re genuine than that. It seems natural to
connect them with a hock-tide, Hoch-zeit (German), and Heoh-tid (A.-S.),
a name given to more than one season when it was usual to have games and
festivities. Now surely this is nothing else than _high_ tide, a time of
some high feast; as we vulgarly say, "high days and holidays." So in the
Scripture, "that Sabbath day was a high day." So high Mass. We
Protestants have no conception of the close connection between the
superior sanctity and the superior jollity of a particular season. Among
the heathen Romans, _festicus_ is derived from _festus_.[3] We say high
romps, high jinks.
See Wachter, who applies Hoch-zeit to Christmas, Easter, and
Whitsuntide, and says it may be derived either from high, or from
_Hogen_, "gaudere," which also see. He says that the lower Saxons "hodie
utuntur '_Hoege_'" to mean "gaudium privatum et publicum convivale et
nuptiale." See also Hohen. See Lye, who has also heah, freols summa
festivitas, summum festum.
Ihre (_Lex. Suio Goth._) says _Hugna_ is "to make glad." But in Hog-tid
he observes, that gladness is only the secondary meaning of
_Hogen_,--"_Hokanat_ vocabatur a Borealibus festum quod media hieme
celebrabatur;" and he shows that hawks were formerly sacrificed at it.
C.B.
[Footnote 3: Is not the derivation of "feast" and "fast" originally the
same? that which is appointed, connected with "_fas_," and that from
"_fari_."]
_Howkey or Horkey_ (No. 17. p. 263.).--Is not this word simply a
corruption of _Hockey_? Vide under "Hock-cart," in _Brand's Antiquities_
by Ellis, where the following quotation from _Poor Robin's Almanack_ for
1676 occurs:--
"_Hoacky_ is brought home with hallowing,
Boys with plum-cake the cart following."
J.M.B.
_Luther's Portrait at Warwick Castle_ (No. 25. p. 400.).--The Portrait
by Holbein, in Warwick Castle, certainly erroneously stated to be that
of Luther, was, I believe, engraved as such in Knight's _Portrait
Gallery_, published by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful
Knowledge. I cannot find in any account of Helbein's works a mention of
a portrait of Luther by him.
S.W.
_Symbolism of Flowers, etc._--In reference to works illustrative of
poetical, mythological, scriptural, and historical associations
connected with animals and plants, inquired for in No. 11. p. 173., many
a literary man must equally desire an interpreter,--
"T' unbind the charms that in slight fable
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