[735]. Five Hundred Points of Husbandry, Eng. Dial. Soc., 1878, p. 126, under August. Hentzner noted the shouting of the people in the cart. See Furnivall’s Harrison, Descrip. Eng., p. lxxxiv. A curious custom of the largess-shilling in Suffolk is described by Major Moor, note to Tusser, p. 294. The reapers answer their leader’s “Holla Lar! Holla Lar! Holla Lar!—jees,” with “o-o-o-o-,” head inclined, and then, throwing the head up, vociferate “a-a-a-ah.” This is thrice done by harvesters for a shilling.
[736]. Brand-Ellis, “Twelfth Day.”
[737]. See Uhland, Kl. Schr., III. 389 f., and note, with references, 467 f., for the “bornfart,” “bronnefart,” with “dantzen, rennen, springen, jagen,” closely connected with the May feasts. On the whole subject of processions, see Pfannenschmid’s second chapter along with his notes, pp. 342 ff.
[738]. Georg., I. 343 ff.
[739]. Translation of J. Rhoades. The last line—‘det motus incompositos et carmina dicat’—is suggestive: “spontaneous gestures and steps, with song,” emphasize a purely communal dance as compared with the ritual of the Brothers. Tibullus, by the way, has the Lares, not Ceres, in mind for the dance and song of his rustics: Eleg., I. 1, 23 f.
Agna cadet vobis, quam circum rustica pubes
Clamet: Io! Messes et bona vina date!
[740]. A “queen,” accompanied by a guard of brothers and young folk generally, goes on Whitsuntide in Servia from farm to farm; at each she stops and her companions form a circle (kolo) and sing their songs. Each line is thrice repeated, and then follows the refrain Leljo! Then the dancers hold one another by the belt and dance in a half-circle, led by an exarch. Between the songs any ready young man cries out a lusty phrase or two, or makes a verse, after the fashion of the German schnaderhüpfl. See A. W. Grube, Deutsche Volkslieder, Iserlohn, 1866, pp. 132 f.
[741]. Germania, xl.
[742]. The procession of the Phrygian goddess, the magna deum mater materque ferarum et nostri genetrix, described by Lucretius in often-quoted lines, Rer. Nat., II. 598 ff., with its Dionysian features, cannot be discussed here; Germanic and modern examples must suffice.