the golden bough-第112节

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hey　now　pictured　to　themselves　the　growth　and　decay　of　vegetation；　the　birth　and　death　of　living　creatures；　as　effects　of　the　waxing　or　waning　strength　of　divine　beings；　of　gods　and　goddesses；　who　were　born　and　died；　who　married　and　begot　children；　on　the　pattern　of　human　life。


Thus　the　old　magical　theory　of　the　seasons　was　displaced；　or　rather　supplemented；　by　a　religious　theory。　For　although　men　now　attributed　the　annual　cycle　of　change　primarily　to　corresponding　changes　in　their　deities；　they　still　thought　that　by　performing　certain　magical　rites　they　could　aid　the　god　who　was　the　principle　of　life；　in　his　struggle　with　the　opposing　principle　of　death。　They　imagined　that　they　could　recruit　his　failing　energies　and　even　raise　him　from　the　dead。　The　ceremonies　which　they　observed　for　this　purpose　were　in　substance　a　dramatic　representation　of　the　natural　processes　which　they　wished　to　facilitate；　for　it　is　a　familiar　tenet　of　magic　that　you　can　produce　any　desired　effect　by　merely　imitating　it。　And　as　they　now　explained　the　fluctuations　of　growth　and　decay；　of　reproduction　and　dissolution；　by　the　marriage；　the　death；　and　the　rebirth　or　revival　of　the　gods；　their　religious　or　rather　magical　dramas　turned　in　great　measure　on　these　themes。　They　set　forth　the　fruitful　union　of　the　powers　of　fertility；　the　sad　death　of　one　at　least　of　the　divine　partners；　and　his　joyful　resurrection。　Thus　a　religious　theory　was　blended　with　a　magical　practice。　The　combination　is　familiar　in　history。　Indeed；　few　religions　have　ever　succeeded　in　wholly　extricating　themselves　from　the　old　trammels　of　magic。　The　inconsistency　of　acting　on　two　opposite　principles；　however　it　may　vex　the　soul　of　the　philosopher；　rarely　troubles　the　common　man；　indeed　he　is　seldom　even　aware　of　it。　His　affair　is　to　act；　not　to　analyse　the　motives　of　his　action。　If　mankind　had　always　been　logical　and　wise；　history　would　not　be　a　long　chronicle　of　folly　and　crime。

Of　the　changes　which　the　seasons　bring　with　them；　the　most　striking　within　the　temperate　zone　are　those　which　affect　vegetation。　The　influence　of　the　seasons　on　animals；　though　great；　is　not　nearly　so　manifest。　Hence　it　is　natural　that　in　the　magical　dramas　designed　to　dispel　winter　and　bring　back　spring　the　emphasis　should　be　laid　on　vegetation；　and　that　trees　and　plants　should　figure　in　them　more　prominently　than　beasts　and　birds。　Yet　the　two　sides　of　life；　the　vegetable　and　the　animal；　were　not　dissociated　in　the　minds　of　those　who　observed　the　ceremonies。　Indeed　they　commonly　believed　that　the　tie　between　the　animal　and　the　vegetable　world　was　even　closer　than　it　really　is；　hence　they　often　combined　the　dramatic　representation　of　reviving　plants　with　a　real　or　a　dramatic　union　of　the　sexes　for　the　purpose　of　furthering　at　the　same　time　and　by　the　same　act　the　multiplication　of　fruits；　of　animals；　and　of　men。　To　them　the　principle　of　life　and　fertility；　whether　animal　or　vegetable；　was　one　and　indivisible。　To　live　and　to　cause　to　live；　to　eat　food　and　to　beget　children；　these　were　the　primary　wants　of　men　in　the　past；　and　they　will　be　the　primary　wants　of　men　in　the　future　so　long　as　the　world　lasts。　Other　things　may　be　added　to　enrich　and　beautify　human　life；　but　unless　these　wants　are　first　satisfied；　humanity　itself　must　cease　to　exist。　These　two　things；　therefore；　food　and　children；　were　what　men　chiefly　sought　to　procure　by　the　performance　of　magical　rites　for　the　regulation　of　the　seasons。

Nowhere；　apparently；　have　these　rites　been　more　widely　and　solemnly　celebrated　than　in　the　lands　which　border　the　Eastern　Mediterranean。　Under　the　names　of　Osiris；　Tammuz；　Adonis；　and　Attis；　the　peoples　of　Egypt　and　Western　Asia　represented　the　yearly　decay　and　revival　of　life；　especially　of　vegetable　life；　which　they　personified　as　a　god　who　annually　died　and　rose　again　from　the　dead。　In　name　and　detail　the　rites　varied　from　place　to　place：　in　substance　they　were　the　same。　The　supposed　death　and　resurrection　of　this　oriental　deity；　a　god　of　many　names　but　of　essentially　one　nature；　is　now　to　be　examined。　We　begin　with　Tammuz　or　Adonis。

The　worship　of　Adonis　was　practised　by　the　Semitic　peoples　of　Babylonia　and　Syria；　and　the　Greeks　borrowed　it　from　them　as　early　as　the　seventh　century　before　Christ。　The　true　name　of　the　deity　was　Tammuz：　the　appellation　of　Adonis　is　merely　the　Semitic　Adon；　lord；　a　title　of　honour　by　which　his　worshippers　addressed　him。　But　the　Greeks　through　a　misunderstanding　converted　the　title　of　honour　into　a　proper　name。　In　the　religious　literature　of　Babylonia　Tammuz　appears　as　the　youthful　spouse　or　lover　of　Ishtar；　the　great　mother　goddess；　the　embodiment　of　the　reproductive　energies　of　nature。　The　references　to　their　connexion　with　each　other　in　myth　and　ritual　are　both　fragmentary　and　obscure；　but　we　gather　from　them　that　every　year　Tammuz　was　believed　to　die；　passing　away　from　the　cheerful　earth　to　the　gloomy　subterranean　world；　and　that　every　year　his　divine　mistress　journeyed　in　quest　of　him　to　the　land　from　which　there　is　no　returning；　to　the　house　of　darkness；　where　dust　lies　on　door　and　bolt。　During　her　absence　the　passion　of　love　ceased　to　operate：　men　and　beasts　alike　forgot　to　reproduce　their　kinds：　all　life　was　threatened　with　extinction。　So　intimately　bound　up　with　the　goddess　were　the　sexual　functions　of　the　whole　animal　kingdom　that　without　her　presence　they　could　not　be　discharged。　A　messenger　of　the　great　god　Ea　was　accordingly　despatched　to　rescue　the　goddess　on　whom　so　much　depended。　The　stern　queen　of　the　infernal　regions；　Allatu　or　Eresh…Kigal　by　name；　reluctantly　allowed　Ishtar　to　be　sprinkled　with　the　Water　of　Life　and　to　depart；　in　company　probably　with　her　lover　Tammuz；　that　the　two　might　return　together　to　the　upper　world；　and　that　with　their　return　all　nature　might　revive。

Laments　for　the　departed　Tammuz　are　contained　in　several　Babylonian　hymns；　which　liken　him　to　plants　that　quickly　fade。　He　is

A　tamarisk　that　in　the　garden　has　drunk　no　water；　Whose　crown　in　the　field　has　brought　forth　no　blossom。　A　willow　that　rejoiced　not　by　the　watercourse；　A　willow　whose　roots　were　torn　up。　A　herb　that　in　the　garden　had　drunk　no　water。

His　death　appears　to　have　been　annually　mourned；　to　the　shrill　music　of　flutes；　by　men　and　women　about　midsummer　in　the　month　named　after　him；　the　month　of　Tammuz。　The　dirges　were　seemingly　chanted　over　an　effigy　of　the　dead　god；　which　was　washed　with　pure　water；　anointed　with　oil；　and　clad　in　a　red　robe；　while　the　fumes　of　incense　rose　into　the　air；　as　if　to　stir　his　dormant　senses　by　their　pungent　fragrance　and　wake　him　from　the　sleep　of　death。　In　one　of　these　dirges；　inscribed　Lament　of　the　Flutes　for　Tammuz；　we　seem　still　to　hear　the　voices　of　the　singers　chanting　the　sad　refrain　and　to　catch；　like　far…away　music；　the　wailing　notes　of　the　flutes：

At　his　vanishing　away　she　lifts　up　a　lament；　'Oh　my　child！'　at　his　vanishing　away　she　lifts　up　a　lament；　'My　Damu！'　at　his　vanishing　away　she　lifts　up　a　lament。　'My　enchanter　and　priest！'　at　his　vanishing　away　she　lifts　up　a　lament；　At　the　shining　cedar；　rooted　in　a　spacious　place；　In　Eanna；　above　and　below；　she　lifts　up　a　lament。　Like　the　lament　that　a　house　lifts　up　for　its　master；　lifts　she　up　a　lament；　Like　the　lament　that　a　city　lifts　up　for　its　lord；　lifts　she　up　a　lament。　Her　lament　is　the　lament　for　a　herb　that　grows　not　in　the　bed；　Her　lament　is　the　lament　for　the　corn　that　grows　not　in　the　ear。　Her　chamber　is　a　possession　that　brings　not　forth　a　possession；　A　weary　woman；　a　weary　child；　forspent。　Her　lament　is　for　a　great　river；　where　no　willows　grow；　Her　lament　is　for　a　field；　where　corn　and　herbs　grow　not。　Her　lament　is　for　a　pool；　where　fishes　grow　not。　Her　lament　is　for　a　thickest　of　reeds；　where　no　reeds　grow。　Her　lament　is　for　woods；　where　tamarisks　grow　not。　Her　lament　is　for　a　wilderness　where　no　cypresses　（？）　grow。　Her　lament　is　for　the　depth　of　a　garden　of　trees；　where　honey　and　wine　grow　not。　Her　lament　is　for　meadows；　where　no　plants　grow。

Her　lament　is　for　a　palace；　where　length　of　life　grows　not。

The　tragical　story　and　the　melancholy　rites　of　Adonis　are　better　known　to　us　from　the　descriptions　of　Greek　writers　than　from　the　fragments　of　Babylonian　literature　or　the　brief　reference　of　the　prophet　Ezekiel；　who　saw　the　women　of　Jerusalem　weeping　for　Tammuz　at　the　north　gate　of　the　temple。　Mirrored　in　the　glass　of　Greek　mythology；　the　oriental　deity　appears　as　a　comely　youth　beloved　by　Aphrodite。　In　his　infancy　the　goddess　hid　him　in　a　chest；　which　she　gave　in　charge　to　Persephone；　queen　of　the　nether　world。　But　when　Persephone　opened　the　chest　and　beheld　the　beauty　of　the　babe；　she　refused　to　give　him　back　to　Aphrodite；　though　the　goddess　of　love　went　down　herself　to　hell　to　ransom　her　dear　one　from　the　power　of　the　grave。　The　dispute　between　the　two　goddesses　of　love　and　death　was　settled　by　Zeus；　who　decreed　that　Adonis　should　abide　with　Persephone　in　the　under　world　for　one　part　of　the　year；　and　with　Aphrodite　in　the　upper　world　for　another　part。　At　last　the　fair　youth　was　killed　in　hunting　by　a　wild　boar；　or　by　the　jealous　Ares；　who　turned　himself　into　the　likeness　of　a　boar　in　order　to　compass　the　death　of　his　rival。　Bitterly　did　Aphrodite　lament　her　lov