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QUENCHES LIGHT. A GODFATHEK. 853
to a light, a taper, a brand : when
these were wasted, death
ensued (pp. 409. 415). Here then the idea of Death is intimately
connected with that of fate. The genius lowers his torch, re
verses it, and the light of life is quenched. For the child as
soon as born, the norn has kindled a light, to which his thread of
life is fastened; possibly even our lighting of tapers in con
nexion with birthday gifts has reference to this. 1 We have a
capitally contrived story of Gossip Death (gevatter Tod, Kinderra.
no. 44), the conclusion of which represents a subterranean
cavern, with thousands of lights burning in endless rows. These
are the lives of men, some still blazing as long tapers, others
burnt down to tiny candle-ends ; but even a tall taper may topple
or be tipt over. The preceding part relates, how Death has
stood gossip 3 to a poor man, and has endowed his godson with
the gift of beholding him bodily when he approaches the sick,
and of judging by his position whether the patient will recover
or not. 3 The godson becomes a physician, and attains to wealth
and honours : if Death stands at the sick man s head, it is all
over with him ; if at his feet, he will escape. Occasionally the
doctor turns the patient round, and circumvents Death ; but in
the end Death has his revenge, he catches his godson napping,
and knocks his candle over. 4
Throughout this fable Death shews
himself friendly, good-natured and indulgent, only in case of
absolute need does he fulfil his function ; hence too his gossiphood
5 with man, which evidently corresponds to that ancient
visit of the norns to the newborn child, and their bestowing
gifts on him (pp. 408 12), as in some nursery-tales the fays are
invited to stand godmothers. 6
The extinguished light resembles
the taper and the brand, to which are linked the lives of Norna-
gestr and Meleager (pp. 409. 415).
It is then a primitive myth
1 In the child s game If the fox dies I get the skin (Kinderm. 2, xviii.), a
piece of burning wood is passed round, and its extinction decides.
2
God-sib expresses the kinship of god-parents to each other or to the parents.
TRANS.
3 So the bird charadrius, by looking at or away from you, decides your life or
death, Freid. introd. Ixxxvi., where a couplet in Titurel 5154-5 and the O.Fr. Bestiaire
(Eoquef. sub v. caladrio) are left unnoticed.
4
May not that stool also, when upset, have knocked the candle over ?
5 Is Death likewise called the brother of man, as he is of Sleep? The
bruoler tot in Ben. 262 means fratris mors.
6 The semi-divine norns and fays protect and bestow gifts like Christian
sponsors.