the golden bough-第159章

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u　be　at　peace；　and　may　rain　serve　to　wash　your　face！　While　the　rice　is　growing；　the　particular　plant　which　was　thus　treated　as　the　Rice…mother　is　lost　sight　of；　but　before　harvest　another　Rice…mother　is　found。　When　the　crop　is　ripe　for　cutting；　the　oldest　woman　of　the　family　or　a　sorcerer　goes　out　to　look　for　her。　The　first　stalks　seen　to　bend　under　a　passing　breeze　are　the　Rice…mother；　and　they　are　tied　together　but　not　cut　until　the　first…fruits　of　the　field　have　been　carried　home　to　serve　as　a　festal　meal　for　the　family　and　their　friends；　nay　even　for　the　domestic　animals；　since　it　is　Saning　Sari's　pleasure　that　the　beasts　also　should　partake　of　her　good　gifts。　After　the　meal　has　been　eaten；　the　Rice…mother　is　fetched　home　by　persons　in　gay　attire；　who　carry　her　very　carefully　under　an　umbrella　in　a　neatly　worked　bag　to　the　barn；　where　a　place　in　the　middle　is　assigned　to　her。　Every　one　believes　that　she　takes　care　of　the　rice　in　the　barn　and　even　multiplies　it　not　uncommonly。

When　the　Tomori　of　Central　Celebes　are　about　to　plant　the　rice；　they　bury　in　the　field　some　betel　as　an　offering　to　the　spirits　who　cause　the　rice　to　grow。　The　rice　that　is　planted　round　this　spot　is　the　last　to　be　reaped　at　harvest。　At　the　commencement　of　the　reaping　the　stalks　of　this　patch　of　rice　are　tied　together　into　a　sheaf；　which　is　called　the　Mother　of　the　Rice　（ineno　pae）；　and　offerings　in　the　shape　of　rice；　fowl's　liver；　eggs；　and　other　things　are　laid　down　before　it。　When　all　the　rest　of　the　rice　in　the　field　has　been　reaped；　the　Mother　of　the　Rice　is　cut　down　and　carried　with　due　honour　to　the　rice…barn；　where　it　is　laid　on　the　floor；　and　all　the　other　sheaves　are　piled　upon　it。　The　Tomori；　we　are　told；　regard　the　Mother　of　the　Rice　as　a　special　offering　made　to　the　rice…spirit　Omonga；　who　dwells　in　the　moon。　If　that　spirit　is　not　treated　with　proper　respect；　for　example　if　the　people　who　fetch　rice　from　the　barn　are　not　decently　clad；　he　is　angry　and　punishes　the　offenders　by　eating　up　twice　as　much　rice　in　the　barn　as　they　have　taken　out　of　it；　some　people　have　heard　him　smacking　his　lips　in　the　barn；　as　he　devoured　the　rice。　On　the　other　hand　the　Toradjas　of　Central　Celebes；　who　also　practice　the　custom　of　the　Rice…mother　at　harvest；　regard　her　as　the　actual　mother　of　the　whole　harvest；　and　therefore　keep　her　carefully；　lest　in　her　absence　the　garnered　store　of　rice　should　all　melt　away　and　disappear。

Again；　just　as　in　Scotland　the　old　and　the　young　spirit　of　the　corn　are　represented　as　an　Old　Wife　（Cailleach）　and　a　Maiden　respectively；　so　in　the　Malay　Peninsula　we　find　both　the　Rice…mother　and　her　child　represented　by　different　sheaves　or　bundles　of　ears　on　the　harvest…field。　The　ceremony　of　cutting　and　bringing　home　the　Soul　of　the　Rice　was　witnessed　by　Mr。　W。　W。　Skeat　at　Chodoi　in　Selangor　on　the　twenty…eighth　of　January　1897。　The　particular　bunch　or　sheaf　which　was　to　serve　as　the　Mother　of　the　Rice…soul　had　previously　been　sought　and　identified　by　means　of　the　markings　or　shape　of　the　ears。　From　this　sheaf　an　aged　sorceress；　with　much　solemnity；　cut　a　little　bundle　of　seven　ears；　anointed　them　with　oil；　tied　them　round　with　parti…coloured　thread；　fumigated　them　with　incense；　and　having　wrapt　them　in　a　white　cloth　deposited　them　in　a　little　oval…shaped　basket。　These　seven　ears　were　the　infant　Soul　of　the　Rice　and　the　little　basket　was　its　cradle。　It　was　carried　home　to　the　farmer's　house　by　another　woman；　who　held　up　an　umbrella　to　screen　the　tender　infant　from　the　hot　rays　of　the　sun。　Arrived　at　the　house　the　Rice…child　was　welcomed　by　the　women　of　the　family；　and　laid；　cradle　and　all；　on　a　new　sleepingmat　with　pillows　at　the　head。　After　that　the　farmer's　wife　was　instructed　to　observe　certain　rules　of　taboo　for　three　days；　the　rules　being　in　many　respects　identical　with　those　which　have　to　be　observed　for　three　days　after　the　birth　of　a　real　child。　Something　of　the　same　tender　care　which　is　thus　bestowed　on　the　newly…born　Rice…child　is　naturally　extended　also　to　its　parent；　the　sheaf　from　whose　body　it　was　taken。　This　sheaf；　which　remains　standing　in　the　field　after　the　Rice…soul　has　been　carried　home　and　put　to　bed；　is　treated　as　a　newly…made　mother；　that　is　to　say；　young　shoots　of　trees　are　pounded　together　and　scattered　broadcast　every　evening　for　three　successive　days；　and　when　the　three　days　are　up　you　take　the　pulp　of　a　coco…nut　and　what　are　called　goat…flowers；　mix　them　up；　eat　them　with　a　little　sugar；　and　spit　some　of　the　mixture　out　among　the　rice。　So　after　a　real　birth　the　young　shoots　of　the　jack…fruit；　the　rose…apple；　certain　kinds　of　banana；　and　the　thin　pulp　of　young　coco…nuts　are　mixed　with　dried　fish；　salt；　acid；　prawn…condiment；　and　the　like　dainties　to　form　a　sort　of　salad；　which　is　administered　to　mother　and　child　for　three　successive　days。　The　last　sheaf　is　reaped　by　the　farmer's　wife；　who　carries　it　back　to　the　house；　where　it　is　threshed　and　mixed　with　the　Rice…soul。　The　farmer　then　takes　the　Rice…soul　and　its　basket　and　deposits　it；　together　with　the　product　of　the　last　sheaf；　in　the　big　circular　rice…bin　used　by　the　Malays。　Some　grains　from　the　Rice…soul　are　mixed　with　the　seed　which　is　to　be　sown　in　the　following　year。　In　this　Rice…mother　and　Rice…child　of　the　Malay　Peninsula　we　may　see　the　counterpart　and　in　a　sense　the　prototype　of　the　Demeter　and　Persephone　of　ancient　Greece。

Once　more；　the　European　custom　of　representing　the　corn…spirit　in　the　double　form　of　bride　and　bridegroom　has　its　parallel　in　a　ceremony　observed　at　the　rice…harvest　in　Java。　Before　the　reapers　begin　to　cut　the　rice；　the　priest　or　sorcerer　picks　out　a　number　of　ears　of　rice；　which　are　tied　together；　smeared　with　ointment；　and　adorned　with　flowers。　Thus　decked　out；　the　ears　are　called　the　padi…pengantèn；　that　is；　the　Rice…bride　and　the　Rice…bridegroom；　their　wedding　feast　is　celebrated；　and　the　cutting　of　the　rice　begins　immediately　afterwards。　Later　on；　when　the　rice　is　being　got　in；　a　bridal　chamber　is　partitioned　off　in　the　barn；　and　furnished　with　a　new　mat；　a　lamp；　and　all　kinds　of　toilet　articles。　Sheaves　of　rice；　to　represent　the　wedding　guests；　are　placed　beside　the　Rice…bride　and　the　Rice…bridegroom。　Not　till　this　has　been　done　may　the　whole　harvest　be　housed　in　the　barn。　And　for　the　first　forty　days　after　the　rice　has　been　housed；　no　one　may　enter　the　barn；　for　fear　of　disturbing　the　newly…wedded　pair。

In　the　islands　of　Bali　and　Lombok；　when　the　time　of　harvest　has　come；　the　owner　of　the　field　himself　makes　a　beginning　by　cutting　the　principal　rice　with　his　own　hands　and　binding　it　into　two　sheaves；　each　composed　of　one　hundred　and　eight　stalks　with　their　leaves　attached　to　them。　One　of　the　sheaves　represents　a　man　and　the　other　a　woman；　and　they　are　called　husband　and　wife。　The　male　sheaf　is　wound　about　with　thread　so　that　none　of　the　leaves　are　visible；　whereas　the　female　sheaf　has　its　leaves　bent　over　and　tied　so　as　to　resemble　the　roll　of　a　woman's　hair。　Sometimes；　for　further　distinction；　a　necklace　of　rice…straw　is　tied　round　the　female　sheaf。　When　the　rice　is　brought　home　from　the　field；　the　two　sheaves　representing　the　husband　and　wife　are　carried　by　a　woman　on　her　head；　and　are　the　last　of　all　to　be　deposited　in　the　barn。　There　they　are　laid　to　rest　on　a　small　erection　or　on　a　cushion　of　rice…straw。　The　whole　arrangement；　we　are　informed；　has　for　its　object　to　induce　the　rice　to　increase　and　multiply　in　the　granary；　so　that　the　owner　may　get　more　out　of　it　than　he　put　in。　Hence　when　the　people　of　Bali　bring　the　two　sheaves；　the　husband　and　wife；　into　the　barn；　they　say；　Increase　ye　and　multiply　without　ceasing。　When　all　the　rice　in　the　barn　has　been　used　up；　the　two　sheaves　representing　the　husband　and　wife　remain　in　the　empty　building　till　they　have　gradually　disappeared　or　been　devoured　by　mice。　The　pinch　of　hunger　sometimes　drives　individuals　to　eat　up　the　rice　of　these　two　sheaves；　but　the　wretches　who　do　so　are　viewed　with　disgust　by　their　fellows　and　branded　as　pigs　and　dogs。　Nobody　would　ever　sell　these　holy　sheaves　with　the　rest　of　their　profane　brethren。

The　same　notion　of　the　propagation　of　the　rice　by　a　male　and　female　power　finds　expression　amongst　the　Szis　of　Upper　Burma。　When　the　paddy；　tha