the golden bough-第271章

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ncient　Aryan　that　the　sun　was　periodically　recruited　from　the　fire　which　resided　in　the　sacred　oak。　In　other　words；　the　oak　may　have　seemed　to　him　the　original　storehouse　or　reservoir　of　the　fire　which　was　from　time　to　time　drawn　out　to　feed　the　sun。　But　if　the　life　of　the　oak　was　conceived　to　be　in　the　mistletoe；　the　mistletoe　must　on　that　view　have　contained　the　seed　or　germ　of　the　fire　which　was　elicited　by　friction　from　the　wood　of　the　oak。　Thus；　instead　of　saying　that　the　mistletoe　was　an　emanation　of　the　sun's　fire；　it　might　be　more　correct　to　say　that　the　sun's　fire　was　regarded　as　an　emanation　of　the　mistletoe。　No　wonder；　then；　that　the　mistletoe　shone　with　a　golden　splendour；　and　was　called　the　Golden　Bough。　Probably；　however；　like　fern…seed；　it　was　thought　to　assume　its　golden　aspect　only　at　those　stated　times；　especially　midsummer；　when　fire　was　drawn　from　the　oak　to　light　up　the　sun。　At　Pulverbatch；　in　Shropshire；　it　was　believed　within　living　memory　that　the　oak…tree　blooms　on　Midsummer　Eve　and　the　blossom　withers　before　daylight。　A　maiden　who　wishes　to　know　her　lot　in　marriage　should　spread　a　white　cloth　under　the　tree　at　night；　and　in　the　morning　she　will　find　a　little　dust；　which　is　all　that　remains　of　the　flower。　She　should　place　the　pinch　of　dust　under　her　pillow；　and　then　her　future　husband　will　appear　to　her　in　her　dreams。　This　fleeting　bloom　of　the　oak；　if　I　am　right；　was　probably　the　mistletoe　in　its　character　of　the　Golden　Bough。　The　conjecture　is　confirmed　by　the　observation　that　in　Wales　a　real　sprig　of　mistletoe　gathered　on　Midsummer　Eve　is　similarly　placed　under　the　pillow　to　induce　prophetic　dreams；　and　further　the　mode　of　catching　the　imaginary　bloom　of　the　oak　in　a　white　cloth　is　exactly　that　which　was　employed　by　the　Druids　to　catch　the　real　mistletoe　when　it　dropped　from　the　bough　of　the　oak；　severed　by　the　golden　sickle。　As　Shropshire　borders　on　Wales；　the　belief　that　the　oak　blooms　on　Midsummer　Eve　may　be　Welsh　in　its　immediate　origin；　though　probably　the　belief　is　a　fragment　of　the　primitive　Aryan　creed。　In　some　parts　of　Italy；　as　we　saw；　peasants　still　go　out　on　Midsummer　morning　to　search　the　oak…trees　for　the　oil　of　St。　John；　which；　like　the　mistletoe；　heals　all　wounds；　and　is；　perhaps；　the　mistletoe　itself　in　its　glorified　aspect。　Thus　it　is　easy　to　understand　how　a　title　like　the　Golden　Bough；　so　little　descriptive　of　its　usual　appearance　on　the　tree；　should　have　been　applied　to　the　seemingly　insignificant　parasite。　Further；　we　can　perhaps　see　why　in　antiquity　mistletoe　was　believed　to　possess　the　remarkable　property　of　extinguishing　fire；　and　why　in　Sweden　it　is　still　kept　in　houses　as　a　safeguard　against　conflagration。　Its　fiery　nature　marks　it　out；　on　homoeopathic　principles；　as　the　best　possible　cure　or　preventive　of　injury　by　fire。

These　considerations　may　partially　explain　why　Virgil　makes　Aeneas　carry　a　glorified　bough　of　mistletoe　with　him　on　his　descent　into　the　gloomy　subterranean　world。　The　poet　describes　how　at　the　very　gates　of　hell　there　stretched　a　vast　and　gloomy　wood；　and　how　the　hero；　following　the　flight　of　two　doves　that　lured　him　on；　wandered　into　the　depths　of　the　immemorial　forest　till　he　saw　afar　off　through　the　shadows　of　the　trees　the　flickering　light　of　the　Golden　Bough　illuminating　the　matted　boughs　overhead。　If　the　mistletoe；　as　a　yellow　withered　bough　in　the　sad　autumn　woods；　was　conceived　to　contain　the　seed　of　fire；　what　better　companion　could　a　forlorn　wanderer　in　the　nether　shades　take　with　him　than　a　bough　that　would　be　a　lamp　to　his　feet　as　well　as　a　rod　and　staff　to　his　hands？　Armed　with　it　he　might　boldly　confront　the　dreadful　spectres　that　would　cross　his　path　on　his　adventurous　journey。　Hence　when　Aeneas；　emerging　from　the　forest；　comes　to　the　banks　of　Styx；　winding　slow　with　sluggish　stream　through　the　infernal　marsh；　and　the　surly　ferryman　refuses　him　passage　in　his　boat；　he　has　but　to　draw　the　Golden　Bough　from　his　bosom　and　hold　it　up；　and　straightway　the　blusterer　quails　at　the　sight　and　meekly　receives　the　hero　into　his　crazy　bark；　which　sinks　deep　in　the　water　under　the　unusual　weight　of　the　living　man。　Even　in　recent　times；　as　we　have　seen；　mistletoe　has　been　deemed　a　protection　against　witches　and　trolls；　and　the　ancients　may　well　have　credited　it　with　the　same　magical　virtue。　And　if　the　parasite　can；　as　some　of　our　peasants　believe；　open　all　locks；　why　should　it　not　have　served　as　an　open　Sesame　in　the　hands　of　Aeneas　to　unlock　the　gates　of　death？

Now；　too；　we　can　conjecture　why　Virbius　at　Nemi　came　to　be　confounded　with　the　sun。　If　Virbius　was；　as　I　have　tried　to　show；　a　tree…spirit；　he　must　have　been　the　spirit　of　the　oak　on　which　grew　the　Golden　Bough；　for　tradition　represented　him　as　the　first　of　the　Kings　of　the　Wood。　As　an　oak…spirit　he　must　have　been　supposed　periodically　to　rekindle　the　sun's　fire；　and　might　therefore　easily　be　confounded　with　the　sun　itself。　Similarly　we　can　explain　why　Balder；　an　oak…spirit；　was　described　as　so　fair　of　face　and　so　shining　that　a　light　went　forth　from　him；　and　why　he　should　have　been　so　often　taken　to　be　the　sun。　And　in　general　we　may　say　that　in　primitive　society；　when　the　only　known　way　of　making　fire　is　by　the　friction　of　wood；　the　savage　must　necessarily　conceive　of　fire　as　a　property　stored　away；　like　sap　or　juice；　in　trees；　from　which　he　has　laboriously　to　extract　it。　The　Senal　Indians　of　California　profess　to　believe　that　the　whole　world　was　once　a　globe　of　fire；　whence　that　element　passed　up　into　the　trees；　and　now　comes　out　whenever　two　pieces　of　wood　are　rubbed　together。　Similarly　the　Maidu　Indians　of　California　hold　that　the　earth　was　primarily　a　globe　of　molten　matter；　and　from　that　the　principle　of　fire　ascended　through　the　roots　into　the　trunk　and　branches　of　trees；　whence　the　Indians　can　extract　it　by　means　of　their　drill。　In　Namoluk；　one　of　the　Caroline　Islands；　they　say　that　the　art　of　making　fire　was　taught　men　by　the　gods。　Olofaet；　the　cunning　master　of　flames；　gave　fire　to　the　bird　mwi　and　bade　him　carry　it　to　earth　in　his　bill。　So　the　bird　flew　from　tree　to　tree　and　stored　away　the　slumbering　force　of　the　fire　in　the　wood；　from　which　men　can　elicit　it　by　friction。　In　the　ancient　Vedic　hymns　of　India　the　fire…god　Agni　is　spoken　of　as　born　in　wood；　as　the　embryo　of　plants；　or　as　distributed　in　plants。　He　is　also　said　to　have　entered　into　all　plants　or　to　strive　after　them。　When　he　is　called　the　embryo　of　trees　or　of　trees　as　well　as　plants；　there　may　be　a　side…glance　at　the　fire　produced　in　forests　by　the　friction　of　the　boughs　of　trees。

A　tree　which　has　been　struck　by　lightning　is　naturally　regarded　by　the　savage　as　charged　with　a　double　or　triple　portion　of　fire；　for　has　he　not　seen　the　mighty　flash　enter　into　the　trunk　with　his　own　eyes？　Hence　perhaps　we　may　explain　some　of　the　many　superstitious　beliefs　concerning　trees　that　have　been　struck　by　lightning。　When　the　Thompson　Indians　of　British　Columbia　wished　to　set　fire　to　the　houses　of　their　enemies；　they　shot　at　them　arrows　which　were　either　made　from　a　tree　that　had　been　struck　by　lightning　or　had　splinters　of　such　wood　attached　to　them。　Wendish　peasants　of　Saxony　refuse　to　burn　in　their　stoves　the　wood　of　trees　that　have　been　struck　by　lightning；　they　say　that　with　such　fuel　the　house　would　be　burnt　down。　In　like　manner　the　Thonga　of　South　Africa　will　not　use　such　wood　as　fuel　nor　warm　themselves　at　a　fire　which　has　been　kindled　with　it。　On　the　contrary；　when　lightning　sets　fire　to　a　tree；　the　Winamwanga　of　Northern　Rhodesia　put　out　all　the　fires　in　the　village　and　plaster　the　fireplaces　afresh；　while　the　head　men　convey　the　lightning…kindled　fire　to　the　chief；　who　prays　over　it。　The　chief　then　sends　out　the　new　fire　to　all　his　villages；　and　the　villagers　reward　his　messengers　for　the　boon。　This　shows　that　they　look　upon　fire　kindled　by　lightning　with　reverence；　and　the　reverence　is　intelligible；　for　they　speak　of　thunder　and　lightning　as　God　himself　coming　down　to　earth。　Similarly　the　Maidu　Indians　of　California　believe　that　a　Great　Man　created　the　world　and　all　its　inhabitants；　and　that　lightning　is　nothing　but　the　Great　Man　himself　descending　swiftly　out　of　heaven　and　rending　the　trees　with　his　flaming　arms。

It　is