the golden bough-第121章

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alled　Dziewanna；　the　goddess　of　spring。

At　Eisenach　on　the　fourth　Sunday　in　Lent　young　people　used　to　fasten　a　straw…man；　representing　Death；　to　a　wheel；　which　they　trundled　to　the　top　of　a　hill。　Then　setting　fire　to　the　figure　they　allowed　it　and　the　wheel　to　roll　down　the　slope。　Next　day　they　cut　a　tall　fir…tree；　tricked　it　out　with　ribbons；　and　set　it　up　in　the　plain。　The　men　then　climbed　the　tree　to　fetch　down　the　ribbons。　In　Upper　Lusatia　the　figure　of　Death；　made　of　straw　and　rags；　is　dressed　in　a　veil　furnished　by　the　last　bride　and　a　shirt　provided　by　the　house　in　which　the　last　death　took　place。　Thus　arrayed　the　figure　is　stuck　on　the　end　of　a　long　pole　and　carried　at　full　speed　by　the　tallest　and　strongest　girl；　while　the　rest　pelt　the　effigy　with　sticks　and　stones。　Whoever　hits　it　will　be　sure　to　live　through　the　year。　In　this　way　Death　is　carried　out　of　the　village　and　thrown　into　the　water　or　over　the　boundary　of　the　next　village。　On　their　way　home　each　one　breaks　a　green　branch　and　carries　it　gaily　with　him　till　he　reaches　the　village；　when　he　throws　it　away。　Sometimes　the　young　people　of　the　next　village；　upon　whose　land　the　figure　has　been　thrown；　run　after　them　and　hurl　it　back；　not　wishing　to　have　Death　among　them。　Hence　the　two　parties　occasionally　come　to　blows。

In　these　cases　Death　is　represented　by　the　puppet　which　is　thrown　away；　Summer　or　Life　by　the　branches　or　trees　which　are　brought　back。　But　sometimes　a　new　potency　of　life　seems　to　be　attributed　to　the　image　of　Death　itself；　and　by　a　kind　of　resurrection　it　becomes　the　instrument　of　the　general　revival。　Thus　in　some　parts　of　Lusatia　women　alone　are　concerned　in　carrying　out　Death；　and　suffer　no　male　to　meddle　with　it。　Attired　in　mourning；　which　they　wear　the　whole　day；　they　make　a　puppet　of　straw；　clothe　it　in　a　white　shirt；　and　give　it　a　broom　in　one　hand　and　a　scythe　in　the　other。　Singing　songs　and　pursued　by　urchins　throwing　stones；　they　carry　the　puppet　to　the　village　boundary；　where　they　tear　it　in　pieces。　Then　they　cut　down　a　fine　tree；　hang　the　shirt　on　it；　and　carry　it　home　singing。　On　the　Feast　of　Ascension　the　Saxons　of　Braller；　a　village　of　Transylvania；　not　far　from　Hermannstadt；　observe　the　ceremony　of　Carrying　out　Death　in　the　following　manner。　After　morning　service　all　the　school…girls　repair　to　the　house　of　one　of　their　number；　and　there　dress　up　the　Death。　This　is　done　by　tying　a　threshed…out　sheaf　of　corn　into　a　rough　semblance　of　a　head　and　body；　while　the　arms　are　simulated　by　a　broomstick　thrust　through　it　horizontally。　The　figure　is　dressed　in　the　holiday　attire　of　a　young　peasant　woman；　with　a　red　hood；　silver　brooches；　and　a　profusion　of　ribbons　at　the　arms　and　breast。　The　girls　bustle　at　their　work；　for　soon　the　bells　will　be　ringing　to　vespers；　and　the　Death　must　be　ready　in　time　to　be　placed　at　the　open　window；　that　all　the　people　may　see　it　on　their　way　to　church。　When　vespers　are　over；　the　longed…for　moment　has　come　for　the　first　procession　with　the　Death　to　begin；　it　is　a　privilege　that　belongs　to　the　school…girls　alone。　Two　of　the　older　girls　seize　the　figure　by　the　arms　and　walk　in　front：　all　the　rest　follow　two　and　two。　Boys　may　take　no　part　in　the　procession；　but　they　troop　after　it　gazing　with　open…mouthed　admiration　at　the　beautiful　Death。　So　the　procession　goes　through　all　the　streets　of　the　village；　the　girls　singing　the　old　hymn　that　begins

Gott　mein　Vater；　deine　Liebe　Reicht　so　weit　der　Himmel　ist；

to　a　tune　that　differs　from　the　ordinary　one。　When　the　procession　has　wound　its　way　through　every　street；　the　girls　go　to　another　house；　and　having　shut　the　door　against　the　eager　prying　crowd　of　boys　who　follow　at　their　heels；　they　strip　the　Death　and　pass　the　naked　truss　of　straw　out　of　the　window　to　the　boys；　who　pounce　on　it；　run　out　of　the　village　with　it　without　singing；　and　fling　the　dilapidated　effigy　into　the　neighbouring　brook。　This　done；　the　second　scene　of　the　little　drama　begins。　While　the　boys　were　carrying　away　the　Death　out　of　the　village；　the　girls　remained　in　the　house；　and　one　of　them　is　now　dressed　in　all　the　finery　which　had　been　worn　by　the　effigy。　Thus　arrayed　she　is　led　in　procession　through　all　the　streets　to　the　singing　of　the　same　hymn　as　before。　When　the　procession　is　over　they　all　betake　themselves　to　the　house　of　the　girl　who　played　the　leading　part。　Here　a　feast　awaits　them　from　which　also　the　boys　are　excluded。　It　is　a　popular　belief　that　the　children　may　safely　begin　to　eat　gooseberries　and　other　fruit　after　the　day　on　which　Death　has　thus　been　carried　out；　for　Death；　which　up　to　that　time　lurked　especially　in　gooseberries；　is　now　destroyed。　Further；　they　may　now　bathe　with　impunity　out　of　doors。　Very　similar　is　the　ceremony　which；　down　to　recent　years；　was　observed　in　some　of　the　German　villages　of　Moravia。　Boys　and　girls　met　on　the　afternoon　of　the　first　Sunday　after　Easter；　and　together　fashioned　a　puppet　of　straw　to　represent　Death。　Decked　with　bright…coloured　ribbons　and　cloths；　and　fastened　to　the　top　of　a　long　pole；　the　effigy　was　then　borne　with　singing　and　clamour　to　the　nearest　height；　where　it　was　stript　of　its　gay　attire　and　thrown　or　rolled　down　the　slope。　One　of　the　girls　was　next　dressed　in　the　gauds　taken　from　the　effigy　of　Death；　and　with　her　at　its　head　the　procession　moved　back　to　the　village。　In　some　villages　the　practice　is　to　bury　the　effigy　in　the　place　that　has　the　most　evil　reputation　of　all　the　country…side：　others　throw　it　into　running　water。

In　the　Lusatian　ceremony　described　above；　the　tree　which　is　brought　home　after　the　destruction　of　the　figure　of　Death　is　plainly　equivalent　to　the　trees　or　branches　which；　in　the　preceding　customs；　were　brought　back　as　representatives　of　Summer　or　Life；　after　Death　had　been　thrown　away　or　destroyed。　But　the　transference　of　the　shirt　worn　by　the　effigy　of　Death　to　the　tree　clearly　indicates　that　the　tree　is　a　kind　of　revivification；　in　a　new　form；　of　the　destroyed　effigy。　This　comes　out　also　in　the　Transylvanian　and　Moravian　customs：　the　dressing　of　a　girl　in　the　clothes　worn　by　the　Death；　and　the　leading　her　about　the　village　to　the　same　song　which　had　been　sung　when　the　Death　was　being　carried　about；　show　that　she　is　intended　to　be　a　kind　of　resuscitation　of　the　being　whose　effigy　has　just　been　destroyed。　These　examples　therefore　suggest　that　the　Death　whose　demolition　is　represented　in　these　ceremonies　cannot　be　regarded　as　the　purely　destructive　agent　which　we　understand　by　Death。　If　the　tree　which　is　brought　back　as　an　embodiment　of　the　reviving　vegetation　of　spring　is　clothed　in　the　shirt　worn　by　the　Death　which　has　just　been　destroyed；　the　object　certainly　cannot　be　to　check　and　counteract　the　revival　of　vegetation：　it　can　only　be　to　foster　and　promote　it。　Therefore　the　being　which　has　just　been　destroyedthe　so…called　Deathmust　be　supposed　to　be　endowed　with　a　vivifying　and　quickening　influence；　which　it　can　communicate　to　the　vegetable　and　even　the　animal　world。　This　ascription　of　a　life…giving　virtue　to　the　figure　of　Death　is　put　beyond　a　doubt　by　the　custom；　observed　in　some　places；　of　taking　pieces　of　the　straw　effigy　of　Death　and　placing　them　in　the　fields　to　make　the　crops　grow；　or　in　the　manger　to　make　the　cattle　thrive。　Thus　in　Spachendorf；　a　village　of　Austrian　Silesia；　the　figure　of　Death；　made　of　straw；　brushwood；　and　rags；　is　carried　with　wild　songs　to　an　open　place　outside　the　village　and　there　burned；　and　while　it　is　burning　a　general　struggle　takes　place　for　the　pieces；　which　are　pulled　out　of　the　flames　with　bare　hands。　Each　one　who　secures　a　fragment　of　the　effigy　ties　it　to　a　branch　of　the　largest　tree　in　his　garden；　or　buries　it　in　his　field；　in　the　belief　that　this　causes　the　crops　to　grow　better。　In　the　Troppau　district　of　Austrian　Silesia　the　straw　figure　which　the　boys　make　on　the　fourth　Sunday　in　Lent　is　dressed　by　the　girls　in　woman's　clothes　and　hung　with　ribbons；　necklace；　and　garlands。　Attached　to　a　long　pole　it　is　carried　out　of　the　village；　followed　by　a　troop　of　young　people　of　both　sexes；　who　alternately　frolic；　lament；　and　sing　songs。　Arrived　at　its　destinationa　field　outside　the　villagethe　figure　is　stripped　of　its　clothes　and　ornaments；　then　the　crowd　rushes　at　it　and　tea