the golden bough-第214节

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eason　they　stick　burs　and　mugwort　on　the　gate　or　the　hedge　through　which　the　cows　go　to　pasture；　because　that　is　supposed　to　be　a　preservative　against　witchcraft。　In　Masuren；　a　district　of　Eastern　Prussia　inhabited　by　a　branch　of　the　Polish　family；　it　is　the　custom　on　the　evening　of　Midsummer　Day　to　put　out　all　the　fires　in　the　village。　Then　an　oaken　stake　is　driven　into　the　ground　and　a　wheel　is　fixed　on　it　as　on　an　axle。　This　wheel　the　villagers；　working　by　relays；　cause　to　revolve　with　great　rapidity　till　fire　is　produced　by　friction。　Every　one　takes　home　a　lighted　brand　from　the　new　fire　and　with　it　rekindles　the　fire　on　the　domestic　hearth。　In　Serbia　on　Midsummer　Eve　herdsmen　light　torches　of　birch　bark　and　march　round　the　sheepfolds　and　cattle…stalls；　then　they　climb　the　hills　and　there　allow　the　torches　to　burn　out。

Among　the　Magyars　in　Hungary　the　midsummer　fire…festival　is　marked　by　the　same　features　that　meet　us　in　so　many　parts　of　Europe。　On　Midsummer　Eve　in　many　places　it　is　customary　to　kindle　bonfires　on　heights　and　to　leap　over　them；　and　from　the　manner　in　which　the　young　people　leap　the　bystanders　predict　whether　they　will　marry　soon。　On　this　day　also　many　Hungarian　swineherds　make　fire　by　rotating　a　wheel　round　a　wooden　axle　wrapt　in　hemp；　and　through　the　fire　thus　made　they　drive　their　pigs　to　preserve　them　from　sickness。

The　Esthonians　of　Russia；　who；　like　the　Magyars；　belong　to　the　great　Turanian　family　of　mankind；　also　celebrate　the　summer　solstice　in　the　usual　way。　They　think　that　the　St。　John's　fire　keeps　witches　from　the　cattle；　and　they　say　that　he　who　does　not　come　to　it　will　have　his　barley　full　of　thistles　and　his　oats　full　of　weeds。　In　the　Esthonian　island　of　Oesel；　while　they　throw　fuel　into　the　midsummer　fire；　they　call　out；　Weeds　to　the　fire；　flax　to　the　field；　or　they　fling　three　billets　into　the　flames；　saying；　Flax　grow　long！　And　they　take　charred　sticks　from　the　bonfire　home　with　them　and　keep　them　to　make　the　cattle　thrive。　In　some　parts　of　the　island　the　bonfire　is　formed　by　piling　brushwood　and　other　combustibles　round　a　tree；　at　the　top　of　which　a　flag　flies。　Whoever　succeeds　in　knocking　down　the　flag　with　a　pole　before　it　begins　to　burn　will　have　good　luck。　Formerly　the　festivities　lasted　till　daybreak；　and　ended　in　scenes　of　debauchery　which　looked　doubly　hideous　by　the　growing　light　of　a　summer　morning。

When　we　pass　from　the　east　to　the　west　of　Europe　we　still　find　the　summer　solstice　celebrated　with　rites　of　the　same　general　character。　Down　to　about　the　middle　of　the　nineteenth　century　the　custom　of　lighting　bonfires　at　midsummer　prevailed　so　commonly　in　France　that　there　was　hardly　a　town　or　a　village；　we　are　told；　where　they　were　not　kindled。　People　danced　round　and　leaped　over　them；　and　took　charred　sticks　from　the　bonfire　home　with　them　to　protect　the　houses　against　lightning；　conflagrations；　and　spells。

In　Brittany；　apparently；　the　custom　of　the　midsummer　bonfires　is　kept　up　to　this　day。　When　the　flames　have　died　down；　the　whole　assembly　kneels　round　about　the　bonfire　and　an　old　man　prays　aloud。　Then　they　all　rise　and　march　thrice　round　the　fire；　at　the　third　turn　they　stop　and　every　one　picks　up　a　pebble　and　throws　it　on　the　burning　pile。　After　that　they　disperse。　In　Brittany　and　Berry　it　is　believed　that　a　girl　who　dances　round　nine　midsummer　bonfires　will　marry　within　the　year。　In　the　valley　of　the　Orne　the　custom　was　to　kindle　the　bonfire　just　at　the　moment　when　the　sun　was　about　to　dip　below　the　horizon；　and　the　peasants　drove　their　cattle　through　the　fires　to　protect　them　against　witchcraft；　especially　against　the　spells　of　witches　and　wizards　who　attempted　to　steal　the　milk　and　butter。　At　Jumièges　in　Normandy；　down　to　the　first　half　of　the　nineteenth　century；　the　midsummer　festival　was　marked　by　certain　singular　features　which　bore　the　stamp　of　a　very　high　antiquity。　Every　year；　on　the　twenty…third　of　June；　the　Eve　of　St。　John；　the　Brotherhood　of　the　Green　Wolf　chose　a　new　chief　or　master；　who　had　always　to　be　taken　from　the　hamlet　of　Conihout。　On　being　elected；　the　new　head　of　the　brotherhood　assumed　the　title　of　the　Green　Wolf；　and　donned　a　peculiar　costume　consisting　of　a　long　green　mantle　and　a　very　tall　green　hat　of　a　conical　shape　and　without　a　brim。　Thus　arrayed　he　stalked　solemnly　at　the　head　of　the　brothers；　chanting　the　hymn　of　St。　John；　the　crucifix　and　holy　banner　leading　the　way；　to　a　place　called　Chouquet。　Here　the　procession　was　met　by　the　priest；　precentors；　and　choir；　who　conducted　the　brotherhood　to　the　parish　church。　After　hearing　mass　the　company　adjourned　to　the　house　of　the　Green　Wolf；　where　a　simple　repast　was　served　up　to　them。　At　night　a　bonfire　was　kindled　to　the　sound　of　hand…bells　by　a　young　man　and　a　young　woman；　both　decked　with　flowers。　Then　the　Green　Wolf　and　his　brothers；　with　their　hoods　down　on　their　shoulders　and　holding　each　other　by　the　hand；　ran　round　the　fire　after　the　man　who　had　been　chosen　to　be　the　Green　Wolf　of　the　following　year。　Though　only　the　first　and　the　last　man　of　the　chain　had　a　hand　free；　their　business　was　to　surround　and　seize　thrice　the　future　Green　Wolf；　who　in　his　efforts　to　escape　belaboured　the　brothers　with　a　long　wand　which　he　carried。　When　at　last　they　succeeded　in　catching　him　they　carried　him　to　the　burning　pile　and　made　as　if　they　would　throw　him　on　it。　This　ceremony　over；　they　returned　to　the　house　of　the　Green　Wolf；　where　a　supper；　still　of　the　most　meagre　fare；　was　set　before　them。　Up　till　midnight　a　sort　of　religious　solemnity　prevailed。　But　at　the　stroke　of　twelve　all　this　was　changed。　Constraint　gave　way　to　license；　pious　hymns　were　replaced　by　Bacchanalian　ditties；　and　the　shrill　quavering　notes　of　the　village　fiddle　hardly　rose　above　the　roar　of　voices　that　went　up　from　the　merry　brotherhood　of　the　Green　Wolf。　Next　day；　the　twenty…fourth　of　June　or　Midsummer　Day；　was　celebrated　by　the　same　personages　with　the　same　noisy　gaiety。　One　of　the　ceremonies　consisted　in　parading；　to　the　sound　of　musketry；　an　enormous　loaf　of　consecrated　bread；　which；　rising　in　tiers；　was　surmounted　by　a　pyramid　of　verdure　adorned　with　ribbons。　After　that　the　holy　hand…bells；　deposited　on　the　step　of　the　altar；　were　entrusted　as　insignia　of　office　to　the　man　who　was　to　be　the　Green　Wolf　next　year。

At　Chateau…Thierry；　in　the　department　of　Aisne；　the　custom　of　lighting　bonfires　and　dancing　round　them　at　the　midsummer　festival　of　St。　John　lasted　down　to　about　1850；　the　fires　were　kindled　especially　when　June　had　been　rainy；　and　the　people　thought　that　the　lighting　of　the　bonfires　would　cause　the　rain　to　cease。　In　the　Vosges　it　is　still　customary　to　kindle　bonfires　upon　the　hill…tops　on　Midsummer　Eve；　the　people　believe　that　the　fires　help　to　preserve　the　fruits　of　the　earth　and　ensure　good　crops。

Bonfires　were　lit　in　almost　all　the　hamlets　of　Poitou　on　the　Eve　of　St。　John。　People　marched　round　them　thrice；　carrying　a　branch　of　walnut　in　their　hand。　Shepherdesses　and　children　passed　sprigs　of　mullein　（verbascum）　and　nuts　across　the　flames；　the　nuts　were　supposed　to　cure　toothache；　and　the　mullein　to　protect　the　cattle　from　sickness　and　sorcery。　When　the　fire　died　down　people　took　some　of　the　ashes　home　with　them；　either　to　keep　them　in　the　house　as　a　preservative　against　thunder　or　to　scatter　them　on　the　fields　for　the　purpose　of　destroying　corn…cockles　and　darnel。　In　Poitou　also　it　used　to　be　customary　on　the　Eve　of　St。　John　to　trundle　a　blazing　wheel　wrapt　in　straw　over　the　fields　to　fertilise　them。

In　the　mountainous　part　of　Comminges；　a　province　of　Southern　France；　the　midsummer　fire　is　made　by　splitting　open　the　trunk　of　a　tall　tree；　stuffing　the　crevice　with　shavings；　and　igniting　the　whole。　A　garland　of　flowers　is　fastened　to　the　top　of　the　tree；　and　at　the　moment　when　the　fire　is　lighted　the　man　who　was　last　married　has　to　climb　up　a　ladder　and　bring　the　flowers　down。　In　the　flat　parts　of　the　same　district　the　materials　of　the　midsummer　bonfires　consist　of　fuel　piled　in　the　usual　way；　but　they　must　be　put　together　by　men　who　have　been　married　since　the　last　midsummer　festival；　and　each　of　these　benedicts　is　obliged　to　lay　a　wreath　of　flowers　on　the　top　of　the　pile。

In　Provence　the　midsummer　fires　are　still　popular。　Children　go　from　door　to　door　begging　for　fuel；　and　they　are　seldom　sent　empty　away。　Formerly　the　priest；　the　mayor；　and　the　aldermen　used　to　walk　in　procession　to　the　bonfire；　and　even　deigned　to　light　it；　after　which　the　assembly　marched　thrice　round　the　burning　pile。　At　Aix　a　nominal　king；　chosen　from　among　the　youth　for　his　skill　in　shooting　at　a　popinjay；　presided　over　the　midsummer　festival。　He　selected　his　own　officers；　and　escorted　by　a　brilliant　train　marched　to　the　bonfire；　kindled　it；　and　was　the　first　to　dance　round　it。　Next　day　he　distributed　largesse　to　his　followers。　His　reign　lasted　a　year；　during　which　he　enjoyed　certain　privileges。　He　was　allowed　to　attend　the　mass　celebrated　by　the　commander　of　the　Knights　of　St。　John　on　St。　John's　Day；　the　right　of　hunting　was　accorded　to　him；　and　soldiers　might　not　be　quartered　in　his　house。　At　Marseilles　also　on　this　day　one　of　the　guilds　chose　a　king　of　the　badache　or　double　axe；　but　it　does　not　appear　that　he　kindled　the　bonfire；　which　is