the golden bough-第166节

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asure　to　a　notion　that　the　plant　or　tree　is　animated　by　a　spirit　or　even　a　deity；　whose　leave　must　be　obtained；　or　whose　favour　must　be　sought；　before　it　is　possible　to　partake　with　safety　of　the　new　crop。　This　indeed　is　plainly　affirmed　of　the　Aino：　they　call　the　millet　the　divine　cereal；　the　cereal　deity；　and　they　pray　to　and　worship　him　before　they　will　eat　of　the　cakes　made　from　the　new　millet。　And　even　where　the　indwelling　divinity　of　the　first　fruits　is　not　expressly　affirmed；　it　appears　to　be　implied　both　by　the　solemn　preparations　made　for　eating　them　and　by　the　danger　supposed　to　be　incurred　by　persons　who　venture　to　partake　of　them　without　observing　the　prescribed　ritual。　In　all　such　cases；　accordingly；　we　may　not　improperly　describe　the　eating　of　the　new　fruits　as　a　sacrament　or　communion　with　a　deity；　or　at　all　events　with　a　powerful　spirit。

Among　the　usages　which　point　to　this　conclusion　are　the　custom　of　employing　either　new　or　specially　reserved　vessels　to　hold　the　new　fruits；　and　the　practice　of　purifying　the　persons　of　the　communicants　before　it　is　lawful　to　engage　in　the　solemn　act　of　communion　with　the　divinity。　Of　all　the　modes　of　purification　adopted　on　these　occasions　none　perhaps　brings　out　the　sacramental　virtue　of　the　rite　so　clearly　as　the　Creek　and　Seminole　practice　of　taking　a　purgative　before　swallowing　the　new　corn。　The　intention　is　thereby　to　prevent　the　sacred　food　from　being　polluted　by　contact　with　common　food　in　the　stomach　of　the　eater。　For　the　same　reason　Catholics　partake　of　the　Eucharist　fasting；　and　among　the　pastoral　Masai　of　Eastern　Africa　the　young　warriors；　who　live　on　meat　and　milk　exclusively；　are　obliged　to　eat　nothing　but　milk　for　so　many　days　and　then　nothing　but　meat　for　so　many　more；　and　before　they　pass　from　the　one　food　to　the　other　they　must　make　sure　that　none　of　the　old　food　remains　in　their　stomachs；　this　they　do　by　swallowing　a　very　powerful　purgative　and　emetic。

In　some　of　the　festivals　which　we　have　examined；　the　sacrament　of　first…fruits　is　combined　with　a　sacrifice　or　presentation　of　them　to　gods　or　spirits；　and　in　course　of　time　the　sacrifice　of　first…fruits　tends　to　throw　the　sacrament　into　the　shade；　if　not　to　supersede　it。　The　mere　fact　of　offering　the　first…fruits　to　the　gods　or　spirits　comes　now　to　be　thought　a　sufficient　preparation　for　eating　the　new　corn；　the　higher　powers　having　received　their　share；　man　is　free　to　enjoy　the　rest。　This　mode　of　viewing　the　new　fruits　implies　that　they　are　regarded　no　longer　as　themselves　instinct　with　divine　life；　but　merely　as　a　gift　bestowed　by　the　gods　upon　man；　who　is　bound　to　express　his　gratitude　and　homage　to　his　divine　benefactors　by　returning　to　them　a　portion　of　their　bounty。

2。　Eating　the　God　among　the　Aztecs

THE　CUSTOM　of　eating　bread　sacramentally　as　the　body　of　a　god　was　practised　by　the　Aztecs　before　the　discovery　and　conquest　of　Mexico　by　the　Spaniards。　Twice　a　year；　in　May　and　December；　an　image　of　the　great　Mexican　god　Huitzilopochtli　or　Vitzilipuztli　was　made　of　dough；　then　broken　in　pieces；　and　solemnly　eaten　by　his　worshippers。　The　May　ceremony　is　thus　described　by　the　historian　Acosta：　The　Mexicans　in　the　month　of　May　made　their　principal　feast　to　their　god　Vitzilipuztli；　and　two　days　before　this　feast；　the　virgins　whereof　I　have　spoken　（the　which　were　shut　up　and　secluded　in　the　same　temple　and　were　as　it　were　religious　women）　did　mingle　a　quantity　of　the　seed　of　beets　with　roasted　maize；　and　then　they　did　mould　it　with　honey；　making　an　idol　of　that　paste　in　bigness　like　to　that　of　wood；　putting　instead　of　eyes　grains　of　green　glass；　of　blue　or　white；　and　for　teeth　grains　of　maize　set　forth　with　all　the　ornament　and　furniture　that　I　have　said。　This　being　finished；　all　the　noblemen　came　and　brought　it　an　exquisite　and　rich　garment；　like　unto　that　of　the　idol；　wherewith　they　did　attire　it。　Being　thus　clad　and　deckt；　they　did　set　it　in　an　azured　chair　and　in　a　litter　to　carry　it　on　their　shoulders。　The　morning　of　this　feast　being　come；　an　hour　before　day　all　the　maidens　came　forth　attired　in　white；　with　new　ornaments；　the　which　that　day　were　called　the　Sisters　of　their　god　Vitzilipuztli；　they　came　crowned　with　garlands　of　maize　roasted　and　parched；　being　like　unto　azahar　or　the　flower　of　orange；　and　about　their　necks　they　had　great　chains　of　the　same；　which　went　bauldrick…wise　under　their　left　arm。　Their　cheeks　were　dyed　with　vermilion；　their　arms　from　the　elbow　to　the　wrist　were　covered　with　red　parrots'　feathers。　Young　men；　dressed　in　red　robes　and　crowned　like　the　virgins　with　maize；　then　carried　the　idol　in　its　litter　to　the　foot　of　the　great　pyramid…shaped　temple；　up　the　steep　and　narrow　steps　of　which　it　was　drawn　to　the　music　of　flutes；　trumpets；　cornets；　and　drums。　While　they　mounted　up　the　idol　all　the　people　stood　in　the　court　with　much　reverence　and　fear。　Being　mounted　to　the　top；　and　that　they　had　placed　it　in　a　little　lodge　of　roses　which　they　held　ready；　presently　came　the　young　men；　which　strewed　many　flowers　of　sundry　kinds；　wherewith　they　filled　the　temple　both　within　and　without。　This　done；　all　the　virgins　came　out　of　their　convent；　bringing　pieces　of　paste　compounded　of　beets　and　roasted　maize；　which　was　of　the　same　paste　whereof　their　idol　was　made　and　compounded；　and　they　were　of　the　fashion　of　great　bones。　They　delivered　them　to　the　young　men；　who　carried　them　up　and　laid　them　at　the　idol's　feet；　wherewith　they　filled　the　whole　place　that　it　could　receive　no　more。　They　called　these　morsels　of　paste　the　flesh　and　bones　of　Vitzilipuztli。　Having　laid　abroad　these　bones；　presently　came　all　the　ancients　of　the　temple；　priests；　Levites；　and　all　the　rest　of　the　ministers；　according　to　their　dignities　and　antiquities　（for　herein　there　was　a　strict　order　amongst　them）　one　after　another；　with　their　veils　of　diverse　colours　and　works；　every　one　according　to　his　dignity　and　office；　having　garlands　upon　their　heads　and　chains　of　flowers　about　their　necks；　after　them　came　their　gods　and　goddesses　whom　they　worshipped；　of　diverse　figures；　attired　in　the　same　livery；　then　putting　themselves　in　order　about　those　morsels　and　pieces　of　paste；　they　used　certain　ceremonies　with　singing　and　dancing。　By　means　whereof　they　were　blessed　and　consecrated　for　the　flesh　and　bones　of　this　idol。　This　ceremony　and　blessing　（whereby　they　were　taken　for　the　flesh　and　bones　of　the　idol）　being　ended；　they　honoured　those　pieces　in　the　same　sort　as　their　god。　　All　the　city　came　to　this　goodly　spectacle；　and　there　was　a　commandment　very　strictly　observed　throughout　all　the　land；　that　the　day　of　the　feast　of　the　idol　of　Vitzilipuztli　they　should　eat　no　other　meat　but　this　paste；　with　honey；　whereof　the　idol　was　made。　And　this　should　be　eaten　at　the　point　of　day；　and　they　should　drink　no　water　nor　any　other　thing　till　after　noon：　they　held　it　for　an　ill　sign；　yea；　for　sacrilege　to　do　the　contrary：　but　after　the　ceremonies　ended；　it　was　lawful　for　them　to　eat　anything。　During　the　time　of　this　ceremony　they　hid　the　water　from　their　little　children；　admonishing　all　such　as　had　the　use　of　reason　not　to　drink　any　water；　which；　if　they　did；　the　anger　of　God　would　come　upon　them；　and　they　should　die；　which　they　did　observe　very　carefully　and　strictly。　The　ceremonies；　dancing；　and　sacrifice　ended；　the　went　to　unclothe　themselves；　and　the　priests　and　superiors　of　the　temple　took　the　idol　of　paste；　which　they　spoiled　of　all　the　ornaments　it　had；　and　made　many　pieces；　as　well　of　the　idol　itself　as　of　the　truncheons　which　they　consecrated；　and　then　they　gave　them　to　the　people　in　manner　of　a　communion；　beginning　with　the　greater；　and　continuing　unto　the　rest；　both　men；　women；　and　little　children；　who　received　it　with　such　tears；　fear；　and　reverence　as　it　was　an　admirable　thing；　saying　that　they　did　eat　the　flesh　and　bones　of　God；　where…with　they　were　grieved。　Such　as　had　any　sick　folks　demanded　thereof　for　them；　and　carried　it　with　great　reverence　and　veneration。

From　this　interesting　passage　we　learn　that　the　ancient　Mexicans；　even　before　the　arrival　of　Christian　missionaries；　were　fully　acquainted　with　the　doctrine　of　transubstantiation　and　acted　upon　it　in　the　solemn　rites　of　their　religion。　They　believed　that　by　consecrating　bread　their　priests　could　turn　it　into　the　very　body　of　their　god；　so　that　all　who　thereupon　partook　of　the　consecrated　bread　entered　into　a　mystic　communion　with　the　deity　by　receiving　a　portion　of　his　divine　substance　into　themselves。　The　doctrine　of　transubstantiation；　or　the　magical　conversion　of　bread　into　flesh；　was　also　familiar　to　the　Aryans　of　ancient　India　long　before　the　spread　and　even　the　rise　of　Christianity。　The　Brahmans　taught　that　the　rice…cakes　offered　in　sacrifice　were　substitutes　for　human　beings；　and　that　they　were　actually　converted　into　the　real　bodies　of　men　by　the　manipulation　of　the　priest。　We　read　that　when　it　（the　rice…cake）　still　consists　of　rice…meal；　it　is　the　hair。　When　he　pours　water　on　it；　it　becomes　skin。　When　he　mixes　it；　it　becomes　flesh：　for　then　it　becomes　consistent；　and　consistent　also　is　the　flesh。　When　it　is　baked；　it　becomes　bone：　for　then　it　becomes　somewhat　hard；　and　hard　is　the　bone。　And　when　he　is　about　to　take　it　off　（the　fire）　and　sprinkles　it　with　butter；　h