the golden bough-第212节

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The　first　of　May　is　a　great　popular　festival　in　the　more　midland　and　southern　parts　of　Sweden。　On　the　eve　of　the　festival　huge　bonfires；　which　should　be　lighted　by　striking　two　flints　together；　blaze　on　all　the　hills　and　knolls。　Every　large　hamlet　has　its　own　fire；　round　which　the　young　people　dance　in　a　ring。　The　old　folk　notice　whether　the　flames　incline　to　the　north　or　to　the　south。　In　the　former　case；　the　spring　will　be　cold　and　backward；　in　the　latter；　it　will　be　mild　and　genial。　In　Bohemia；　on　the　eve　of　May　Day；　young　people　kindle　fires　on　hills　and　eminences；　at　crossways；　and　in　pastures；　and　dance　round　them。　They　leap　over　the　glowing　embers　or　even　through　the　flames。　The　ceremony　is　called　burning　the　witches。　In　some　places　an　effigy　representing　a　witch　used　to　be　burnt　in　the　bonfire。　We　have　to　remember　that　the　eve　of　May　Day　is　the　notorious　Walpurgis　Night；　when　the　witches　are　everywhere　speeding　unseen　through　the　air　on　their　hellish　errands。　On　this　witching　night　children　in　Voigtland　also　light　bonfires　on　the　heights　and　leap　over　them。　Moreover；　they　wave　burning　brooms　or　toss　them　into　the　air。　So　far　as　the　light　of　the　bonfire　reaches；　so　far　will　a　blessing　rest　on　the　fields。　The　kindling　of　the　fires　on　Walpurgis　Night　is　called　driving　away　the　witches。　The　custom　of　kindling　fires　on　the　eve　of　May　Day　（Walpurgis　Night）　for　the　purpose　of　burning　the　witches　is；　or　used　to　be；　widespread　in　the　Tyrol；　Moravia；　Saxony　and　Silesia。

5。　The　Midsummer　Fires

BUT　THE　SEASON　at　which　these　firefestivals　have　been　most　generally　held　all　over　Europe　is　the　summer　solstice；　that　is　Midsummer　Eve　（the　twenty…third　of　June）　or　Midsummer　day　（the　twenty…fourth　of　June）。　A　faint　tinge　of　Christianity　has　been　given　to　them　by　naming　Midsummer　Day　after　St。　John　the　Baptist；　but　we　cannot　doubt　that　the　celebration　dates　from　a　time　long　before　the　beginning　of　our　era。　The　summer　solstice；　or　Midsummer　Day；　is　the　great　turning…point　in　the　sun's　career；　when；　after　climbing　higher　and　higher　day　by　day　in　the　sky；　the　luminary　stops　and　thenceforth　retraces　his　steps　down　the　heavenly　road。　Such　a　moment　could　not　but　be　regarded　with　anxiety　by　primitive　man　so　soon　as　he　began　to　observe　and　ponder　the　courses　of　the　great　lights　across　the　celestial　vault；　and　having　still　to　learn　his　own　powerlessness　in　face　of　the　vast　cyclic　changes　of　nature；　he　may　have　fancied　that　he　could　help　the　sun　in　his　seeming　declinecould　prop　his　failing　steps　and　rekindle　the　sinking　flame　of　the　red　lamp　in　his　feeble　hand。　In　some　such　thoughts　as　these　the　midsummer　festivals　of　our　European　peasantry　may　perhaps　have　taken　their　rise。　Whatever　their　origin；　they　have　prevailed　all　over　this　quarter　of　the　globe；　from　Ireland　on　the　west　to　Russia　on　the　east；　and　from　Norway　and　Sweden　on　the　north　to　Spain　and　Greece　on　the　south。　According　to　a　medi？val　writer；　the　three　great　features　of　the　midsummer　celebration　were　the　bonfires；　the　procession　with　torches　round　the　fields；　and　the　custom　of　rolling　a　wheel。　He　tells　us　that　boys　burned　bones　and　filth　of　various　kinds　to　make　a　foul　smoke；　and　that　the　smoke　drove　away　certain　noxious　dragons　which　at　this　time；　excited　by　the　summer　heat；　copulated　in　the　air　and　poisoned　the　wells　and　rivers　by　dropping　their　seed　into　them；　and　he　explains　the　custom　of　trundling　a　wheel　to　mean　that　the　sun；　having　now　reached　the　highest　point　in　the　ecliptic；　begins　thenceforward　to　descend。

The　main　features　of　the　midsummer　fire…festival　resemble　those　which　we　have　found　to　characterise　the　vernal　festivals　of　fire。　The　similarity　of　the　two　sets　of　ceremonies　will　plainly　appear　from　the　following　examples。

A　writer　of　the　first　half　of　the　sixteenth　century　informs　us　that　in　almost　every　village　and　town　of　Germany　public　bonfires　were　kindled　on　the　Eve　of　St。　John；　and　young　and　old；　of　both　sexes；　gathered　about　them　and　passed　the　time　in　dancing　and　singing。　People　on　this　occasion　wore　chaplets　of　mugwort　and　vervain；　and　they　looked　at　the　fire　through　bunches　of　larkspur　which　they　held　in　their　hands；　believing　that　this　would　preserve　their　eyes　in　a　healthy　state　throughout　the　year。　As　each　departed；　he　threw　the　mugwort　and　vervain　into　the　fire；　saying；　May　all　my　ill…luck　depart　and　be　burnt　up　with　these。　At　Lower　Konz；　a　village　situated　on　a　hillside　overlooking　the　Moselle；　the　midsummer　festival　used　to　be　celebrated　as　follows。　A　quantity　of　straw　was　collected　on　the　top　of　the　steep　Stromberg　Hill。　Every　inhabitant；　or　at　least　every　householder；　had　to　contribute　his　share　of　straw　to　the　pile。　At　nightfall　the　whole　male　population；　men　and　boys；　mustered　on　the　top　of　the　hill；　the　women　and　girls　were　not　allowed　to　join　them；　but　had　to　take　up　their　position　at　a　certain　spring　half…way　down　the　slope。　On　the　summit　stood　a　huge　wheel　completely　encased　in　some　of　the　straw　which　had　been　jointly　contributed　by　the　villagers；　the　rest　of　the　straw　was　made　into　torches。　From　each　side　of　the　wheel　the　axle…tree　projected　about　three　feet；　thus　furnishing　handles　to　the　lads　who　were　to　guide　it　in　its　descent。　The　mayor　of　the　neighbouring　town　of　Sierck；　who　always　received　a　basket　of　cherries　for　his　services；　gave　the　signal；　a　lighted　torch　was　applied　to　the　wheel；　and　as　it　burst　into　flame；　two　young　fellows；　strong…limbed　and　swift　of　foot；　seized　the　handles　and　began　running　with　it　down　the　slope。　A　great　shout　went　up。　Every　man　and　boy　waved　a　blazing　torch　in　the　air；　and　took　care　to　keep　it　alight　so　long　as　the　wheel　was　trundling　down　the　hill。　The　great　object　of　the　young　men　who　guided　the　wheel　was　to　plunge　it　blazing　into　the　water　of　the　Moselle；　but　they　rarely　succeeded　in　their　efforts；　for　the　vineyards　which　cover　the　greater　part　of　the　declivity　impeded　their　progress；　and　the　wheel　was　often　burned　out　before　it　reached　the　river。　As　it　rolled　past　the　women　and　girls　at　the　spring；　they　raised　cries　of　joy　which　were　answered　by　the　men　on　the　top　of　the　mountain；　and　the　shouts　were　echoed　by　the　inhabitants　of　neighbouring　villages　who　watched　the　spectacle　from　their　hills　on　the　opposite　bank　of　the　Moselle。　If　the　fiery　wheel　was　successfully　conveyed　to　the　bank　of　the　river　and　extinguished　in　the　water；　the　people　looked　for　an　abundant　vintage　that　year；　and　the　inhabitants　of　Konz　had　the　right　to　exact　a　waggon…load　of　white　wine　from　the　surrounding　vineyards。　On　the　other　hand；　they　believed　that；　if　they　neglected　to　perform　the　ceremony；　the　cattle　would　be　attacked　by　giddiness　and　convulsions　and　would　dance　in　their　stalls。

Down　at　least　to　the　middle　of　the　nineteenth　century　the　midsummer　fires　used　to　blaze　all　over　Upper　Bavaria。　They　were　kindled　especially　on　the　mountains；　but　also　far　and　wide　in　the　lowlands；　and　we　are　told　that　in　the　darkness　and　stillness　of　night　the　moving　groups；　lit　up　by　the　flickering　glow　of　the　flames；　presented　an　impressive　spectacle。　Cattle　were　driven　through　the　fire　to　cure　the　sick　animals　and　to　guard　such　as　were　sound　against　plague　and　harm　of　every　kind　throughout　the　year。　Many　a　householder　on　that　day　put　out　the　fire　on　the　domestic　hearth　and　rekindled　it　by　means　of　a　brand　taken　from　the　midsummer　bonfire。　The　people　judged　of　the　height　to　which　the　flax　would　grow　in　the　year　by　the　height　to　which　the　flames　of　the　bonfire　rose；　and　whoever　leaped　over　the　burning　pile　was　sure　not　to　suffer　from　backache　in　reaping　the　corn　at　harvest。　In　many　parts　of　Bavaria　it　was　believed　that　the　flax　would　grow　as　high　as　the　young　people　leaped　over　the　fire。　In　others　the　old　folk　used　to　plant　three　charred　sticks　from　the　bonfire　in　the　fields；　believing　that　this　would　make　the　flax　grow　tall。　Elsewhere　an　extinguished　brand　was　put　in　the　roof　of　the　house　to　protect　it　against　fire。　In　the　towns　about　Würzburg　the　bonfires　used　to　be　kindled　in　the　market…places；　and　the　young　people　who　jumped　over　them　wore　garlands　of　flowers；　especially　of　mugwort　and　vervain；　and　carried　sprigs　of　larkspur　in　their　hands。　They　thought　that　such　as　looked　at　the　fire　holding　a　bit　of　larkspur　before　their　face　would　be　troubled　by　no　malady　of　the　eyes　throughout　the　year。　Further；　it　was　customary　at　Würzburg；　in　the　sixteenth　century；　for　the　bishop's　followers　to　throw　burning　discs　of　wood　into　the　air　from　a　mountain　which　overhangs　the　town。　The　discs　were　discharged　by　means　of　flexible　rods；　and　in　their　flight　through　the　darkness　presented　the　appearance　of　fiery　dragons。

Similarly　in　Swabia；　lads　and　lasses；　hand　in　hand；　leap　over　the　midsummer　bonfire；　praying　that　the　hemp　may　grow　three　ells　high；　and　they　set　fire　to　wheels　of　straw　and　send　them　rolling　down　the　hill。　Sometimes；　as　the　people　sprang　over　the　midsummer　bonfire　they　cried　out；　Flax；　flax！　may　the　flax　this　year　grow　seven　ells　high！　At　Rottenburg　a　rude　effigy　in　human　form；　called　the　Angelman；　used　to　be　enveloped　in　flowers　and　then　burnt　in　the　midsummer　fire　by　boys；　who　afterwards　leaped　over　the　glowing　embers。

So　in　Baden　the　children　collected　fuel　from　house　to　house　for　the　midsummer　bonfire　on　St。　John's　Day；　and　lads　and　lasses