the golden bough-第226章

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nd　privations　of　the　fast。

In　the　evening　all　the　people　assembled　at　the　temple；　the　courts　of　which　they　lit　up　by　a　multitude　of　lanterns　and　candles。　There　they　passed　the　night　without　sleeping；　and　at　midnight；　while　the　trumpets；　flutes；　and　horns　discoursed　solemn　music；　a　portable　framework　or　palanquin　was　brought　forth；　bedecked　with　festoons　of　maize…cobs　and　peppers　and　filled　with　seeds　of　all　sorts。　This　the　bearers　set　down　at　the　door　of　the　chamber　in　which　the　wooden　image　of　the　goddess　stood。　Now　the　chamber　was　adorned　and　wreathed；　both　outside　and　inside；　with　wreaths　of　maize…cobs；　peppers；　pumpkins；　roses；　and　seeds　of　every　kind；　a　wonder　to　behold；　the　whole　floor　was　covered　deep　with　these　verdant　offerings　of　the　pious。　When　the　music　ceased；　a　solemn　procession　came　forth　of　priests　and　dignitaries；　with　flaring　lights　and　smoking　censers；　leading　in　their　midst　the　girl　who　played　the　part　of　the　goddess。　Then　they　made　her　mount　the　framework；　where　she　stood　upright　on　the　maize　and　peppers　and　pumpkins　with　which　it　was　strewed；　her　hands　resting　on　two　bannisters　to　keep　her　from　falling。　Then　the　priests　swung　the　smoking　censers　round　her；　the　music　struck　up　again；　and　while　it　played；　a　great　dignitary　of　the　temple　suddenly　stepped　up　to　her　with　a　razor　in　his　hand　and　adroitly　shore　off　the　green　feather　she　wore　on　her　head；　together　with　the　hair　in　which　it　was　fastened；　snipping　the　lock　off　by　the　root。　The　feather　and　the　hair　he　then　presented　to　the　wooden　image　of　the　goddess　with　great　solemnity　and　elaborate　ceremonies；　weeping　and　giving　her　thanks　for　the　fruits　of　the　earth　and　the　abundant　crops　which　she　had　bestowed　on　the　people　that　year；　and　as　he　wept　and　prayed；　all　the　people；　standing　in　the　courts　of　the　temple；　wept　and　prayed　with　him。　When　that　ceremony　was　over；　the　girl　descended　from　the　framework　and　was　escorted　to　the　place　where　she　was　to　spend　the　rest　of　the　night。　But　all　the　people　kept　watch　in　the　courts　of　the　temple　by　the　light　of　torches　till　break　of　day。

The　morning　being　come；　and　the　courts　of　the　temple　being　still　crowded　by　the　multitude；　who　would　have　deemed　it　sacrilege　to　quit　the　precincts；　the　priests　again　brought　forth　the　damsel　attired　in　the　costume　of　the　goddess；　with　the　mitre　on　her　head　and　the　cobs　of　maize　about　her　neck。　Again　she　mounted　the　portable　framework　or　palanquin　and　stood　on　it；　supporting　herself　by　her　hands　on　the　bannisters。　Then　the　elders　of　the　temple　lifted　it　on　their　shoulders；　and　while　some　swung　burning　censers　and　others　played　on　instruments　or　sang；　they　carried　it　in　procession　through　the　great　courtyard　to　the　hall　of　the　god　Huitzilopochtli　and　then　back　to　the　chamber；　where　stood　the　wooden　image　of　the　Maize　Goddess；　whom　the　girl　personated。　There　they　caused　the　damsel　to　descend　from　the　palanquin　and　to　stand　on　the　heaps　of　corn　and　vegetables　that　had　been　spread　in　profusion　on　the　floor　of　the　sacred　chamber。　While　she　stood　there　all　the　elders　and　nobles　came　in　a　line；　one　behind　the　other；　carrying　saucers　full　of　dry　and　clotted　blood　which　they　had　drawn　from　their　ears　by　way　of　penance　during　the　seven　days'　fast。　One　by　one　they　squatted　on　their　haunches　before　her；　which　was　the　equivalent　of　falling　on　their　knees　with　us；　and　scraping　the　crust　of　blood　from　the　saucer　cast　it　down　before　her　as　an　offering　in　return　for　the　benefits　which　she；　as　the　embodiment　of　the　Maize　Goddess；　had　conferred　upon　them。　When　the　men　had　thus　humbly　offered　their　blood　to　the　human　representative　of　the　goddess；　the　women；　forming　a　long　line；　did　so　likewise；　each　of　them　dropping　on　her　hams　before　the　girl　and　scraping　her　blood　from　the　saucer。　The　ceremony　lasted　a　long　time；　for　great　and　small；　young　and　old；　all　without　exception　had　to　pass　before　the　incarnate　deity　and　make　their　offering。　When　it　was　over；　the　people　returned　home　with　glad　hearts　to　feast　on　flesh　and　viands　of　every　sort　as　merrily；　we　are　told；　as　good　Christians　at　Easter　partake　of　meat　and　other　carnal　mercies　after　the　long　abstinence　of　Lent。　And　when　they　had　eaten　and　drunk　their　fill　and　rested　after　the　night　watch；　they　returned　quite　refreshed　to　the　temple　to　see　the　end　of　the　festival。　And　the　end　of　the　festival　was　this。　The　multitude　being　assembled；　the　priests　solemnly　incensed　the　girl　who　personated　the　goddess；　then　they　threw　her　on　her　back　on　the　heap　of　corn　and　seeds；　cut　off　her　head；　caught　the　gushing　blood　in　a　tub；　and　sprinkled　the　blood　on　the　wooden　image　of　the　goddess；　the　walls　of　the　chamber；　and　the　offerings　of　corn；　peppers；　pumpkins；　seeds；　and　vegetables　which　cumbered　the　floor。　After　that　they　flayed　the　headless　trunk；　and　one　of　the　priests　made　shift　to　squeeze　himself　into　the　bloody　skin。　Having　done　so　they　clad　him　in　all　the　robes　which　the　girl　had　worn；　they　put　the　mitre　on　his　head；　the　necklace　of　golden　maize…cobs　about　his　neck；　the　maize…cobs　of　feathers　and　gold　in　his　hands；　and　thus　arrayed　they　led　him　forth　in　public；　all　of　them　dancing　to　the　tuck　of　drum；　while　he　acted　as　fugleman；　skipping　and　posturing　at　the　head　of　the　procession　as　briskly　as　he　could　be　expected　to　do；　incommoded　as　he　was　by　the　tight　and　clammy　skin　of　the　girl　and　by　her　clothes；　which　must　have　been　much　too　small　for　a　grown　man。

In　the　foregoing　custom　the　identification　of　the　young　girl　with　the　Maize　Goddess　appears　to　be　complete。　The　golden　maize…cobs　which　she　wore　round　her　neck；　the　artificial　maize…cobs　which　she　carried　in　her　hands；　the　green　feather　which　was　stuck　in　her　hair　in　imitation　（we　are　told）　of　a　green　ear　of　maize；　all　set　her　forth　as　a　personification　of　the　corn…spirit；　and　we　are　expressly　informed　that　she　was　specially　chosen　as　a　young　girl　to　represent　the　young　maize；　which　at　the　time　of　the　festival　had　not　yet　fully　ripened。　Further；　her　identification　with　the　corn　and　the　corn…goddess　was　clearly　announced　by　making　her　stand　on　the　heaps　of　maize　and　there　receive　the　homage　and　blood…offerings　of　the　whole　people；　who　thereby　returned　her　thanks　for　the　benefits　which　in　her　character　of　a　divinity　she　was　supposed　to　have　conferred　upon　them。　Once　more；　the　practice　of　beheading　her　on　a　heap　of　corn　and　seeds　and　sprinkling　her　blood；　not　only　on　the　image　of　the　Maize　Goddess；　but　on　the　piles　of　maize；　peppers；　pumpkins；　seeds；　and　vegetables；　can　seemingly　have　had　no　other　object　but　to　quicken　and　strengthen　the　crops　of　corn　and　the　fruits　of　the　earth　in　general　by　infusing　into　their　representatives　the　blood　of　the　Corn　Goddess　herself。　The　analogy　of　this　Mexican　sacrifice；　the　meaning　of　which　appears　to　be　indisputable；　may　be　allowed　to　strengthen　the　interpretation　which　I　have　given　of　other　human　sacrifices　offered　for　the　crops。　If　the　Mexican　girl；　whose　blood　was　sprinkled　on　the　maize；　indeed　personated　the　Maize　Goddess；　it　becomes　more　than　ever　probable　that　the　girl　whose　blood　the　Pawnees　similarly　sprinkled　on　the　seed　corn　personated　in　like　manner　the　female　Spirit　of　the　Corn；　and　so　with　the　other　human　beings　whom　other　races　have　slaughtered　for　the　sake　of　promoting　the　growth　of　the　crops。

Lastly；　the　concluding　act　of　the　sacred　drama；　in　which　the　body　of　the　dead　Maize　Goddess　was　flayed　and　her　skin　worn；　together　with　all　her　sacred　insignia；　by　a　man　who　danced　before　the　people　in　this　grim　attire；　seems　to　be　best　explained　on　the　hypothesis　that　it　was　intended　to　ensure　that　the　divine　death　should　be　immediately　followed　by　the　divine　resurrection。　If　that　was　so；　we　may　infer　with　some　degree　of　probability　that　the　practice　of　killing　a　human　representative　of　a　deity　has　commonly；　perhaps　always；　been　regarded　merely　as　a　means　of　perpetuating　the　divine　energies　in　the　fulness　of　youthful　vigour；　untainted　by　the　weakness　and　frailty　of　age；　from　which　they　must　have　suffered　if　the　deity　had　been　allowed　to　die　a　natural　death。

These　Mexican　rites　suffice　to　prove　that　human　sacrifices　of　the　sort　I　suppose　to　have　prevailed　at　Aricia　were；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　regularly　offered　by　a　people　whose　level　of　culture　was　probably　not　inferior；　if