the golden bough-第116章

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bark　till　it　rings　again。　Then　a　gratuity　is　demanded。　The　ceremony　of　decapitation；　which　is　here　somewhat　slurred　over；　is　carried　out　with　a　greater　semblance　of　reality　in　other　parts　of　Bohemia。　Thus　in　some　villages　of　the　K？niggr？tz　district　on　Whit…Monday　the　girls　assemble　under　one　lime…tree　and　the　young　men　under　another；　all　dressed　in　their　best　and　tricked　out　with　ribbons。　The　young　men　twine　a　garland　for　the　Queen；　and　the　girls　another　for　the　King。　When　they　have　chosen　the　King　and　Queen　they　all　go　in　procession　two　and　two；　to　the　ale…house；　from　the　balcony　of　which　the　crier　proclaims　the　names　of　the　King　and　Queen。　Both　are　then　invested　with　the　insignia　of　their　office　and　are　crowned　with　the　garlands；　while　the　music　plays　up。　Then　some　one　gets　on　a　bench　and　accuses　the　King　of　various　offences；　such　as　ill…treating　the　cattle。　The　King　appeals　to　witnesses　and　a　trial　ensues；　at　the　close　of　which　the　judge；　who　carries　a　white　wand　as　his　badge　of　office；　pronounces　a　verdict　of　Guilty；　or　Not　guilty。　If　the　verdict　is　Guilty；　the　judge　breaks　his　wand；　the　King　kneels　on　a　white　cloth；　all　heads　are　bared；　and　a　soldier　sets　three　or　four　hats；　one　above　the　other；　on　his　Majestys　head。　The　judge　then　pronounces　the　word　Guilty　thrice　in　a　loud　voice；　and　orders　the　crier　to　behead　the　King。　The　crier　obeys　by　striking　off　the　Kings　hats　with　the　wooden　sword。

But　perhaps；　for　our　purpose；　the　most　instructive　of　these　mimic　executions　is　the　following　Bohemian　one。　In　some　places　of　the　Pilsen　district　（Bohemia）　on　Whit…Monday　the　King　is　dressed　in　bark；　ornamented　with　flowers　and　ribbons；　he　wears　a　crown　of　gilt　paper　and　rides　a　horse；　which　is　also　decked　with　flowers。　Attended　by　a　judge；　an　executioner；　and　other　characters；　and　followed　by　a　train　of　soldiers；　all　mounted；　he　rides　to　the　village　square；　where　a　hut　or　arbour　of　green　boughs　has　been　erected　under　the　May…trees；　which　are　firs；　freshly　cut；　peeled　to　the　top；　and　dressed　with　flowers　and　ribbons。　After　the　dames　and　maidens　of　the　village　have　been　criticised　and　a　frog　beheaded；　the　cavalcade　rides　to　a　place　previously　determined　upon；　in　a　straight；　broad　street。　Here　they　draw　up　in　two　lines　and　the　King　takes　to　flight。　He　is　given　a　short　start　and　rides　off　at　full　speed；　pursued　by　the　whole　troop。　If　they　fail　to　catch　him　he　remains　King　for　another　year；　and　his　companions　must　pay　his　score　at　the　ale…house　in　the　evening。　But　if　they　overtake　and　catch　him　he　is　scourged　with　hazel　rods　or　beaten　with　the　wooden　swords　and　compelled　to　dismount。　Then　the　executioner　asks；　Shall　I　behead　this　King？　The　answer　is　given；　Behead　him；　the　executioner　brandishes　his　axe；　and　with　the　words；　One；　two；　three；　let　the　King　headless　be！　he　strikes　off　the　Kings　crown。　Amid　the　loud　cries　of　the　bystanders　the　King　sinks　to　the　ground；　then　he　is　laid　on　a　bier　and　carried　to　the　nearest　farmhouse。

In　most　of　the　personages　who　are　thus　slain　in　mimicry　it　is　impossible　not　to　recognise　representatives　of　the　tree…spirit　or　spirit　of　vegetation；　as　he　is　supposed　to　manifest　himself　in　spring。　The　bark；　leaves；　and　flowers　in　which　the　actors　are　dressed；　and　the　season　of　the　year　at　which　they　appear；　show　that　they　belong　to　the　same　class　as　the　Grass　King；　King　of　the　May；　Jack…in…the…Green；　and　other　representatives　of　the　vernal　spirit　of　vegetation　which　we　examined　in　an　earlier　part　of　this　work。　As　if　to　remove　any　possible　doubt　on　this　head；　we　find　that　in　two　cases　these　slain　men　are　brought　into　direct　connexion　with　May…trees；　which　are　the　impersonal；　as　the　May　King；　Grass　King；　and　so　forth；　are　the　personal　representatives　of　the　tree…spirit。　The　drenching　of　the　Pfingstl　with　water　and　his　wading　up　to　the　middle　into　the　brook　are；　therefore；　no　doubt　rain…charms　like　those　which　have　been　already　described。

But　if　these　personages　represent；　as　they　certainly　do；　the　spirit　of　vegetation　in　spring；　the　question　arises；　Why　kill　them？　What　is　the　object　of　slaying　the　spirit　of　vegetation　at　any　time　and　above　all　in　spring；　when　his　services　are　most　wanted？　The　only　probable　answer　to　this　question　seems　to　be　given　in　the　explanation　already　proposed　of　the　custom　of　killing　the　divine　king　or　priest。　The　divine　life；　incarnate　in　a　material　and　mortal　body；　is　liable　to　be　tainted　and　corrupted　by　the　weakness　of　the　frail　medium　in　which　it　is　for　a　time　enshrined；　and　if　it　is　to　be　saved　from　the　increasing　enfeeblement　which　it　must　necessarily　share　with　its　human　incarnation　as　he　advances　in　years；　it　must　be　detached　from　him　before；　or　at　least　as　soon　as；　he　exhibits　signs　of　decay；　in　order　to　be　transferred　to　a　vigorous　successor。　This　is　done　by　killing　the　old　representative　of　the　god　and　conveying　the　divine　spirit　from　him　to　a　new　incarnation。　The　killing　of　the　god；　that　is；　of　his　human　incarnation；　is　therefore　merely　a　necessary　step　to　his　revival　or　resurrection　in　a　better　form。　Far　from　being　an　extinction　of　the　divine　spirit；　it　is　only　the　beginning　of　a　purer　and　stronger　manifestation　of　it。　If　this　explanation　holds　good　of　the　custom　of　killing　divine　kings　and　priests　in　general；　it　is　still　more　obviously　applicable　to　the　custom　of　annually　killing　the　representative　of　the　tree…spirit　or　spirit　of　vegetation　in　spring。　For　the　decay　of　plant　life　in　winter　is　readily　interpreted　by　primitive　man　as　an　enfeeblement　of　the　spirit　of　vegetation；　the　spirit　has；　he　thinks；　grown　old　and　weak　and　must　therefore　be　renovated　by　being　slain　and　brought　to　life　in　a　younger　and　fresher　form。　Thus　the　killing　of　the　representative　of　the　tree…spirit　in　spring　is　regarded　as　a　means　to　promote　and　quicken　the　growth　of　vegetation。　For　the　killing　of　the　tree…spirit　is　associated　always　（we　must　suppose）　implicitly；　and　sometimes　explicitly　also；　with　a　revival　or　resurrection　of　him　in　a　more　youthful　and　vigorous　form。　So　in　the　Saxon　and　Thüringen　custom；　after　the　Wild　Man　has　been　shot　he　is　brought　to　life　again　by　a　doctor；　and　in　the　Wurmlingen　ceremony　there　figures　a　Dr。　Iron…Beard；　who　probably　once　played　a　similar　part；　certainly　in　another　spring　ceremony；　which　will　be　described　presently；　Dr。　Iron…Beard　pretends　to　restore　a　dead　man　to　life。　But　of　this　revival　or　resurrection　of　the　god　we　shall　have　more　to　say　anon。

The　points　of　similarity　between　these　North　European　personages　and　the　subject　of　our　enquiry　〃the　King　of　the　Wood　or　priest　of　Nemi〃　are　sufficiently　striking。　In　these　northern　maskers　we　see　kings；　whose　dress　of　bark　and　leaves　along　with　the　hut　of　green　boughs　and　the　fir…trees；　under　which　they　hold　their　court；　proclaim　them　unmistakably　as；　like　their　Italian　counterpart；　Kings　of　the　Wood。　Like　him　they　die　a　violent　death；　but　like　him　they　may　escape　from　it　for　a　time　by　their　bodily　strength　and　agility；　for　in　several　of　these　northern　customs　the　flight　and　pursuit　of　the　king　is　a　prominent　part　of　the　ceremony；　and　in　one　case　at　least　if　the　king　can　outrun　his　pursuers　he　retains　his　life　and　his　office　for　another　year。　In　this　last　case　the　king　in　fact　holds　office　on　condition　of　running　for　his　life　once　a　year；　just　as　the　King　of　Calicut　in　later　times　held　office　on　condition　of　defending　his　life　against　all　comers　once　every　twelve　years；　and　just　as　the　priest　of　Nemi　held　office　on　condition　of　defending　himself　against　any　assault　at　any　time。　In　every　one　of　these　instances　the　life　of　the　god…man　is　prolonged　on　condition　of　his　showing；　in　a　severe　physical　contest　of　fight　or　flight；　that　his　bodily　strength　is　not　decayed；　and　that；　therefore；　the　violent　death；　which　sooner　or　later　is　inevitable；　may　for　the　present　be　postponed。　With　regard　to　flight　it　is　noticeable　that　flight　figured　conspicuously　both　in　the　legend　and　in　the　practice　of　the　King　of　the　Wood。　He　had　to　be　a　runaway　slave　in　memory　of　the　flight　of　Orestes；　the　traditional　founder　of　the　worship；　hence　the　Kings　of　the　Wood　are　described　by　an　ancient　writer　as　both　strong　of　hand　and　fleet　of　foot。　Perhaps　if　we　knew　the　ritual　of　the　Arician　grove　fully　we　might　find　that　the　king　was　allowe