the golden bough-第186章

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be　carried　for　several　miles。　The　new　fruits　were　then　dressed　on　the　new　fires　and　eaten　with　bear's　oil；　which　was　deemed　indispensable。　At　one　point　of　the　festival　the　men　rubbed　the　new　corn　between　their　hands；　then　on　their　faces　and　breasts。　During　the　festival　which　followed；　the　warriors；　dressed　in　their　wild　martial　array；　their　heads　covered　with　white　down　and　carrying　white　feathers　in　their　hands；　danced　round　the　sacred　arbour；　under　which　burned　the　new　fire。　The　ceremonies　lasted　eight　days；　during　which　the　strictest　continence　was　practised。　Towards　the　conclusion　of　the　festival　the　warriors　fought　a　mock　battle；　then　the　men　and　women　together；　in　three　circles；　danced　round　the　sacred　fire。　Lastly；　all　the　people　smeared　themselves　with　white　clay　and　bathed　in　running　water。　They　came　out　of　the　water　believing　that　no　evil　could　now　befall　them　for　what　they　had　done　amiss　in　the　past。　So　they　departed　in　joy　and　peace。

To　this　day；　also；　the　remnant　of　the　Seminole　Indians　of　Florida；　a　people　of　the　same　stock　as　the　Creeks；　hold　an　annual　purification　and　festival　called　the　Green　Corn　Dance；　at　which　the　new　corn　is　eaten。　On　the　evening　of　the　first　day　of　the　festival　they　quaff　a　nauseous　Black　Drink；　as　it　is　called；　which　acts　both　as　an　emetic　and　a　purgative；　they　believe　that　he　who　does　not　drink　of　this　liquor　cannot　safely　eat　the　new　green　corn；　and　besides　that　he　will　be　sick　at　some　time　in　the　year。　While　the　liquor　is　being　drunk；　the　dancing　begins；　and　the　medicine…men　join　in　it。　Next　day　they　eat　of　the　green　corn；　the　following　day　they　fast；　probably　from　fear　of　polluting　the　sacred　food　in　their　stomachs　by　contact　with　common　food；　but　the　third　day　they　hold　a　great　feast。

Even　tribes　which　do　not　till　the　ground　sometimes　observe　analogous　ceremonies　when　they　gather　the　first　wild　fruits　or　dig　the　first　roots　of　the　season。　Thus　among　the　Salish　and　Tinneh　Indians　of　North…West　America；　before　the　young　people　eat　the　first　berries　or　roots　of　the　season；　they　always　addressed　the　fruit　or　plant；　and　begged　for　its　favour　and　aid。　In　some　tribes　regular　First…fruit　ceremonies　were　annually　held　at　the　time　of　picking　the　wild　fruit　or　gathering　the　roots；　and　also　among　the　salmon…eating　tribes　when　the　run　of　the　'sockeye'　salmon　began。　These　ceremonies　were　not　so　much　thanksgivings；　as　performances　to　ensure　a　plentiful　crop　or　supply　of　the　particular　object　desired；　for　if　they　were　not　properly　and　reverently　carried　out　there　was　danger　of　giving　offence　to　the　'spirits'　of　the　objects；　and　being　deprived　of　them。　For　example；　these　Indians　are　fond　of　the　young　shoots　or　suckers　of　the　wild　raspberry；　and　they　observe　a　solemn　ceremony　at　eating　the　first　of　them　in　season。　The　shoots　are　cooked　in　a　new　pot：　the　people　assemble　and　stand　in　a　great　circle　with　closed　eyes；　while　the　presiding　chief　or　medicine…man　invokes　the　spirit　of　the　plant；　begging　that　it　will　be　propitious　to　them　and　grant　them　a　good　supply　of　suckers。　After　this　part　of　the　ceremony　is　over　the　cooked　suckers　are　handed　to　the　presiding　officer　in　a　newly　carved　dish；　and　a　small　portion　is　given　to　each　person　present；　who　reverently　and　decorously　eats　it。

The　Thompson　Indians　of　British　Columbia　cook　and　eat　the　sunflower　root　（Balsamorrhiza　sagittata；　Nutt。）；　but　they　used　to　regard　it　as　a　mysterious　being；　and　observed　a　number　of　taboos　in　connexion　with　it；　for　example；　women　who　were　engaged　in　digging　or　cooking　the　root　must　practice　continence；　and　no　man　might　come　near　the　oven　where　the　women　were　baking　the　root。　When　young　people　ate　the　first　berries；　roots；　or　other　products　of　the　season；　they　addressed　a　prayer　to　the　Sunflower…Root　as　follows：　I　inform　thee　that　I　intend　to　eat　thee。　Mayest　thou　always　help　me　to　ascend；　so　that　I　may　always　be　able　to　reach　the　tops　of　mountains；　and　may　I　never　be　clumsy！　I　ask　this　from　thee；　Sunflower…Root。　Thou　art　the　greatest　of　all　in　mystery。　To　omit　this　prayer　would　make　the　eater　lazy　and　cause　him　to　sleep　long　in　the　morning。

These　customs　of　the　Thompson　and　other　Indian　tribes　of　North…West　America　are　instructive；　because　they　clearly　indicate　the　motive；　or　at　least　one　of　the　motives；　which　underlies　the　ceremonies　observed　at　eating　the　first　fruits　of　the　season。　That　motive　in　the　case　of　these　Indians　is　simply　a　belief　that　the　plant　itself　is　animated　by　a　conscious　and　more　or　less　powerful　spirit；　who　must　be　propitiated　before　the　people　can　safely　partake　of　the　fruits　or　roots　which　are　supposed　to　be　part　of　his　body。　Now　if　this　is　true　of　wild　fruits　and　roots；　we　may　infer　with　some　probability　that　it　is　also　true　of　cultivated　fruits　and　roots；　such　as　yams；　and　in　particular　that　it　holds　good　of　the　cereals；　such　as　wheat；　barley；　oats；　rice；　and　maize。　In　all　cases　it　seems　reasonable　to　infer　that　the　scruples　which　savages　manifest　at　eating　the　first　fruits　of　any　crop；　and　the　ceremonies　which　they　observe　before　they　overcome　their　scruples；　are　due　at　least　in　large　measure　to　a　notion　that　the　plant　or　tree　is　animated　by　a　spirit　or　even　a　deity；　whose　leave　must　be　obtained；　or　whose　favour　must　be　sought；　before　it　is　possible　to　partake　with　safety　of　the　new　crop。　This　indeed　is　plainly　affirmed　of　the　Aino：　they　call　the　millet　the　divine　cereal；　the　cereal　deity；　and　they　pray　to　and　worship　him　before　they　will　eat　of　the　cakes　made　from　the　new　millet。　And　even　where　the　indwelling　divinity　of　the　first　fruits　is　not　expressly　affirmed；　it　appears　to　be　implied　both　by　the　solemn　preparations　made　for　eating　them　and　by　the　danger　supposed　to　be　incurred　by　persons　who　venture　to　partake　of　them　without　observing　the　prescribed　ritual。　In　all　such　cases；　accordingly；　we　may　not　improperly　describe　the　eating　of　the　new　fruits　as　a　sacrament　or　communion　with　a　deity；　or　at　all　events　with　a　powerful　spirit。

Among　the　usages　which　point　to　this　conclusion　are　the　custom　of　employing　either　new　or　specially　reserved　vessels　to　hold　the　new　fruits；　and　the　practice　of　purifying　the　persons　of　the　communicants　before　it　is　lawful　to　engage　in　the　solemn　act　of　communion　with　the　divinity。　Of　all　the　modes　of　purification　adopted　on　these　occasions　none　perhaps　brings　out　the　sacramental　virtue　of　the　rite　so　clearly　as　the　Creek　and　Seminole　practice　of　taking　a　purgative　before　swallowing　the　new　corn。　The　intention　is　thereby　to　prevent　the　sacred　food　from　being　polluted　by　contact　with　common　food　in　the　stomach　of　the　eater。　For　the　same　reason　Catholics　partake　of　the　Eucharist　fasting；　and　among　the　pastoral　Masai　of　Eastern　Africa　the　young　warriors；　who　live　on　meat　and　milk　exclusively；　are　obliged　to　eat　nothing　but　milk　for　so　many　days　and　then　nothing　but　meat　for　so　many　more；　and　before　they　pass　from　the　one　food　to　the　other　they　must　make　sure　that　none　of　the　old　food　remains　in　their　stomachs；　this　they　do　by　swallowing　a　very　powerful　purgative　and　emetic。

In　some　of　the　festivals　which　we　have　examined；　the　sacrament　of　first…fruits　is　combined　with　a　sacrifice　or　presentation　of　them　to　gods　or　spirits；　and　in　course　of　time　the　sacrifice　of　first…fruits　tends　to　throw　the　sacrament　into　the　shade；　if　not　to　supersede　it。　The　mere　fact　of　offering　the　first…fruits　to　the　gods　or　spirits　comes　now　to　be　thought　a　sufficient　preparation　for　eating　the　new　corn；　the　higher　powers　having　received　their　share；　man　is　free　to　enjoy　the　rest。　This　mode　of　viewing　the　new　fruits　implies　that　they　are　regarded　no　longer　as　themselves　instinct　with　divine　life；　but　merely　as　a　gift　bestowed　by　the　gods　upon　man；　who　is　bound　to　express　his　gratitude　and　homage　to　his　divine　benefactors　by　returning　to　them　a　portion　of　their　bounty。

2。　Eating　the　God　among　the　Aztecs

THE　CUSTOM　of　eating　bread　sacramentally　as　the　body　of　a　god　was　practised　by　the　Aztecs　before　the　discovery　and　conquest　of　Mexico　by　the　Spaniards。　Twice　a　year；　in　May　and　December；　an　image　of　the　great　Mexican　god　Huitzilopochtli　or　Vitzilipuztli　was　made　of　dough；　then　broken　in　pieces；　and　solemnly　eaten　by　his　worshippers。　The　May　ceremony　is　thus　described　by　the　historian