the golden bough-第41节

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t　off　the　head　of　a　live　hen　on　the　stump　of　the　tree　with　the　very　same　axe　with　which　he　cut　down　the　tree。　This　will　protect　him　from　all　harm；　even　if　the　tree　be　one　of　the　animated　kind。　The　silk…cotton　trees；　which　rear　their　enormous　trunks　to　a　stupendous　height；　far　out…topping　all　the　other　trees　of　the　forest；　are　regarded　with　reverence　throughout　West　Africa；　from　the　Senegal　to　the　Niger；　and　are　believed　to　be　the　abode　of　a　god　or　spirit。　Among　the　Ewespeaking　peoples　of　the　Slave　Coast　the　indwelling　god　of　this　giant　of　the　forest　goes　by　the　name　of　Huntin。　Trees　in　which　he　specially　dwellsfor　it　is　not　every　silk…cotton　tree　that　he　thus　honoursare　surrounded　by　a　girdle　of　palm…leaves；　and　sacrifices　of　fowls；　and　occasionally　of　human　beings；　are　fastened　to　the　trunk　or　laid　against　the　foot　of　the　tree。　A　tree　distinguished　by　a　girdle　of　palm…leaves　may　not　be　cut　down　or　injured　in　any　way；　and　even　silk…cotton　trees　which　are　not　supposed　to　be　animated　by　Huntin　may　not　be　felled　unless　the　woodman　first　offers　a　sacrifice　of　fowls　and　palm…oil　to　purge　himself　of　the　proposed　sacrilege。　To　omit　the　sacrifice　is　an　offence　which　may　be　punished　with　death。　Among　the　Kangra　mountains　of　the　Punjaub　a　girl　used　to　be　annually　sacrificed　to　an　old　cedar…tree；　the　families　of　the　village　taking　it　in　turn　to　supply　the　victim。　The　tree　was　cut　down　not　very　many　years　ago。

If　trees　are　animate；　they　are　necessarily　sensitive　and　the　cutting　of　them　down　becomes　a　delicate　surgical　operation；　which　must　be　performed　with　as　tender　a　regard　as　possible　for　the　feelings　of　the　sufferers；　who　otherwise　may　turn　and　rend　the　careless　or　bungling　operator。　When　an　oak　is　being　felled　it　gives　a　kind　of　shriekes　or　groanes；　that　may　be　heard　a　mile　off；　as　if　it　were　the　genius　of　the　oake　lamenting。　E。　Wyld；　Esq。；　hath　heard　it　severall　times。　The　Ojebways　very　seldom　cut　down　green　or　living　trees；　from　the　idea　that　it　puts　them　to　pain；　and　some　of　their　medicine…men　profess　to　have　heard　the　wailing　of　the　trees　under　the　axe。　Trees　that　bleed　and　utter　cries　of　pain　or　indignation　when　they　are　hacked　or　burned　occur　very　often　in　Chinese　books；　even　in　Standard　Histories。　Old　peasants　in　some　parts　of　Austria　still　believe　that　forest…trees　are　animate；　and　will　not　allow　an　incision　to　be　made　in　the　bark　without　special　cause；　they　have　heard　from　their　fathers　that　the　tree　feels　the　cut　not　less　than　a　wounded　man　his　hurt。　In　felling　a　tree　they　beg　its　pardon。　It　is　said　that　in　the　Upper　Palatinate　also　old　woodmen　still　secretly　ask　a　fine；　sound　tree　to　forgive　them　before　they　cut　it　down。　So　in　Jarkino　the　woodman　craves　pardon　of　the　tree　he　fells。　Before　the　Ilocanes　of　Luzon　cut　down　trees　in　the　virgin　forest　or　on　the　mountains；　they　recite　some　verses　to　the　following　effect：　Be　not　uneasy；　my　friend；　though　we　fell　what　we　have　been　ordered　to　fell。　This　they　do　in　order　not　to　draw　down　on　themselves　the　hatred　of　the　spirits　who　live　in　the　trees；　and　who　are　apt　to　avenge　themselves　by　visiting　with　grievous　sickness　such　as　injure　them　wantonly。　The　Basoga　of　Central　Africa　think　that；　when　a　tree　is　cut　down；　the　angry　spirit　which　inhabits　it　may　cause　the　death　of　the　chief　and　his　family。　To　prevent　this　disaster　they　consult　a　medicine…man　before　they　fell　a　tree。　If　the　man　of　skill　gives　leave　to　proceed；　the　woodman　first　offers　a　fowl　and　a　goat　to　the　tree；　then　as　soon　as　he　has　given　the　first　blow　with　the　axe；　he　applies　his　mouth　to　the　cut　and　sucks　some　of　the　sap。　In　this　way　he　forms　a　brotherhood　with　the　tree；　just　as　two　men　become　blood…brothers　by　sucking　each　other's　blood。　After　that　he　can　cut　down　his　tree…brother　with　impunity。

But　the　spirits　of　vegetation　are　not　always　treated　with　deference　and　respect。　If　fair　words　and　kind　treatment　do　not　move　them；　stronger　measures　are　sometimes　resorted　to。　The　durian…tree　of　the　East　Indies；　whose　smooth　stem　often　shoots　up　to　a　height　of　eighty　or　ninety　feet　without　sending　out　a　branch；　bears　a　fruit　of　the　most　delicious　flavour　and　the　most　disgusting　stench。　The　Malays　cultivate　the　tree　for　the　sake　of　its　fruit；　and　have　been　known　to　resort　to　a　peculiar　ceremony　for　the　purpose　of　stimulating　its　fertility。　Near　Jugra　in　Selangor　there　is　a　small　grove　of　durian…trees；　and　on　a　specially　chosen　day　the　villagers　used　to　assemble　in　it。　Thereupon　one　of　the　local　sorcerers　would　take　a　hatchet　and　deliver　several　shrewd　blows　on　the　trunk　of　the　most　barren　of　the　trees；　saying；　Will　you　now　bear　fruit　or　not？　If　you　do　not；　I　shall　fell　you。　To　this　the　tree　replied　through　the　mouth　of　another　man　who　had　climbed　a　mangostin…tree　hard　by　（the　durian…tree　being　unclimbable）；　Yes；　I　will　now　bear　fruit；　I　beg　of　you　not　to　fell　me。　So　in　Japan　to　make　trees　bear　fruit　two　men　go　into　an　orchard。　One　of　them　climbs　up　a　tree　and　the　other　stands　at　the　foot　with　an　axe。　The　man　with　the　axe　asks　the　tree　whether　it　will　yield　a　good　crop　next　year　and　threatens　to　cut　it　down　if　it　does　not。　To　this　the　man　among　the　branches　replies　on　behalf　of　the　tree　that　it　will　bear　abundantly。　Odd　as　this　mode　of　horticulture　may　seem　to　us；　it　has　its　exact　parallels　in　Europe。　On　Christmas　Eve　many　a　South　Slavonian　and　Bulgarian　peasant　swings　an　axe　threateningly　against　a　barren　fruit…tree；　while　another　man　standing　by　intercedes　for　the　menaced　tree；　saying；　Do　not　cut　it　down；　it　will　soon　bear　fruit。　Thrice　the　axe　is　swung；　and　thrice　the　impending　blow　is　arrested　at　the　entreaty　of　the　intercessor。　After　that　the　frightened　tree　will　certainly　bear　fruit　next　year。

The　conception　of　trees　and　plants　as　animated　beings　naturally　results　in　treating　them　as　male　and　female；　who　can　be　married　to　each　other　in　a　real；　and　not　merely　a　figurative　or　poetical；　sense　of　the　word。　The　notion　is　not　purely　fanciful；　for　plants　like　animals　have　their　sexes　and　reproduce　their　kind　by　the　union　of　the　male　and　female　elements。　But　whereas　in　all　the　higher　animals　the　organs　of　the　two　sexes　are　regularly　separated　between　different　individuals；　in　most　plants　they　exist　together　in　every　individual　of　the　species。　This　rule；　however；　is　by　no　means　universal；　and　in　many　species　the　male　plant　is　distinct　from　the　female。　The　distinction　appears　to　have　been　observed　by　some　savages；　for　we　are　told　that　the　Maoris　are　acquainted　with　the　sex　of　trees；　etc。；　and　have　distinct　names　for　the　male　and　female　of　some　trees。　The　ancients　knew　the　difference　between　the　male　and　the　female　date…palm；　and　fertilised　them　artificially　by　shaking　the　pollen　of　the　male　tree　over　the　flowers　of　the　female。　The　fertilisation　took　place　in　spring。　Among　the　heathen　of　Harran　the　month　during　which　the　palms　were　fertilised　bore　the　name　of　the　Date　Month；　and　at　this　time　they　celebrated　the　marriage　festival　of　all　the　gods　and　goddesses。　Different　from　this　true　and　fruitful　marriage　of　the　palm　are　the　false　and　barren　marriages　of　plants　which　play　a　part　in　Hindoo　superstition。　For　example；　if　a　Hindoo　has　planted　a　grove　of　mangos；　neither　he　nor　his　wife　may　taste　of　the　fruit　until　he　has　formally　married　one　of　the　trees；　as　a　bridegroom；　to　a　tree　of　a　different　sort；　commonly　a　tamarind…tree；　which　grows　near　it　in　the　grove。　If　there　is　no　tamarind　to　act　as　bride；　a　jasmine　will　serve　the　turn。　The　expenses　of　such　a　marriage　are　often　considerable；　for　the　more　Brahmans　are　feasted　at　it；　the　greater　the　glory　of　the　owner　of　the　grove。　A　family　has　been　known　to　sell　its　golden　and　silver　trinkets；　and　to　borrow　all　the　money　they　could　in　order　to　marry　a　mango…tree　to　a　jasmine　with　due　pomp　and　ceremony。　On　Christmas　Eve　German　peasants　used　to　tie　fruit…trees　together　with　straw　ropes　to　make　them　bear　fruit；　saying　that　the　trees　were　thus　married。

In　the　Moluccas；　when　the　clove…trees　are　in　blossom；　they　are　treated　like　pregnant　women。　No　noise　may　be　made　near　them；　no　light　or　fire　may　be　carried　past　them　at　night；　no　one　may　approach　them　with　his　hat　on；　all　must　uncover　in　their　presence。　These　precautions　are　observed　lest　the　tree　should　be　alarmed　and　bear　no　fruit；　or　should　drop　its　fruit　too　soon；　like　the　untimely　delivery　of　a　woman　who　has　been　frightened　in　her　pregnancy。　So　in　the　East　the　growing　rice…crop　is　often　treated　with　the　same　considerate　regard　as　a　breeding　woman。　Thus　in　Amboyna；　when　the　rice　is　in　bloom；　the　people　say　that　it　is　pregnant　and　fire　no　guns　and　make　no　other　noises　near　the　field；　for　fear　lest；　if　the　rice　were　thus　disturbed；　it　would　miscarry；　and　the　crop　would　be　all　straw　and　no　grain。

Sometimes　it　is　the　souls　of　the　dead　which　are　believed　to　animate　trees。　The　Dieri　tribe　of　Central　Australia　regard　as　very　sacred　certain　trees　which　are　supposed　to　be　their　fathers　transformed；　hence　they　speak　with　reverence　of　these　trees；　and　are　careful　that　they　shall　not　be　cut　down　or　burned。　If　the　settlers　require　them　to　hew　down　the　trees；　they　earnestly　protest　against　it；　asserting　that　were　they　to　do　so　they　would　have　no　luck；　and　might　be　punished　for　not　protecting　their　ancestors。　Some　of　the　Philippine　Islanders　believe　that　the