the golden bough-第44节

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broke　branches　and　adorned　them　with　nosegays　and　crowns　of　flowers。　This　done；　they　returned　about　sunrise　and　fastened　the　flower…decked　branches　over　the　doors　and　windows　of　their　houses。　At　Abingdon　in　Berkshire　young　people　formerly　went　about　in　groups　on　May　morning；　singing　a　carol　of　which　the　following　are　two　of　the　verses：

We've　been　rambling　all　the　night；　And　sometime　of　this　day；　And　now　returning　back　again；　We　bring　a　garland　gay。　A　garland　gay　we　bring　you　here；　And　at　your　door　we　stand；　It　is　a　sprout　well　budded　out；　The　work　of　our　Lord's　hand。

At　the　towns　of　Saffron　Walden　and　Debden　in　Essex　on　the　first　of　May　little　girls　go　about　in　parties　from　door　to　door　singing　a　song　almost　identical　with　the　above　and　carrying　garlands；　a　doll　dressed　in　white　is　usually　placed　in　the　middle　of　each　garland。　Similar　customs　have　been　and　indeed　are　still　observed　in　various　parts　of　England。　The　garlands　are　generally　in　the　form　of　hoops　intersecting　each　other　at　right　angles。　It　appears　that　a　hoop　wreathed　with　rowan　and　marsh　marigold；　and　bearing　suspended　within　it　two　balls；　is　still　carried　on　May　Day　by　villagers　in　some　parts　of　Ireland。　The　balls；　which　are　sometimes　covered　with　gold　and　silver　paper；　are　said　to　have　originally　represented　the　sun　and　moon。

In　some　villages　of　the　Vosges　Mountains　on　the　first　Sunday　of　May　young　girls　go　in　bands　from　house　to　house；　singing　a　song　in　praise　of　May；　in　which　mention　is　made　of　the　bread　and　meal　that　come　in　May。　If　money　is　given　them；　they　fasten　a　green　bough　to　the　door；　if　it　is　refused；　they　wish　the　family　many　children　and　no　bread　to　feed　them。　In　the　French　department　of　Mayenne；　boys　who　bore　the　name　of　Maillotins　used　to　go　about　from　farm　to　farm　on　the　first　of　May　singing　carols；　for　which　they　received　money　or　a　drink；　they　planted　a　small　tree　or　a　branch　of　a　tree。　Near　Saverne　in　Alsace　bands　of　people　go　about　carrying　May…trees。　Amongst　them　is　a　man　dressed　in　a　white　shirt　with　his　face　blackened；　in　front　of　him　is　carried　a　large　May…tree；　but　each　member　of　the　band　also　carries　a　smaller　one。　One　of　the　company　bears　a　huge　basket；　in　which　he　collects　eggs；　bacon；　and　so　forth。

On　the　Thursday　before　Whitsunday　the　Russian　villagers　go　out　into　the　woods；　sing　songs；　weave　garlands；　and　cut　down　a　young　birch…tree；　which　they　dress　up　in　woman's　clothes；　or　adorn　with　many…coloured　shreds　and　ribbons。　After　that　comes　a　feast；　at　the　end　of　which　they　take　the　dressed…up　birch…tree；　carry　it　home　to　their　village　with　joyful　dance　and　song；　and　set　it　up　in　one　of　the　houses；　where　it　remains　as　an　honoured　guest　till　Whitsunday。　On　the　two　intervening　days　they　pay　visits　to　the　house　where　their　'guest'　is；　but　on　the　third　day；　Whitsunday；　they　take　her　to　a　stream　and　fling　her　into　its　waters；　throwing　their　garlands　after　her。　In　this　Russian　custom　the　dressing　of　the　birch　in　woman's　clothes　shows　how　clearly　the　tree　is　personified；　and　the　throwing　it　into　a　stream　is　most　probably　a　raincharm。

In　some　parts　of　Sweden　on　the　eve　of　May　Day　lads　go　about　carrying　each　a　bunch　of　fresh　birch　twigs　wholly　or　partly　in　leaf。　With　the　village　fiddler　at　their　head；　they　make　the　round　of　the　houses　singing　May　songs；　the　burden　of　their　songs　is　a　prayer　for　fine　weather；　a　plentiful　harvest；　and　worldly　and　spiritual　blessings。　One　of　them　carries　a　basket　in　which　he　collects　gifts　of　eggs　and　the　like。　If　they　are　well　received；　they　stick　a　leafy　twig　in　the　roof　over　the　cottage　door。　But　in　Sweden　midsummer　is　the　season　when　these　ceremonies　are　chiefly　observed。　On　the　Eve　of　St。　John　（the　twenty…third　of　June）　the　houses　are　thoroughly　cleansed　and　garnished　with　green　boughs　and　flowers。　Young　fir…trees　are　raised　at　the　doorway　and　elsewhere　about　the　homestead；　and　very　often　small　umbrageous　arbours　are　constructed　in　the　garden。　In　Stockholm　on　this　day　a　leaf…market　is　held　at　which　thousands　of　May…poles　（Maj　Stanger）；　from　six　inches　to　twelve　feet　high；　decorated　with　leaves；　flowers；　slips　of　coloured　paper；　gilt　egg…shells　strung　on　reeds；　and　so　on；　are　exposed　for　sale。　Bonfires　are　lit　on　the　hills；　and　the　people　dance　round　them　and　jump　over　them。　But　the　chief　event　of　the　day　is　setting　up　the　May…pole。　This　consists　of　a　straight　and　tall　sprucepine　tree；　stripped　of　its　branches。　At　times　hoops　and　at　others　pieces　of　wood；　placed　crosswise；　are　attached　to　it　at　intervals；　whilst　at　others　it　is　provided　with　bows；　representing；　so　to　say；　a　man　with　his　arms　akimbo。　From　top　to　bottom　not　only　the　'Maj　Stang'　（May…pole）　itself；　but　the　hoops；　bows；　etc。；　are　ornamented　with　leaves；　flowers；　slips　of　various　cloth；　gilt　egg…shells；　etc。；　and　on　the　top　of　it　is　a　large　vane；　or　it　may　be　a　flag。　The　raising　of　the　May…pole；　the　decoration　of　which　is　done　by　the　village　maidens；　is　an　affair　of　much　ceremony；　the　people　flock　to　it　from　all　quarters；　and　dance　round　it　in　a　great　ring。　Midsummer　customs　of　the　same　sort　used　to　be　observed　in　some　parts　of　Germany。　Thus　in　the　towns　of　the　Upper　Harz　Mountains　tall　fir…trees；　with　the　bark　peeled　off　their　lower　trunks；　were　set　up　in　open　places　and　decked　with　flowers　and　eggs；　which　were　painted　yellow　and　red。　Round　these　trees　the　young　folk　danced　by　day　and　the　old　folk　in　the　evening。　In　some　parts　of　Bohemia　also　a　May…pole　or　midsummer…tree　is　erected　on　St。　John's　Eve。　The　lads　fetch　a　tall　fir　or　pine　from　the　wood　and　set　it　up　on　a　height；　where　the　girls　deck　it　with　nosegays；　garlands；　and　red　ribbons。　It　is　afterwards　burned。

It　would　be　needless　to　illustrate　at　length　the　custom；　which　has　prevailed　in　various　parts　of　Europe；　such　as　England；　France；　and　Germany；　of　setting　up　a　village　May…tree　or　May…pole　on　May　Day。　A　few　examples　will　suffice。　The　puritanical　writer　Phillip　Stubbes　in　his　Anatomie　of　Abuses；　first　published　at　London　in　1583；　has　described　with　manifest　disgust　how　they　used　to　bring　in　the　May…pole　in　the　days　of　good　Queen　Bess。　His　description　affords　us　a　vivid　glimpse　of　merry　England　in　the　olden　time。　Against　May；　Whitsonday；　or　other　time；　all　the　yung　men　and　maides；　olde　men　and　wives；　run　gadding　over　night　to　the　woods；　groves；　hils；　and　mountains；　where　they　spend　all　the　night　in　plesant　pastimes；　and　in　the　morning　they　return；　bringing　with　them　birch　and　branches　of　trees；　to　deck　their　assemblies　withall。　And　no　mervaile；　for　there　is　a　great　Lord　present　amongst　them；　as　superintendent　and　Lord　over　their　pastimes　and　sportes；　namely；　Sathan；　prince　of　hel。　But　the　chiefest　jewel　they　bring　from　thence　is　their　May…pole；　which　they　bring　home　with　great　veneration；　as　thus。　They　have　twentie　or　fortie　yoke　of　oxen；　every　oxe　having　a　sweet　nose…gay　of　flouers　placed　on　the　tip　of　his　hornes；　and　these　oxen　drawe　home　this　May…pole　（this　stinkyng　ydol；　rather）；　which　is　covered　all　over　with　floures　and　hearbs；　bound　round　about　with　strings；　from　the　top　to　the　bottome；　and　sometime　painted　with　variable　colours；　with　two　or　three　hundred　men；　women　and　children　following　it　with　great　devotion。　And　thus　beeing　reared　up；　with　handkercheefs　and　flags　hovering　on　the　top；　they　straw　the　ground　rounde　about；　binde　green　boughes　about　it；　set　up　sommer　haules；　bowers；　and　arbors　hard　by　it。　And　then　fall　they　to　daunce　about　it；　like　as　the　heathen　people　did　at　the　dedication　of　the　Idols；　whereof　this　is　a　perfect　pattern；　or　rather　the　thing　itself。　I　have　heard　it　credibly　reported　（and　that　viva　voce）　by　men　of　great　gravitie　and　reputation；　that　of　fortie；　threescore；　or　a　hundred　maides　going　to　the　wood　over　night；　there　have　scaresly　the　third　part　of　them　returned　home　againe　undefiled。

In　Swabia　on　the　first　of　May　a　tall　fir…tree　used　to　be　fetched　into　the　village；　where　it　was　decked　with　ribbons　and　set　up；　then　the　people　danced　round　it　merrily　to　music。　The　tree　stood　on　the　village　green　the　whole　year　through；　until　a　fresh　tree　was　brought　in　next　May　Day。　In　Saxony　people　were　not　content　with　bringing　the　summer　symbolically　（as　king　or　queen）　into　the　village；　they　brought　the　fresh　green　itself　from　the　woods　even　into　the　houses：　that　is　the　May　or　Whitsuntide　trees；　which　are　mentioned　in　documents　from　the　thirteenth　century　onwards。　The　fetching　in　of　the　May…tree　was　also　a　festival。　The　people　went　out　into　the　woods　to　seek　the　May　（majum　quaerere）；　brought　young　trees；　especially　firs　and　birches；　to　the　village　and　set　them　up　before　the　doors　of　the　houses　or　of　the　cattle…stalls　or　in　the　rooms。　Young　fellows　erected　such　May…trees；　as　we　have　already　said；　before　the　chambers　of　their　sweethearts。　Besides　these　household　Mays；　a　great　May…tree　or　May…pole；　which　had　also　been　brought　in　solemn　procession　to　the　village；　was　set　up　in　the　middle　of　the　village　or　in　the　market…place　of　the　town。　It　had　been　chosen　by　the　whole　community；　who　watched　over　it　most　carefully。　Generally　the　tree　was　stripped　of　its　branches　and　leaves；　nothing　but　the　crown　being　left；　on　which　were　displayed；　in　addition　to　many…coloured　ribbons　and　cloths；　a　variety　of　victuals　such　as　sausages；

cakes；　and　eggs。　The　young　folk　exerted　themselve