Perhaps the most interesting of the tales are the two entitled Der Hofnarr Makolbus (pp. 127 and 231). The examples of stories from the Salomonis et Marcolphi Dialogus,<re>The history of this document and its relations to folklore has been elaborately studied by M. Cosquin, "Le conte du Chat et de la Chandelle dans l'Europe du Moyen Age et en Orient," Romania, vol. xl., pp. 371-430, 481-531.</ref> collected from the lips of modern European peasants, are comparatively few in number. The first of these variants contains the cat and the candle incident, which proves the truth of the maxim plus valere naturam quant nutrituram. It is interesting too to notice that the Court jester Makolbus is made a brother of Solomon. This brings the version into connection with the Russian variant[1] in which the King is David and the role of Marcolphus falls to Solomon. A further curious point is the fact that the Swiss story contains an incident,—the division of the brothers' cattle according to whether they enter the new stable or the old,—which shows contamination with the story of The Mad Brother.[2]
As regards the traditions, history has left but little mark on these Alpine valleys. There are a few stories of successful resistance to the people of Berne, and one or two reminiscences of the oppression of the nobility. Twice only do we get echoes of European history. On p. 260 are traditions of a French invasion, and the people of Erschmalt see spectral armies manoeuvre on the spot where Napoleon pitched his camp (p. 244).
There are naturally a good many sidelights on the social life of the people. It is a pity that Dr. Jegerlehner has not thought of giving us some information about some of the worthies who figure in the traditions and presumably must have, at least in some cases, an historical foundation,—the "wise men" Dr. Bärtschu and Dr. Tscherrig, for instance. One wonders if the spirit called Jakob Tscherrig, who was ultimately caught in a bottle,[3] was an avatar of the Wunderdoktor. There are several notable parsons, too, about
- ↑ Cosquin, loc. cit., p. 395.
- ↑ See von Hahn, Griechische und albanesische Märchen, No. 34, with notes.
- ↑ He was ultimately shown to his erstwhile victim "swimming about in the bottle, quite small. He could distinguish quite clearly the short breeches, the raven's beak, the hoofed feet, the red waistcoat, the blue coat with the long tails, and the wings growing out from his ears" (p. 27).
