the golden bough-第269章

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　money　with　a　banker　rather　than　carry　it　on　their　persons。　We　have　seen　that　at　critical　periods　the　life　or　soul　is　sometimes　temporarily　stowed　away　in　a　safe　place　till　the　danger　is　past。　But　institutions　like　totemism　are　not　resorted　to　merely　on　special　occasions　of　danger；　they　are　systems　into　which　every　one；　or　at　least　every　male；　is　obliged　to　be　initiated　at　a　certain　period　of　life。　Now　the　period　of　life　at　which　initiation　takes　place　is　regularly　puberty；　and　this　fact　suggests　that　the　special　danger　which　totemism　and　systems　like　it　are　intended　to　obviate　is　supposed　not　to　arise　till　sexual　maturity　has　been　attained；　in　fact；　that　the　danger　apprehended　is　believed　to　attend　the　relation　of　the　sexes　to　each　other。　It　would　be　easy　to　prove　by　a　long　array　of　facts　that　the　sexual　relation　is　associated　in　the　primitive　mind　with　many　serious　perils；　but　the　exact　nature　of　the　danger　apprehended　is　still　obscure。　We　may　hope　that　a　more　exact　acquaintance　with　savage　modes　of　thought　will　in　time　disclose　this　central　mystery　of　primitive　society；　and　will　thereby　furnish　the　clue；　not　only　to　totemism；　but　to　the　origin　of　the　marriage　system。

Chapter　68。　The　Golden　Bough

THUS　the　view　that　Balder's　life　was　in　the　mistletoe　is　entirely　in　harmony　with　primitive　modes　of　thought。　It　may　indeed　sound　like　a　contradiction　that；　if　his　life　was　in　the　mistletoe；　he　should　nevertheless　have　been　killed　by　a　blow　from　the　plant。　But　when　a　person's　life　is　conceived　as　embodied　in　a　particular　object；　with　the　existence　of　which　his　own　existence　is　inseparably　bound　up；　and　the　destruction　of　which　involves　his　own；　the　object　in　question　may　be　regarded　and　spoken　of　indifferently　as　his　life　or　his　death；　as　happens　in　the　fairy　tales。　Hence　if　a　man's　death　is　in　an　object；　it　is　perfectly　natural　that　he　should　be　killed　by　a　blow　from　it。　In　the　fairy　tales　Koshchei　the　Deathless　is　killed　by　a　blow　from　the　egg　or　the　stone　in　which　his　life　or　death　is　secreted；　the　ogres　burst　when　a　certain　grain　of　sanddoubtless　containing　their　life　or　deathis　carried　over　their　heads；　the　magician　dies　when　the　stone　in　which　his　life　or　death　is　contained　is　put　under　his　pillow；　and　the　Tartar　hero　is　warned　that　he　may　be　killed　by　the　golden　arrow　or　golden　sword　in　which　his　soul　has　been　stowed　away。

The　idea　that　the　life　of　the　oak　was　in　the　mistletoe　was　probably　suggested；　as　I　have　said；　by　the　observation　that　in　winter　the　mistletoe　growing　on　the　oak　remains　green　while　the　oak　itself　is　leafless。　But　the　position　of　the　plantgrowing　not　from　the　ground　but　from　the　trunk　or　branches　of　the　treemight　confirm　this　idea。　Primitive　man　might　think　that；　like　himself；　the　oak…spirit　had　sought　to　deposit　his　life　in　some　safe　place；　and　for　this　purpose　had　pitched　on　the　mistletoe；　which；　being　in　a　sense　neither　on　earth　nor　in　heaven；　might　be　supposed　to　be　fairly　out　of　harm's　way。　In　a　former　chapter　we　saw　that　primitive　man　seeks　to　preserve　the　life　of　his　human　divinities　by　keeping　them　poised　between　earth　and　heaven；　as　the　place　where　they　are　least　likely　to　be　assailed　by　the　dangers　that　encompass　the　life　of　man　on　earth。　We　can　therefore　understand　why　it　has　been　a　rule　both　of　ancient　and　of　modern　folk…medicine　that　the　mistletoe　should　not　be　allowed　to　touch　the　ground；　were　it　to　touch　the　ground；　its　healing　virtue　would　be　gone。　This　may　be　a　survival　of　the　old　superstition　that　the　plant　in　which　the　life　of　the　sacred　tree　was　concentrated　should　not　be　exposed　to　the　risk　incurred　by　contact　with　the　earth。　In　an　Indian　legend；　which　offers　a　parallel　to　the　Balder　myth；　Indra　swore　to　the　demon　Namuci　that　he　would　slay　him　neither　by　day　nor　by　night；　neither　with　staff　nor　with　bow；　neither　with　the　palm　of　the　hand　nor　with　the　fist；　neither　with　the　wet　nor　with　the　dry。　But　he　killed　him　in　the　morning　twilight　by　sprinkling　over　him　the　foam　of　the　sea。　The　foam　of　the　sea　is　just　such　an　object　as　a　savage　might　choose　to　put　his　life　in；　because　it　occupies　that　sort　of　intermediate　or　nondescript　position　between　earth　and　sky　or　sea　and　sky　in　which　primitive　man　sees　safety。　It　is　therefore　not　surprising　that　the　foam　of　the　river　should　be　the　totem　of　a　clan　in　India。

Again；　the　view　that　the　mistletoe　owes　its　mystic　character　partly　to　its　not　growing　on　the　ground　is　confirmed　by　a　parallel　superstition　about　the　mountain…ash　or　rowan…tree。　In　Jutland　a　rowan　that　is　found　growing　out　of　the　top　of　another　tree　is　esteemed　exceedingly　effective　against　witchcraft：　since　it　does　not　grow　on　the　ground　witches　have　no　power　over　it；　if　it　is　to　have　its　full　effect　it　must　be　cut　on　Ascension　Day。　Hence　it　is　placed　over　doors　to　prevent　the　ingress　of　witches。　In　Sweden　and　Norway；　also；　magical　properties　are　ascribed　to　a　flying…rowan　（fl？gr？nn）；　that　is　to　a　rowan　which　is　found　growing　not　in　the　ordinary　fashion　on　the　ground　but　on　another　tree；　or　on　a　roof；　or　in　a　cleft　of　the　rock；　where　it　has　sprouted　from　seed　scattered　by　birds。　They　say　that　a　man　who　is　out　in　the　dark　should　have　a　bit　of　flying…rowan　with　him　to　chew；　else　he　runs　a　risk　of　being　bewitched　and　of　being　unable　to　stir　from　the　spot。　Just　as　in　Scandinavia　the　parasitic　rowan　is　deemed　a　countercharm　to　sorcery；　so　in　Germany　the　parasitic　mistletoe　is　still　commonly　considered　a　protection　against　witch…craft；　and　in　Sweden；　as　we　saw；　the　mistletoe　which　is　gathered　on　Midsummer　Eve　is　attached　to　the　ceiling　of　the　house；　the　horse's　stall　or　the　cow's　crib；　in　the　belief　that　this　renders　the　Troll　powerless　to　injure　man　or　beast。

The　view　that　the　mistletoe　was　not　merely　the　instrument　of　Balder's　death；　but　that　it　contained　his　life；　is　countenanced　by　the　analogy　of　a　Scottish　superstition。　Tradition　ran　that　the　fate　of　the　Hays　of　Errol；　an　estate　in　Perthshire；　near　the　Firth　of　Tay；　was　bound　up　with　the　mistletoe　that　grew　on　a　certain　great　oak。　A　member　of　the　Hay　family　has　recorded　the　old　belief　as　follows：　Among　the　low　country　families　the　badges　are　now　almost　generally　forgotten；　but　it　appears　by　an　ancient　MS。；　and　the　tradition　of　a　few　old　people　in　Perthshire；　that　the　badge　of　the　Hays　was　the　mistletoe。　There　was　formerly　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Errol；　and　not　far　from　the　Falcon　stone；　a　vast　oak　of　an　unknown　age；　and　upon　which　grew　a　profusion　of　the　plant：　many　charms　and　legends　were　considered　to　be　connected　with　the　tree；　and　the　duration　of　the　family　of　Hay　was　said　to　be　united　with　its　existence。　It　was　believed　that　a　sprig　of　the　mistletoe　cut　by　a　Hay　on　Allhallowmas　eve；　with　a　new　dirk；　and　after　surrounding　the　tree　three　times　sunwise；　and　pronouncing　a　certain　spell；　was　a　sure　charm　against　all　glamour　or　witchery；　and　an　infallible　guard　in　the　day　of　battle。　A　spray　gathered　in　the　same　manner　was　placed　in　the　cradle　of　infants；　and　thought　to　defend　them　from　being　changed　for　elfbairns　by　the　fairies。　Finally；　it　was　affirmed；　that　when　the　root　of　the　oak　had　perished；　'the　grass　should　grow　in　the　hearth　of　Errol；　and　a　raven　should　sit　in　the　falcon's　nest。'　The　two　most　unlucky　deeds　which　could　be　done　by　one　of　the　name　of　Hay　was；　to　kill　a　white　falcon；　and　to　cut　down　a　limb　from　the　oak　of　Errol。　When　the　old　tree　was　destroyed　I　could　never　learn。　The　estate　has　been　sold　out　of　the　family　of　Hay；　and　of　course　it　is　said　that　the　fatal　oak　was　cut　down　a　short　time　before。　The　old　superstition　is　recorded　in　verses　which　are　traditionally　ascribed　to　Thomas　the　Rhymer：

While　the　mistletoe　bats　on　Errol's　aik；　And　that　aik　stands　fast；　The　Hays　shall　flourish；　and　their　good　grey　hawk　Shall　nocht　flinch　before　the　blast。　But　when　the　root　of　the　aik　decays；　And　the　mistletoe　dwines　on　its　withered　breast；　The　grass　shall　grow　on　Errol's　hearthstane；　And　the　corbie　roup　in　the　falcon's　nest。

It　is　not　a　new　opinion　that　the　Golden　Bough　was　the　mistletoe。　True；　Virgil　does　not　identify　but　only　compares　it　with　mistletoe。　But　this　may　be　only　a　poetical　device　to　cast　a　mystic　glamour　over　the　humble　plant。　Or；　more　probably；　his　description　was　based　on　a　popular　superstition　that　at　cert