Cf. "The Secret-keeping Little Boy," p. 233, in this collection.

According to Ladislaus Arany,[54] an almost exact version of the tale is given in Schott's Wallachische MÄrchen (No. 9). Schott calls attention to the resemblance of this tale to the story of Joseph, in the Old Testament, who is released from prison and exalted for the successful solution of dreams. See also two stories from Radloff, Proben der Volkslitteratur der TÜrkischen StÄmme SÜd-Siberiens, quoted in Gubernatis, vol. i. pp. 139-142.

The "OperencziÁs Tenger," is the mythical sea of Hungarian folk-tales. With regard to the etymology of the word, it is said by some to come from the expression "ober der Enns," in the German name of the Duchy of Upper Austria. The etymology is given for what it is worth. As to the cosmology of the story-tellers, all we can say is, that they appear to uphold the Zetetic school. The earth is flat, and surrounded by the Operenczian sea: beyond that is fairyland.

The Magyar peasants think much of dreams, as may be seen in their wonderful dream-book, "A legrÉgibb És legnagyobb Egyiptomi AlmoskÖnyv," a work something in the same style as the dream-books that are still common in country places in England.

The significance of dreams is noticed in Uarda, cap. xv. Cf. Denton, "The Dream of the King's Son." Horace, c. iii. xxvii. 41; S. i. x. 33. Homer says that dreams of falsehood passed through an ivory gate in the lower world: true ones through a gate of horn.

See also Tylor, Early History of Mankind, pp. 5-10; and Primitive Culture, "Dreams."

There are many stories of dreams which foretold wealth and power, or were the means of the dreamer attaining them, e.g. "Gontram the good King of Burgundy," Claud Paradin, Symbola Heroica. Also Chambers's Book of Days, vol. i. pp. 276, 394, 617; vol. ii. p. 188. The writer remembers hearing an almost precisely similar story to the last, when the ill-fated "Lifeguard" was lost on her way from Newcastle to London.

The Indians pay great attention to their dreams during the long fast at the beginning of manhood: see Legends of the Wigwam, p. 99. In some stories one of the chief characters pretends to dream that she may obtain certain information, such as "Luxhale's wives:" Stories from the Land of Hofer, p. 317.

It is a common superstition in Holderness that a morning dream is sure to come true, but if it is told to anyone before breakfast, it will not.

Page 118. "Immured alive": see a Magyar folk-song, "Clement the Mason," in the Academy, July 31, 1886. Cf. a paper read by Oscar Mailand before the Historical and Antiquarian Society of the County of Hunyad (April 29, 1885) on the legend of the building of the Monastery at Arges in Roumania. The story is nearly the same as in the song of "Clement the Mason." Manuli, the master builder, has a dream, wherein he is recommended to immure the first woman that appears on the scene; the victim is Manuli's wife. During the discussion that followed, the president, Count GÉza Kuun, mentioned that the same tale is told of the castle of DÉvÉn in the county of NÓgrÁd; the fortress of DÉvÉny near Pozsony (Pressburg); and of another fortress in the Trans-danubian division, and that the legend is of Slavonic origin.

Grimm, ii. "Maid Maleen," p. 350.

Livius, viii. c. 15, "Virgo Vestalis damnati incesti, viva deforsa est."

The king vows to slaughter thirty Muslims at the gate of his palace, when complete, in "Ali Noureddin." Payne's Arabian Nights, vol. viii. p. 141.

Folk-Lore Journal, 1880, p. 282; January 1883, "A Bewildering Superstition."

Cf. also the incident in "Secret-keeping Little Boy", p. 238.

"Dog-Headed Tartars." Our story-tellers almost invariably use the epithet "dog-headed" when speaking of their old enemies, the Tartars. Medieval travellers, who wrote in Latin, speak of the Great Khan of Tartary as "Magnus Canis." Cf. The Travels of Friar Odoric, in Cathay and the way Thither (Hakluyt Soc. 1866). The learned editor remarks (p. 128, note): "I am not sure that a faithful version should not render 'Magnus Canis' as the 'Great Dog,' for in most copies the word is regularly declined 'Canis,' 'Cani,' 'Canem,' as if he were really a bow-wow. According to Ludolf, an old German translation of Mandeville does introduce the mighty prince as 'Der grosse Hund.'"

The irruption into Hungary of the Tartars under Batu Khan, in the thirteenth century, and their frightful slaughter and terrible devastations are sufficiently known, and need not further be enlarged upon here.

With regard to dog-headed people (cf. the Kynokephaloi of Ktesias), such people are often mentioned in ancient travels; thus, Odoric of Pordenone says: "[L'Isola che si chiama] Nichovera ... nella quale tutti gli nomini [h]anno il capo a modo d'un cane." From an old Italian MS. text in the Bibl. Palatina at Florence, printed in Cathay and the Way Thither, p. 51.

The womankind of dog-headed people are always described as beautiful. Cf. the travels of Friar Jordanus, Odoric of Pordenone, Ibn Batuta. Cf. also the lovely wife of old Doghead in "Prince MirkÓ" in this volume; and Gubernatis, vol. i. Preface, xix.

Page 120. "Born with a caul."

In Holderness and North Lincolnshire, a caul is said to prevent the owner from drowning. I have heard others say, that you can tell by its condition what the state of its owner's (the one who was born with it) health is, even if he (or she) is in a distant land. So long as it keeps as it is he is well, but if it "snerkles up" he is dead.[55] It is commonly called a "sillyhood" in the North.

Cf. Henderson, pp. 22, 23. Aubrey, Remaines of Gentilisme, p. 113.

Gregor, Folk-Lore of North-East of Scotland, p. 25.

Grimm, i. Hans in Luck. "I must have been born with a caul," p. 329.

Napier, Folk-Lore, p. 32.

Babies born with teeth are said by the Magyar peasants to be the children of witches; see Varga JÁnos, A babonÁk KÖnyve, Arad, 1877, p. 70.

Babies born with teeth are regarded as different to other children, in some parts of England, but the superstition is vague. A friend had a servant who was born with a grey lock, and the writer has often seen the girl; it was regarded as somewhat uncanny. Francisque Michel mentions in his Histoire des Races Maudites, that in the Valley of ArgelÈs old women, when quarrelling with a cagot, shew their tongue "ou derrier l'oreille"; this is to remind the poor man of the wisp of hair on his ear, which is considered uncanny.

Page 120. The incident of the lad disguising himself so as to be exactly like his comrades occurs also at p. 241, in "The Secret-Keeping Little Boy." To be able to select the right person from several is looked upon as a test of the magic power of the person tried as in this case.

Cf. NaakÉ. "Golden Hair," p. 107.

Vernaleken. "How Hans finds his Wife," p. 284.

Folk-Lore Record, 1883. Ananci Stories, p. 284; and the Polish story, "Prince Unexpected," ib. 1884, p. 13.

S. ja T. i. "Kulta-orit," p. 187.

Cf. Folk-Lore Record, 1880, "Mons Tro," p. 220.

Page 121. In the Lapp story, "Patto-Poadnje." Friis, p. 78, the Stallo's wife suspects there is something wrong with the soup, which is in reality made of her late husband, but the man fools her by saying he cut his finger while making it.

In the Finnish story, "TynnyrissÄ kaswanut Poika," ("The Boy who grows in a Barrel"), S. ja T. i., p. 105, there are nine cakes made of a woman's milk. Cf. "How the widow saved her son's life," Sagas from the Far East, p. 207.

We may here note the constant difficulties that appear in the folk-tales, and thwart the love-making of the heroes and heroines. Commonly it is the king who does all he can to prevent the lovers being happy, or it is some one at home who causes infinite trouble. For examples of the tasks that the lover or husband has to accomplish, see the tales "Fisher Joe," "Handsome Paul," "Fairy Elizabeth," "The Three Brothers," "The Girl with the Golden Hair," &c., in this volume.

Cf. also Friis. "Ruobba. JÆtten og Fanden," p. 67; "BondesØnnen. KongesØnnen og Solens SØster," p. 140; "Solkongens Datter," p. 152; "Gutten, som tjente hos Kongen," p. 167.

S. ja T. ii. "LeppÄpÖlkky" ("Alder Block"), p. 2; "Maan, meren kulkija laiwa" ("The Ship that sails over Land and Sea"), p. 22; "Kaikkia, matkalla karwitaan" (All is useful in a Voyage), p. 29; and "Lakwan tekijÄt," (Ship Builders), p. 33.

Basile. Pentamerone. No. 23.

Schott. Wallachische MÄrchen, No. 24.

Ralston. "The Water King," p. 120.

Sagas from the Far East. "How Shanggasba buried his Father," p. 189. See also the troubles in getting to Johara in Notes to "Fairy Elizabeth," ante.