the golden bough-第248章

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fire。　It　is　an　Irish　belief　that　a　girl　who　jumps　thrice　over　the　midsummer　bonfire　will　soon　marry　and　become　the　mother　of　many　children；　in　Flanders　women　leap　over　the　midsummer　fires　to　ensure　an　easy　delivery；　in　various　parts　of　France　they　think　that　if　a　girl　dances　round　nine　fires　she　will　be　sure　to　marry　within　the　year；　and　in　Bohemia　they　fancy　that　she　will　do　so　if　she　merely　sees　nine　of　the　bonfires。　On　the　other　hand；　in　Lechrain　people　say　that　if　a　young　man　and　woman；　leaping　over　the　midsummer　fire　together；　escape　unsmirched；　the　young　woman　will　not　become　a　mother　within　twelve　months；　the　flames　have　not　touched　and　fertilised　her。　In　parts　of　Switzerland　and　France　the　lighting　of　the　Yule　log　is　accompanied　by　a　prayer　that　the　women　may　bear　children；　the　she…goats　bring　forth　kids；　and　the　ewes　drop　lambs。　The　rule　observed　in　some　places　that　the　bonfires　should　be　kindled　by　the　person　who　was　last　married　seems　to　belong　to　the　same　class　of　ideas；　whether　it　be　that　such　a　person　is　supposed　to　receive　from；　or　to　impart　to；　the　fire　a　generative　and　fertilising　influence。　The　common　practice　of　lovers　leaping　over　the　fires　hand　in　hand　may　very　well　have　originated　in　a　notion　that　thereby　their　marriage　would　be　blessed　with　offspring；　and　the　like　motive　would　explain　the　custom　which　obliges　couples　married　within　the　year　to　dance　to　the　light　of　torches。　And　the　scenes　of　profligacy　which　appear　to　have　marked　the　midsummer　celebration　among　the　Esthonians；　as　they　once　marked　the　celebration　of　May　Day　among　ourselves；　may　have　sprung；　not　from　the　mere　licence　of　holiday…makers；　but　from　a　crude　notion　that　such　orgies　were　justified；　if　not　required；　by　some　mysterious　bond　which　linked　the　life　of　man　to　the　courses　of　the　heavens　at　this　turning…point　of　the　year。

At　the　festivals　which　we　are　considering　the　custom　of　kindling　bonfires　is　commonly　associated　with　a　custom　of　carrying　lighted　torches　about　the　fields；　the　orchards；　the　pastures；　the　flocks　and　the　herds；　and　we　can　hardly　doubt　that　the　two　customs　are　only　two　different　ways　of　attaining　the　same　object；　namely；　the　benefits　which　are　believed　to　flow　from　the　fire；　whether　it　be　stationary　or　portable。　Accordingly　if　we　accept　the　solar　theory　of　the　bonfires；　we　seem　bound　to　apply　it　also　to　the　torches；　we　must　suppose　that　the　practice　of　marching　or　running　with　blazing　torches　about　the　country　is　simply　a　means　of　diffusing　far　and　wide　the　genial　influence　of　the　sunshine　of　which　these　flickering　flames　are　a　feeble　imitation。　In　favour　of　this　view　it　may　be　said　that　sometimes　the　torches　are　carried　about　the　fields　for　the　express　purpose　of　fertilising　them；　and　with　the　same　intention　live　coals　from　the　bonfires　are　sometimes　placed　in　the　fields　to　prevent　blight。　On　the　eve　of　Twelfth　Day　in　Normandy　men；　women；　and　children　run　wildly　through　the　fields　and　orchards　with　lighted　torches；　which　they　wave　about　the　branches　and　dash　against　the　trunks　of　the　fruit…trees　for　the　sake　of　burning　the　moss　and　driving　away　the　moles　and　field…mice。　They　believe　that　the　ceremony　fulfills　the　double　object　of　exorcising　the　vermin　whose　multiplication　would　be　a　real　calamity；　and　of　imparting　fecundity　to　the　trees；　the　fields；　and　even　the　cattle；　and　they　imagine　that　the　more　the　ceremony　is　prolonged；　the　greater　will　be　the　crop　of　fruit　next　autumn。　In　Bohemia　they　say　that　the　corn　will　grow　as　high　as　they　fling　the　blazing　besoms　into　the　air。　Nor　are　such　notions　confined　to　Europe。　In　Corea；　a　few　days　before　the　New　Year　festival；　the　eunuchs　of　the　palace　swing　burning　torches；　chanting　invocations　the　while；　and　this　is　supposed　to　ensure　bountiful　crops　for　the　next　season。　The　custom　of　trundling　a　burning　wheel　over　the　fields；　which　used　to　be　observed　in　Poitou　for　the　express　purpose　of　fertilising　them；　may　be　thought　to　embody　the　same　idea　in　a　still　more　graphic　form；　since　in　this　way　the　mock…sun　itself；　not　merely　its　light　and　heat　represented　by　torches；　is　made　actually　to　pass　over　the　ground　which　is　to　receive　its　quickening　and　kindly　influence。　Once　more；　the　custom　of　carrying　lighted　brands　round　cattle　is　plainly　equivalent　to　driving　the　animals　through　the　bonfire；　and　if　the　bonfire　is　a　suncharm；　the　torches　must　be　so　also。

3。　The　Purificatory　Theory　of　the　Fire…festivals

THUS　far　we　have　considered　what　may　be　said　for　the　theory　that　at　the　European　fire…festivals　the　fire　is　kindled　as　a　charm　to　ensure　an　abundant　supply　of　sunshine　for　man　and　beast；　for　corn　and　fruits。　It　remains　to　consider　what　may　be　said　against　this　theory　and　in　favour　of　the　view　that　in　these　rites　fire　is　employed　not　as　a　creative　but　as　a　cleansing　agent；　which　purifies　men；　animals；　and　plants　by　burning　up　and　consuming　the　noxious　elements；　whether　material　or　spiritual；　which　menace　all　living　things　with　disease　and　death。

First；　then；　it　is　to　be　observed　that　the　people　who　practise　the　fire…customs　appear　never　to　allege　the　solar　theory　in　explanation　of　them；　while　on　the　contrary　they　do　frequently　and　emphatically　put　forward　the　purificatory　theory。　This　is　a　strong　argument　in　favour　of　the　purificatory　and　against　the　solar　theory；　for　the　popular　explanation　of　a　popular　custom　is　never　to　be　rejected　except　for　grave　cause。　And　in　the　present　case　there　seems　to　be　no　adequate　reason　for　rejecting　it。　The　conception　of　fire　as　a　destructive　agent；　which　can　be　turned　to　account　for　the　consumption　of　evil　things；　is　so　simple　and　obvious　that　it　could　hardly　escape　the　minds　even　of　the　rude　peasantry　with　whom　these　festivals　originated。　On　the　other　hand　the　conception　of　fire　as　an　emanation　of　the　sun；　or　at　all　events　as　linked　to　it　by　a　bond　of　physical　sympathy；　is　far　less　simple　and　obvious；　and　though　the　use　of　fire　as　a　charm　to　produce　sunshine　appears　to　be　undeniable；　nevertheless　in　attempting　to　explain　popular　customs　we　should　never　have　recourse　to　a　more　recondite　idea　when　a　simpler　one　lies　to　hand　and　is　supported　by　the　explicit　testimony　of　the　people　themselves。　Now　in　the　case　of　the　fire…festivals　the　destructive　aspect　of　fire　is　one　upon　which　the　people　dwell　again　and　again；　and　it　is　highly　significant　that　the　great　evil　against　which　the　fire　is　directed　appears　to　be　witchcraft。　Again　and　again　we　are　told　that　the　fires　are　intended　to　burn　or　repel　the　witches；　and　the　intention　is　sometimes　graphically　expressed　by　burning　an　effigy　of　a　witch　in　the　fire。　Hence；　when　we　remember　the　great　hold　which　the　dread　of　witchcraft　has　had　on　the　popular　European　mind　in　all　ages；　we　may　suspect　that　the　primary　intention　of　all　these　fire…festivals　was　simply　to　destroy　or　at　all　events　get　rid　of　the　witches；　who　were　regarded　as　the　causes　of　nearly　all　the　misfortunes　and　calamities　that　befall　men；　their　cattle；　and　their　crops。

This　suspicion　is　confirmed　when　we　examine　the　evils　for　which　the　bonfires　and　torches　were　supposed　to　provide　a　remedy。　Foremost；　perhaps；　among　these　evils　we　may　reckon　the　diseases　of　cattle；　and　of　all　the　ills　that　witches　are　believed　to　work　there　is　probably　none　which　is　so　constantly　insisted　on　as　the　harm　they　do　to　the　herds；　particularly　by　stealing　the　milk　from　the　cows。　Now　it　is　significant　that　the　need…fire；　which　may　perhaps　be　regarded　as　the　parent　of　the　periodic　fire…festivals；　is　kindled　above　all　as　a　remedy　for　a　murrain　or　other　disease　of　cattle；　and　the　circumstance　suggests；　what　on　general　grounds　seems　probable；　that　the　custom　of　kindling　the　need…fire　goes　back　to　a　time　when　the　ancestors　of　the　European　peoples　subsisted　chiefly　on　the　products　of　their　herds；　and　when　agriculture　as　yet　played　a　subordinate　part　in　their　lives。　Witches　and　wolves　are　the　two　great　foes　still　dreaded　by　the　herdsman　in　many　parts　of　Europe；　and　we　need　not　wonder　that　he　should　resort　to　fire　as　a　powerful　means　of　banning　them　both。　Among　Slavonic　peoples　it　appears　that　the　foes　whom　the　need…fire　is　designed　to　combat　are　not　so　much　living　witches　as　vampyres　and　other　evil　spirits；　and　the　ceremony　aims　rather　at　repelling　these　baleful　beings　than　at　actua