the golden bough-第131章

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ogy　of　similar　rites　in　other　lands。　Moreover；　the　explanation　is　countenanced　by　a　considerable　body　of　opinion　amongst　the　ancients　themselves；　who　again　and　again　interpreted　the　dying　and　reviving　god　as　the　reaped　and　sprouting　grain。

The　character　of　Tammuz　or　Adonis　as　a　corn…spirit　comes　out　plainly　in　an　account　of　his　festival　given　by　an　Arabic　writer　of　the　tenth　century。　In　describing　the　rites　and　sacrifices　observed　at　the　different　seasons　of　the　year　by　the　heathen　Syrians　of　Harran；　he　says：　Tammuz　（July）。　In　the　middle　of　this　month　is　the　festival　of　el…B？gat；　that　is；　of　the　weeping　women；　and　this　is　the　Ta…uz　festival；　which　is　celebrated　in　honour　of　the　god　Ta…uz。　The　women　bewail　him；　because　his　lord　slew　him　so　cruelly；　ground　his　bones　in　a　mill；　and　then　scattered　them　to　the　wind。　The　women　（during　this　festival）　eat　nothing　which　has　been　ground　in　a　mill；　but　limit　their　diet　to　steeped　wheat；　sweet　vetches；　dates；　raisins；　and　the　like。　Ta…uz；　who　is　no　other　than　Tammuz；　is　here　like　Burns's　John　Barleycorn：

They　wasted　o'er　a　scorching　flame　The　marrow　of　his　bones；　But　a　miller　us'd　him　worst　of　all　For　he　crush'd　him　between　two　stones。

This　concentration；　so　to　say；　of　the　nature　of　Adonis　upon　the　cereal　crops　is　characteristic　of　the　stage　of　culture　reached　by　his　worshippers　in　historical　times。　They　had　left　the　nomadic　life　of　the　wandering　hunter　and　herdsman　far　behind　them；　for　ages　they　had　been　settled　on　the　land；　and　had　depended　for　their　subsistence　mainly　on　the　products　of　tillage。　The　berries　and　roots　of　the　wilderness；　the　grass　of　the　pastures；　which　had　been　matters　of　vital　importance　to　their　ruder　forefathers；　were　now　of　little　moment　to　them：　more　and　more　their　thoughts　and　energies　were　engrossed　by　the　staple　of　their　life；　the　corn；　more　and　more　accordingly　the　propitiation　of　the　deities　of　fertility　in　general　and　of　the　corn…spirit　in　particular　tended　to　become　the　central　feature　of　their　religion。　The　aim　they　set　before　themselves　in　celebrating　the　rites　was　thoroughly　practical。　It　was　no　vague　poetical　sentiment　which　prompted　them　to　hail　with　joy　the　rebirth　of　vegetation　and　to　mourn　its　decline。　Hunger；　felt　or　feared；　was　the　mainspring　of　the　worship　of　Adonis。

It　has　been　suggested　by　Father　Lagrange　that　the　mourning　for　Adonis　was　essentially　a　harvest　rite　designed　to　propitiate　the　corngod；　who　was　then　either　perishing　under　the　sickles　of　the　reapers；　or　being　trodden　to　death　under　the　hoofs　of　the　oxen　on　the　threshing…floor。　While　the　men　slew　him；　the　women　wept　crocodile　tears　at　home　to　appease　his　natural　indignation　by　a　show　of　grief　for　his　death。　The　theory　fits　in　well　with　the　dates　of　the　festivals；　which　fell　in　spring　or　summer；　for　spring　and　summer；　not　autumn；　are　the　seasons　of　the　barley　and　wheat　harvests　in　the　lands　which　worshipped　Adonis。　Further；　the　hypothesis　is　confirmed　by　the　practice　of　the　Egyptian　reapers；　who　lamented；　calling　upon　Isis；　when　they　cut　the　first　corn；　and　it　is　recommended　by　the　analogous　customs　of　many　hunting　tribes；　who　testify　great　respect　for　the　animals　which　they　kill　and　eat。

Thus　interpreted　the　death　of　Adonis　is　not　the　natural　decay　of　vegetation　in　general　under　the　summer　heat　or　the　winter　cold；　it　is　the　violent　destruction　of　the　corn　by　man；　who　cuts　it　down　on　the　field；　stamps　it　to　pieces　on　the　threshing…floor；　and　grinds　it　to　powder　in　the　mill。　That　this　was　indeed　the　principal　aspect　in　which　Adonis　presented　himself　in　later　times　to　the　agricultural　peoples　of　the　Levant；　may　be　admitted；　but　whether　from　the　beginning　he　had　been　the　corn　and　nothing　but　the　corn；　may　be　doubted。　At　an　earlier　period　he　may　have　been　to　the　herdsman；　above　all；　the　tender　herbage　which　sprouts　after　rain；　offering　rich　pasture　to　the　lean　and　hungry　cattle。　Earlier　still　he　may　have　embodied　the　spirit　of　the　nuts　and　berries　which　the　autumn　woods　yield　to　the　savage　hunter　and　his　squaw。　And　just　as　the　husband…man　must　propitiate　the　spirit　of　the　corn　which　he　consumes；　so　the　herdsman　must　appease　the　spirit　of　the　grass　and　leaves　which　his　cattle　munch；　and　the　hunter　must　soothe　the　spirit　of　the　roots　which　he　digs；　and　of　the　fruits　which　he　gathers　from　the　bough。　In　all　cases　the　propitiation　of　the　injured　and　angry；　sprite　would　naturally　comprise　elaborate　excuses　and　apologies；　accompanied　by　loud　lamentations　at　his　decease　whenever；　through　some　deplorable　accident　or　necessity；　he　happened　to　be　murdered　as　well　as　robbed。　Only　we　must　bear　in　mind　that　the　savage　hunter　and　herdsman　of　those　early　days　had　probably　not　yet　attained　to　the　abstract　idea　of　vegetation　in　general；　and　that　accordingly；　so　far　as　Adonis　existed　for　them　at　all；　he　must　have　been　the　Adon　or　lord　of　each　individual　tree　and　plant　rather　than　a　personification　of　vegetable　life　as　a　whole。　Thus　there　would　be　as　many　Adonises　as　there　were　trees　and　shrubs；　and　each　of　them　might　expect　to　receive　satisfaction　for　any　damage　done　to　his　person　or　property。　And　year　by　year；　when　the　trees　were　deciduous；　every　Adonis　would　seem　to　bleed　to　death　with　the　red　leaves　of　autumn　and　to　come　to　life　again　with　the　fresh　green　of　spring。

There　is　some　reason　to　think　that　in　early　times　Adonis　was　sometimes　personated　by　a　living　man　who　died　a　violent　death　in　the　character　of　the　god。　Further；　there　is　evidence　which　goes　to　show　that　among　the　agricultural　peoples　of　the　Eastern　Mediterranean；　the　corn…spirit；　by　whatever　name　he　was　known；　was　often　represented；　year　by　year；　by　human　victims　slain　on　the　harvest…field。　If　that　was　so；　it　seems　likely　that　the　propitiation　of　the　corn…spirit　would　tend　to　fuse　to　some　extent　with　the　worship　of　the　dead。　For　the　spirits　of　these　victims　might　be　thought　to　return　to　life　in　the　ears　which　they　had　fattened　with　their　blood；　and　to　die　a　second　death　at　the　reaping　of　the　corn。　Now　the　ghosts　of　those　who　have　perished　by　violence　are　surly　and　apt　to　wreak　their　vengeance　on　their　slayers　whenever　an　opportunity　offers。　Hence　the　attempt　to　appease　the　souls　of　the　slaughtered　victims　would　naturally　blend；　at　least　in　the　popular　conception；　with　the　attempt　to　pacify　the　slain　corn…spirit。　And　as　the　dead　came　back　in　the　sprouting　corn；　so　they　might　be　thought　to　return　in　the　spring　flowers；　waked　from　their　long　sleep　by　the　soft　vernal　airs。　They　had　been　laid　to　their　rest　under　the　sod。　What　more　natural　than　to　imagine　that　the　violets　and　the　hyacinths；　the　roses　and　the　anemones；　sprang　from　their　dust；　were　empurpled　or　incarnadined　by　their　blood；　and　contained　some　portion　of　their　spirit？

I　sometimes　think　that　never　blows　so　red　The　Rose　as　where　some　buried　Caesar　bled；　That　every　Hyacinth　the　Garden　wears　Dropt　in　her　Lap　from　some　once　lovely　Head。

And　this　reviving　Herb　whose　tender　Green　Fledges　the　River…Lip　on　which　we　lean　Ah；　lean　upon　it　lightly；　for　who　knows　From　what　once　lovely　Lip　it　springs　unseen？

In　the　summer　after　the　battle　of　Landen；　the　most　sanguinary　battle　of　the　seventeenth　century　in　Europe；　the　earth；　saturated　with　the　blood　of　twenty　thousand　slain；　broke　forth　into　millions　of　poppies；　and　the　traveller　who　passed　that　vast　sheet　of　scarlet　might　well　fancy　that　the　earth　had　indeed　given　up　her　dead。　At　Athens　the　great　Commemoration　of　the　Dead　fell　in　spring　about　the　middle　of　March；　when　the　early　flowers　are　in　bloom。　Then　the　dead　were　believed　to　rise　from　their　graves　and　go　about　the　streets；　vainly　endeavouring　to　enter　the　temples　and　dwellings；　which　were　barred　against　these　perturbed　spirits　with　ropes；　buckthorn；　and　pitch。　The　name　of　the　festival；　according　to　the　most　obvious　and　natural　interpretation；　means　the　Festival　of　Flowers；　and　the　title　would　fit　well　with　the　substance　of　the　ceremonies　if　at　that　season　the　poor　ghosts　were　indeed　thought　to　creep　from　the　narrow　house　with　the　opening　flowers。　There　may　therefore　be　a　measure　of　truth　in　the　theory　of　Renan；　who　saw　in　the　Adonis　worship　a　dreamy　voluptuous　cult　of　death；　conceived　not　as　the　King　of　Terrors；　but　as　an　insidious　enchanter　who　lures　his　victims　to　himself　an