the golden bough-第87部分

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ered　fortunes。　As　gods　are　often　merely　men　who　loom　large　through　the　mists　of　tradition；　we　may　conjecture　that　this　Norse　legend　preserves　a　confused　reminiscence　of　ancient　Swedish　kings　who　reigned　for　nine　or　ten　years　together；　then　abdicated；　delegating　to　others　the　privilege　of　dying　for　their　country。　The　great　festival　which　was　held　at　Upsala　every　nine　years　may　have　been　the　occasion　on　which　the　king　or　his　deputy　was　put　to　death。　We　know　that　human　sacrifices　formed　part　of　the　rites。

There　are　some　grounds　for　believing　that　the　reign　of　many　ancient　Greek　kings　was　limited　to　eight　years；　or　at　least　that　at　the　end　of　every　period　of　eight　years　a　new　consecration；　a　fresh　outpouring　of　the　divine　grace；　was　regarded　as　necessary　in　order　to　enable　them　to　discharge　their　civil　and　religious　duties。　Thus　it　was　a　rule　of　the　Spartan　constitution　that　every　eighth　year　the　ephors　should　choose　a　clear　and　moonless　night　and　sitting　down　observe　the　sky　in　silence。　If　during　their　vigil　they　saw　a　meteor　or　shooting　star；　they　inferred　that　the　king　had　sinned　against　the　deity；　and　they　suspended　him　from　his　functions　until　the　Delphic　or　Olympic　oracle　should　reinstate　him　in　them。　This　custom；　which　has　all　the　air　of　great　antiquity；　was　not　suffered　to　remain　a　dead　letter　even　in　the　last　period　of　the　Spartan　monarchy；　for　in　the　third　century　before　our　era　a　king；　who　had　rendered　himself　obnoxious　to　the　reforming　party；　was　actually　deposed　on　various　trumped…up　charges；　among　which　the　allegation　that　the　ominous　sign　had　been　seen　in　the　sky　took　a　prominent　place。

If　the　tenure　of　the　regal　office　was　formerly　limited　among　the　Spartans　to　eight　years；　we　may　naturally　ask；　why　was　that　precise　period　selected　as　the　measure　of　a　king's　reign？　The　reason　is　probably　to　be　found　in　those　astronomical　considerations　which　determined　the　early　Greek　calendar。　The　difficulty　of　reconciling　lunar　with　solar　time　is　one　of　the　standing　puzzles　which　has　taxed　the　ingenuity　of　men　who　are　emerging　from　barbarism。　Now　an　octennial　cycle　is　the　shortest　period　at　the　end　of　which　sun　and　moon　really　mark　time　together　after　overlapping；　so　to　say；　throughout　the　whole　of　the　interval。　Thus；　for　example；　it　is　only　once　in　every　eight　years　that　the　full　moon　coincides　with　the　longest　or　shortest　day；　and　as　this　coincidence　can　be　observed　with　the　aid　of　a　simple　dial；　the　observation　is　naturally　one　of　the　first　to　furnish　a　base　for　a　calendar　which　shall　bring　lunar　and　solar　times　into　tolerable；　though　not　exact；　harmony。　But　in　early　days　the　proper　adjustment　of　the　calendar　is　a　matter　of　religious　concern；　since　on　it　depends　a　knowledge　of　the　right　seasons　for　propitiating　the　deities　whose　favour　is　indispensable　to　the　welfare　of　the　community。　No　wonder；　therefore；　that　the　king；　as　the　chief　priest　of　the　state；　or　as　himself　a　god；　should　be　liable　to　deposition　or　death　at　the　end　of　an　astronomical　period。　When　the　great　luminaries　had　run　their　course　on　high；　and　were　about　to　renew　the　heavenly　race；　it　might　well　be　thought　that　the　king　should　renew　his　divine　energies；　or　prove　them　unabated；　under　pain　of　making　room　for　a　more　vigorous　successor。　In　Southern　India；　as　we　have　seen；　the　king's　reign　and　life　terminated　with　the　revolution　of　the　planet　Jupiter　round　the　sun。　In　Greece；　on　the　other　hand；　the　king's　fate　seems　to　have　hung　in　the　balance　at　the　end　of　every　eight　years；　ready　to　fly　up　and　kick　the　beam　as　soon　as　the　opposite　scale　was　loaded　with　a　falling　star。

Whatever　its　origin　may　have　been；　the　cycle　of　eight　years　appears　to　have　coincided　with　the　normal　length　of　the　king's　reign　in　other　parts　of　Greece　besides　Sparta。　Thus　Minos；　king　of　Cnossus　in　Crete；　whose　great　palace　has　been　unearthed　in　recent　years；　is　said　to　have　held　office　for　periods　of　eight　years　together。　At　the　end　of　each　period　he　retired　for　a　season　to　the　oracular　cave　on　Mount　Ida；　and　there　communed　with　his　divine　father　Zeus；　giving　him　an　account　of　his　kingship　in　the　years　that　were　past；　and　receiving　from　him　instructions　for　his　guidance　in　those　which　were　to　come。　The　tradition　plainly　implies　that　at　the　end　of　every　eight　years　the　king's　sacred　powers　needed　to　be　renewed　by　intercourse　with　the　godhead；　and　that　without　such　a　renewal　he　would　have　forfeited　his　right　to　the　throne。

Without　being　unduly　rash　we　may　surmise　that　the　tribute　of　seven　youths　and　seven　maidens　whom　the　Athenians　were　bound　to　send　to　Minos　every　eight　years　had　some　connexion　with　the　renewal　of　the　king's　power　for　another　octennial　cycle。　Traditions　varied　as　to　the　fate　which　awaited　the　lads　and　damsels　on　their　arrival　in　Crete；　but　the　common　view　appears　to　have　been　that　they　were　shut　up　in　the　labyrinth；　there　to　be　devoured　by　the　Minotaur；　or　at　least　to　be　imprisoned　for　life。　Perhaps　they　were　sacrificed　by　being　roasted　alive　in　a　bronze　image　of　a　bull；　or　of　a　bull…headed　man；　in　order　to　renew　the　strength　of　the　king　and　of　the　sun；　whom　he　personated。　This　at　all　events　is　suggested　by　the　legend　of　Talos；　a　bronze　man　who　clutched　people　to　his　breast　and　leaped　with　them　into　the　fire；　so　that　they　were　roasted　alive。　He　is　said　to　have　been　given　by　Zeus　to　Europa；　or　by　Hephaestus　to　Minos；　to　guard　the　island　of　Crete；　which　he　patrolled　thrice　daily。　According　to　one　account　he　was　a　bull；　according　to　another　he　was　the　sun。　Probably　he　was　identical　with　the　Minotaur；　and　stripped　of　his　mythical　features　was　nothing　but　a　bronze　image　of　the　sun　represented　as　a　man　with　a　bull's　head。　In　order　to　renew　the　solar　fires；　human　victims　may　have　been　sacrificed　to　the　idol　by　being　roasted　in　its　hollow　body　or　placed　on　its　sloping　hands　and　allowed　to　roll　into　a　pit　of　fire。　It　was　in　the　latter　fashion　that　the　Carthaginians　sacrificed　their　offspring　to　Moloch。　The　children　were　laid　on　the　hands　of　a　calf…headed　image　of　bronze；　from　which　they　slid　into　a　fiery　oven；　while　the　people　danced　to　the　music　of　flutes　and　timbrels　to　drown　the　shrieks　of　the　burning　victims。　The　resemblance　which　the　Cretan　traditions　bear　to　the　Carthaginian　practice　suggests　that　the　worship　associated　with　the　names　of　Minos　and　the　Minotaur　may　have　been　powerfully　influenced　by　that　of　a　Semitic　Baal。　In　the　tradition　of　Phalaris；　tyrant　of　Agrigentum；　and　his　brazen　bull　we　may　have　an　echo　of　similar　rites　in　Sicily；　where　the　Carthaginian　power　struck　deep　roots。

In　the　province　of　Lagos；　the　Ijebu　tribe　of　the　Yoruba　race　is　divided　into　two　branches；　which　are　known　respectively　as　the　Ijebu　Ode　and　the　Ijebu　Remon。　The　Ode　branch　of　the　tribe　is　ruled　by　a　chief　who　bears　the　title　of　Awujale　and　is　surrounded　by　a　great　deal　of　mystery。　Down　to　recent　times　his　face　might　not　be　seen　even　by　his　own　subjects；　and　if　circumstances　obliged　him　to　communicate　with　them　he　did　so　through　a　screen　which　hid　him　from　view。　The　other　or　Remon　branch　of　the　Ijebu　tribe　is　governed　by　a　chief；　who　ranks　below　the　Awujale。　Mr。　John　Parkinson　was　informed　that　in　former　times　this　subordinate　chief　used　to　be　killed　with　ceremony　after　a　rule　of　three　years。　As　the　country　is　now　under　British　protection　the　custom　of　putting　the　chief　to　death　at　the　end　of　a　three　years'　reign　has　long　been　abolished；　and　Mr。　Parkinson　was　unable　to　ascertain　any　particulars　on　the　subject。

At　Babylon；　within　historical　times；　the　tenure　of　the　kingly　office　was　in　practice　lifelong；　yet　in　theory　it　would　seem　to　have　been　merely　annual。　For　every　year　at　the　festival　of　Zagmuk　the　king　had　to　renew　his　power　by　seizing　the　hands　of　the　image　of　Marduk　in　his　great　temple　of　Esagil　at　Babylon。　Even　when　Babylon　passed　under　the　power　of　Assyria；　the　monarchs　of　that　country　were　expected　to　legalise　their　claim　to　the　throne　every　year　by　coming　to　Babylon　and　performing　the　ancient　ceremony　at　the　New　Year　festival；　and　some　of　them　found　the　obligation　so　burdensome　that　rather　than　discharge　it　they　renounced　the　title　of　king　altogether　and　contented　themselves　with　the　humbler　one　of　Governor。　Further；　it　would　appear　that　in　remote　times；　though　not　within　the　historical　period；　the　kings　of　Babylon　or　their　barbarous　predecessors　forfeited　not　merely　their　crown　but　their　life　at　the　end　of　a　year's　tenure　of　office。　At　least　this　is　the　conclusion　to　which　the　following　evidence　seems　to　point。　According　to　the　historian　Berosus；　who　as　a　Babylonian　priest　spoke　with　ample　knowledge；　there　was　annually　celebrated　in　Babylon　a　festival　called　the　Sacaea。　It　began　on　the　sixteenth　day　of　the　month　Lous；　and　lasted　for　five　days；　during　which　masters　and　servants　changed　places；　the　servants　giving　orders　and　the　masters　obeying　them。　A　prisoner　condemned　to　death　was　dressed　in　the　king's　robes；　seated　on　the　king's　throne；　allowed　to　issue　whatever　commands　he　pleased；　to　eat；　drink；　and　enjoy　himself；　and　to　lie　with　the　king's　concubines。　But　at　the　end　of　the　five　days　he　was　stripped　of　his　royal　robes；　scourged；　and　hanged　or　impaled。　During　his　brief　term　of　office　he　bore　the　title　of　Zoganes。　This　custom　might　perhaps　have　been　explained　as　merely　a　grim　jest　perpetrated　in　a　season　of　jollity　at　the　expense　of　an　unhappy　criminal。　But　one　circumstancethe　leave　given　to　the　mock　king　to　enjoy　the　king's　concubinesis　decisive　against　this　interpretation。　Considering　the　jealous　seclusion　of　an　oriental　despot's　harem　we　may　be　quite　certain　that　permission　to　invade　it　would　never　have　been　granted　by　the　despot；　least　of　all　to　a　condemned　criminal；　except　for　the　very　gravest　cause。　This　cause　could　hardly　be　other　than　that　the　condemned　man　was　about　to　die　in　the　king's　stead；　and　that　to　make　the　substitution　perfect　it　was　necessary　he　should　enjoy　the　full　rights　of　royalty　during　his　brief　reign。　There　is　nothing　surprising　in　this　substitution。　The　rule　that　the　king　must　be　put　to　death　either　on　the　appearance　of　any　symptom　of　bodily　decay　or　at　the　end　of　a　fixed　period　is　certainly　one　which；　sooner　or　later；　the　kings　would　seek　to　abolish　or　modify。　We　have　seen　that　in　Ethiopia；　Sofala；　and　Eyeo　the　rule　was　boldly　set　aside　by　enlightened　monarc