the golden bough-第191节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ng　about　the　streets　and　crying；　March　is　come。　They　say　that　the　witches　roam　about　in　March；　and　the　ceremony　is　repeated　every　Friday　evening　during　the　month。　Often；　as　might　have　been　anticipated；　the　ancient　pagan　rite　has　attached　itself　to　church　festivals。　In　Albania　on　Easter　Eve　the　young　people　light　torches　of　resinous　wood　and　march　in　procession；　swinging　them；　through　the　village。　At　last　they　throw　the　torches　into　the　river；　crying；　Ha；　Kore！　we　throw　you　into　the　river；　like　these　torches；　that　you　may　never　return。　Silesian　peasants　believe　that　on　Good　Friday　the　witches　go　their　rounds　and　have　great　power　for　mischief。　Hence　about　Oels；　near　Strehlitz；　the　people　on　that　day　arm　themselves　with　old　brooms　and　drive　the　witches　from　house　and　home；　from　farmyard　and　cattle…stall；　making　a　great　uproar　and　clatter　as　they　do　so。

In　Central　Europe　the　favourite　time　for　expelling　the　witches　is；　or　was；　Walpurgis　Night；　the　Eve　of　May　Day；　when　the　baleful　powers　of　these　mischievous　beings　were　supposed　to　be　at　their　height。　In　the　Tyrol；　for　example；　as　in　other　places；　the　expulsion　of　the　powers　of　evil　at　this　season　goes　by　the　name　of　Burning　out　the　Witches。　It　takes　place　on　May　Day；　but　people　have　been　busy　with　their　preparations　for　days　before。　On　a　Thursday　at　midnight　bundles　are　made　up　of　resinous　splinters；　black　and　red　spotted　hemlock；　caperspurge；　rosemary；　and　twigs　of　the　sloe。　These　are　kept　and　burned　on　May　Day　by　men　who　must　first　have　received　plenary　absolution　from　the　Church。　On　the　last　three　days　of　April　all　the　houses　are　cleansed　and　fumigated　with　juniper　berries　and　rue。　On　May　Day；　when　the　evening　bell　has　rung　and　the　twilight　is　falling；　the　ceremony　of　Burning　out　the　Witches　begins。　Men　and　boys　make　a　racket　with　whips；　bells；　pots；　and　pans；　the　women　carry　censers；　the　dogs　are　unchained　and　run　barking　and　yelping　about。　As　soon　as　the　church　bells　begin　to　ring；　the　bundles　of　twigs；　fastened　on　poles；　are　set　on　fire　and　the　incense　is　ignited。　Then　all　the　house…bells　and　dinner…bells　are　rung；　pots　and　pans　are　clashed；　dogs　bark；　every　one　must　make　a　noise。　And　amid　this　hubbub　all　scream　at　the　pitch　of　their　voices：

Witch　flee；　flee　from　here；　or　it　will　go　ill　with　thee。

Then　they　run　seven　times　round　the　houses；　the　yards；　and　the　village。　So　the　witches　are　smoked　out　of　their　lurking…places　and　driven　away。　The　custom　of　expelling　the　witches　on　Walpurgis　Night　is　still；　or　was　down　to　recent　years；　observed　in　many　parts　of　Bavaria　and　among　the　Germans　of　Bohemia。　Thus　in　the　B？hmer…wald　Mountains　all　the　young　fellows　of　the　village　assemble　after　sunset　on　some　height；　especially　at　a　cross…road；　and　crack　whips　for　a　while　in　unison　with　all　their　strength。　This　drives　away　the　witches；　for　so　far　as　the　sound　of　the　whips　is　heard；　these　maleficent　beings　can　do　no　harm。　In　some　places；　while　the　young　men　are　cracking　their　whips；　the　herdsmen　wind　their　horns；　and　the　long…drawn　notes；　heard　far　off　in　the　silence　of　night；　are　very　effectual　for　banning　the　witches。

Another　witching　time　is　the　period　of　twelve　days　between　Christmas　and　Epiphany。　Hence　in　some　parts　of　Silesia　the　people　burn　pine…resin　all　night　long　between　Christmas　and　the　New　Year　in　order　that　the　pungent　smoke　may　drive　witches　and　evil　spirits　far　away　from　house　and　homestead；　and　on　Christmas　Eve　and　New　Year's　Eve　they　fire　shots　over　fields　and　meadows；　into　shrubs　and　trees；　and　wrap　straw　round　the　fruit…trees；　to　prevent　the　spirits　from　doing　them　harm。　On　New　Year's　Eve；　which　is　Saint　Sylvester's　Day；　Bohemian　lads；　armed　with　guns；　form　themselves　into　circles　and　fire　thrice　into　the　air。　This　is　called　Shooting　the　Witches　and　is　supposed　to　frighten　the　witches　away。　The　last　of　the　mystic　twelve　days　is　Epiphany　or　Twelfth　Night；　and　it　has　been　selected　as　a　proper　season　for　the　expulsion　of　the　powers　of　evil　in　various　parts　of　Europe。　Thus　at　Brunnen；　on　the　Lake　of　Lucerne；　boys　go　about　in　procession　on　Twelfth　Night　carrying　torches　and　making　a　great　noise　with　horns；　bells；　whips；　and　so　forth　to　frighten　away　two　female　spirits　of　the　wood；　Strudeli　and　Str？tteli。　The　people　think　that　if　they　do　not　make　enough　noise；　there　will　be　little　fruit　that　year。　Again；　in　Labruguière；　a　canton　of　Southern　France；　on　the　eve　of　Twelfth　Day　the　people　run　through　the　streets；　jangling　bells；　clattering　kettles；　and　doing　everything　to　make　a　discordant　noise。　Then　by　the　light　of　torches　and　blazing　faggots　they　set　up　a　prodigious　hue　and　cry；　an　ear…splitting　uproar；　hoping　thereby　to　chase　all　the　wandering　ghosts　and　devils　from　the　town。

Chapter　57。　Public　Scapegoats。

1。　The　Expulsion　of　Embodied　Evils

THUS　far　we　have　dealt　with　that　class　of　the　general　expulsion　of　evils　which　I　have　called　direct　or　immediate。　In　this　class　the　evils　are　invisible；　at　least　to　common　eyes；　and　the　mode　of　deliverance　consists　for　the　most　part　in　beating　the　empty　air　and　raising　such　a　hubbub　as　may　scare　the　mischievous　spirits　and　put　them　to　flight。　It　remains　to　illustrate　the　second　class　of　expulsions；　in　which　the　evil　influences　are　embodied　in　a　visible　form　or　are　at　least　supposed　to　be　loaded　upon　a　material　medium；　which　acts　as　a　vehicle　to　draw　them　off　from　the　people；　village；　or　town。

The　Pomos　of　California　celebrate　an　expulsion　of　devils　every　seven　years；　at　which　the　devils　are　represented　by　disguised　men。　Twenty　or　thirty　men　array　themselves　in　harlequin　rig　and　barbaric　paint；　and　put　vessels　of　pitch　on　their　heads；　then　they　secretly　go　out　into　the　surrounding　mountains。　These　are　to　personify　the　devils。　A　herald　goes　up　to　the　top　of　the　assembly…house；　and　makes　a　speech　to　the　multitude。　At　a　signal　agreed　upon　in　the　evening　the　masqueraders　come　in　from　the　mountains；　with　the　vessels　of　pitch　flaming　on　their　heads；　and　with　all　the　frightful　accessories　of　noise；　motion；　and　costume　which　the　savage　mind　can　devise　in　representation　of　demons。　The　terrified　women　and　children　flee　for　life；　the　men　huddle　them　inside　a　circle；　and；　on　the　principle　of　fighting　the　devil　with　fire；　they　swing　blazing　firebrands　in　the　air；　yell；　whoop；　and　make　frantic　dashes　at　the　marauding　and　bloodthirsty　devils；　so　creating　a　terrific　spectacle；　and　striking　great　fear　into　the　hearts　of　the　assembled　hundreds　of　women；　who　are　screaming　and　fainting　and　clinging　to　their　valorous　protectors。　Finally　the　devils　succeed　in　getting　into　the　assembly…house；　and　the　bravest　of　the　men　enter　and　hold　a　parley　with　them。　As　a　conclusion　of　the　whole　farce；　the　men　summon　courage；　the　devils　are　expelled　from　the　assembly…house；　and　with　a　prodigious　row　and　racket　of　sham　fighting　are　chased　away　into　the　mountains。　In　spring；　as　soon　as　the　willow…leaves　were　full　grown　on　the　banks　of　the　river；　the　Mandan　Indians　celebrated　their　great　annual　festival；　one　of　the　features　of　which　was　the　expulsion　of　the　devil。　A　man；　painted　black　to　represent　the　devil；　entered　the　village　from　the　prairie；　chased　and　frightened　the　women；　and　acted　the　part　of　a　buffalo　bull　in　the　buffalo　dance；　the　object　of　which　was　to　ensure　a　plentiful　supply　of　buffaloes　during　the　ensuing　year。　Finally　he　was　chased　from　the　village；　the　women　pursuing　him　with　hisses　and　gibes；　beating　him　with　sticks；　and　pelting　him　with　dirt。

Some　of　the　native　tribes　of　Central　Queensland　believe　in　a　noxious　being　called　Molonga；　who　prowls　unseen　and　would　kill　men　and　violate　women　if　certain　ceremonies　were　not　performed。　These　ceremonies　last　for　five　nights　and　consist　of　dances；　in　which　only　men；　fantastically　painted　and　adorned；　take　part。　On　the　fifth　night　Molonga　himself；　personified　by　a　man　tricked　out　with　red　ochre　and　feathers　and　carrying　a　long　feather…tipped　spear；　rushes　forth　from　the　darkness　at　the　spectators　and　makes　as　if　he　would　run　them　through。　Great　is　the　excitement；　loud　are　the　shrieks　and　shouts；　but　after　another　feigned　attack　the　demon　vanishes　in　the　gloom。　On　the　last　night　of　the　year　the　palace　of　the　Kings　of　Cambodia　is　purged　of　devils。　Men　painted　as　fiends　are　chased　by　elephants　about　the　palace　courts。　When　they　have　been　expelled；　a　consecrated　thread　of　cotton　is　stretched　round　the　palace　to　keep　them　out。　In　Munzerabad；　a　district　of　Mysore　in　Southern　India；　when　cholera　or　smallpox　has　broken　out　in　a　parish；　the　inhabitants　assemble　and　conjure　the　demon　of　the　disease　into　a　wooden　image；　which　they　carry；　generally　at　midnight；　into　the　next　parish。　The　inhabitants　of　that　parish　in　like　manner　pass　the　image　on　to　their　neighbours；　and　thus　the　demon　is　expelled　from　one　village　after　another；　until　he　comes　to　the　bank　of　a　river　into　which　he　is　finally　thrown。

Oftener；　however；　the　expelled　demons　are　not　represented　at　all；　but　are　understood　to　be　present　invisibly　in　the　material　and　visible　vehicle　which　conveys　them　away。　Here；　again；　it　will　be　convenient　to　distinguish　between　occasional　and　periodical　expulsions。　We　begin　with　the　former。

2。　The　Occasional　Expulsion　of　Evils　in　a　Material　Vehicle

THE　VEHICLE　which　conveys　away　the　demons　may　be　of　various　kinds。　A　c