236 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



consecrated to her memory, and is known far and wide as the Hunna 

 Spring. It occasionally happens in years when wine is scarce, so the 

 story runs, that, when the people go to the spring of mornings and 

 evenings to water their horses and cattle, wine flows out of all the out- 

 lets ; and those who can boast that they have enjoyed this wine say 

 that it is better than any other. 



A St. Morand is honored as the patron of the vintners of a dis- 

 trict near Worms, in consequence of a legend that the commune was 

 once blessed, in answer to his prayers, with an unusually abundant 

 harvest. Two portraits of him may be seen in the church at Stein- 

 bach, in one of which he is represented as holding a bunch of grapes 

 and pressing out the juice with his hand. 



The property is attributed to several springs in Alsace, of flowing 

 only when the harvests are to be abundant. 



According to the superstition in another region, if one will go to the 

 Geisbrunn of Freiburg, in Breisgau, at midnight on New Year's, he 

 will find a little man there, who in silence will give some very signifi- 

 cant tokens. If the year is to be a good one, he will bear three ears 

 of corn in one hand and three bunches of grapes in the other, and will 

 make friendly gestures. If the year is going to be bad, he will have 

 a sour face and empty hands. 



The vineyard is surrounded, in Germany and other countries, by 

 numerous poetic superstitions. The Swabians say that the grapes will 

 receive a fine flavor if the vines are shaken on St. John's day. The 

 Bavarians have a proverb that, if one would have good wine, he must 

 write on his cask, " O taste and see that the Lord is good " (Psalm 

 xxxiv, 8) ; and the South-Germans have a proverb, "If one would 

 make good vinegar from wine, he must throw the names of three 

 witches into it." 



In Switzerland, the country people freshen up their stale wine by 

 laying dead toads on the bung-holes of the casks. The ancient Ger- 

 mans were mindful of their gods at their feasts, when they strove to 

 distinguish themselves as great drinkers ; and the pious custom of 

 drinking to the health of their divinities was binding among them. 

 The North-Germans were accustomed at certain feasts to empty a cup 

 to Bragi, and by that act to assume a promise to emulate the bold 

 deeds of that god. Such promises were irrevocable. Bargains were 

 therefore bound by a kind of drink-offering in order to obtain the 

 favor of the gods. At the heir's-feast bumpers were drunk to the 

 memory of the departing one ; and on other occasions glasses were 

 emptied in honor of those who were absent. These customs, from 

 which our toasts appear to be derived, were not abolished in Christian 

 times : only the saints succeeded to the rights of the gods. St. Mar- 

 tin, it is said, at his own desire, took the place of Donar ; St. Gertrude 

 received the honors that had been paid to Freya ; and Njord and Frey 

 appear to have surrendered their functions to the first martyr of the 



