the golden bough-第133章

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　husbands。　After　that　the　young　corn　is　taken　up　and　distributed　by　the　women　to　the　men；　who　wear　it　in　their　turbans。　In　these　rites　the　distribution　of　the　barley　shoots　to　the　men；　and　the　invocation　of　a　blessing　on　their　husbands　by　the　wives；　point　clearly　to　the　desire　of　offspring　as　one　motive　for　observing　the　custom。　The　same　motive　probably　explains　the　use　of　gardens　of　Adonis　at　the　marriage　of　Brahmans　in　the　Madras　Presidency。　Seeds　of　five　or　nine　sorts　are　mixed　and　sown　in　earthen　pots；　which　are　made　specially　for　the　purpose　and　are　filled　with　earth。　Bride　and　bridegroom　water　the　seeds　both　morning　and　evening　for　four　days；　and　on　the　fifth　day　the　seedlings　are　thrown；　like　the　real　gardens　of　Adonis；　into　a　tank　or　river。

In　Sardinia　the　gardens　of　Adonis　are　still　planted　in　connexion　with　the　great　midsummer　festival　which　bears　the　name　of　St。　John。　At　the　end　of　March　or　on　the　first　of　April　a　young　man　of　the　village　presents　himself　to　a　girl；　and　asks　her　to　be　his　comare　（gossip　or　sweetheart）；　offering　to　be　her　compare。　The　invitation　is　considered　as　an　honour　by　the　girl's　family；　and　is　gladly　accepted。　At　the　end　of　May　the　girl　makes　a　pot　of　the　bark　of　the　cork…tree；　fills　it　with　earth；　and　sows　a　handful　of　wheat　and　barley　in　it。　The　pot　being　placed　in　the　sun　and　often　watered；　the　corn　sprouts　rapidly　and　has　a　good　head　by　Midsummer　Eve　（St。　John's　Eve；　the　twenty…third　of　June）。　The　pot　is　then　called　Erme　or　Nenneri。　On　St。　John's　Day　the　young　man　and　the　girl；　dressed　in　their　best；　accompanied　by　a　long　retinue　and　preceded　by　children　gambolling　and　frolicking；　move　in　procession　to　a　church　outside　the　village。　Here　they　break　the　pot　by　throwing　it　against　the　door　of　the　church。　Then　they　sit　down　in　a　ring　on　the　grass　and　eat　eggs　and　herbs　to　the　music　of　flutes。　Wine　is　mixed　in　a　cup　and　passed　round；　each　one　drinking　as　it　passes。　Then　they　join　hands　and　sing　Sweethearts　of　St。　John　（Compare　e　comare　di　San　Giovanni）　over　and　over　again；　the　flutes　playing　the　while。　When　they　tire　of　singing　they　stand　up　and　dance　gaily　in　a　ring　till　evening。　This　is　the　general　Sardinian　custom。　As　practised　at　Ozieri　it　has　some　special　features。　In　May　the　pots　are　made　of　cork…bark　and　planted　with　corn；　as　already　described。　Then　on　the　Eve　of　St。　John　the　window…sills　are　draped　with　rich　cloths；　on　which　the　pots　are　placed；　adorned　with　crimson　and　blue　silk　and　ribbons　of　various　colours。　On　each　of　the　pots　they　used　formerly　to　place　a　statuette　or　cloth　doll　dressed　as　a　woman；　or　a　Priapus…like　figure　made　of　paste；　but　this　custom；　rigorously　forbidden　by　the　Church；　has　fallen　into　disuse。　The　village　swains　go　about　in　a　troop　to　look　at　the　pots　and　their　decorations　and　to　wait　for　the　girls；　who　assemble　on　the　public　square　to　celebrate　the　festival。　Here　a　great　bonfire　is　kindled；　round　which　they　dance　and　make　merry。　Those　who　wish　to　be　Sweethearts　of　St。　John　act　as　follows。　The　young　man　stands　on　one　side　of　the　bonfire　and　the　girl　on　the　other；　and　they；　in　a　manner；　join　hands　by　each　grasping　one　end　of　a　long　stick；　which　they　pass　three　times　backwards　and　forwards　across　the　fire；　thus　thrusting　their　hands　thrice　rapidly　into　the　flames。　This　seals　their　relationship　to　each　other。　Dancing　and　music　go　on　till　late　at　night。　The　correspondence　of　these　Sardinian　pots　of　grain　to　the　gardens　of　Adonis　seems　complete；　and　the　images　formerly　placed　in　them　answer　to　the　images　of　Adonis　which　accompanied　his　gardens。

Customs　of　the　same　sort　are　observed　at　the　same　season　in　Sicily。　Pairs　of　boys　and　girls　become　gossips　of　St。　John　on　St。　John's　Day　by　drawing　each　a　hair　from　his　or　her　head　and　performing　various　ceremonies　over　them。　Thus　they　tie　the　hairs　together　and　throw　them　up　in　the　air；　or　exchange　them　over　a　potsherd；　which　they　afterwards　break　in　two；　preserving　each　a　fragment　with　pious　care。　The　tie　formed　in　the　latter　way　is　supposed　to　last　for　life。　In　some　parts　of　Sicily　the　gossips　of　St。　John　present　each　other　with　plates　of　sprouting　corn；　lentils；　and　canary　seed；　which　have　been　planted　forty　days　before　the　festival。　The　one　who　receives　the　plate　pulls　a　stalk　of　the　young　plants；　binds　it　with　a　ribbon；　and　preserves　it　among　his　or　her　greatest　treasures；　restoring　the　platter　to　the　giver。　At　Catania　the　gossips　exchange　pots　of　basil　and　great　cucumbers；　the　girls　tend　the　basil；　and　the　thicker　it　grows　the　more　it　is　prized。

In　these　midsummer　customs　of　Sardinia　and　Sicily　it　is　possible　that；　as　Mr。　R。　Wünsch　supposes；　St。　John　has　replaced　Adonis。　We　have　seen　that　the　rites　of　Tammuz　or　Adonis　were　commonly　celebrated　about　midsummer；　according　to　Jerome；　their　date　was　June。

In　Sicily　gardens　of　Adonis　are　still　sown　in　spring　as　well　as　in　summer；　from　which　we　may　perhaps　infer　that　Sicily　as　well　as　Syria　celebrated　of　old　a　vernal　festival　of　the　dead　and　risen　god。　At　the　approach　of　Easter；　Sicilian　women　sow　wheat；　lentils；　and　canaryseed　in　plates；　which　they　keep　in　the　dark　and　water　every　two　days。　The　plants　soon　shoot　up；　the　stalks　are　tied　together　with　red　ribbons；　and　the　plates　containing　them　are　placed　on　the　sepulchres　which；　with　the　effigies　of　the　dead　Christ；　are　made　up　in　Catholic　and　Greek　churches　on　Good　Friday；　just　as　the　gardens　of　Adonis　were　placed　on　the　grave　of　the　dead　Adonis。　The　practice　is　not　confined　to　Sicily；　for　it　is　observed　also　at　Cosenza　in　Calabria；　and　perhaps　in　other　places。　The　whole　customsepulchres　as　well　as　plates　of　sprouting　grainmay　be　nothing　but　a　continuation；　under　a　different　name；　of　the　worship　of　Adonis。

Nor　are　these　Sicilian　and　Calabrian　customs　the　only　Easter　ceremonies　which　resemble　the　rites　of　Adonis。　During　the　whole　of　Good　Friday　a　waxen　effigy　of　the　dead　Christ　is　exposed　to　view　in　the　middle　of　the　Greek　churches　and　is　covered　with　fervent　kisses　by　the　thronging　crowd；　while　the　whole　church　rings　with　melancholy；　monotonous　dirges。　Late　in　the　evening；　when　it　has　grown　quite　dark；　this　waxen　image　is　carried　by　the　priests　into　the　street　on　a　bier　adorned　with　lemons；　roses；　jessamine；　and　other　flowers；　and　there　begins　a　grand　procession　of　the　multitude；　who　move　in　serried　ranks；　with　slow　and　solemn　step；　through　the　whole　town。　Every　man　carries　his　taper　and　breaks　out　into　doleful　lamentation。　At　all　the　houses　which　the　procession　passes　there　are　seated　women　with　censers　to　fumigate　the　marching　host。　Thus　the　community　solemnly　buries　its　Christ　as　if　he　had　just　died。　At　last　the　waxen　image　is　again　deposited　in　the　church；　and　the　same　lugubrious　chants　echo　anew。　These　lamentations；　accompanied　by　a　strict　fast；　continue　till　midnight　on　Saturday。　As　the　clock　strikes　twelve；　the　bishop　appears　and　announces　the　glad　tidings　that　'Christ　is　risen；'　to　which　the　crowd　replies；　'He　is　risen　indeed；'　and　at　once　the　whole　city　bursts　into　an　uproar　of　joy；　which　finds　vent　in　shrieks　and　shouts；　in　the　endless　discharge　of　carronades　and　muskets；　and　the　explosion　of　fire…works　of　every　sort。　In　the　very　same　hour　people　plunge　from　the　extremity　of　the　fast　into　the　enjoyment　of　the　Easter　lamb　and　neat　wine。

In　like　manner　the　Catholic　Church　has　been　accustomed　to　bring　before　its　followers　in　a　visible　form　the　death　and　resurrection　of　the　Redeemer。　Such　sacred　dramas　are　well　fitted　to　impress　the　lively　imagination　and　to　stir　the　warm　feelings　of　a　susceptible　southern　race；　to　whom　the　pomp　and　pageantry　of　Catholicism　are　more　congenial　than　to　the　colder　temperament　of　the　Teutonic　peoples。

When　we　reflect　how　often　the　Church　has　skilfully　contrived　to　plant　the　seeds　of　the　new　faith　on　the　old　stock　of　paganism；　we　may　surmise　that　the　Easter　celebration　of　the　dead　and　risen　Christ　was　grafted　upon　a　similar　celebration　of　the　dead　and　risen　Adonis；　which；　as　we　have　seen　reason　to　believe；　was　celebrated　in　Syria　at　the　same　season。　The　type；　created　by　Greek　artists；　of　the　sorrowful　goddess　with　her　dying　lover　in　her　arms；　resembles　and　may　have　been　the　model　of　the　Pietà　of　Christian　art；　the　Virgin　with　the　dead　body　of　her　divine　Son　in　her　lap；　of　whic