the golden bough-第2章

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be　propounded　very　briefly；　but　I　soon　found　that　to　render　it　probable　or　even　intelligible　it　was　necessary　to　discuss　certain　more　general　questions；　some　of　which　had　hardly　been　broached　before。　In　successive　editions　the　discussion　of　these　and　kindred　topics　has　occupied　more　and　more　space；　the　enquiry　has　branched　out　in　more　and　more　directions；　until　the　two　volumes　of　the　original　work　have　expanded　into　twelve。　Meantime　a　wish　has　often　been　expressed　that　the　book　should　be　issued　in　a　more　compendious　form。　This　abridgment　is　an　attempt　to　meet　the　wish　and　thereby　to　bring　the　work　within　the　range　of　a　wider　circle　of　readers。　While　the　bulk　of　the　book　has　been　greatly　reduced；　I　have　endeavoured　to　retain　its　leading　principles；　together　with　an　amount　of　evidence　sufficient　to　illustrate　them　clearly。　The　language　of　the　original　has　also　for　the　most　part　been　preserved；　though　here　and　there　the　exposition　has　been　somewhat　condensed。　In　order　to　keep　as　much　of　the　text　as　possible　I　have　sacrificed　all　the　notes；　and　with　them　all　exact　references　to　my　authorities。　Readers　who　desire　to　ascertain　the　source　of　any　particular　statement　must　therefore　consult　the　larger　work；　which　is　fully　documented　and　provided　with　a　complete　bibliography。

In　the　abridgment　I　have　neither　added　new　matter　nor　altered　the　views　expressed　in　the　last　edition；　for　the　evidence　which　has　come　to　my　knowledge　in　the　meantime　has　on　the　whole　served　either　to　confirm　my　former　conclusions　or　to　furnish　fresh　illustrations　of　old　principles。　Thus；　for　example；　on　the　crucial　question　of　the　practice　of　putting　kings　to　death　either　at　the　end　of　a　fixed　period　or　whenever　their　health　and　strength　began　to　fail；　the　body　of　evidence　which　points　to　the　wide　prevalence　of　such　a　custom　has　been　considerably　augmented　in　the　interval。　A　striking　instance　of　a　limited　monarchy　of　this　sort　is　furnished　by　the　powerful　mediaeval　kingdom　of　the　Khazars　in　Southern　Russia；　where　the　kings　were　liable　to　be　put　to　death　either　on　the　expiry　of　a　set　term　or　whenever　some　public　calamity；　such　as　drought；　dearth；　or　defeat　in　war；　seemed　to　indicate　a　failure　of　their　natural　powers。　The　evidence　for　the　systematic　killing　of　the　Khazar　kings；　drawn　from　the　accounts　of　old　Arab　travellers；　has　been　collected　by　me　elsewhere。　1　Africa；　again；　has　supplied　several　fresh　examples　of　a　similar　practice　of　regicide。　Among　them　the　most　notable　perhaps　is　the　custom　formerly　observed　in　Bunyoro　of　choosing　every　year　from　a　particular　clan　a　mock　king；　who　was　supposed　to　incarnate　the　late　king；　cohabited　with　his　widows　at　his　temple…tomb；　and　after　reigning　for　a　week　was　strangled。　2　The　custom　presents　a　close　parallel　to　the　ancient　Babylonian　festival　of　the　Sacaea；　at　which　a　mock　king　was　dressed　in　the　royal　robes；　allowed　to　enjoy　the　real　king's　concubines；　and　after　reigning　for　five　days　was　stripped；　scourged；　and　put　to　death。　That　festival　in　its　turn　has　lately　received　fresh　light　from　certain　Assyrian　inscriptions；　3　which　seem　to　confirm　the　interpretation　which　I　formerly　gave　of　the　festival　as　a　New　Year　celebration　and　the　parent　of　the　Jewish　festival　of　Purim。　4　Other　recently　discovered　parallels　to　the　priestly　kings　of　Aricia　are　African　priests　and　kings　who　used　to　be　put　to　death　at　the　end　of　seven　or　of　two　years；　after　being　liable　in　the　interval　to　be　attacked　and　killed　by　a　strong　man；　who　thereupon　succeeded　to　the　priesthood　or　the　kingdom。　5

With　these　and　other　instances　of　like　customs　before　us　it　is　no　longer　possible　to　regard　the　rule　of　succession　to　the　priesthood　of　Diana　at　Aricia　as　exceptional；　it　clearly　exemplifies　a　widespread　institution；　of　which　the　most　numerous　and　the　most　similar　cases　have　thus　far　been　found　in　Africa。　How　far　the　facts　point　to　an　early　influence　of　Africa　on　Italy；　or　even　to　the　existence　of　an　African　population　in　Southern　Europe；　I　do　not　presume　to　say。　The　pre…historic　　historic　relations　between　the　two　continents　are　still　obscure　and　still　under　investigation。

Whether　the　explanation　which　I　have　offered　of　the　institution　is　correct　or　not　must　be　left　to　the　future　to　determine。　I　shall　always　be　ready　to　abandon　it　if　a　better　can　be　suggested。　Meantime　in　committing　the　book　in　its　new　form　to　the　judgment　of　the　public　I　desire　to　guard　against　a　misapprehension　of　its　scope　which　appears　to　be　still　rife；　though　I　have　sought　to　correct　it　before　now。　If　in　the　present　work　I　have　dwelt　at　some　length　on　the　worship　of　trees；　it　is　not；　I　trust；　because　I　exaggerate　its　importance　in　the　history　of　religion；　still　less　because　I　would　deduce　from　it　a　whole　system　of　mythology；　it　is　simply　because　I　could　not　ignore　the　subject　in　attempting　to　explain　the　significance　of　a　priest　who　bore　the　title　of　King　of　the　Wood；　and　one　of　whose　titles　to　office　was　the　plucking　of　a　boughthe　Golden　Boughfrom　a　tree　in　the　sacred　grove。　But　I　am　so　far　from　regarding　the　reverence　for　trees　as　of　supreme　importance　for　the　evolution　of　religion　that　I　consider　it　to　have　been　altogether　subordinate　to　other　factors；　and　in　particular　to　the　fear　of　the　human　dead；　which；　on　the　whole；　I　believe　to　have　been　probably　the　most　powerful　force　in　the　making　of　primitive　religion。　I　hope　that　after　this　explicit　disclaimer　I　shall　no　longer　be　taxed　with　embracing　a　system　of　mythology　which　I　look　upon　not　merely　as　false　but　as　preposterous　and　absurd。　But　I　am　too　familiar　with　the　hydra　of　error　to　expect　that　by　lopping　off　one　of　the　monster's　heads　I　can　prevent　another；　or　even　the　same；　from　sprouting　again。　I　can　only　trust　to　the　candour　and　intelligence　of　my　readers　to　rectify　this　serious　misconception　of　my　views　by　a　comparison　with　my　own　express　declaration。

J。　G。　FRAZER。　1　BRICK　COURT；　TEMPLE；　LONDON；　June　1922。

Note　1。　　　J。　G。　Frazer；　The　Killing　of　the　Khazar　Kings；　Folk…lore；　xxviii。　（1917）；　pp。　382…407。

Note　2。　　　Rev。　J。　Roscoe；　The　Soul　of　Central　Africa　（London；　1922）；　p。　200。　Compare　J。　G。　Frazer；　The　Mackie　Ethnological　Expedition　to　Central　Africa；　Man；　xx。　（1920）；　p。　181。

Note　3。　　　H。　Zimmern；　Zum　babylonischen　Neujahrsfest　（Leipzig；　1918）。　Compare　A。　H。　Sayce；　in　Journal　of　the　Royal　Asiatic　Society；　July　1921；　pp。　440…442。

Note　4。　　　The　Golden　Bough；　Part　VI。　The　Scapegoat；　pp。　354　sqq。；　412　sqq。

Note　5。　　　P。　Amaury　Talbot　in　Journal　of　the　African　Society；　July　1916；　pp。　309　sq。；　id。；　in　Folk…lore；　xxvi。　（1916）；　pp。　79　sq。；　H。　R。　Palmer；　in　Journal　of　the　African　Society；　July　1912；　pp。　403；　407　sq。



Chapter　1。　The　King　of　the　Wood。

1。　Diana　and　Virbius

WHO　does　not　know　Turner's　picture　of　the　Golden　Bough？　The　scene；　suffused　with　the　golden　glow　of　imagination　in　which　the　divine　mind　of　Turner　steeped　and　transfigured　even　the　fairest　natural　landscape；　is　a　dream…like　vision　of　the　little　woodland　lake　of　Nemi　Diana's　Mirror；　as　it　was　called　by　the　ancients。　No　one　who　has　seen　that　calm　water；　lapped　in　a　green　hollow　of　the　Alban　hills；　can　ever　forget　it。　The　two　characteristic　Italian　villages　which　slumber　on　its　banks；　and　the　equally　Italian　palace　whose　terraced　gardens　descend　steeply　to　the　lake；　hardly　break　the　stillness　and　even　the　solitariness　of　the　scene。　Diana　herself　might　still　linger　by　this　lonely　shore；　still　haunt　these　woodlands　wild。

In　antiquity　this　sylvan　landscape　was　the　scene　of　a　strange　and　recurring　tragedy。　On　the　northern　shore　of　the　lake；　right　under　the　precipitous　cliffs　on　which　the　modern　village　of　Nemi　is　perched；　stood　the　sacred　grove　and　sanctuary　of　Diana　Nemorensis；　or　Diana　of　the　Wood。　The　lake　and　the　grove　were　sometimes　known　as　the　lake　and　grove　of　Aricia。　But　the　town　of　Aricia　（the　modern　La　Riccia）　was　situated　about　three　miles　off；　at　the　foot　of　the　Alban　Mount；　and　separated　by　a　steep　descent　from　the　lake；　which　lies　in　a　small　crater…like　hollow　on　the　mountain　side。　In　this　sacred　grove　there　grew　a　certain　tree　round　which　at　any　time　of　the　day；　and　probably　far　into　the　night；　a　grim　figure　might　be　seen　to　prowl。　In　his　hand　he　carried　a　drawn　sword；　and　he　kept　peering　warily　about　him　as　if　at　every　instant