the golden bough-第44章

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　the　Rain；　Mata　Kodou；　who　are　credited　with　the　power　of　giving　rain　at　the　proper　time；　that　is；　the　rainy　season。　Before　the　rains　begin　to　fall　at　the　end　of　March　the　country　is　a　parched　and　arid　desert；　and　the　cattle；　which　form　the　people's　chief　wealth；　perish　for　lack　of　grass。　So；　when　the　end　of　March　draws　on；　each　householder　betakes　himself　to　the　King　of　the　Rain　and　offers　him　a　cow　that　he　may　make　the　blessed　waters　of　heaven　to　drip　on　the　brown　and　withered　pastures。　If　no　shower　falls；　the　people　assemble　and　demand　that　the　king　shall　give　them　rain；　and　if　the　sky　still　continues　cloudless；　they　rip　up　his　belly；　in　which　he　is　believed　to　keep　the　storms。　Amongst　the　Bari　tribe　one　of　these　Rain　Kings　made　rain　by　sprinkling　water　on　the　ground　out　of　a　handbell。

Among　tribes　on　the　outskirts　of　Abyssinia　a　similar　office　exists　and　has　been　thus　described　by　an　observer：　The　priesthood　of　the　Alfai；　as　he　is　called　by　the　Barea　and　Kunama；　is　a　remarkable　one；　he　is　believed　to　be　able　to　make　rain。　This　office　formerly　existed　among　the　Algeds　and　appears　to　be　still　common　to　the　Nuba　negroes。　The　Alfai　of　the　Barea；　who　is　also　consulted　by　the　northern　Kunama；　lives　near　Tembadere　on　a　mountain　alone　with　his　family。　The　people　bring　him　tribute　in　the　form　of　clothes　and　fruits；　and　cultivate　for　him　a　large　field　of　his　own。　He　is　a　kind　of　king；　and　his　office　passes　by　inheritance　to　his　brother　or　sister's　son。　He　is　supposed　to　conjure　down　rain　and　to　drive　away　the　locusts。　But　if　he　disappoints　the　people's　expectation　and　a　great　drought　arises　in　the　land；　the　Alfai　is　stoned　to　death；　and　his　nearest　relations　are　obliged　to　cast　the　first　stone　at　him。　When　we　passed　through　the　country；　the　office　of　Alfai　was　still　held　by　an　old　man；　but　I　heard　that　rain…making　had　proved　too　dangerous　for　him　and　that　he　had　renounced　his　office。

In　the　backwoods　of　Cambodia　live　two　mysterious　sovereigns　known　as　the　King　of　the　Fire　and　the　King　of　the　Water。　Their　fame　is　spread　all　over　the　south　of　the　great　Indo…Chinese　peninsula；　but　only　a　faint　echo　of　it　has　reached　the　West。　Down　to　a　few　years　ago　no　European；　so　far　as　is　known；　had　ever　seen　either　of　them；　and　their　very　existence　might　have　passed　for　a　fable；　were　it　not　that　till　lately　communications　were　regularly　maintained　between　them　and　the　King　of　Cambodia；　who　year　by　year　exchanged　presents　with　them。　Their　royal　functions　are　of　a　purely　mystic　or　spiritual　order；　they　have　no　political　authority；　they　are　simple　peasants；　living　by　the　sweat　of　their　brow　and　the　offerings　of　the　faithful。　According　to　one　account　they　live　in　absolute　solitude；　never　meeting　each　other　and　never　seeing　a　human　face。　They　inhabit　successively　seven　towers　perched　upon　seven　mountains；　and　every　year　they　pass　from　one　tower　to　another。　People　come　furtively　and　cast　within　their　reach　what　is　needful　for　their　subsistence。　The　kingship　lasts　seven　years；　the　time　necessary　to　inhabit　all　the　towers　successively；　but　many　die　before　their　time　is　out。　The　offices　are　hereditary　in　one　or　（according　to　others）　two　royal　families；　who　enjoy　high　consideration；　have　revenues　assigned　to　them；　and　are　exempt　from　the　necessity　of　tilling　the　ground。　But　naturally　the　dignity　is　not　coveted；　and　when　a　vacancy　occurs；　all　eligible　men　（they　must　be　strong　and　have　children）　flee　and　hide　themselves。　Another　account；　admitting　the　reluctance　of　the　hereditary　candidates　to　accept　the　crown；　does　not　countenance　the　report　of　their　hermit…like　seclusion　in　the　seven　towers。　For　it　represents　the　people　as　prostrating　themselves　before　the　mystic　kings　whenever　they　appear　in　public；　it　being　thought　that　a　terrible　hurricane　would　burst　over　the　country　if　this　mark　of　homage　were　omitted。　Like　many　other　sacred　kings；　of　whom　we　shall　read　in　the　sequel；　the　Kings　of　Fire　and　Water　are　not　allowed　to　die　a　natural　death；　for　that　would　lower　their　reputation。　Accordingly　when　one　of　them　is　seriously　ill；　the　elders　hold　a　consultation　and　if　they　think　he　cannot　recover　they　stab　him　to　death。　His　body　is　burned　and　the　ashes　are　piously　collected　and　publicly　honoured　for　five　years。　Part　of　them　is　given　to　the　widow；　and　she　keeps　them　in　an　urn；　which　she　must　carry　on　her　back　when　she　goes　to　weep　on　her　husband's　grave。

We　are　told　that　the　Fire　King；　the　more　important　of　the　two；　whose　supernatural　powers　have　never　been　questioned；　officiates　at　marriages；　festivals；　and　sacrifices　in　honour　of　the　Yan　or　spirit。　On　these　occasions　a　special　place　is　set　apart　for　him；　and　the　path　by　which　he　approaches　is　spread　with　white　cotton　cloths。　A　reason　for　confining　the　royal　dignity　to　the　same　family　is　that　this　family　is　in　possession　of　certain　famous　talismans　which　would　lose　their　virtue　or　disappear　if　they　passed　out　of　the　family。　These　talismans　are　three：　the　fruit　of　a　creeper　called　Cui；　gathered　ages　ago　at　the　time　of　the　last　deluge；　but　still　fresh　and　green；　a　rattan；　also　very　old　but　bearing　flowers　that　never　fade；　and　lastly；　a　sword　containing　a　Yan　or　spirit；　who　guards　it　constantly　and　works　miracles　with　it。　The　spirit　is　said　to　be　that　of　a　slave；　whose　blood　chanced　to　fall　upon　the　blade　while　it　was　being　forged；　and　who　died　a　voluntary　death　to　expiate　his　involuntary　offence。　By　means　of　the　two　former　talismans　the　Water　King　can　raise　a　flood　that　would　drown　the　whole　earth。　If　the　Fire　King　draws　the　magic　sword　a　few　inches　from　its　sheath；　the　sun　is　hidden　and　men　and　beasts　fall　into　a　profound　sleep；　were　he　to　draw　it　quite　out　of　the　scabbard；　the　world　would　come　to　an　end。　To　this　wondrous　brand　sacrifices　of　buffaloes；　pigs；　fowls；　and　ducks　are　offered　for　rain。　It　is　kept　swathed　in　cotton　and　silk；　and　amongst　the　annual　presents　sent　by　the　King　of　Cambodia　were　rich　stuffs　to　wrap　the　sacred　sword。

Contrary　to　the　common　usage　of　the　country；　which　is　to　bury　the　dead；　the　bodies　of　both　these　mystic　monarchs　are　burnt；　but　their　nails　and　some　of　their　teeth　and　bones　are　religiously　preserved　as　amulets。　It　is　while　the　corpse　is　being　consumed　on　the　pyre　that　the　kinsmen　of　the　deceased　magician　flee　to　the　forest　and　hide　themselves；　for　fear　of　being　elevated　to　the　invidious　dignity　which　he　has　just　vacated。　The　people　go　and　search　for　them；　and　the　first　whose　lurking　place　they　discover　is　made　King　of　Fire　or　Water。

These；　then；　are　examples　of　what　I　have　called　departmental　kings　of　nature。　But　it　is　a　far　cry　to　Italy　from　the　forests　of　Cambodia　and　the　sources　of　the　Nile。　And　though　Kings　of　Rain；　Water；　and　Fire　have　been　found；　we　have　still　to　discover　a　King　of　the　Wood　to　match　the　Arician　priest　who　bore　that　title。　Perhaps　we　shall　find　him　nearer　home。

Chapter　9。　The　Worship　of　Trees。

1。　Tree…spirits。

IN　THE　RELIGIOUS　history　of　the　Aryan　race　in　Europe　the　worship　of　trees　has　played　an　important　part。　Nothing　could　be　more　natural。　For　at　the　dawn　of　history　Europe　was　covered　with　immense　primaeval　forests；　in　which　the　scattered　clearings　must　have　appeared　like　islets　in　an　ocean　of　green。　Down　to　the　first　century　before　our　era　the　Hercynian　forest　stretched　eastward　from　the　Rhine　for　a　distance　at　once　vast　and　unknown；　Germans　whom　Caesar　questioned　had　travelled　for　two　months　through　it　without　reaching　the　end。　Four　centuries　later　it　was　visited　by　the　Emperor　Julian；　and　the　solitude；　the　gloom；　the　silence　of　the　forest　appear　to　have　made　a　deep　impression　on　his　sensitive　nature。　He　declared　that　he　knew　nothing　like　it　in　the　Roman　empire。　In　our　own　country　the　wealds　of　Kent；　Surrey；　and　Sussex　are　remnants　of　the　great　forest　of　Anderida；　which　once　clothed　the　whole　of　the　south…eastern　portion　of　the　island。　Westward　it　seems　to　have　stretched　till　it　joined　another　forest　that　extended　from　Hampshire　to　Devon。　In　the　reign　of　Henry　II。　the　citizens　of　London　still　hunted　the　wild　bull　and　the　boar　in　the　woods　of　Hampstead。　Even　under　the　later　Plantagenets　the　royal　forests　were　sixty…eight　in　number。　In　the　forest　of　Arden　it　was　said　that　down　to　modern　times　a　squirrel　might　leap　from　tree　to　tree　for　nearly