the golden bough-第238章

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In　Wales　also　the　custom　of　lighting　Beltane　fires　at　the　beginning　of　May　used　to　be　observed；　but　the　day　on　which　they　were　kindled　varied　from　the　eve　of　May　Day　to　the　third　of　May。　The　flame　was　sometimes　elicited　by　the　friction　of　two　pieces　of　oak；　as　appears　from　the　following　description。　The　fire　was　done　in　this　way。　Nine　men　would　turn　their　pockets　inside　out；　and　see　that　every　piece　of　money　and　all　metals　were　off　their　persons。　Then　the　men　went　into　the　nearest　woods；　and　collected　sticks　of　nine　different　kinds　of　trees。　These　were　carried　to　the　spot　where　the　fire　had　to　be　built。　There　a　circle　was　cut　in　the　sod；　and　the　sticks　were　set　crosswise。　All　around　the　circle　the　people　stood　and　watched　the　proceedings。　One　of　the　men　would　then　take　two　bits　of　oak；　and　rub　them　together　until　a　flame　was　kindled。　This　was　applied　to　the　sticks；　and　soon　a　large　fire　was　made。　Sometimes　two　fires　were　set　up　side　by　side。　These　fires；　whether　one　or　two；　were　called　coelcerth　or　bonfire。　Round　cakes　of　oatmeal　and　brown　meal　were　split　in　four；　and　placed　in　a　small　flour…bag；　and　everybody　present　had　to　pick　out　a　portion。　The　last　bit　in　the　bag　fell　to　the　lot　of　the　bag…holder。　Each　person　who　chanced　to　pick　up　a　piece　of　brown…meal　cake　was　compelled　to　leap　three　times　over　the　flames；　or　to　run　thrice　between　the　two　fires；　by　which　means　the　people　thought　they　were　sure　of　a　plentiful　harvest。　Shouts　and　screams　of　those　who　had　to　face　the　ordeal　could　be　heard　ever　so　far；　and　those　who　chanced　to　pick　the　oatmeal　portions　sang　and　danced　and　clapped　their　hands　in　approval；　as　the　holders　of　the　brown　bits　leaped　three　times　over　the　flames；　or　ran　three　times　between　the　two　fires。

The　belief　of　the　people　that　by　leaping　thrice　over　the　bonfires　or　running　thrice　between　them　they　ensured　a　plentiful　harvest　is　worthy　of　note。　The　mode　in　which　this　result　was　supposed　to　be　brought　about　is　indicated　by　another　writer　on　Welsh　folk…lore；　according　to　whom　it　used　to　be　held　that　the　bonfires　lighted　in　May　or　Midsummer　protected　the　lands　from　sorcery；　so　that　good　crops　would　follow。　The　ashes　were　also　considered　valuable　as　charms。　Hence　it　appears　that　the　heat　of　the　fires　was　thought　to　fertilise　the　fields；　not　directly　by　quickening　the　seeds　in　the　ground；　but　indirectly　by　counteracting　the　baleful　influence　of　witchcraft　or　perhaps　by　burning　up　the　persons　of　the　witches。

The　Beltane　fires　seem　to　have　been　kindled　also　in　Ireland；　for　Cormac；　or　somebody　in　his　name；　says　that　belltaine；　May…day；　was　so　called　from　the　'lucky　fire；'　or　the　'two　fires；'　which　the　druids　of　Erin　used　to　make　on　that　day　with　great　incantations；　and　cattle；　he　adds；　used　to　be　brought　to　those　fires；　or　to　be　driven　between　them；　as　a　safeguard　against　the　diseases　of　the　year。　The　custom　of　driving　cattle　through　or　between　fires　on　May　Day　or　the　eve　of　May　Day　persisted　in　Ireland　down　to　a　time　within　living　memory。

The　first　of　May　is　a　great　popular　festival　in　the　more　midland　and　southern　parts　of　Sweden。　On　the　eve　of　the　festival　huge　bonfires；　which　should　be　lighted　by　striking　two　flints　together；　blaze　on　all　the　hills　and　knolls。　Every　large　hamlet　has　its　own　fire；　round　which　the　young　people　dance　in　a　ring。　The　old　folk　notice　whether　the　flames　incline　to　the　north　or　to　the　south。　In　the　former　case；　the　spring　will　be　cold　and　backward；　in　the　latter；　it　will　be　mild　and　genial。　In　Bohemia；　on　the　eve　of　May　Day；　young　people　kindle　fires　on　hills　and　eminences；　at　crossways；　and　in　pastures；　and　dance　round　them。　They　leap　over　the　glowing　embers　or　even　through　the　flames。　The　ceremony　is　called　burning　the　witches。　In　some　places　an　effigy　representing　a　witch　used　to　be　burnt　in　the　bonfire。　We　have　to　remember　that　the　eve　of　May　Day　is　the　notorious　Walpurgis　Night；　when　the　witches　are　everywhere　speeding　unseen　through　the　air　on　their　hellish　errands。　On　this　witching　night　children　in　Voigtland　also　light　bonfires　on　the　heights　and　leap　over　them。　Moreover；　they　wave　burning　brooms　or　toss　them　into　the　air。　So　far　as　the　light　of　the　bonfire　reaches；　so　far　will　a　blessing　rest　on　the　fields。　The　kindling　of　the　fires　on　Walpurgis　Night　is　called　driving　away　the　witches。　The　custom　of　kindling　fires　on　the　eve　of　May　Day　（Walpurgis　Night）　for　the　purpose　of　burning　the　witches　is；　or　used　to　be；　widespread　in　the　Tyrol；　Moravia；　Saxony　and　Silesia。

5。　The　Midsummer　Fires

BUT　THE　SEASON　at　which　these　firefestivals　have　been　most　generally　held　all　over　Europe　is　the　summer　solstice；　that　is　Midsummer　Eve　（the　twenty…third　of　June）　or　Midsummer　day　（the　twenty…fourth　of　June）。　A　faint　tinge　of　Christianity　has　been　given　to　them　by　naming　Midsummer　Day　after　St。　John　the　Baptist；　but　we　cannot　doubt　that　the　celebration　dates　from　a　time　long　before　the　beginning　of　our　era。　The　summer　solstice；　or　Midsummer　Day；　is　the　great　turning…point　in　the　sun's　career；　when；　after　climbing　higher　and　higher　day　by　day　in　the　sky；　the　luminary　stops　and　thenceforth　retraces　his　steps　down　the　heavenly　road。　Such　a　moment　could　not　but　be　regarded　with　anxiety　by　primitive　man　so　soon　as　he　began　to　observe　and　ponder　the　courses　of　the　great　lights　across　the　celestial　vault；　and　having　still　to　learn　his　own　powerlessness　in　face　of　the　vast　cyclic　changes　of　nature；　he　may　have　fancied　that　he　could　help　the　sun　in　his　seeming　declinecould　prop　his　failing　steps　and　rekindle　the　sinking　flame　of　the　red　lamp　in　his　feeble　hand。　In　some　such　thoughts　as　these　the　midsummer　festivals　of　our　European　peasantry　may　perhaps　have　taken　their　rise。　Whatever　their　origin；　they　have　prevailed　all　over　this　quarter　of　the　globe；　from　Ireland　on　the　west　to　Russia　on　the　east；　and　from　Norway　and　Sweden　on　the　north　to　Spain　and　Greece　on　the　south。　According　to　a　medi？val　writer；　the　three　great　features　of　the　midsummer　celebration　were　the　bonfires；　the　procession　with　torches　round　the　fields；　and　the　custom　of　rolling　a　wheel。　He　tells　us　that　boys　burned　bones　and　filth　of　various　kinds　to　make　a　foul　smoke；　and　that　the　smoke　drove　away　certain　noxious　dragons　which　at　this　time；　excited　by　the　summer　heat；　copulated　in　the　air　and　poisoned　the　wells　and　rivers　by　dropping　their　seed　into　them；　and　he　explains　the　custom　of　trundling　a　wheel　to　mean　that　the　sun；　having　now　reached　the　highest　point　in　the　ecliptic；　begins　thenceforward　to　descend。

The　main　features　of　the　midsummer　fire…festival　resemble　those　which　we　have　found　to　characterise　the　vernal　festivals　of　fire。　The　similarity　of　the　two　sets　of　ceremonies　will　plainly　appear　from　the　following　examples。

A　writer　of　the　first　half　of　the　sixteenth　century　informs　us　that　in　almost　every　village　and　town　of　Germany　public　bonfires　were　kindled　on　the　Eve　of　St。　John；　and　young　and　old；　of　both　sexes；　gathered　about　them　and　passed　the　time　in　dancing　and　singing。　People　on　this　occasion　wore　chaplets　of　mugwort　and　vervain；　and　they　looked　at　the　fire　through　bunches　of　larkspur　which　they　held　in　their　hands；　believing　that　this　would　preserve　their　eyes　in　a　healthy　state　throughout　the　year。　As　each　departed；　he　threw　the　mugwort　and　vervain　into　the　fire；　saying；　May　all　my　ill…luck　depart　and　be　burnt　up　with　these。　At　Lower　Konz；　a　village　situated　on　a　hillside　overlooking　the　Moselle；　the　midsummer　festival　used　to　be　celebrated　as　follows。　A　quantity　of　straw　was　collected　on　the　top　of　the　steep　Stromberg　Hill。　Every　inhabitant；　or　at　least　every　householder；　had　to　contribute　his　share　of　straw　to　the　pile。　At　nightfall　the　whole　male　population；　men　and　boys；　mustered　on　the　top　of　the　hill；　the　women　and　girls　were　not　allowed　to　join　them；　but　had　to　take　up　their　position　at　a　certain　spring　half…way　down　the　slope。　On　the　summit　stood　a　huge　wheel　completely　encased　in　some　of　the　straw　which　had　been　jointly　contributed　by　the　villagers；　the　rest　of　the　straw　was　made　into　torches。　From　each　side　of　the　wheel　the　axle…tree　projected　about　three　feet；　thus　furnishing　handles　to　the　lads　who　were　to　guide　it　in　its　descent。　The　mayor　of　the　neighbouring　town　of　Sierck；　who　always　rec