the golden bough-第106节

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ch　is　kept　turning　round。　Two　lads　disguised　as　old　men　follow　the　sledge　lamenting。　The　rest　of　the　village　lads；　mounted　on　horseback　and　decked　with　ribbons；　accompany　the　procession；　which　is　headed　by　two　girls　crowned　with　evergreen　and　drawn　in　a　waggon　or　sledge。　A　trial　is　held　under　a　tree；　at　which　lads　disguised　as　soldiers　pronounce　sentence　of　death。　The　two　old　men　try　to　rescue　the　straw…man　and　to　fly　with　him；　but　to　no　purpose；　he　is　caught　by　the　two　girls　and　handed　over　to　the　executioner；　who　hangs　him　on　a　tree。　In　vain　the　old　men　try　to　climb　up　the　tree　and　take　him　down；　they　always　tumble　down；　and　at　last　in　despair　they　throw　themselves　on　the　ground　and　weep　and　howl　for　the　hanged　man。　An　official　then　makes　a　speech　in　which　he　declares　that　the　Carnival　was　condemned　to　death　because　he　had　done　them　harm；　by　wearing　out　their　shoes　and　making　them　tired　and　sleepy。　At　the　Burial　of　Carnival　in　Lechrain；　a　man　dressed　as　a　woman　in　black　clothes　is　carried　on　a　litter　or　bier　by　four　men；　he　is　lamented　over　by　men　disguised　as　women　in　black　clothes；　then　thrown　down　before　the　village　dung…heap；　drenched　with　water；　buried　in　the　dung…heap；　and　covered　with　straw。　On　the　evening　of　Shrove　Tuesday　the　Esthonians　make　a　straw　figure　called　metsik　or　wood…spirit；　one　year　it　is　dressed　with　a　man's　coat　and　hat；　next　year　with　a　hood　and　a　petticoat。　This　figure　is　stuck　on　a　long　pole；　carried　across　the　boundary　of　the　village　with　loud　cries　of　joy；　and　fastened　to　the　top　of　a　tree　in　the　wood。　The　ceremony　is　believed　to　be　a　protection　against　all　kinds　of　misfortune。

Sometimes　at　these　Shrovetide　or　Lenten　ceremonies　the　resurrection　of　the　pretended　dead　person　is　enacted。　Thus；　in　some　parts　of　Swabia　on　Shrove　Tuesday　Dr。　Iron…Beard　professes　to　bleed　a　sick　man；　who　thereupon　falls　as　dead　to　the　ground；　but　the　doctor　at　last　restores　him　to　life　by　blowing　air　into　him　through　a　tube。　In　the　Harz　Mountains；　when　Carnival　is　over；　a　man　is　laid　on　a　baking…trough　and　carried　with　dirges　to　the　grave；　but　in　the　grave　a　glass　of　brandy　is　buried　instead　of　the　man。　A　speech　is　delivered　and　then　the　people　return　to　the　village…green　or　meeting…place；　where　they　smoke　the　long　clay　pipes　which　are　distributed　at　funerals。　On　the　morning　of　Shrove　Tuesday　in　the　following　year　the　brandy　is　dug　up　and　the　festival　begins　by　every　one　tasting　the　spirit　which；　as　the　phrase　goes；　has　come　to　life　again。

3。　Carrying　out　Death

THE　CEREMONY　of　Carrying　out　Death　presents　much　the　same　features　as

Burying　the　Carnival；　except　that　the　carrying　out　of　Death　is　generally　followed　by　a　ceremony；　or　at　least　accompanied　by　a　profession；　of　bringing　in　Summer；　Spring；　or　Life。　Thus　in　Middle　Franken；　a　province　of　Bavaria；　on　the　fourth　Sunday　in　Lent；　the　village　urchins　used　to　make　a　straw　effigy　of　Death；　which　they　carried　about　with　burlesque　pomp　through　the　streets；　and　afterwards　burned　with　loud　cries　beyond　the　bounds。　The　Frankish　custom　is　thus　described　by　a　writer　of　the　sixteenth　century：　At　Mid…Lent；　the　season　when　the　church　bids　us　rejoice；　the　young　people　of　my　native　country　make　a　straw　image　of　Death；　and　fastening　it　to　a　pole　carry　it　with　shouts　to　the　neighbouring　villages。　By　some　they　are　kindly　received；　and　after　being　refreshed　with　milk；　peas；　and　dried　pears；　the　usual　food　of　that　season；　are　sent　home　again。　Others；　however；　treat　them　with　anything　but　hospitality；　for；　looking　on　them　as　harbingers　of　misfortune；　to　wit　of　death；　they　drive　them　from　their　boundaries　with　weapons　and　insults。　In　the　villages　near　Erlangen；　when　the　fourth　Sunday　in　Lent　came　around；　the　peasant　girls　used　to　dress　themselves　in　all　their　finery　with　flowers　in　their　hair。　Thus　attired　they　repaired　to　the　neighbouring　town；　carrying　puppets　which　were　adorned　with　leaves　and　covered　with　white　cloths。　These　they　took　from　house　to　house　in　pairs；　stopping　at　every　door　where　they　expected　to　receive　something；　and　singing　a　few　lines　in　which　they　announced　that　it　was　Mid…Lent　and　that　they　were　about　to　throw　Death　into　the　water。　When　they　had　collected　some　trifling　gratuities　they　went　to　the　river　Regnitz　and　flung　the　puppets　representing　Death　into　the　stream。　This　was　done　to　ensure　a　fruitful　and　prosperous　year；　further；　it　was　considered　a　safeguard　against　pestilence　and　sudden　death。　At　Nuremberg　girls　of　seven　to　eighteen　years　of　age　go　through　the　streets　bearing　a　little　open　coffin；　in　which　is　a　doll　hidden　under　a　shroud。　Others　carry　a　beech　branch；　with　an　apple　fastened　to　it　for　a　head；　in　an　open　box。　They　sing；　We　carry　Death　into　the　water；　it　is　well；　or　We　carry　Death　into　the　water；　carry　him　in　and　out　again。　In　some　parts　of　Bavaria　down　to　1780　it　was　believed　that　a　fatal　epidemic　would　ensue　if　the　custom　of　Carrying　out　Death　were　not　observed。

In　some　villages　of　Thüringen；　on　the　fourth　Sunday　of　Lent；　the　children　used　to　carry　a　puppet　of　birchen　twigs　through　the　village；　and　then　threw　it　into　a　pool；　while　they　sang；　We　carry　the　old　Death　out　behind　the　herdman's　old　house；　we　have　got　Summer；　and　Kroden's　（？）　power　is　destroyed。　At　Debschwitz　or　Dobschwitz；　near　Gera；　the　ceremony　of　Driving　out　Death　is　or　was　annually　observed　on　the　first　of　March。　The　young　people　make　up　a　figure　of　straw　or　the　like　materials；　dress　it　in　old　clothes；　which　they　have　begged　from　houses　in　the　village；　and　carry　it　out　and　throw　it　into　the　river。　On　returning　to　the　village　they　break　the　good　news　to　the　people；　and　receive　eggs　and　other　victuals　as　a　reward。　The　ceremony　is　or　was　supposed　to　purify　the　village　and　to　protect　the　inhabitants　from　sickness　and　plague。　In　other　villages　of　Thüringen；　in　which　the　population　was　originally　Slavonic；　the　carrying　out　of　the　puppet　is　accompanied　with　the　singing　of　a　song；　which　begins；　Now　we　carry　Death　out　of　the　village　and　Spring　into　the　village。　At　the　end　of　the　seventeenth　and　beginning　of　the　eighteenth　century　the　custom　was　observed　in　Thüringen　as　follows。　The　boys　and　girls　made　an　effigy　of　straw　or　the　like　materials；　but　the　shape　of　the　figure　varied　from　year　to　year。　In　one　year　it　would　represent　an　old　man；　in　the　next　an　old　woman；　in　the　third　a　young　man；　and　in　the　fourth　a　maiden；　and　the　dress　of　the　figure　varied　with　the　character　it　personated。　There　used　to　be　a　sharp　contest　as　to　where　the　effigy　was　to　be　made；　for　the　people　thought　that　the　house　from　which　it　was　carried　forth　would　not　be　visited　with　death　that　year。　Having　been　made；　the　puppet　was　fastened　to　a　pole　and　carried　by　a　girl　if　it　represented　an　old　man；　but　by　a　boy　if　it　represented　an　old　woman。　Thus　it　was　borne　in　procession；　the　young　people　holding　sticks　in　their　hands　and　singing　that　they　were　driving　out　Death。　When　they　came　to　water　they　threw　the　effigy　into　it　and　ran　hastily　back；　fearing　that　it　might　jump　on　their　shoulders　and　wring　their　necks。　They　also　took　care　not　to　touch　it；　lest　it　should　dry　them　up。　On　their　return　they　beat　the　cattle　with　the　sticks；　believing　that　this　would　make　the　animals　fat　or　fruitful。　Afterwards　they　visited　the　house　or　houses　from　which　they　had　carried　the　image　of　Death；　where　they　received　a　dole　of　half…boiled　peas。　The　custom　of　Carrying　out　Death　was　practised　also　in　Saxony。　At　Leipsic　the　bastards　and　public　women　used　to　make　a　straw　effigy　of　Death　every　year　at　Mid…Lent。　This　they　carried　through　all　the　streets　with　songs　and　showed　it　to　the　young　married　women。　Finally　they　threw　it　into　the　river　Parthe。　By　this　ceremony　they　professed　to　make　the　young　wives　fruitful；　to　purify　the　city；　and　to　protect　the　inhabitants　for　that　year　from　plague　and　other　epidemics。

Ceremonies　of　the　same　sort　are　observed　at　Mid…Lent　in　Silesia。　Thus　in　many　places　the　grown　girls　with　the　help　of　the　young　men　dress　up　a　straw　figure　with　women's　clothes　and　carry　it　out　of　the　village　towards　the　setting　sun。　At　the　boundary　they　strip　it　of　its　clothes；　tear　it　in　pieces；　and　scatter　the　fragments　about　the　fields。　This　is　called　Burying　Death。　As　they　carry　the　image　out；　they　sing　that　they　are　about　to　bury　Death　under　an　oak；　that　he　may　depart　from　the　people。　Sometimes　the　song　runs　that　they　are　bearing　Death　over　hill　and　dale　to　return　no　more。　In　the　Polish　neighbourhood　of　Gross…Strehlitz　the　puppet　is　called　Goik。　It　is　carried　on　horseback　and　thrown　into　the　nearest　water。　The　people　think　that　the　ceremony　protects　them　from　sickness　of　every　sort　in　the　coming　year。　In　the　districts　of　Wohlau　and　Guhrau　the　image　of　Death　used　to　be　thrown　over　the　boundary　of　the　next　village。　But　as　the　neighbours　feared　to　receive　the　ill…omened　figure；　they　were　on　the　look…out　to　repel　it；　and　hard　knocks　were　often　exchanged　between　the　two　parties。　In　some　Polish　parts　of　Upper　Silesia　the　effigy；　representing　an　old　woman；　goes　by　the　name　of　Marzana；　the　goddess　of　death。　It　is　made　in　the　house　where　the　last　death　occurred；　and　is　carried　on　a　pole　to　the　boundary　of　the　village；　where　it　is　thrown　into　a　pond　or　burnt。　At　Polkwitz　the　custom　of　Carrying　out　Death　fell　into　abeyance；　but　an　outbreak　of　fata