Showing posts with label Balls and Dinners. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Balls and Dinners. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Gnomes' and Fairies' Christmas Feast



The Marriage of King Wilt and Lady Lee in the Great Hall

King Wilt married his bride, Lady Lee, on Christmas Eve 1444.
At the marriage feast, the wedding party made merry with music, dancing and especially toasts to the married couple. The crowd included both noblemen and servants. All feasted on boar’s head, goose and mince pie. While music played the tables were decked with sweet breads and wine, honey cakes, apples and gingerbread. One wedding guest after another raised his cup to praise the master of the house and his new bride. Finally a man of diminutive size and wizened face stepped forward to offer his toast:

Tonight, dear friends the fires burn brightly
Dancers dance and ghosts move spritely
While ice sheets form on evergreens nightly
Let us, wee folk, at this Christmas tide,
Lift our jugs and our mugs to Lady Lee
Mistress of the Roundelee!

With that the entire hall fell silent for every man, woman, child and beast in the hall had fallen into a deep slumber. Out of every corner the wee folk now emerged and danced their lovely roundelay. The sweetest harp music filled the hall and lovely singing could be heard out into the night, ringing merrily down through the valley. The cheerful celebration continued into the wee morning hours, by which time all the food and wine had been devoured. The candles burned until the last one burnt out.

On the morning of Christmas Day the guests awoke one by one. They rubbed their sleepy eyes and looked around. Each thought the wedding party had been a good one, for all the food had been eaten, all the wine and been drunk and there were vague memories of music and dancing. The lady of the house awoke wearing a wreath of fragrant mistletoe on her head and a necklace of silvery pearls round her neck. When the guests departed they threw open the doors of the hall and entered the bright, snow-filled courtyard. It is said that under the soft white flakes of the first snow, the wedding guests found new apples hanging from the apple tree.

The house and lineage were blessed from that time forward. Every year thereafter Lady Lee held a Christmas Eve feast for her household. The custom still continued after her death. On Christmas Eve the servants would deck the halls with mistletoe. It was said that the mistress of the house would always appear on that eve and dance her roundelay while the guests dined on sweetmeats and wine. Happiness and good fortune could be found on that night if a couple met under the boughs of fresh mistletoe and confessed their love for each other. Likewise a false heart could also be detected when a maid stood with her swain under the fresh herb. If he were not true it could happen that an unseen force would fling him through the doors and into the courtyard or the apple tree would stand dead and barren instead of blossoming and bearing fruit.

Copyright FairyTaleChannel.org
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Thursday, November 26, 2009

Party Pranks and Christmas Bulbs


Hille Bingels' Wedding Party

The old castle Hudemuehle is on the Lueneburg Heath not far from the Aller River. You can still see the remnants of its stone walls embedded in the soft earth. A long time ago a mysterious house spirit haunted the castle. The spirit called himself Hinzelmann and he appeared in the year 1584 at the lord’s Christmas feast. It was said that the spirit revealed himself to the gathered revelers with banging, screeching and clanging sounds. The lord was soon annoyed, his guests frightened and all left the party early. But soon Hinzelmann appeared frequently to the castle inhabitants until he no longer frightened anyone. Many castle dwellers heard his voice or discovered the fruits of his labour: freshly baked bread, a cleanly swept room, chopped wood and fire on the hearth. By day he could be seen walking casually through the corridors. At night his snoring could be heard in the attic bedroom and the maid could discern a small indentation in the pillow where he slept. It was only a matter of time before he started to engage in conversation with the servants and soon with the lord himself. He was happy to perform a variety of kitchen tasks, and especially liked to help the servants prepare feasts. While he worked he usually sang or laughed loudly. He especially liked to appear at dinners and parties dressed in colorful garb wearing a mask. Often he would perform tricks, recite poetry and play the harp. He loved to reveal secrets people thought lay deeply hidden within their hearts. He would often blurt out some indiscretion and then laugh uncontrollably.

Once at the Andreas Night Feast he announced to the celebrants that the lord of the castle thought his wife was a bit too thin and dour. He added that the lord himself had had a difficult time recently mounting his horse after a visit to the tavern. After this announcement, all guests turned to look at the lord, who did not laugh. But the spirit continued, giving his master no time to reply. He announced that he would soon wed his lovely bride Hille Bingels. He planned to celebrate his marriage at the upcoming Christmas Pageant and asked all to attend. The lord of the castle, now quivering with rage blurted out “You with your bulbous nose! No one would marry you!. The bells on your boots are much too loud and annoying. If only you would go away!” With that the entire assembly fell silent. Some thought a single tear slid down Hinzelmann’s cheek before he vanished.

There was much hustle and bustle around the castle as the Christmas feast approached. Rooms had to be opened and beds made for the coming guests. Food had to be prepared. The musicians had to practice their music, the singers their song. In short, life at the castle hummed like a beehive. During this time the corridors were monitored, the bedrooms checked, the kitchen watched to see if Hinzelmann would return. But he did not frequent the kitchen as was his habit nor did he appear in the corridors whistling merrily. It seemed to all that he had abandoned the castle. It was rumoured that he had taken offense and the cook said ’twas a pity, for he had been a good worker.

As Christmas day approached, the servants ran to and fro, the mistress of the house oversaw the decorating of the great hall and the lord sampled and selected the wines and stout. The day before the feast, the lord announced an even larger guest list than originally anticipated. This sent the cook and the servants scurrying. It was not surprising that everyone had forgotten poor Hinzelmann.

At last it was Christmas. The pageant began cheerfully and peacefully enough. The entire hall was decked with fragrant greenery, the tables were all set, the hall was filled with merry-makers and singers. The most delicious food was served to the guests and wine flowed. As the hour approached midnight, the lord’s entertainers now brought forth their musical instruments. But soon a faint tinkling of bells could be heard above the cheerful melody. At first it seemed as if bells were ringing far away but then the sound grew into violent metallic clanging. When the noise erupted into a loud roar, Hinzelmann burst into the center of the hall. He wore bright clothing, a cap with bells and a mask covered his eyes. “I shall perform a magic trick for your enjoyment!” he cried. With that he conjured up a little pony, which danced and pranced in a circle. “Me, my, mo, Up you now go!” he cried. He held up a rope, which now extended to the ceiling and up the rope the pony did go until it finally disappeared. “Now I shall introduce my lovely bride, Hille Bingels, applause please!” With that a diminutive form was seen illuminated next to him. She appeared as a dainty speck of light, likewise wore a mask and a costume of many colors. There was wild applause as Hille, too, made her ascent and vanished into the ceiling along with the pony. Gasps of amazement could be heard from all present as Hinzelman swirled around and around. “Look, my dear friends,” he cried out “His bulbous nose!” and he gripped his sides in laughter and pointed to the lord at the head table. The laughter faded into gasps as each person in the audience first gazed upon the lord and then touched his own nose. Each guest’s nose had grown into a round, potato-sized appendage but the lord of the castle, his nose was the size of a ripe pumpkin. Amid cries of terror, shrieks of alarm the chimes of bells could be heard once more. “Me, my, mo, Up the rope I now go!” and with that the Hinzelmann flew up the rope and vanished.
The guests were left gripping their noses. Some rushed to the windows and saw Hinzelmann and his bride in a sled, racing from the castle laughing merrily. Soon the sound of sleigh bells became faint and vanished altogether. Some thought it was a dream. But one of the ladies who had attended found a bell from Hinzelman’s hat lying on the floor. She kept it and treasured it forever. And to this day the people who live near the Aller River all have rather bulbous noses.

My story is now told, the light grown old.


Translation Copyright FairyTaleChannel.org
Please read and pass on to friends and enjoy.
Do not copy, plagiarize or pilfer. Thanks!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Famous Fairy Tale Christmas Parties, Balls and Dinners


As we head into the holiday season it is well worth exploring the peculiar parties and curious celebrations of fairy tales, especially as we plan our own festivities. These tales twinkle with fun, so remember their verve as you launch your own dinner party. I think this tale illustrates quite well that the key ingredients of many fairy tale Christmas parties include bread and knives (but not to forget lovers).

The Lover Invited to Dinner

There once lived a woman who earned her living as a tax collector. Secretly this woman had fallen in love with her bookkeeper. She wanted to win his heart through magic and so she had a fresh loaf of bread baked on Holy Christmas Eve. She then stuck two knives into the loaf, cross-wise while murmuring quite a few words of incantation. The bookkeeper came to her from his sleep, completely unclothed, sat down at the table and looked at her severely. She stood up and ran away but the bookkeeper pulled both knives out of the bread and hurled them after her, almost wounding her. Then he returned home. The woman’s aunt, who was present in the chamber, was so violently frightened by the whole ordeal that she lay in bed for several weeks unable to move. The next day the bookkeeper was heard to inquire of the household servants about the identity of the woman who had scared him in the past night. He was so exhausted that he could barely speak, he should have escaped easily but could not help himself. Try as he may, pray as he may, he was instead driven out into the night.
The same old woman, who told this tale, also related the following: On Christmas Eve in Coburg it was the habit of several young noble women to keep a portion of their food from their dinner meal. After going to bed they then got up at midnight and sat down once more at the table. Soon, their dearest one appeared; each suitor brought a knife with him and wanted to sit down beside his girl. But the noble women became frightened and fled. One of the maids in her terror took the knife and flung it back at the swains. Turning around she looked at her lover picking up the knife. Another time, instead of the invited swains, death itself came to the dinner party. He placed an hour glass next to one of the girls, who then died during the year.
In Silesia three ladies of the court sat down at a bedecked table on Christmas Eve and waited for their true loves to arrive. They had set a place for each gallant at the table. Soon the lovers arrived in response to the maids’ invitation, but only two had come and each sat down next to his lady. The third fellow did not appear. The maid who was left out became sad and impatient and finally got up after waiting some time in vain. When she went to the window and looked out, she viewed a coffin across the court. A young woman was lying in it and she looked just like the maid herself. The young lady became ill immediately and died soon thereafter. According to oral tradition, instead of the maid looking through the window, a death chest came into the room, the girl approached it, the boards of the chest fell open and the maid fell dead inside.