Yule-Tide in Many Lands | Page 5

was the sovereign remedy for all diseases, but it
seems to have lost its curative power, for the scientific men of the
present time fail to find that it possesses any medical qualities.
Later on, when the good King Alfred was on the English throne, there
were greater comforts and luxuries among the Saxons. Descendants of
the settlers had built halls for their families near the original
homesteads, and the wall that formerly surrounded the home of the
settler was extended to accommodate the new homes until there was a
town within the enclosure. Yule within these homes was celebrated
with great pomp. The walls of the hall were hung with rich tapestries,
the food was served on gold and silver plates, and the tumblers, though
sometimes of wood or horn, were often of gold and silver, too.
In these days the family dressed more lavishly. Men wore long, flowing
ringlets and forked beards. Their tunics of woolen, leather, linen, or silk,
reached to the knees and were fastened at the waist by a girdle. Usually
a short cloak was worn over the tunic. They bedecked themselves with
all the jewelry they could wear; bracelets, chains, rings, brooches,

head-bands, and other ornaments of gold and precious stones.
Women wore their best tunics made either of woolen woven in many
colors or of silk embroidered in golden flowers. Their "abundant
tresses," curled by means of hot irons, were confined by the richest
head-rails. The more fashionable wore cuffs and bracelets, earrings and
necklaces, and painted their cheeks a more than hectic flush.
In the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries the magnificence of the
Yule-tide observance may be said to have reached its height. In the old
baronial halls where:
"The fire, with well-dried logs supplied, Went roaring up the chimney
wide,"
Christmas was kept with great jollity.
It was considered unlucky to have the holly brought into the house
before Christmas Eve, so throughout the week merry parties of young
people were out in the woods gathering green boughs, and on
Christmas Eve, with jest and song, they came in laden with branches to
decorate the hall.
"Lo, now is come our joyfull'st feast! Let every man be jolly, Eache
room with yvie leaves be drest. And every post with holly."
Later on, men rolled in the huge Yule-log, emblematic of warmth and
light. It was of oak if possible, the oak being sacred to Thor, and was
rolled into place amidst song and merriment. In one of these songs the
first stanza is:
"Welcome be thou, heavenly King, Welcome born on this morning,
Welcome for whom we shall sing, Welcome Yule."
The third stanza is addressed to the crowd:
"Welcome be ye that are here, Welcome all, and make good cheer,
Welcome all, another year; Welcome Yule."

Each member of the family, seated in turn upon the log, saluted it,
hoping to receive good luck. It was considered unlucky to consume the
entire log during Yule; if good luck was to attend that household during
the coming twelve months, a piece ought to be left over with which to
start the next year's fire.
[Illustration: SERENADED BY THE WAITS.]
"Part must be kept wherewith to tende The Christmas log next yeare,
And where 'tis safely kept, the fiend Can do no mischiefe theere."
The boar's head held the principal place of honor at the dinner. So
during September and October, when the boar's flesh was at its best,
hunters with well-trained packs of boar-hounds set out to track this
savage animal. They attacked the boar with spears, or surrounded him
and drove him into nets. He was a ferocious antagonist to both dogs
and men, and when sore pressed would wheel about, prepared to fight
to the death. Before the dogs could grip him by the ear, his one weak
point, and pin him down, his sharp teeth would often wound or even
kill both the hunter and his dogs. The pluckier the animal the louder the
praise sung in his honor when his head was brought into the hall. The
great head, properly soused, was borne in on an immense salver by the
"old blue-coated serving-man" on Christmas day. He was preceded by
the trumpeters and followed by the mummers, and thus in state the
boar's head was ushered in and assigned to its place on the table. The
father of the family or head of the household laid his hand on the dish
containing the "boar of atonement," as it was at one time called,
swearing to be faithful to his family and to fulfil all his obligations as a
man of honor. This solemn act was performed before the carving by
every man present. The carver had to be a man of undaunted courage
and untarnished reputation.
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