Livre - Christmas in ritual and tradition christian and pagan

PREFACE, p. 5 CHAPTER I – INTRODUCTION, p. 15 The Origin and Purpose of Festivals – Ideas suggested by Christmas – Pagan and Christian Elements--The Names of the Festival--Foundation of the Feast of the Nativity – Its Relation to the Epiphany – December 25 and the Natalis Invicti – The Kalends of January – Yule and Teutonic Festivals – The Church and Pagan Survivals – Two Conflicting Types of Festival – Their Interaction – Plan of the Book. PART I – THE CHRISTIAN FEAST CHAPTER II – CHRISTMAS POETRY (I), p. 29 Ancient Latin Hymns, their Dogmatic, Theological Character – Humanizing Influence of Franciscanism – Jacopone da Todi’s Vernacular Verse – German Catholic Poetry – Mediaeval English Carols. CHAPTER III – CHRISTMAS POETRY (II), p. 53, p. The French Noël – Latin Hymnody in Eighteenth-century France – Spanish Christmas Verse – Traditional Carols of Many Countries – Christmas Poetry in Protestant Germany – Post-Reformation Verse in England – Modern English Carols. CHAPTER IV – CHRISTMAS IN LITURGY AND POPULAR DEVOTION, p. 87 Advent and Christmas Offices of the Roman Church – The Three Masses of Christmas, their Origin and their Celebration in Rome – The Midnight Mass in Many Lands – Protestant Survivals of the Night Services – Christmas in the Greek Church – The Eastern Epiphany and the Blessing of the Waters – The Presepio or Crib, its Supposed Institution by St. Francis – Early Traces of the Crib – The Crib in Germany, Tyrol, &c. – Cradle-rocking in Mediaeval Germany – Christmas Minstrels in Italy and Sicily – The Presepio in Italy – Ceremonies with the Culla and the Bam¬bino in Rome – Christmas in Italian London – The Spanish Christmas – Possible Survivals of the Crib in England. CHAPTER V – CHRISTMAS DRAMA, p. 119 Origins of the Mediaeval Drama – Dramatic Tendencies in the Liturgy – Latin Liturgical Plays – The Drama becomes Laicized – Characteristics of the Popular Drama – The Nativity in the English Miracle Cycles – Christmas Mysteries in France – Later French Survivals of Christmas Drama – German Christmas Plays – Mediaeval Italian Plays and Pageants – Spanish Nativity Plays – Modern Survivals in Various Countries – The Star Singers, &c. POSTSCRIPT 155 PART II – PAGAN SURVIVALS CHAPTER VI – PRE-CHRISTIAN WINTER FESTIVALS, p. 159 The Church and Superstition--Nature of Pagan Survivals – Racial Origins – Roman Festivals of the Saturnalia and Kalends – Was there a Teutonic Midwinter Festival ?--The Teutonic, Celtic, and Slav New Year – Customs attracted to Christmas or January I – The Winter Cycle of Festivals – Rationale of Festival Ritual : (a) Sacrifice and Sacrament, (b) The Cult of the Dead, (c) Omens and Charms for the New Year – Compromise in the Later Middle Ages – The Puritans and Christmas – Decay of Old Traditions. CHAPTER VII – HALLOW TIDE TO MARTINMAS, p. 187 All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days, their Relation to a New Year Festival – All Souls’ Eve and Tendance of the Departed – Soul Cakes in England and on the Continent – Pagan Parallels of All Souls’ – Hallowe’en Charms and Omens – Hallowe’en Fires – Guy Fawkes Day – «Old Hob,” the Schimmelreiter, and other Animal Masks – Martinmas and its Slaughter – Martinmas Drinking – St. Martin’s Fires in Germany – Winter Visitors in the Low Countries and Germany – St. Martin as Gift-bringer-St. Martin’s Rod. CHAPTER VIII – ST. CLEMENT TO ST. THOMAS, p. 209 St, Clement’s Day Quests and Processions – St. Catherine’s Day a s Spinsters’ Festival – St, Andrew’s Eve Auguries – The Klöpfelnächte – St. Nicholas’s Day, the Saint as Gift-bringer, and his Attendants – Election of the Boy Bishop – St. Nicholas’s Day at Bari – St. Lucia’s Day in Sweden, Sicily, and Central Europe – St. Thomas’s Day as School Festival – Its Uncanny Eve – “ Going a-Thomassini’. ” CHAPTER IX – CHRISTMAS EVE AND THE TWELVE DAYS, p. 227 Christkind, Santa Klaus, and Knecht Ruprecht – Talking Animals and other Wonders of Christmas Eve – Scandinavian Beliefs about Trolls and the Return of the Dead – Traditional Christmas Songs in Eastern Europe – The Twelve Days, their Christian Origin and Pagan Superstitions – The Raging Host – Hints of Supernatural Visitors in England – The German Frauen---The Greek Kallikantzaroi. CHAPTER X – THE YULE LOG, p. 249 The Log as Centre of the Domestic Christmas – Customs of the Southern Slays – The Polaznik – Origin of the Yule Log – Probable Connection with Vegetation-cults or Ancestor-worship – The Souche de Noël in France – Italian and German Christmas Logs – English Customs – The Yule Candle in England and Scandinavia. CHAPTER XI – THE CHRISTMAS-TREE, DECORATIONS, AND GIFTS, p. 261 The Christmas-tree a German Creation – Charm of the German Christmas – Early Christmas-trees – The Christmas Pyramid – Spread of the Tree in Modern Germany and other Countries – Origin of the Christmas tree – Beliefs about Flowering Trees at Christmas – Evergreens at the Kalends – Non-German Parallels to the Christmas-tree – Christmas Decorations connected with Ancient Kalends Customs – Sacredness of Holly and Mistletoe – Floors strewn with Straw – Christmas and New Year Gifts, their Connection with the Roman Strenae and St. Nicholas – Present-giving in Various Countries – Christmas Cards. CHAPTER XII – CHRISTMAS FEASTING AND SACRIFICIAL SURVIVALS, p. 281 Prominence of Eating in the English Christmas – The Boar’s Head, the Goose, and other Christmas Fare – Frumenty, Sowens, Yule Cakes, and the Wassail Bowl – Continental Christmas Dishes, their Possible Origins – French and German Cakes – The Animals’ Christmas Feast – Cakes in Eastern Europe – Relics of Animal Sacrifice – Hunting the Wren – Various Games of Sacrificial Origin. CHAPTER XIII – MASKING, THE MUMMERS’ PLAY, THE FEAST OF FOOLS, AND THE BOY BISHOP, p. 295 English Court Masking – “ The Lord of Misrule ” – The Mummers’ Play, the Sword-Dance, and the Morris Dance – Origin of St. George and other Characters – Mumming in Eastern Europe – The Feast of Fools, its History and Suppression – The Boy Bishop, his Functions and Sermons – Modern Survivals of the Boy Bishop. CHAPTER XIV – ST. STEPHEN’S, ST. JOHN’S, AND HOLY INNOCENTS’ DAYS, p. 309 Horse Customs of St. Stephen’s Day – The Swedish St. Stephen – St. John’s Wine – Childermas and its Beatings. CHAPTER XV – NEW YEAR’S DAY, p. 319 Principle of New Year Customs – The New Year in France, Germany, the United States, and Eastern Europe – “ First-footing ” in Great Britain – Scottish New Year Practices – Highland Fumigation and “ Breast-strip” Customs – Hogmanay and Aguillanneuf – New Year Processions in Macedonia, Roumania, Greece, and Rome – Methods of Augury – Sundry New Year Charms. CHAPTER XVI – EPIPHANY TO CANDLEMAS, p. 335 The Twelfth Cake and the “ King of the Bean ” – French Twelfth Night Customs – St. Basil’s Cake in Macedonia – Epiphany and the Expulsion of Evils – The Befana in Italy – The Magi as Present-bringers – Greek Epiphany Customs – Wassailing Fruit-trees – Herefordshire and Irish Twelfth Night Practices – The “ Haxey Hood” and Christmas Football – St. Knut’s Day in Sweden – Rock Day – Plough Monday – Candlemas, its Ecclesiastical and Folk Ceremonies – Farewells to Christmas. CONCLUSION, p. 357 NOTES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY, p. 361 INDEX, p. 389