the golden bough-第117章

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ot。　Perhaps　if　we　knew　the　ritual　of　the　Arician　grove　fully　we　might　find　that　the　king　was　allowed　a　chance　for　his　life　by　flight；　like　his　Bohemian　brother。　I　have　already　conjectured　that　the　annual　flight　of　the　priestly　king　at　Rome　（regifugium）　was　at　first　a　flight　of　the　same　kind；　in　other　words；　that　he　was　originally　one　of　those　divine　kings　who　are　either　put　to　death　after　a　fixed　period　or　allowed　to　prove　by　the　strong　hand　or　the　fleet　foot　that　their　divinity　is　vigorous　and　unimpaired。　One　more　point　of　resemblance　may　be　noted　between　the　Italian　King　of　the　Wood　and　his　northern　counterparts。　In　Saxony　and　Thüringen　the　representative　of　the　tree…spirit；　after　being　killed；　is　brought　to　life　again　by　a　doctor。　This　is　exactly　what　legend　affirmed　to　have　happened　to　the　first　King　of　the　Wood　at　Nemi；　Hippolytus　or　Virbius；　who　after　he　had　been　killed　by　his　horses　was　restored　to　life　by　the　physician　Aesculapius。　Such　a　legend　tallies　well　with　the　theory　that　the　slaying　of　the　King　of　the　Wood　was　only　a　step　to　his　revival　or　resurrection　in　his　successor。　2。　Burying　the　Carnival

THUS　far　I　have　offered　an　explanation　of　the　rule　which　required　that　the　priest　of　Nemi　should　be　slain　by　his　successor。　The　explanation　claims　to　be　no　more　than　probable；　our　scanty　knowledge　of　the　custom　and　of　its　history　forbids　it　to　be　more。　But　its　probability　will　be　augmented　in　proportion　to　the　extent　to　which　the　motives　and　modes　of　thought　which　it　assumes　can　be　proved　to　have　operated　in　primitive　society。　Hitherto　the　god　with　whose　death　and　resurrection　we　have　been　chiefly　concerned　has　been　the　tree…god。　But　if　I　can　show　that　the　custom　of　killing　the　god　and　the　belief　in　his　resurrection　originated；　or　at　least　existed；　in　the　hunting　and　pastoral　stage　of　society；　when　the　slain　god　was　an　animal；　and　that　it　survived　into　the　agricultural　stage；　when　the　slain　god　was　the　corn　or　a　human　being　representing　the　corn；　the　probability　of　my　explanation　will　have　been　considerably　increased。　This　I　shall　attempt　to　do　in　the　sequel；　and　in　the　course　of　the　discussion　I　hope　to　clear　up　some　obscurities　which　still　remain；　and　to　answer　some　objections　which　may　have　suggested　themselves　to　the　reader。

We　start　from　the　point　at　which　we　left　offthe　spring　customs　of　European　peasantry。　Besides　the　ceremonies　already　described　there　are　two　kindred　sets　of　observances　in　which　the　simulated　death　of　a　divine　or　supernatural　being　is　a　conspicuous　feature。　In　one　of　them　the　being　whose　death　is　dramatically　represented　is　a　personification　of　the　Carnival；　in　the　other　it　is　Death　himself。　The　former　ceremony　falls　naturally　at　the　end　of　the　Carnival；　either　on　the　last　day　of　that　merry　season；　namely　Shrove　Tuesday；　or　on　the　first　day　of　Lent；　namely　Ash　Wednesday。　The　date　of　the　other　ceremonythe　Carrying　or　Driving　out　of　Death；　as　it　is　commonly　calledis　not　so　uniformly　fixed。　Generally　it　is　the　fourth　Sunday　in　Lent；　which　hence　goes　by　the　name　of　Dead　Sunday；　but　in　some　places　the　celebration　falls　a　week　earlier；　in　others；　as　among　the　Czechs　of　Bohemia；　a　week　later；　while　in　certain　German　villages　of　Moravia　it　is　held　on　the　first　Sunday　after　Easter。　Perhaps；　as　has　been　suggested；　the　date　may　originally　have　been　variable；　depending　on　the　appearance　of　the　first　swallow　or　some　other　herald　of　the　spring。　Some　writers　regard　the　ceremony　as　Slavonic　in　its　origin。　Grimm　thought　it　was　a　festival　of　the　New　Year　with　the　old　Slavs；　who　began　their　year　in　March。　We　shall　first　take　examples；　of　the　mimic　death　of　the　Carnival；　which　always　falls　before　the　other　in　the　calendar。

At　Frosinone；　in　Latium；　about　half…way　between　Rome　and　Naples；　the　dull　monotony　of　life　in　a　provincial　Italian　town　is　agreeably　broken　on　the　last　day　of　the　Carnival　by　the　ancient　festival　known　as　the　Radica。　About　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　the　town　band；　playing　lively　tunes　and　followed　by　a　great　crowd；　proceeds　to　the　Piazza　del　Plebiscito；　where　is　the　Sub…Prefecture　as　well　as　the　rest　of　the　Government　buildings。　Here；　in　the　middle　of　the　square；　the　eyes　of　the　expectant　multitude　are　greeted　by　the　sight　of　an　immense　car　decked　with　many…coloured　festoons　and　drawn　by　four　horses。　Mounted　on　the　car　is　a　huge　chair；　on　which　sits　enthroned　the　majestic　figure　of　the　Carnival；　a　man　of　stucco　about　nine　feet　high　with　a　rubicund　and　smiling　countenance。　Enormous　boots；　a　tin　helmet　like　those　which　grace　the　heads　of　officers　of　the　Italian　marine；　and　a　coat　of　many　colours　embellished　with　strange　devices；　adorn　the　outward　man　of　this　stately　personage。　His　left　hand　rests　on　the　arm　of　the　chair；　while　with　his　right　he　gracefully　salutes　the　crowd；　being　moved　to　this　act　of　civility　by　a　string　which　is　pulled　by　a　man　who　modestly　shrinks　from　publicity　under　the　mercy…seat。　And　now　the　crowd；　surging　excitedly　round　the　car；　gives　vent　to　its　feelings　in　wild　cries　of　joy；　gentle　and　simple　being　mixed　up　together　and　all　dancing　furiously　the　Saltarello。　A　special　feature　of　the　festival　is　that　every　one　must　carry　in　his　hand　what　is　called　a　radica　（　root）；　by　which　is　meant　a　huge　leaf　of　the　aloe　or　rather　the　agave。　Any　one　who　ventured　into　the　crowd　without　such　a　leaf　would　be　unceremoniously　hustled　out　of　it；　unless　indeed　he　bore　as　a　substitute　a　large　cabbage　at　the　end　of　a　long　stick　or　a　bunch　of　grass　curiously　plaited。　When　the　multitude；　after　a　short　turn；　has　escorted　the　slow…moving　car　to　the　gate　of　the　Sub…Prefecture；　they　halt；　and　the　car；　jolting　over　the　uneven　ground；　rumbles　into　the　courtyard。　A　hush　now　falls　on　the　crowd；　their　subdued　voices　sounding；　according　to　the　description　of　one　who　has　heard　them；　like　the　murmur　of　a　troubled　sea。　All　eyes　are　turned　anxiously　to　the　door　from　which　the　Sub…Prefect　himself　and　the　other　representatives　of　the　majesty　of　the　law　are　expected　to　issue　and　pay　their　homage　to　the　hero　of　the　hour。　A　few　moments　of　suspense　and　then　a　storm　of　cheers　and　hand…clapping　salutes　the　appearance　of　the　dignitaries；　as　they　file　out　and；　descending　the　staircase；　take　their　place　in　the　procession。　The　hymn　of　the　Carnival　is　now　thundered　out；　after　which；　amid　a　deafening　roar；　aloe　leaves　and　cabbages　are　whirled　aloft　and　descend　impartially　on　the　heads　of　the　just　and　the　unjust；　who　lend　fresh　zest　to　the　proceedings　by　engaging　in　a　free　fight。　When　these　preliminaries　have　been　concluded　to　the　satisfaction　of　all　concerned；　the　procession　gets　under　weigh。　The　rear　is　brought　up　by　a　cart　laden　with　barrels　of　wine　and　policemen；　the　latter　engaged　in　the　congenial　task　of　serving　out　wine　to　all　who　ask　for　it；　while　a　most　internecine　struggle；　accompanied　by　a　copious　discharge　of　yells；　blows；　and　blasphemy；　goes　on　among　the　surging　crowd　at　the　cart's　tail　in　their　anxiety　not　to　miss　the　glorious　opportunity　of　intoxicating　themselves　at　the　public　expense。　Finally；　after　the　procession　has　paraded　the　principal　streets　in　this　majestic　manner；　the　effigy　of　Carnival　is　taken　to　the　middle　of　a　public　square；　stripped　of　his　finery；　laid　on　a　pile　of　wood；　and　burnt　amid　the　cries　of　the　multitude；　who　thundering　out　once　more　the　song　of　the　Carnival　fling　their　so…called　roots　on　the　pyre　and　give　themselves　up　without　restraint　to　the　pleasures　of　the　dance。

In　the　Abruzzi　a　pasteboard　figure　of　the　Carnival　is　carried　by　four　grave…diggers　with　pipes　in　their　mouths　and　bottles　of　wine　slung　at　their　shoulder…belts。　In　front　walks　the　wife　of　the　Carnival；　dressed　in　mourning　and　dissolved　in　tears。　From　time　to　time　the　company　halts；　and　while　the　wife　addresses　the　sympathising　public；　the　grave…diggers　refresh　the　inner　man　with　a　pull　at　the　bottle。　In　the　open　square　the　mimic　corpse　is　laid　on　a　pyre；　and　to　the　roll　of　drums；　the　shrill　screams　of　the　women；　and　the　gruffer　cries　of　the　men　a　light　is　set　to　it。　While　the　figure　burns；　chestnuts　are　thrown　about　among　the　crowd。　Sometimes　the　Carnival　is　represented　by　a　straw…man　at　the　top　of　a　pole　which　is　borne　through　the　town　by　a　troop　of　mummers　in　the　course　of　the　afternoon。　When　evening　comes　on；　four　o