their joy. Thou shalt give health and strength to nurslings, and to nurses nutrition inexhaustible. This promise which I make, thou inayst be sure my Son will ratify."

When the angels sang ' Gloria ' the whole world thrilled, and everybody the mountain shepherds first, then mariners, labourers, artisans, and, last, the kings trooped to Bethlehem. Even in limbo the spirits were permitted to gaze on the bright face of Emmanuel.

Christmas is a festival still for the dead as well as for the living, and sometimes when country-folk are on their way to the Midnight Mass, they encounter a pro- cession of souls, headed by a silent priest accompanied by a choirboy who shakes a bell which makes no sound. This cortege makes its way to some ruined chapel, and there, on an altar generally deserted, but now mysteriously vested and lighted, almost inaudibly the Sacrifice is offered. The souls are habited in white or grey or black, according to the stage of their purification.

On Christmas night the cattle have double provender, and they are better bedded than at ordinary times. They talk among themselves in human speech.