the golden bough-第130章

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from　the　grave　harmonies　of　Palestrina　and　Handel。　A　different　spirit　breathes　in　the　difference　of　the　music。

Chapter　32。　The　Ritual　of　Adonis。

AT　THE　FESTIVALS　of　Adonis；　which　were　held　in　Western　Asia　and　in　Greek　lands；　the　death　of　the　god　was　annually　mourned；　with　a　bitter　wailing；　chiefly　by　women；　images　of　him；　dressed　to　resemble　corpses；　were　carried　out　as　to　burial　and　then　thrown　into　the　sea　or　into　springs；　and　in　some　places　his　revival　was　celebrated　on　the　following　day。　But　at　different　places　the　ceremonies　varied　somewhat　in　the　manner　and　apparently　also　in　the　season　of　their　celebration。　At　Alexandria　images　of　Aphrodite　and　Adonis　were　displayed　on　two　couches；　beside　them　were　set　ripe　fruits　of　all　kinds；　cakes；　plants　growing　in　flower…pots；　and　green　bowers　twined　with　anise。　The　marriage　of　the　lovers　was　celebrated　one　day；　and　on　the　morrow　women　attired　as　mourners；　with　streaming　hair　and　bared　breasts；　bore　the　image　of　the　dead　Adonis　to　the　sea…shore　and　committed　it　to　the　waves。　Yet　they　sorrowed　not　without　hope；　for　they　sang　that　the　lost　one　would　come　back　again。　The　date　at　which　this　Alexandrian　ceremony　was　observed　is　not　expressly　stated；　but　from　the　mention　of　the　ripe　fruits　it　has　been　inferred　that　it　took　place　in　late　summer。　In　the　great　Phoenician　sanctuary　of　Astarte　at　Byblus　the　death　of　Adonis　was　annually　mourned；　to　the　shrill　wailing　notes　of　the　flute；　with　weeping；　lamentation；　and　beating　of　the　breast；　but　next　day　he　was　believed　to　come　to　life　again　and　ascend　up　to　heaven　in　the　presence　of　his　worshippers。　The　disconsolate　believers；　left　behind　on　earth；　shaved　their　heads　as　the　Egyptians　did　on　the　death　of　the　divine　bull　Apis；　women　who　could　not　bring　themselves　to　sacrifice　their　beautiful　tresses　had　to　give　themselves　up　to　strangers　on　a　certain　day　of　the　festival；　and　to　dedicate　to　Astarte　the　wages　of　their　shame。

This　Phoenician　festival　appears　to　have　been　a　vernal　one；　for　its　date　was　determined　by　the　discoloration　of　the　river　Adonis；　and　this　has　been　observed　by　modern　travellers　to　occur　in　spring。　At　that　season　the　red　earth　washed　down　from　the　mountains　by　the　rain　tinges　the　water　of　the　river；　and　even　the　sea；　for　a　great　way　with　a　blood…red　hue；　and　the　crimson　stain　was　believed　to　be　the　blood　of　Adonis；　annually　wounded　to　death　by　the　boar　on　Mount　Lebanon。　Again；　the　scarlet　anemone　is　said　to　have　sprung　from　the　blood　of　Adonis；　or　to　have　been　stained　by　it；　and　as　the　anemone　blooms　in　Syria　about　Easter；　this　may　be　thought　to　show　that　the　festival　of　Adonis；　or　at　least　one　of　his　festivals；　was　held　in　spring。　The　name　of　the　flower　is　probably　derived　from　Naaman　（darling）；　which　seems　to　have　been　an　epithet　of　Adonis。　The　Arabs　still　call　the　anemone　wounds　of　the　Naaman。　The　red　rose　also　was　said　to　owe　its　hue　to　the　same　sad　occasion；　for　Aphrodite；　hastening　to　her　wounded　lover；　trod　on　a　bush　of　white　roses；　the　cruel　thorns　tore　her　tender　flesh；　and　her　sacred　blood　dyed　the　white　roses　for　ever　red。　It　would　be　idle；　perhaps；　to　lay　much　weight　on　evidence　drawn　from　the　calendar　of　flowers；　and　in　particular　to　press　an　argument　so　fragile　as　the　bloom　of　the　rose。　Yet　so　far　as　it　counts　at　all；　the　tale　which　links　the　damask　rose　with　the　death　of　Adonis　points　to　a　summer　rather　than　to　a　spring　celebration　of　his　passion。　In　Attica；　certainly；　the　festival　fell　at　the　height　of　summer。　For　the　fleet　which　Athens　fitted　out　against　Syracuse；　and　by　the　destruction　of　which　her　power　was　permanently　crippled；　sailed　at　midsummer；　and　by　an　ominous　coincidence　the　sombre　rites　of　Adonis　were　being　celebrated　at　the　very　time。　As　the　troops　marched　down　to　the　harbour　to　embark；　the　streets　through　which　they　passed　were　lined　with　coffins　and　corpse…like　effigies；　and　the　air　was　rent　with　the　noise　of　women　wailing　for　the　dead　Adonis。　The　circumstance　cast　a　gloom　over　the　sailing　of　the　most　splendid　armament　that　Athens　ever　sent　to　sea。　Many　ages　afterwards；　when　the　Emperor　Julian　made　his　first　entry　into　Antioch；　he　found　in　like　manner　the　gay；　the　luxurious　capital　of　the　East　plunged　in　mimic　grief　for　the　annual　death　of　Adonis；　and　if　he　had　any　presentiment　of　coming　evil；　the　voices　of　lamentation　which　struck　upon　his　ear　must　have　seemed　to　sound　his　knell。

The　resemblance　of　these　ceremonies　to　the　Indian　and　European　ceremonies　which　I　have　described　elsewhere　is　obvious。　In　particular；　apart　from　the　somewhat　doubtful　date　of　its　celebration；　the　Alexandrian　ceremony　is　almost　identical　with　the　Indian。　In　both　of　them　the　marriage　of　two　divine　beings；　whose　affinity　with　vegetation　seems　indicated　by　the　fresh　plants　with　which　they　are　surrounded；　is　celebrated　in　effigy；　and　the　effigies　are　afterwards　mourned　over　and　thrown　into　the　water。　From　the　similarity　of　these　customs　to　each　other　and　to　the　spring　and　midsummer　customs　of　modern　Europe　we　should　naturally　expect　that　they　all　admit　of　a　common　explanation。　Hence；　if　the　explanation　which　I　have　adopted　of　the　latter　is　correct；　the　ceremony　of　the　death　and　resurrection　of　Adonis　must　also　have　been　a　dramatic　representation　of　the　decay　and　revival　of　plant　life。　The　inference　thus　based　on　the　resemblance　of　the　customs　is　confirmed　by　the　following　features　in　the　legend　and　ritual　of　Adonis。　His　affinity　with　vegetation　comes　out　at　once　in　the　common　story　of　his　birth。　He　was　said　to　have　been　born　from　a　myrrh…tree；　the　bark　of　which　bursting；　after　a　ten　months'　gestation；　allowed　the　lovely　infant　to　come　forth。　According　to　some；　a　boar　rent　the　bark　with　his　tusk　and　so　opened　a　passage　for　the　babe。　A　faint　rationalistic　colour　was　given　to　the　legend　by　saying　that　his　mother　was　a　woman　named　Myrrh；　who　had　been　turned　into　a　myrrh…tree　soon　after　she　had　conceived　the　child。　The　use　of　myrrh　as　incense　at　the　festival　of　Adonis　may　have　given　rise　to　the　fable。　We　have　seen　that　incense　was　burnt　at　the　corresponding　Babylonian　rites；　just　as　it　was　burnt　by　the　idolatrous　Hebrews　in　honour　of　the　Queen　of　Heaven；　who　was　no　other　than　Astarte。　Again；　the　story　that　Adonis　spent　half；　or　according　to　others　a　third；　of　the　year　in　the　lower　world　and　the　rest　of　it　in　the　upper　world；　is　explained　most　simply　and　naturally　by　supposing　that　he　represented　vegetation；　especially　the　corn；　which　lies　buried　in　the　earth　half　the　year　and　reappears　above　ground　the　other　half。　Certainly　of　the　annual　phenomena　of　nature　there　is　none　which　suggests　so　obviously　the　idea　of　death　and　resurrection　as　the　disappearance　and　reappearance　of　vegetation　in　autumn　and　spring。　Adonis　has　been　taken　for　the　sun；　but　there　is　nothing　in　the　sun's　annual　course　within　the　temperate　and　tropical　zones　to　suggest　that　he　is　dead　for　half　or　a　third　of　the　year　and　alive　for　the　other　half　or　two…thirds。　He　might；　indeed；　be　conceived　as　weakened　in　winter；　but　dead　he　could　not　be　thought　to　be；　his　daily　reappearance　contradicts　the　supposition。　Within　the　Arctic　Circle；　where　the　sun　annually　disappears　for　a　continuous　period　which　varies　from　twenty…four　hours　to　six　months　according　to　the　latitude；　his　yearly　death　and　resurrection　would　certainly　be　an　obvious　idea；　but　no　one　except　the　unfortunate　astronomer　Bailly　has　maintained　that　the　Adonis　worship　came　from　the　Arctic　regions。　On　the　other　hand；　the　annual　death　and　revival　of　vegetation　is　a　conception　which　readily　presents　itself　to　men　in　every　stage　of　savagery　and　civilisation；　and　the　vastness　of　the　scale　on　which　this　ever…recurring　decay　and　regeneration　takes　place；　together　with　man's　intimate　dependence　on　it　for　subsistence；　combine　to　render　it　the　most　impressive　annual　occurrence　in　nature；　at　least　within　the　temperate　zones。　It　is　no　wonder　that　a　phenomenon　so　important；　so　striking；　and　so　universal　should；　by　suggesting　similar　ideas；　have　given　rise　to　similar　rites　in　many　lands。　We　may；　therefore；　accept　as　probable　an　explanation　of　the　Adonis　worship　which　accords　so　well　with　the　facts　of　nature　and　with　the　analogy　of　similar　rites　in　other　lands。　Moreover；　the　explanation　is　countenanced　by　a　considerable　bod