Balder the Beautiful, Volume I A Study in Magic and Religion: the Golden Bough, Part VII | Page 6

a holy new fire on Easter Saturday, marvellous properties

ascribed to the embers of the fire, 121; effigy of Judas burnt in the fire,
121; Easter fires in Bavaria and the Abruzzi, 122; water as well as fire
consecrated at Easter in Italy, Bohemia, and Germany, 122-124; new
fire at Easter in Carinthia, 124; Thomas Kirchmeyer's account of the
consecration of fire and water by the Catholic Church at Easter, 124 sq.;
the new fire on Easter Saturday at Florence, 126 sq.; the new fire and
the burning of Judas on Easter Saturday in Mexico and South America,
127 sq.; the new fire on Easter Saturday in the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre at Jerusalem, 128-130; the new fire and the burning of Judas
on Easter Saturday in Greece, 130 sq.; the new fire at Candlemas in
Armenia, 131; the new fire and the burning of Judas at Easter are
probably relics of paganism, 131 sq.; new fire at the summer solstice
among the Incas of Peru, 132; new fire among the Indians of Mexico
and New Mexico, the Iroquois, and the Esquimaux, 132-134; new fire
in Wadai, among the Swahili, and in other parts of Africa, 134-136;
new fires among the Todas and Nagas of India, 136; new fire in China
and Japan, 137 sq.; new fire in ancient Greece and Rome, 138; new fire
at Hallowe'en among the old Celts of Ireland, 139; new fire on the first
of September among the Russian peasants, 139; the rite of the new fire
probably common to many peoples of the Mediterranean area before
the rise of Christianity, 139 sq.; the pagan character of the Easter fire
manifest from the superstitions associated with it, such as the belief that
the fire fertilizes the fields and protects houses from conflagration and
sickness, 140 sq.; the Easter fires in Münsterland, Oldenburg, the Harz
Mountains, and the Altmark, 141-143; Easter fires and the burning of
Judas or the Easter Man in Bavaria, 143 sq.; Easter fires and "thunder
poles" in Baden, 145; Easter fires in Holland and Sweden, 145 sq.; the
burning of Judas in Bohemia, 146.
§ 3. The Beltane Fires, pp. 146-160.--The Beltane fires on the first of
May in the Highlands of Scotland, 146-154; John Ramsay of
Ochtertyre, his description of the Beltane fires and cakes and the
Beltane carline, 146-149; Beltane fires and cakes in Perthshire, 150-153;
Beltane fires in the north-east of Scotland to burn the witches, 153 sq.;
Beltane fires and cakes in the Hebrides, 154; Beltane fires and cakes in
Wales, 155-157; in the Isle of Man to burn the witches, 157; in
Nottinghamshire, 157; in Ireland, 157-159; fires on the Eve of May

Day in Sweden, 159; in Austria and Saxony to burn the witches, 159
sq.
§ 4. The Midsummer Fires, pp. 160-219.--The great season for
fire-festivals in Europe is Midsummer Eve or Midsummer Day, which
the church has dedicated to St. John the Baptist, 160 sq.; the bonfires,
the torches, and the burning wheels of the festival, 161; Thomas
Kirchmeyer's description of the Midsummer festival, 162 sq.; the
Midsummer fires in Germany, 163-171; burning wheel rolled down hill
at Konz on the Moselle, 163 sq.; Midsummer fires in Bavaria, 164-166;
in Swabia, 166 sq.; in Baden, 167-169; in Alsace, Lorraine, the Eifel,
the Harz district, and Thuringia, 169; Midsummer fires kindled by the
friction of wood, 169 sq.; driving away the witches and demons, 170;
Midsummer fires in Silesia, scaring away the witches, 170 sq.;
Midsummer fires in Denmark and Norway, keeping off the witches,
171; Midsummer fires in Sweden, 172; Midsummer fires in
Switzerland and Austria, 172 sq.; in Bohemia, 173-175; in Moravia,
Austrian Silesia, and the district of Cracow, 175; among the Slavs of
Russia, 176; in Prussia and Lithuania as a protection against witchcraft,
thunder, hail, and cattle disease, 176 sq.; in Masuren the fire is kindled
by the revolution of a wheel, 177; Midsummer fires among the Letts of
Russia, 177 sq.; among the South Slavs, 178; among the Magyars, 178
sq.; among the Esthonians, 179 sq.; among the Finns and Cheremiss of
Russia, 180 sq.; in France, 181-194; Bossuet on the Midsummer
festival, 182; the Midsummer fires in Brittany, 183-185; in Normandy,
the Brotherhood of the Green Wolf at Jumièges, 185 sq.; Midsummer
fires in Picardy, 187 sq.; in Beauce and Perche, 188; the fires a
protection against witchcraft, 188; the Midsummer fires in the
Ardennes, the Vosges, and the Jura, 188 sq.; in Franche-Comté, 189; in
Berry and other parts of Central France, 189 sq.; in Poitou, 190 sq.; in
the departments of Vienne and Deux-Sèvres and in the provinces of
Saintonge and Aunis, 191 sq.; in Southern France, 192 sq.; Midsummer
festival of fire and water in Provence, 193 sq.; Midsummer fires in
Belgium, 194-196; in England, 196-200; Stow's