the golden bough-第233章

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　of　the　great　god　Odin；　and　himself　the　wisest；　mildest；　best　beloved　of　all　the　immortals。　The　story　of　his　death；　as　it　is　told　in　the　younger　or　prose　Edda；　runs　thus。　Once　on　a　time　Balder　dreamed　heavy　dreams　which　seemed　to　forebode　his　death。　Thereupon　the　gods　held　a　council　and　resolved　to　make　him　secure　against　every　danger。　So　the　goddess　Frigg　took　an　oath　from　fire　and　water；　iron　and　all　metals；　stones　and　earth；　from　trees；　sicknesses　and　poisons；　and　from　all　four…footed　beasts；　birds；　and　creeping　things；　that　they　would　not　hurt　Balder。　When　this　was　done　Balder　was　deemed　invulnerable；　so　the　gods　amused　themselves　by　setting　him　in　their　midst；　while　some　shot　at　him；　others　hewed　at　him；　and　others　threw　stones　at　him。　But　whatever　they　did；　nothing　could　hurt　him；　and　at　this　they　were　all　glad。　Only　Loki；　the　mischief…maker；　was　displeased；　and　he　went　in　the　guise　of　an　old　woman　to　Frigg；　who　told　him　that　the　weapons　of　the　gods　could　not　wound　Balder；　since　she　had　made　them　all　swear　not　to　hurt　him。　Then　Loki　asked；　Have　all　things　sworn　to　spare　Balder？　She　answered；　East　of　Walhalla　grows　a　plant　called　mistletoe；　it　seemed　to　me　too　young　to　swear。　So　Loki　went　and　pulled　the　mistletoe　and　took　it　to　the　assembly　of　the　gods。　There　he　found　the　blind　god　Hother　standing　at　the　outside　of　the　circle。　Loki　asked　him；　Why　do　you　not　shoot　at　Balder？　Hother　answered；　Because　I　do　not　see　where　he　stands；　besides　I　have　no　weapon。　Then　said　Loki；　Do　like　the　rest　and　show　Balder　honour；　as　they　all　do。　I　will　show　you　where　he　stands；　and　do　you　shoot　at　him　with　this　twig。　Hother　took　the　mistletoe　and　threw　it　at　Balder；　as　Loki　directed　him。　The　mistletoe　struck　Balder　and　pierced　him　through　and　through；　and　he　fell　down　dead。　And　that　was　the　greatest　misfortune　that　ever　befell　gods　and　men。　For　a　while　the　gods　stood　speechless；　then　they　lifted　up　their　voices　and　wept　bitterly。　They　took　Balder's　body　and　brought　it　to　the　sea…shore。　There　stood　Balder's　ship；　it　was　called　Ringhorn；　and　was　the　hugest　of　all　ships。　The　gods　wished　to　launch　the　ship　and　to　burn　Balder's　body　on　it；　but　the　ship　would　not　stir。　So　they　sent　for　a　giantess　called　Hyrrockin。　She　came　riding　on　a　wolf　and　gave　the　ship　such　a　push　that　fire　flashed　from　the　rollers　and　all　the　earth　shook。　Then　Balder's　body　was　taken　and　placed　on　the　funeral　pile　upon　his　ship。　When　his　wife　Nanna　saw　that；　her　heart　burst　for　sorrow　and　she　died。　So　she　was　laid　on　the　funeral　pile　with　her　husband；　and　fire　was　put　to　it。　Balder's　horse；　too；　with　all　its　trappings；　was　burned　on　the　pile。

Whether　he　was　a　real　or　merely　a　mythical　personage；　Balder　was　worshipped　in　Norway。　On　one　of　the　bays　of　the　beautiful　Sogne　Fiord；　which　penetrates　far　into　the　depths　of　the　solemn　Norwegian　mountains；　with　their　sombre　pine…forests　and　their　lofty　cascades　dissolving　into　spray　before　they　reach　the　dark　water　of　the　fiord　far　below；　Balder　had　a　great　sanctuary。　It　was　called　Balder's　Grove。　A　palisade　enclosed　the　hallowed　ground；　and　within　it　stood　a　spacious　temple　with　the　images　of　many　gods；　but　none　of　them　was　worshipped　with　such　devotion　as　Balder。　So　great　was　the　awe　with　which　the　heathen　regarded　the　place　that　no　man　might　harm　another　there；　nor　steal　his　cattle；　nor　defile　himself　with　women。　But　women　cared　for　the　images　of　the　gods　in　the　temple；　they　warmed　them　at　the　fire；　anointed　them　with　oil；　and　dried　them　with　cloths。

Whatever　may　be　thought　of　an　historical　kernel　underlying　a　mythical　husk　in　the　legend　of　Balder；　the　details　of　the　story　suggest　that　it　belongs　to　that　class　of　myths　which　have　been　dramatised　an　ritual；　or；　to　put　it　otherwise；　which　have　been　performed　as　magical　ceremonies　for　the　sake　of　producing　those　natural　effects　which　they　describe　in　figurative　language。　A　myth　is　never　so　graphic　and　precise　in　its　details　as　when　it　is；　so　to　speak；　the　book　of　the　words　which　are　spoken　and　acted　by　the　performers　of　the　sacred　rite。　That　the　Norse　story　of　Balder　was　a　myth　of　this　sort　will　become　probable　if　we　can　prove　that　ceremonies　resembling　the　incidents　in　the　tale　have　been　performed　by　Norsemen　and　other　European　peoples。　Now　the　main　incidents　in　the　tale　are　twofirst；　the　pulling　of　the　mistletoe；　and　second；　the　death　and　burning　of　the　god；　and　both　of　them　may　perhaps　be　found　to　have　had　their　counterparts　in　yearly　rites　observed；　whether　separately　or　conjointly；　by　people　in　various　parts　of　Europe。　These　rites　will　be　described　and　discussed　in　the　following　chapters。　We　shall　begin　with　the　annual　festivals　of　fire　and　shall　reserve　the　pulling　of　the　mistletoe　for　consideration　later　on。

Chapter　62。　The　Fire…Festivals　of　Europe。

1。　The　Fire…festivals　in　general

ALL　over　Europe　the　peasants　have　been　accustomed　from　time　immemorial　to　kindle　bonfires　on　certain　days　of　the　year；　and　to　dance　round　or　leap　over　them。　Customs　of　this　kind　can　be　traced　back　on　historical　evidence　to　the　Middle　Ages；　and　their　analogy　to　similar　customs　observed　in　antiquity　goes　with　strong　internal　evidence　to　prove　that　their　origin　must　be　sought　in　a　period　long　prior　to　the　spread　of　Christianity。　Indeed　the　earliest　proof　of　their　observance　in　Northern　Europe　is　furnished　by　the　attempts　made　by　Christian　synods　in　the　eighth　century　to　put　them　down　as　heathenish　rites。　Not　uncommonly　effigies　are　burned　in　these　fires；　or　a　pretence　is　made　of　burning　a　living　person　in　them；　and　there　are　grounds　for　believing　that　anciently　human　beings　were　actually　burned　on　these　occasions。　A　brief　view　of　the　customs　in　question　will　bring　out　the　traces　of　human　sacrifice；　and　will　serve　at　the　same　time　to　throw　light　on　their　meaning。

The　seasons　of　the　year　when　these　bonfires　are　most　commonly　lit　are　spring　and　midsummer；　but　in　some　places　they　are　kindled　also　at　the　end　of　autumn　or　during　the　course　of　the　winter；　particularly　on　Hallow　E'en　（the　thirty…first　of　October）；　Christmas　Day；　and　the　Eve　of　Twelfth　Day。　Space　forbids　me　to　describe　all　these　festivals　at　length；　a　few　specimens　must　serve　to　illustrate　their　general　character。　We　shall　begin　with　the　fire…festivals　of　spring；　which　usually　fall　on　the　first　Sunday　of　Lent　（Quadragesima　or　Invocavit）；　Easter　Eve；　and　May　Day。

2。　The　Lenten　Fires

THE　CUSTOM　of　kindling　bonfires　on　the　first　Sunday　in　Lent　has　prevailed　in　Belgium；　the　north　of　France；　and　many　parts　of　Germany。　Thus　in　the　Belgian　Ardennes　for　a　week　or　a　fortnight　before　the　day　of　the　great　fire；　as　it　is　called；　children　go　about　from　farm　to　farm　collecting　fuel。　At　Grand　Halleux　any　one　who　refuses　their　request　is　pursued　next　day　by　the　children；　who　try　to　blacken　his　face　with　the　ashes　of　the　extinct　fire。　When　the　day　has　come；　they　cut　down　bushes；　especially　juniper　and　broom；　and　in　the　evening　great　bonfires　blaze　on　all　the　heights。　It　is　a　common　saying　that　seven　bonfires　should　be　seen　if　the　village　is　to　be　safe　from　conflagrations。　If　the　Meuse　happens　to　be　frozen　hard　at　the　time；　bonfires　are　lit　also　on　the　ice。　At　Grand　Halleux　they　set　up　a　pole　called　makral；　or　the　witch；　in　the　midst　of　the　pile；　and　the　fire　is　kindled　by　the　man　who　was　last　married　in　the　village。　In　the　neighbourhood　of　Morlanwelz　a　straw　man　is　burnt　in　the　fire。　Young　people　and　children　dance　and　sing　round　the　bonfires；　and　leap　over　the　embers　to　secure　good　crops　or　a　happy　marriage　within　the　year；　or　as　a　means　of　guarding　themselves　against　colic。　In　Brabant　on　the　same　Sunday；　down　to　the　beginning　of　the　nineteenth　century；　women　and　men　disguised　in　female　attire　used　to　go　with　burning　torches　to　the　fields；　where　they　danced　and　sang　comic　songs　for　the　purpose；　as　they　alleged；　of　driving　away　the　wicked　sower；　who　is　mentioned　in　the　Gospel　for　the　day。　At　Paturages；　in　the　province　of　Hainaut；　down　to　about　1840　the　custom　was　observed　under　the　name　of　Escouvion　or　Scouvion。　Every　year　on　the　first　Sunday　of　Lent；　which　was　called　the　Day　of　the　Little　Scouvion；　young　folks　and　children　used　to　run　with　lighted　torches　through　the　gardens　and　orchards。　As　they　ran　they　cried　at　the　pitch　of　their　voices：

Be