The emblems of Spring consisted of little budding fir-trees, borne aloft, which were hung all over with gaudy garlands of many-coloured paper ribbons and blown-out egg-shells, through which coloured strings were passed. The egg, I need not say, is the symbol of the rejuvenescence of Nature.
In Grimm and Simrock, some details may be read of this semi-dramatic Expulsion of Winter or Death. Bits of poetical ditties are also mentioned by them. I remember the beginning of a song in the Frankonian dialect of the Baden Palatinate, in this way:—
Summer-daach! Staab aus!
Blos' 'em Winter die Aache aus!
Mit Veilche, Rose, Blumme
Will der Summer kumme!
In High German:—
Sommer-tag! Staub aus!
Blas' dem Winter die Augen aus!
Mit Veilchen, Rosen, Blumen
Will der Sommer kommen!
That is:—"Summer-day! Dust away! Blow out Winter's eyes! With violets, roses, flowers. Summer is a-coming!"
More, I regret to say, I do not recollect; but I have a strong remembrance of the "Expulsion of Winter" and the "Bringing-in of Spring" having been acted in a striking, anti-strophic manner.
Now, such a performance, heathen Teutonic in its origin, celebrating the Resurrection of Life from its wintry tomb, or the Triumph over Death in Nature, may be looked upon as an incipient drama, which by its very character easily lent itself as a means of transition to a Mystery and Passion Play in a Christian sense. It has, therefore, been contended with some show of reason that the Passion Play in Germany is only an after-comer. In our children's games and songs, beyond question, a great deal of older Wodanic and Wanic rites and beliefs is often preserved, which sometimes can be traced quite clearly under their present infantine garb.
