The usual excrescence is a horn or horns; not as here, "nasus, qualem noluerit ferre rogatus Atlas."
The Five Servants, p. 247.—In MM. Grimm there are six, but we have omitted one for delicacy's sake. The story was heard by them in Paderborn. In several other places they found a story agreeing with it in general character, as do also "Lo Gnorante" (Dummling), in the Pentamerone, iii. 8, an Arabian story translated in the Cabinet des Fées, tom. xxxix., p. 421; and another in the Gesta Romanorum.
Cat-skin, p. 256.—The "Allerlei-rauh " of MM. Grimm; a Hessian and Paderborn tale. It is known as Perrault's "Peau d'Anne," and as Ll'orza," of the Pentamerone, ii. 6.—See also Straparola, i. 4.
The Robber Bridegroom, p. 261.— "Der Raüberbraütigam," of MM. Grimm. This tale has a general affinity to that of Bluebeard; most of the incidents of which story are found in others of the German collection. It should, perhaps, be observed, that in the original, the finger is chopped off, and is carried away by the bride, as well as the ring upon it.
The Three Sluggards, p. 266.—The "Drei Faulen," of MM. Grimm, who quote a similar story from the Gesta Romanorum.
The Seven Ravens, p. 267.—"Die sieben Raben," of MM. Grimm. This story, wild and incoherent as it is, will perhaps be considered curious, as peculiarly Northern and original in its characters and incidents. The "Glasberg," or Glass Mountain at the World's End, receives from MM. Grimm some interesting illustrations.
Roland and May-bird, p. 270.—We must apologise to the reader of the original, for the way in which three stories, viz. "Fundevogel," "Der Liebste Roland," and "Hänsel and Grethel," have been here combined in one. Several of the incidents will be familiar to the English reader; indeed, they are common to almost every country, and are found as well in the Neapolitan Pentamerone as in the Hungarian Collection of Georg von Gaal. We apprehend that the concluding part of the story is not quite correctly preserved; and that, for the credit of the hero, the maiden who seduces him from his old attachment, ought to be, as in "The Lady and the Lion," an enchantress, whose spell is broken by the sound of the true mistress's voice. These who wish to trace the dance-inspiring instrument of music, through all its forms of tradition, must be referred to "The Editor's preface" to the new edition of Warton (p. 64).
The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage, p. 278.—This is translated here only as a specimen of the whimsical assortments of dramatis personæ which the German story-tellers have sometimes made.
The Juniper Tree. p. 280.—"Van den Machandel-Boom" of MM. Grimm. We must acquaint the reader that in the original the black broth which the father eats, is formed by the stepmother from the limbs of the murdered child. This incident we thought right to omit, though it must be noted here as one of the curious circumstances of coincidence with other traditions. The bones buried by Margery are those which the father unconsciously picks and throws under the table. The song in the original is as follows:—
Min Moder de mi slacht't,
Min Vader de mi att.
Min Swester de Marleeniken
Söcht alle mine Beeniken,
Un bindt see in een syden Dook,
Legts unner den Machandel-boom,
Kywitt! Kywitt! ach watt een schön Vagel bin ick!
A literal translation of which would be,
My mother me slew;
My father me ate;
My sister Margery
Gather'd all my bones,
And bound them up in a silken shroud,
And laid them under the juniper tree.
Kywit! Kywit! ah, what a fine bird am I!
On this story we meant to have added some observations of our own; but as the Editor of Warton has reviewed us by a sort of anticipation, wo will with pleasure content ourselves with a quotation of his remarks (Preface, 87). "The most interesting tale in the whole collection, whether we speak with reference to its contents, or the admirable style of the narrative, 'the Machandel-Boom,' is but a popular view of the same mythos upon which the Platonists have expended so much commentary—the history of the Cretan Bacchus, or Zagreus. This extraordinary tale will be found at p. 280 of the present volume. The points of coincidence may be thus briefly stated. In the Cretan fable, the destruction of Zagreus is attributed to the jealousy of his stepmother Juno; and the Titans (those telluric powers who were created to avenge their mother's connubial wrongs) are the instruments of her cruelty. The infant god is allured to an inner chamber, by a present of toys and fruit (among these an apple), and is forthwith murdered. The dismembered body is now placed in a kettle, for the repast of his destroyers; but the vapour ascending to heaven, the deed is detected, and the perpetrators struck dead by the lightning of Jove. Apollo collects the bones of his deceased brother, and buries them at Delphi, where the palingenesy of Bacchus was celebrated periodically by the Hosii and Thyades. (Compare Clemens Alex. Protrept. p. 15. ed. Potter; Nonnus Dionys. vi. 174, &c, and Plutarch, de Isid. et Osirid. c. 35. and De Esu Carnium, i., c. 7.) But this again is only another version of the Egyptian mythos relative to Osiris, which will supply us with the chest, the tree, the sisterly affection, and perhaps the bird (though the last may be explained on other grounds). (Plut. de Isid. &c. c. 13. et seqq.) Mr. Grimm wishes to consider the 'Machandel-Boom' the juniper tree, and not the 'Mandel,' or almond-tree. It will be remembered, that the latter was believed by the ancient world to possess very important properties. The fruit of one species, the Amygdala, impregnated the daughter of the river Sangarius with the Phrygian Attys (Paus. vii. 17); and another, the Persea, was the sacred plant of Isis, so conspicuous on Egyptian monuments. (For this interpretation of the Persea, see S. de Sacy's Abd-allatif, Relation de l'Egypte, p. 47-72, and the Christian and Mahommedan fictious there cited.) This story of dressing and eating a child is historically related of Atrens, Tantalus, Procne, Harpalice (Hyginus, ed. Staveren, 206), and Astyages (Herod. i. 119); and is obviously a piece of traditional scandal borrowed from ancient mythology. The Platonistic exposition of it will be found in Mr. Taylor's tract upon the Bacchic Mysteries (Pamphleteer, No. 15)."
E.D. Maddick & Co., Printers, 1 and 1a, Crane Court, Fleet Street, London.
