^{page 32 note 1} Λαογραφία i, p. 564.

^{page 32 note 2} ‘St. Basil and Julian the Apostate. A Fragment of Legendary History,’ Liverpool Annals, vii, pp. 89–106.

^{page 32 note 3} Meyer, G., Neugriechische Studien, iii, p. 23.Google Scholar For the forms with κολ- (cf. the Rumanian colinde) v. ib. ii, p. 33 s.v. χὸλια̲ντα

^{page 32 note 4} Hamilton, V., Greek Saints and their Festivals, pp. 103–104.Google Scholar

^{page 32 note 5} ‘North Greek Festivals and the Worship of Dionysos,’ B.S.A. xvi, pp. 232 foll. ‘Mumming Plays in the Southern Balkans,’ B.S.A. xix, pp. 248 foll.

^{page 32 note 6} V. below, p. 51.

^{page 33 note 1} Of the ‘Songs of the Star’ Dr. Gaster writes to me, ‘Now curiously enough in these songs no reference whatsoever is made to the saint himself, nay not even in the special ceremony which is known as vasilca, i.e. the ceremony of St. Basil. The Saint has dropped out altogether and the plant busuioc (basilicum), which enjoys a very great reputation owing to some legends connecting it with the Passion, has been substituted. A bunch of busuioc is used on many occasions and is either offered as a gift or carried about as a protection against all kinds of evil influences. There are other ceremonies connected with the vasilca, such as carrying on a platter the roasted pig's head.’ The basil plant of course plays an important part in the religious rites and superstitious practices of Modern Greece.

^{page 33 note 2} For these fragments v. pp. 57 f. below.

^{page 34 note 1} For convenience' sake I shall refer to the different versions under these letters. In cases where reference is made to a version belonging to a type other than that under discussion the number of the type will be added. Thus I (a) would refer to the Zakynthos version of The Staff that Budded, published in Λαογραφία, ii, p. 684.

^{page 35 note 1} (i) begins

This opening is due to contamination with Type IV, The Husbandmen, v. below pp. 42 foll.

^{page 35 note 2} In some of the versions Caesarea is corrupted through ignorance into a nonsense word. In (e) the saint comes from καισαρείτσα, in (a) from κριτσαρίτσα, in (b) from Ρίτσαπίτσα. A familiar parallel to English readers will be the corruption ‘Merriling Town’ for ‘Merry Lincoln’ in the ballad of Hugh of Lincoln.

^{page 35 note 3} The pen and paper are of course essential to the story, a fact which militates against the theory that the ‘red mule’ of the Gypsy ballad is to be accounted for by the corruption in the Greek original of these words (v. below, p. 58). The other implements of St. Basil vary. In (k) he has an eikon, in (e) a copy book as well as paper. In other variants he carries a candle and incense, and in one (Passow, No. 294) an eikon, cross, barley bread and a handful of vegetables,

Βασταὶν᾿ εὶκὸνα καὶ σταυρὸ, Χαρτὶ καὶ καλαμὰρι, βασταὶνει κρὶθινο ψωμὶ καὶ μιὰ Χεριὰ Χορτὰρια.

More surprising are the bronze shoes and iron eyes of a Thessalian version, Passow, No. 298,

Βαστα̂ Χαλκω̑ν ποδὴματα καὶ σιδερὲνια μὰτια.

^{page 35 note 4} In (e) Christ meets the saint and puts the questions to him. ‘Christ, who met him in front of the cross roads, “My Basil, whence come you, and whither go you?” “I come from the school, I go to my mother!” “If you come from the school, tell us the A. B. C.”’ In (c) it is three saints who meet him. τρει̑ς ἂγιο̮ι τὸν παντὴξανε κ᾿ οὶ τρει̑ς τὸν ὲρωτον̑αι; cf. (h) τρεις ἂγιοι τὸν ἀπὰντησαν σὲ μιὰντησαν σὲ μιὰ̮ στενὴ p̓ουγὶτσα In IV (ƒ) and IV (e) (below pp. 47 note 2, 50) the Jews meet the boy and put the question.

^{page 35 note 5} (j) has here an addition which is fairly common in variant versions, (e.g. (c), (ƒ), (k) and II (a), (b), and (c)). ‘“Sit down and eat, sit down and drink, sit down and sing a song.” “My darling mother never taught me songs, she only taught me letters and the Great Psalms.” “If you know your letters, tell us the A. B. C.”’

^{page 36 note 1} (k) has

κατὲβηκεν ἡ πὲρδικα νὰ βρὲξη τὸ φτερὸ της , καὶ βρὲχει τὸν ἀφὲντη μας τὸν πολυχρονεμὲνον.

With these words the poem ends, (c) has the same image. ‘And below at the foot of it (the tree) is a hewn basin and the partridge descends and drinks and goes up again and shakes her wings and sprinkles the master.’ (Cf. Type III (b), below, p. 41). The constant appearance of the srinkling episode suggests a connection with seasonal festivals such as those discussed by ProfFrazer, , The Magic Art, i, pp. 272 foll.Google Scholar This is the more probable in view of the frankly agricultural character of Type IV (below, p. 42).

^{page 36 note 2} (e) has ‘The pigeons fly away and go to the cool springs that they may go and bring health to their lady, that they may bring health to their master. And here is to your health, my master, and happy years to you, and may you live a hundred years, and may you outlive them, and may you grow white as Olympus, like the white pigeon, like the little nightingale which sings in May that summer is here.’ Here the carol ends.

The wish ν᾿ ἀσπρὶσης σὰν τὸν ᾿`Ελυμπο, σὰν τὸν α̌σπρο περιστὲρι is common in the carols and seasonal songs of Northern Greece. Mr. Wace has suggested, and I am inclined to think that he is right, that the original reference in the second half of the line was to Peristéri the mountain not to the bird, B.S.A. xix, p. 263. There is no doubt however that in the majority of cases, as quite clearly here, the present day singer interprets it to mean ‘pigeon.’

In (a) the episode of the birds ends with a broad hint. ‘The birds have gifts and clothes scented with musk, since Christ and the Blessed Virgin and the Saint blessed them.’ Or, still more plainly, ‘the birds have gifts, the birds have the scent, the birds have clothes too for little fellows who are very poor.’

^{page 38 note 1} The idea of ‘I am entangled in your nets’ is suggested to the lover by the mention of the partridge in the corresponding line of the carol. Cf. Type IV d, p. 44. ‘Nets for the partridges I set and for the leverets snares.’ The comparison of his love to a partridge (the Levantine partridge is a less sombre bird than ours) is a commonplace of the Greek poet.

^{page 40 note 1} The Arsenal.

^{page 42 note 1} ‘Open the door of the house and the Greek palace

That you may hear a parable and go to sleep again.

The beginning of the month, the beginning of the year, the beginning of January

And the beginning—where he stepped, a golden apple tree sprang

And midst the leaves of the apple tree a golden apple

Which the Sun by day made golden

And the Moon by night and the Star in the evening.’

^{page 42 note 2} Γεὶα, χαρὰ, κὴ δ `᾿Αϊ ΒασΙλης πολλὰ σιτὰρια, πολλὰ. κριθὰρια, πολλὰ πῃδοὺδια Abbott, , Macedonian Folklore, p. 80.Google Scholar

^{page 42 note 3} ‘Die Gratulation am folgenden Tage’:

^{page 43 note 1} Quoted in Λαογραφία, i, p. 143 from Φόρμιγξ, December, 1908, p. 8, where it was first published by N. Βασιλόπουλοσ.

^{page 43 note 2}

The notes of the collector give Χερὸνια=ἀηδὸνια It may mean ‘nightingales’ though hardly as he suggests because it is a dialect form of χελιδὸνια, ‘swallows.’ It will be seen that I have transposed two lines in the text but the emendation is quite certain. It is borne out not merely by parallel passages and by the demands of the sense, but also by the evidence of the last verse of the text as given.

A carol, which does not fall under any of the types discussed, has been recorded from Phárasa, a village in the Anti-Taurus. Similar in form to the Mistí carol, it consists of distiche with a chorus of religious ejaculations after each. The text is very obscure: the song apparently is accompanied by a dance. Whether it represents the disintegrated form of a seasonal festival or has suffered from contamination with some singing game it is difficult without further evidence to determine. Γ. Δ. ΠαΧτὶκος 260 Δημὼδη ῾Ελληνικὰ , pp. 17–19.

^{page 43 note 3}

φἀσμετε is almost certainly a misprint for φὰμεστ.ε. The words in line 3 are obscure Βασιλὸπουλος gives (for these New Year cakes see Abbott, op. cit. pp. 77 foll.); καρλὸπα= κουλλοὺρια; Χὰροπα= μποτὶλια; κρασὸπα= κρασοπὸτηριον. The last is certainly wrong, -όπα is a diminutive termination and κρασὸπα κρασὰκια.

^{page 45 note 1} This points to the satchel being made of a stuff with a pattern of many colours which seems to be embroidered, but is in fact produced in the loom as the stuff itself is being woven, each colour of the pattern being carried by a small shuttle subsidiary to the main shuttle which carries the warp. The ground is generally white. Such stuff is, or was, commonly made in Crete for carpets, coverlets, and satchels.—R. M. D.

^{page 47 note 1} Twenty-four letters has the alphabet

And a good night to all of you who remain.

^{page 47 note 2} And I reaped and I threshed and I made a thousand bushels

And the gleanings of it, I had not where to put them.

And I take the road, the road, the new (?) path

To go to find the potter that he may make me pots.

On the road there met me the dogs the Jews

Who scourged Christ and afterwards crucified Him.

And there they scourged me to make me sing them songs.

‘My mother did not teach me songs to sing

^{page 48 note 1} Μὰ δὲν τὸ καλολιχνεσα γιὰτ᾿ δ Χριστὸς ἐπὲρνα. (d) reads μὰ δὲν τὰ καλομὲτρησα, (f)καὶ ἂλλα δὲν ἐμὲτρησα.

^{page 48 note 2} (d) reads here

I cannot understand ‘At its root is the writing, Tzétzebro,’ and it is clear from the omission in the translation given above that a solution has failed Dr. Paton.

^{page 49 note 1} The same tag is used in IV b, 1. 29. It appears more properly to belong to a love song. Cf. Passow, No. 303.

^{page 49 note 2} Cf. Abbott, op. cit. p. 91.

^{page 49 note 3} Cf. below p. 54.

^{page 49 note 4} This is the black charger on which the hero of Greek romantic poetry habitually caracoles.

^{page 50 note 1} ‘The broidered viper for the ribbon of your hair.’

^{page 50 note 2} Clearly there is a lacuna at the beginning of the line. κουλοὺκια̮ = puppies.

^{page 51 note 1} p. 41.

^{page 52 note 1} p. 41.

^{page 53 note 1} These lines are printed in Kal. p. 20. A note on Passow, No. 294, gives the last three lines together with the conclusion modestly omitted by the chap book

Μὲ τὒνα χὲρι ζυμωνε, μὲ τ᾿ἂλλο ξει̑ τὸν κω̑λον.

This is a parody on the good wish

Μὲ τὒνα χὲρι νὰ μετρας, μὲ τ᾿ ἂλλο νὰ δανεὶζῃς

Wace has quoted this abusive doggerel as used by the mummers and adds another example, B.S.A. xvi, p. 236.

^{page 54 note 1} Στὴν πλὼρη κὰθετ᾿ δ Χριστὸς, στὴν μὲσ᾿ ἡ Παναγὶα Καὶ πὶσω στὸ τιμὸνι του κὰθετ᾿ ἂγιος Νικὸλαος.

^{page 54 note 2} The word is κο'λιαντα. I do not know its meaning.

^{page 54 note 3} This commonplace we have met in IV (e).

^{page 54 note 4} Λαογραφία, p. 596.

^{page 55 note 1}

^{page 55 note 2}

^{page 55 note 3} IV (d), p. 46.

^{page 55 note 4} Above, p. 37.

^{page 56 note 1}

^{page 56 note 2} e.g. I (a)

Cf. IV (d).

^{page 56 note 3} II (c), III (a), IV (d).

^{page 56 note 4} The variants of the embroidery of the three princesses are

ἡ μιά͜ ᾿βανε τὸν πόθον της κ᾿ ἡ ἄλλη τὴν καυ̗διά της κ᾿ ἡ ἄλλη ἡ ὁλούστερη βάνει τὴν εὐμοφιά της

or, ἡ μιά͜ ᾿βαλε τὸν πόθο της, κ᾿ ἡ ἄλλη τὸ μετάξι κ᾿ ἡ τρίτη ἡ καλλίτερη τόν οὔρανον μέτ᾿ ἄστρη

or, ἡ μιά͜ ἤτανε τοῦ Πρίγκιπα, κἰ ἄλλη τοῦ Βεζύρη κἰ ἄλλη πιὸ μικροτέρη τοῦ Μέγα Βασιλέως.