the golden bough-第237章

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that　it　would　be　devoid　of　its　usual　virtue。　So　soon　as　any　sparks　were　emitted　by　means　of　the　violent　friction；　they　applied　a　species　of　agaric　which　grows　on　old　birch…trees；　and　is　very　combustible。　This　fire　had　the　appearance　of　being　immediately　derived　from　heaven；　and　manifold　were　the　virtues　ascribed　to　it。　They　esteemed　it　a　preservative　against　witch…craft；　and　a　sovereign　remedy　against　malignant　diseases；　both　in　the　human　species　and　in　cattle；　and　by　it　the　strongest　poisons　were　supposed　to　have　their　nature　changed。

After　kindling　the　bonfire　with　the　tein…eigin　the　company　prepared　their　victuals。　And　as　soon　as　they　had　finished　their　meal；　they　amused　themselves　a　while　in　singing　and　dancing　round　the　fire。　Towards　the　close　of　the　entertainment；　the　person　who　officiated　as　master　of　the　feast　produced　a　large　cake　baked　with　eggs　and　scalloped　round　the　edge；　called　am　bonnach　bea…tinei。e。；　the　Beltane　cake。　It　was　divided　into　a　number　of　pieces；　and　distributed　in　great　form　to　the　company。　There　was　one　particular　piece　which　whoever　got　was　called　cailleach　beal…tine　i。e。；　the　Beltane　carline；　a　term　of　great　reproach。　Upon　his　being　known；　part　of　the　company　laid　hold　of　him　and　made　a　show　of　putting　him　into　the　fire；　but　the　majority　interposing；　he　was　rescued。　And　in　some　places　they　laid　him　flat　on　the　ground；　making　as　if　they　would　quarter　him。　Afterwards；　he　was　pelted　with　egg…shells；　and　retained　the　odious　appellation　during　the　whole　year。　And　while　the　feast　was　fresh　in　people's　memory；　they　affected　to　speak　of　the　cailleach　beal…tine　as　dead。

In　the　parish　of　Callander；　a　beautiful　district　of　Western　Perthshire；　the　Beltane　custom　was　still　in　vogue　towards　the　end　of　the　eighteenth　century。　It　has　been　described　as　follows　by　the　parish　minister　of　the　time：　Upon　the　first　day　of　May；　which　is　called　Beltan；　or　Baltein　day；　all　the　boys　in　a　township　or　hamlet；　meet　in　the　moors。　They　cut　a　table　in　the　green　sod；　of　a　round　figure；　by　casting　a　trench　in　the　ground；　of　such　circumference　as　to　hold　the　whole　company。　They　kindle　a　fire；　and　dress　a　repast　of　eggs　and　milk　in　the　consistence　of　a　custard。　They　knead　a　cake　of　oatmeal；　which　is　toasted　at　the　embers　against　a　stone。　After　the　custard　is　eaten　up；　they　divide　the　cake　into　so　many　portions；　as　similar　as　possible　to　one　another　in　size　and　shape；　as　there　are　persons　in　the　company。　They　daub　one　of　these　portions　all　over　with　charcoal；　until　it　be　perfectly　black。　They　put　all　the　bits　of　the　cake　into　a　bonnet。　Every　one；　blindfold；　draws　out　a　portion。　He　who　holds　the　bonnet；　is　entitled　to　the　last　bit。　Whoever　draws　the　black　bit；　is　the　devoted　person　who　is　to　be　sacrificed　to　Baal；　whose　favour　they　mean　to　implore；　in　rendering　the　year　productive　of　the　sustenance　of　man　and　beast。　There　is　little　doubt　of　these　inhuman　sacrifices　having　been　once　offered　in　this　country；　as　well　as　in　the　east；　although　they　now　pass　from　the　act　of　sacrificing；　and　only　compel　the　devoted　person　to　leap　three　times　through　the　flames；　with　which　the　ceremonies　of　this　festival　are　closed。

Thomas　Pennant；　who　travelled　in　Perthshire　in　the　year　1769；　tells　us　that　on　the　first　of　May；　the　herdsmen　of　every　village　hold　their　Bel…tien；　a　rural　sacrifice。　They　cut　a　square　trench　on　the　ground；　leaving　the　turf　in　the　middle；　on　that　they　make　a　fire　of　wood；　on　which　they　dress　a　large　caudle　of　eggs；　butter；　oatmeal　and　milk；　and　bring　besides　the　ingredients　of　the　caudle；　plenty　of　beer　and　whisky；　for　each　of　the　company　must　contribute　something。　The　rites　begin　with　spilling　some　of　the　caudle　on　the　ground；　by　way　of　libation：　on　that　every　one　takes　a　cake　of　oatmeal；　upon　which　are　raised　nine　square　knobs；　each　dedicated　to　some　particular　being；　the　supposed　preserver　of　their　flocks　and　herds；　or　to　some　particular　animal；　the　real　destroyer　of　them：　each　person　then　turns　his　face　to　the　fire；　breaks　off　a　knob；　and　flinging　it　over　his　shoulders；　says；　'This　I　give　to　thee；　preserve　thou　my　horses；　this　to　thee；　preserve　thou　my　sheep；　and　so　on。'　After　that；　they　use　the　same　ceremony　to　the　noxious　animals：　'This　I　give　to　thee；　O　fox！　spare　thou　my　lambs；　this　to　thee；　O　hooded　crow！　this　to　thee；　O　eagle！'　When　the　ceremony　is　over；　they　dine　on　the　caudle；　and　after　the　feast　is　finished；　what　is　left　is　hid　by　two　persons　deputed　for　that　purpose；　but　on　the　next　Sunday　they　reassemble；　and　finish　the　reliques　of　the　first　entertainment。

Another　writer　of　the　eighteenth　century　has　described　the　Beltane　festival　as　it　was　held　in　the　parish　of　Logierait　in　Perthshire。　He　says：　On　the　first　of　May；　O。S。；　a　festival　called　Beltan　is　annually　held　here。　It　is　chiefly　celebrated　by　the　cow…herds；　who　assemble　by　scores　in　the　fields；　to　dress　a　dinner　for　themselves；　of　boiled　milk　and　eggs。　These　dishes　they　eat　with　a　sort　of　cakes　baked　for　the　occasion；　and　having　small　lumps　in　the　form　of　nipples；　raised　all　over　the　surface。　In　this　last　account　no　mention　is　made　of　bonfires；　but　they　were　probably　lighted；　for　a　contemporary　writer　informs　us　that　in　the　parish　of　Kirkmichael；　which　adjoins　the　parish　of　Logierait　on　the　east；　the　custom　of　lighting　a　fire　in　the　fields　and　baking　a　consecrated　cake　on　the　first　of　May　was　not　quite　obsolete　in　his　time。　We　may　conjecture　that　the　cake　with　knobs　was　formerly　used　for　the　purpose　of　determining　who　should　be　the　Beltane　carline　or　victim　doomed　to　the　flames。　A　trace　of　this　custom　survived；　perhaps；　in　the　custom　of　baking　oatmeal　cakes　of　a　special　kind　and　rolling　them　down　hill　about　noon　on　the　first　of　May；　for　it　was　thought　that　the　person　whose　cake　broke　as　it　rolled　would　die　or　be　unfortunate　within　the　year。　These　cakes；　or　bannocks　as　we　call　them　in　Scotland；　were　baked　in　the　usual　way；　but　they　were　washed　over　with　a　thin　batter　composed　of　whipped　egg；　milk　or　cream；　and　a　little　oatmeal。　This　custom　appears　to　have　prevailed　at　or　near　Kingussie　in　Inverness…shire。

In　the　north…east　of　Scotland　the　Beltane　fires　were　still　kindled　in　the　latter　half　of　the　eighteenth　century；　the　herdsmen　of　several　farms　used　to　gather　dry　wood；　kindle　it；　and　dance　three　times　southways　about　the　burning　pile。　But　in　this　region；　according　to　a　later　authority；　the　Beltane　fires　were　lit　not　on　the　first　but　on　the　second　of　May；　Old　Style。　They　were　called　bone…fires。　The　people　believed　that　on　that　evening　and　night　the　witches　were　abroad　and　busy　casting　spells　on　cattle　and　stealing　cows'　milk。　To　counteract　their　machinations；　pieces　of　rowan…tree　and　woodbine；　but　especially　of　rowan…tree；　were　placed　over　the　doors　of　the　cow…houses；　and　fires　were　kindled　by　every　farmer　and　cottar。　Old　thatch；　straw；　furze；　or　broom　was　piled　in　a　heap　and　set　on　fire　a　little　after　sunset。　While　some　of　the　bystanders　kept　tossing　the　blazing　mass；　others　hoisted　portions　of　it　on　pitchforks　or　poles　and　ran　hither　and　thither；　holding　them　as　high　as　they　could。　Meantime　the　young　people　danced　round　the　fire　or　ran　through　the　smoke　shouting；　Fire！　blaze　and　burn　the　witches；　fire！　fire！　burn　the　witches。　In　some　districts　a　large　round　cake　of　oat　or　barley　meal　was　rolled　through　the　ashes。　When　all　the　fuel　was　consumed；　the　people　scattered　the　ashes　far　and　wide；　and　till　the　night　grew　quite　dark　they　continued　to　run　through　them；　crying；　Fire！　burn　the　witches。

In　the　Hebrides　the　Beltane　bannock　is　smaller　than　that　made　at　St。　Michael's；　but　is　made　in　the　same　way；　it　is　no　longer　made　in　Uist；　but　Father　Allan　remembers　seeing　his　grandmother　make　one　about　twenty…five　years　ago。　There　was　also　a　cheese　made；　generally　on　the　first　of　May；　which　was　kept　to　the　next　Beltane　as　a　sort　of　charm　against　the　bewitching　of　milk…produce。　The　Beltane　customs　seem　to　have　been　the　same　as　elsewhere。　Every　fire　was　put　out　and　a　large　one　lit　on　the　top　of　the　hill；　and　the　cattle　driven　round　it　sunwards　（dessil）；　to　keep　off　murrain　all　the　year。　Each　man　would　take　home　fire　wherewith　to　kindle　his　own。

In　Wales　also　the　custom　of　lighting　Beltane　fires　at　the　beginning　of　May　used　to　be　observed；　but　the　day　on　which　th