the golden bough-第190节

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　the　share　of　the　evil　spirits；　spoilers　of　the　seed。　These　are　considered　to　be　driven　out　with　the　car；　and　when　it　and　its　contents　are　abandoned　to　them；　they　are　held　to　have　no　excuse　for　interfering　with　the　rest　of　the　seed…corn。

The　people　of　Bali；　an　island　to　the　east　of　Java；　have　periodical　expulsions　of　devils　upon　a　great　scale。　Generally　the　time　chosen　for　the　expulsion　is　the　day　of　the　dark　moon　in　the　ninth　month。　When　the　demons　have　been　long　unmolested　the　country　is　said　to　be　warm；　and　the　priest　issues　orders　to　expel　them　by　force；　lest　the　whole　of　Bali　should　be　rendered　uninhabitable。　On　the　day　appointed　the　people　of　the　village　or　district　assemble　at　the　principal　temple。　Here　at　a　cross…road　offerings　are　set　out　for　the　devils。　After　prayers　have　been　recited　by　the　priests；　the　blast　of　a　horn　summons　the　devils　to　partake　of　the　meal　which　has　been　prepared　for　them。　At　the　same　time　a　number　of　men　step　forward　and　light　their　torches　at　the　holy　lamp　which　burns　before　the　chief　priest。　Immediately　afterwards；　followed　by　the　bystanders；　they　spread　in　all　directions　and　march　through　the　streets　and　lanes　crying；　Depart！　go　away！　Wherever　they　pass；　the　people　who　have　stayed　at　home　hasten；　by　a　deafening　clatter　on　doors；　beams；　rice…blocks；　and　so　forth；　to　take　their　share　in　the　expulsion　of　devils。　Thus　chased　from　the　houses；　the　fiends　flee　to　the　banquet　which　has　been　set　out　for　them；　but　here　the　priest　receives　them　with　curses　which　finally　drive　them　from　the　district。　When　the　last　devil　has　taken　his　departure；　the　uproar　is　succeeded　by　a　dead　silence；　which　lasts　during　the　next　day　also。　The　devils；　it　is　thought；　are　anxious　to　return　to　their　old　homes；　and　in　order　to　make　them　think　that　Bali　is　not　Bali　but　some　desert　island；　no　one　may　stir　from　his　own　abode　for　twenty…four　hours。　Even　ordinary　household　work；　including　cooking；　is　discontinued。　Only　the　watchmen　may　show　themselves　in　the　streets。　Wreaths　of　thorns　and　leaves　are　hung　at　all　the　entrances　to　warn　strangers　from　entering。　Not　till　the　third　day　is　this　state　of　siege　raised；　and　even　then　it　is　forbidden　to　work　at　the　rice…fields　or　to　buy　and　sell　in　the　market。　Most　people　still　stay　at　home；　whiling　away　the　time　with　cards　and　dice。

In　Tonquin　a　theckydaw　or　general　expulsion　of　maleyolent　spirits　commonly　took　place　once　a　year；　especially　if　there　was　a　great　mortality　amongst　men；　the　elephants　or　horses　of　the　general's　stable；　or　the　cattle　of　the　country；　the　cause　of　which　they　attribute　to　the　malicious　spirits　of　such　men　as　have　been　put　to　death　for　treason；　rebellion；　and　conspiring　the　death　of　the　king；　general；　or　princes；　and　that　in　revenge　of　the　punishment　they　have　suffered；　they　are　bent　to　destroy　everything　and　commit　horrible　violence。　To　prevent　which　their　superstition　has　suggested　to　them　the　institution　of　this　theckydaw；　as　a　proper　means　to　drive　the　devil　away；　and　purge　the　country　of　evil　spirits。　The　day　appointed　for　the　ceremony　was　generally　the　twenty…fifth　of　February；　one　month　after　the　beginning　of　the　new　year；　which　fell　on　the　twenty…fifth　of　January。　The　intermediate　month　was　a　season　of　feasting；　merry…making　of　all　kinds；　and　general　licence。　During　the　whole　month　the　great　seal　was　kept　shut　up　in　a　box；　face　downwards；　and　the　law　was；　as　it　were；　laid　asleep。　All　courts　of　justice　were　closed；　debtors　could　not　be　seized；　small　crimes；　such　as　petty　larceny；　fighting；　and　assault；　escaped　with　impunity；　only　treason　and　murder　were　taken　account　of　and　the　malefactors　detained　till　the　great　seal　should　come　into　operation　again。　At　the　close　of　the　saturnalia　the　wicked　spirits　were　driven　away。　Great　masses　of　troops　and　artillery　having　been　drawn　up　with　flying　colours　and　all　the　pomp　of　war；　the　general　beginneth　then　to　offer　meat　offerings　to　the　criminal　devils　and　malevolent　spirits　（for　it　is　usual　and　customary　likewise　amongst　them　to　feast　the　condemned　before　their　execution）；　inviting　them　to　eat　and　drink；　when　presently　he　accuses　them　in　a　strange　language；　by　characters　and　figures；　etc。；　of　many　offences　and　crimes　committed　by　them；　as　to　their　having　disquieted　the　land；　killed　his　elephants　and　horses；　etc。；　for　all　which　they　justly　deserve　to　be　chastised　and　banished　the　country。　Whereupon　three　great　guns　are　fired　as　the　last　signal；　upon　which　all　the　artillery　and　musquets　are　discharged；　that；　by　their　most　terrible　noise　the　devils　may　be　driven　away；　and　they　are　so　blind　as　to　believe　for　certain；　that　they　really　and　effectually　put　them　to　flight。

In　Cambodia　the　expulsion　of　evil　spirits　took　place　in　March。　Bits　of　broken　statues　and　stones；　considered　as　the　abode　of　the　demons；　were　collected　and　brought　to　the　capital。　Here　as　many　elephants　were　collected　as　could　be　got　together。　On　the　evening　of　the　full　moon　volleys　of　musketry　were　fired　and　the　elephants　charged　furiously　to　put　the　devils　to　flight。　The　ceremony　was　performed　on　three　successive　days。　In　Siam　the　banishment　of　demons　is　annually　carried　into　effect　on　the　last　day　of　the　old　year。　A　signal　gun　is　fired　from　the　palace；　it　is　answered　from　the　next　station；　and　so　on　from　station　to　station；　till　the　firing　has　reached　the　outer　gate　of　the　city。　Thus　the　demons　are　driven　out　step　by　step。　As　soon　as　this　is　done　a　consecrated　rope　is　fastened　round　the　circuit　of　the　city　walls　to　prevent　the　banished　demons　from　returning。　The　rope　is　made　of　tough　couch…grass　and　is　painted　in　alternate　stripes　of　red；　yellow；　and　blue。

Annual　expulsions　of　demons；　witches；　or　evil　influences　appear　to　have　been　common　among　the　heathen　of　Europe；　if　we　may　judge　from　the　relics　of　such　customs　among　their　descendants　at　the　present　day。　Thus　among　the　heathen　Wotyaks；　a　Finnish　people　of　Eastern　Russia；　all　the　young　girls　of　the　village　assemble　on　the　last　day　of　the　year　or　on　New　Year's　Day；　armed　with　sticks；　the　ends　of　which　are　split　in　nine　places。　With　these　they　beat　every　corner　of　the　house　and　yard；　saying；　We　are　driving　Satan　out　of　the　village。　Afterwards　the　sticks　are　thrown　into　the　river　below　the　village；　and　as　they　float　down　stream　Satan　goes　with　them　to　the　next　village；　from　which　he　must　be　driven　out　in　turn。　In　some　villages　the　expulsion　is　managed　otherwise。　The　unmarried　men　receive　from　every　house　in　the　village　groats；　flesh；　and　brandy。　These　they　take　to　the　fields；　light　a　fire　under　a　fir…tree；　boil　the　groats；　and　eat　of　the　food　they　have　brought　with　them；　after　pronouncing　the　words；　Go　away　into　the　wilderness；　come　not　into　the　house。　Then　they　return　to　the　village　and　enter　every　house　where　there　are　young　women。　They　take　hold　of　the　young　women　and　throw　them　into　the　snow；　saying；　May　the　spirits　of　disease　leave　you。　The　remains　of　the　groats　and　the　other　food　are　then　distributed　among　all　the　houses　in　proportion　to　the　amount　that　each　contributed；　and　each　family　consumes　its　share。　According　to　a　Wotyak　of　the　Malmyz　district　the　young　men　throw　into　the　snow　whomever　they　find　in　the　houses；　and　this　is　called　driving　out　Satan；　moreover；　some　of　the　boiled　groats　are　cast　into　the　fire　with　the　words；　O　god；　afflict　us　not　with　sickness　and　pestilence；　give　us　not　up　as　a　prey　to　the　spirits　of　the　wood。　But　the　most　antique　form　of　the　ceremony　is　that　observed　by　the　Wotyaks　of　the　Kasan　Government。　First　of　all　a　sacrifice　is　offered　to　the　Devil　at　noon。　Then　all　the　men　assemble　on　horseback　in　the　centre　of　the　village；　and　decide　with　which　house　they　shall　begin。　When　this　question；　which　often　gives　rise　to　hot　disputes；　is　settled；　they　tether　their　horses　to　the　paling；　and　arm　themselves　with　whips；　clubs　of　lime…wood　and　bundles　of　lighted　twigs。　The　lighted　twigs　are　believed　to　have　the　greatest　terrors　for　Satan。　Thus　armed；　they　proceed　with　frightful　cries　to　beat　every　corner　of　the　house　and　yard；　then　shut　the　door；　and　spit　at　the　ejected　fiend。　So　they　go　from　house　to　house；　till　the　Devil　has　been　driven　from　every　one。　Then　they　mount　their　horses　and　ride　out　of　the　village；　yelling　wildly　and　brandishing　their　clubs　in　every　direction。　Outside　of　the　village　they　fling　away　the　clubs　and　spit　once　more　at　the　Devil。　The　Cheremiss；　another　Finnish　people　of　Eastern　Russia；　chase　Satan　from　their　dwellings　by　beating　the　walls　with　cudgels　of　lime…wood。　For　the　same　purpose　they　fire　guns；　stab　the　ground　with　knives；　and　insert　burning　chips　of　wood　in　the　crevices。　Also　they　leap　over　bonfires；　shaking　out　their　garments　as　they　do　so；　and　in　some　districts　they　blow　on　long　trumpets　of　lime…tree　bark　to　frighten　him　away。　When　he　has　fled　to　the　wood；　they　pelt　the　trees　with　some　of　the　cheese…cakes　and　eggs　which　furnished　the　feast。

In　Christian　Europe　the　old　heathen　custom　of　expelling　the　powers　of　evil　at　certain　times　of　the　year　has　survived　to　modern　times。　Thus　in　some　villages　of　Calabria　the　month　of　March　is　inaugurated　with　the　expulsion　of　the　witches。　It　takes　place　at　night　to　the　sound　of　the　church　bells；　the　people　running　about　the　streets　and　crying；　March　is　come。　They　say　that　the　witches　roam　about　in　March；　and　t