the golden bough-第124章

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　shall　we　say　of　the　glee　with　which　the　effigy　is　often　carried　out；　of　the　sticks　and　stones　with　which　it　is　assailed；　and　the　taunts　and　curses　which　are　hurled　at　it？　What　shall　we　say　of　the　dread　of　the　effigy　evinced　by　the　haste　with　which　the　bearers　scamper　home　as　soon　as　they　have　thrown　it　away；　and　by　the　belief　that　some　one　must　soon　die　in　any　house　into　which　it　has　looked？　This　dread　might　perhaps　be　explained　by　a　belief　that　there　is　a　certain　infectiousness　in　the　dead　spirit　of　vegetation　which　renders　its　approach　dangerous。　But　this　explanation；　besides　being　rather　strained；　does　not　cover　the　rejoicings　which　often　attend　the　carrying　out　of　Death。　We　must　therefore　recognise　two　distinct　and　seemingly　opposite　features　in　these　ceremonies：　on　the　one　hand；　sorrow　for　the　death；　and　affection　and　respect　for　the　dead；　on　the　other　hand；　fear　and　hatred　of　the　dead；　and　rejoicings　at　his　death。　How　the　former　of　these　features　is　to　be　explained　I　have　attempted　to　show：　how　the　latter　came　to　be　so　closely　associated　with　the　former　is　a　question　which　I　shall　try　to　answer　in　the　sequel。

8。　Analogous　Rites　in　India。

IN　THE　KANAGRA　district　of　India　there　is　a　custom　observed　by　young　girls　in　spring　which　closely　resembles　some　of　the　European　spring　ceremonies　just　described。　It　is　called　the　Ral？　Ka　mela；　or　fair　of　Ral？；　the　Ral？　being　a　small　painted　earthen　image　of　Siva　or　Parvat？。　The　custom　is　in　vogue　all　over　the　Kanagra　district；　and　its　celebration；　which　is　entirely　confined　to　young　girls；　lasts　through　most　of　Chet　（March…April）　up　to　the　Sankrant　of　Baisakh　（April）。　On　a　morning　in　March　all　the　young　girls　of　the　village　take　small　baskets　of　d？b　grass　and　flowers　to　an　appointed　place；　where　they　throw　them　in　a　heap。　Round　this　heap　they　stand　in　a　circle　and　sing。　This　goes　on　every　day　for　ten　days；　till　the　heap　of　grass　and　flowers　has　reached　a　fair　height。　Then　they　cut　in　the　jungle　two　branches；　each　with　three　prongs　at　one　end；　and　place　them；　prongs　downwards；　over　the　heap　of　flowers；　so　as　to　make　two　tripods　or　pyramids。　On　the　single　uppermost　points　of　these　branches　they　get　an　image…maker　to　construct　two　clay　images；　one　to　represent　Siva；　and　the　other　Parvat？。　The　girls　then　divide　themselves　into　two　parties；　one　for　Siva　and　one　for　Parvat？；　and　marry　the　images　in　the　usual　way；　leaving　out　no　part　of　the　ceremony。　After　the　marriage　they　have　a　feast；　the　cost　of　which　is　defrayed　by　contributions　solicited　from　their　parents。　Then　at　the　next　Sankrant　（Baisakh）　they　all　go　together　to　the　river…side；　throw　the　images　into　a　deep　pool；　and　weep　over　the　place；　as　though　they　were　performing　funeral　obsequies。　The　boys　of　the　neighbourhood　often　tease　them　by　diving　after　the　images；　bringing　them　up；　and　waving　them　about　while　the　girls　are　crying　over　them。　The　object　of　the　fair　is　said　to　be　to　secure　a　good　husband。

That　in　this　Indian　ceremony　the　deities　Siva　and　Parvat？　are　conceived　as　spirits　of　vegetation　seems　to　be　proved　by　the　placing　of　their　images　on　branches　over　a　heap　of　grass　and　flowers。　Here；　as　often　in　European　folk…custom；　the　divinities　of　vegetation　are　represented　in　duplicate；　by　plants　and　by　puppets。　The　marriage　of　these　Indian　deities　in　spring　corresponds　to　the　European　ceremonies　in　which　the　marriage　of　the　vernal　spirits　of　vegetation　is　represented　by　the　King　and　Queen　of　May；　the　May　Bride；　Bridegroom　of　the　May；　and　so　forth。　The　throwing　of　the　images　into　the　water；　and　the　mourning　for　them；　are　the　equivalents　of　the　European　customs　of　throwing　the　dead　spirit　of　vegetation　under　the　name　of　Death；　Yarilo；　Kostroma；　and　the　rest；　into　the　water　and　lamenting　over　it。　Again；　in　India；　as　often　in　Europe；　the　rite　is　performed　exclusively　by　females。　The　notion　that　the　ceremony　helps　to　procure　husbands　for　the　girls　can　be　explained　by　the　quickening　and　fertilising　influence　which　the　spirit　of　vegetation　is　believed　to　exert　upon　the　life　of　man　as　well　as　of　plants。

9。　The　Magic　Spring。

THE　GENERAL　explanation　which　we　have　been　led　to　adopt　of　these　and　many　similar　ceremonies　is　that　they　are；　or　were　in　their　origin；　magical　rites　intended　to　ensure　the　revival　of　nature　in　spring。　The　means　by　which　they　were　supposed　to　effect　this　end　were　imitation　and　sympathy。　Led　astray　by　his　ignorance　of　the　true　causes　of　things；　primitive　man　believed　that　in　order　to　produce　the　great　phenomena　of　nature　on　which　his　life　depended　he　had　only　to　imitate　them；　and　that　immediately　by　a　secret　sympathy　or　mystic　influence　the　little　drama　which　he　acted　in　forest　glade　or　mountain　dell；　on　desert　plain　or　wind…swept　shore；　would　be　taken　up　and　repeated　by　mightier　actors　on　a　vaster　stage。　He　fancied　that　by　masquerading　in　leaves　and　flowers　he　helped　the　bare　earth　to　clothe　herself　with　verdure；　and　that　by　playing　the　death　and　burial　of　winter　he　drove　that　gloomy　season　away；　and　made　smooth　the　path　for　the　footsteps　of　returning　spring。　If　we　find　it　hard　to　throw　ourselves　even　in　fancy　into　a　mental　condition　in　which　such　things　seem　possible；　we　can　more　easily　picture　to　ourselves　the　anxiety　which　the　savage；　when　he　first　began　to　lift　his　thoughts　above　the　satisfaction　of　his　merely　animal　wants；　and　to　meditate　on　the　causes　of　things；　may　have　felt　as　to　the　continued　operation　of　what　we　now　call　the　laws　of　nature。　To　us；　familiar　as　we　are　with　the　conception　of　the　uniformity　and　regularity　with　which　the　great　cosmic　phenomena　succeed　each　other；　there　seems　little　ground　for　apprehension　that　the　causes　which　produce　these　effects　will　cease　to　operate；　at　least　within　the　near　future。　But　this　confidence　in　the　stability　of　nature　is　bred　only　by　the　experience　which　comes　of　wide　observation　and　long　tradition；　and　the　savage；　with　his　narrow　sphere　of　observation　and　his　short…lived　tradition；　lacks　the　very　elements　of　that　experience　which　alone　could　set　his　mind　at　rest　in　face　of　the　ever…changing　and　often　menacing　aspects　of　nature。　No　wonder；　therefore；　that　he　is　thrown　into　a　panic　by　an　eclipse；　and　thinks　that　the　sun　or　the　moon　would　surely　perish；　if　he　did　not　raise　a　clamour　and　shoot　his　puny　shafts　into　the　air　to　defend　the　luminaries　from　the　monster　who　threatens　to　devour　them。　No　wonder　he　is　terrified　when　in　the　darkness　of　night　a　streak　of　sky　is　suddenly　illumined　by　the　flash　of　a　meteor；　or　the　whole　expanse　of　the　celestial　arch　glows　with　the　fitful　light　of　the　Northern　Streamers。　Even　phenomena　which　recur　at　fixed　and　uniform　intervals　may　be　viewed　by　him　with　apprehension；　before　he　has　come　to　recognise　the　orderliness　of　their　recurrence。　The　speed　or　slowness　of　his　recognition　of　such　periodic　or　cyclic　changes　in　nature　will　depend　largely　on　the　length　of　the　particular　cycle。　The　cycle；　for　example；　of　day　and　night　is　everywhere；　except　in　the　polar　regions；　so　short　and　hence　so　frequent　that　men　probably　soon　ceased　to　discompose　themselves　seriously　as　to　the　chance　of　its　failing　to　recur；　though　the　ancient　Egyptians；　as　we　have　seen；　daily　wrought　enchantments　to　bring　back　to　the　east　in　the　morning　the　fiery　orb　which　had　sunk　at　evening　in　the　crimson　west。　But　it　was　far　otherwise　with　the　annual　cycle　of　the　seasons。　To　any　man　a　year　is　a　considerable　period；　seeing　that　the　number　of　our　years　is　but　few　at　the　best。　To　the　primitive　savage；　with　his　short　memory　and　imperfect　means　of　marking　the　flight　of　time；　a　year　may　well　have　been　so　long　that　he　failed　to　recognise　it　as　a　cycle　at　all；　and　watched　the　changing　aspects　of　earth　and　heaven　with　a　perpetual　wonder；　alternately　delighted　and　alarmed；　elated　and　cast　down；　according　as　the　vicissitudes　of　light　and　heat；　of　plant　and　animal　life；　ministered　to　his　comfort　or　threatened　his　existence。　In　autumn　when　the　withered　leaves　were　whirled　about　the　forest　by　the　nipping　blast；　and　he　looked　up　at　the　bare　boughs；　could　he　feel　sure　that　they　would　ever　be　green　again？　As　day　by　day　the　sun　sank　lower　and　lower　in　the　sky；　could　he　be　certain　that　the　luminary　would　ever　retrace　his　heavenly　road？　Even　the　waning　moon；　whose　pale　sickle　rose　thinner　an