the golden bough-第183章

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d　crops；　and　its　head　was　cut　off　and　adorned　with　a　string　of　loaves。　Thereupon　the　inhabitants　of　two　wardsthe　Sacred　Way　and　the　Suburacontended　with　each　other　who　should　get　the　head。　If　the　people　of　the　Sacred　Way　got　it；　they　fastened　it　to　a　wall　of　the　king's　house；　if　the　people　of　the　Subura　got　it；　they　fastened　it　to　the　Mamilian　tower。　The　horse's　tail　was　cut　off　and　carried　to　the　king's　house　with　such　speed　that　the　blood　dripped　on　the　hearth　of　the　house。　Further；　it　appears　that　the　blood　of　the　horse　was　caught　and　preserved　till　the　twenty…first　of　April；　when　the　Vestal　Virgins　mixed　it　with　the　blood　of　the　unborn　calves　which　had　been　sacrificed　six　days　before。　The　mixture　was　then　distributed　to　shepherds；　and　used　by　them　for　fumigating　their　flocks。

In　this　ceremony　the　decoration　of　the　horse's　head　with　a　string　of　loaves；　and　the　alleged　object　of　the　sacrifice；　namely；　to　procure　a　good　harvest；　seem　to　indicate　that　the　horse　was　killed　as　one　of　those　animal　representatives　of　the　corn…spirit　of　which　we　have　found　so　many　examples。　The　custom　of　cutting　off　the　horse's　tail　is　like　the　African　custom　of　cutting　off　the　tails　of　the　oxen　and　sacrificing　them　to　obtain　a　good　crop。　In　both　the　Roman　and　the　African　custom　the　animal　apparently　stands　for　the　corn…spirit；　and　its　fructifying　power　is　supposed　to　reside　especially　in　its　tail。　The　latter　idea　occurs；　as　we　have　seen；　in　European　folk…lore。　Again；　the　practice　of　fumigating　the　cattle　in　spring　with　the　blood　of　the　horse　may　be　compared　with　the　practice　of　giving　the　Old　Wife；　the　Maiden；　or　the　clyack　sheaf　as　fodder　to　the　horses　in　spring　or　the　cattle　at　Christmas；　and　giving　the　Yule　Boar　to　the　ploughing　oxen　or　horses　to　eat　in　spring。　All　these　usages　aim　at　ensuring　the　blessing　of　the　corn…spirit　on　the　homestead　and　its　inmates　and　storing　it　up　for　another　year。

The　Roman　sacrifice　of　the　October　horse；　as　it　was　called；　carries　us　back　to　the　early　days　when　the　Subura；　afterwards　a　low　and　squalid　quarter　of　the　great　metropolis；　was　still　a　separate　village；　whose　inhabitants　engaged　in　a　friendly　contest　on　the　harvest…field　with　their　neighbours　of　Rome；　then　a　little　rural　town。　The　Field　of　Mars　on　which　the　ceremony　took　place　lay　beside　the　Tiber；　and　formed　part　of　the　king's　domain　down　to　the　abolition　of　the　monarchy。　For　tradition　ran　that　at　the　time　when　the　last　of　the　kings　was　driven　from　Rome；　the　corn　stood　ripe　for　the　sickle　on　the　crown　lands　beside　the　river；　but　no　one　would　eat　the　accursed　grain　and　it　was　flung　into　the　river　in　such　heaps　that；　the　water　being　low　with　the　summer　heat；　it　formed　the　nucleus　of　an　island。　The　horse　sacrifice　was　thus　an　old　autumn　custom　observed　upon　the　king's　corn…fields　at　the　end　of　the　harvest。　The　tail　and　blood　of　the　horse；　as　the　chief　parts　of　the　corn…spirit's　representative；　were　taken　to　the　king's　house　and　kept　there；　just　as　in　Germany　the　harvest…cock　is　nailed　on　the　gable　or　over　the　door　of　the　farmhouse；　and　as　the　last　sheaf；　in　the　form　of　the　Maiden；　is　carried　home　and　kept　over　the　fireplace　in　the　Highlands　of　Scotland。　Thus　the　blessing　of　the　corn…spirit　was　brought　to　the　king's　house　and　hearth　and；　through　them；　to　the　community　of　which　he　was　the　head。　Similarly　in　the　spring　and　autumn　customs　of　Northern　Europe　the　May…pole　is　sometimes　set　up　in　front　of　the　house　of　the　mayor　or　burgomaster；　and　the　last　sheaf　at　harvest　is　brought　to　him　as　the　head　of　the　village。　But　while　the　tail　and　blood　fell　to　the　king；　the　neighbouring　village　of　the　Subura；　which　no　doubt　once　had　a　similar　ceremony　of　its　own；　was　gratified　by　being　allowed　to　compete　for　the　prize　of　the　horse's　head。　The　Mamilian　tower；　to　which　the　Suburans　nailed　the　horse's　head　when　they　succeeded　in　carrying　it　off；　appears　to　have　been　a　peel…tower　or　keep　of　the　old　Mamilian　family；　the　magnates　of　the　village。　The　ceremony　thus　performed　on　the　king's　fields　and　at　his　house　on　behalf　of　the　whole　town　and　of　the　neighbouring　village　presupposes　a　time　when　each　township　performed　a　similar　ceremony　on　its　own　fields。　In　the　rural　districts　of　Latium　the　villages　may　have　continued　to　observe　the　custom；　each　on　its　own　land；　long　after　the　Roman　hamlets　had　merged　their　separate　harvest…homes　in　the　common　celebration　on　the　king's　lands。　There　is　no　intrinsic　improbability　in　the　supposition　that　the　sacred　grove　of　Aricia；　like　the　Field　of　Mars　at　Rome；　may　have　been　the　scene　of　a　common　harvest　celebration；　at　which　a　horse　was　sacrificed　with　the　same　rude　rites　on　behalf　of　the　neighbouring　villages。　The　horse　would　represent　the　fructifying　spirit　both　of　the　tree　and　of　the　corn；　for　the　two　ideas　melt　into　each　other；　as　we　see　in　customs　like　the　Harvest…May。

Chapter　50。　Eating　the　God。

1。　The　Sacrament　of　First…Fruits

WE　have　now　seen　that　the　corn…spirit　is　represented　sometimes　in　human；　sometimes　in　animal　form；　and　that　in　both　cases　he　is　killed　in　the　person　of　his　representative　and　eaten　sacramentally。　To　find　examples　of　actually　killing　the　human　representative　of　the　corn…spirit　we　had　naturally　to　go　to　savage　races；　but　the　harvest…suppers　of　our　European　peasants　have　furnished　unmistakable　examples　of　the　sacramental　eating　of　animals　as　representatives　of　the　corn…spirit。　But　further；　as　might　have　been　anticipated；　the　new　corn　is　itself　eaten　sacramentally；　that　is；　as　the　body　of　the　corn…spirit。　In　Wermland；　Sweden；　the　farmer's　wife　uses　the　grain　of　the　last　sheaf　to　bake　a　loaf　in　the　shape　of　a　little　girl；　this　loaf　is　divided　amongst　the　whole　household　and　eaten　by　them。　Here　the　loaf　represents　the　corn…spirit　conceived　as　a　maiden；　just　as　in　Scotland　the　corn…spirit　is　similarly　conceived　and　represented　by　the　last　sheaf　made　up　in　the　form　of　a　woman　and　bearing　the　name　of　the　Maiden。　As　usual；　the　corn…spirit　is　believed　to　reside　in　the　last　sheaf；　and　to　eat　a　loaf　made　from　the　last　sheaf　is；　therefore；　to　eat　the　corn…spirit　itself。　Similarly　at　La　Palisse；　in　France；　a　man　made　of　dough　is　hung　upon　the　fir…tree　which　is　carried　on　the　last　harvest…waggon。　The　tree　and　the　dough…man　are　taken　to　the　mayor's　house　and　kept　there　till　the　vintage　is　over。　Then　the　close　of　the　harvest　is　celebrated　by　a　feast　at　which　the　mayor　breaks　the　dough…man　in　pieces　and　gives　the　pieces　to　the　people　to　eat。

In　these　examples　the　corn…spirit　is　represented　and　eaten　in　human　shape。　In　other　cases；　though　the　new　corn　is　not　baked　in　loaves　of　human　shape；　still　the　solemn　ceremonies　with　which　it　is　eaten　suffice　to　indicate　that　it　is　partaken　of　sacramentally；　that　is；　as　the　body　of　the　corn…spirit。　For　example；　the　following　ceremonies　used　to　be　observed　by　Lithuanian　peasants　at　eating　the　new　corn。　About　the　time　of　the　autumn　sowing；　when　all　the　corn　had　been　got　in　and　the　threshing　had　begun；　each　farmer　held　a　festival　called　Sabarios；　that　is；　the　mixing　or　throwing　together。　He　took　nine　good　handfuls　of　each　kind　of　cropwheat；　barley；　oats；　flax；　beans；　lentils；　and　the　rest；　and　each　handful　he　divided　into　three　parts。　The　twentyseven　portions　of　each　grain　were　then　thrown　on　a　heap　and　all　mixed　up　together。　The　grain　used　had　to　be　that　which　was　first　threshed　and　winnowed　and　which　had　been　set　aside　and　kept　for　this　purpose。　A　part　of　the　grain　thus　mixed　was　employed　to　bake　little　loaves；　one　for　each　of　the　household；　the　rest　was　mixed　with　more　barley　or　oats　and　made　into　beer。　The　first　beer　brewed　from　this　mixture　was　for　the　drinking　of　the　farmer；　his　wife；　and　children；　the　second　brew　was　for　the　servants。　The　beer　being　ready；　the　farmer　chose　an　evening　when　no　stranger　was　expected。　Then　he　knelt　down　before　the　barrel　of　beer；　drew　a　jugful　of　the　liquor　and　poured　it　on　the　bung　of　the　barrel；　saying；　O　fruitful　earth；　make　rye　and　barley　and　all　kinds　of　corn　to　flourish。　Next　he　took　the　jug　to　the　parlour；　where　his　wife　and　children　awaited　him。　On　the　floor　of　the　parlour　lay　bound　a　black　or　white　or　speckled　（not　a　red）　cock　and　a　hen　of　the　same　colour　and　of　the　same　brood；　which　must　have　been　hatched　within　the　year。　Then　the　farmer　knelt