DANCING TREES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6447, 29 March 1899, Page 4

DANCING TREES.

(By S. BARING GOULD) Author of ''MehalaV'-j^H^ „ etc. & [All Rights Reserved.] In Mr Blackmore's " Christ™™? » • „ account of the Dancing EeT I \r IS t an Hampstead, nnd a chapter £ derl * T story iT<££Sl &£ given on the tree. The tree in Question Ml exists but unhappily iTnZ t a condition to be danoed round, not danced on. The tree is an elm, and" it grows out of the basement of the ola village cross the lower iteps- of which engirdle the trunk ; and a, fragment of the head of the cross lies just below. Tlio tree must have sprung up after the destruction of the cross, or, possibly enough it was itself the cause of destruction, much in the same way as trees have destroyed and rent in sunder the tomb of Lady Anne Grimstone, in Tewin churchyard. Of this latter the story goes that Lady Anne on her deathbed declared that she coidd not, and would not, heliwe in the Resurrection of the body. " Rather," she was reported to have said, " will I hold that nine trees would spring out of my dead body." Now, in process of time the great stone sepulchral mass placed over net grave split asunder and through the rents issued the shoots of nine trees, six ash, and ffluee sycamores, together with great) trunks and coils of ivy, that among them have tossed up and held in suspense -febe fragments of Lady Anne's tomb. The story is, of course, mada to account for the phenomenon. But to return to the Cross Tree, Moreton Hampstead. The elm, grown to a considerable size, was pollarded and had its branches curiously trained, so that the upper portion was given the shape of a table. On this tree top it was customary on certain occasions to lay a platform railed round, access to wliich was obtained by a ladder, and on this tree top dancing took place. The following extracts taken from a journal kept by an old gentleman, a. native and inhabitant of Moreton Hampstead at the beginning of this century, are interesting as giving us some actual dates upon which festivities took place on the tree. June 4th, 1800. His Majesty's Birthday. Every mark j of loyalty was shown. In the afternoon a concert of instrumental music was held on ■ the Cross Tree. August 28th, 1801. The Cross Tree floored and sea-ted round, with a, platform, railed on each side, from j the top of an adjoining garden wall to the tree, and a flight of steps in the garden for the company to ascend. After passing the platform, they enter under a grand arch formed of boughs. There is sufficient room for. thirty persons to sit around, and six couples to dance, besides the orchestra. From the novelty of tins rural apartment }t is expected much company will resort there during the summer. August 19th, 1807. This night the French officers* assembled on the Cross Tree, with their band of music. They performed several airs with great taste. Unfortunately, and to the great regret of the inhabitants of Moreton, the tree was wrecked by a gale on Oct. 1, 1891, when the fores of the wind was so great that the ancient elm could not withstand it, and at about a quarter past two o'clock in the afternoon most of the upper part was blown down, carrying with it a large piece of the trunk, which is quite hollow. This latter has been replaced and securely fastened. A recent visit to the Cross Tree shows tliP't the old elm is not prepared to die yet ; it has thrown forth vigorous spray and has tufted its crown with green leaves. .j Moreton Tree is not the only dancing tree in the West of England. On the high road from Exeter to Okehampton, near Dunsford, is a similar tree, but an oak, and this was woven and extended and fashioned into a flat surface. . The story in the neighbourhood used to be that the Fulfords, of Great Fulford, held their lands on the singular tenure that they should dine once a year on the top of the tree, and give a dance there to their tenants. But this usage has long been discontinued. : The Fulfords are at Great Fulford still, notwithstanding. Again another dancing tree is at Trebursaye, near Launceston. This also is an oak, but is now in a neglected condition, and has lost most of its oiiginal form, looking only as a peculiarly crabbed and tortured old tree. Here, anciently, a ghost was wont to be seen — that of a woman who had fallen from it during a dance and broken her neck, and many stories were afloat relative to horses taking ' fright at night and running away with the riders, or of passers-by on foot) who were so frightened as to be unable

to pursue their journey, through seeing the dead woman dancing on the tree. At length matters became so serious that Parson Ruddle, vicar of Launceston, a notable man in his way, and famous as a ghost-layer, was induced to go to the tree at nightfall and exorcise the unquiet spirit. The ghost had so effectually frightened people that the dances on the top of the tree had been disaontinued. They were never resumed. According to tradition, there was again another dancing trco on fcho road from Okehampton to Launccston, near the village of Litton. This tree was hold to be the earliest to put forth leaves in all the country round. Entertainments were given on it ; but it has disappeared, and the only reminiscence of it remained till recently in tho Royal Oak inn, hard by which tho old dancing tree stood: , There is yet another, the Meavy v OAk, sometimes called tho Gospel Oak, for it is supposed that preaching was made from the steps of the village cross that stands before it. Tho, oak, however, is of vast age. It is referred to in deeds almost to the Conquest, aud that it wus a sacred tveo, to which a certain amount of reverence was- given is probable enough. The cross was set up under its shadow to consecrate it ; and probably to put an cud to superstition.") rites done there. Anyhow thin trco till within tills century was on tho village festival surrounded with jioluh, a platform was erected ' above tlio tree, tho top of which was kept clipped Hat li-ko a table, and a set of stairs erected by means of which \Am platform could be reached. On tho top a Uiblo and chairs were Hot ; und feasting took place. Whether dancing 1 cannot Hay ; but in all probability in former generations there- was dancing Lhcro as well an feeding anil drinking. These Liouh wlioro dancing Look place arc precisely tho May-polo in a mure primitive form. The May-polo \h a makeshift for nn actual tree ; a polo waH brought and «ct up and adorned with Howdi'h and green boughs, and then (luiiml round. Thorn was in Cornwall and iih.ldiml ultmwhoi'M, a fliMul exodus from the towim and villagoH to tho greuu wood on May Day, whim tho lads aud lasses at v very early Jimir wont, in quest of May bushes, gi '(!i n lidiiklim and llowf.ru whoroin to decorate (ho linpoviiiliihod May tree. This wiis then ducoraUtil prol'uiwly, and thu merry inaliinH dimci'd about it ; ate, drank and rose up lo |ila ( v-» pi'i.'oUoly aH of old did the Ihi'iiolUom about tho (Joldou dull' in tho wildl!l'lU!MH Of HilUll. And moHl/ wwuiodly, in early times, beI'ord (JlniNlliinily had ium-ii uiilabiished, those dmnTii uii'l rcvt'lN iibout a sucrocl tree, w)n:|,lii'i' natural b/ tfrnwn (>l ' whoMiov inumiI'iiijl in cil mm n, 'Miiy-jMili*. wi.'i'o iin act of reI i'k""I/( woimlilji (uMi'ommxl to tlio spirit of vuK<!(iaMnu iiiMiiifcutlii^ lfMi:f'f in full vigour in Hprliif(, In inniiy yUwm an utt«ndant <:iii'(:iiioiiy itxpniMMxl tlil« vtiry cluuvly. There wcin two Imxllum of rapiiir dnncors. one (jlnlliid In wlillo to ntproNuiit winter, «nd the other in \v<\ lo I'opivwunh ftUirunur, and these cliiiMic.i'rt lloiti'iiiliiitl htt'onU ami outored into it itMMitc ll)<lit Mial. "Milled in fcJio rout of the fni'ctm dl' wlnlttl 1 , und lli« li'iumnh of tho IcKioiiN of Mummer, -'•'• ihcmiiion at onco wcinl. lo !*'-.< <r!i (he Muy-iKilii. Nut. only won III" Mn.y-polo lumg AvitiV lniuj(lm mill '|)i)W"i'iji Imt hlmo with eggs, ajsp it. xytnltol oj 1 Ihu Ill'n Ihul' niliivim in spriric'V itiiil I mnioiiibcr i\. vi'y mikl wUuy (> f a lud-— Hut only mm of lilm motlidi 1 , and «lvi a widow ■ who wtuil. out 1.0 Ih'.i (ilill'H on tho cvo of May I liiy I" <mllt<<!l< I'lioii^li gulH' outrs with i wlilcli |/! I'iiini ii. lOmln In bit kiihi>oih)o<l from i Urn Mny.|»ol«i In lilu nll(Miipt« ho foil loiiK li'i'iii ill" uWtt' '"".I wiim dii^l^d to |ili;cmh. Tk<» ,liiok-ln'(li«J"<lruMi of M Uy j) nv Ih n^rtiii kimil.lkm 1 rii|ir«ii«.«nt.aHou of tlw.'sanie

• Tlitm« were prlfpiiorH of war at»iyj,, K on parole itl Mw-etOM JJmi»pt»loiia. ' B ou

- »t .— ... .■...—. ..,.,... -^ — . pagan rite. Jack, however, is a represent.')., tive of tho tree itself dancing, but thf. itttendants dauce about him. I suppose •fttok is wholly gone out ; but I remember l>i»< >» London some thirty years ago ; it niiin under a huge extinguisher, a sort of immune bu,«li of green leaves tricked out with ribbons. His facs was invisible, but I belicvo he peeped out through a little hole. All of him that could be distinguished were tlio capering legs beneath. He was attended, by Maid Marian. and Robin Hood, a sweep and v buxom lass dressed out very lino, and a number of others all dancing round the Jack, and Maid Marian had a wooden spnoH which she hold out for coppers. The Jack in the Green represented the Spirit of Vegetation that animates all nature in spring, and so the tree at Filford symbolised the protecting spirit of the family invegctate in the oak. The presiding, animating spirit or deity of the Caesars was tlw Virgin of Vegetation, afterwards called Venus, but at first a, goddess presiding over gardens, ami ktic ■was held to assure to tlie Caesars prosperity and a vitality that though it might miff extemporary decline yet was certain to again recover. In some districts of Sweden, there was formerly a. guardian tree, lime, ash or elm, in the neighbourhood of every farm. No one would pluck v leaf from ofY the sacred tree, for an injury done to it \ brought ill-luck ito the house to which it. belonged. It was, therefore, protected with jealousy. Nothing "was more universal than the custom of planting 1 a tree with the birth of a child— then the life of the child was bound up with that of tho tree. Tn like manner the -welfare of families depended on the prosperity of a treO. The fall and -withering of a bough of the avenue of an old house at Cowfold, in Essex, botokens a death in the family that owns the mansion. This incident was used by'Hanison Ainsworth in his novel "Rookwood." I remember hearing a story told in Tyrol of a farmer owning his own land. There was a venerably lime tree before tho ancestral house. His father on dying bade him never lay axe to the tree unless he were forced to sell the family property, and then to cut down the tree with his own hand's. The young farmer fell into difficulties, and a* last was on the eve of selling his paternal acres and ancestral home. Almost brokenhearted, he took *the axe one evening pnd went to the tree. "Old lime," said lie, " you cannot stay here when new peonle come in. We fall together"! 5 ' Then he began to chop near the root, and every stroke seemed to go to his heart. Then, suddenly, he found, in a hollow of the trae. near the root revealed by his axe, an iron box, full of his father's and grandfather's savings, in sold, confided to the guardnaship of the lime tree against the evil dav. The farmer was n.ble with the gold to clemoff all his liabilities, to add a few acres y o the farm, and tho lime tree, uninjured by the lesion, put forth fresh vigour n*xt spring, nnd stands flourishing, and fragrant with honey dew to the present dav. and the ol& yeoman family retain the -mcient house and look with, if possible, greater veneration than Over on the protecting tree, the genius of their house. When St Boniface strove to bring the Saxons to tha knowledge of the truth he cast down the great oak of Fritzlar which had received divine honours. In this lived the spirit of fertility, and till it fell beneaith his axe. Boniface was well aware that he could no* triumph over the popular superstition. ( St Gcrmanus, Bishop of Auxerre, who visited Britain to expose the Pelagian heresy, was himself guilty before his ordination, of paying superstitious reverence to a pear tree. He had been a hunter, and it j was customaiy for those who returned from ] the chase to suspend in the tree the heads and antlers of tiie killed, ns an act- of homage to the spirit that inhabited it. Thp Bishop Amator remonstrated, but in vain. Then one day, when Germanus was oui hunting, Amator cut the tree down. That some lingering notion of veneratior due to trees hung on, and was regarded -ts savouring of something not orthodox, is perhaps shown by the following incident, which is perfectly true. It was told me by the person concerned. A new parson had beer appointed to a remote parish in one of the north-western dales of Yorkshire under tlir Fells. Not being a native of Yorkshire, but a southerner, he was eyed with suspicion, and his movements were watched. Now, in the parsonage garden was a large tree, and about the roots was a, bed of violets. The suspicious villagers observed the pastor as he walked round the tree and every now and then bowed to pick a violet. This proceeding took place daily,- Wiry he bowed they could not understand, unless it were in homage to the tree, and they actually drew up a memorial to the Archbishop of York complaining of their parson as guilty of idolatrous tree worship. The 1 bush hung out of a wine-siiop signified that within were drinking and dancing. The bush is but the sacred tree reduced to

its smallest dimensions, and the drinking and dancing that in former times took place around the tree are now relegated to within the house, but the bush is retained to symbolise roystering and mirth. I remember the case of a gentleman; who went off his head ; liis family were reluctant to allow it to transpire. But one day a climax was put to his eccentricities by his thrusting the stable broom out of an upper window, and procliiming, "This bush is to give notice— that within I have got two marriageable' daughters on sale. Sherry stood all round. Going to the highest bidder. Going— going — " His wife caught him by the shoulders — twisted him about, and. said— " Gone completely—and off to the asylum you shall pack at once."