the golden bough-第214章

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nerally　the　twenty…fifth　of　February；　one　month　after　the　beginning　of　the　new　year；　which　fell　on　the　twenty…fifth　of　January。　The　intermediate　month　was　a　season　of　feasting；　merry…making　of　all　kinds；　and　general　licence。　During　the　whole　month　the　great　seal　was　kept　shut　up　in　a　box；　face　downwards；　and　the　law　was；　as　it　were；　laid　asleep。　All　courts　of　justice　were　closed；　debtors　could　not　be　seized；　small　crimes；　such　as　petty　larceny；　fighting；　and　assault；　escaped　with　impunity；　only　treason　and　murder　were　taken　account　of　and　the　malefactors　detained　till　the　great　seal　should　come　into　operation　again。　At　the　close　of　the　saturnalia　the　wicked　spirits　were　driven　away。　Great　masses　of　troops　and　artillery　having　been　drawn　up　with　flying　colours　and　all　the　pomp　of　war；　the　general　beginneth　then　to　offer　meat　offerings　to　the　criminal　devils　and　malevolent　spirits　（for　it　is　usual　and　customary　likewise　amongst　them　to　feast　the　condemned　before　their　execution）；　inviting　them　to　eat　and　drink；　when　presently　he　accuses　them　in　a　strange　language；　by　characters　and　figures；　etc。；　of　many　offences　and　crimes　committed　by　them；　as　to　their　having　disquieted　the　land；　killed　his　elephants　and　horses；　etc。；　for　all　which　they　justly　deserve　to　be　chastised　and　banished　the　country。　Whereupon　three　great　guns　are　fired　as　the　last　signal；　upon　which　all　the　artillery　and　musquets　are　discharged；　that；　by　their　most　terrible　noise　the　devils　may　be　driven　away；　and　they　are　so　blind　as　to　believe　for　certain；　that　they　really　and　effectually　put　them　to　flight。

In　Cambodia　the　expulsion　of　evil　spirits　took　place　in　March。　Bits　of　broken　statues　and　stones；　considered　as　the　abode　of　the　demons；　were　collected　and　brought　to　the　capital。　Here　as　many　elephants　were　collected　as　could　be　got　together。　On　the　evening　of　the　full　moon　volleys　of　musketry　were　fired　and　the　elephants　charged　furiously　to　put　the　devils　to　flight。　The　ceremony　was　performed　on　three　successive　days。　In　Siam　the　banishment　of　demons　is　annually　carried　into　effect　on　the　last　day　of　the　old　year。　A　signal　gun　is　fired　from　the　palace；　it　is　answered　from　the　next　station；　and　so　on　from　station　to　station；　till　the　firing　has　reached　the　outer　gate　of　the　city。　Thus　the　demons　are　driven　out　step　by　step。　As　soon　as　this　is　done　a　consecrated　rope　is　fastened　round　the　circuit　of　the　city　walls　to　prevent　the　banished　demons　from　returning。　The　rope　is　made　of　tough　couch…grass　and　is　painted　in　alternate　stripes　of　red；　yellow；　and　blue。

Annual　expulsions　of　demons；　witches；　or　evil　influences　appear　to　have　been　common　among　the　heathen　of　Europe；　if　we　may　judge　from　the　relics　of　such　customs　among　their　descendants　at　the　present　day。　Thus　among　the　heathen　Wotyaks；　a　Finnish　people　of　Eastern　Russia；　all　the　young　girls　of　the　village　assemble　on　the　last　day　of　the　year　or　on　New　Year's　Day；　armed　with　sticks；　the　ends　of　which　are　split　in　nine　places。　With　these　they　beat　every　corner　of　the　house　and　yard；　saying；　We　are　driving　Satan　out　of　the　village。　Afterwards　the　sticks　are　thrown　into　the　river　below　the　village；　and　as　they　float　down　stream　Satan　goes　with　them　to　the　next　village；　from　which　he　must　be　driven　out　in　turn。　In　some　villages　the　expulsion　is　managed　otherwise。　The　unmarried　men　receive　from　every　house　in　the　village　groats；　flesh；　and　brandy。　These　they　take　to　the　fields；　light　a　fire　under　a　fir…tree；　boil　the　groats；　and　eat　of　the　food　they　have　brought　with　them；　after　pronouncing　the　words；　Go　away　into　the　wilderness；　come　not　into　the　house。　Then　they　return　to　the　village　and　enter　every　house　where　there　are　young　women。　They　take　hold　of　the　young　women　and　throw　them　into　the　snow；　saying；　May　the　spirits　of　disease　leave　you。　The　remains　of　the　groats　and　the　other　food　are　then　distributed　among　all　the　houses　in　proportion　to　the　amount　that　each　contributed；　and　each　family　consumes　its　share。　According　to　a　Wotyak　of　the　Malmyz　district　the　young　men　throw　into　the　snow　whomever　they　find　in　the　houses；　and　this　is　called　driving　out　Satan；　moreover；　some　of　the　boiled　groats　are　cast　into　the　fire　with　the　words；　O　god；　afflict　us　not　with　sickness　and　pestilence；　give　us　not　up　as　a　prey　to　the　spirits　of　the　wood。　But　the　most　antique　form　of　the　ceremony　is　that　observed　by　the　Wotyaks　of　the　Kasan　Government。　First　of　all　a　sacrifice　is　offered　to　the　Devil　at　noon。　Then　all　the　men　assemble　on　horseback　in　the　centre　of　the　village；　and　decide　with　which　house　they　shall　begin。　When　this　question；　which　often　gives　rise　to　hot　disputes；　is　settled；　they　tether　their　horses　to　the　paling；　and　arm　themselves　with　whips；　clubs　of　lime…wood　and　bundles　of　lighted　twigs。　The　lighted　twigs　are　believed　to　have　the　greatest　terrors　for　Satan。　Thus　armed；　they　proceed　with　frightful　cries　to　beat　every　corner　of　the　house　and　yard；　then　shut　the　door；　and　spit　at　the　ejected　fiend。　So　they　go　from　house　to　house；　till　the　Devil　has　been　driven　from　every　one。　Then　they　mount　their　horses　and　ride　out　of　the　village；　yelling　wildly　and　brandishing　their　clubs　in　every　direction。　Outside　of　the　village　they　fling　away　the　clubs　and　spit　once　more　at　the　Devil。　The　Cheremiss；　another　Finnish　people　of　Eastern　Russia；　chase　Satan　from　their　dwellings　by　beating　the　walls　with　cudgels　of　lime…wood。　For　the　same　purpose　they　fire　guns；　stab　the　ground　with　knives；　and　insert　burning　chips　of　wood　in　the　crevices。　Also　they　leap　over　bonfires；　shaking　out　their　garments　as　they　do　so；　and　in　some　districts　they　blow　on　long　trumpets　of　lime…tree　bark　to　frighten　him　away。　When　he　has　fled　to　the　wood；　they　pelt　the　trees　with　some　of　the　cheese…cakes　and　eggs　which　furnished　the　feast。

In　Christian　Europe　the　old　heathen　custom　of　expelling　the　powers　of　evil　at　certain　times　of　the　year　has　survived　to　modern　times。　Thus　in　some　villages　of　Calabria　the　month　of　March　is　inaugurated　with　the　expulsion　of　the　witches。　It　takes　place　at　night　to　the　sound　of　the　church　bells；　the　people　running　about　the　streets　and　crying；　March　is　come。　They　say　that　the　witches　roam　about　in　March；　and　the　ceremony　is　repeated　every　Friday　evening　during　the　month。　Often；　as　might　have　been　anticipated；　the　ancient　pagan　rite　has　attached　itself　to　church　festivals。　In　Albania　on　Easter　Eve　the　young　people　light　torches　of　resinous　wood　and　march　in　procession；　swinging　them；　through　the　village。　At　last　they　throw　the　torches　into　the　river；　crying；　Ha；　Kore！　we　throw　you　into　the　river；　like　these　torches；　that　you　may　never　return。　Silesian　peasants　believe　that　on　Good　Friday　the　witches　go　their　rounds　and　have　great　power　for　mischief。　Hence　about　Oels；　near　Strehlitz；　the　people　on　that　day　arm　themselves　with　old　brooms　and　drive　the　witches　from　house　and　home；　from　farmyard　and　cattle…stall；　making　a　great　uproar　and　clatter　as　they　do　so。

In　Central　Europe　the　favourite　time　for　expelling　the　witches　is；　or　was；　Walpurgis　Night；　the　Eve　of　May　Day；　when　the　baleful　powers　of　these　mischievous　beings　were　supposed　to　be　at　their　height。　In　the　Tyrol；　for　example；　as　in　other　places；　the　expulsion　of　the　powers　of　evil　at　this　season　goes　by　the　name　of　Burning　out　the　Witches。　It　takes　place　on　May　Day；　but　people　have　been　busy　with　their　preparations　for　days　before。　On　a　Thursday　at　midnight　bundles　are　made　up　of　resinous　splinters；　black　and　red　spotted　hemlock；　caperspurge；　rosemary；　and　twigs　of　the　sloe。　These　are　kept　and　burned　on　May　Day　by　men　who　must　first　have　received　plenary　absolution　from　the　Church。　On　the　last　three　days　of　April　all　the　houses　are　cleansed　and　fumigated　with　juniper　berries　and　rue。　On　May　Day；　when　the　evening　bell　has　rung　and　the　twilight　is　falling；　the　ceremony　of　Burning　out　the　Witches　begins。　Men　and　boys　make　a　racket　with　whips；　bells；　pots；　and　pans；　the　women　carry　censers；　the　dogs　are　unchained　and　run　barking　and　yelping　about。　As　soon　as　the　church　bells　begin　to　ring；　the　bundles　of　twigs；　fastened　on　poles；　are　set　on　fire　and　the　incense　is　ignited。　Then　all　the　house…bells　and　dinner…bells　are　rung；　pots　and　pans　are　clashed；　dogs　bark；　eve