the golden bough-第111节

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he　is　thrown　into　a　panic　by　an　eclipse；　and　thinks　that　the　sun　or　the　moon　would　surely　perish；　if　he　did　not　raise　a　clamour　and　shoot　his　puny　shafts　into　the　air　to　defend　the　luminaries　from　the　monster　who　threatens　to　devour　them。　No　wonder　he　is　terrified　when　in　the　darkness　of　night　a　streak　of　sky　is　suddenly　illumined　by　the　flash　of　a　meteor；　or　the　whole　expanse　of　the　celestial　arch　glows　with　the　fitful　light　of　the　Northern　Streamers。　Even　phenomena　which　recur　at　fixed　and　uniform　intervals　may　be　viewed　by　him　with　apprehension；　before　he　has　come　to　recognise　the　orderliness　of　their　recurrence。　The　speed　or　slowness　of　his　recognition　of　such　periodic　or　cyclic　changes　in　nature　will　depend　largely　on　the　length　of　the　particular　cycle。　The　cycle；　for　example；　of　day　and　night　is　everywhere；　except　in　the　polar　regions；　so　short　and　hence　so　frequent　that　men　probably　soon　ceased　to　discompose　themselves　seriously　as　to　the　chance　of　its　failing　to　recur；　though　the　ancient　Egyptians；　as　we　have　seen；　daily　wrought　enchantments　to　bring　back　to　the　east　in　the　morning　the　fiery　orb　which　had　sunk　at　evening　in　the　crimson　west。　But　it　was　far　otherwise　with　the　annual　cycle　of　the　seasons。　To　any　man　a　year　is　a　considerable　period；　seeing　that　the　number　of　our　years　is　but　few　at　the　best。　To　the　primitive　savage；　with　his　short　memory　and　imperfect　means　of　marking　the　flight　of　time；　a　year　may　well　have　been　so　long　that　he　failed　to　recognise　it　as　a　cycle　at　all；　and　watched　the　changing　aspects　of　earth　and　heaven　with　a　perpetual　wonder；　alternately　delighted　and　alarmed；　elated　and　cast　down；　according　as　the　vicissitudes　of　light　and　heat；　of　plant　and　animal　life；　ministered　to　his　comfort　or　threatened　his　existence。　In　autumn　when　the　withered　leaves　were　whirled　about　the　forest　by　the　nipping　blast；　and　he　looked　up　at　the　bare　boughs；　could　he　feel　sure　that　they　would　ever　be　green　again？　As　day　by　day　the　sun　sank　lower　and　lower　in　the　sky；　could　he　be　certain　that　the　luminary　would　ever　retrace　his　heavenly　road？　Even　the　waning　moon；　whose　pale　sickle　rose　thinner　and　thinner　every　night　over　the　rim　of　the　eastern　horizon；　may　have　excited　in　his　mind　a　fear　lest；　when　it　had　wholly　vanished；　there　should　be　moons　no　more。

These　and　a　thousand　such　misgivings　may　have　thronged　the　fancy　and　troubled　the　peace　of　the　man　who　first　began　to　reflect　on　the　mysteries　of　the　world　he　lived　in；　and　to　take　thought　for　a　more　distant　future　than　the　morrow。　It　was　natural；　therefore；　that　with　such　thoughts　and　fears　he　should　have　done　all　that　in　him　lay　to　bring　back　the　faded　blossom　to　the　bough；　to　swing　the　low　sun　of　winter　up　to　his　old　place　in　the　summer　sky；　and　to　restore　its　orbed　fulness　to　the　silver　lamp　of　the　waning　moon。　We　may　smile　at　his　vain　endeavours　if　we　please；　but　it　was　only　by　making　a　long　series　of　experiments；　of　which　some　were　almost　inevitably　doomed　to　failure；　that　man　learned　from　experience　the　futility　of　some　of　his　attempted　methods　and　the　fruitfulness　of　others。　After　all；　magical　ceremonies　are　nothing　but　experiments　which　have　failed　and　which　continue　to　be　repeated　merely　because；　for　reasons　which　have　already　been　indicated；　the　operator　is　unaware　of　their　failure。　With　the　advance　of　knowledge　these　ceremonies　either　cease　to　be　performed　altogether　or　are　kept　up　from　force　of　habit　long　after　the　intention　with　which　they　were　instituted　has　been　forgotten。　Thus　fallen　from　their　high　estate；　no　longer　regarded　as　solemn　rites　on　the　punctual　performance　of　which　the　welfare　and　even　the　life　of　the　community　depend；　they　sink　gradually　to　the　level　of　simple　pageants；　mummeries；　and　pastimes；　till　in　the　final　stage　of　degeneration　they　are　wholly　abandoned　by　older　people；　and；　from　having　once　been　the　most　serious　occupation　of　the　sage；　become　at　last　the　idle　sport　of　children。　It　is　in　this　final　stage　of　decay　that　most　of　the　old　magical　rites　of　our　European　forefathers　linger　on　at　the　present　day；　and　even　from　this　their　last　retreat　they　are　fast　being　swept　away　by　the　rising　tide　of　those　multitudinous　forces；　moral；　intellectual；　and　social；　which　are　bearing　mankind　onward　to　a　new　and　unknown　goal。　We　may　feel　some　natural　regret　at　the　disappearance　of　quaint　customs　and　picturesque　ceremonies；　which　have　preserved　to　an　age　often　deemed　dull　and　prosaic　something　of　the　flavour　and　freshness　of　the　olden　time；　some　breath　of　the　springtime　of　the　world；　yet　our　regret　will　be　lessened　when　we　remember　that　these　pretty　pageants；　these　now　innocent　diversions；　had　their　origin　in　ignorance　and　superstition；　that　if　they　are　a　record　of　human　endeavour；　they　are　also　a　monument　of　fruitless　ingenuity；　of　wasted　labour；　and　of　blighted　hopes；　and　that　for　all　their　gay　trappingstheir　flowers；　their　ribbons；　and　their　musicthey　partake　far　more　of　tragedy　than　of　farce。

The　interpretation　which；　following　in　the　footsteps　of　W。　Mannhardt；　I　have　attempted　to　give　of　these　ceremonies　has　been　not　a　little　confirmed　by　the　discovery；　made　since　this　book　was　first　written；　that　the　natives　of　Central　Australia　regularly　practise　magical　ceremonies　for　the　purpose　of　awakening　the　dormant　energies　of　nature　at　the　approach　of　what　may　be　called　the　Australian　spring。　Nowhere　apparently　are　the　alternations　of　the　seasons　more　sudden　and　the　contrasts　between　them　more　striking　than　in　the　deserts　of　Central　Australia；　where　at　the　end　of　a　long　period　of　drought　the　sandy　and　stony　wilderness；　over　which　the　silence　and　desolation　of　death　appear　to　brood；　is　suddenly；　after　a　few　days　of　torrential　rain；　transformed　into　a　landscape　smiling　with　verdure　and　peopled　with　teeming　multitudes　of　insects　and　lizards；　of　frogs　and　birds。　The　marvellous　change　which　passes　over　the　face　of　nature　at　such　times　has　been　compared　even　by　European　observers　to　the　effect　of　magic；　no　wonder；　then；　that　the　savage　should　regard　it　as　such　in　very　deed。　Now　it　is　just　when　there　is　promise　of　the　approach　of　a　good　season　that　the　natives　of　Central　Australia　are　wont　especially　to　perform　those　magical　ceremonies　of　which　the　avowed　intention　is　to　multiply　the　plants　and　animals　they　use　as　food。　These　ceremonies；　therefore；　present　a　close　analogy　to　the　spring　customs　of　our　European　peasantry　not　only　in　the　time　of　their　celebration；　but　also　in　their　aim；　for　we　can　hardly　doubt　that　in　instituting　rites　designed　to　assist　the　revival　of　plant　life　in　spring　our　primitive　forefathers　were　moved；　not　by　any　sentimental　wish　to　smell　at　early　violets；　or　pluck　the　rathe　primrose；　or　watch　yellow　daffodils　dancing　in　the　breeze；　but　by　the　very　practical　consideration；　certainly　not　formulated　in　abstract　terms；　that　the　life　of　man　is　inextricably　bound　up　with　that　of　plants；　and　that　if　they　were　to　perish　he　could　not　survive。　And　as　the　faith　of　the　Australian　savage　in　the　efficacy　of　his　magic　rites　is　confirmed　by　observing　that　their　performance　is　invariably　followed；　sooner　or　later；　by　that　increase　of　vegetable　and　animal　life　which　it　is　their　object　to　produce；　so；　we　may　suppose；　it　was　with　European　savages　in　the　olden　time。　The　sight　of　the　fresh　green　in　brake　and　thicket；　of　vernal　flowers　blowing　on　mossy　banks；　of　swallows　arriving　from　the　south；　and　of　the　sun　mounting　daily　higher　in　the　sky；　would　be　welcomed　by　them　as　so　many　visible　signs　that　their　enchantments　were　indeed　taking　effect；　and　would　inspire　them　with　a　cheerful　confidence　that　all　was　well　with　a　world　which　they　could　thus　mould　to　suit　their　wishes。　Only　in　autumn　days；　as　summer　slowly　faded；　would　their　confidence　again　be　dashed　by　doubts　and　misgivings　at　symptoms　of　decay；　which　told　how　vain　were　all　their　efforts　to　stave　off　for　ever　the　approach　of　winter　and　of　death。

Chapter　29。　The　Myth　of　Adonis。

THE　SPECTACLE　of　the　great　changes　which　annually　pass　over　the　face　of　the　earth　has　powerfully　impressed　the　minds　of　men　in　all　ages；　and　stirred　them　to　meditate　on　the　causes　of　transformations　so　vast　and　wonderful。　Their　curiosity　has　not　been　purely　disinterested；　for　even　the　savage　cannot　fail　to　perceive　how　intimately　his　own　life　is　bound　up　with　the　life　of　nature；　and　how　the　same　processes　which　freeze　the　stream　and　strip　the　earth　of　vegetation　menace　him　with　extinction。　At　a　certain　stage　of　development　men　seem　to　have　imagined　that　the　means　of　averting　the　threatened　calamity　were　in　their　own　hands；　and　that　they　could　hasten　or　retard　the　flight　of　the　seasons　by　magic　art。　Accordingly　they　performed　ceremonies　and　recited　spells　to　make　the　rain　to　fall；　the　sun　to　shine；　animals　to　multiply；　and　the　fruits　of　the　earth　to　grow。　In　course　of　time　the　slow　advance　of　knowledge；　which　has　dispelled　so　many　cherished　illusions；　convinced　at　least　the　more　thoughtful　portion　of　mankind　that　the　alternations　of　summer　and　winter；　of　spring　and　autumn；　were　not　merely　the　result　of　their　own　magical　rites；　but　that　some　deeper　cause；　some　mightier　power；　was　at　work　behind　the　shifting　scenes　of　nature。　They　now　pictured　to　themselves　the　growth　and　decay　of　vegetation；　the　birth　and　death　of　living　cre