the golden bough-第150部分

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ithout。　This　done；　all　the　virgins　came　out　of　their　convent；　bringing　pieces　of　paste　compounded　of　beets　and　roasted　maize；　which　was　of　the　same　paste　whereof　their　idol　was　made　and　compounded；　and　they　were　of　the　fashion　of　great　bones。　They　delivered　them　to　the　young　men；　who　carried　them　up　and　laid　them　at　the　idol's　feet；　wherewith　they　filled　the　whole　place　that　it　could　receive　no　more。　They　called　these　morsels　of　paste　the　flesh　and　bones　of　Vitzilipuztli。　Having　laid　abroad　these　bones；　presently　came　all　the　ancients　of　the　temple；　priests；　Levites；　and　all　the　rest　of　the　ministers；　according　to　their　dignities　and　antiquities　（for　herein　there　was　a　strict　order　amongst　them）　one　after　another；　with　their　veils　of　diverse　colours　and　works；　every　one　according　to　his　dignity　and　office；　having　garlands　upon　their　heads　and　chains　of　flowers　about　their　necks；　after　them　came　their　gods　and　goddesses　whom　they　worshipped；　of　diverse　figures；　attired　in　the　same　livery；　then　putting　themselves　in　order　about　those　morsels　and　pieces　of　paste；　they　used　certain　ceremonies　with　singing　and　dancing。　By　means　whereof　they　were　blessed　and　consecrated　for　the　flesh　and　bones　of　this　idol。　This　ceremony　and　blessing　（whereby　they　were　taken　for　the　flesh　and　bones　of　the　idol）　being　ended；　they　honoured　those　pieces　in　the　same　sort　as　their　god。　　All　the　city　came　to　this　goodly　spectacle；　and　there　was　a　commandment　very　strictly　observed　throughout　all　the　land；　that　the　day　of　the　feast　of　the　idol　of　Vitzilipuztli　they　should　eat　no　other　meat　but　this　paste；　with　honey；　whereof　the　idol　was　made。　And　this　should　be　eaten　at　the　point　of　day；　and　they　should　drink　no　water　nor　any　other　thing　till　after　noon：　they　held　it　for　an　ill　sign；　yea；　for　sacrilege　to　do　the　contrary：　but　after　the　ceremonies　ended；　it　was　lawful　for　them　to　eat　anything。　During　the　time　of　this　ceremony　they　hid　the　water　from　their　little　children；　admonishing　all　such　as　had　the　use　of　reason　not　to　drink　any　water；　which；　if　they　did；　the　anger　of　God　would　come　upon　them；　and　they　should　die；　which　they　did　observe　very　carefully　and　strictly。　The　ceremonies；　dancing；　and　sacrifice　ended；　the　went　to　unclothe　themselves；　and　the　priests　and　superiors　of　the　temple　took　the　idol　of　paste；　which　they　spoiled　of　all　the　ornaments　it　had；　and　made　many　pieces；　as　well　of　the　idol　itself　as　of　the　truncheons　which　they　consecrated；　and　then　they　gave　them　to　the　people　in　manner　of　a　communion；　beginning　with　the　greater；　and　continuing　unto　the　rest；　both　men；　women；　and　little　children；　who　received　it　with　such　tears；　fear；　and　reverence　as　it　was　an　admirable　thing；　saying　that　they　did　eat　the　flesh　and　bones　of　God；　where…with　they　were　grieved。　Such　as　had　any　sick　folks　demanded　thereof　for　them；　and　carried　it　with　great　reverence　and　veneration。

From　this　interesting　passage　we　learn　that　the　ancient　Mexicans；　even　before　the　arrival　of　Christian　missionaries；　were　fully　acquainted　with　the　doctrine　of　transubstantiation　and　acted　upon　it　in　the　solemn　rites　of　their　religion。　They　believed　that　by　consecrating　bread　their　priests　could　turn　it　into　the　very　body　of　their　god；　so　that　all　who　thereupon　partook　of　the　consecrated　bread　entered　into　a　mystic　communion　with　the　deity　by　receiving　a　portion　of　his　divine　substance　into　themselves。　The　doctrine　of　transubstantiation；　or　the　magical　conversion　of　bread　into　flesh；　was　also　familiar　to　the　Aryans　of　ancient　India　long　before　the　spread　and　even　the　rise　of　Christianity。　The　Brahmans　taught　that　the　rice…cakes　offered　in　sacrifice　were　substitutes　for　human　beings；　and　that　they　were　actually　converted　into　the　real　bodies　of　men　by　the　manipulation　of　the　priest。　We　read　that　when　it　（the　rice…cake）　still　consists　of　rice…meal；　it　is　the　hair。　When　he　pours　water　on　it；　it　becomes　skin。　When　he　mixes　it；　it　becomes　flesh：　for　then　it　becomes　consistent；　and　consistent　also　is　the　flesh。　When　it　is　baked；　it　becomes　bone：　for　then　it　becomes　somewhat　hard；　and　hard　is　the　bone。　And　when　he　is　about　to　take　it　off　（the　fire）　and　sprinkles　it　with　butter；　he　changes　it　into　marrow。　This　is　the　completeness　which　they　call　the　fivefold　animal　sacrifice。

Now；　too；　we　can　perfectly　understand　why　on　the　day　of　their　solemn　communion　with　the　deity　the　Mexicans　refused　to　eat　any　other　food　than　the　consecrated　bread　which　they　revered　as　the　very　flesh　and　bones　of　their　God；　and　why　up　till　noon　they　might　drink　nothing　at　all；　not　even　water。　They　feared　no　doubt　to　defile　the　portion　of　God　in　their　stomachs　by　contact　with　common　things。　A　similar　pious　fear　led　the　Creek　and　Seminole　Indians；　as　we　saw；　to　adopt　the　more　thoroughgoing　expedient　of　rinsing　out　their　bodies　by　a　strong　purgative　before　they　dared　to　partake　of　the　sacrament　of　first…fruits。

At　the　festival　of　the　winter　solstice　in　December　the　Aztecs　killed　their　god　Huitzilopochtli　in　effigy　first　and　ate　him　afterwards。　As　a　preparation　for　this　solemn　ceremony　an　image　of　the　deity　in　the　likeness　of　a　man　was　fashioned　out　of　seeds　of　various　sorts；　which　were　kneaded　into　a　dough　with　the　blood　of　children。　The　bones　of　the　god　were　represented　by　pieces　of　acacia　wood。　This　image　was　placed　on　the　chief　altar　of　the　temple；　and　on　the　day　of　the　festival　the　king　offered　incense　to　it。　Early　next　day　it　was　taken　down　and　set　on　its　feet　in　a　great　hall。　Then　a　priest；　who　bore　the　name　and　acted　the　part　of　the　god　Quetzalcoatl；　took　a　flint…tipped　dart　and　hurled　it　into　the　breast　of　the　dough…image；　piercing　it　through　and　through。　This　was　called　killing　the　god　Huitzilopochtli　so　that　his　body　might　be　eaten。　One　of　the　priests　cut　out　the　heart　of　the　image　and　gave　it　to　the　king　to　eat。　The　rest　of　the　image　was　divided　into　minute　pieces；　of　which　every　man　great　and　small；　down　to　the　male　children　in　the　cradle；　receive　one　to　eat。　But　no　woman　might　taste　a　morsel。　The　ceremony　was　called　teoqualo；　that　is；　god　is　eaten。

At　another　festival　the　Mexicans　made　little　images　like　men；　which　stood　for　the　cloud…capped　mountains。　These　images　were　moulded　of　a　paste　of　various　seeds　and　were　dressed　in　paper　ornaments。　Some　people　fashioned　five；　others　ten；　others　as　many　as　fifteen　of　them。　Having　been　made；　they　were　placed　in　the　oratory　of　each　house　and　worshipped。　Four　times　in　the　course　of　the　night　offerings　of　food　were　brought　to　them　in　tiny　vessels；　and　people　sang　and　played　the　flute　before　them　through　all　the　hours　of　darkness。　At　break　of　day　the　priests　stabbed　the　images　with　a　weaver's　instrument；　cut　off　their　heads；　and　tore　out　their　hearts；　which　they　presented　to　the　master　of　the　house　on　a　green　saucer。　The　bodies　of　the　images　were　then　eaten　by　all　the　family；　especially　by　the　servants；　in　order　that　by　eating　them　they　might　be　preserved　from　certain　distempers；　to　which　those　persons　who　were　negligent　of　worship　to　those　deities　conceived　themselves　to　be　subject。

3。　Many　Manii　at　Aricia

WE　are　now　able　to　suggest　an　explanation　of　the　proverb　There　are　many　Manii　at　Aricia。　Certain　loaves　made　in　the　shape　of　men　were　called　by　the　Romans　maniae；　and　it　appears　that　this　kind　of　loaf　was　especially　made　at　Aricia。　Now；　Mania；　the　name　of　one　of　these　loaves；　was　also　the　name　of　the　Mother　or　Grandmother　of　Ghosts；　to　whom　woollen　effigies　of　men　and　women　were　dedicated　at　the　festival　of　the　Compitalia。　These　effigies　were　hung　at　the　doors　of　all　the　houses　in　Rome；　one　effigy　was　hung　up　for　every　free　person　in　the　house；　and　one　effigy；　of　a　different　kind；　for　every　slave。　The　reason　was　that　on　this　day　the　ghosts　of　the　dead　were　believed　to　be　going　about；　and　it　was　hoped　that；　either　out　of　good　nature　or　through　simple　inadvertence；　they　would　carry　off　the　effigies　at　the　door　instead　of　the　living　people　in　the　house。　According　to　tradition；　these　woollen　figures　were　substitutes　for　a　former　custom　of　sacrificing　human　beings。　Upon　data　so　fragmentary　and　uncertain；　it　is　impossible　to　build　with　confidence；　but　it　seems　worth　suggesting　that　the　loaves　in　human　form；　which　appear　to　have　been　baked　at　Aricia；　were　sacramental　bread；　and　that　in　the　old　days；　when　the　divine　King　of　the　Wood　was　annually　slain；　loaves　were　made　in　his　image；　like　the　paste　figures　of　the　gods　in　Mexico；　and　were　eaten　sacramentally　by　his　worshippers。　The　Mexican　sacraments　in　honour　of　Huitzilopochtli　were　also　accompanied　by　the　sacrifice　of　human　victims。　The　tradition　that　the　founder　of　the　sacred　grove　at　Aricia　was　a　man　named　Manius；　from　whom　many　Manii　were　descended；　would　thus　be　an　etymological　myth　invented　to　explain　the　name　maniae　as　applied　to　these　sacramental　loaves。　A　dim　recollection　of　the　original　connexion　of　the　loaves　with　human　sacrifices　may　perhaps　be　traced　in　the　story　that　the　effigies　dedicated　to　Mania　at　the　Compitalia　were　substitutes　for　human　victims。　The　story　itself；　however；　is　probably　devoid　of　foundation；　since　the　practice　of　putting　up　dummies　to　divert　the　attention　of　ghosts　or　demons　from　living　people　is　not　uncommon。

For　example；　the　Tibetans　stand　in　fear　of　innumerable　earth…demons；　all　of　whom　are　under　the　authority　of　Old　Mother　Kh？n…ma。　This　goddess；　who　may　be　compared　to　the　Roman　Mania；　the　Mother　or　Grandmother　of　Ghosts；　is　dressed　in　golden…yellow　robes；　holds　a　golden　noose　in　her　hand；　and　rides　on　a　ram。　In　order　to　bar　the　dwelling…house　against　the　foul　fiends；　of　whom　Old　Mother　Kh？n…ma　is　mistress；　an　elaborate　structure　somewhat　resembling　a　chandelier　is　fixed　above　the　door　on　the　outside　of　the　house。　It　contains　a　ram's　skull；　a　variety　of　precious　objects　such　as　gold…leaf；　silver；　and　turquoise；　also　some　dry　food；　such　as　rice；　wheat；　and　pulse；　and　finally　images　or　pictures　of　a　man；　a　woman；　and　a　house。　The　object　of　these　figures　of　a　man；　wife；　and　house　is　to　deceive　the　demons　should　they　still　come　in　spite　of　this　offering；　and　to　mislead　them　into　the　belief　that　the　foregoing　pictures　are　the　inmates　of　the　house；　so　that　they　may　wreak　their　wrath　on　these　bits　of　wood　and　to　save　the　real　human　occupants。　When　all　is　ready；　a　priest　prays　to　Old　Mother　Kh？