the golden bough-第210节

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it　used　to　be　the　custom　to　cut　down　two　trees；　plant　them　in　the　ground　side　by　side；　and　pile　twelve　tar…barrels　against　each。　Brush…wood　was　then　heaped　about　the　trees；　and　on　the　evening　of　Easter　Saturday　the　boys；　after　rushing　about　with　blazing　bean…poles　in　their　hands；　set　fire　to　the　whole。　At　the　end　of　the　ceremony　the　urchins　tried　to　blacken　each　other　and　the　clothes　of　grown…up　people。　In　the　Altmark　it　is　believed　that　as　far　as　the　blaze　of　the　Easter　bonfire　is　visible；　the　corn　will　grow　well　throughout　the　year；　and　no　conflagration　will　break　out。　At　Braunr？de；　in　the　Harz　Mountains；　it　was　the　custom　to　burn　squirrels　in　the　Easter　bonfire。　In　the　Altmark；　bones　were　burned　in　it。

Near　Forchheim；　in　Upper　Franken；　a　straw…man　called　the　Judas　used　to　be　burned　in　the　churchyards　on　Easter　Saturday。　The　whole　village　contributed　wood　to　the　pyre　on　which　he　perished；　and　the　charred　sticks　were　afterwards　kept　and　planted　in　the　fields　on　Walpurgis　Day　（the　first　of　May）　to　preserve　the　wheat　from　blight　and　mildew。　About　a　hundred　years　ago　or　more　the　custom

at　Althenneberg；　in　Upper　Bavaria；　used　to　be　as　follows。　On　the　afternoon　of　Easter　Saturday　the　lads　collected　wood；　which　they　piled　in　a　cornfield；　while　in　the　middle　of　the　pile　they　set　up　a　tall　wooden　cross　all　swathed　in　straw。　After　the　evening　service　they　lighted　their　lanterns　at　the　consecrated　candle　in　the　church；　and　ran　with　them　at　full　speed　to　the　pyre；　each　striving　to　get　there　first。　The　first　to　arrive　set　fire　to　the　heap。　No　woman　or　girl　might　come　near　the　bonfire；　but　they　were　allowed　to　watch　it　from　a　distance。　As　the　flames　rose　the　men　and　lads　rejoiced　and　made　merry；　shouting；　We　are　burning　the　Judas！　The　man　who　had　been　the　first　to　reach　the　pyre　and　to　kindle　it　was　rewarded　on　Easter　Sunday　by　the　women；　who　gave　him　coloured　eggs　at　the　church　door。　The　object　of　the　whole　ceremony　was　to　keep　off　the　hail。　At　other　villages　of　Upper　Bavaria　the　ceremony；　which　took　place　between　nine　and　ten　at　night　on　Easter　Saturday；　was　called　burning　the　Easter　Man。　On　a　height　about　a　mile　from　the　village　the　young　fellows　set　up　a　tall　cross　enveloped　in　straw；　so　that　it　looked　like　a　man　with　his　arms　stretched　out。　This　was　the　Easter　Man。　No　lad　under　eighteen　years　of　age　might　take　part　in　the　ceremony。　One　of　the　young　men　stationed　himself　beside　the　Easter　Man；　holding　in　his　hand　a　consecrated　taper　which　he　had　brought　from　the　church　and　lighted。　The　rest　stood　at　equal　intervals　in　a　great　circle　round　the　cross。　At　a　given　signal　they　raced　thrice　round　the　circle；　and　then　at　a　second　signal　ran　straight　at　the　cross　and　at　the　lad　with　the　lighted　taper　beside　it；　the　one　who　reached　the　goal　first　had　the　right　of　setting　fire　to　the　Easter　Man。　Great　was　the　jubilation　while　he　was　burning。　When　he　had　been　consumed　in　the　flames；　three　lads　were　chosen　from　among　the　rest；　and　each　of　the　three　drew　a　circle　on　the　ground　with　a　stick　thrice　round　the　ashes。　Then　they　all　left　the　spot。　On　Easter　Monday　the　villagers　gathered　the　ashes　and　strewed　them　on　their　fields；　also　they　planted　in　the　fields　palmbranches　which　had　been　consecrated　on　Palm　Sunday；　and　sticks　which　had　been　charred　and　hallowed　on　Good　Friday；　all　for　the　purpose　of　protecting　their　fields　against　showers　of　hail。　In　some　parts　of　Swabia　the　Easter　fires　might　not　be　kindled　with　iron　or　steel　or　flint；　but　only　by　the　friction　of　wood。

The　custom　of　the　Easter　fires　appears　to　have　prevailed　all　over　Central　and　Western　Germany　from　north　to　south。　We　find　it　also　in　Holland；　where　the　fires　were　kindled　on　the　highest　eminences；　and　the　people　danced　round　them　and　leaped　through　the　flames　or　over　the　glowing　embers。　Here　too；　as　often　in　Germany；　the　materials　for　the　bonfire　were　collected　by　the　young　folk　from　door　to　door。　In　many　parts　of　Sweden　firearms　are　discharged　in　all　directions　on　Easter　Eve；　and　huge　bonfires　are　lighted　on　hills　and　eminences。　Some　people　think　that　the　intention　is　to　keep　off　the　Troll　and　other　evil　spirits　who　are　especially　active　at　this　season。

4。　The　Beltane　Fires

IN　THE　CENTRAL　Highlands　of　Scotland　bonfires；　known　as　the　Beltane　fires；　were　formerly　kindled　with　great　ceremony　on　the　first　of　May；　and　the　traces　of　human　sacrifices　at　them　were　particularly　clear　and　unequivocal。　The　custom　of　lighting　the　bonfires　lasted　in　various　places　far　into　the　eighteenth　century；　and　the　descriptions　of　the　ceremony　by　writers　of　that　period　present　such　a　curious　and　interesting　picture　of　ancient　heathendom　surviving　in　our　own　country　that　I　will　reproduce　them　in　the　words　of　their　authors。　The　fullest　of　the　descriptions　is　the　one　bequeathed　to　us　by　John　Ramsay；　laird　of　Ochtertyre；　near　Crieff；　the　patron　of　Burns　and　the　friend　of　Sir　Walter　Scott。　He　says：　But　the　most　considerable　of　the　Druidical　festivals　is　that　of　Beltane；　or　May…day；　which　was　lately　observed　in　some　parts　of　the　Highlands　with　extraordinary　ceremonies。　　Like　the　other　public　worship　of　the　Druids；　the　Beltane　feast　seems　to　have　been　performed　on　hills　or　eminences。　They　thought　it　degrading　to　him　whose　temple　is　the　universe；　to　suppose　that　he　would　dwell　in　any　house　made　with　hands。　Their　sacrifices　were　therefore　offered　in　the　open　air；　frequently　upon　the　tops　of　hills；　where　they　were　presented　with　the　grandest　views　of　nature；　and　were　nearest　the　seat　of　warmth　and　order。　And；　according　to　tradition；　such　was　the　manner　of　celebrating　this　festival　in　the　Highlands　within　the　last　hundred　years。　But　since　the　decline　of　superstition；　it　has　been　celebrated　by　the　people　of　each　hamlet　on　some　hill　or　rising　ground　around　which　their　cattle　were　pasturing。　Thither　the　young　folks　repaired　in　the　morning；　and　cut　a　trench；　on　the　summit　of　which　a　seat　of　turf　was　formed　for　the　company。　And　in　the　middle　a　pile　of　wood　or　other　fuel　was　placed；　which　of　old　they　kindled　with　tein…eigini。e。；　forced…fire　or　need…fire。　Although；　for　many　years　past；　they　have　been　contented　with　common　fire；　yet　we　shall　now　describe　the　process；　because　it　will　hereafter　appear　that　recourse　is　still　had　to　the　tein…eigin　upon　extraordinary　emergencies。

The　night　before；　all　the　fires　in　the　country　were　carefully　extinguished；　and　next　morning　the　materials　for　exciting　this　sacred　fire　were　prepared。　The　most　primitive　method　seems　to　be　that　which　was　used　in　the　islands　of　Skye；　Mull；　and　Tiree。　A　well…seasoned　plank　of　oak　was　procured；　in　the　midst　of　which　a　hole　was　bored。　A　wimble　of　the　same　timber　was　then　applied；　the　end　of　which　they　fitted　to　the　hole。　But　in　some　parts　of　the　mainland　the　machinery　was　different。　They　used　a　frame　of　green　wood；　of　a　square　form；　in　the　centre　of　which　was　an　axle…tree。　In　some　places　three　times　three　persons；　in　others　three　times　nine；　were　required　for　turning　round　by　turns　the　axle…tree　or　wimble。　If　any　of　them　had　been　guilty　of　murder；　adultery；　theft；　or　other　atrocious　crime；　it　was　imagined　either　that　the　fire　would　not　kindle；　or　that　it　would　be　devoid　of　its　usual　virtue。　So　soon　as　any　sparks　were　emitted　by　means　of　the　violent　friction；　they　applied　a　species　of　agaric　which　grows　on　old　birch…trees；　and　is　very　combustible。　This　fire　had　the　appearance　of　being　immediately　derived　from　heaven；　and　manifold　were　the　virtues　ascribed　to　it。　They　esteemed　it　a　preservative　against　witch…craft；　and　a　sovereign　remedy　against　malignant　diseases；　both　in　the　human　species　and　in　cattle；　and　by　it　the　strongest　poisons　were　supposed　to　have　their　nature　changed。

After　kindling　the　bonfire　with　the　tein…eigin　the　company　prepared　their　victuals。　And　as　soon　as　they　had　finished　their　meal；　they　amused　themselves　a　while　in　singing　and　dancing　round　the　fire。　Towards　the　close　of　the　entertainment；　the　person　who　officiated　as　master　of　the　feast　produced　a　large　cake　baked　with　eggs　and　scalloped　round　the　edge；　called　am　bonnach　bea…tinei。e。；　the　Beltane　cake。　It　was　divided　into　a　number　of　pieces；　and　distributed　in　great　form　to　the　company。　There　was　one　particular　piece　which　whoever　got　was　called　cailleach　beal…tine　i。e。；　the　Beltane　carline；　a　term　of　great　reproach。　Upon　his　being　known；　part　of　the　company　laid　hold　of　him　and　made　a　show　of　putting　him　into　the　fire；　but　the　majority　interposing；　he　was　rescued。　And　in　some　places　they　laid　him　flat　on　the　ground；　making　as　if　they　would　quarter　him。　Afterwards；　he　was　pelted　with　egg…shells；　and　retained　the　odious　appellation　during　the　whole　year。　And　while　the　feast　was　fresh　in　people's　memory；　they　affected　to　speak　of　the　cailleach　beal…tine　as　dead。

In　the　parish　of　Callander；　a　beautiful　district　of　Western　Perthshire；　the　Beltane　custom　was　still　in　vogue　towards　the　end　of　the　eighteenth　century。　It　has　been　described　as　follows　by　the　parish　minister　of　the　time：　Upon　the　first　day　of　May；　which　is　called　Beltan；　or　Baltein　day；　all　the　boys　in　a　township　or　hamlet；　meet　in　the　moors。　They　cut　a　table　in　the　green　sod；　of　a　round　figure；　by　casting　a　trench　in　the　ground；　of　such　circumference　as　to　hold　the　whole　company。　They　kindle　a　fire；　and　dress　a　repa