Mythological divinities and heroes, also, have been very fairly represented on our signboards. At this head, of course, BACCHUS (frequently with the epithet of JOLLY) well deserves to be placed. In the time when the BUSH was the usual alehouse sign, or rather when it had swollen to a crown of evergreens, a chubby little Bacchus astride on a tun was generally a pendant to the crown. In Holland and Germany we have seen a Beer king, (a modern invention, certainly,) named Cambrinus, taking the place of Bacchus at the beer-house door; but, according to the sixteenth century notions, Bacchus included beer in his dominions. Hence he is styled “Bacchus, the God of brew’d wine and sugar, grand patron of robpots, upsey freesy tipplers, and supernaculum takers, this Bacchus, who is head warden of Vintner’s Hall, _ale connor_, mayor of all victualling houses,” &c.--MASSINGER’S _Virgin Martyr_, a. ii. s. l. Next to Bacchus, APOLLO is most frequent, but whether as god of the sun or leader of the Muses it is difficult to say. Sometimes he is called GLORIOUS APOLLO, which, in heraldic language, means that he has a halo round his head.[81] In the beginning of this century there was a notorious place of amusement in St George’s Fields, Westminster Road, called the Apollo Gardens--a Vauxhall or a Ranelagh of a very low description. It was tastefully fitted up, but being small and having few attractions beyond its really good orchestra, it became the resort of the vulgar and the depraved, and was finally closed and built over.
MINERVA also is not uncommon--probably not so much because she was the goddess of wisdom, but as “y^{ e} patroness of scholars, shoemakers, diers,” &c.[82] JUNO has a temple in Church Lane, Hull, and NEPTUNE of course is of frequent occurrence in a country that holds the
The smith “being generally a thirsty soul, his patron VULCAN constitutes an appropriate alehouse sign, and in that capacity he frequently figures, particularly in the Black country. Amongst the quaint Dutch signboard inscriptions there is one which, in the seventeenth century, was written under a sign of Vulcan lighting his pipe:--
“_In Vulcanus._ Hy steekt zyn pyp op aan ’t vyer Die goed tabak wil hebben die komt alhier. Je krygt een gestopte pyp toe en op kermis een glas dik bier.”[83]