the golden bough-第187章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　pieces；　and　solemnly　eaten　by　his　worshippers。　The　May　ceremony　is　thus　described　by　the　historian　Acosta：　The　Mexicans　in　the　month　of　May　made　their　principal　feast　to　their　god　Vitzilipuztli；　and　two　days　before　this　feast；　the　virgins　whereof　I　have　spoken　（the　which　were　shut　up　and　secluded　in　the　same　temple　and　were　as　it　were　religious　women）　did　mingle　a　quantity　of　the　seed　of　beets　with　roasted　maize；　and　then　they　did　mould　it　with　honey；　making　an　idol　of　that　paste　in　bigness　like　to　that　of　wood；　putting　instead　of　eyes　grains　of　green　glass；　of　blue　or　white；　and　for　teeth　grains　of　maize　set　forth　with　all　the　ornament　and　furniture　that　I　have　said。　This　being　finished；　all　the　noblemen　came　and　brought　it　an　exquisite　and　rich　garment；　like　unto　that　of　the　idol；　wherewith　they　did　attire　it。　Being　thus　clad　and　deckt；　they　did　set　it　in　an　azured　chair　and　in　a　litter　to　carry　it　on　their　shoulders。　The　morning　of　this　feast　being　come；　an　hour　before　day　all　the　maidens　came　forth　attired　in　white；　with　new　ornaments；　the　which　that　day　were　called　the　Sisters　of　their　god　Vitzilipuztli；　they　came　crowned　with　garlands　of　maize　roasted　and　parched；　being　like　unto　azahar　or　the　flower　of　orange；　and　about　their　necks　they　had　great　chains　of　the　same；　which　went　bauldrick…wise　under　their　left　arm。　Their　cheeks　were　dyed　with　vermilion；　their　arms　from　the　elbow　to　the　wrist　were　covered　with　red　parrots'　feathers。　Young　men；　dressed　in　red　robes　and　crowned　like　the　virgins　with　maize；　then　carried　the　idol　in　its　litter　to　the　foot　of　the　great　pyramid…shaped　temple；　up　the　steep　and　narrow　steps　of　which　it　was　drawn　to　the　music　of　flutes；　trumpets；　cornets；　and　drums。　While　they　mounted　up　the　idol　all　the　people　stood　in　the　court　with　much　reverence　and　fear。　Being　mounted　to　the　top；　and　that　they　had　placed　it　in　a　little　lodge　of　roses　which　they　held　ready；　presently　came　the　young　men；　which　strewed　many　flowers　of　sundry　kinds；　wherewith　they　filled　the　temple　both　within　and　without。　This　done；　all　the　virgins　came　out　of　their　convent；　bringing　pieces　of　paste　compounded　of　beets　and　roasted　maize；　which　was　of　the　same　paste　whereof　their　idol　was　made　and　compounded；　and　they　were　of　the　fashion　of　great　bones。　They　delivered　them　to　the　young　men；　who　carried　them　up　and　laid　them　at　the　idol's　feet；　wherewith　they　filled　the　whole　place　that　it　could　receive　no　more。　They　called　these　morsels　of　paste　the　flesh　and　bones　of　Vitzilipuztli。　Having　laid　abroad　these　bones；　presently　came　all　the　ancients　of　the　temple；　priests；　Levites；　and　all　the　rest　of　the　ministers；　according　to　their　dignities　and　antiquities　（for　herein　there　was　a　strict　order　amongst　them）　one　after　another；　with　their　veils　of　diverse　colours　and　works；　every　one　according　to　his　dignity　and　office；　having　garlands　upon　their　heads　and　chains　of　flowers　about　their　necks；　after　them　came　their　gods　and　goddesses　whom　they　worshipped；　of　diverse　figures；　attired　in　the　same　livery；　then　putting　themselves　in　order　about　those　morsels　and　pieces　of　paste；　they　used　certain　ceremonies　with　singing　and　dancing。　By　means　whereof　they　were　blessed　and　consecrated　for　the　flesh　and　bones　of　this　idol。　This　ceremony　and　blessing　（whereby　they　were　taken　for　the　flesh　and　bones　of　the　idol）　being　ended；　they　honoured　those　pieces　in　the　same　sort　as　their　god。　　All　the　city　came　to　this　goodly　spectacle；　and　there　was　a　commandment　very　strictly　observed　throughout　all　the　land；　that　the　day　of　the　feast　of　the　idol　of　Vitzilipuztli　they　should　eat　no　other　meat　but　this　paste；　with　honey；　whereof　the　idol　was　made。　And　this　should　be　eaten　at　the　point　of　day；　and　they　should　drink　no　water　nor　any　other　thing　till　after　noon：　they　held　it　for　an　ill　sign；　yea；　for　sacrilege　to　do　the　contrary：　but　after　the　ceremonies　ended；　it　was　lawful　for　them　to　eat　anything。　During　the　time　of　this　ceremony　they　hid　the　water　from　their　little　children；　admonishing　all　such　as　had　the　use　of　reason　not　to　drink　any　water；　which；　if　they　did；　the　anger　of　God　would　come　upon　them；　and　they　should　die；　which　they　did　observe　very　carefully　and　strictly。　The　ceremonies；　dancing；　and　sacrifice　ended；　the　went　to　unclothe　themselves；　and　the　priests　and　superiors　of　the　temple　took　the　idol　of　paste；　which　they　spoiled　of　all　the　ornaments　it　had；　and　made　many　pieces；　as　well　of　the　idol　itself　as　of　the　truncheons　which　they　consecrated；　and　then　they　gave　them　to　the　people　in　manner　of　a　communion；　beginning　with　the　greater；　and　continuing　unto　the　rest；　both　men；　women；　and　little　children；　who　received　it　with　such　tears；　fear；　and　reverence　as　it　was　an　admirable　thing；　saying　that　they　did　eat　the　flesh　and　bones　of　God；　where…with　they　were　grieved。　Such　as　had　any　sick　folks　demanded　thereof　for　them；　and　carried　it　with　great　reverence　and　veneration。

From　this　interesting　passage　we　learn　that　the　ancient　Mexicans；　even　before　the　arrival　of　Christian　missionaries；　were　fully　acquainted　with　the　doctrine　of　transubstantiation　and　acted　upon　it　in　the　solemn　rites　of　their　religion。　They　believed　that　by　consecrating　bread　their　priests　could　turn　it　into　the　very　body　of　their　god；　so　that　all　who　thereupon　partook　of　the　consecrated　bread　entered　into　a　mystic　communion　with　the　deity　by　receiving　a　portion　of　his　divine　substance　into　themselves。　The　doctrine　of　transubstantiation；　or　the　magical　conversion　of　bread　into　flesh；　was　also　familiar　to　the　Aryans　of　ancient　India　long　before　the　spread　and　even　the　rise　of　Christianity。　The　Brahmans　taught　that　the　rice…cakes　offered　in　sacrifice　were　substitutes　for　human　beings；　and　that　they　were　actually　converted　into　the　real　bodies　of　men　by　the　manipulation　of　the　priest。　We　read　that　when　it　（the　rice…cake）　still　consists　of　rice…meal；　it　is　the　hair。　When　he　pours　water　on　it；　it　becomes　skin。　When　he　mixes　it；　it　becomes　flesh：　for　then　it　becomes　consistent；　and　consistent　also　is　the　flesh。　When　it　is　baked；　it　becomes　bone：　for　then　it　becomes　somewhat　hard；　and　hard　is　the　bone。　And　when　he　is　about　to　take　it　off　（the　fire）　and　sprinkles　it　with　butter；　he　changes　it　into　marrow。　This　is　the　completeness　which　they　call　the　fivefold　animal　sacrifice。

Now；　too；　we　can　perfectly　understand　why　on　the　day　of　their　solemn　communion　with　the　deity　the　Mexicans　refused　to　eat　any　other　food　than　the　consecrated　bread　which　they　revered　as　the　very　flesh　and　bones　of　their　God；　and　why　up　till　noon　they　might　drink　nothing　at　all；　not　even　water。　They　feared　no　doubt　to　defile　the　portion　of　God　in　their　stomachs　by　contact　with　common　things。　A　similar　pious　fear　led　the　Creek　and　Seminole　Indians；　as　we　saw；　to　adopt　the　more　thoroughgoing　expedient　of　rinsing　out　their　bodies　by　a　strong　purgative　before　they　dared　to　partake　of　the　sacrament　of　first…fruits。

At　the　festival　of　the　winter　solstice　in　December　the　Aztecs　killed　their　god　Huitzilopochtli　in　effigy　first　and　ate　him　afterwards。　As　a　preparation　for　this　solemn　ceremony　an　image　of　the　deity　in　the　likeness　of　a　man　was　fashioned　out　of　seeds　of　various　sorts；　which　were　kneaded　into　a　dough　with　the　blood　of　children。　The　bones　of　the　god　were　represented　by　pieces　of　acacia　wood。　This　image　was　placed　on　the　chief　altar　of　the　temple；　and　on　the　day　of　the　festival　the　king　offered　incense　to　it。　Early　next　day　it　was　taken　down　and　set　on　its　feet　in　a　great　hall。　Then　a　priest；　who　bore　the　name　and　acted　the　part　of　the　god　Quetzalcoatl；　took　a　flint…tipped　dart　and　hurled　it　into　the　breast　of　the　dough…image；　piercing　it　through　and　through。　This　was　called　killing　the　god　Huitzilopochtli　so　that　his　body　might　be　eaten。　One　of　the　priests　cut　out　the　heart　of　the　image　and　gave　it　to　the　king　to　eat。　The　rest　of　the　image　was　divided　into　minute　pieces；　of　which　every　man　great　and　small；　down　to　the　male　children　in　the　cradle；　receive　one　to　eat。　But　no　woman　might　taste　a　morsel。　The　ceremony　was　called　teoqualo；　that　is；　god　is　eaten。

At　another　festival　the　Mexicans　made　little　images　like　men；　which　stood　for　the　cloud…capped　mountains。　These　images　were　moulded　of　a　paste　of　vario