Easter Singer In The Vorarlburg
From Chamber's Book of Days
About a league from Lake Constance the mountains assume a wild and savage character ; a narrow defile leads to a high hill which must be crossed to reach the valley of Schwartzenberg. I gained the summit of the peak at sunset; the rosy vapor which surrounded it hid the line of the horizon, and gave to the lake the appearance of a sea ; the Rhine flowed through the bottom of the valley and emptied itself into the lake, to recommence its course twelve leagues farther on. On one side were the Swiss mountains; and opposite was Landau, built on an island; on the other side the dark forests of Wurtemberg, and over the side of the hill the chain of the Vorarlburg mountains. The last rays of the setting sun gilded the crests of the glaciers, whilst the valleys were already bathed in the soft moonlight. From this high point the sounds of the bells ringing in the numerous villages scattered over the mountains were distinctly heard, the flocks were being brought home to be housed for the night, and everywhere were sounds of rejoicing.
"It is the evening of Holy Saturday," said our guide; "the Tyrolese keep the festival with every ceremony." And so it was; civilization has passed that land by and not left a trace of its unbelieving touch; the resurrection of Christ is still for them the tangible proof of revelation, and they honor the season accordingly. Bands of musicians, for which the Tyrolese have always been noted, traverse every valley, singing the beautiful Easter hymns to their guitars; calling out the people to their doors, who join them in the choruses and together rejoice on this glad anniversary. Their wide-brimmed hats are decorated with bouquets of flowers; crowds of children accompany them, and when the darkness of night comes on, bear lighted torches of the pine wood, which throw grotesque shadows over the spectators and picturesque wooden huts. The Pasch or Paschal eggs, which have formed a necessary part of all Easter offerings for centuries past, are not forgotten; some are dyed in the brightest colors and boiled hard; others have suitable mottoes written on the shells, and made ineffaceable by a rustic process of chemistry. The good wife has these ready prepared, and when the children bring their baskets they are freely given; at the higher class of the farmers' houses wine is brought out as well as eggs, and the singers are refreshed and regaled in return for their Easter carols.
