the golden bough-第54章

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　to　stab　him　with　a　spear。　He　who　succeeded　became　king　and　his　sweetheart　queen。　The　straw　man　was　known　as　the　Goliath。

In　a　parish　of　Denmark　it　used　to　be　the　custom　at　Whitsuntide　to　dress　up　a　little　girl　as　the　Whitsun…bride　and　a　little　boy　as　her　groom。　She　was　decked　in　all　the　finery　of　a　grown…up　bride；　and　wore　a　crown　of　the　freshest　flowers　of　spring　on　her　head。　Her　groom　was　as　gay　as　flowers；　ribbons；　and　knots　could　make　him。　The　other　children　adorned　themselves　as　best　they　could　with　the　yellow　flowers　of　the　trollius　and　caltha。　Then　they　went　in　great　state　from　farmhouse　to　farmhouse；　two　little　girls　walking　at　the　head　of　the　procession　as　bridesmaids；　and　six　or　eight　outriders　galloping　ahead　on　hobby…horses　to　announce　their　coming。　Contributions　of　eggs；　butter；　loaves；　cream；　coffee；　sugar；　and　tallow…candles　were　received　and　conveyed　away　in　baskets。　When　they　had　made　the　round　of　the　farms；　some　of　the　farmers'　wives　helped　to　arrange　the　wedding　feast；　and　the　children　danced　merrily　in　clogs　on　the　stamped　clay　floor　till　the　sun　rose　and　the　birds　began　to　sing。　All　this　is　now　a　thing　of　the　past。　Only　the　old　folks　still　remember　the　little　Whitsun…bride　and　her　mimic　pomp。

We　have　seen　that　in　Sweden　the　ceremonies　associated　elsewhere　with　May　Day　or　Whitsuntide　commonly　take　place　at　Midsummer。　Accordingly　we　find　that　in　some　parts　of　the　Swedish　province　of　Blekinge　they　still　choose　a　Midsummer's　Bride；　to　whom　the　church　coronet　is　occasionally　lent。　The　girl　selects　for　herself　a　Bridegroom；　and　a　collection　is　made　for　the　pair；　who　for　the　time　being　are　looked　on　as　man　and　wife。　The　other　youths　also　choose　each　his　bride。　A　similar　ceremony　seems　to　be　still　kept　up　in　Norway。

In　the　neighbourhood　of　Brian？on　（Dauphiné）　on　May　Day　the　lads　wrap　up　in　green　leaves　a　young　fellow　whose　sweetheart　has　deserted　him　or　married　another。　He　lies　down　on　the　ground　and　feigns　to　be　asleep。　Then　a　girl　who　likes　him；　and　would　marry　him；　comes　and　wakes　him；　and　raising　him　up　offers　him　her　arm　and　a　flag。　So　they　go　to　the　alehouse；　where　the　pair　lead　off　the　dancing。　But　they　must　marry　within　the　year；　or　they　are　treated　as　old　bachelor　and　old　maid；　and　are　debarred　the　company　of　the　young　folks。　The　lad　is　called　the　Bridegroom　of　the　month　of　May。　In　the　alehouse　he　puts　off　his　garment　of　leaves；　out　of　which；　mixed　with　flowers；　his　partner　in　the　dance　makes　a　nosegay；　and　wears　it　at　her　breast　next　day；　when　he　leads　her　again　to　the　alehouse。　Like　this　is　a　Russian　custom　observed　in　the　district　of　Nerechta　on　the　Thursday　before　Whitsunday。　The　girls　go　out　into　a　birch…wood；　wind　a　girdle　or　band　round　a　stately　birch；　twist　its　lower　branches　into　a　wreath；　and　kiss　each　other　in　pairs　through　the　wreath。　The　girls　who　kiss　through　the　wreath　call　each　other　gossips。　Then　one　of　the　girls　steps　forward；　and　mimicking　a　drunken　man；　flings　herself　on　the　ground；　rolls　on　the　grass；　and　feigns　to　fall　fast　asleep。　Another　girl　wakens　the　pretended　sleeper　and　kisses　him；　then　the　whole　bevy　trips　singing　through　the　wood　to　twine　garlands；　which　they　throw　into　the　water。　In　the　fate　of　the　garlands　floating　on　the　stream　they　read　their　own。　Here　the　part　of　the　sleeper　was　probably　at　one　time　played　by　a　lad。　In　these　French　and　Russian　customs　we　have　a　forsaken　bridegroom；　in　the　following　a　forsaken　bride。　On　Shrove　Tuesday　the　Slovenes　of　Oberkrain　drag　a　straw　puppet　with　joyous　cries　up　and　down　the　village；　then　they　throw　it　into　the　water　or　burn　it；　and　from　the　height　of　the　flames　they　judge　of　the　abundance　of　the　next　harvest。　The　noisy　crew　is　followed　by　a　female　masker；　who　drags　a　great　board　by　a　string　and　gives　out　that　she　is　a　forsaken　bride。

Viewed　in　the　light　of　what　has　gone　before；　the　awakening　of　the　forsaken　sleeper　in　these　ceremonies　probably　represents　the　revival　of　vegetation　in　spring。　But　it　is　not　easy　to　assign　their　respective　parts　to　the　forsaken　bridegroom　and　to　the　girl　who　wakes　him　from　his　slumber。　Is　the　sleeper　the　leafless　forest　or　the　bare　earth　of　winter？　Is　the　girl　who　awakens　him　the　fresh　verdure　or　the　genial　sunshine　of　spring？　It　is　hardly　possible；　on　the　evidence　before　us；　to　answer　these　questions。

In　the　Highlands　of　Scotland　the　revival　of　vegetation　in　spring　used　to　be　graphically　represented　on　St。　Bride's　Day；　the　first　of　February。　Thus　in　the　Hebrides　the　mistress　and　servants　of　each　family　take　a　sheaf　of　oats；　and　dress　it　up　in　women's　apparel；　put　it　in　a　large　basket　and　lay　a　wooden　club　by　it；　and　this　they　call　Briid's　bed；　and　then　the　mistress　and　servants　cry　three　times；　'Briid　is　come；　Briid　is　welcome。'　This　they　do　just　before　going　to　bed；　and　when　they　rise　in　the　morning　they　look　among　the　ashes；　expecting　to　see　the　impression　of　Briid's　club　there；　which　if　they　do；　they　reckon　it　a　true　presage　of　a　good　crop　and　prosperous　year；　and　the　contrary　they　take　as　an　ill　omen。　The　same　custom　is　described　by　another　witness　thus：　Upon　the　night　before　Candlemas　it　is　usual　to　make　a　bed　with　corn　and　hay；　over　which　some　blankets　are　laid；　in　a　part　of　the　house；　near　the　door。　When　it　is　ready；　a　person　goes　out　and　repeats　three　times；　　'Bridget；　Bridget；　come　in；　thy　bed　is　ready。'　One　or　more　candles　are　left　burning　near　it　all　night。　Similarly　in　the　Isle　of　Man　on　the　eve　of　the　first　of　February；　a　festival　was　formerly　kept；　called；　in　the　Manks　language；　Laa'l　Breeshey；　in　honour　of　the　Irish　lady　who　went　over　to　the　Isle　of　Man　to　receive　the　veil　from　St。　Maughold。　The　custom　was　to　gather　a　bundle　of　green　rushes；　and　standing　with　them　in　the　hand　on　the　threshold　of　the　door；　to　invite　the　holy　Saint　Bridget　to　come　and　lodge　with　them　that　night。　In　the　Manks　language；　the　invitation　ran　thus：　'Brede；　Brede；　tar　gys　my　thie　tar　dyn　thie　ayms　noght　Foshil　jee　yn　dorrys　da　Brede；　as　lhig　da　Brede　e　heet　staigh。'　In　English：　'Bridget；　Bridget；　come　to　my　house；　come　to　my　house　to…night。　Open　the　door　for　Bridget；　and　let　Bridget　come　in。'　After　these　words　were　repeated；　the　rushes　were　strewn　on　the　floor　by　way　of　a　carpet　or　bed　for　St。　Bridget。　A　custom　very　similar　to　this　was　also　observed　in　some　of　the　Out…Isles　of　the　ancient　Kingdom　of　Man。　In　these　Manx　and　Highland　ceremonies　it　is　obvious　that　St。　Bride；　or　St。　Bridget；　is　an　old　heathen　goddess　of　fertility；　disguised　in　a　threadbare　Christian　cloak。　Probably　she　is　no　other　than　Brigit；　the　Celtic　goddess　of　fire　and　apparently　of　the　crops。

Often　the　marriage　of　the　spirit　of　vegetation　in　spring；　though　not　directly　represented；　is　implied　by　naming　the　human　representative　of　the　spirit；　the　Bride；　and　dressing　her　in　wedding　attire。　Thus　in　some　villages　of　Altmark　at　Whitsuntide；　while　the　boys　go　about　carrying　a　May…tree　or　leading　a　boy　enveloped　in　leaves　and　flowers；　the　girls　lead　about　the　May　Bride；　a　girl　dressed　as　a　bride　with　a　great　nosegay　in　her　hair。　They　go　from　house　to　house；　the　May　Bride　singing　a　song　in　which　she　asks　for　a　present　and　tells　the　inmates　of　each　house　that　if　they　give　her　something　they　will　themselves　have　something　the　whole　year　through；　but　if　they　give　her　nothing　they　will　themselves　have　nothing。　In　some　parts　of　Westphalia　two　girls　lead　a　flower…crowned　girl　called　the　Whitsuntide　Bride　from　door　to　door；　singing　a　song　in　which　they　ask　for　eggs。

Chapter　11。　The　Influence　of　the　Sexes　on　Vegetation

FROM　THE　PRECEDING　examination　of　the　spring　and　summer　festivals　of　Europe　we　may　infer　that　our　rude　forefathers　personified　the　powers　of　vegetation　as　male　and　female；　and　attempted；　on　the　principle　of　homoeopathic　or　imitative　magic；　to　quicken　the　growth　of　trees　and　plants　by　representing　the　marriage　of　the　sylvan　deities　in　the　persons　of　a　King　and　Queen　of　May；　a　Whitsun　Bridegroom　and　Bride；　and　so　forth。　Such　representations　were　accordingly　no　mere　symbolic　or　allegorical　dramas；　pastoral　plays　designed　to　amuse　or　instruct　a　rustic　audience。　They　were　charms　intended　to　make　the　woods　to　grow　green；　the　fresh　grass　to　sprout；　the　corn　to　shoot；　and　the　flowers　to　blow。　And　it　was　natural　to　suppose　that　the　more