father as curate. One morning when the young man awoke he saw the
sun-beams coming in through a knot-hole in the floor, and suddenly a
woman of marvellous beauty came floating in on the light and stood
before him. He sprang up and threw his cloak over her and took her to
his parents. She became his wife and lived happily with him for many
years. One day he chanced to say how strange her coming was, and in
order to emphasize his words he took the knot out of the hole in the
floor, and in a moment she was gone!
In a Lapp story, _Friis_, No. 7, the girl tells her husband to drive a
nail into the threshold to prevent her going away. See also "Lappen i
Skathamn." _Hofberg_, p. 174.[28]
Other examples of the swan-maiden kind are to be found in:--
Rink, _Tales of the Eskimo_, "The Man who mated himself with a
Sea-fowl," p. 146.
Keightley's _Fairy Mythology_, "The Peri Wife," p. 20; also p. 163,
where seals are said to put off their skins; and "The Mermaid Wife," p.
169.
_Legends of the Wigwam_, "Son of the Evening Star," p. 81.
Stokes, _Indian Fairy Tales_, "Phúlmati Ráni," p. 6.
Steere, _Swahili Tales_, "Hasseebu Kareem Ed Deed," p. 355.
_Household Stories from the Land of Hofer_, "The Dove Maiden," p. 368.
Vernaleken, _In the Land of Marvels_, "The Three White Doves," p. 263;
"The Maiden on the Crystal Mountain," p. 274; "How Hans finds his Wife,"
p. 281; and "The Drummer," p. 288.
_Grimm_, vol. ii. "The Drummer," p. 333.
Ralston, _Russian Folk-Tales_, p. 120.
Croker, _Fairy Legends of the South of Ireland_, "The Lady of Gollerus,"
p. 177.
_Sagas from the Far East_, pp. 29, 91.
Payne's _Arabian Nights_, "The Story of Janshah," vol. v. p. 98;
"Hassan of Bassora," and the "King's Daughter of the Jinn," vol. vii. p.
145.
_Portuguese Folk-Tales_, Folk-Lore Society 1882, "The Spell-bound
Giant," p. 35.
_Folk-Lore Record_, 1879, p. 12; 1883, pp. 203, 250, 284, 320; and 1884,
p. 11.
Wägner's _Epics and Romances_, p. 280, see "Valkyrs"; _Asgard and the
Gods_, sub voce "Walkyries."
Baring Gould, _Curious Myths_, sub "Swan-maidens."
_Page 103._ Anent the wedding here mentioned, it may be interesting to
note some ceremonies connected with Magyar weddings in olden times.
Love-making was very simple: there was no long courtship before the
betrothal, and one meeting of the couple was often deemed quite
sufficient.[29] The young folks did not choose their future companions,
that being the parents' prerogative; and very often the match was
arranged when they were in their cradles. It was not considered
desirable to make connections with foreign families, and in case a girl
was given away to a foreigner, one of the conditions insisted upon was
that the husband should learn the language of the country. Francis Csáky
was thrown into prison by his father because he would not marry Miss
Homonmay, who had been selected as his wife. Occasionally, however, some
choice was allowed; thus, for instance, Nicholas Bethlen was allowed to
choose his wife from among the daughters of Paul Béldy and Stephen Kun.
It was considered an offence if a young man, not being a relative, paid
a visit to a house where marriageable girls[30] were, as he was
suspected of courting the young ladies on the sly; if the young man was
one whom the parents approved, a day was fixed for him to come and "see"
the girls. On the appointed day the young man started on his journey
with great pomp, and generally arranged to arrive about supper time (7
to 8 p.m.); if the sight was satisfactory, the girl's hand was at once
asked for.[31] During supper the young couple sat opposite to each
other, and after supper there was a dance. Some parents left it to their
daughters to decide, while others endeavoured "to enlighten them." If
the father was dead the widow sought the advice of her eldest son, or of
the children's guardian. If the young man was refused[32] he left the
place, sometimes carrying the young lady off by force, as John Mikes did
Sarah Tarnóczy. The asking for the young lady's hand was performed by
that member of the family who had the greatest authority; if the offer
was accepted the bridegroom fixed a day for the betrothal. Then came the
interchange of rings. The betrothal ring was not a plain hoop, but one
enamelled and set with diamonds or rubies. From the day of the betrothal
they were considered engaged, and henceforth called each other "my
younger sister" (hugom), and "my elder brother" (bátyám),[33] and the
young man was allowed to make his offerings of gold and silver. The
betrothal--called in Magyar "the clasping of hands"--and interchange of
rings was considered binding on both parties, and a breach of promise
was considered the greatest insult. Sometimes a sort of preliminary
wedding was celebrated, thus Nicholas Bethlen went through the marriage
ceremony soon after the interchange of rings, but a whole year elapsed
before, he took his bride to his house.[34]
Sometimes an agreement was drawn up; and the wedding-day having been
fixed by the bridegroom, it was communicated to the bride's father, so
as to allow him to make his preparations. The number of the wedding
guests often amounted to several hundreds. At the wedding of Barbara
Thurzó, in 1612, seventy Magyar nobles of the highest rank appeared
personally, besides several from the Austrian dominions. The king of
Poland sent his sons and several ambassadors, the number of the guests'
horses being 4324.[35] The wedding-feast was sometimes utilized for the
discussion of politics. All the inhabitants of the village were invited,
bullocks with gilt horns were roasted, and a goodly number of knives
stuck into them for the use of the people. The bread was exposed in
troughs, and the wine in vats. Amongst people of modest means the forms
were the same, the supplies being smaller. The expenses of the wedding
were borne by the serfs.
The bridegroom chose his best man from among his near relations, the
groomsmen were young friends. A widower had neither best man nor groom's
men. The bride had a matron[36] who gave her away, and who, together
with the bridesmaids were chosen from near relatives. There was
generally also "a host" chosen from the higher nobility, and he carried
a gold stick in his hand; the deputy host carried a stick painted green;
these two walked about and looked after the guests. A few days before
the wedding the guests met at the bridegroom's house, and on the night
previous to starting a weeping soirée was held, when the bridegroom took
leave of his bachelorship.[37] On the night previous to the wedding the
bridegroom and his guests journeyed to a village near the bride's
residence, and slept there. So far the bridegroom had come on horseback;
but now he took his seat in a carriage, and in front of him rode two
young nobles clad in wild animals' skins,[38] who were called
"fore-greeters" (elölköszöntök). These were followed by pipers,
drummers, and buglers. In the bridegroom's carriage the best man sat by
his side, his groomsmen in the opposite seat. The "matron of the
bedchamber" (nyoszolyó asszony) followed in another carriage preceded by
two young nobles dressed in skins and on horseback. The procession was
closed by the servants, leading gaily caparisoned horses. The two
"fore-greeters" saluted the chief host of the bride, who returned the
greeting, and sent a message saying that the master would be heartily
welcome: this was conveyed to the assembled guests, who thereupon
proceeded to the bride's residence. When they arrived at the outskirts
of the village, the bride's chief host sent a gold ring and some saddled
horses, and a horse-race was at once got up,[39] the prize being the
gold ring. Then the bridegroom sent his presents to the bride; the
guests, too, sent their presents; as did also the representatives of the
united towns and counties.
If the wedding was kept in a fortified town the guests were saluted by
the firing of guns. The best man greeted the family of the bride, to
which the chief host replied: thereupon the best man asked for the
bride[40] and the chief host replied, endeavouring to pass a joke on the
bridegroom and his best man, to which the latter replied as best he
could. Then the chief host delivered up the bride, and, with a long
speech, invited the guests to the midday meal.[41] The meal was a
sumptuous feast; musicians discoursing sweet music as it proceeded. The
chief host assigned the proper places to the guests. The bride was not
expected to eat, but to weep. The banquet over, dancing began. The first
dance was danced by the best man and matron, who were followed by the
bride and bridegroom; the former simply walking through her dances:
several other dances followed. The bride appeared in three different
dresses on the wedding-day;[42] the bridegroom in three different
dresses on the three days of the wedding. When the bride appeared they
played the "bride's dance." During the parting ceremony the bride went
down upon her knees before her parents, and was handed over to the
bridegroom, who unsheathed his sword and cut off the wedding wreath.[43]
This ceremony was called "taking possession of the girl." The fortress
guns thundered out to let the world know when it took place. The young
couple remained with the bride's parents till the third day, when she
distributed her presents, and then set off to her new home.[44]
See also an account of the Palócz wedding customs in the Notes to the
"Girl with the Golden Hair," _infra_.
There is a host of wedding and love songs, especially in cases where
the ardent lover had to go far to meet his beloved, as for instance, the
Lapps had to do. Two are given in Nos. 366 and 406 of the _Spectator_.
The following[45] I do not think has ever been translated before:
No, not under the wide spreading heaven
Is there so sweet and rich a flower
As my own, dear, sweet, beloved one, she has all my poor heart.
When I travel over the windy Alps
I remember my own belov'd one,
And in a moment it's calm and warm, as after Midsummer.
The tune is very sweet and plaintiff, like so many of the folk-songs,
the translation conveys no idea of the sweet and liquid music that even
the words of the original are brimful of.[46]
"_Six-ox farmers._"--To say that a farmer ploughs his land with six oxen
yoked to his plough means that he is very wealthy.
_Page 104._ The giant in an Austrian story (_Vernaleken_, p. 95) draws
circles in the sand and a fowl appears; and in the Lapp story
("Ulta-Pigen." _Friis_, No. 7) the lad marks out on the ground the plan
of a house, &c., at night, and in the morning all is found complete.
"My lad, it is a _burial_ feast." Halotti tors or burial-feasts are
still very common among the Magyar rural population.
_Page 105._ The trouble that comes from those at home[47] occurs over
and over in all manner of folk-tales, _e.g._, in the Lapp story
["Fattiggutten, Fanden og Guldbyen"] the lad, after meeting a beautiful
girl who becomes his bride, insists upon going home to tell of his good
luck, and when there wishes for his bride and her attendants to appear,
to prove that his story is true. They come, but vanish almost at once,
and then comes the numerous troubles before the lost bride can be found.
_Friis_, p. 161. In another, the son of the swan-maiden shows his mother
her dress, which she at once puts on and vanishes, "Pigen fra Havet,"
_id._ p. 27, with which Cf. _Dasent_. "Soria Moria Castle," p. 466.
_Vernaleken._ "The Drummer," p. 289.
Payne, _Arabian Nights_, "The Story of Janshah," vol. v. p. 109, and
"Hassan of Bassoria," vol. vii. p. 175.
_Page 105, "Johara."_ There is no town of _Johara_ in Hungary,
but there is in Russia a province of the name of _Jugaria_ or
_Juharia_--according to Lehrberg the Югра or Угра, of old Russian
records--whence "the Hungarians (_sic!_) proceeded when they took
possession of Pannonia [their modern home] and subdued many provinces
of Europe under their leader Attila."[48] According to Lehrberg,[49]
it comprised the greater parts of the governments of Perm and Tobolsk
of our days. It was said in Herberstein's time--his journeys were
made in 1517 and 1526--that "the Juhari ... use the same dialect as
the Hungarians, but whether this be true, I cannot say from my own
knowledge; for though I have made diligent search I have been unable to
find any man of that country with whom my servant, who is skilled in
the Hungarian language, might have an opportunity of conversing."[50]
Since Ivan the Terrible, the province gives a title to the Emperors of
Russia.[51]
Cf. Payne, _Arabian Nights_, vol. v. p. 121, wherein the maid flies to
"the Castle of Jewels." The man only gets there by the aid of birds and
beasts, and it is the _third_ and most skilful magician alone who
summons a bird, which is the only one who knows the far-off place. In
another story, vol. vii., p. 176, the maiden flies to the "islands of
Wac."
_Dasent_, p. 212, it is "Whiteland," and an old pike knows where it is.
_Vernaleken_, p. 251, Moon and Sun do not know where the mysterious
place is, but the wind does. See also "the Drummer," p. 289, where the
bride flies to the "Crystal Mountain."
In the Lapp stories we find "Banka Castle" and "Bæive-kingdom," and in
an Irish tale, "Grey Horn's Kingdom," as the mysterious land.
The three men (or women) to whom the forsaken husband goes occurs in the
Lapp stories, "Bondesønnen," "Bæive Kongens Datter," and "Fattiggutten,"
Nos. 44, 45, and 46, _Friis_.
Finnish, _S. ja T._ "Tuhkamo," i. p. 35, and "Ei-niin-mitä," ii. p. 53.
_Vernaleken_, "The Judas She-Devil," p. 255. "The Three White Doves," p.
264. "The Maiden of the Crystal Mountain," p. 275.
_Folk-Lore Record_, 1883, p. 319.
_Portuguese Stories_, F. L. Soc., 1882, p. 108, "The Prince who had the
head of a Horse."
_Grimm_, vol. ii. pp. 381, 399.
The Whistle and Whip as a mode of summoning in common, see "Fisher Joe,"
p. 16, _ante_.
_Page 108._ "The Lame Woodpecker" reminds us of the lame devil in
"Stephen the Murderer," p. 10; in _Vernaleken_, there is "a limper," p.
265, and a "lame hare," p. 275, the reluctance of the birds to take the
man to Johara, &c., occurs in the Finnish and Lapp stories referred to.
_Page 109._ "Youth-giving water." Cf. "The Fairies Well," in present
collection, p. 295. In Hungary snow-water collected in March is said to
possess the same virtue.
Cf. also _Finnish_, "Tuhkamo." _S. ja T._ i. p. 43, where Ashiepattle
washes in a well and becomes marvellously beautiful.
_Lapp_, "Bæivekongen.". _Friis_, p. 152. Where the lad dips his sore
head into a kettle and becomes beautiful and golden haired. See also
_Folk-Lore Record_, 1879. "Old Ballad Folk-Lore," p. 100. In "The Jewel
in the Cock's Head," an Italian story, quoted in the _Dublin Magazine_,
1868, p. 706, the hero at once becomes young and handsome by the virtues
of the jewel, and in a Finnish story, "The Enchanted Ship," the same end
is attained by eating some berries. Cf. the effect of the Tàtos and
baa-lambs breathing on anything, pp. 63 and 92 _ante_; also _Dasent_, p.
362; and such stories as "The Old Man made Young," _Grimm_, vol. ii., p.
215, and note, p. 444.
There are numerous springs and wells whose waters are said to possess
marvellous powers, such as St. Winifred's in Flintshire, St. Keyne's in
Cornwall, St. Bede's at Jarrow, &c. See Chambers' _Book of Days_, sub
voce "Wells"; _Henderson's_ "Wells"; Hardwick, _Traditions,
Superstitions, and Folk-Lore_, p. 267; and Aubrey, _Remains of
Gentilisme_, F.L.S., 1880, pp. 121.
THE THREE PRINCES. Erdélyi, i. 1.
Cf. _Grimm_, vol. i. "The Gold Children," and note; vol. ii. "The Two
Brothers," p. 244, and notes, p. 418; in "Ivan Kupiskas Søn." _Friis_,
p. 170, a bear, a wolf, and a dog help the hero.
See also _Dasent_, "The Blue Belt"; and Denton, _Serbian Folk-Lore_,
"The Three Brothers."
_Page 111._ In explanation of the fact that the wolf, lion, and bear
are sometimes called "dogs," and other times "servants," we may mention
that is quite common in Hungary to address a dog as "my servant;" and
the three brutes in the story are supposed to follow their masters like
dogs. For animals and birds that help, cf. _Ralston_, "The Water King,"
p. 120. _Old Deccan Days_, "Punchkin," p. 14. _Vernaleken_, "The Three
White Doves," p. 269, and "The Enchanted Sleep," p. 312. _Sagas from the
Far East_, p. 137. _Friis_, "Jaetten Os Veslegutten." _Uncle Remus_, No.
xxii. and notes to Prince Csihan.
The sticking of knives into a tree to tell of the fortune or misfortune
of the owner occurs also in "Knight Rose," see notes there, and p. 257.
A town draped in black cloth appears in _Grimm_, vol. i. note, p. 421.
_Dasent_, "Shortshanks," p. 160. _Vernaleken_, "The Cobblers Two Sons,"
p. 197.
The dragon that devours a virgin every week reminds us of St. George,
see Baring Gould, _Curious Myths_, "St. George," and _The Seven
Champions of Christendom_. Cf. _Grimm. Stories from the Land of Hofer_,
"The Three Black Dogs," p. 214. _Friis_, Bondesønnen and _Dasent_, p.
158.
_Page 112._ "The healing weed;" see note to "Knight Rose," p. 342.
The dragon in _No. 7, Pentamerone_, when one of its heads is cut off,
rubs itself against a certain leaf and the head is at once fastened on
again.
The treachery of the Red Knight which appears in this story has already
been noticed in the notes to "The Hunting Princes." Cf. _Dasent_, "Big
Bird Dan."
_Page 113._ Animals restore their master to life in _Grimm_, vol. i. p.
253. _Friis_, "Ivan," p. 170. _Ralston_, p. 231. _S. ja T._ i. "Här'än
korwista syntyneet Koirat siw" (The Dogs who grew from the Ears of a
Bull), p. 138; in another Finnish story, "The Golden Bird," the hero is
restored to life by a wolf, after being slain by his treacherous
brothers. In the Kalevala it is a bee that brings the honey which
restores Lemminkäinen; Rune 15, 530.
The prince thinks he has been asleep, just as Lemminkäinen does in
Kalevala, Song 15, 559. Cf. "Golden Hair," _Naaké_, p. 108;
"Marya-Morevna," _Ralston_, p. 91.
_Page 114._ "Henczida to Bonczida," names of villages, the former in the
county of Bihar, the latter in Kolozs.
_Page 115._ The witch throwing down a rod or hair; see also "Knight
Rose," cf. _Portuguese Folk-Tales_, Folk-Lore Society, 1882, "The Tower
of Ill-Luck," p. 49. Basile, _Pentamerone_, No. 7, where a fairy binds
Cienzo by her hair. Denton, _Serbian Folk-Lore_, "The Three Brothers,"
p. 275.
It is curious the part hair plays in popular lore.[52] According to the
old idea that any part of a person, such as his hair, nail clippings,
&c. was to all intents and purposes himself (see notes to "The Lazy
Spinning Girl"[53]); so it appears here the witch's power would be
conveyed by one of her hairs, just as the witch in the "World's
Beautiful Woman" spits on the child's face with the hope of conveying
her enchantment, p. 166. See _Henderson_, _sub voce_, "Hair." Black,
_Folk Medicine in Wäs_.
_Page 116._ The unsheathed sword in bed occurs in the story of Siegfried
and Brunhild. Cf. also _Dasent_, "The Big Bird Dan," p. 450; Payne's
_Arabian Nights_, "The Story of Prince Seif el Mulouk," vol. vii. p. 94;
_Pentamerone_, i. 9; and _Gubernatis_, vol. i. 330.
THE THREE DREAMS. Erdélyi, i. 2.
Cf. "The Secret-keeping Little Boy," p. 233, in this collection.
According to Ladislaus Arany,[54] an almost exact version of the tale is
given in Schott's _Wallachische Märchen_ (No. 9). Schott calls attention
to the resemblance of this tale to the story of Joseph, in the Old
Testament, who is released from prison and exalted for the successful
solution of dreams. See also two stories from Radloff, _Proben der
Volkslitteratur der Türkischen Stämme Süd-Siberiens_, quoted in
_Gubernatis_, vol. i. pp. 139-142.
The "Operencziás Tenger," is the mythical sea of Hungarian folk-tales.
With regard to the etymology of the word, it is said by some to come
from the expression "ober der Enns," in the German name of the Duchy of
Upper Austria. The etymology is given for what it is worth. As to the
cosmology of the story-tellers, all we can say is, that they appear to
uphold the Zetetic school. The earth is flat, and surrounded by the
Operenczian sea: beyond that is fairyland.
The Magyar peasants think much of dreams, as may be seen in their
wonderful dream-book, "_A legrégibb és legnagyobb Egyiptomi
Almoskönyv_," a work something in the same style as the dream-books that
are still common in country places in England.
The significance of dreams is noticed in _Uarda_, cap. xv. Cf. _Denton_,
"The Dream of the King's Son." _Horace_, c. _iii_. _xxvii_. 41; S. i. x.
33. _Homer_ says that dreams of falsehood passed through an ivory gate
in the lower world: true ones through a gate of horn.
See also Tylor, _Early History of Mankind_, pp. 5-10; and _Primitive
Culture_, "Dreams."
There are many stories of dreams which foretold wealth and power, or
were the means of the dreamer attaining them, _e.g._ "Gontram the good
King of Burgundy," Claud Paradin, _Symbola Heroica_. Also Chambers's
_Book of Days_, vol. i. pp. 276, 394, 617; vol. ii. p. 188. The writer
remembers hearing an almost precisely similar story to the last, when
the ill-fated "Lifeguard" was lost on her way from Newcastle to London.
The Indians pay great attention to their dreams during the long fast at
the beginning of manhood: see _Legends of the Wigwam_, p. 99. In some
stories one of the chief characters pretends to dream that she may
obtain certain information, such as "Luxhale's wives:" _Stories from the
Land of Hofer_, p. 317.
It is a common superstition in Holderness that a morning dream is sure
to come true, but if it is told to anyone before breakfast, it will not.
_Page 118_. "Immured alive": see a Magyar folk-song, "Clement the
Mason," in the _Academy_, July 31, 1886. Cf. a paper read by Oscar
Mailand before the Historical and Antiquarian Society of the County of
Hunyad (April 29, 1885) on the legend of the building of the Monastery
at Arges in Roumania. The story is nearly the same as in the song of
"Clement the Mason." Manuli, the master builder, has a dream, wherein he
is recommended to immure the first woman that appears on the scene; the
victim is Manuli's wife. During the discussion that followed, the
president, Count Géza Kuun, mentioned that the same tale is told of the
castle of Dévén in the county of Nógrád; the fortress of Dévény near
Pozsony (Pressburg); and of another fortress in the Trans-danubian
division, and that the legend is of Slavonic origin.
_Grimm_, ii. "Maid Maleen," p. 350.
_Livius_, viii. c. 15, "Virgo Vestalis damnati incesti, viva deforsa
est."
The king vows to slaughter thirty Muslims at the gate of his palace,
when complete, in "Ali Noureddin." Payne's _Arabian Nights_, vol. viii.
p. 141.
_Folk-Lore Journal_, 1880, p. 282; January 1883, "A Bewildering
Superstition."
Cf. also the incident in "Secret-keeping Little Boy", p. 238.
"_Dog-Headed Tartars_." Our story-tellers almost invariably use the
epithet "dog-headed" when speaking of their old enemies, the Tartars.
Medieval travellers, who wrote in Latin, speak of the Great Khan of
Tartary as "Magnus Canis." Cf. _The Travels of Friar Odoric_, in _Cathay
and the way Thither_ (Hakluyt Soc. 1866). The learned editor remarks (p.
128, note): "I am not sure that a faithful version should not render
'Magnus Canis' as the 'Great Dog,' for in most copies the word is
regularly declined 'Canis,' 'Cani,' 'Canem,' as if he were really a
bow-wow. According to Ludolf, an old German translation of Mandeville
does introduce the mighty prince as 'Der grosse Hund.'"
The irruption into Hungary of the Tartars under Batu Khan, in the
thirteenth century, and their frightful slaughter and terrible
devastations are sufficiently known, and need not further be enlarged
upon here.
With regard to dog-headed people (cf. the Kynokephaloi of Ktesias), such
people are often mentioned in ancient travels; thus, Odoric of Pordenone
says: "[L'Isola che si chiama] Nichovera ... nella quale tutti gli
nomini [h]anno il capo a modo d'un cane." From an old Italian MS. text
in the Bibl. Palatina at Florence, printed in _Cathay and the Way
Thither_, p. 51.