Musical Myths and Facts Volume I Part 20

It is said that there are still to be found in Sweden minstrels who have learnt their music from the Necks. A certain farm in Smaland, called Neckaryd, has, according to popular tradition, derived its name from having been inhabited in olden time by a family of minstrels whose name was Neckar, and who learnt their music from a Neck. The last survivors of this remarkable family are still remembered by the people. They were four brothers who used to play at weddings and on other festive occasions. Their grandfather is said to have first played the following Necken-Polska, which is still a favourite national dance in Sweden.

[Music]

In some districts of Sweden this tune is played with C-natural, instead of C-sharp, in the first bar. The former is the older form, and may therefore be regarded as exhibiting more accurately the tune as originally derived from the Neck, than the present notation with C-sharp, which is, however, now almost universally adopted. Another tune, which is likewise said to have been caught from hearing it played by a Neck, and which is certainly a very old favourite of the people, is as follows:--

[Music]

This tune exhibits less the characteristics of the old Swedish dance-tunes than the former, which, like most of them, is in the Minor Key.

THE CHRISTIAN NECK.

The musical performances of the Neck are not any longer confined to secular music. The country people, in some parts of Sweden, a.s.sert that they have heard him occasionally playing sacred tunes on his golden harp. Thus we are told of a Neck near the Hornborga bridge, who used to play and to sing with a sweet voice: "I know, I know, I know that my Redeemer liveth!"

Some boys who happened to hear him, called out to him: "What good is it for you to be thus singing and playing? you will never enjoy eternal happiness!"

Then the poor Neck began to cry bitterly, and hid himself beneath the water.

A clergyman in Sweden, riding one evening over a bridge, heard most delightful sounds of some stringed instrument. He looked about, and saw on the surface of the water a youth wearing a little red cap, and with golden hair, long and wavy, which streamed over his shoulders. In his hand he held a golden harp. The clergyman knew at once that this must be a Neck; he, therefore, in his zeal, called out to him:--

"How canst thou play so cheerfully on thy harp? As likely is this dry staff, which I am carrying in my hand, to bud and blossom, as that thou shouldst inherit eternal life!"

The unhappy Neck sorrowfully threw his golden harp into the stream, and sat down on the water weeping most piteously.

The clergyman spurred his horse and continued on his way. But he had not proceeded far, when to his great surprise he saw that his old walking-staff began to put forth leaves; and soon there appeared between them flowers more beautiful than he had ever seen. This he understood to be a sign from Heaven that he should teach the consoling doctrine of reconciliation in a more liberal spirit than he had hitherto done. So he hastened directly back to the Neck, who was still sitting on the water sorrowfully complaining; and showing him the green staff, he said:--

"Dost thou see now my old staff is budding and blossoming, like a young plant in a garden of roses? thus also blossoms hope in the hearts of all created beings, for their Redeemer liveth!"

Consoled, the Neck took up again his golden harp, and heavenly sounds of joy resounded far over the water the whole night long, and many people heard them along the banks of the stream.

MAURICE CONNOR.

Like the Siren, so does the female Neck enchant youths with sweet music, and draw them down into the water. Thus also Hylas, a king's son, is commemorated in Greek Mythology as having been drawn into the water by nymphs enamoured of the beautiful youth.

The Irish relate a somewhat similar story of a famous bagpiper, whose name was Maurice Connor, and who had the reputation of being the best piper in the whole province of Munster. One day, when he played on the sea coast, at a lonely place in the county of Kerry, a beautiful lady with green hair came up from the sea, singing and dancing most charmingly; and when she invited him to go with her, and to marry her, he could not resist. Thus Maurice Connor became the husband of the green-haired lady deep in the sea. The union evidently proved happy. For several years afterwards the sea-faring people often heard, on a still night, the sounds of a bagpipe off the coast, and some say they are quite sure that it was Maurice Connor's music which they heard.[73]

WATER LILIES.

The Water Lily (_Nymphaea_) is by the Germanic nations regarded as the flower of the Nixes, or Water Nymphs. These charming beings, it is said, are so fond of music and dancing that they occasionally come up from the water to the villages lying near their abode, especially at the celebration of a wake, to join in the festivity. But, if they tarry too long at these visits, and fail to return home before the crowing of the c.o.c.k, they must forfeit their life, and on the gla.s.sy surface of the water, into which they have again descended, may be seen a tinge of blood.

One evening in the autumn, after the vintage was finished, the young folks of Jupille, in Belgium, were cheerfully dancing on the village-green, when three beautiful maidens suddenly approached from the banks of the Meuse, and joined the merrymakers. They were dressed in dazzling white garments; and on their blond, wavy hair, they wore wreaths of water-lilies just unfolded. Whether they walked or merely floated over the earth n.o.body could tell; but certainly never had the youths of Jupille had such aerial partners.

After dancing, all the company sat down in a circle, and the three maidens began to sing with voices so lovely that everyone listened with fixed attention, unconscious how fast the time was pa.s.sing. However, as soon as the clock struck twelve, the three maidens whispered some words to each other, greeted all around, and vanished out of sight.

On the following evening, just as the moon had arisen, they came again.

The youths directly hastened forward to invite them to dance. As the air was sultry, one of them drew off her gloves, and her partner took care of them for her. This evening, the dancing was carried on with even greater spirit than before, and they were still engaged in it when the clock struck twelve. Startled by the sound, the three maidens ceased dancing, and one of them asked hurriedly: "Where are my gloves?"

But the youth wished to retain the gloves as a token of love, and the maiden was compelled to leave them and to hasten away with her companions. The youth followed the three maidens quickly; for he wished above all things to know where his beautiful partner lived. He pursued them further and further, until they reached the river Meuse. The three maidens threw themselves into the stream and vanished.

When, on the following morning the love-sick youth returned to the river where he had lost sight of his partner, he found the water at that place blood-red; and the three maidens have never appeared again.[74]

IGNIS FATUUS.

As regards the 'Will-o'-the-Wisp,' or 'Jack-in-a-Lanthorn,' there are various opinions prevailing in folk-lore. The Germanic races generally regard these fiery phenomena as wandering souls which, for some culpable cause, have not become partakers of the heavenly rest. Among these are especially cla.s.sed the souls of covetous husbandmen, who in tilling their fields encroached upon the property of their neighbours; and also the souls of unbaptized children. A Dutch parson, happening to go home to his village late one evening, fell in with three Will-o'-the-Wisps.

Remembering them to be the souls of unbaptized children, he solemnly stretched out his hand, and p.r.o.nounced the words of baptism over them.

But, what was the consequence? A thousand and more of these apparitions suddenly made their appearance, evidently all wanting to be baptized.

They frightened the good man so terribly, that he took to his heels, and made for home as fast as he could.[75]

On the ridge of the high Rhon, near Bischofsheim, where there are now two mora.s.ses, known as the red and the black mora.s.s, there stood formerly two villages, which sunk into the earth on account of the dissolute life led by the inhabitants. There appear on those mora.s.ses at night maidens in the shape of dazzling apparitions of light. They float and flutter over the site of their former home; but they are now less frequently seen than in the olden time. A good many years ago, two or three of these fiery maidens came occasionally to the village of Wustersachsen, and mingled with the dancers at wakes. They sang with inexpressible sweetness; but they never remained beyond midnight. When their allowed time had elapsed, there always came flying a white dove, which they followed. Then they went to the mountain, singing, and soon vanished out of sight of the people who followed, watching them with curiosity.[76]

THE FAIRY MUSIC OF OUR COMPOSERS.

Ancient myths and miracles have always been favourite subjects for operas, and the lover of music does not need to be told that several of our dramatic composers have admirably succeeded in producing music of the fairies and of other aerial conceptions of the fancy. It is, however, not only in their great operatic works, but even in ballads with the accompaniment of the pianoforte, that we meet with exquisitely enchanting strains of fairy music. Take, for instance, Franz Schubert's 'Erl-King,' or Carl Loewe's 'Herr Oluf.' Nor have some composers been less happy in music of this description entirely instrumental.

Mendelssohn's overture to 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' his first orchestral work of importance, and perhaps his best, seems to depict the fairies dancing in a ring on a moonlight night. But, probably no composer has written instrumental pieces which might be cla.s.sed with the fairy music, so beautifully as has Beethoven. The _Largo a.s.sai_ in his pianoforte Trio in D major, Op. 70, is a remarkable instance. Beethoven does not head this movement with words intimating that he intends to tell a fairy-tale in tones. Very possibly he did not even think of the fairies when he composed that wonderful music. Be this as it may, its tremulous chords with their tenderly-vibrating pa.s.sages, descending the scale _pianissimo_, occasionally swelling to loudness and then subduing again into their former soft aeolian murmur--and, above all, its mysterious and unhomely modulations--convey an impression more a.n.a.logous to the effect produced by some of our best fairy-tales than is the case with many musical compositions which avowedly were suggested by such stories.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

[64] Kiwi, or Apteryx; also called Wingless Emu. This bird is caught by torch-light.

[65] 'Polynesian Mythology, by Sir George Grey; London, 1855.' P. 292.

[66] Almost literally from 'The Popular Superst.i.tions and Festive Amus.e.m.e.nts of the Highlanders of Scotland, by W. Grant Stewart; London, 1851.'

[67] 'Sagen, Marchen, Schw.a.n.ke und Gebrauche aus Stadt und Stift Hildesheim, gesammelt von Seifart; Gottingen, 1854.' P. 30.

[68] 'Sagen, Marchen und Lieder der Herzogthumer Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg, herausgegeben von Karl Mullenhoff; Kiel, 1845.' Pp. 189, 300, 310.

[69] 'The White Wife, with other Stories;' collected by Cuthbert Bede; London, 1865; p. 220. 'A Collection of Ancient Piobaireachd,' by Angus Mackay; Edinburgh, 1838.

[70] 'Kinder und Hausmarchen, gesammelt durch die Bruder Grimm;'

Gottingen, 1856. Vol. III. P. 192.

[71] 'Islandische Volkssagen der Gegenwart, gesammelt von Konrad Maurer;' Leipzig, 1860, P. 277.

[72] Deutsche Mythologie, von Jacob Grimm;' Gottingen, 1854. Vol. I. P.

461.

[73] 'Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland. By T.

Crofton Croker.' London, 1862; P. 215.

[74] 'Niederlandische Sagen, herausgegeben von J. W. Wolf;' Leipzig, 1843, P. 611.

[75] 'Niederlandische Sagen, herausgegeben von J. W. Wolf;' Leipzig, 1843, P. 617.

[76] 'Beitrag zur deutschen Mythologie, von F. Panzer;' Munchen, 1848, P. 184.