the golden bough-第239章

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it　in　its　descent。　The　mayor　of　the　neighbouring　town　of　Sierck；　who　always　received　a　basket　of　cherries　for　his　services；　gave　the　signal；　a　lighted　torch　was　applied　to　the　wheel；　and　as　it　burst　into　flame；　two　young　fellows；　strong…limbed　and　swift　of　foot；　seized　the　handles　and　began　running　with　it　down　the　slope。　A　great　shout　went　up。　Every　man　and　boy　waved　a　blazing　torch　in　the　air；　and　took　care　to　keep　it　alight　so　long　as　the　wheel　was　trundling　down　the　hill。　The　great　object　of　the　young　men　who　guided　the　wheel　was　to　plunge　it　blazing　into　the　water　of　the　Moselle；　but　they　rarely　succeeded　in　their　efforts；　for　the　vineyards　which　cover　the　greater　part　of　the　declivity　impeded　their　progress；　and　the　wheel　was　often　burned　out　before　it　reached　the　river。　As　it　rolled　past　the　women　and　girls　at　the　spring；　they　raised　cries　of　joy　which　were　answered　by　the　men　on　the　top　of　the　mountain；　and　the　shouts　were　echoed　by　the　inhabitants　of　neighbouring　villages　who　watched　the　spectacle　from　their　hills　on　the　opposite　bank　of　the　Moselle。　If　the　fiery　wheel　was　successfully　conveyed　to　the　bank　of　the　river　and　extinguished　in　the　water；　the　people　looked　for　an　abundant　vintage　that　year；　and　the　inhabitants　of　Konz　had　the　right　to　exact　a　waggon…load　of　white　wine　from　the　surrounding　vineyards。　On　the　other　hand；　they　believed　that；　if　they　neglected　to　perform　the　ceremony；　the　cattle　would　be　attacked　by　giddiness　and　convulsions　and　would　dance　in　their　stalls。

Down　at　least　to　the　middle　of　the　nineteenth　century　the　midsummer　fires　used　to　blaze　all　over　Upper　Bavaria。　They　were　kindled　especially　on　the　mountains；　but　also　far　and　wide　in　the　lowlands；　and　we　are　told　that　in　the　darkness　and　stillness　of　night　the　moving　groups；　lit　up　by　the　flickering　glow　of　the　flames；　presented　an　impressive　spectacle。　Cattle　were　driven　through　the　fire　to　cure　the　sick　animals　and　to　guard　such　as　were　sound　against　plague　and　harm　of　every　kind　throughout　the　year。　Many　a　householder　on　that　day　put　out　the　fire　on　the　domestic　hearth　and　rekindled　it　by　means　of　a　brand　taken　from　the　midsummer　bonfire。　The　people　judged　of　the　height　to　which　the　flax　would　grow　in　the　year　by　the　height　to　which　the　flames　of　the　bonfire　rose；　and　whoever　leaped　over　the　burning　pile　was　sure　not　to　suffer　from　backache　in　reaping　the　corn　at　harvest。　In　many　parts　of　Bavaria　it　was　believed　that　the　flax　would　grow　as　high　as　the　young　people　leaped　over　the　fire。　In　others　the　old　folk　used　to　plant　three　charred　sticks　from　the　bonfire　in　the　fields；　believing　that　this　would　make　the　flax　grow　tall。　Elsewhere　an　extinguished　brand　was　put　in　the　roof　of　the　house　to　protect　it　against　fire。　In　the　towns　about　Würzburg　the　bonfires　used　to　be　kindled　in　the　market…places；　and　the　young　people　who　jumped　over　them　wore　garlands　of　flowers；　especially　of　mugwort　and　vervain；　and　carried　sprigs　of　larkspur　in　their　hands。　They　thought　that　such　as　looked　at　the　fire　holding　a　bit　of　larkspur　before　their　face　would　be　troubled　by　no　malady　of　the　eyes　throughout　the　year。　Further；　it　was　customary　at　Würzburg；　in　the　sixteenth　century；　for　the　bishop's　followers　to　throw　burning　discs　of　wood　into　the　air　from　a　mountain　which　overhangs　the　town。　The　discs　were　discharged　by　means　of　flexible　rods；　and　in　their　flight　through　the　darkness　presented　the　appearance　of　fiery　dragons。

Similarly　in　Swabia；　lads　and　lasses；　hand　in　hand；　leap　over　the　midsummer　bonfire；　praying　that　the　hemp　may　grow　three　ells　high；　and　they　set　fire　to　wheels　of　straw　and　send　them　rolling　down　the　hill。　Sometimes；　as　the　people　sprang　over　the　midsummer　bonfire　they　cried　out；　Flax；　flax！　may　the　flax　this　year　grow　seven　ells　high！　At　Rottenburg　a　rude　effigy　in　human　form；　called　the　Angelman；　used　to　be　enveloped　in　flowers　and　then　burnt　in　the　midsummer　fire　by　boys；　who　afterwards　leaped　over　the　glowing　embers。

So　in　Baden　the　children　collected　fuel　from　house　to　house　for　the　midsummer　bonfire　on　St。　John's　Day；　and　lads　and　lasses　leaped　over　the　fire　in　couples。　Here；　as　elsewhere；　a　close　connexion　was　traced　between　these　bonfires　and　the　harvest。　In　some　places　it　was　thought　that　those　who　leaped　over　the　fires　would　not　suffer　from　backache　at　reaping。　Sometimes；　as　the　young　folk　sprang　over　the　flames；　they　cried；　Grow；　that　the　hemp　may　be　three　ells　high！　This　notion　that　the　hemp　or　the　corn　would　grow　as　high　as　the　flames　blazed　or　as　the　people　jumped　over　them；　seems　to　have　been　widespread　in　Baden。　It　was　held　that　the　parents　of　the　young　people　who　bounded　highest　over　the　fire　would　have　the　most　abundant　harvest；　and　on　the　other　hand；　if　a　man　contributed　nothing　to　the　bonfire；　it　was　imagined　that　there　would　be　no　blessing　on　his　crops；　and　that　his　hemp　in　particular　would　never　grow。　At　Edersleben；　near　Sangerhausen；　a　high　pole　was　planted　in　the　ground　and　a　tarbarrel　was　hung　from　it　by　a　chain　which　reached　to　the　ground。　The　barrel　was　then　set　on　fire　and　swung　round　the　pole　amid　shouts　of　joy。

In　Denmark　and　Norway　also　midsummer　fires　were　kindled　on　St。　John's　Eve　on　roads；　open　spaces；　and　hills。　People　in　Norway　thought　that　the　fires　banished　sickness　from　among　the　cattle。　Even　yet　the　fires　are　said　to　be　lighted　all　over　Norway　on　Midsummer　Eve。　They　are　kindled　in　order　to　keep　off　the　witches；　who　are　said　to　be　flying　from　all　parts　that　night　to　the　Blocksberg；　where　the　big　witch　lives。　In　Sweden　the　Eve　of　St。　John　（St。　Hans）　is　the　most　joyous　night　of　the　whole　year。　Throughout　some　parts　of　the　country；　especially　in　the　provinces　of　Bohus　and　Scania　and　in　districts

bordering　on　Norway；　it　is　celebrated　by　the　frequent　discharge　of　firearms　and　by　huge　bonfires；　formerly　called　Balder's　Balefires　（Balder's　Balar）；　which　are　kindled　at　dusk　on　hills　and　eminences　and　throw　a　glare　of　light　over　the　surrounding　landscape。　The　people　dance　round　the　fires　and　leap　over　or　through　them。　In　parts　of　Norrland　on　St。　John's　Eve　the　bonfires　are　lit　at　the　cross…roads。　The　fuel　consists　of　nine　different　sorts　of　wood；　and　the　spectators　cast　into　the　flames　a　kind　of　toad…stool　（B？ran）　in　order　to　counteract　the　power　of　the　Trolls　and　other　evil　spirits；　who　are　believed　to　be　abroad　that　night；　for　at　that　mystic　season　the　mountains　open　and　from　their　cavernous　depths　the　uncanny　crew　pours　forth　to　dance　and　disport　themselves　for　a　time。　The　peasants　believe　that　should　any　of　the　Trolls　be　in　the　vicinity　they　will　show　themselves；　and　if　an　animal；　for　example　a　he　or　she　goat；　happens　to　be　seen　near　the　blazing；　crackling　pile；　the　peasants　are　firmly　persuaded　that　it　is　no　other　than　the　Evil　One　in　person。　Further；　it　deserves　to　be　remarked　that　in　Sweden　St。　John's　Eve　is　a　festival　of　water　as　well　as　of　fire；　for　certain　holy　springs　are　then　supposed　to　be　endowed　with　wonderful　medicinal　virtues；　and　many　sick　people　resort　to　them　for　the　healing　of　their　infirmities。

In　Austria　the　midsummer　customs　and　superstitions　resemble　those　of　Germany。　Thus　in　some　parts　of　the　Tyrol　bonfires　are　kindled　and　burning　discs　hurled　into　the　air。　In　the　lower　valley　of　the　Inn　a　tatterdemalion　effigy　is　carted　about　the　village　on　Midsummer　Day　and　then　burned。　He　is　called　the　Lotter；　which　has　been　corrupted　into　Luther。　At　Ambras；　one　of　the　villages　where　Martin　Luther　is　thus　burned　in　effigy；　they　say　that　if　you　go　through　the　village　between　eleven　and　twelve　on　St。　John's　Night　and　wash　yourself　in　three　wells；　you　will　see　all　who　are　to　die　in　the　following　year。　At　Gratz　on　St。　John's　Eve　（the　twenty…third　of　June）　the　common　people　used　to　make　a　puppet　called　the　Tatermann；　which　they　dragged　to　the　bleaching　ground；　and　pelted　with　burning　besoms　till　it　took　fire。　At　Reutte；　in　the　Tyrol；　people　believed　that　the　flax　would　grow　as　high　as　they　leaped　over　the　midsummer　bonfire；　and　they　took　pieces　of　charred　wood　from　the　fire　and　stuck　them　in　their　flax…fields　the　same　night；　leaving　them　there　till　the　flax　harvest　had　been　got　in。　In　Lower　Austria　bonfires　are　kindled　on　the　heights；　and　the　boys　caper　round　them；　brandishing　lighted　torches