[wood] footnotes to CANADIAN FOLKSONGS 97 



literature as the works of " Ossian " Macpherson and 8ir Samuel Ferguson 

 — and, if it had only been published in its true guise, like Ferguson's 

 poems, instead of in a false one, like Macpherson's, its real value as an 

 interesting and stimulating version of the genuine spirit of old Celtic 

 poetry would never have been called in question. 



Christianity. 



Christianity, pure and simple, counts for very little in folklore of 

 any kind, and, perhajjs, for less in verse than in prose : the noëls are non- 

 popular and the songs connected with Christian fêtes and ceremonies have 

 come down strongly imbued with Paganism and cast in Pagan moulds. 



Mr. Gagnon gives us, besides the noël D'où viens-tu bergère;*^ the 

 two complaintes, Adam et Eve'-''' and Ze Juif Errant^''' and Cadieux's 

 death-song,^ the first and last of which are inspired by Christianity 

 throughout ; Cadieux's song, with its heroic ring and fervent piety, being 

 just what we might expect from that age of Christian martyrs, "sans 

 peur et sans reproche." The legend of the Wandering Jew, with its 

 many variants, has a folklore history almost as strange as the adventures 

 themselves ; but we cannot enter upon it hei-e. Beside these we may 

 place two voyageur songs, as given by Dr. Larue : Le chantier d'Abacis,^' 

 a strain of Christian resignation and thanksgiving ; and the song of the 

 Christian voyageur^ in which the singer points his morals in a way 

 which would be highly diverting if it was not so transj^arently sincex-e. 

 Beginning with a caution against the dangers besetting the way of the 

 voyageur, he breaks off to tell us that even Christians sometimes use 

 strong language : 



Mille fois il maudit son sort 

 Dans le cours du voyage. 



After this comes a warning against the wiles of the Evil One : 



Quand tu seras'sur ces traverses 



Tu es ici près du démon 

 Qui guette ta pauvre âme ; 



and then a moral, drawn from the likeness of mosquitoes to the Powers 

 of Darkness, which all good anglers ought to thoroughly appreciate : 



Si les maringouins te réveillent 



De leurs chansons, 

 Ou te chatouillent l'oreille 



De leurs aiguillons, 

 Apprends, cher voyageur, alors, 



Que c'est le Dia')le 

 Qui chante tout autour de ton corps 



Pour avoir ta pauvre âme. 

 Sec. II., 1896. 7. 



