the golden bough-第133节

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（which　are　always　the　kernel　of　the　conception）　as　the　final　and　sole　residuum。　In　other　words；　animal　and　plant　gods　tend　to　become　purely　anthropomorphic。　When　they　have　become　wholly　or　nearly　so；　the　animals　and　plants　which　were　at　first　the　deities　themselves；　still　retain　a　vague　and　ill…understood　connexion　with　the　anthropomorphic　gods　who　have　developed　out　of　them。　The　origin　of　the　relationship　between　the　deity　and　the　animal　or　plant　having　been　forgotten；　various　stories　are　invented　to　explain　it。　These　explanations　may　follow　one　of　two　lines　according　as　they　are　based　on　the　habitual　or　on　the　exceptional　treatment　of　the　sacred　animal　or　plant。　The　sacred　animal　was　habitually　spared；　and　only　exceptionally　slain；　and　accordingly　the　myth　might　be　devised　to　explain　either　why　it　was　spared　or　why　it　was　killed。　Devised　for　the　former　purpose；　the　myth　would　tell　of　some　service　rendered　to　the　deity　by　the　animal；　devised　for　the　latter　purpose；　the　myth　would　tell　of　some　injury　inflicted　by　the　animal　on　the　god。　The　reason　given　for　sacrificing　goats　to　Dionysus　exemplifies　a　myth　of　the　latter　sort。　They　were　sacrificed　to　him；　it　was　said；　because　they　injured　the　vine。　Now　the　goat；　as　we　have　seen；　was　originally　an　embodiment　of　the　god　himself。　But　when　the　god　had　divested　himself　of　his　animal　character　and　had　become　essentially　anthropomorphic；　the　killing　of　the　goat　in　his　worship　came　to　be　regarded　no　longer　as　a　slaying　of　the　deity　himself；　but　as　a　sacrifice　offered　to　him；　and　since　some　reason　had　to　be　assigned　why　the　goat　in　particular　should　be　sacrificed；　it　was　alleged　that　this　was　a　punishment　inflicted　on　the　goat　for　injuring　the　vine；　the　object　of　the　god's　especial　care。　Thus　we　have　the　strange　spectacle　of　a　god　sacrificed　to　himself　on　the　ground　that　he　is　his　own　enemy。　And　as　the　deity　is　supposed　to　partake　of　the　victim　offered　to　him；　it　follows　that；　when　the　victim　is　the　god's　old　self；　the　god　eats　of　his　own　flesh。　Hence　the　goat…god　Dionysus　is　represented　as　eating　raw　goat's　blood；　and　the　bull…god　Dionysus　is　called　eater　of　bulls。　On　the　analogy　of　these　instances　we　may　conjecture　that　wherever　a　deity　is　described　as　the　eater　of　a　particular　animal；　the　animal　in　question　was　originally　nothing　but　the　deity　himself。　Later　on　we　shall　find　that　some　savages　propitiate　dead　bears　and　whales　by　offering　them　portions　of　their　own　bodies。

All　this；　however；　does　not　explain　why　a　deity　of　vegetation　should　appear　in　animal　form。　But　the　consideration　of　that　point　had　better　be　deferred　till　we　have　discussed　the　character　and　attributes　of　Demeter。　Meantime　it　remains　to　mention　that　in　some　places；　instead　of　an　animal；　a　human　being　was　torn　in　pieces　at　the　rites　of　Dionysus。　This　was　the　practice　in　Chios　and　Tenedos；　and　at　Potniae　in　Boeotia　the　tradition　ran　that　it　had　been　formerly　the　custom　to　sacrifice　to　the　goat…smiting　Dionysus　a　child；　for　whom　a　goat　was　afterwards　substituted。　At　Orchomenus；　as　we　have　seen；　the　human　victim　was　taken　from　the　women　of　an　old　royal　family。　As　the　slain　bull　or　goat　represented　the　slain　god；　so；　we　may　suppose；　the　human　victim　also　represented　him。

The　legends　of　the　deaths　of　Pentheus　and　Lycurgus；　two　kings　who　are　said　to　have　been　torn　to　pieces；　the　one　by　Bacchanals；　the　other　by　horses；　for　their　opposition　to　the　rites　of　Dionysus；　may　be；　as　I　have　already　suggested；　distorted　reminiscences　of　a　custom　of　sacrificing　divine　kings　in　the　character　of　Dionysus　and　of　dispersing　the　fragments　of　their　broken　bodies　over　the　fields　for　the　purpose　of　fertilising　them。　It　is　probably　no　mere　coincidence　that　Dionysus　himself　is　said　to　have　been　torn　in　pieces　at　Thebes；　the　very　place　where　according　to　legend　the　same　fate　befell　king　Pentheus　at　the　hands　of　the　frenzied　votaries　of　the　vine…god。

However；　a　tradition　of　human　sacrifice　may　sometimes　have　been　a　mere　misinterpretation　of　a　sacrificial　ritual　in　which　an　animal　victim　was　treated　as　a　human　being。　For　example；　at　Tenedos　the　new…born　calf　sacrificed　to　Dionysus　was　shod　in　buskins；　and　the　mother　cow　was　tended　like　a　woman　in　child…bed。　At　Rome　a　shegoat　was　sacrificed　to　Vedijovis　as　if　it　were　a　human　victim。　Yet　on　the　other　hand　it　is　equally　possible；　and　perhaps　more　probable；　that　these　curious　rites　were　themselves　mitigations　of　an　older　and　ruder　custom　of　sacrificing　human　beings；　and　that　the　later　pretence　of　treating　the　sacrificial　victims　as　if　they　were　human　beings　was　merely　part　of　a　pious　and　merciful　fraud；　which　palmed　off　on　the　deity　less　precious　victims　than　living　men　and　women。　This　interpretation　is　supported　by　many　undoubted　cases　in　which　animals　have　been　substituted　for　human　victims。

Chapter　44。　Demeter　and　Persephone。

DIONYSUS　was　not　the　only　Greek　deity　whose　tragic　story　and　ritual　appear　to　reflect　the　decay　and　revival　of　vegetation。　In　another　form　and　with　a　different　application　the　old　tale　reappears　in　the　myth　of　Demeter　and　Persephone。　Substantially　their　myth　is　identical　with　the　Syrian　one　of　Aphrodite　（Astarte）　and　Adonis；　the　Phrygian　one　of　Cybele　and　Attis；　and　the　Egyptian　one　of　Isis　and　Osiris。　In　the　Greek　fable；　as　in　its　Asiatic　and　Egyptian　counterparts；　a　goddess　mourns　the　loss　of　a　loved　one；　who　personifies　the　vegetation；　more　especially　the　corn；　which　dies　in　winter　to　revive　in　spring；　only　whereas　the　Oriental　imagination　figured　the　loved　and　lost　one　as　a　dead　lover　or　a　dead　husband　lamented　by　his　leman　or　his　wife；　Greek　fancy　embodied　the　same　idea　in　the　tenderer　and　purer　form　of　a　dead　daughter　bewailed　by　her　sorrowing　mother。

The　oldest　literary　document　which　narrates　the　myth　of　Demeter　and　Persephone　is　the　beautiful　Homeric　Hymn　to　Demeter；　which　critics　assign　to　the　seventh　century　before　our　era。　The　object　of　the　poem　is　to　explain　the　origin　of　the　Eleusinian　mysteries；　and　the　complete　silence　of　the　poet　as　to　Athens　and　the　Athenians；　who　in　after　ages　took　conspicuous　part　in　the　festival；　renders　it　probable　that　the　hymn　was　composed　in　the　far　off　time　when　Eleusis　was　still　a　petty　independent　state；　and　before　the　stately　procession　of　the　Mysteries　had　begun　to　defile；　in　bright　September　days；　over　the　low　chain　of　barren　rocky　hills　which　divides　the　flat　Eleusinian　cornland　from　the　more　spacious　olive…clad　expanse　of　the　Athenian　plain。　Be　that　as　it　may；　the　hymn　reveals　to　us　the　conception　which　the　writer　entertained　of　the　character　and　functions　of　the　two　goddesses；　their　natural　shapes　stand　out　sharply　enough　under　the　thin　veil　of　poetical　imagery。　The　youthful　Persephone；　so　runs　the　tale；　was　gathering　roses　and　lilies；　crocuses　and　violets；　hyacinths　and　narcissuses　in　a　lush　meadow；　when　the　earth　gaped　and　Pluto；　lord　of　the　Dead；　issuing　from　the　abyss　carried　her　off　on　his　golden　car　to　be　his　bride　and　queen　in　the　gloomy　subterranean　world。　Her　sorrowing　mother　Demeter；　with　her　yellow　tresses　veiled　in　a　dark　mourning　mantle；　sought　her　over　land　and　sea；　and　learning　from　the　Sun　her　daughter's　fate　she　withdrew　in　high　dudgeon　from　the　gods　and　took　up　her　abode　at　Eleusis；　where　she　presented　herself　to　the　king's　daughters　in　the　guise　of　an　old　woman；　sitting　sadly　under　the　shadow　of　an　olive　tree　beside　the　Maiden's　Well；　to　which　the　damsels　had　come　to　draw　water　in　bronze　pitchers　for　their　father's　house。　In　her　wrath　at　her　bereavement　the　goddess　suffered　not　the　seed　to　grow　in　the　earth　but　kept　it　hidden　under　ground；　and　she　vowed　that　never　would　she　set　foot　on　Olympus　and　never　would　she　let　the　corn　sprout　till　her　lost　daughter　should　be　restored　to　her。　Vainly　the　oxen　dragged　the　ploughs　to　and　fro　in　the　fields；　vainly　the　sower　dropped　the　barley　seed　in　the　brown　furrows；　nothing　came　up　from　the　parched　and　crumbling　soil。　Even　the　Rarian　plain　near　Eleusis；　which　was　wont　to　wave　with　yellow　harvests；　lay　bare　and　fallow。　Mankind　would　have　perished　of　hunger　and　the　gods　would　have　been　robbed　of　the　sacrifices　which　were　their　due；　if　Zeus　in　alarm　had　not　commanded　Pluto　to　disgorge　his　prey；　to　restore　his　bride　Persephone　to　her　mother　Demeter。　The　grim　lord　of　the　Dead　smiled　and　obeyed；　but　before　he　sent　back　his　queen　to　the　upper　air　on　a　golden　car；　he　gave　her　the　seed　of　a　pomegranate　to　eat；　which　ensured　that　she　would　return　to　him。　But　Zeus　stipulated　that　henceforth　Persephone　should　spend　two　thirds　of　every　year　with　her　mother　and　the　gods　in　the　upper　world　and　one　third　of　the　year　with　her　husband　in　the　nether　world；　from　which　she　was　to　return　year　by　year　when　the　earth　was　gay　with　spring　flowers。　Gladly　the　daughter　then　returned　to　the　sunshine；　gladly　her　mother　received　her　and　fell　upon　her　neck；　and　in　her　joy　at　recovering　the　lost　one　Demeter　made　the

corn　to　sprout　from　the　clods　of　the　ploughed　fields　and　all　the　broad　earth　to　be　heavy　with　leaves　and　blossoms。　And　straightway　she　went　and　showed　this　happy　sight　to　the　princes　of　Eleusis；　to　Triptolemus；　Eumolpus；　Diocles；　and　to　the　king　Celeus　himself；　and　moreover　she　revealed　to　them　her　sacred　rites　and　mysteries。　Blessed；　says　the　poet；　is　the　mortal　man　who　has　seen　th