the golden bough-第118节

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sexes　go　to　the　forest　and　cut　a　young　Karma…tree；　or　the　branch　of　one。　Bearing　it　in　triumph　they　return　dancing；　singing；　and　beating　drums；　and　plant　it　in　the　middle　of　the　village　dancing…ground。　A　sacrifice　is　offered　to　the　tree；　and　next　morning　the　youth　of　both　sexes；　linked　arm…in…arm；　dance　in　a　great　circle　round　the　Karma…tree；　which　is　decked　with　strips　of　coloured　cloth　and　sham　bracelets　and　necklets　of　plaited　straw。　As　a　preparation　for　the　festival；　the　daughters　of　the　headman　of　the　village　cultivate　blades　of　barley　in　a　peculiar　way。　The　seed　is　sown　in　moist；　sandy　soil；　mixed　with　turmeric；　and　the　blades　sprout　and　unfold　of　a　pale…yellow　or　primrose　colour。　On　the　day　of　the　festival　the　girls　take　up　these　blades　and　carry　them　in　baskets　to　the　dancing…ground；　where；　prostrating　themselves　reverentially；　they　place　some　of　the　plants　before　the　Karma…tree。　Finally；　the　Karma…tree　is　taken　away　and　thrown　into　a　stream　or　tank。　The　meaning　of　planting　these　barley　blades　and　then　presenting　them　to　the　Karma…tree　is　hardly　open　to　question。　Trees　are　supposed　to　exercise　a　quickening　influence　upon　the　growth　of　crops；　and　amongst　the　very　people　in　questionthe　Mundas　or　Mundaris　the　grove　deities　are　held　responsible　for　the　crops。　Therefore；　when　at　the　season　for　planting　out　the　rice　the　Mundas　bring　in　a　tree　and　treat　it　with　so　much　respect；　their　object　can　only　be　to　foster　thereby　the　growth　of　the　rice　which　is　about　to　be　planted　out；　and　the　custom　of　causing　barley　blades　to　sprout　rapidly　and　then　presenting　them　to　the　tree　must　be　intended　to　subserve　the　same　purpose；　perhaps　by　reminding　the　tree…spirit　of　his　duty　towards　the　crops；　and　stimulating　his　activity　by　this　visible　example　of　rapid　vegetable　growth。　The　throwing　of　the　Karma…tree　into　the　water　is　to　be　interpreted　as　a　rain…charm。　Whether　the　barley　blades　are　also　thrown　into　the　water　is　not　said；　but　if　my　interpretation　of　the　custom　is　right；　probably　they　are　so。　A　distinction　between　this　Bengal　custom　and　the　Greek　rites　of　Adonis　is　that　in　the　former　the　tree…spirit　appears　in　his　original　form　as　a　tree；　whereas　in　the　Adonis　worship　he　appears　in　human　form；　represented　as　a　dead　man；　though　his　vegetable　nature　is　indicated　by　the　gardens　of　Adonis；　which　are；　so　to　say；　a　secondary　manifestation　of　his　original　power　as　a　tree…spirit。

Gardens　of　Adonis　are　cultivated　also　by　the　Hindoos；　with　the　intention　apparently　of　ensuring　the　fertility　both　of　the　earth　and　of　mankind。　Thus　at　Oodeypoor　in　Rajputana　a　festival　is　held　in　honour　of　Gouri；　or　Isani；　the　goddess　of　abundance。　The　rites　begin　when　the　sun　enters　the　sign　of　the　Ram；　the　opening　of　the　Hindoo　year。　An　image　of　the　goddess　Gouri　is　made　of　earth；　and　a　smaller　one　of　her　husband　Iswara；　and　the　two　are　placed　together。　A　small　trench　is　next　dug；　barley　is　sown　in　it；　and　the　ground　watered　and　heated　artificially　till　the　grain　sprouts；　when　the　women　dance　round　it　hand　in　hand；　invoking　the　blessing　of　Gouri　on　their　husbands。　After　that　the　young　corn　is　taken　up　and　distributed　by　the　women　to　the　men；　who　wear　it　in　their　turbans。　In　these　rites　the　distribution　of　the　barley　shoots　to　the　men；　and　the　invocation　of　a　blessing　on　their　husbands　by　the　wives；　point　clearly　to　the　desire　of　offspring　as　one　motive　for　observing　the　custom。　The　same　motive　probably　explains　the　use　of　gardens　of　Adonis　at　the　marriage　of　Brahmans　in　the　Madras　Presidency。　Seeds　of　five　or　nine　sorts　are　mixed　and　sown　in　earthen　pots；　which　are　made　specially　for　the　purpose　and　are　filled　with　earth。　Bride　and　bridegroom　water　the　seeds　both　morning　and　evening　for　four　days；　and　on　the　fifth　day　the　seedlings　are　thrown；　like　the　real　gardens　of　Adonis；　into　a　tank　or　river。

In　Sardinia　the　gardens　of　Adonis　are　still　planted　in　connexion　with　the　great　midsummer　festival　which　bears　the　name　of　St。　John。　At　the　end　of　March　or　on　the　first　of　April　a　young　man　of　the　village　presents　himself　to　a　girl；　and　asks　her　to　be　his　comare　（gossip　or　sweetheart）；　offering　to　be　her　compare。　The　invitation　is　considered　as　an　honour　by　the　girl's　family；　and　is　gladly　accepted。　At　the　end　of　May　the　girl　makes　a　pot　of　the　bark　of　the　cork…tree；　fills　it　with　earth；　and　sows　a　handful　of　wheat　and　barley　in　it。　The　pot　being　placed　in　the　sun　and　often　watered；　the　corn　sprouts　rapidly　and　has　a　good　head　by　Midsummer　Eve　（St。　John's　Eve；　the　twenty…third　of　June）。　The　pot　is　then　called　Erme　or　Nenneri。　On　St。　John's　Day　the　young　man　and　the　girl；　dressed　in　their　best；　accompanied　by　a　long　retinue　and　preceded　by　children　gambolling　and　frolicking；　move　in　procession　to　a　church　outside　the　village。　Here　they　break　the　pot　by　throwing　it　against　the　door　of　the　church。　Then　they　sit　down　in　a　ring　on　the　grass　and　eat　eggs　and　herbs　to　the　music　of　flutes。　Wine　is　mixed　in　a　cup　and　passed　round；　each　one　drinking　as　it　passes。　Then　they　join　hands　and　sing　Sweethearts　of　St。　John　（Compare　e　comare　di　San　Giovanni）　over　and　over　again；　the　flutes　playing　the　while。　When　they　tire　of　singing　they　stand　up　and　dance　gaily　in　a　ring　till　evening。　This　is　the　general　Sardinian　custom。　As　practised　at　Ozieri　it　has　some　special　features。　In　May　the　pots　are　made　of　cork…bark　and　planted　with　corn；　as　already　described。　Then　on　the　Eve　of　St。　John　the　window…sills　are　draped　with　rich　cloths；　on　which　the　pots　are　placed；　adorned　with　crimson　and　blue　silk　and　ribbons　of　various　colours。　On　each　of　the　pots　they　used　formerly　to　place　a　statuette　or　cloth　doll　dressed　as　a　woman；　or　a　Priapus…like　figure　made　of　paste；　but　this　custom；　rigorously　forbidden　by　the　Church；　has　fallen　into　disuse。　The　village　swains　go　about　in　a　troop　to　look　at　the　pots　and　their　decorations　and　to　wait　for　the　girls；　who　assemble　on　the　public　square　to　celebrate　the　festival。　Here　a　great　bonfire　is　kindled；　round　which　they　dance　and　make　merry。　Those　who　wish　to　be　Sweethearts　of　St。　John　act　as　follows。　The　young　man　stands　on　one　side　of　the　bonfire　and　the　girl　on　the　other；　and　they；　in　a　manner；　join　hands　by　each　grasping　one　end　of　a　long　stick；　which　they　pass　three　times　backwards　and　forwards　across　the　fire；　thus　thrusting　their　hands　thrice　rapidly　into　the　flames。　This　seals　their　relationship　to　each　other。　Dancing　and　music　go　on　till　late　at　night。　The　correspondence　of　these　Sardinian　pots　of　grain　to　the　gardens　of　Adonis　seems　complete；　and　the　images　formerly　placed　in　them　answer　to　the　images　of　Adonis　which　accompanied　his　gardens。

Customs　of　the　same　sort　are　observed　at　the　same　season　in　Sicily。　Pairs　of　boys　and　girls　become　gossips　of　St。　John　on　St。　John's　Day　by　drawing　each　a　hair　from　his　or　her　head　and　performing　various　ceremonies　over　them。　Thus　they　tie　the　hairs　together　and　throw　them　up　in　the　air；　or　exchange　them　over　a　potsherd；　which　they　afterwards　break　in　two；　preserving　each　a　fragment　with　pious　care。　The　tie　formed　in　the　latter　way　is　supposed　to　last　for　life。　In　some　parts　of　Sicily　the　gossips　of　St。　John　present　each　other　with　plates　of　sprouting　corn；　lentils；　and　canary　seed；　which　have　been　planted　forty　days　before　the　festival。　The　one　who　receives　the　plate　pulls　a　stalk　of　the　young　plants；　binds　it　with　a　ribbon；　and　preserves　it　among　his　or　her　greatest　treasures；　restoring　the　platter　to　the　giver。　At　Catania　the　gossips　exchange　pots　of　basil　and　great　cucumbers；　the　girls　tend　the　basil；　and　the　thicker　it　grows　the　more　it　is　prized。

In　these　midsummer　customs　of　Sardinia　and　Sicily　it　is　possible　that；　as　Mr。　R。　Wünsch　supposes；　St。　John　has　replaced　Adonis。　We　have　seen　that　the　rites　of　Tammuz　or　Adonis　were　commonly　celebrated　about　midsummer；　according　to　Jerome；　their　date　was　June。

In　Sicily　gardens　of　Adonis　are　still　sown　in　spring　as　well　as　in　summer；　from　which　we　may　perhaps　infer　that　Sicily　as　well　as　Syria　celebrated　of　old　a　vernal　festival　of　the　dead　and　risen　god。　At　the　approach　of　Easter；　Sicilian　women　sow　wheat；　lentils；　and　canaryseed　in　plates；　which　they　keep　in　the　dark　and　water　every　two　days。　The　plants　soon　shoot　up；　the　stalks　are　tied　together　with　red　ribbons；　and　the　plates　containing　them　are　placed　on　the　sepulchres　which；　with　the　effigies　of　the　dead　Christ；　are　made　up　in　Catholic　and　Greek　churches　on　Good　Friday；　just　as　the　gardens　of　Adonis　were　placed　on　the　grave　of　the　dead　Adonis。　The　practice　is　not　confined　to　Sicily；　for　it　is　observed　also　at　Cosenza　in　Calabria；　and　perhaps　in　other　places。　The　whole　customsepulchres　as　well　as　plates　of　sprouting　grainmay　be　nothing　but　a　continuation；　under　a　different　name；　of　the　worship　of　Adonis。

Nor　are　these　Sicilian　and　Calabrian　customs　the　only　Easter　ceremonies　which　resemble　the　rites　of　Adonis。　During　the　whole　of　Good　Friday　a　waxen　effigy　of　the　dead　Christ　is　exposed　to　view　in　the　middle　of　the　Greek　churches　and　is　covered　with　fervent　kisses　by　the　thronging　crowd；　while　the　whole　church　rings　with　melancholy；　monotonous　dirges。　Late　in　the　evening；　when　it　has　grown　quite　dark；　this　waxen　image　is　carried　by　the　priests　into　the　street　on　a　bier　adorned　with　lemons；　roses；　jessamine；　a