the golden bough-第205章

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y　order；　who　takes　some　of　the　blood　and　sprinkles　it　four　times　over　the　people。　He　then　applies　it　individually。　On　the　children　he　makes　a　small　ring　of　blood　over　the　lower　end　of　the　breast　bone；　on　women　and　girls　he　makes　a　mark　above　the　breasts；　and　the　men　he　touches　on　each　shoulder。　He　then　proceeds　to　explain　the　ceremony；　and　to　exhort　the　people　to　show　kindness　。　When　this　discourse；　which　is　at　times　of　great　length；　is　over；　the　people　rise；　each　places　a　leaf　on　or　by　the　circle　of　stones；　and　then　they　depart　with　signs　of　great　joy。　The　lamb's　skull　is　hung　on　a　tree　near　the　stones；　and　its　flesh　is　eaten　by　the　poor。　This　ceremony　is　observed　on　a　small　scale　at　other　times。　If　a　family　is　in　any　great　trouble；　through　illness　or　bereavement；　their　friends　and　neighbours　come　together　and　a　lamb　is　killed；　this　is　thought　to　avert　further　evil。　The　same　custom　prevails　at　the　grave　of　departed　friends；　and　also　on　joyful　occasions；　such　as　the　return　of　a　son　home　after　a　very　prolonged　absence。　The　sorrow　thus　manifested　by　the　people　at　the　annual　slaughter　of　the　lamb　seems　to　show　that　the　lamb　slain　is　a　sacred　or　divine　animal；　whose　death　is　mourned　by　his　worshippers；　just　as　the　death　of　the　sacred　buzzard　was　mourned　by　the　Californians　and　the　death　of　the　Theban　ram　by　the　Egyptians。　The　smearing　each　of　the　worshippers　with　the　blood　of　the　lamb　is　a　form　of　communion　with　the　divinity；　the　vehicle　of　the　divine　life　is　applied　externally　instead　of　being　taken　internally；　as　when　the　blood　is　drunk　or　the　flesh　eaten。

2。　Processions　with　Sacred　Animals

THE　FORM　of　communion　in　which　the　sacred　animal　is　taken　from　house　to　house；　that　all　may　enjoy　a　share　of　its　divine　influence；　has　been　exemplified　by　the　Gilyak　custom　of　promenading　the　bear　through　the　village　before　it　is　slain。　A　similar　form　of　communion　with　the　sacred　snake　is　observed　by　a　Snake　tribe　in　the　Punjaub。　Once　a　year　in　the　month　of　September　the　snake　is　worshipped　by　all　castes　and　religions　for　nine　days　only。　At　the　end　of　August　the　Mirasans；　especially　those　of　the　Snake　tribe；　make　a　snake　of　dough　which　they　paint　black　and　red；　and　place　on　a　winnowing　basket。　This　basket　they　carry　round　the　village；　and　on　entering　any　house　they　say：　God　be　with　you　all！　May　every　ill　be　far！　May　our　patron's　（Gugga's）　word　thrive！　Then　they　present　the　basket　with　the　snake；　saying：　A　small　cake　of　flour：　a　little　bit　of　butter：　if　you　obey　the　snake；　you　and　yours　shall　thrive！　Strictly　speaking；　a　cake　and　butter　should　be　given；　but　it　is　seldom　done。　Every　one；　however；　gives　something；　generally　a　handful　of　dough　or　some　corn。　In　houses　where　there　is　a　new　bride　or　whence　a　bride　has　gone；　or　where　a　son　has　been　born；　it　is　usual　to　give　a　rupee　and　a　quarter；　or　some　cloth。　Sometimes　the　bearers　of　the　snake　also　sing：

Give　the　snake　a　piece　of　cloth；　and　he　will　send　a　lively　bride！

When　every　house　has　been　thus　visited；　the　dough　snake　is　buried　and　a　small　grave　is　erected　over　it。　Thither　during　the　nine　days　of　September　the　women　come　to　worship。　They　bring　a　basin　of　curds；　a　small　portion　of　which　they　offer　at　the　snake's　grave；　kneeling　on　the　ground　and　touching　the　earth　with　their　foreheads。　Then　they　go　home　and　divide　the　rest　of　the　curds　among　the　children。　Here　the　dough　snake　is　clearly　a　substitute　for　a　real　snake。　Indeed；　in　districts　where　snakes　abound　the　worship　is　offered；　not　at　the　grave　of　the　dough　snake；　but　in　the　jungles　where　snakes　are　known　to　be。　Besides　this　yearly　worship；　performed　by　all　the　people；　the　members　of　the　Snake　tribe　worship　in　the　same　way　every　morning　after　a　new　moon。　The　Snake　tribe　is　not　uncommon　in　the　Punjaub。　Members　of　it　will　not　kill　a　snake；　and　they　say　that　its　bite　does　not　hurt　them。　If　they　find　a　dead　snake；　they　put　clothes　on　it　and　give　it　a　regular　funeral。

Ceremonies　closely　analogous　to　this　Indian　worship　of　the　snake　have　survived　in　Europe　into　recent　times；　and　doubtless　date　from　a　very　primitive　paganism。　The　best…known　example　is　the　hunting　of　the　wren。　By　many　European　peoplesthe　ancient　Greeks　and　Romans；　the　modern　Italians；　Spaniards；　French；　Germans；　Dutch；　Danes；　Swedes；　English；　and　Welshthe　wren　has　been　designated　the　king；　the　little　king；　the　king　of　birds；　the　hedge　king；　and　so　forth；　and　has　been　reckoned　amongst　those　birds　which　it　is　extremely　unlucky　to　kill。　In　England　it　is　supposed　that　if　any　one　kills　a　wren　or　harries　its　nest；　he　will　infallibly　break　a　bone　or　meet　with　some　dreadful　misfortune　within　the　year；　sometimes　it　is　thought　that　the　cows　will　give　bloody　milk。　In　Scotland　the　wren　is　called　the　Lady　of　Heaven's　hen；　and　boys　say：

Malisons；　malisons；　mair　than　ten；　That　harry　the　Ladye　of　Heaven's　hen！

At　Saint　Donan；　in　Brittany；　people　believe　that　if　children　touch　the　young　wrens　in　the　nest；　they　will　suffer　from　the　fire　of　St。　Lawrence；　that　is；　from　pimples　on　the　face；　legs；　and　so　on。　In　other　parts　of　France　it　is　thought　that　if　a　person　kills　a　wren　or　harries　its　nest；　his　house　will　be　struck　by　lightning；　or　that　the　fingers　with　which　he　did　the　deed　will　shrivel　up　and　drop　off；　or　at　least　be　maimed；　or　that　his　cattle　will　suffer　in　their　feet。

Notwithstanding　such　beliefs；　the　custom　of　annually　killing　the　wren　has　prevailed　widely　both　in　this　country　and　in　France。　In　the　Isle　of　Man　down　to　the　eighteenth　century　the　custom　was　observed　on　Christmas　Eve；　or　rather　Christmas　morning。　On　the　twenty…fourth　of　December；　towards　evening；　all　the　servants　got　a　holiday；　they　did　not　go　to　bed　all　night；　but　rambled　about　till　the　bells　rang　in　all　the　churches　at　midnight。　When　prayers　were　over；　they　went　to　hunt　the　wren；　and　having　found　one　of　these　birds　they　killed　it　and　fastened　it　to　the　top　of　a　long　pole　with　its　wings　extended。　Thus　they　carried　it　in　procession　to　every　house　chanting　the　following　rhyme：

We　hunted　the　wren　for　Robin　the　Bobbin；　We　hunted　the　wren　for　Jack　of　the　Can；　We　hunted　the　wren　for　Robin　the　Bobbin；　We　hunted　the　wren　for　every　one。

When　they　had　gone　from　house　to　house　and　collected　all　the　money　they　could；　they　laid　the　wren　on　a　bier　and　carried　it　in　procession　to　the　parish　churchyard；　where　they　made　a　grave　and　buried　it　with　the　utmost　solemnity；　singing　dirges　over　her　in　the　Manks　language；　which　they　call　her　knell；　after　which　Christmas　begins。　The　burial　over；　the　company　outside　the　churchyard　formed　a　circle　and　danced　to　music。

A　writer　of　the　eighteenth　century　says　that　in　Ireland　the　wren　is　still　hunted　and　killed　by　the　peasants　on　Christmas　Day；　and　on　the　following　（St。　Stephen's　Day）　he　is　carried　about；　hung　by　the　leg；　in　the　centre　of　two　hoops；　crossing　each　other　at　right　angles；　and　a　procession　made　in　every　village；　of　men；　women；　and　children；　singing　an　Irish　catch；　importing　him　to　be　the　king　of　all　birds。　Down　to　the　present　time　the　hunting　of　the　wren　still　takes　place　in　parts　of　Leinster　and　Connaught。　On　Christmas　Day　or　St。　Stephen's　Day　the　boys　hunt　and　kill　the　wren；　fasten　it　in　the　middle　of　a　mass　of　holly　and　ivy　on　the　top　of　a　broomstick；　and　on　St。　Stephen's　Day　go　about　with　it　from　house　to　house；　singing：

The　wren；　the　wren；　the　king　of　all　birds；　St。　Stephen's　Day　was　caught　in　the　furze；　Although　he　is　little；　his　family's　great；　I　pray　you；　good　landlady；　give　us　a　treat。

Money　or　food　（bread；　butter；　eggs；　etc。）　were　given　them；　upon　which　they　feasted　in　the　evening。

In　the　first　half　of　the　nineteenth　century　similar　customs　were　still　observed　in　various　parts　of　the　south　of　France。　Thus　at　Carcassone；　every　year　on　the　first　Sunday　of　December　the　young　people　of　the　street　Saint　Jean　used　to　go　out　of　the　town　armed　with　sticks；　with　which　they　beat　the　bushes；　looking　for　wrens。　The　first　to　strike　down　one　of　these　birds　was　proclaimed　King。　Then　they　returned　to　the　town　in　procession；　headed　by　the　King；　who　carried　the　wren　on　a　pole。　On　the　evening　of　the　last　day　of　the　year　the　King　and　all　who　had　hunted　the　wren　marched　through　the　streets　of　the　town　to　the　light　of　torches；　with　drums　beating　and　fifes　playing　in　front　o