the golden bough-第150章

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Tenedos　the　new…born　calf　sacrificed　to　Dionysus　was　shod　in　buskins；　and　the　mother　cow　was　tended　like　a　woman　in　child…bed。　At　Rome　a　shegoat　was　sacrificed　to　Vedijovis　as　if　it　were　a　human　victim。　Yet　on　the　other　hand　it　is　equally　possible；　and　perhaps　more　probable；　that　these　curious　rites　were　themselves　mitigations　of　an　older　and　ruder　custom　of　sacrificing　human　beings；　and　that　the　later　pretence　of　treating　the　sacrificial　victims　as　if　they　were　human　beings　was　merely　part　of　a　pious　and　merciful　fraud；　which　palmed　off　on　the　deity　less　precious　victims　than　living　men　and　women。　This　interpretation　is　supported　by　many　undoubted　cases　in　which　animals　have　been　substituted　for　human　victims。

Chapter　44。　Demeter　and　Persephone。

DIONYSUS　was　not　the　only　Greek　deity　whose　tragic　story　and　ritual　appear　to　reflect　the　decay　and　revival　of　vegetation。　In　another　form　and　with　a　different　application　the　old　tale　reappears　in　the　myth　of　Demeter　and　Persephone。　Substantially　their　myth　is　identical　with　the　Syrian　one　of　Aphrodite　（Astarte）　and　Adonis；　the　Phrygian　one　of　Cybele　and　Attis；　and　the　Egyptian　one　of　Isis　and　Osiris。　In　the　Greek　fable；　as　in　its　Asiatic　and　Egyptian　counterparts；　a　goddess　mourns　the　loss　of　a　loved　one；　who　personifies　the　vegetation；　more　especially　the　corn；　which　dies　in　winter　to　revive　in　spring；　only　whereas　the　Oriental　imagination　figured　the　loved　and　lost　one　as　a　dead　lover　or　a　dead　husband　lamented　by　his　leman　or　his　wife；　Greek　fancy　embodied　the　same　idea　in　the　tenderer　and　purer　form　of　a　dead　daughter　bewailed　by　her　sorrowing　mother。

The　oldest　literary　document　which　narrates　the　myth　of　Demeter　and　Persephone　is　the　beautiful　Homeric　Hymn　to　Demeter；　which　critics　assign　to　the　seventh　century　before　our　era。　The　object　of　the　poem　is　to　explain　the　origin　of　the　Eleusinian　mysteries；　and　the　complete　silence　of　the　poet　as　to　Athens　and　the　Athenians；　who　in　after　ages　took　conspicuous　part　in　the　festival；　renders　it　probable　that　the　hymn　was　composed　in　the　far　off　time　when　Eleusis　was　still　a　petty　independent　state；　and　before　the　stately　procession　of　the　Mysteries　had　begun　to　defile；　in　bright　September　days；　over　the　low　chain　of　barren　rocky　hills　which　divides　the　flat　Eleusinian　cornland　from　the　more　spacious　olive…clad　expanse　of　the　Athenian　plain。　Be　that　as　it　may；　the　hymn　reveals　to　us　the　conception　which　the　writer　entertained　of　the　character　and　functions　of　the　two　goddesses；　their　natural　shapes　stand　out　sharply　enough　under　the　thin　veil　of　poetical　imagery。　The　youthful　Persephone；　so　runs　the　tale；　was　gathering　roses　and　lilies；　crocuses　and　violets；　hyacinths　and　narcissuses　in　a　lush　meadow；　when　the　earth　gaped　and　Pluto；　lord　of　the　Dead；　issuing　from　the　abyss　carried　her　off　on　his　golden　car　to　be　his　bride　and　queen　in　the　gloomy　subterranean　world。　Her　sorrowing　mother　Demeter；　with　her　yellow　tresses　veiled　in　a　dark　mourning　mantle；　sought　her　over　land　and　sea；　and　learning　from　the　Sun　her　daughter's　fate　she　withdrew　in　high　dudgeon　from　the　gods　and　took　up　her　abode　at　Eleusis；　where　she　presented　herself　to　the　king's　daughters　in　the　guise　of　an　old　woman；　sitting　sadly　under　the　shadow　of　an　olive　tree　beside　the　Maiden's　Well；　to　which　the　damsels　had　come　to　draw　water　in　bronze　pitchers　for　their　father's　house。　In　her　wrath　at　her　bereavement　the　goddess　suffered　not　the　seed　to　grow　in　the　earth　but　kept　it　hidden　under　ground；　and　she　vowed　that　never　would　she　set　foot　on　Olympus　and　never　would　she　let　the　corn　sprout　till　her　lost　daughter　should　be　restored　to　her。　Vainly　the　oxen　dragged　the　ploughs　to　and　fro　in　the　fields；　vainly　the　sower　dropped　the　barley　seed　in　the　brown　furrows；　nothing　came　up　from　the　parched　and　crumbling　soil。　Even　the　Rarian　plain　near　Eleusis；　which　was　wont　to　wave　with　yellow　harvests；　lay　bare　and　fallow。　Mankind　would　have　perished　of　hunger　and　the　gods　would　have　been　robbed　of　the　sacrifices　which　were　their　due；　if　Zeus　in　alarm　had　not　commanded　Pluto　to　disgorge　his　prey；　to　restore　his　bride　Persephone　to　her　mother　Demeter。　The　grim　lord　of　the　Dead　smiled　and　obeyed；　but　before　he　sent　back　his　queen　to　the　upper　air　on　a　golden　car；　he　gave　her　the　seed　of　a　pomegranate　to　eat；　which　ensured　that　she　would　return　to　him。　But　Zeus　stipulated　that　henceforth　Persephone　should　spend　two　thirds　of　every　year　with　her　mother　and　the　gods　in　the　upper　world　and　one　third　of　the　year　with　her　husband　in　the　nether　world；　from　which　she　was　to　return　year　by　year　when　the　earth　was　gay　with　spring　flowers。　Gladly　the　daughter　then　returned　to　the　sunshine；　gladly　her　mother　received　her　and　fell　upon　her　neck；　and　in　her　joy　at　recovering　the　lost　one　Demeter　made　the

corn　to　sprout　from　the　clods　of　the　ploughed　fields　and　all　the　broad　earth　to　be　heavy　with　leaves　and　blossoms。　And　straightway　she　went　and　showed　this　happy　sight　to　the　princes　of　Eleusis；　to　Triptolemus；　Eumolpus；　Diocles；　and　to　the　king　Celeus　himself；　and　moreover　she　revealed　to　them　her　sacred　rites　and　mysteries。　Blessed；　says　the　poet；　is　the　mortal　man　who　has　seen　these　things；　but　he　who　has　had　no　share　of　them　in　life　will　never　be　happy　in　death　when　he　has　descended　into　the　darkness　of　the　grave。　So　the　two　goddesses　departed　to　dwell　in　bliss　with　the　gods　on　Olympus；　and　the　bard　ends　the　hymn　with　a　pious　prayer　to　Demeter　and　Persephone　that　they　would　be　pleased　to　grant　him　a　livelihood　in　return　for　his　song。

It　has　been　generally　recognised；　and　indeed　it　seems　scarcely　open　to　doubt；　that　the　main　theme　which　the　poet　set　before　himself　in　composing　this　hymn　was　to　describe　the　traditional　foundation　of　the　Eleusinian　mysteries　by　the　goddess　Demeter。　The　whole　poem　leads　up　to　the　transformation　scene　in　which　the　bare　leafless　expanse　of　the　Eleusinian　plain　is　suddenly　turned；　at　the　will　of　the　goddess；　into　a　vast　sheet　of　ruddy　corn；　the　beneficent　deity　takes　the　princes　of　Eleusis；　shows　them　what　she　has　done；　teaches　them　her　mystic　rites；　and　vanishes　with　her　daughter　to　heaven。　The　revelation　of　the　mysteries　is　the　triumphal　close　of　the　piece。　This　conclusion　is　confirmed　by　a　more　minute　examination　of　the　poem；　which　proves　that　the　poet　has　given；　not　merely　a　general　account　of　the　foundation　of　the　mysteries；　but　also　in　more　or　less　veiled　language　mythical　explanations　of　the　origin　of　particular　rites　which　we　have　good　reason　to　believe　formed　essential　features　of　the　festival。　Amongst　the　rites　as　to　which　the　poet　thus　drops　significant　hints　are　the　preliminary　fast　of　the　candidates　for　initiation；　the　torchlight　procession；　the　all…night　vigil；　the　sitting　of　the　candidates；　veiled　and　in　silence；　on　stools　covered　with　sheepskins；　the　use　of　scurrilous　language；　the　breaking　of　ribald　jests；　and　the　solemn　communion　with　the　divinity　by　participation　in　a　draught　of　barley…water　from　a　holy　chalice。

But　there　is　yet　another　and　a　deeper　secret　of　the　mysteries　which　the　author　of　the　poem　appears　to　have　divulged　under　cover　of　his　narrative。　He　tells　us　how；　as　soon　as　she　had　transformed　the　barren　brown　expanse　of　the　Eleusinian　plain　into　a　field　of　golden　grain；　she　gladdened　the　eyes　of　Triptolemus　and　the　other　Eleusinian　princes　by　showing　them　the　growing　or　standing　corn。　When　we　compare　this　part　of　the　story　with　the　statement　of　a　Christian　writer　of　the　second　century；　Hippolytus；　that　the　very　heart　of　the　mysteries　consisted　in　showing　to　the　initiated　a　reaped　ear　of　corn；　we　can　hardly　doubt　that　the　poet　of　the　hymn　was　well　acquainted　with　this　solemn　rite；　and　that　he　deliberately　intended　to　explain　its　origin　in　precisely　the　same　way　as　he　explained　other　rites　of　the　mysteries；　namely　by　representing　Demeter　as　having　set　the　example　of　performing　the　ceremony　in　her　own　person。　Thus　myth　and　ritual　mutually　explain　and　confirm　each　other。　The　poet　of　the　seventh　century　before　our　era　gives　us　the　mythhe　could　not　without　sacrilege　have　revealed　the　ritual：　the　Christian　father　reveals　the　ritual；　and　his　revelation　accords　perfectly　with　the　veiled　hint　of　the　old　poet。　On　the　whole；　then；　we　may；　wi