from the Persian Peri, the P being in that lan-guage pronounced as F; but it may be observed, that Fata, the plural of Fatum, is nearer to the Italian Fata (fairy) than any Persian word. The ordinance in Holy Writ, that witches shall not be suffered to live,' was the best authority for believing in the existence of some beings exercising a supernatural power. The Romancers, however, did not deem so harshly of Fairies as to suppose their avocations inconsistent with Christianity. We read that the fairy Morgana (Morgain or Morgue) finding her veracity questioned, swears to perform her promise on her word as a good Christian. The clergy have always been very fond of conjuring the powers of darkness, and in many countries they continue to do so to this day: nor was it inconsistent with the religion which they taught, that the devil (God permitting) should have the power of interfering in a variety of forms, to prevent men from acting properly. From the same source, in all probability, dragons, giants, and monsters of all kinds originated. The huge serpent which was killed in Africa by Regulus was as monstrous a dragon q' Tenez, fait Morgain, je vous prometz comme femme chrestienne que je y serais.' Sir Lancel. i. 196. In the Vallon des Faux Amans, a story taken from this same Romance, and published by LE GRAND in his collection of Fabliaux, vol. i. as well as translated by WAY, and inserted in his second volume, we find that Morgana, who kept all false lovers shut up in a place of confinement, had had the precaution of having a chapel built there, that her prisoners might hear mass every day. as any on record. He had no wings, it is true; but any reptile of remarkable swiftness might be easily furnished with wings by a terrified imagination. It did not breathe fire, but some creature whose venom caused rapid death accompanied by burning thirst, as a Dipsas' for example, was the prototype of the fire-breathing dragon. If nature exhibits in the lizard a miniature of the crocodile, might not fancy easily conceive the crocodile itself to be but the miniature of some larger creature? And since the word dragon means in Welsh Leader, we must admit the propriety of Sir W. SCOTT's remark, that hyperbolical and enigmatical descriptions may often lead us to confound with fiction what was used as a metaphor and parable.'" At a period when the personal strength of the combatants so materially influenced the issue of a battle, men must have been prone to associate the idea of gigantic size with the individual muscular power and swiftness of limb which constituted the great requisites of heroism. Valour alone raising men to the command of armies in such a state of society,' it is not surprising that, in some old languages, the word which means giant, signifies likewise chief." The Scythians were r Dipsas (dras) was the name of a famous witch, very much like Erycto. OVID. Amor. i. 8. Notes to Sir Tristram, page 295. In the case of Dipsas was it the reptile which was called after the witch or vice versa? Has the same happened with the word Dragon ? TACIT. de Mor. Germ. § 7. uCawr, in ancient British, signifies not only a man of disappointed at the mean appearance of Alexander, and the Franks at that of Pepin-le-Bref, the father of Charlemagne. Hence Arthur and Charlemagne are described as men of an athletic form.w VIRGIL represented Turnus and Pandarus, as heroes must have been supposed to be in the times in which those warriors are said to have existed, when he writes Agnoscunt faciem invisam, atque immania membra Eneid. ix. 734. great size, but also a King or Chieftain. Of this, Geoffry of Monmouth might not perhaps have been aware since he is so liberal of his Giants.' WAY's Fabliaux, vol. i. p. 207. Notes. ▾ QUINTUS CURTIUS, vii. 32. And in vi. 13. he says; ' omnibus barbaris in corporum majestate veneratio est, magnorumque operum non alios capaces putant quam quos eximia specia donare natura dignata est.' With regard to Pepin we are told 'quod primates exercitus eum clanculo despicientes carpere solerent,' upon which he commanded a lion and a bull to be set against each other, and then having killed the lion, which no one else dared attempt, he asked of the lords: Videtur vos utrum dominus vester esse possumus? Non audistis quid fecit parvus David ingenti illi Goliath, vel brevissimus Alexander procerissimis satellitibus suis?' MONACH. SANGALL. de Reb. bel. Carol. Mag. lib. ii. § 23. w Of Arthur there is strong reason for believing that he was extremely tall, though not to an incredible degree. TURPIN has left us a portrait of Charlemagne well worthy of attention. In it we find that he was 'Eight of his own feet high, and he had remarkably long feet; his face was a span and a half in length, his nose about half a span, and his forehead about one foot high.'-De Vit. Caroli Mag. cap. xxi. A learned German wrote a treatise to prove that it was a calumny to assert that Charlemagne was such a huge being.-See De statura Caroli Magni φιλοπονεμα MARQUARDI FREHERI. What we historically know of the strength, valour and stature of some of the most celebrated knights, would almost induce a belief that they were men of a different race from ours, and that mankind have since greatly degenerated both in mind and body. ANNA COMNENA, who was a most bitter enemy of Bohemond, Prince of Tarentum, one of the chiefs of the first crusade, gives a singular portrait of him, when he was at her father's court at Constantinople, which is here inserted in English that the reader may form a just idea of the original. Neither amongst our own nation (the Greeks) nor amongst foreigners is there in our age a man equal to Bohemond. His presence dazzled the eyes as his reputation did the fancy. He was one cubit taller than the tallest man known. In his waist he was thin, but broad in his shoulders and chest, without being either too thin or too fat. His arms were strong, his hands large and full, his feet firm and solid. He stooped a little, but through habit only, and not on account of any deformity. He was fair, but on his cheeks there was an agreeable mixture of vermilion. His hair was not loose over his shoulders, according to the fashion of the barbarians (the western nations), but was cut above his ears. His eyes were blue and full of wrath and fierceness. His nostrils were large, inasmuch as having a wide chest and a great Terra malos homines nunc educat atque pusillos. с heart, his lungs required an unusual quantity of air to moderate the warmth of his blood. His handsome face had in itself something gentle and softening, but the height of his person and the fierceness of his looks had something wild and terrible. He was more dreadful in his smiles than others in their rage.' Now if we suppose such a man fighting against the wild beasts of the forest, or giving proofs of his prowess before some dwarfish Arabians, as was done by Godfrey his brother in arms, we have at once, and without any great effort of imagination, the idea of a gigantic hero of antiquity or romance. The incredulity with regard to the heroic feats attributed to the knights will be much diminished, if we consider the immense advantage possessed by a cavalier, himself and his steed armed at all points in steel, over poor knaves on foot. May we not say that a Spaniard on horseback MICHAUD, Hist. des Crois. vol. vii. p. 248. ZA bear attacked a poor pilgrim, who was gathering wood in the forest. Godfrey ran to the man's assistance, had his horse killed by the enraged beast, was himself dangerously wounded, but at length destroyed the animal. WILL. TYR. ARCH. Hist. lib. iii. § 17. ALBER. AQUEN. Hist. Hier. lib. iii. § 4. An Arabian chief having heard so much of Godfrey's valour and strength, went to him and prayed that he would be so good as to strike a camel with his sword, in order to give him a proof of his muscular power. Godfrey instantly, at one blow, and with the greatest ease, cut off the poor animal's head. The Arabian, in astonishment, inquired of Godfrey whether he could do the same with any other sword: Godfrey smiling, took the Arabian's own weapon and with equal dexterity beheaded another camel. WILL. TYR. ARCH. Hist. lib. ix. § 22. |