den with branches to decorate
the hall.

"Lo, now is come our joyfull'st feast!
Let every man be jolly,
Eache room with yvie leaves be drest.
And every post with holly."

Later on, men rolled in the huge Yule-log, emblematic of warmth and
light. It was of oak if possible, the oak being sacred to Thor, and
was rolled into place amidst song and merriment. In one of these songs
the first stanza is:

"Welcome be thou, heavenly King,
Welcome born on this morning,
Welcome for whom we shall sing,
_Welcome Yule._"

The third stanza is addressed to the crowd:

"Welcome be ye that are here,
Welcome all, and make good cheer,
Welcome all, another year;
_Welcome Yule._"

Each member of the family, seated in turn upon the log, saluted it,
hoping to receive good luck. It was considered unlucky to consume the
entire log during Yule; if good luck was to attend that household
during the coming twelve months, a piece ought to be left over with
which to start the next year's fire.

[Illustration: SERENADED BY THE WAITS.]

"Part must be kept wherewith to tende
The Christmas log next yeare,
And where 'tis safely kept, the fiend
Can do no mischiefe theere."

The boar's head held the principal place of honor at the dinner. So
during September and October, when the boar's flesh was at its best,
hunters with well-trained packs of boar-hounds set out to track this
savage animal. They attacked the boar with spears, or surrounded him
and drove him into nets. He was a ferocious antagonist to both dogs
and men, and when sore pressed would wheel about, prepared to fight to
the death. Before the dogs could grip him by the ear, his one weak
point, and pin him down, his sharp teeth would often wound or even
kill both the hunter and his dogs. The pluckier the animal the louder
the praise sung in his honor when his head was brought into the hall.
The great head, properly soused, was borne in on an immense salver by
the "old blue-coated serving-man" on Christmas day. He was preceded by
the trumpeters and followed by the mummers, and thus in state the
boar's head was ushered in and assigned to its place on the table. The
father of the family or head of the household laid his hand on the
dish containing the "boar of atonement," as it was at one time called,
swearing to be faithful to his family and to fulfil all his
obligations as a man of honor. This solemn act was