the golden bough-第117节

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the　corn　which　he　consumes；　so　the　herdsman　must　appease　the　spirit　of　the　grass　and　leaves　which　his　cattle　munch；　and　the　hunter　must　soothe　the　spirit　of　the　roots　which　he　digs；　and　of　the　fruits　which　he　gathers　from　the　bough。　In　all　cases　the　propitiation　of　the　injured　and　angry；　sprite　would　naturally　comprise　elaborate　excuses　and　apologies；　accompanied　by　loud　lamentations　at　his　decease　whenever；　through　some　deplorable　accident　or　necessity；　he　happened　to　be　murdered　as　well　as　robbed。　Only　we　must　bear　in　mind　that　the　savage　hunter　and　herdsman　of　those　early　days　had　probably　not　yet　attained　to　the　abstract　idea　of　vegetation　in　general；　and　that　accordingly；　so　far　as　Adonis　existed　for　them　at　all；　he　must　have　been　the　Adon　or　lord　of　each　individual　tree　and　plant　rather　than　a　personification　of　vegetable　life　as　a　whole。　Thus　there　would　be　as　many　Adonises　as　there　were　trees　and　shrubs；　and　each　of　them　might　expect　to　receive　satisfaction　for　any　damage　done　to　his　person　or　property。　And　year　by　year；　when　the　trees　were　deciduous；　every　Adonis　would　seem　to　bleed　to　death　with　the　red　leaves　of　autumn　and　to　come　to　life　again　with　the　fresh　green　of　spring。

There　is　some　reason　to　think　that　in　early　times　Adonis　was　sometimes　personated　by　a　living　man　who　died　a　violent　death　in　the　character　of　the　god。　Further；　there　is　evidence　which　goes　to　show　that　among　the　agricultural　peoples　of　the　Eastern　Mediterranean；　the　corn…spirit；　by　whatever　name　he　was　known；　was　often　represented；　year　by　year；　by　human　victims　slain　on　the　harvest…field。　If　that　was　so；　it　seems　likely　that　the　propitiation　of　the　corn…spirit　would　tend　to　fuse　to　some　extent　with　the　worship　of　the　dead。　For　the　spirits　of　these　victims　might　be　thought　to　return　to　life　in　the　ears　which　they　had　fattened　with　their　blood；　and　to　die　a　second　death　at　the　reaping　of　the　corn。　Now　the　ghosts　of　those　who　have　perished　by　violence　are　surly　and　apt　to　wreak　their　vengeance　on　their　slayers　whenever　an　opportunity　offers。　Hence　the　attempt　to　appease　the　souls　of　the　slaughtered　victims　would　naturally　blend；　at　least　in　the　popular　conception；　with　the　attempt　to　pacify　the　slain　corn…spirit。　And　as　the　dead　came　back　in　the　sprouting　corn；　so　they　might　be　thought　to　return　in　the　spring　flowers；　waked　from　their　long　sleep　by　the　soft　vernal　airs。　They　had　been　laid　to　their　rest　under　the　sod。　What　more　natural　than　to　imagine　that　the　violets　and　the　hyacinths；　the　roses　and　the　anemones；　sprang　from　their　dust；　were　empurpled　or　incarnadined　by　their　blood；　and　contained　some　portion　of　their　spirit？

I　sometimes　think　that　never　blows　so　red　The　Rose　as　where　some　buried　Caesar　bled；　That　every　Hyacinth　the　Garden　wears　Dropt　in　her　Lap　from　some　once　lovely　Head。

And　this　reviving　Herb　whose　tender　Green　Fledges　the　River…Lip　on　which　we　lean　Ah；　lean　upon　it　lightly；　for　who　knows　From　what　once　lovely　Lip　it　springs　unseen？

In　the　summer　after　the　battle　of　Landen；　the　most　sanguinary　battle　of　the　seventeenth　century　in　Europe；　the　earth；　saturated　with　the　blood　of　twenty　thousand　slain；　broke　forth　into　millions　of　poppies；　and　the　traveller　who　passed　that　vast　sheet　of　scarlet　might　well　fancy　that　the　earth　had　indeed　given　up　her　dead。　At　Athens　the　great　Commemoration　of　the　Dead　fell　in　spring　about　the　middle　of　March；　when　the　early　flowers　are　in　bloom。　Then　the　dead　were　believed　to　rise　from　their　graves　and　go　about　the　streets；　vainly　endeavouring　to　enter　the　temples　and　dwellings；　which　were　barred　against　these　perturbed　spirits　with　ropes；　buckthorn；　and　pitch。　The　name　of　the　festival；　according　to　the　most　obvious　and　natural　interpretation；　means　the　Festival　of　Flowers；　and　the　title　would　fit　well　with　the　substance　of　the　ceremonies　if　at　that　season　the　poor　ghosts　were　indeed　thought　to　creep　from　the　narrow　house　with　the　opening　flowers。　There　may　therefore　be　a　measure　of　truth　in　the　theory　of　Renan；　who　saw　in　the　Adonis　worship　a　dreamy　voluptuous　cult　of　death；　conceived　not　as　the　King　of　Terrors；　but　as　an　insidious　enchanter　who　lures　his　victims　to　himself　and　lulls　them　into　an　eternal　sleep。　The　infinite　charm　of　nature　in　the　Lebanon；　he　thought；　lends　itself　to　religious　emotions　of　this　sensuous；　visionary　sort；　hovering　vaguely　between　pain　and　pleasure；　between　slumber　and　tears。　It　would　doubtless　be　a　mistake　to　attribute　to　Syrian　peasants　the　worship　of　a　conception　so　purely　abstract　as　that　of　death　in　general。　Yet　it　may　be　true　that　in　their　simple　minds　the　thought　of　the　reviving　spirit　of　vegetation　was　blent　with　the　very　concrete　notion　of　the　ghosts　of　the　dead；　who　come　to　life　again　in　spring　days　with　the　early　flowers；　with　the　tender　green　of　the　corn　and　the　many…tinted　blossoms　of　the　trees。　Thus　their　views　of　the　death　and　resurrection　of　nature　would　be　coloured　by　their　views　of　the　death　and　resurrection　of　man；　by　their　personal　sorrows　and　hopes　and　fears。　In　like　manner　we　cannot　doubt　that　Renan's　theory　of　Adonis　was　itself　deeply　tinged　by　passionate　memories；　memories　of　the　slumber　akin　to　death　which　sealed　his　own　eyes　on　the　slopes　of　the　Lebanon；　memories　of　the　sister　who　sleeps　in　the　land　of　Adonis　never　again　to　wake　with　the　anemones　and　the　roses。

Chapter　33。　The　Gardens　of　Adonis。

PERHAPS　the　best　proof　that　Adonis　was　a　deity　of　vegetation；　and　especially　of　the　corn；　is　furnished　by　the　gardens　of　Adonis；　as　they　were　called。　These　were　baskets　or　pots　filled　with　earth；　in　which　wheat；　barley；　lettuces；　fennel；　and　various　kinds　of　flowers　were　sown　and　tended　for　eight　days；　chiefly　or　exclusively　by　women。　Fostered　by　the　sun's　heat；　the　plants　shot　up　rapidly；　but　having　no　root　they　withered　as　rapidly　away；　and　at　the　end　of　eight　days　were　carried　out　with　the　images　of　the　dead　Adonis；　and　flung　with　them　into　the　sea　or　into　springs。

These　gardens　of　Adonis　are　most　naturally　interpreted　as　representatives　of　Adonis　or　manifestations　of　his　power；　they　represented　him；　true　to　his　original　nature；　in　vegetable　form；　while　the　images　of　him；　with　which　they　were　carried　out　and　cast　into　the　water；　portrayed　him　in　his　later　human　shape。　All　these　Adonis　ceremonies；　if　I　am　right；　were　originally　intended　as　charms　to　promote　the　growth　or　revival　of　vegetation；　and　the　principle　by　which　they　were　supposed　to　produce　this　effect　was　homoeopathic　or　imitative　magic。　For　ignorant　people　suppose　that　by　mimicking　the　effect　which　they　desire　to　produce　they　actually　help　to　produce　it；　thus　by　sprinkling　water　they　make　rain；　by　lighting　a　fire　they　make　sunshine；　and　so　on。　Similarly；　by　mimicking　the　growth　of　crops　they　hope　to　ensure　a　good　harvest。　The　rapid　growth　of　the　wheat　and　barley　in　the　gardens　of　Adonis　was　intended　to　make　the　corn　shoot　up；　and　the　throwing　of　the　gardens　and　of　the　images　into　the　water　was　a　charm　to　secure　a　due　supply　of　fertilising　rain。　The　same；　I　take　it；　was　the　object　of　throwing　the　effigies　of　Death　and　the　Carnival　into　water　in　the　corresponding　ceremonies　of　modern　Europe。　Certainly　the　custom　of　drenching　with　water　a　leaf…clad　person；　who　undoubtedly　personifies　vegetation；　is　still　resorted　to　in　Europe　for　the　express　purpose　of　producing　rain。　Similarly　the　custom　of　throwing　water　on　the　last　corn　cut　at　harvest；　or　on　the　person　who　brings　it　home　（a　custom　observed　in　Germany　and　France；　and　till　lately　in　England　and　Scotland）；　is　in　some　places　practised　with　the　avowed　intent　to　procure　rain　for　the　next　year's　crops。　Thus　in　Wallachia　and　amongst　the　Roumanians　in　Transylvania；　when　a　girl　is　bringing　home　a　crown　made　of　the　last　ears　of　corn　cut　at　harvest；　all　who　meet　her　hasten　to　throw　water　on　her；　and　two　farm…servants　are　placed　at　the　door　for　the　purpose；　for　they　believe　that　if　this　were　not　done；　the　crops　next　year　would　perish　from　drought。　At　the　spring　ploughing　in　Prussia；　when　the　ploughmen　and　sowers　returned　in　the　evening　from　their　work　in　the　fields；　the　farmer's　wife　and　the　servants　used　to　splash　water　over　them。　The　ploughmen　and　sowers　retorted　by　seizing　every　one；　throwing　them　into　the　pond；　and　ducking　them　under　the　water。　The　farmer's　wife　might　claim　exemption　on　payment　of　a　forfeit；　but　every　one　else　had　to　be　ducked。　By　observing　this　custom　they　hoped　to　ensure　a　due　supply　of　rain　for　the　seed。

The　opinion　that　the　gardens　of　Adonis　are　essentially　charms　to　promote　the　growth　of　vegetation；　especially　of　the　crops；　and　that　they　belong　to　the　same　class　of　customs　as　those　spring　and　mid…summer　folk…customs　of　modern　Europe　which　I　have　described　else…where；　does　not　rest　for　its　evidence　merely　on　the　intrinsic　probability　of　the　case。　Fortunately　we　are　able　to　show　that　gardens　of　Adonis　（if　we　may　use　the　expression　in　a　general　sense）　are　still　planted；　first；　by　a　primitive　race　at　their　sowing　season；　and；　second；　by　European　peasants　at　midsummer。　Amongst　the　Oraons　and　Mundas　of　Bengal；　when　the　time　comes　for　planting　out　the　rice　which　has　been　grown　in　seed…beds；　a　party　of　young　people　of　both　sexes　go　to　the　forest　and　cut　a　young　Karma…tree；　or　the　branch　of　one。　Bearing　it　in　triumph　they