the golden bough-第107节

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d　or　burnt。　At　Polkwitz　the　custom　of　Carrying　out　Death　fell　into　abeyance；　but　an　outbreak　of　fatal　sickness　which　followed　the　intermission　of　the　ceremony　induced　the　people　to　resume　it。

In　Bohemia　the　children　go　out　with　a　straw…man；　representing　Death；　to　the　end　of　the　village；　where　they　burn　it；　singing

Now　carry　we　Death　out　of　the　village；　The　new　Summer　into　the　village；　Welcome；　dear　Summer；　Green　little　corn。

At　Tabor　in　Bohemia　the　figure　of　Death　is　carried　out　of　the　town　and　flung　from　a　high　rock　into　the　water；　while　they　sing

Death　swims　on　the　water；　Summer　will　soon　be　here；　We　carried　Death　away　for　you　We　brought　the　Summer。　And　do　thou；　O　holy　Marketa；　Give　us　a　good　year　For　wheat　and　for　rye。

In　other　parts　of　Bohemia　they　carry　Death　to　the　end　of　the　village；　singing

We　carry　Death　out　of　the　village；　And　the　New　Year　into　the　village。　Dear　Spring；　we　bid　you　welcome；　Green　grass；　we　bid　you　welcome。

Behind　the　village　they　erect　a　pyre；　on　which　they　burn　the　straw　figure；　reviling　and　scoffing　at　it　the　while。　Then　they　return；　singing

We　have　carried　away　Death；　And　brought　Life　back。　He　has　taken　up　his　quarters　in　the　village；　Therefore　sing　joyous　songs。

In　some　German　villages　of　Moravia；　as　in　Jassnitz　and　Seitendorf；　the　young　folk　assemble　on　the　third　Sunday　in　Lent　and　fashion　a　straw…man；　who　is　generally　adorned　with　a　fur　cap　and　a　pair　of　old　leathern　hose；　if　such　are　to　be　had。　The　effigy　is　then　hoisted　on　a　pole　and　carried　by　the　lads　and　lasses　out　into　the　open　fields。　On　the　way　they　sing　a　song；　in　which　it　is　said　that　they　are　carrying　Death　away　and　bringing　dear　Summer　into　the　house；　and　with　Summer　the　May　and　the　flowers。　On　reaching　an　appointed　place　they　dance　in　a　circle　round　the　effigy　with　loud　shouts　and　screams；　then　suddenly　rush　at　it　and　tear　it　to　pieces　with　their　hands。　Lastly；　the　pieces　are　thrown　together　in　a　heap；　the　pole　is　broken；　and　fire　is　set　to　the　whole。　While　it　burns　the　troop　dances　merrily　round　it；　rejoicing　at　the　victory　won　by　Spring；　and　when　the　fire　has　nearly　died　out　they　go　to　the　householders　to　beg　for　a　present　of　eggs　wherewith　to　hold　a　feast；　taking　care　to　give　as　a　reason　for　the　request　that　they　have　carried　Death　out　and　away。

The　preceding　evidence　shows　that　the　effigy　of　Death　is　often　regarded　with　fear　and　treated　with　marks　of　hatred　and　abhorrence。　Thus　the　anxiety　of　the　villagers　to　transfer　the　figure　from　their　own　to　their　neighbours'　land；　and　the　reluctance　of　the　latter　to　receive　the　ominous　guest；　are　proof　enough　of　the　dread　which　it　inspires。　Further；　in　Lusatia　and　Silesia　the　puppet　is　sometimes　made　to　look　in　at　the　window　of　a　house；　and　it　is　believed　that　some　one　in　the　house　will　die　within　the　year　unless　his　life　is　redeemed　by　the　payment　of　money。　Again；　after　throwing　the　effigy　away；　the　bearers　sometimes　run　home　lest　Death　should　follow　them；　and　if　one　of　them　falls　in　running；　it　is　believed　that　he　will　die　within　the　year。　At　Chrudim；　in　Bohemia；　the　figure　of　Death　is　made　out　of　a　cross；　with　a　head　and　mask　stuck　at　the　top；　and　a　shirt　stretched　out　on　it。　On　the　fifth　Sunday　in　Lent　the　boys　take　this　effigy　to　the　nearest　brook　or　pool；　and　standing　in　a　line　throw　it　into　the　water。　Then　they　all　plunge　in　after　it；　but　as　soon　as　it　is　caught　no　one　more　may　enter　the　water。　The　boy　who　did　not　enter　the　water　or　entered　it　last　will　die　within　the　year；　and　he　is　obliged　to　carry　the　Death　back　to　the　village。　The　effigy　is　then　burned。　On　the　other　hand；　it　is　believed　that　no　one　will　die　within　the　year　in　the　house　out　of　which　the　figure　of　Death　has　been　carried；　and　the　village　out　of　which　Death　has　been　driven　is　sometimes　supposed　to　be　protected　against　sickness　and　plague。　In　some　villages　of　Austrian　Silesia　on　the　Saturday　before　Dead　Sunday　an　effigy　is　made　of　old　clothes；　hay；　and　straw；　for　the　purpose　of　driving　Death　out　of　the　village。　On　Sunday　the　people；　armed　with　sticks　and　straps；　assemble　before　the　house　where　the　figure　is　lodged。　Four　lads　then　draw　the　effigy　by　cords　through　the　village　amid　exultant　shouts；　while　all　the　others　beat　it　with　their　sticks　and　straps。　On　reaching　a　field　which　belongs　to　a　neighbouring　village　they　lay　down　the　figure；　cudgel　it　soundly；　and　scatter　the　fragments　over　the　field。　The　people　believe　that　the　village　from　which　Death　has　been　thus　carried　out　will　be　safe　from　any　infectious　disease　for　the　whole　year。

4。　Bringing　in　Summer

IN　THE　PRECEDING　ceremonies　the　return　of　Spring；　Summer；　or　Life；　as　a　sequel　to　the　expulsion　of　Death；　is　only　implied　or　at　most　announced。　In　the　following　ceremonies　it　is　plainly　enacted。　Thus　in　some　parts　of　Bohemia　the　effigy　of　Death　is　drowned　by　being　thrown　into　the　water　at　sunset；　then　the　girls　go　out　into　the　wood　and　cut　down　a　young　tree　with　a　green　crown；　hang　a　doll　dressed　as　a　woman　on　it；　deck　the　whole　with　green；　red；　and　white　ribbons；　and　march　in　procession　with　their　Líto　（Summer）　into　the　village；　collecting　gifts　and　singing

Death　swims　in　the　water；　Spring　comes　to　visit　us；　With　eggs　that　are　red；　With　yellow　pancakes。　We　carried　Death　out　of　the　village；　We　are　carrying　Summer　into　the　village。

In　many　Silesian　villages　the　figure　of　Death；　after　being　treated　with　respect；　is　stript　of　its　clothes　and　flung　with　curses　into　the　water；　or　torn　to　pieces　in　a　field。　Then　the　young　folk　repair　to　a　wood；　cut　down　a　small　fir…tree；　peel　the　trunk；　and　deck　it　with　festoons　of　evergreens；　paper　roses；　painted　egg…shells；　motley　bits　of　cloth；　and　so　forth。　The　tree　thus　adorned　is　called　Summer　or　May。　Boys　carry　it　from　house　to　house　singing　appropriate　songs　and　begging　for　presents。　Among　their　songs　is　the　following：

We　have　carried　Death　out；　We　are　bringing　the　dear　Summer　back；　The　Summer　and　the　May　And　all　the　flowers　gay。

Sometimes　they　also　bring　back　from　the　wood　a　prettily　adorned　figure；　which　goes　by　the　name　of　Summer；　May；　or　the　Bride；　in　the　Polish　districts　it　is　called　Dziewanna；　the　goddess　of　spring。

At　Eisenach　on　the　fourth　Sunday　in　Lent　young　people　used　to　fasten　a　straw…man；　representing　Death；　to　a　wheel；　which　they　trundled　to　the　top　of　a　hill。　Then　setting　fire　to　the　figure　they　allowed　it　and　the　wheel　to　roll　down　the　slope。　Next　day　they　cut　a　tall　fir…tree；　tricked　it　out　with　ribbons；　and　set　it　up　in　the　plain。　The　men　then　climbed　the　tree　to　fetch　down　the　ribbons。　In　Upper　Lusatia　the　figure　of　Death；　made　of　straw　and　rags；　is　dressed　in　a　veil　furnished　by　the　last　bride　and　a　shirt　provided　by　the　house　in　which　the　last　death　took　place。　Thus　arrayed　the　figure　is　stuck　on　the　end　of　a　long　pole　and　carried　at　full　speed　by　the　tallest　and　strongest　girl；　while　the　rest　pelt　the　effigy　with　sticks　and　stones。　Whoever　hits　it　will　be　sure　to　live　through　the　year。　In　this　way　Death　is　carried　out　of　the　village　and　thrown　into　the　water　or　over　the　boundary　of　the　next　village。　On　their　way　home　each　one　breaks　a　green　branch　and　carries　it　gaily　with　him　till　he　reaches　the　village；　when　he　throws　it　away。　Sometimes　the　young　people　of　the　next　village；　upon　whose　land　the　figure　has　been　thrown；　run　after　them　and　hurl　it　back；　not　wishing　to　have　Death　among　them。　Hence　the　two　parties　occasionally　come　to　blows。

In　these　cases　Death　is　represented　by　the　puppet　which　is　thrown　away；　Summer　or　Life　by　the　branches　or　trees　which　are　brought　back。　But　sometimes　a　new　potency　of　life　seems　to　be　attributed　to　the　image　of　Death　itself；　and　by　a　kind　of　resurrection　it　becomes　the　instrument　of　the　general　revival。　Thus　in　some　parts　of　Lusatia　women　alone　are　concerned　in　carrying　out　Death；　and　suffer　no　male　to　meddle　with　it。　Attired　in　mourning；　which　they　wear　the　whole　day；　they　make　a　puppet　of　straw；　clothe　it　in　a　white　shirt；　and　give　it　a　broom　in　one　hand　and　a　scythe　in　the　other。　Singing　songs　and　pursued　by　urchins　throwing　stones；　they　carry　the　puppet　to　the　village　boundary；　where　they　tear　it　in　pieces。　Then　they　cut　down　a　fine　tree；　hang　the　shirt　on　it；　and　carry　it　home　singing。　On　the　Feast　of　Ascension　the　Saxons　of　Braller；　a　village　of　Transylvania；　not　far　from　Hermannstadt；　observe　the　ceremony　of　Carrying　out　Death　in　the　following　manner。　After　morning　service　all　the　school…girls　repair　to　the　house　of　one　of　their　number；　and　there　dress　up　the　Death。　This　is　done　by　tying　a　threshed…out　sheaf　of　corn　into　a　rough　semblance　of　a　head　and　body；　while　the　arms　are　simulated　by　a　broomstick　thrust　through　it　horizontally。　The　figure　is　dressed　in　the　holiday　attire　of　a　young　peasant　woman；　with　a　red　hood；　silver　brooches；　and　a　profusion　of　ribbons　at　the　arms　and　breast。　The　girls　bustle　at　their　work；　for　soon　the　bells　will　be　ringing　to　vespers；　and　the　Death　must　be　ready　in　time　to　be　placed　at　the　open　window；　that　all　the　people　may　see　it　on　their　way　to　church。　When　vespers　are　over；　the　longed…for　moment　has　come　for　the　first　procession　with　the　Death　to　begin；　it　is　a　privilege　that　belongs　to　the　school…girls　alone。　Two　of　the　older　girls　seize　the　figure　by　the　arms　and　walk　in　front：　all　the　res