the golden bough-第45节

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cloths；　a　variety　of　victuals　such　as　sausages；

cakes；　and　eggs。　The　young　folk　exerted　themselves　to　obtain　these　prizes。　In　the　greasy　poles　which　are　still　to　be　seen　at　our　fairs　we　have　a　relic　of　these　old　May…poles。　Not　uncommonly　there　was　a　race　on　foot　or　on　horseback　to　the　May…treea　Whitsunday　pastime　which　in　course　of　time　has　been　divested　of　its　goal　and　survives　as　a　popular　custom　to　this　day　in　many　parts　of　Germany。　At　Bordeaux　on　the　first　of　May　the　boys　of　each　street　used　to　erect　in　it　a　May…pole；　which　they　adorned　with　garlands　and　a　great　crown；　and　every　evening　during　the　whole　of　the　month　the　young　people　of　both　sexes　danced　singing　about　the　pole。　Down　to　the　present　day　May…trees　decked　with　flowers　and　ribbons　are　set　up　on　May　Day　in　every　village　and　hamlet　of　gay　Provence。　Under　them　the　young　folk　make　merry　and　the　old　folk　rest。

In　all　these　cases；　apparently；　the　custom　is　or　was　to　bring　in　a　new　May…tree　each　year。　However；　in　England　the　village　May…pole　seems　as　a　rule；　at　least　in　later　times；　to　have　been　permanent；　not　renewed　annually。　Villages　of　Upper　Bavaria　renew　their　May…pole　once　every　three；　four；　or　five　years。　It　is　a　fir…tree　fetched　from　the　forest；　and　amid　all　the　wreaths；　flags；　and　inscriptions　with　which　it　is　bedecked；　an　essential　part　is　the　bunch　of　dark　green　foliage　left　at　the　top　as　a　memento　that　in　it　we　have　to　do；　not　with　a　dead　pole；　but　with　a　living　tree　from　the　greenwood。　We　can　hardly　doubt　that　originally　the　practice　everywhere　was　to　set　up　a　new　May…tree　every　year。　As　the　object　of　the　custom　was　to　bring　in　the　fructifying　spirit　of　vegetation；　newly　awakened　in　spring；　the　end　would　have　been　defeated　if；　instead　of　a　living　tree；　green　and　sappy；　an　old　withered　one　had　been　erected　year　after　year　or　allowed　to　stand　permanently。　When；　however；　the　meaning　of　the　custom　had　been　forgotten；　and　the　May…tree　was　regarded　simply　as　a　centre　for　holiday　merry…making；　people　saw　no　reason　for　felling　a　fresh　tree　every　year；　and　preferred　to　let　the　same　tree　stand　permanently；　only　decking　it　with　fresh　flowers　on　May　Day。　But　even　when　the　May…pole　had　thus　become　a　fixture；　the　need　of　giving　it　the　appearance　of　being　a　green　tree；　not　a　dead　pole；　was　sometimes　felt。　Thus　at　Weverham　in　Cheshire　are　two　May…poles；　which　are　decorated　on　this　day　（May　Day）　with　all　due　attention　to　the　ancient　solemnity；　the　sides　are　hung　with　garlands；　and　the　top　terminated　by　a　birch　or　other　tall　slender　tree　with　its　leaves　on；　the　bark　being　peeled；　and　the　stem　spliced　to　the　pole；　so　as　to　give　the　appearance　of　one　tree　from　the　summit。　Thus　the　renewal　of　the　May…tree　is　like　the　renewal　of　the　Harvest…May；　each　is　intended　to　secure　a　fresh　portion　of　the　fertilising　spirit　of　vegetation；　and　to　preserve　it　throughout　the　year。　But　whereas　the　efficacy　of　the　Harvest…May　is　restricted　to　promoting　the　growth　of　the　crops；　that　of　the　May…tree　or　May…branch　extends　also；　as　we　have　seen；　to　women　and　cattle。　Lastly；　it　is　worth　noting　that　the　old　May…tree　is　sometimes　burned　at　the　end　of　the　year。　Thus　in　the　district　of　Prague　young　people　break　pieces　of　the　public　May…tree　and　place　them　behind　the　holy　pictures　in　their　rooms；　where　they　remain　till　next　May　Day；　and　are　then　burned　on　the　hearth。　In　Würtemberg　the　bushes　which　are　set　up　on　the　houses　on　Palm　Sunday　are　sometimes　left　there　for　a　year　and　then　burnt。

So　much　for　the　tree…spirit　conceived　as　incorporate　or　immanent　in　the　tree。　We　have　now　to　show　that　the　tree…spirit　is　often　conceived　and　represented　as　detached　from　the　tree　and　clothed　in　human　form；　and　even　as　embodied　in　living　men　or　women。　The　evidence　for　this　anthropomorphic　representation　of　the　tree…spirit　is　largely　to　be　found　in　the　popular　customs　of　European　peasantry。

There　is　an　instructive　class　of　cases　in　which　the　tree…spirit　is　represented　simultaneously　in　vegetable　form　and　in　human　form；　which　are　set　side　by　side　as　if　for　the　express　purpose　of　explaining　each　other。　In　these　cases　the　human　representative　of　the　tree…spirit　is　sometimes　a　doll　or　puppet；　sometimes　a　living　person；　but　whether　a　puppet　or　a　person；　it　is　placed　beside　a　tree　or　bough；　so　that　together　the　person　or　puppet；　and　the　tree　or　bough；　form　a　sort　of　bilingual　inscription；　the　one　being；　so　to　speak；　a　translation　of　the　other。　Here；　therefore；　there　is　no　room　left　for　doubt　that　the　spirit　of　the　tree　is　actually　represented　in　human　form。　Thus　in　Bohemia；　on　the　fourth　Sunday　in　Lent；　young　people　throw　a　puppet　called　Death　into　the　water；　then　the　girls　go　into　the　wood；　cut　down　a　young　tree；　and　fasten　to　it　a　puppet　dressed　in　white　clothes　to　look　like　a　woman；　with　this　tree　and　puppet　they　go　from　house　to　house　collecting　gratuities　and　singing　songs　with　the　refrain：

We　carry　Death　out　of　the　village；　We　bring　Summer　into　the　village。

Here；　as　we　shall　see　later　on；　the　Summer　is　the　spirit　of　vegetation　returning　or　reviving　in　spring。　In　some　parts　of　our　own　country　children　go　about　asking　for　pence　with　some　small　imitations　of　May…poles；　and　with　a　finely…dressed　doll　which　they　call　the　Lady　of　the　May。　In　these　cases　the　tree　and　the　puppet　are　obviously　regarded　as　equivalent。

At　Thann；　in　Alsace；　a　girl　called　the　Little　May　Rose；　dressed　in　white；　carries　a　small　May…tree；　which　is　gay　with　garlands　and　ribbons。　Her　companions　collect　gifts　from　door　to　door；　singing　a　song：

Little　May　Rose　turn　round　three　times；　Let　us　look　at　you　round　and　round！　Rose　of　the　May；　come　to　the　greenwood　away；　We　will　be　merry　all。　So　we　go　from　the　May　to　the　roses。

In　the　course　of　the　song　a　wish　is　expressed　that　those　who　give　nothing　may　lose　their　fowls　by　the　marten；　that　their　vine　may　bear　no　clusters；　their　tree　no　nuts；　their　field　no　corn；　the　produce　of　the　year　is　supposed　to　depend　on　the　gifts　offered　to　these　May　singers。　Here　and　in　the　cases　mentioned　above；　where　children　go　about　with　green　boughs　or　garlands　on　May　Day　singing　and　collecting　money；　the　meaning　is　that　with　the　spirit　of　vegetation　they　bring　plenty　and　good　luck　to　the　house；　and　they　expect　to　be　paid　for　the　service。　In　Russian　Lithuania；　on　the　first　of　May；　they　used　to　set　up　a　green　tree　before　the　village。　Then　the　rustic　swains　chose　the　prettiest　girl；　crowned　her；　swathed　her　in　birch　branches　and　set　her　beside　the　May…tree；　where　they　danced；　sang；　and　shouted　O　May！　O　May！　In　Brie　（Isle　de　France）　a　May…tree　is　erected　in　the　midst　of　the　village；　its　top　is　crowned　with　flowers；　lower　down　it　is　twined　with　leaves　and　twigs；　still　lower　with　huge　green　branches。　The　girls　dance　round　it；　and　at　the　same　time　a　lad　wrapt　in　leaves　and　called　Father　May　is　led　about。　In　the　small　towns　of　the　Franken　Wald　mountains　in　Northern　Bavaria；　on　the　second　of　May；　a　Walber　tree　is　erected　before　a　tavern；　and　a　man　dances　round　it；　enveloped　in　straw　from　head　to　foot　in　such　a　way　that　the　ears　of　corn　unite　above　his　head　to　form　a　crown。　He　is　called　the　Walber；　and　used　to　be　led　in　procession　through　the　streets；　which　were　adorned　with　sprigs　of　birch。

Amongst　the　Slavs　of　Carinthia；　on　St。　George's　Day　（the　twentythird　of　April）；　the　young　people　deck　with　flowers　and　garlands　a　tree　which　has　been　felled　on　the　eve　of　the　festival。　The　tree　is　then　carried　in　procession；　accompanied　with　music　and　joyful　acclamations；　the　chief　figure　in　the　procession　being　the　Green　George；　a　young　fellow　clad　from　head　to　foot　in　green　birch　branches。　At　the　close　of　the　ceremonies　the　Green　George；　that　is　an　effigy　of　him；　is　thrown　into　the　water。　It　is　the　aim　of　the　lad　who　acts　Green　George　to　step　out　of　his　leafy　envelope　and　substitute　the　effigy　so　adroitly　that　no　one　shall　perceive　the　change。　In　many　places；　however；　the　lad　himself　who　plays　the　part　of　Green　George　is　ducked　in　a　river　or　pond；　with　the　express　intention　of　thus　ensuring　rain　to　make　the　fields　and　meadows　green　in　summer。　In　some　places　the　cattle　are　crowned　and　driven　from　their　stalls　to　the　accompaniment　of　a　song：

Green　George　we　bring；　Green　George　we　accompany；　May　he　feed　our　herds　well。　If　not；　to　the　water　with　him。

Here　we　see　that　the　same　powers　of　making　rain　and　fostering　the　cattle；　which　are　ascribed　to　the　tree…spirit　regarded　as　incorporate　in　the　tree；　are　also　attributed　to　the　tree…spirit　represented　by　a　living　man。

Among　the　gypsies　of　Transylvania　and　Roumania　the　festival　of　Green　George　is　the　chief　celebration　of　spring。　Some　of　them　keep　it　on　Easter　Monday；　others　on　St。　George's　Day　（the　twentythird　of　April）。　On　the　eve　of　the　festival　a　young　willow　tree　is　cut　down；　adorned　with　garlands　and　leaves；　and　set　up　in　the　ground。　Women　with　child　place　one　of　their　garments　under　the　tree；　and　leave　it　there　over　night；　if　next　morning　they　find　a　leaf　of　the　tree　lying　on　the　garment；　they　know　that　their　delivery　will　be　easy。　Sick　and　old　people　go　to　the　tree　in　the　evening；　spit　on　it　thrice；　and　say；　You　will　soon　die；　but　let　us　live。　Next　morning　the　gypsies　gather　about　the　willow。　The　chief　figure　of　the　festival　is　Green　George；　a　lad　who　is　concealed　from　top　to　toe