The Child and Childhood in Folk-Thought by Alexander F. Chamberlain (read full novel txt) 📖

case of children who are hard of speech (263.191, 281).

Ploss states that in Konigsberg (Prussia) tickling the soles of the feet of a little child is thought to occasion stuttering; in Italy the child will learn to stutter, unless, after it has been weaned, it is given to drink for the first time out of a hand-bell (326. II. 286).

Among the numerous practices in vogue to hasten the child’s acquisition of speech, or to make him ready and easy of tongue, are the following: some one returned from the communion breathes into the child’s mouth (Austrian Silesia); the mother, when, after supper on Good Friday, she suckles the child for the last time, breathes into its mouth (Bohemia); the, child is given to drink water out of a cow-bell (Servia); when the child, on the arm of its mother, pays the first visit to neighbours or friends, it is presented with three eggs, which are pressed three times to his mouth, with the words, “as the hens cackle, the child learns to prattle” (Thuringia, the Erzgebirge, Bavaria, Franconia, and the Harz); when a child is brought to be baptized, one of the relatives must make a christening-letter (_Pathenbrief_), and, with the poem or the money contained in it, draw three crosses through the mouth of the child (Konigsberg) (326. II. 205).

 

Speech-Exercises.

Ploss has a few words to say about “Volksgebrauchliche Sprach-Exercitien,” or “Zungen-Exercitien,” the folk-efforts to teach the child to overcome the difficulties of speech (326. II. 285, 286), and more recently Treichel (373) has treated in detail of the various methods employed in Prussia. In these exercises examples and difficult words are given in several languages, alliteration, sibilation, and all quips and turns of consonantal and vocalic expression, word-position, etc., are in use to test the power of speech alike of child and adult. Treichel observes that in the schools even, use is made of foreign geographical names, names of mountains in Asia, New Zealand, and Aztec names in Mexico; the plain of Apapurinkasiquinilschiquasaqua, from Immermann’s Munchhausen, is also cited as having been put to the like use. The title of doctors’ dissertations in chemistry are also recommended (373. 124).

Following are examples of these test sentences and phrases from German:—

(1) Acht und achtzig achteckige Hechtskopfe; (2) Bierbrauer Brauer braut braun Bier; (3) De donue Diewel drog den dicke Diewel dorch den dicke Dreek; (4) Esel essen Nosseln gern; (5) In Ulm imd um Ulm und urn Ulm herum; (6) Wenige wissen, wie viel sie wissen mussen, um zu wissen, wie wenig sie wissen; (7) Es sassen zwei zischende Schlangen zwischen zwei spitzigen Steinen und zischten dazwischen; (8) Nage mal de Boll Boll Boll Boll Boll Boll Boll Boll Boll; (9) Fritz, Fritz, friss frische Fische, Fritz; (10) Kein klein Kind kann keinen kleinen Kessel Kohl kochen.

There are alliterative sentences for all the letters of the alphabet, and many others more or less alliterative, while the humorous papers contain many exaggerated examples of this sort of thing. Of the last, the following on “Hottentottentaten” will serve as an instance:—

 

“In dem wilden Land der Kaftern, Wo die Hottentotten trachten Holie Hottentottentitel Zu erwerben in den Schlachten, Wo die Hottentottentaktik Lasst ertonen fern und nah Auf dem Hottentottentamtam Hottentottentattratah; Wo die Hottentottentrotteln, Eh’ sie stampfen stark und kuhn. Hottentottentatowirung An sioh selber erst vollzieh’n, Wo die Hottentotten tuten Auf dem Horn voll Eleganz Und nachher mit Grazie tanzen Hottentottentotentanz,— Dorten bin ich mal gewesen Und iclh habe schwer gelitten, Weil ich Hottentotten trotzte, Unter Hottentottentritten; So ‘ne Hottentottentachtel, Die ist nämlich fürchterlich Und ich leid’ noch heute An dem Hottentottentatterich” (373. 222).

 

In our older English, and American readers and spelling-books we meet with much of a like nature, and the use of these test-phrases and sentences has not yet entirely departed from the schools. Familiar are: “Up the high hill he heaved a huge round stone; around the rugged riven rock the ragged rascal rapid ran; Peter Piper picked a peck of prickly pears from the prickly-pear trees on the pleasant prairies,” and many others still in use traditionally among the schoolchildren of to-day, together with linguistic exercises of nonsense-syllables and the like, pronouncing words backwards, etc.

In French we have: (1) L’origine ne se désoriginalisera jamais de son originalité; (2) A la santé de celle, qui tient la sentinelle devant la citadelle de votre coeur! (3) Car Didon dina, dit-on, Du dos d’un dodu dindon.

In Polish: (1) Bydlo bylo, bydlo bedzie (It was cattle, it remains cattle); (2) Podawala baba babie przez piec malowane grabie (A woman handed the woman over the stove a painted rake); (3) Chrzaszcz brzmi w trzinie (The beetle buzzes in the pipe). Latin and Greek are also made use of for similar purpose. Treichel cites, among other passages, the following: (1) Quamuis sint sub aqua, sub aqua maledicere tentant (Ovid, Metam. VI. 376); (2) At tuba terribili sonitu taratantara dixit (Virgil, Aen. IX. 503); (3) Quadrupedante putrem sonitu quatit ungula campum (Virgil, Aen. VIII. 596); (4) [Greek: Aytis epeita pedonde kylindeto lâas anchidaês] (Homer, Odyss. II. 598); (5) [Greek: Trichthà te kaì tétrachthà diéschesen ìs ánémoio] (Homer, Odyss. IX. 71, II. III. 363); (6) [Greek: ‘O mákar ‘Adreídae moiraegenès ólbiodaímon] (Homer, Il. III. 182). These customs are not confined, however, to the civilized nations of Europe. Dr. Pechuel-Loesche tells us that, among the negroes of the Loango coast of Africa, the mother teaches the child little verses, just as illogical as the test-sentences often are which are employed in other parts of the world, and containing intentionally difficult arrangements of words. The child whose skilful tongue can repeat these without stumbling, is shown to visitors and is the cause of much admiration and merriment. And this exhibition of the child’s linguistic and mnemonic powers finds vogue among other races than those of the dark continent (373. 125).

 

Alphabet-Rhymes.

A very curious development of child-linguistics is seen in the so-called ABC Rhymes. H. A. Carstensen reports from Risummoor in Low Germany the following arrangement and interpretation of the letters of the alphabet (199. 55):—

 

A—Aewel B—baeget C(K)—Kaege A—Abel B—bakes C(K)—cakes.

D—Detlef E—ët F—fåle. D—Detlef E—eats F—much.

G—Grutte H—Hans J—jaeget K—Kraege. G—Great H—Jack J—hunts K—crows.

L—Lotte M—maeget N—noerne. L—Lütje M—makes N—names.

O—Okke P—plökket Q—Kuerde. O—Okke P—makes Q—wool-cards.

R—Rikkert S—sâit T—tuffle. R—Richard S—sews T—slippers

U—Uethet V—Volkert W—waeder? U—Fetches V—Volkert W—water?

 

From the North Frisian islands of Silt and Föhr the following ABC rhymes have been recorded, consisting mostly of personal names (199. 192):—

1. From Silt: Anna Boyken, Christian Dojken, Erkel Fredden, Gondel Hansen, Jens Kuk, Lorenz Mommen, Niels Otten, Peter Quotten, Rink Swennen, Theide Uwen, Volkert, Wilhelm, exerzére.

2. From Föhr: Arest Buhn, Cike Duhn, Ehlen Frödden, Girre Hayen, Ingke Kayen, Lurenz Munje, Nahmen Ott, Peter Quott, Rekkert skär, Trintje um, qui weg, x, y, z.

3. From Föhr: Antje brawt; Cisele drug; Ehlen fald; Göntje holp; Ingke knäd; Lena mäd; Nahmen Okken; Peter Quast;

Rörd Rütjer; Sab Sütjer; Sonk Stein; Thur Ordert; Wögen wuhlet; Yng Zuhlet.

From Ditmarschen we have the following (199. 290):—

1. From Süderstapel in Stapelholm: A-Beeter, C-Deeter, _E-Ef_ter, G-Hater, I-Kater, _L-Em_der, N-Oter, Peter Rüster sien Swester harr Büxsen von Manchester, harr’n Kleed vun Kattun, weer Köfft bi Jud’n (Peter Rüster his sister has breeches from Manchester, has a dress of cotton, who buys of Jews).

2. From Tönningstedt and Feddringen: A-Beeter, C-Deeter, E-Efter, G-Hater, J-Kater, _L-Em_der, N-Oter, _P-Ku_ter, _L-Es_ter, T-Uter, V-Weeter, X-Zeeter.

In Polish we have a rather curious rhyme (199. 260): Adam Babkie Cukier Dal, Ewa Figi Gryzla; Hanko, Jeko, Karol Lerch Nosi Orla Papa Ruskigo (Adam to the old woman sugar gave, Eve figs nibbled; Hanko, Jeko, Karol, and Lerch carry the eagle of the Ruthenian priest). Another variant runs: Adam Babi Cucker daje Ewa figi grizi Hala, idzie Kupic’ lala mama nie pozwala (199. 150).

At Elberfeld, according to O. Schell, the following rhyme was in use about the middle of this century (199. 42): Abraham Böckmann; Cepter Dickmann; Engel Fuawenkel; Gretchen Hahn; Isaak Kreier; Lottchen Meyer; Nikolas Olk; Pitter Quack; Rudolf Simon; Tante Uhler; Vater Wettschreck; Xerxes York.

From Leipzig, L. Fränkel reports the following as given off in a singing tone with falling rhythm:—

B a ba, b e be, b i bi—babebi; b o bo, b u bu—bobu; ba, be, bi, bo, bu—babebibobu. C a ca (pron. za, not ka), c e ce, c i ci —caceci; c o co, c u cu—cocu; ca, ce, ci, co, cu-cacecicocu, etc.

 

From various parts of Ditmarschen come these rhymes:— A-B ab, | A-B ab, Mus sitt in’t Schapp, | Mouse sits in the cupboard, Kater darfår, | Cat in frount, Mak apen de Dår. | Open the door.

 

These child-rhymes and formulae from North Germany find their cognates in our own nursery-rhymes and explanatory letter-lists, which take us back to the very beginnings of alphabetic writing. An example is the familiar:—

 

“A was an Archer that shot at a frog, B was a Butcher that had a big dog,” etc., etc.

 

Letter-Formulæ.

Here belong also the curious formulæ known all over the United States and English-speaking Canada, to which attention has recently been called by Professor Frederick Starr. When the word Preface is seen, children repeat the words, “Peter Rice Eats Fish and Catches Eels,” or backwards, “Eels Catch Alligators; Father Eats Raw Potatoes.” Professor Starr says that the second formula is not quite so common as the first; the writer’s experience in Canada leads him to express just the opposite opinion. Professor Starr gives also formulæ for Contents and Finis as follows: “Five Irish Niggers In Spain,” backwards “Six Irish Niggers In France”; “Children Ought Not To Eat Nuts Till Sunday” (355. 55). Formulæ like these appear to be widespread among schoolchildren, who extract a good deal of satisfaction from the magic meaning of these quaint expressions.

Another series of formulæ, not referred to by Professor Starr, is that concerned with the interpretation of the numerous abbreviations and initials found in the spelling-book and dictionary. In the manufacture of these much childish wit and ingenuity are often expended. In the writer’s schoolboy days there was quite a series of such expansions of the letters which stood for the various secret and benevolent societies of the country. I. O. G. T. (Independent Order of Good Templars), for example, was made into “I Often Get Tight (i.e. drunk),” which was considered quite a triumph of juvenile interpretative skill. Another effort was in the way of explaining the college degrees: B.A. = “Big Ape,” M.A. = “Matured Ape,” B.D. = “Bull-Dog,” LL.D. = “Long-Legged Devil,” etc. Still another class is represented by the interpretations of the German u. A. w. g. (our R. S. V. P.),