Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 5.djvu/192

 186

NOTES AND QUERIES. (12 s. v. JULY, 191*.

There is a pedigree of the Kent family of Wadworth, mentioned at the last reference, in Hunter's * South Yorkshire,' i. (1828), 254 four generations. In the same volume are references to members of the Kent family of Kimberworth by Rotherham, pp. 195 and 401, and in vol. ii. (1831), pp. 13, 353.

J. W. FAWCETT. Consett, co. Durham.

DEVILS BLOWING HORNS OR TRUMPETS.

(12 S. iv. 134, 201, 308; v. 48.)

CONTRASTING with the castle of Heaven, where angels are playing musical instru- ments, Hell, with devils blowing horns from a tower and personifications of vices, appears in a wall painting formerly in a church at Stratford - on - Avon. It was reproduced, before its being whitewashed again, by Fisher in his work on Stratford paintings. Thomas Sharp had it in his magistral study on the * Coventry Mediaeval Plays,' 1825, and it is to be found again in many modern books, including ' The Plays of our Fore- fathers,' by Mr. Charles Mills Gayley.

The last work has a reproduction of Christhar rowing Hell from ' Ancient Mys- teries Described ' ; one devil has a horn with the words " out, out, arought." This print may be the same as the one given by Hearne in the appendix to his edition of Fordun's ' Scotichronicon,' vol. v. p. 1403, according to Th. Sharp (p. 60). Another print in Th. Sharp (loc. cit. p. 63) is said to be an ancient German wood- engraving, without any further indication of source. Here a winged demon is seen blowing a twice-curved horn, different in shape and form and also bigger than the English ones.

The well-known illustrated ' History of England,' by Green, reproduces, with a curious commentary, a pretended thirteenth - century caricature against Jews. It is really taken from the Jews Roll of the date above, but I have ascertained, through examining the document myself, that the drawing is a later addition, made during, and possibly at the end of, the fourteenth century. It represents, in fact, some mystery on the stage with the three-faoed King of Hell, demons, one of whom is blowing a horn from a tower, and personifications of vices. The similarity with the painting at Stratford is striking, some identical inscriptions are partly legible : " Gola " for Gula, " Bia " for Superbia. Real names of Jews have been

added, like Isaac of Norwich, Avegay, and' others, which creates confusion.

The three English examples quoted above seem to refer to some religious plays of the time. But the many accounts of myateriea given by Th. Sharp have no allusion to expenses for the horn of the devils, while the trumpets of angels are mentioned there again and again. Maybe, the actors playing the part of devils were using real horns like those used for calling back the cattle home (which, by the way, were said in Scotland to frighten the evil spirits away). Maybe, also,, the horns reproduced were rather speaking- trumpets, made of some cheap and perishable- stuff, such as the ones used nowadays by children during the carnival feasts. In fact, the devils, according to the text of the mysteries, had to perpetually shout the words : " harrow," " alas," " haro out," and' wanted probably something for enforcing their voice.

I understand that the horn or bagpipe for the devil is a late and grotesque fancy, in opposition to the heavenly music. Trum- pets, I believe, were reserved, from an early date, to angels when summoning the dead for judgment or transmitting an order of the Almighty, such as the Commandments to* Moses. They really represent the " Word of God," as pointed out by M. Westlake ( ' History of Wall Painting ' ). Examples are quoted by him, including the frescoes at Saint-Savin, in San Angelo in Formis, Rome,, and St. Michael at Burgfielden, Wurtem- berg. One may add an early Irish MS. at St. Gallen, and others.

I do not know of any examples where the calling for jiidgment is allowed to anybody but angels. A doubtful instance is in Wootton-Wawen Church (Warwickshire). Some very interesting "frescoes" I uae the word intentionally have been lately dis- covered there in a south chapel. Through the- courtesy of Rev. Pollock I was allowed to have a good examination when they were- still half-hidden by whitewash. On the south wall the well-known subject of the punishment of vices ig treated in the usual way : Pride is a crowned woman holding a sceptre and transpierced by a speaj 1 ; Sloth, a man sitting and playing a pipe and a drum ; Avarice is a burning man perhaps Judas presented with pieces of money by a red devil ; Lechery is a monk tempted by a naked woman. Above all a big figure of a sort of herald is blowing a long trumpet with a red pennon hanging from it. His face is rather ugly and he may be understood as & demon, but I rather suppose it is r,n unusual