was then, as it long continued, the great centre of Celtic tradition, and distinguished by huge stone monuments unequalled throughout Europe. Amongst the innumerable evidences of ancient mythology yet existing in the national songs and ballads, that of the metempsychosis is most conspicuous. In the Lay of Guenclan, a toad watches the dying moments of an hostile prince, to catch his spirit in passing; and the bard himself asserts that "all must die three times before final repose:" and similarly with Taliesin he asserts, that he had been "a deer on the mountain, and a high bounding steed:" the belief is curiously marked in an old Scottish ballad, where a "rusty Smith" is pursuing a fair ladye and here also we have the repetition of the Welch legend of Ceridwen, and the great oriental story of the princess who devoured the Efreet in the shape of a pomegranate. But again, the passing of the soul after death through various regions, as believed by the Bretons, is eminently Druidical. The place of happy spirits is even yet believed to be an z Barzaz Breiz. vol. 1.-Prediction de Guenelan, a Buchan's Ballads of the north of Scotland. "isle planted with apple trees, such as was Avalon, and whose sward is covered with flowers of most exquisite hues and perfume; amongst which is a fountain at which the Spirits drink to receive a new existence." Here again their ideas receive illustration from those prevalent in the Celtic districts of Britain. In the "dead men's song " given by Ritson, occurs a passage speaking of Paradise— "The fields about this city fair Were all with roses set; Gillyflowers and carnations fair Which canker could not fret."c and so in the ballad of Clerk Saunders "Their beds are made in the heavens high, I wot sweet company for to see!" and again in "The Wife of Usher's Well" "It fell about the Martinmas, When nights are lang and mirk; The Carline wife's three sons came hame And their hats were o' the birk. It neither grew in syke nor ditch, The mode of access again to these regions was full of difficulties; the soul had to pass the valley of the waters of anguish and the stream of bones; deep hollows filled with blood, such as those passed by Thomas the Rhymer when for seven long days of darkness he heard nothing but the b Barzaz Breiz. vol. 1. p. 193-"Le Frère de Lait." c Ritson's Ancient Songs, 283. 66 swowynge of the flode," surrounded the passing spirit on all sides—and finally the sea was to be crossed, on the edge of which the mouth of the infernal regions opened to receive the condemned soul. There is much difficulty in determining, however, whether this passage was to be undergone by all spirits, or only by those of evil men—though it would seem that the original pagan idea was the former. A curious portion of the belief occurs in a MS. of the Cotton Library, containing an account of Cleveland in Yorkshire. "When anye dyeth, certayne women singe a song to the dead bodye recytynge the journeye that the partye deceased must go and they are of beliefe, (such is their fondnesse,) that once in their lives it is good to give a pair of new shoes to a poor manne, forasmuch as after thys lyfe they are to passe barefoote through a great launde full of thornes and furzen, excepte by the meritte of the almes aforesayd they have redeemed the forfeyt; for at the edge of the launde an old manne shal meete them with the same shoes that were gyven by the partie when he was lyvyng; and after he hath shodde them dismisseth them to go thro' thick and thin without scratche or scalle." The innumerable host of Breton superstitions noticed by Marchagny and Villemarqué shew how strongly this district clung to the ancient belief; and, mingled as they are with Orientalism and the Eddaic mythology, yet exhibit features so peculiar as at once to stamp their native origin :-thus on wedding days double rations are given to the cattle and poultry; but particularly to the avettes or bees the festival is extended; the hives being covered with red stuff, and flowers strewed round them; whilst on deaths the bees are informed of it and the hives covered with black. The baker woman of the lord had privilege of sanctuary or pro d Barzaz Breiz. tection to malefactors during the space from the commencement of bread-making until she had done collecting the paste with the scraper; and had also the right of sitting at her work and not rising therefrom for any person whatsoever. Sore throat is cured by hanging a branch of the plum tree in blossom on the fire hook: pain in the neck by wearing a silver plate with the figure of a bull upon it. At the chapel of Aurai, one of the innumerable little oratories erected in the glades of the forests, butter formed into the shape of a cow, or sheep, and living young wild boars were offered. Bread baked on Christmas eve will keep ten years without spoiling; and then too food is left on the table in hopes that the Virgin will come and eat. No cabbage is eaten on St. Stephen's day, for he was once concealed amongst them; whilst egg shells thrown into the fire will cause St. Lawrence to be burnt a second time. I have before remarked that Lusignan in Poitou is the apparent boundary of the mystic districts-and this castle is indeed a place of prodigies. The spectre Melusine, half woman, half serpent, screams in the night from the battlements when any fatal event is about to happen to one of the race. She was wife of Raymond of Poitiers, and had eight children who were seen as spectres-one with one eye red and the other blue-another with elephants' ears -a third with a lion's paw, and the rest with signs more or less fearful. Spectres indeed flitted around in all directions; the marshes boiled up, and whilst enchanted bells were heard ringing beneath the water, Courils or Dwarfs came out and led the affrighted traveller astray. Benzoria, the funeral witch, called here her Holda, or meeting of Sorceresses-here wandered whole flocks of wehr wolves, and the queu or cook of the Lord of Melle saw two men in glittering armour bearing a flaming sword; one of whom fell, and gave a cry that was heard as far as Angers. The theories therefore of Warton and other writers who would assert that the romantic fiction of Western Europe derived all its supernatural machinery, and consequently all its peculiar character, from extraneous sources, may be considered to be altogether overthrown by later research The Abbé de la Rue, Michel, Roquefort, Ellis, and even Ritson, have incontrovertibly shewn that the mythology of the earlier periods, gradually altering and assuming a totally novel aspect on the introduction of Christianity, (though be it remembered far from being altogether eradicated,) has produced all those marvellous tales of dragons, giants, and fairies, which delighted the old knight and the gentle damosel, and which yet afford delight even in this most matter-of-fact æra. Moreover, the actual Breton originals of certain Lays of Marie de France have recently been published, thus adding certainty to what was already certain. A new and most important element, however, in the formation of romance demands our consideration, in adverting to which I shall commence a fresh chapter. |