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Speaker 1: Superstitions regarding Christmas Day by Henry Visitelli. The following poems

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are perhaps more curious than interesting. They afford, however, some

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idea of the superstitious dread with which the Advent of

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Christmas Day must have been regarded in these early times,

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not merely by the vulgar, but by all classes of

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our forefathers. For the Francis Mores and Raphaels of the

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fifteenth century found even kings willing believers in their extravagant predictions.

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From the illusion in each verse of the first poem

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to the risk that those who steal subject themselves to

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one would almost suppose thieving to have been the fashionable

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vice of the age, practice alike by both rich and poor,

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and that there was great need of such injunctions against it.

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Both of these poems are from the same Harlean m

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s in the British Museum. One lordings all of you,

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I warn, if the day that Christ was born fall

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upon a Sunday, the winter shall be good, I say,

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but great winds aloft shall be the summer shall be

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fair and dry, by kind skill, and without loss through

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all lands. There shall be peace, good time for all

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things to be done but he that stealeth shall be

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found soon. What child that day born may be a

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great lord he shall live to be. If Christmas Day

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on Monday be a great winter that year you'll see

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and full of winds, both loud and shrill. But in

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the summer, truth to tell, stern wind shall there be,

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and strong, full of tempests lasting long while battles they

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shall multiply, and great plenty of beasts shall die. They

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that be born that day, I ween, they shall be strong,

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each one and keen. He shall be found that stealeth aught.

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Though thou be sick, thou diest not. If Christmas Day

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on Tuesday be that year, shall many women die, and

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that winter grow great marvels. Ships shall be in gray perils.

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That year shall kings and lords be slain, and many

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other people near them. A dry summer that year shall be.

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Is all that are born therein may see, they shall

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be strong and covetous. If thou steal aught, thou losest

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thy life, for thou shalt die through sword or knife.

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But if thou fall sick, it is certain thou shalt

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turn to life. Then If Christmas Day, the truth to say,

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fall upon a Wednesday, there shall be a hard winter

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and strong, with many hideous winds. Among the summer merry

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and good shall be, and that year wheat and great plenty.

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Young folks shall die that year also, and ships at

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sea shall have great woe. Whatever child that day born is,

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he shall be dawty and gay, i whiz and wise

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and crafty also of deed, and find many in clothes

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and bread. If Christmas Day and Thursday be a windy winter,

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you shall see windy weather in each week, and hard tempests,

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strong and thick. The summer shall be good and dry,

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corn and beast shall multiply. That year is good lands

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ford to till. Kings and princes shall die by skill.

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If a child that day born should be, it shall

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happen right well. For thee of deeds, he shall be

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good and stable, wise of speech and reasonable. Whoso that

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day goes thieving about, he shall be punished without doubt.

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And if sickness that day betide, it shall quickly from

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thee glide. If Christmas Day on a Friday be the

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first of winter, hard shall be with frost and snow

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and with great flood, But the end thereof it shall

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be good again. The summer shall be good. Also, folk

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in their eyes shall have great woe. Women with child,

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beast and corn shall multiply and be lost none. The

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child that is born on that day shall live long,

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and letcherus be all way. Who stealeth aught shall be

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ye found out. If thou be sick, it lasteth not.

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If Christmas Day on Saturday fall, that winter's to be

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dreaded by all. It shall be so full of great

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tempest that it shall slay both man and beast. Great

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stores shall fail of fruiting corn, and old folk die

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many a one. What woman that day of child doth travel,

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she shall give birth in great peril, And children born

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that day by faith and half a year shall meet

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with death. The summer shall be wet and ill. Thou

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shalt suffer. If thou aught steal, thou diest. If sickness

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do thee take two. If Christmas Day on the Sunday

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be a troubulous winter, ye shall see mingled with waters strong.

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Good there shall be without fable, For the summer shall

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be reasonable, with storms at times among wines. That year

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shall all be good. The harvest shall be wet, with

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flood pestilence fall on many a country. Air that sickness

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shall have passed, and while great tempests last, many young

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people dead shall be princes. That year with iron shall die.

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There shall be changing of many lords high amongst Knight's

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great debate. Many tidings shall come to men. Many wives

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shall be weeping, then, both of poor and great estate.

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The faith shall then be hurt truly for Diver's point

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of heresy that shall then appear through the tempting of

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the fiend, and divers matters unkind shall bring great danger near.

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Cattle shall thrive one in the other save oxen. They

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shall kill each other, and some beasts they shall die.

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Both fruit and corn will not be good. Apples will

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be scarce for food, and ships shall suffer on the sea.

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That year, on Monday, without fearing all things well, thou

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mayst begin. They shall be profitable. Children that on this

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day are born in faith shall mighty be and strong

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of wit. Full reasonable end of superstitions regarding Christmas Day

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by Henry Visitelli