Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 2.djvu/458

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NOTES AND QUERIES.

[9 th S. II. DEO. 3, '

' Morwyn Ddu ' [Black Virgin] to the chaos, and the name ' Ion ' to God. The Virgin Mary is fre- quently to be seen on the Continent now, black in colour, as, for instance, at Amadon and other places in France. The fact that the Roman Catholics sometimes depicted the Virgin Mary as black has caused much bewilderment among the learned. ' I sing to thee, O Night,' says Orpheus, in one of his chants, ' mother of gods and men, Sacred Night, principle of all things, who art often named Venus ' [in Welsh Gwener]. In their poetry the Druids said that Ion and the Black Virgin were the father and mother of Hu Gadarn, the sun."

Here follows some Druid poetry, which scarcely admits of translation, in which the sun is shown first in his summer glory and then in his winter decadence.

"Another name for the Black Virgin was 'Galas.' Her daughter was ' Calan,' who became Morewyn, Morwyn, or Morwen, which was the name given to the earth in Alban Eilir [the Vernal Equinox], when she became the wife of Hu Gadarn." ' Pabell Dofydd,' chap. xiv.

JEANNIE S. POPHAM.

Plas Maenan, Llanrwst, North Wales.

The famous Vierge du Pilier at Chartres is black. MR. CROOKE may like to read M. Huysmans's description of it :

' ' Dans la lame du m ilieu, surgit, en 1'ogive d'acier, la figure geanted'une negresse, vetue d'unerobe verte et d un manteau brun. La tete, enveloppee d'un foulard bleu, etait entour^e d'une aureole d'or, et elle regar- dait, hieratique, farouche, devant elle, avec des yeux e"carquilles, tout blancs. Et cette enigmatique moricaude tenait sur ses genoux une negrillonne dont les prunelles saillaient, ainsi que deux boules de neige, sur une face noire." ' La Cathedrale,' p. 31.

ST. SWTTHIN.

If the reference applies to Madonnas of other religions than the Christian,

" Crishna and his mother are almost always re- presented black, and the word 'Crishna' means the black." ' Ancient Faiths,' Thomas Inman, M.D., 1872, i. 401.

R. C. BOSTOCK.

[Other replies are acknowledged from F. H., J. W. SHAND-HARVEY, RICHARD HORTON SMITH, J. L. R., S. P. E., S., and Q. V.]

LOUVRE PICTURES (9 th S. ii. 408). Is there any printed catalogue of these before the publication of " Le Musee Fra^ais, ou Collec- tion Complete des Tableaux, Statues, et Bas- reliefs qui composent la Collection Nationale, &c., Paris, 1803-11"? The Museum of the Louvre was subject to such rapid reconstitu- tion from 1791 onwards, that it seems unlikely that there should have been any published catalogue of the pictures previous to the one cited above. H.

Does INQUIS mean that he wants to see a catalogue dated before 1800, or one giving an

account of pictures that were in the Louvre before 1800 ? I have one of 732 pages, but mine is dated 1860. But this, to my mind, is better, as it would contain those pictures, if any, that have been placed there since 1800. It is quite at INQUIS'S service if he likes me to send it for him to see, to be returned at leisure. ALFRED J. KING.

101, Sandmere Road, Clapham, S.W.

BURY HEAD, SOUTH DEVON (9 th S. ii. 347). Berry Head, near Brixham, Devon, is probably the place inquired for by SILO. The fortifications were erected during the wars at the end of the last century, and at one time had accommodation for 1,000 men. The Head does not appear to have been used very long for the purpose of defence how long I have been unable to ascertain ; but I have heard that fifty years ago, when a large part of the common was cultivated, the buildings were then in ruins. I question if the forts were ever demolished, but, being unoccupied and neglected, they fell into ruin, although one of them, near the entrance by the drawbridge, is in fairly good condition, and is used as a refreshment house. The Romans had an encampment there, but the story that it was the landing - place of Vespasian and Titus is more than any one who knows the place can well believe.

A. J. DAVY.

Torquay.

ALEXANDRE THE VENTRILOQUIST (9 th S. ii. 305). I have long wished to know something of Alexandre, inquired for by MR. PICK- FORD. I have a folio sheet, neight 9^ in., length 15 in., representing him in twelve different characters. The first on the left is Capt. Furlough, others are Mrs., Miss, and Alderman Pillbury, and Nicholas. The sheet is entitled, " Adventures of a Ventriloquist ; or, the Rogueries of Nicholas, as delivered by Monsieur Alexandre, with applause, at the Adelphi Theatre, Strand, London. Published May 6, 1822, with permission of the pro- prietors, by W. West, at his Theatrical Print Warehouse, 13, Exeter Street, Catherine Street, Strand." This is one of the series I have several times referred to in ' N. & Q.' of characters for the juvenile drama. These are beautifully drawn and etched on copper by William Blake, not signed, but like others to which his initials are placed.

RALPH THOMAS.

This very clever ventriloquist as he ap- pears to have been once gave a performance at Abbotsford. Scott, being rather puzzled as to what sort of acknowledgment to make to the young foreigner, and thinking that