the golden bough-第216节

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ning　of　May　and　the　beginning　of　November　dates　from　a　time　when　the　Celts　were　mainly　a　pastoral　people；　dependent　for　their　subsistence　on　their　herds；　and　when　accordingly　the　great　epochs　of　the　year　for　them　were　the　days　on　which　the　cattle　went　forth　from　the　homestead　in　early　summer　and　returned　to　it　again　in　early　winter。　Even　in　Central　Europe；　remote　from　the　region　now　occupied　by　the　Celts；　a　similar　bisection　of　the　year　may　be　clearly　traced　in　the　great　popularity；　on　the　one　hand；　of　May　Day　and　its　Eve　（Walpurgis　Night）；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　of　the　Feast　of　All　Souls　at　the　beginning　of　November；　which　under　a　thin　Christian　cloak　conceals　an　ancient　pagan　festival　of　the　dead。　Hence　we　may　conjecture　that　everywhere　throughout　Europe　the　celestial　division　of　the　year　according　to　the　solstices　was　preceded　by　what　we　may　call　a　terrestrial　division　of　the　year　according　to　the　beginning　of　summer　and　the　beginning　of　winter。

Be　that　as　it　may；　the　two　great　Celtic　festivals　of　May　Day　and　the　first　of　November　or；　to　be　more　accurate；　the　Eves　of　these　two　days；　closely　resemble　each　other　in　the　manner　of　their　celebration　and　in　the　superstitions　associated　with　them；　and　alike；　by　the　antique　character　impressed　upon　both；　betray　a　remote　and　purely　pagan　origin。　The　festival　of　May　Day　or　Beltane；　as　the　Celts　called　it；　which　ushered　in　summer；　has　already　been　described；　it　remains　to　give　some　account　of　the　corresponding　festival　of　Hallowe'en；　which　announced　the　arrival　of　winter。

Of　the　two　feasts　Hallowe'en　was　perhaps　of　old　the　more　important；　since　the　Celts　would　seem　to　have　dated　the　beginning　of　the　year　from　it　rather　than　from　Beltane。　In　the　Isle　of　Man；　one　of　the　fortresses　in　which　the　Celtic　language　and　lore　longest　held　out　against　the　siege　of　the　Saxon　invaders；　the　first　of　November；　Old　Style；　has　been　regarded　as　New　Year's　day　down　to　recent　times。　Thus　Manx　mummers　used　to　go　round　on　Hallowe'en　（Old　Style）；　singing；　in　the　Manx　language；　a　sort　of　Hogmanay　song　which　began　To…night　is　New　Year's　Night；　Hogunnaa！　In　ancient　Ireland；　a　new　fire　used　to　be　kindled　every　year　on　Hallowe'en　or　the　Eve　of　Samhain；　and　from　this　sacred　flame　all　the　fires　in　Ireland　were　rekindled。　Such　a　custom　points　strongly　to　Samhain　or　All　Saints'　Day　（the　first　of　November）　as　New　Year's　Day；　since　the　annual　kindling　of　a　new　fire　takes　place　most　naturally　at　the　beginning　of　the　year；　in　order　that　the　blessed　influence　of　the　fresh　fire　may　last　throughout　the　whole　period　of　twelve　months。　Another　confirmation　of　the　view　that　the　Celts　dated　their　year　from　the　first　of　November　is　furnished　by　the　manifold　modes　of　divination　which　were　commonly　resorted　to　by　Celtic　peoples　on　Hallowe'en　for　the　purpose　of　ascertaining　their　destiny；　especially　their　fortune　in　the　coming　year；　for　when　could　these　devices　for　prying　into　the　future　be　more　reasonably　put　in　practice　than　at　the　beginning　of　the　year？　As　a　season　of　omens　and　auguries　Hallowe'en　seems　to　have　far　surpassed　Beltane　in　the　imagination　of　the　Celts；　from　which　we　may　with　some　probability　infer　that　they　reckoned　their　year　from　Hallowe'en　rather　than　Beltane。　Another　circumstance　of　great　moment　which　points　to　the　same　conclusion　is　the　association　of　the　dead　with　Hallowe'en。　Not　only　among　the　Celts　but　throughout　Europe；　Hallowe'en；　the　night　which　marks　the　transition　from　autumn　to　winter；　seems　to　have　been　of　old　the　time　of　year　when　the　souls　of　the　departed　were　supposed　to　revisit　their　old　homes　in　order　to　warm　themselves　by　the　fire　and　to　comfort　themselves　with　the　good　cheer　provided　for　them　in　the　kitchen　or　the　parlour　by　their　affectionate　kinsfolk。　It　was；　perhaps；　a　natural　thought　that　the　approach　of　winter　should　drive　the　poor　shivering　hungry　ghosts　from　the　bare　fields　and　the　leafless　woodlands　to　the　shelter　of　the　cottage　with　its　familiar　fireside。　Did　not　the　lowing　kine　then　troop　back　from　the　summer　pastures　in　the　forests　and　on　the　hills　to　be　fed　and　cared　for　in　the　stalls；　while　the　bleak　winds　whistled　among　the　swaying　boughs　and　the　snow…drifts　deepened　in　the　hollows？　and　could　the　good…man　and　the　good…wife　deny　to　the　spirits　of　their　dead　the　welcome　which　they　gave　to　the　cows？

But　it　is　not　only　the　souls　of　the　departed　who　are　supposed　to　be　hovering　unseen　on　the　day　when　autumn　to　winter　resigns　the　pale　year。　Witches　then　speed　on　their　errands　of　mischief；　some　sweeping　through　the　air　on　besoms；　others　galloping　along　the　roads　on　tabby…cats；　which　for　that　evening　are　turned　into　coal…black　steeds。　The　fairies；　too；　are　all　let　loose；　and　hobgoblins　of　every　sort　roam　freely　about。

Yet　while　a　glamour　of　mystery　and　awe　has　always　clung　to　Hallowe'en　in　the　minds　of　the　Celtic　peasantry；　the　popular　celebration　of　the　festival　has　been；　at　least　in　modern　times；　by　no　means　of　a　prevailing　gloomy　cast；　on　the　contrary　it　has　been　attended　by　picturesque　features　and　merry　pastimes；　which　rendered　it　the　gayest　night　of　all　the　year。　Amongst　the　things　which　in　the　Highlands　of　Scotland　contributed　to　invest　the　festival　with　a　romantic　beauty　were　the　bonfires　which　used　to　blaze　at　frequent　intervals　on　the　heights。　On　the　last　day　of　autumn　children　gathered　ferns；　tar…barrels；　the　long　thin　stalks　called　gàinisg；　and　everything　suitable　for　a　bonfire。　These　were　placed　in　a　heap　on　some　eminence　near　the　house；　and　in　the　evening　set　fire　to。　The　fires　were　called　Samhnagan。　There　was　one　for　each　house；　and　it　was　an　object　of　ambition　who　should　have　the　biggest。　Whole　districts　were　brilliant　with　bonfires；　and　their　glare　across　a　Highland　loch；　and　from　many　eminences；　formed　an　exceedingly　picturesque　scene。　Like　the　Beltane　fires　on　the　first　of　May；　the　Hallowe'en　bonfires　seem　to　have　been　kindled　most　commonly　in　the　Perthshire　Highlands。　In　the　parish　of　Callander　they　still　blazed　down　to　near　the　end　of　the　eighteenth　century。　When　the　fire　had　died　down；　the　ashes　were　carefully　collected　in　the　form　of　a　circle；　and　a　stone　was　put　in；　near　the　circumference；　for　every　person　of　the　several　families　interested　in　the　bonfire。　Next　morning；　if　any　of　these　stones　was　found　to　be　displaced　or　injured；　the　people　made　sure　that　the　person　represented　by　it　was　fey　or　devoted；　and　that　he　could　not　live　twelve　months　from　that　day。　At　Balquhidder　down　to　the　latter　part　of　the　nineteenth　century　each　household　kindled　its　bonfire　at　Hallowe'en；　but　the　custom　was　chiefly　observed　by　children。　The　fires　were　lighted　on　any　high　knoll　near　the　house；　there　was　no　dancing　round　them。　Hallowe'en　fires　were　also　lighted　in　some　districts　of　the　north…east　of　Scotland；　such　as　Buchan。　Villagers　and　farmers　alike　must　have　their　fire。　In　the　villages　the　boys　went　from　house　to　house　and　begged　a　peat　from　each　householder；　usually　with　the　words；　Ge's　a　peat　t'　burn　the　witches。　When　they　had　collected　enough　peats；　they　piled　them　in　a　heap；　together　with　straw；　furze；　and　other　combustible　materials；　and　set　the　whole　on　fire。　Then　each　of　the　youths；　one　after　another；　laid　himself　down　on　the　ground　as　near　to　the　fire　as　he　could　without　being　scorched；　and　thus　lying　allowed　the　smoke　to　roll　over　him。　The　others　ran　through　the　smoke　and　jumped　over　their　prostrate　comrade。　When　the　heap　was　burned　down；　they　scattered　the　ashes；　vying　with　each　other　who　should　scatter　them　most。

In　the　northern　part　of　Wales　it　used　to　be　customary　for　every　family　to　make　a　great　bonfire　called　Coel　Coeth　on　Hallowe'en。　The　fire　was　kindled　on　the　most　conspicuous　spot　near　the　house；　and　when　it　had　nearly　gone　out　every　one　threw　into　the　ashes　a　white　stone；　which　he　had　first　marked。　Then　having　said　their　prayers　round　the　fire；　they　went　to　bed。　Next　morning；　as　soon　as　they　were　up；　they　came　to　search　out　the　stones；　and　if　any　one　of　them　was　found　to　be　missing；　they　had　a　notion　that　the　person　who　threw　it　would　die　before　he　saw　another　Hallowe'en。　According　to　Sir　John　Rhys；　the　habit　of　celebrating　Hallowe'en　by　lighting　bonfires　on　the　hills　is　perhaps　not　yet　extinct　in　Wales；　and　men　still　living　can　remember　how　the　people　who　assisted　at　the　bonfires　would　wait　till　the　last　spark　was　out　and　then　would　suddenly　take　to　their　heels；　shouting　at　the　top　of　their　voices；　The　cropped　black　sow　seize　the　hindmost！　The　saying；　as　Sir　John　Rhys　justly　remarks；　implies　that　originally　one　of　the　company　became　a　victim　in　dead　earnest。　Down　to　the　present　time　the　saying　is　current　in　Carnarvonshire；　where　allusions　to　the　cutty　black　sow　are　still　occasionally　made　to　frighten　children。　We　can　now　understand　why　in　Lower　Brittany　every　person　throws　a　pebble　into　the　midsummer　bonfire。　Doubtless　there；　as　in　Wales　and　the　Highlands　of　Scotland；　omens　of　life　and　death　have　at　one　time　or　other　been　drawn　from　the　position　and　state　of　the　pebbles　on　the　morning　of　All　Saints'　Day。　The　custom；　thus　found　among　three　separate　branches　of　the　Celtic　stock；　probably　dates　from　a　period　before　their　dispersion；　or　at　least　from　a　time　when　alien　races　had　not　yet　driven　home　the　wedges　of　separation　between　them。

In　the　Isle　of　Man　als