John. People marched round them thrice， carrying a branch of walnut in their hand. Shepherdesses and children passed sprigs of mullein (verbascum) and nuts across the flames； the nuts were supposed to cure toothache， and the mullein to protect the cattle from sickness and sorcery. When the fire died down people took some of the ashes home with them， either to keep them in the house as a preservative against thunder or to scatter them on the fields for the purpose of destroying corn-cockles and darnel. In Poitou also it used to be customary on the Eve of St. John to trundle a blazing wheel wrapt in straw over the fields to fertilise them.
In the mountainous part of Comminges， a province of Southern France， the midsummer fire is made by splitting open the trunk of a tall tree， stuffing the crevice with shavings， and igniting the whole. A garland of flowers is fastened to the top of the tree， and at the moment when the fire is lighted the man who was last married has to climb up a ladder and bring the flowers down. In the flat parts of the same district the materials of the midsummer bonfires consist of fuel piled in the usual way； but they must be put together by men who have been married since the last midsummer festival， and each of these benedicts is obliged to lay a wreath of flowers on the top of the pile.
In Provence the midsummer fires are still popular. Children go from door to door begging for fuel， and they are seldom sent empty away. Formerly the priest， the mayor， and the aldermen used to walk in procession to the bonfire， and even deigned to light it； after which the assembly marched thrice round the burning pile. At Aix a nominal king， chosen from among the youth for his skill in shooting at a popinjay， presided over the midsummer festival. He selected his own officers， and escorted by a brilliant train marched to the bonfire， kindled it， and was the first to dance round it. Next day he distributed largesse to his followers. His reign lasted a year， during which he enjoyed certain privileges. He was allowed to attend the mass celebrated by the commander of the Knights of St. John on St. John's Day； the right of hunting was accorded to him， and soldiers might not be quartered in his house.
At Marseilles also on this day one of the guilds chose a king of the badache or double axe； but it does not appear that he kindled the bonfire， which is said to have been lighted with great ceremony by the préfet and other authorities.
In Belgium the custom of kindling the midsummer bonfires has long disappeared from the great cities， but it is still kept up in rural districts and small towns. In that country the Eve of St. Peter's Day (the twenty-ninth of June) is celebrated by bonfires and dances exactly like those which commemorate St. John's Eve. Some people say that the fires of St. Peter， like those of St. John， are lighted in order to drive away dragons. In French Flanders down to 1789 a straw figure representing a man was always burned in the midsummer bonfire， and the figure of a woman was burned on St. Peter's Day， the twenty-ninth of June. In Belgium people jump over the midsummer bonfires as a preventive of colic， and they keep the ashes at home to hinder fire from breaking out.
The custom of lighting bonfires at midsummer has been observed in many parts of our own country， and as usual people danced round and leaped over them. In Wales three or nine different kinds of wood and charred faggots carefully preserved from the last midsummer were deemed necessary to build the bonfire， which was generally done on rising ground. In the Vale of Glamorgan a cart-wheel swathed in straw used to be ignited and sent rolling down the hill.
If it kept alight all the way down and blazed for a long time， an abundant harvest was expected. On Midsummer Eve people in the Isle of Man were wont to light fires to the windward of every field， so that the smoke might pass over the corn； and they folded their cattle and carried blazing furze or gorse round them several times. In Ireland cattle， especially barren cattle， were driven through the midsummer fires， and the ashes were thrown on the fields to fertilise them， or live coals were carried into them to prevent blight. In Scotland the traces of midsummer fires are few； but at that season in the highlands of Perthshire cowherds used to go round their folds thrice， in the direction of the sun， with lighted torches. This they did to purify the flocks and herds and to keep them from falling sick.
The practice of lighting bonfires on Midsummer Eve and dancing or leaping over them is， or was till recently， common all over Spain and in some parts of Italy and Sicily. In Malta great fires are kindled in the streets and squares of the towns and villages on the Eve of St. John (Midsummer Eve)； formerly the Grand Master of the Order of St. John used on that evening to set fire to a heap of pitch barrels placed in front of the sacred Hospital. In Greece， too， the custom of kindling fires on St. John's Eve and jumping over them is said to be still universal. One reason assigned for it is a wish to escape from the fleas. According to another account， the women cry out， as they leap over the fire， I leave my sins behind me. In Lesbos the fires on St. John's Eve are usually lighted by threes， and the people spring thrice over them， each with a stone on his head， saying， I jump the hare's fire， my head a stone！ In Calymnos the midsummer fire is supposed to ensure abundance in the coming year as well as deliverance from fleas. The people dance round the fires singing， with stones on their heads， and then jump over the blaze or the glowing embers. When the fire is burning low， they throw the stones into it； and when it is nearly out， they make crosses on their legs and then go straightway and bathe in the sea.