THE STORY OF SANTA KLAUS
[Illustration: Merry Christmas to all!
From Thomas Nast’s “Christmas Drawings for the Human Race.”
Copyright 1889 by Harper and Brothers.]
THE STORY OF SANTA KLAUS
TOLD FOR CHILDREN OF ALL
AGES FROM SIX TO SIXTY
BY
WILLIAM S. WALSH
AND ILLUSTRATED BY ARTISTS OF ALL AGES
FROM FRA ANGELICO TO HENRY HUTT
[Illustration]
NEW YORK
MOFFAT, YARD AND COMPANY
1909
Copyright, 1909, by
WILLIAM S. WALSH
NEW YORK
Published October, 1909
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. WHO IS SANTA KLAUS 13
II. STRANGE ADVENTURES OF THE SAINT’S BODY 39
III. CHRIST-KINKLE AND CHRIST-KINDLEIN 50
IV. THE EVOLUTION OF CHRISTMAS 58
V. SILENUS, SATURN, THOR 69
VI. A TERRIBLE CHRISTMAS IN OLD FRANCE 80
VII. THE CHRISTMAS TREE IN LEGEND 90
VIII. THE CHRISTMAS TREE IN HISTORY 99
IX. THE CHRISTMAS TREE IN EUROPE 109
X. THE CHRISTMAS TREE IN ENGLAND AND AMERICA 118
XI. THE STORY OF THE THREE KINGS 124
XII. SOME TWELFTH NIGHT CUSTOMS 151
XIII. ST. NICHOLAS IN ENGLAND 158
XIV. FATHER CHRISTMAS AND HIS FAMILY 165
XV. PANTOMIME IN THE PAST AND PRESENT 185
XVI. SAINT NICHOLAS IN EUROPE 194
XVII. SAINT NICHOLAS IN AMERICA 214
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
Merry Christmas to all! _Frontispiece_
St. Nicholas as the patron saint of children 15
The Consecration of St. Nicholas 19
St. Nicholas and the three maidens 23
St. Nicholas resuscitating the schoolboys 27
Bishop Nicholas 31
St. Nicholas of Bari 35
Heads of the Christ-child 41
The Christ-child surrounded by angels 47
“Suffer little children to come unto me” 51
Christ the giver 55
Christmas presents 59
Saturn, the God of Time 63
Silenus and Fauns 71
Santa Claus and his young friends 73
Carrying home the Christmas dinner 77
The Feast of the Passover 81
The Adoration of the Lamb 87
Luther and the Christmas tree 101
Christmas tree of the English royal family 111
On the way to Bethlehem 125
The Three Kings visit Herod 129
The Journey of the Three Kings 133
The Arrival of the Three Kings 137
The Adoration of the Magi (1) 141
The Adoration of the Magi (2) 145
The Adoration of the Three Kings 149
The Child’s Twelfth Night Dream 153
Father Christmas 167
Father Christmas (another conception) 171
The Old and the New Christmas 175
Bringing in Old Christmas 179
The Christmas Waits 183
Jongleurs announcing the birth of our Lord 187
Going to the Pantomime 191
Mute admiration 195
Santa Klaus comes to grief on an automobile 199
“No, I don’t believe in you any more” 203
Santa Klaus 207
Santa Klaus up in a balloon 211
New Year’s gifts in a French workingman’s family 215
French children gazing up the chimney for gifts 219
Silenus and Bacchus 223
The bambino 225
Santa Klaus on New Year’s eve 227
The investigating committee 229
St. Nicholas unveils 231
THE STORY OF SANTA KLAUS
CHAPTER I
WHO IS SANTA KLAUS?
If you go to England you will find many people there who have never
heard of Santa Klaus. Only the other day a leading London paper
confessed that it could not understand why a magazine for children
should be called St. Nicholas.
Now if you were asked the question which heads this chapter do you
think you could answer it so as to make an Englishman understand who
Santa Klaus is? Could you also explain what connection Saint Nicholas
has with children?
Of course you might glibly reply:
“Santa Klaus is the Dutch diminutive (or pet name) for Saint Nicholas,
and Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of boys and girls.”
But the Englishman might want to know more than this. Perhaps you
yourself would be glad to know more. It is for the purpose of supplying
you with information that I have prepared this little book.
Let us begin with the legends which concern this holy man and see what
help they will give us. I say let us begin with the legends, because
history itself tells us little or nothing about the saint beyond the
fact that he was Bishop of a town called Myra in Asia Minor and that
he died about the year 342. Legend fills out these meagre details with
many a pretty story which throws a kindly light upon the character of
good Saint Nicholas.
You know what a legend is? It means a story which was not put into
writing by historians at the time when the thing is said to have
happened, but which has been handed down from father to son for
hundreds and sometimes for thousands of years. It may or may not have
had some basis of truth at the beginning. But after passing from mouth
to mouth in this fashion it is very likely to lose what truth it once
possessed. Still, even if the facts are not given in just the manner in
which they happened there is nearly always some useful moral wrapped
up in the fiction that has grown around the facts. That is why wise
and learned men are glad to collect these legends from the lips of the
peasants and other simple minded folk who have learned them at their
mothers’ knee, and who believe that they are all true. These legends
are called by the general name of folk-lore.
[Illustration: St. Nicholas as the patron of children.
Italian print.]
Two brothers of the name of Grimm once collected into a book the
folk-lore of their native country, Germany. This book is known to you
as Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Hans Christian Andersen also found among the
legends of Denmark some of the prettiest and most fanciful of his tales.
Now stories concerning Saint Nicholas abound in almost every country
of Europe, for almost every country except Great Britain is interested
in his name and fame. He may, indeed, be called the busiest of all
the saints. In the first place legend makes him the patron saint of
children all over the world, no matter of what sex or color or station
in life. Ever childlike and humble, so we are told by a quaint old
author, “he keepeth the name of a child, for he chose to keep the
virtues of meekness and simpleness. Thus he lived all his life in
virtues with this child’s name, and therefore children do him worship
before all other saints.”
One might think that to be a patron of the world’s children would keep
one saint pretty busy, even if it did not exhaust his energies. Not so
with Saint Nicholas. He occupies his spare moments as the protector
of the weak against the strong, of the poor against the rich, of the
servant and the slave against the master. Because he once calmed a
storm he is the patron of travellers and sailors and of many seaport
towns. Because he once converted a gang of robbers and made them
restore their booty to the men they had robbed he is still thought to
retain a kindly interest in thieves.
Moreover he is the patron of the largest of all European countries, the
empire of Russia.
Now we will make our promised examination of the legends which have
gathered around this saint and given him a fame so widespread.
Saint Nicholas is said to have been born in a town called Potara in
Asia Minor. To the great wonder of his nurses he stood up in a tub
on the day of his birth with his hands clasped together and his eyes
raised to heaven and gave thanks to God for having brought him into the
world. It is added that on Wednesday and Fridays, (both fast days in
the early Church) he would refuse to take milk until the going down of
the sun.
His parents died when he was very young. As they were wealthy they left
him well provided with the world’s goods. But he would not accept them
for himself. Instead he used them for the good of the poor and of the
Church.
When he was old enough he studied for the priesthood in the town of
Myra and was ordained as soon as he had reached man’s estate. He at
once set sail on a voyage to the Holy Land to visit the tomb of Jesus
Christ in Jerusalem. On the way a dreadful storm arose. The winds
howled and whistled, the great waves shook the vessel from stem to
stern.
[Illustration: The consecration of St. Nicholas.
Old print.]
The captain and the sailors who had been used to bad weather pretty
much all their lives declared that this was the worst storm they had
ever known. Indeed they had given up all hope when the young Nicholas
bade them be of good cheer.
His prayers soon calmed the wind and the waves, so that the ship
reached Alexandria safe and sound. There the saint landed and made the
greater part of the journey from Alexandria to Jerusalem on foot.
Returning by sea, he wished to go straight back to Myra. The captain,
however, would not obey his orders and tried to make the port of
Alexandria. Then Saint Nicholas prayed again and another great storm
arose. And the captain was so frightened by this evidence of the
saint’s powers that he gladly listened to his request and headed the
ship towards Myra.
In the year 325 Nicholas, then still a young man, was elected Bishop
of Myra. On the day of his consecration to that office a woman brought
into the church a child which had fallen into the fire and been
badly burned. Nicholas made the sign of the cross over the child and
straightway restored it to health. That is the first of his miracles
which showed the interest that he took in children.
Two other miracles which are still more famous are thought to
foreshadow the fame he has won since his death as the patron of
children and the bearer of gifts to them at the holy Christmas season.
Among the members of his flock (so runs the first story) there was a
certain nobleman who had three young daughters. From being rich he
became poor,--so poor that he could not afford to support his daughters
nor supply the dowry which would enable him to marry them off. For in
those days, as even now in many countries in Europe, young men expected
that a bride should bring with her a sum of money from her parents with
which the young couple could start housekeeping. This is called the
dowry.
Over and over the thought came into the nobleman’s mind to tell his
daughters that they must go away from home and seek their own living as
servants or in even meaner ways. Shame and sorrow alone held him dumb.
Meanwhile the maidens wept continually, not knowing what to do, and
having no bread to eat. So their father grew more and more desperate.
At last the matter came to the ears of Saint Nicholas. That kindly
soul thought it a shame that such things should happen in a Christian
country. So one night when the maidens were asleep and their father sat
alone, watching and weeping, Saint Nicholas took a handful of gold and
tying it up in a handkerchief, or as some say placing it in a purse,
set out for the nobleman’s house.
[Illustration: St. Nicholas and the three maidens.
Fifteenth century painting.]
He considered how he might best bestow the money without making himself
known. While he stood hesitating the moon came up from behind a
cloud, and showed him an open window. He threw the purse containing the
gold in through the window and it fell at the feet of the father.
Greatly rejoiced was the old gentleman when the money plumped down
beside him. Picking up the purse he gave thanks to God and presented it
to his eldest daughter as her dowry. Thus she was enabled to marry the
young man whom she loved.
Not long afterwards Saint Nicholas collected together another purse
of money and threw it into the nobleman’s house just as he had done
before. Thus a dowry was provided for the second daughter.
And now the curiosity of the nobleman was excited. He greatly desired
to know who it was that had come so generously to his aid. So he
determined to watch. When the good saint came for a third time and made
ready to throw in the third purse, he was discovered, for the nobleman
seized him by the skirt of his robe and flung himself at his feet,
crying:
“Oh, Nicholas, servant of God, why seek to hide thyself?”
And he kissed the holy man’s feet and hands. But Saint Nicholas made
him promise that he would tell no one what had occurred.
The second legend is much more wonderful. It tells how Saint Nicholas
was once travelling through his diocese at a time when the people had
been driven to the verge of starvation. One night he put up at an
inn kept by a very cruel and very wicked man, though nobody in the
neighborhood yet suspected his guilt.
This monster, finding that the famine had made beef and mutton
extremely scarce and greatly raised their price, had conceived the
idea of filling his pantry with the fat juicy corpses of children whom
he kidnapped, killed and served up to his guests in all varieties of
nicely cooked dishes and under all sorts of fancy names.
Nobody could guess how he alone of all the innkeepers in that
neighborhood could maintain a table so well supplied with meats, boiled
and roasted, and stews and hashes and nice tasty soups.
But no sooner had a dish of this human flesh been served up to the
saint than he discovered the horrible truth.
Leaping to his feet he poured out his anger in bitter but righteous
words. Vainly the landlord fawned and cringed and protested that he was
innocent. Saint Nicholas simply walked over to the tub where the bodies
of the children had been salted down. All he had to do was to make the
sign of the cross over the tub, and lo! three little boys, who had been
missing for days, arose alive and well, and, coming out of the tub,
knelt at the feet of the saint.
[Illustration: St. Nicholas resuscitating the schoolboys.
Old Neapolitan print.]
All the other guests of the inn were struck dumb at the miracle. The
children were restored to their mother, who was a widow. As to the
landlord, he was taken out and stoned to death, as he richly deserved
to be.
Another of St. Nicholas’ miracles shows that he had a kind heart for
grown-ups as well as for the young folk. A revolt having broken out in
Phrygia, Emperor Constantine sent a number of his tribunes to quell it.
When they had reached Myra, the bishop invited them to his table so
that they would not quarter themselves on poorer citizens, who might be
ill able to afford their keep.
A grand banquet was served up to them. As host and guests were
preparing to sit down, news was brought into the hall that the prefect
of the city had condemned three men to death, on a false accusation
that they were rebels. They had just been led to execution and the
whole city was in a ferment of excitement over this terrible act of
injustice.
Nicholas rose at once from the table. Followed by his guests he ran to
the place of execution. There he found the three men kneeling on the
ground, their eyes bound with bandages, and the executioner standing
over them waving his bared sword in the air. Nicholas snatched the
sword out of his hand. Then he ordered the men to be unbound. No one
dared to disobey him. Even the prefect fell upon his knees and humbly
craved forgiveness, which was granted with some reluctance.
Meanwhile the tribunes, looking on at the scene, were filled with
wonder and admiration. They, too, cast themselves at the feet of the
holy man and besought his blessing. Then, having feasted their fill on
the banquet that had been provided for them, the tribunes continued
their journey to Phrygia.
They, too, it was decreed were to fall under the ban of a false
accusation. During their absence from Constantinople, Constantine’s
mind had been poisoned against them by their enemies. Immediately on
their return he cast them into prison. They were tried and condemned to
death as traitors. From the dungeon into which they had been cast to
await the carrying out of this sentence they sent out a piteous prayer
to St. Nicholas for assistance. Though he was hundreds of miles away,
he heard them.
And that same night he appeared to Constantine in a dream, commanding
him to release these men and to declare them innocent,--threatening
him at the same time with the wrath of God if he refused. Constantine
did not refuse. He took the saint’s word for their innocence, pardoned
them, and set them free. Next morning he despatched them to Myra to
thank Saint Nicholas in person for their happy deliverance. As a thank
offering they bore him a copy of the gospels, written in letters of
gold, and bound in a cover embossed with pearls and precious stones.
[Illustration: Bishop Nicholas.
From old Italian print.]
Nor did the saint’s miracles end with his life. Even after death he
listened from his high place in heaven to the prayers of the humblest
and gladly hastened to their assistance when they asked for help in the
right spirit and at the right time.
Here are three legends which have been especially popular in literature
and art.
A Jew of Calabria, hearing of the wonderful miracles which had been
performed by Saint Nicholas, stole his image out of the parish church
and bore it away to his home. There he placed it in his parlor.
And when, next day, he had made ready to go out for the morning he
commended all his treasures to the care of the saint, impudently
threatening that his image would be soundly thrashed if he failed in
his trust. No sooner was the Jew’s back turned, however, than robbers
broke into the house and carried off all its treasures. Great was the
Jew’s wrath when he returned. Bitter were the reproaches he hurled at
the saint. Many and fierce were the whacks he bestowed upon the image.
That very night Saint Nicholas, all bruised and bleeding, appeared to
the robbers, and commanded them immediately to restore what they had
taken. Terrified at the vision they leaped to their feet, collected
the plunder, and brought it back to the Jew’s house. The Jew was so
astonished at the miracle that he was easily converted to Christianity
and baptized.
There was a wealthy man who, though married, had no son to inherit his
estate. This man vowed that if Saint Nicholas would provide him with
an heir he would present a cup of gold to the saint’s altar at Myra.
Saint Nicholas heard the prayer and, through his intercession, God sent
the childless man a son. At once the father ordered the cup of gold to
be prepared. When it was finished, however, it seemed so beautiful in
his eyes that he decided to keep it for himself and offer the saint a
meaner one made of silver. When this, too, was finished, the merchant
with his son set out to make the presentation. On the journey he
stopped by a river to quench his thirst. Taking out the golden cup he
bade the son fetch him some water. In obeying the child fell into the
river and was drowned.
Weeping bitter tears of repentance the merchant appeared in the church
of Saint Nicholas and there made his offering of the silver cup. But
the cup would not stay where it was put. Once, twice, thrice, it fell
off the altar.
While all the people stared with astonishment, behold the drowned
boy appeared before them,--standing on the steps of the altar with
the golden cup in his hand. Full of joy and gratitude, the father
offered both the cups to the saint and bore his son home with
thanksgivings to God and to His saint.
[Illustration: St. Nicholas of Bari.
Old Italian print.]
A certain rich merchant, himself a Christian, dwelt on the borders of
a heathen country. He cultivated a special devotion to Saint Nicholas.
One day his only son was taken captive by some of the wicked neighbors
across the boundary line and sold into slavery. The lad finally became
the property of the pagan king, and served him as his cup-bearer.
One day, while filling the royal cup at dinner he suddenly remembered
that it was December 6, and the feast of Saint Nicholas. He burst into
tears at the thought that his family were even then gathered around the
dinner table in honor of their patron.
“Why weepest thou?” testily asked the king. “Seest thou not that thy
tears fall into my cup and spoil my wine?”
And the boy answered through his sobs:
“This is the day when my parents and my kindred are met together in
great joy to honor our good Saint Nicholas; and I, alas! am far away
from them.”
Then the pagan blasphemer swore a good round oath and said:
“Great as is thy Saint Nicholas, he cannot save thee from my hand!”
Hardly were the words out of his mouth when a whirlwind shook the
palace. A flash of lightning was followed by a loud peal of thunder
and lo! Saint Nicholas himself stood in the midst of the affrighted
feasters. He caught the youth up by the hair of his head so suddenly
that he had no time to drop the royal cup, and whirled him through the
air at a prodigious speed until, a few moments later, he landed him
in his home. The family were gathered in the dining room when saint
and boy made their appearance,--the father being even then engaged in
distributing the banquet to the poor, beseeching in return that they
would offer up their prayers in behalf of his captive son.