the golden bough-第26部分

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out　into　the　lake；　and　if　any　one　steps　on　the　stones　and　throws　water　so　as　to　wet　the　farthest　stone；　which　is　called　the　Red　Altar；　it　is　but　a　chance　that　you　do　not　get　rain　before　night；　even　when　it　is　hot　weather。　In　these　cases　it　appears　probable　that；　as　in　Samoa；　the　stone　is　regarded　as　more　or　less　divine。　This　appears　from　the　custom　sometimes　observed　of　dipping　a　cross　in　the　Fountain　of　Barenton　to　procure　rain；　for　this　is　plainly　a　Christian　substitute　for　the　old　pagan　way　of　throwing　water　on　the　stone。　At　various　places　in　France　it　is；　or　used　till　lately　to　be；　the　practice　to　dip　the　image　of　a　saint　in　water　as　a　means　of　procuring　rain。　Thus；　beside　the　old　priory　of　Commagny；　there　is　a　spring　of　St。　Gervais；　whither　the　inhabitants　go　in　procession　to　obtain　rain　or　fine　weather　according　to　the　needs　of　the　crops。　In　times　of　great　drought　they　throw　into　the　basin　of　the　fountain　an　ancient　stone　image　of　the　saint　that　stands　in　a　sort　of　niche　from　which　the　fountain　flows。　At　Collobrières　and　Carpentras　a　similar　practice　was　observed　with　the　images　of　St。　Pons　and　St。　Gens　respectively。　In　several　villages　of　Navarre　prayers　for　rain　used　to　be　offered　to　St。　Peter；　and　by　way　of　enforcing　them　the　villagers　carried　the　image　of　the　saint　in　procession　to　the　river；　where　they　thrice　invited　him　to　reconsider　his　resolution　and　to　grant　their　prayers；　then；　if　he　was　still　obstinate；　they　plunged　him　in　the　water；　despite　the　remonstrances　of　the　clergy；　who　pleaded　with　as　much　truth　as　piety　that　a　simple　caution　or　admonition　administered　to　the　image　would　produce　an　equally　good　effect。　After　this　the　rain　was　sure　to　fall　within　twenty…four　hours。　Catholic　countries　do　not　enjoy　a　monopoly　of　making　rain　by　ducking　holy　images　in　water。　In　Mingrelia；　when　the　crops　are　suffering　from　want　of　rain；　they　take　a　particularly　holy　image　and　dip　it　in　water　every　day　till　a　shower　falls；　and　in　the　Far　East　the　Shans　drench　the　images　of　Buddha　with　water　when　the　rice　is　perishing　of　drought。　In　all　such　cases　the　practice　is　probably　at　bottom　a　sympathetic　charm；　however　it　may　be　disguised　under　the　appearance　of　a　punishment　or　a　threat。

Like　other　peoples；　the　Greeks　and　Romans　sought　to　obtain　rain　by　magic；　when　prayers　and　processions　had　proved　ineffectual。　For　example；　in　Arcadia；　when　the　corn　and　trees　were　parched　with　drought；　the　priest　of　Zeus　dipped　an　oak　branch　into　a　certain　spring　on　Mount　Lycaeus。　Thus　troubled；　the　water　sent　up　a　misty　cloud；　from　which　rain　soon　fell　upon　the　land。　A　similar　mode　of　making　rain　is　still　practised；　as　we　have　seen；　in　Halmahera　near　New　Guinea。　The　people　of　Crannon　in　Thessaly　had　a　bronze　chariot　which　they　kept　in　a　temple。　When　they　desired　a　shower　they　shook　the　chariot　and　the　shower　fell。　Probably　the　rattling　of　the　chariot　was　meant　to　imitate　thunder；　we　have　already　seen　that　mock　thunder　and　lightning　form　part　of　a　rain…charm　in　Russia　and　Japan。　The　legendary　Salmoneus；　King　of　Elis；　made　mock　thunder　by　dragging　bronze　kettles　behind　his　chariot；　or　by　driving　over　a　bronze　bridge；　while　he　hurled　blazing　torches　in　imitation　of　lightning。　It　was　his　impious　wish　to　mimic　the　thundering　car　of　Zeus　as　it　rolled　across　the　vault　of　heaven。　Indeed　he　declared　that　he　was　actually　Zeus；　and　caused　sacrifices　to　be　offered　to　himself　as　such。　Near　a　temple　of　Mars；　outside　the　walls　of　Rome；　there　was　kept　a　certain　stone　known　as　the　lapis　manalis。　In　time　of　drought　the　stone　was　dragged　into　Rome；　and　this　was　supposed　to　bring　down　rain　immediately。

3。　The　Magical　Control　of　the　Sun

AS　THE　MAGICIAN　thinks　he　can　make　rain；　so　he　fancies　he　can　cause　the　sun　to　shine；　and　can　hasten　or　stay　its　going　down。　At　an　eclipse　the　Ojebways　used　to　imagine　that　the　sun　was　being　extinguished。　So　they　shot　fire…tipped　arrows　in　the　air；　hoping　thus　to　rekindle　his　expiring　light。　The　Sencis　of　Peru　also　shot　burning　arrows　at　the　sun　during　an　eclipse；　but　apparently　they　did　this　not　so　much　to　relight　his　lamp　as　to　drive　away　a　savage　beast　with　which　they　supposed　him　to　be　struggling。　Conversely　during　an　eclipse　of　the　moon　some　tribes　of　the　Orinoco　used　to　bury　lighted　brands　in　the　ground；　because；　said　they；　if　the　moon　were　to　be　extinguished；　all　fire　on　earth　would　be　extinguished　with　her；　except　such　as　was　hidden　from　her　sight。　During　an　eclipse　of　the　sun　the　Kamtchatkans　were　wont　to　bring　out　fire　from　their　huts　and　pray　the　great　luminary　to　shine　as　before。　But　the　prayer　addressed　to　the　sun　shows　that　this　ceremony　was　religious　rather　than　magical。　Purely　magical；　on　the　other　hand；　was　the　ceremony　observed　on　similar　occasions　by　the　Chilcotin　Indians。　Men　and　women　tucked　up　their　robes；　as　they　do　in　travelling；　and　then　leaning　on　staves；　as　if　they　were　heavy　laden；　they　continued　to　walk　in　a　circle　till　the　eclipse　was　over。　Apparently　they　thought　thus　to　support　the　failing　steps　of　the　sun　as　he　trod　his　weary　round　in　the　sky。　Similarly　in　ancient　Egypt　the　king；　as　the　representative　of　the　sun；　walked　solemnly　round　the　walls　of　a　temple　in　order　to　ensure　that　the　sun　should　perform　his　daily　journey　round　the　sky　without　the　interruption　of　an　eclipse　or　other　mishap。　And　after　the　autumnal　equinox　the　ancient　Egyptians　held　a　festival　called　the　nativity　of　the　sun's　walking…stick；　because；　as　the　luminary　declined　daily　in　the　sky；　and　his　light　and　heat　diminished；　he　was　supposed　to　need　a　staff　on　which　to　lean。　In　New　Caledonia　when　a　wizard　desires　to　make　sunshine；　he　takes　some　plants　and　corals　to　the　burial…ground；　and　fashions　them　into　a　bundle；　adding　two　locks　of　hair　cut　from　a　living　child　of　his　family；　also　two　teeth　or　an　entire　jawbone　from　the　skeleton　of　an　ancestor。　He　then　climbs　a　mountain　whose　top　catches　the　first　rays　of　the　morning　sun。　Here　he　deposits　three　sorts　of　plants　on　a　flat　stone；　places　a　branch　of　dry　coral　beside　them；　and　hangs　the　bundle　of　charms　over　the　stone。　Next　morning　he　returns　to　the　spot　and　sets　fire　to　the　bundle　at　the　moment　when　the　sun　rises　from　the　sea。　As　the　smoke　curls　up；　he　rubs　the　stone　with　the　dry　coral；　invokes　his　ancestors　and　says：　Sun！　I　do　this　that　you　may　be　burning　hot；　and　eat　up　all　the　clouds　in　the　sky。　The　same　ceremony　is　repeated　at　sunset。　The　New　Caledonians　also　make　a　drought　by　means　of　a　disc…shaped　stone　with　a　hole　in　it。　At　the　moment　when　the　sun　rises；　the　wizard　holds　the　stone　in　his　hand　and　passes　a　burning　brand　repeatedly　into　the　hole；　while　he　says：　I　kindle　the　sun；　in　order　that　he　may　eat　up　the　clouds　and　dry　up　our　land；　so　that　it　may　produce　nothing。　The　Banks　Islanders　make　sunshine　by　means　of　a　mock　sun。　They　take　a　very　round　stone；　called　a　vat　loa　or　sunstone；　wind　red　braid　about　it；　and　stick　it　with　owls'　feathers　to　represent　rays；　singing　the　proper　spell　in　a　low　voice。　Then　they　hang　it　on　some　high　tree；　such　as　a　banyan　or　a　casuarina；　in　a　sacred　place。

The　offering　made　by　the　Brahman　in　the　morning　is　supposed　to　produce　the　sun；　and　we　are　told　that　assuredly　it　would　not　rise；　were　he　not　to　make　that　offering。　The　ancient　Mexicans　conceived　the　sun　as　the　source　of　all　vital　force；　hence　they　named　him　Ipalnemohuani；　He　by　whom　men　live。　But　if　he　bestowed　life　on　the　world；　he　needed　also　to　receive　life　from　it。　And　as　the　heart　is　the　seat　and　symbol　of　life；　bleeding　hearts　of　men　and　animals　were　presented　to　the　sun　to　maintain　him　in　vigour　and　enable　him　to　run　his　course　across　the　sky。　Thus　the　Mexican　sacrifices　to　the　sun　were　magical　rather　than　religious；　being　designed；　not　so　much　to　please　and　propitiate　him；　as　physically　to　renew　his　energies　of　heat；　light；　and　motion。　The　constant　demand　for　human　victims　to　feed　the　solar　fire　was　met　by　waging　war　every　year　on　the　neighbouring　tribes　and　bringing　back　troops　of　captives　to　be　sacrificed　on　the　altar。　Thus　the　ceaseless　wars　of　the　Mexicans　and　their　cruel　system　of　human　sacrifices；　the　most　monstrous　on　record；　sprang　in　great　measure　from　a　mistaken　theory　of　the　solar　system。　No　more　striking　illustration　could　be　given　of　the　disastrous　consequences　that　may　flow　in　practice　from　a　purely　speculative　error。　The　ancient　Greeks　believed　that　the　sun　drove　in　a　chariot　across　the　sky；　hence　the　Rhodians；　who　worshipped　the　sun　as　their　chief　deity；　annually　dedicated　a　chariot　and　four　horses　to　him；　and　flung　them　into　the　sea　for　his　use。　Doubtless　they　thought　that　after　a　year's　work　his　old　horses　and　chariot　would　be　worn　out。　From　a　like　motive；　probably；　the　idolatrous　kings　of　Judah　dedicated　chariots　and　horses　to　the　sun；　and　the　Spartans；　Persians；　and　Massagetae　sacrificed　horses　to　him。　The　Spartans　performed　the　sacrifice　on　the　top　of　Mount　Taygetus；　the　beautiful　range　behind　which　they　saw　the　great　luminary　set　every　night。　It　was　as　natural　for　the　inhabitants　of　the　valley　of　Sparta　to　do　this　as　it　was　for　the　islanders　of　Rhodes　to　throw　the　chariot　and　horses　into　the　sea；　into　which　the　sun　seemed　to　them　to　sink　at　evening。　For　thus；　whether　on　the　mountain　or　in　the　sea；　the　fresh　horses　stood　ready　for　the　weary　god　where　they　would　be　most　welcome；　at　the　end　of　his　day's　journey。

As　some　people　think　they　can　light　up　the　sun　or　speed　him　on　his　way；　so　others　fancy　they　can　retard　or　stop　him。　In　a　pass　of　the　Peruvian　Andes　stand　two　ruined　towers　on　opposite　hills。　Iron　hooks　are　clamped　into　their　walls　for　the　purpose　of　stretching　a　net　from　one　tower　to　the　other。　The　net　is　intended　to　catch　the　sun。　Stories　of　men　who　have　caught　the　sun　in　a　noose　are　widely　spread。　When　the　sun　is　going　southward　in　the　autumn；　and　sinking　lower　and　lower　in　the　Arctic　sky；　the　Esquimaux　of　Iglulik　play　the　game　of　cat's　cradle　in　order　to　catch　him　in　the　meshes　of　the　string　and　so　prevent　his　disappearance。　On　the　contrary；　when　the　sun　is　moving　northward　in　the　spring；　they　play　the　game　of　cup…and…ball　to　hasten　his　return。　When　an　Australian　blackfellow　wishes　to　stay　the　sun　from　going　down　till　he　gets　home；　he　puts　a　sod　in　the　fork　of　a　tree；　exactly　facing　the　setting　sun。　On　the　other　hand；　to　make　it　go　down　faster；　the　Australians　throw