the golden bough-第241章

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the　bonfire　and　an　old　man　prays　aloud。　Then　they　all　rise　and　march　thrice　round　the　fire；　at　the　third　turn　they　stop　and　every　one　picks　up　a　pebble　and　throws　it　on　the　burning　pile。　After　that　they　disperse。　In　Brittany　and　Berry　it　is　believed　that　a　girl　who　dances　round　nine　midsummer　bonfires　will　marry　within　the　year。　In　the　valley　of　the　Orne　the　custom　was　to　kindle　the　bonfire　just　at　the　moment　when　the　sun　was　about　to　dip　below　the　horizon；　and　the　peasants　drove　their　cattle　through　the　fires　to　protect　them　against　witchcraft；　especially　against　the　spells　of　witches　and　wizards　who　attempted　to　steal　the　milk　and　butter。　At　Jumièges　in　Normandy；　down　to　the　first　half　of　the　nineteenth　century；　the　midsummer　festival　was　marked　by　certain　singular　features　which　bore　the　stamp　of　a　very　high　antiquity。　Every　year；　on　the　twenty…third　of　June；　the　Eve　of　St。　John；　the　Brotherhood　of　the　Green　Wolf　chose　a　new　chief　or　master；　who　had　always　to　be　taken　from　the　hamlet　of　Conihout。　On　being　elected；　the　new　head　of　the　brotherhood　assumed　the　title　of　the　Green　Wolf；　and　donned　a　peculiar　costume　consisting　of　a　long　green　mantle　and　a　very　tall　green　hat　of　a　conical　shape　and　without　a　brim。　Thus　arrayed　he　stalked　solemnly　at　the　head　of　the　brothers；　chanting　the　hymn　of　St。　John；　the　crucifix　and　holy　banner　leading　the　way；　to　a　place　called　Chouquet。　Here　the　procession　was　met　by　the　priest；　precentors；　and　choir；　who　conducted　the　brotherhood　to　the　parish　church。　After　hearing　mass　the　company　adjourned　to　the　house　of　the　Green　Wolf；　where　a　simple　repast　was　served　up　to　them。　At　night　a　bonfire　was　kindled　to　the　sound　of　hand…bells　by　a　young　man　and　a　young　woman；　both　decked　with　flowers。　Then　the　Green　Wolf　and　his　brothers；　with　their　hoods　down　on　their　shoulders　and　holding　each　other　by　the　hand；　ran　round　the　fire　after　the　man　who　had　been　chosen　to　be　the　Green　Wolf　of　the　following　year。　Though　only　the　first　and　the　last　man　of　the　chain　had　a　hand　free；　their　business　was　to　surround　and　seize　thrice　the　future　Green　Wolf；　who　in　his　efforts　to　escape　belaboured　the　brothers　with　a　long　wand　which　he　carried。　When　at　last　they　succeeded　in　catching　him　they　carried　him　to　the　burning　pile　and　made　as　if　they　would　throw　him　on　it。　This　ceremony　over；　they　returned　to　the　house　of　the　Green　Wolf；　where　a　supper；　still　of　the　most　meagre　fare；　was　set　before　them。　Up　till　midnight　a　sort　of　religious　solemnity　prevailed。　But　at　the　stroke　of　twelve　all　this　was　changed。　Constraint　gave　way　to　license；　pious　hymns　were　replaced　by　Bacchanalian　ditties；　and　the　shrill　quavering　notes　of　the　village　fiddle　hardly　rose　above　the　roar　of　voices　that　went　up　from　the　merry　brotherhood　of　the　Green　Wolf。　Next　day；　the　twenty…fourth　of　June　or　Midsummer　Day；　was　celebrated　by　the　same　personages　with　the　same　noisy　gaiety。　One　of　the　ceremonies　consisted　in　parading；　to　the　sound　of　musketry；　an　enormous　loaf　of　consecrated　bread；　which；　rising　in　tiers；　was　surmounted　by　a　pyramid　of　verdure　adorned　with　ribbons。　After　that　the　holy　hand…bells；　deposited　on　the　step　of　the　altar；　were　entrusted　as　insignia　of　office　to　the　man　who　was　to　be　the　Green　Wolf　next　year。

At　Chateau…Thierry；　in　the　department　of　Aisne；　the　custom　of　lighting　bonfires　and　dancing　round　them　at　the　midsummer　festival　of　St。　John　lasted　down　to　about　1850；　the　fires　were　kindled　especially　when　June　had　been　rainy；　and　the　people　thought　that　the　lighting　of　the　bonfires　would　cause　the　rain　to　cease。　In　the　Vosges　it　is　still　customary　to　kindle　bonfires　upon　the　hill…tops　on　Midsummer　Eve；　the　people　believe　that　the　fires　help　to　preserve　the　fruits　of　the　earth　and　ensure　good　crops。

Bonfires　were　lit　in　almost　all　the　hamlets　of　Poitou　on　the　Eve　of　St。　John。　People　marched　round　them　thrice；　carrying　a　branch　of　walnut　in　their　hand。　Shepherdesses　and　children　passed　sprigs　of　mullein　（verbascum）　and　nuts　across　the　flames；　the　nuts　were　supposed　to　cure　toothache；　and　the　mullein　to　protect　the　cattle　from　sickness　and　sorcery。　When　the　fire　died　down　people　took　some　of　the　ashes　home　with　them；　either　to　keep　them　in　the　house　as　a　preservative　against　thunder　or　to　scatter　them　on　the　fields　for　the　purpose　of　destroying　corn…cockles　and　darnel。　In　Poitou　also　it　used　to　be　customary　on　the　Eve　of　St。　John　to　trundle　a　blazing　wheel　wrapt　in　straw　over　the　fields　to　fertilise　them。

In　the　mountainous　part　of　Comminges；　a　province　of　Southern　France；　the　midsummer　fire　is　made　by　splitting　open　the　trunk　of　a　tall　tree；　stuffing　the　crevice　with　shavings；　and　igniting　the　whole。　A　garland　of　flowers　is　fastened　to　the　top　of　the　tree；　and　at　the　moment　when　the　fire　is　lighted　the　man　who　was　last　married　has　to　climb　up　a　ladder　and　bring　the　flowers　down。　In　the　flat　parts　of　the　same　district　the　materials　of　the　midsummer　bonfires　consist　of　fuel　piled　in　the　usual　way；　but　they　must　be　put　together　by　men　who　have　been　married　since　the　last　midsummer　festival；　and　each　of　these　benedicts　is　obliged　to　lay　a　wreath　of　flowers　on　the　top　of　the　pile。

In　Provence　the　midsummer　fires　are　still　popular。　Children　go　from　door　to　door　begging　for　fuel；　and　they　are　seldom　sent　empty　away。　Formerly　the　priest；　the　mayor；　and　the　aldermen　used　to　walk　in　procession　to　the　bonfire；　and　even　deigned　to　light　it；　after　which　the　assembly　marched　thrice　round　the　burning　pile。　At　Aix　a　nominal　king；　chosen　from　among　the　youth　for　his　skill　in　shooting　at　a　popinjay；　presided　over　the　midsummer　festival。　He　selected　his　own　officers；　and　escorted　by　a　brilliant　train　marched　to　the　bonfire；　kindled　it；　and　was　the　first　to　dance　round　it。　Next　day　he　distributed　largesse　to　his　followers。　His　reign　lasted　a　year；　during　which　he　enjoyed　certain　privileges。　He　was　allowed　to　attend　the　mass　celebrated　by　the　commander　of　the　Knights　of　St。　John　on　St。　John's　Day；　the　right　of　hunting　was　accorded　to　him；　and　soldiers　might　not　be　quartered　in　his　house。　At　Marseilles　also　on　this　day　one　of　the　guilds　chose　a　king　of　the　badache　or　double　axe；　but　it　does　not　appear　that　he　kindled　the　bonfire；　which　is　said　to　have　been　lighted　with　great　ceremony　by　the　préfet　and　other　authorities。

In　Belgium　the　custom　of　kindling　the　midsummer　bonfires　has　long　disappeared　from　the　great　cities；　but　it　is　still　kept　up　in　rural　districts　and　small　towns。　In　that　country　the　Eve　of　St。　Peter's　Day　（the　twenty…ninth　of　June）　is　celebrated　by　bonfires　and　dances　exactly　like　those　which　commemorate　St。　John's　Eve。　Some　people　say　that　the　fires　of　St。　Peter；　like　those　of　St。　John；　are　lighted　in　order　to　drive　away　dragons。　In　French　Flanders　down　to　1789　a　straw　figure　representing　a　man　was　always　burned　in　the　midsummer　bonfire；　and　the　figure　of　a　woman　was　burned　on　St。　Peter's　Day；　the　twenty…ninth　of　June。　In　Belgium　people　jump　over　the　midsummer　bonfires　as　a　preventive　of　colic；　and　they　keep　the　ashes　at　home　to　hinder　fire　from　breaking　out。

The　custom　of　lighting　bonfires　at　midsummer　has　been　observed　in　many　parts　of　our　own　country；　and　as　usual　people　danced　round　and　leaped　over　them。　In　Wales　three　or　nine　different　kinds　of　wood　and　charred　faggots　carefully　preserved　from　the　last　midsummer　were　deemed　necessary　to　build　the　bonfire；　which　was　generally　done　on　rising　ground。　In　the　Vale　of　Glamorgan　a　cart…wheel　swathed　in　straw　used　to　be　ignited　and　sent　rolling　down　the　hill。　If　it　kept　alight　all　the　way　down　and　blazed　for　a　long　time；　an　abundant　harvest　was　expected。　On　Midsummer　Eve　people　in　the　Isle　of　Man　were　wont　to　light　fires　to　the　windward　of　every　field；　so　that　the　smoke　might　pass　over　the　corn；　and　they　folded　their　cattle　and　carried　blazing　furze　or　gorse　round　them　several　times。　In　Ireland　cattle；　especially　barren　cattle；　were　driven　through　the　midsummer　fires；　and　the　ashes　were　thrown　on　the　fields　to　fertilise　them；　or　live　coals　were　carried　into　them　to　prevent　blight。　In　Scotland　the　traces　of　midsummer　fires　are　few；　but　at　that　season　in　the　highlands　of　Perthshire　cowherds　used　to　go　round　their　folds　thrice；　in　the　direction　of　the　sun；　with　lighted　torches。　T