[687] Thomas Hyde, Historia Religionis veterum Persarum (Oxford, 1700), pp. 255-257.

[688] On the need-fire see Jacob Grimm, Deutsche Mythologie*[4] i. 501 sqq.; J.W.  Wolf, Beitraege zur deutschen Mythologie (Goettingen and Leipsic, 1852-1857), i. 116 sq., ii. 378 sqq.; Adalbert Kuhn, Die Herabkunjt des Feuers und des Goettertranks*[2] (Guetersloh, 1886), pp. 41 sqq.; Walter K. Kelly, Curiosities of Indo-European Tradition and Folk-lore (London, 1863), pp. 48 sqq.; W. Mannhardt, Der Baumkultus der Germanen und ihrer Nachbarstaemme (Berlin, 1875), pp. 518 sqq.; Charles Elton, Origins of English History (London, 1882), pp. 293 sqq.; Ulrich Jahn, Die deutschen Opfergebraeuche bei Ackerbau und Viehzucht (Breslau, 1884), pp. 26 sqq. Grimm would derive the name need-fire (German, niedfyr, nodfyr, nodfeur, nothfeur) from need (German, noth), “necessity,” so that the phrase need-fire would mean “a forced fire.”  This is the sense attached to it in Lindenbrog’s glossary on the capitularies, quoted by Grimm, op. cit. i. p. 502:  “Eum ergo ignem nodfeur et nodfyr, quasi necessarium ignem vocant” C.L.  Rochholz would connect need with a verb nieten “to churn,” so that need-fire would mean “churned fire.”  See C.L.  Rochholz, Deutscher Glaube und Brauch (Berlin, 1867), ii. 149 sq. This interpretion is confirmed by the name ankenmilch bohren, which is given to the need-fire in some parts of Switzerland.  See E. Hoffmann-Krayer, “Fruchtbarkeitsriten im schweizerischen Volksbrauch,” Schweizerisches Archiv fuer Volkskuende, xi. (1907) p. 245.

[689] “Illos sacrilegos ignes, quos niedfyr vocant,” quoted by J. Grimm, Deutsche Mythologie,*[4] i. 502; R. Andree, Braunschweiger Volkskunde (Brunswick, 1896), p. 312.

[690] Indiculus Superstitionum et Paganiarum, No.  XV., “De igne fricato de ligno i.e. nodfyr.”  A convenient edition of the Indiculus has been published with a commentary by H.A.  Saupe (Leipsic, 1891).  As to the date of the work, see the editor’s introduction, pp. 4 sq.

[691] Karl Lynker, Deutsche Sagen und Sitten in hessischen Gauen,*[2] (Cassel and Goettingen, 1860), pp. 252 sq., quoting a letter of the mayor (Schultheiss) of Neustadt to the mayor of Marburg dated 12th December 1605.

[692] Bartholomaeus Carrichter, Der Teutschen Speisskammer (Strasburg, 1614), Fol. pag. 17 and 18, quoted by C.L.  Rochholz, Deutscher Glaube und Brauch (Berlin, 1867), ii. 148 sq.

[693] Joh.  Reiskius, Untersuchung des Notfeuers (Frankfort and Leipsic, 1696), p. 51, quoted by J. Grimm, Deutsche Mythologie,*[4] i. 502 sq.; R. Andree, Braunschweiger Volkskunde (Brunswick, 1896), p. 313.