Untitled - Centrostudirpinia.it

OTHEK FIKES. 627
Easter and Midsummer, but nearer to Easter when that falls late.
A feature common to all three, and perhaps to all public fires
of antiquity, is the wheel, as friction is to all the ancient Easter
fires.
I must not omit to mention, that fires were also lighted at
the season opposite to summer, at Christmas, and in Lent. To
the Yule-fire answers the Gaelic samhtheine (p. 614) of the 1st
November. In France they have still in vogue the souche de
Noel (from dies natalis, Prov. natal) or the trefue (log that burns
three days, Superst.K, 1. 28), conf. the trefoir in Brand s Pop.antiq.
1, 468. At Marseille they burnt the calendeau or caligneau, a
large oaken log, sprinkling it with wine and oil ; it devolved on
the master of the house to set light to it (Millin 3, 336). In
on Christmas
Dauphine they called it chalendal, it was lighted
eve and sprinkled
with wine, they considered it holy, and had
to let it burn out in peace (Champol.-Figeac, p. 124). Christmas-
tide was called chalendes, Prov. calendas ( Raynouard 1, 292),
because New-year commenced on Dec. 25. In Germany I find
the same custom as far back as the 12th cent. A document of
1184 (Kindl/s Miinst. beitr. ii. urk. 34) says of the parish priest
of Ahlen in Miinsterland : et arborem in nativitate Domini ad
festivum ignem suum adducendam esse dicebat. The hewing of
the Christmas block is mentioned in the Weisthiimer 2, 264. 302.
On the Engl. yule-clog see Sup. I, 1109, and the Scandinav.
julblok is well known ; the Lettons call Christmas eve blukku
wakhars, block evening, from the carrying about and burning of
the log (blukkis). 1 Seb. Frank (Welfcbuch 51 3
) reports
Shrovetide customs from Franconia :
the fol
f In other places they
lowing
draw a fiery plough kindled by a fire cunningly made thereon, till
it fall in pieces (supra, p. 264). Item, they wrap a waggon-wheel
all round in straw, drag it up an high steep mountain, and hold
thereon a all merrymaking the day, so they may for the cold,
with many sorts of pastime, as singing, leaping, dancing, odd or
even, and other pranks. About the time of vespers they set the
wheel afire, and let it run into the vale at full speed, which to look
upon is like as the sun were running from the sky. Such a
1 So the Lith. kalledos Christmas, from kalada, a log. SUPPL.