the golden bough-第221节

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e　actually　to　pass　over　the　ground　which　is　to　receive　its　quickening　and　kindly　influence。　Once　more；　the　custom　of　carrying　lighted　brands　round　cattle　is　plainly　equivalent　to　driving　the　animals　through　the　bonfire；　and　if　the　bonfire　is　a　suncharm；　the　torches　must　be　so　also。

3。　The　Purificatory　Theory　of　the　Fire…festivals

THUS　far　we　have　considered　what　may　be　said　for　the　theory　that　at　the　European　fire…festivals　the　fire　is　kindled　as　a　charm　to　ensure　an　abundant　supply　of　sunshine　for　man　and　beast；　for　corn　and　fruits。　It　remains　to　consider　what　may　be　said　against　this　theory　and　in　favour　of　the　view　that　in　these　rites　fire　is　employed　not　as　a　creative　but　as　a　cleansing　agent；　which　purifies　men；　animals；　and　plants　by　burning　up　and　consuming　the　noxious　elements；　whether　material　or　spiritual；　which　menace　all　living　things　with　disease　and　death。

First；　then；　it　is　to　be　observed　that　the　people　who　practise　the　fire…customs　appear　never　to　allege　the　solar　theory　in　explanation　of　them；　while　on　the　contrary　they　do　frequently　and　emphatically　put　forward　the　purificatory　theory。　This　is　a　strong　argument　in　favour　of　the　purificatory　and　against　the　solar　theory；　for　the　popular　explanation　of　a　popular　custom　is　never　to　be　rejected　except　for　grave　cause。　And　in　the　present　case　there　seems　to　be　no　adequate　reason　for　rejecting　it。　The　conception　of　fire　as　a　destructive　agent；　which　can　be　turned　to　account　for　the　consumption　of　evil　things；　is　so　simple　and　obvious　that　it　could　hardly　escape　the　minds　even　of　the　rude　peasantry　with　whom　these　festivals　originated。　On　the　other　hand　the　conception　of　fire　as　an　emanation　of　the　sun；　or　at　all　events　as　linked　to　it　by　a　bond　of　physical　sympathy；　is　far　less　simple　and　obvious；　and　though　the　use　of　fire　as　a　charm　to　produce　sunshine　appears　to　be　undeniable；　nevertheless　in　attempting　to　explain　popular　customs　we　should　never　have　recourse　to　a　more　recondite　idea　when　a　simpler　one　lies　to　hand　and　is　supported　by　the　explicit　testimony　of　the　people　themselves。　Now　in　the　case　of　the　fire…festivals　the　destructive　aspect　of　fire　is　one　upon　which　the　people　dwell　again　and　again；　and　it　is　highly　significant　that　the　great　evil　against　which　the　fire　is　directed　appears　to　be　witchcraft。　Again　and　again　we　are　told　that　the　fires　are　intended　to　burn　or　repel　the　witches；　and　the　intention　is　sometimes　graphically　expressed　by　burning　an　effigy　of　a　witch　in　the　fire。　Hence；　when　we　remember　the　great　hold　which　the　dread　of　witchcraft　has　had　on　the　popular　European　mind　in　all　ages；　we　may　suspect　that　the　primary　intention　of　all　these　fire…festivals　was　simply　to　destroy　or　at　all　events　get　rid　of　the　witches；　who　were　regarded　as　the　causes　of　nearly　all　the　misfortunes　and　calamities　that　befall　men；　their　cattle；　and　their　crops。

This　suspicion　is　confirmed　when　we　examine　the　evils　for　which　the　bonfires　and　torches　were　supposed　to　provide　a　remedy。　Foremost；　perhaps；　among　these　evils　we　may　reckon　the　diseases　of　cattle；　and　of　all　the　ills　that　witches　are　believed　to　work　there　is　probably　none　which　is　so　constantly　insisted　on　as　the　harm　they　do　to　the　herds；　particularly　by　stealing　the　milk　from　the　cows。　Now　it　is　significant　that　the　need…fire；　which　may　perhaps　be　regarded　as　the　parent　of　the　periodic　fire…festivals；　is　kindled　above　all　as　a　remedy　for　a　murrain　or　other　disease　of　cattle；　and　the　circumstance　suggests；　what　on　general　grounds　seems　probable；　that　the　custom　of　kindling　the　need…fire　goes　back　to　a　time　when　the　ancestors　of　the　European　peoples　subsisted　chiefly　on　the　products　of　their　herds；　and　when　agriculture　as　yet　played　a　subordinate　part　in　their　lives。　Witches　and　wolves　are　the　two　great　foes　still　dreaded　by　the　herdsman　in　many　parts　of　Europe；　and　we　need　not　wonder　that　he　should　resort　to　fire　as　a　powerful　means　of　banning　them　both。　Among　Slavonic　peoples　it　appears　that　the　foes　whom　the　need…fire　is　designed　to　combat　are　not　so　much　living　witches　as　vampyres　and　other　evil　spirits；　and　the　ceremony　aims　rather　at　repelling　these　baleful　beings　than　at　actually　consuming　them　in　the　flames。　But　for　our　present　purpose　these　distinctions　are　immaterial。　The　important　thing　to　observe　is　that　among　the　Slavs　the　need…fire；　which　is　probably　the　original　of　all　the　ceremonial　fires　now　under　consideration；　is　not　a　sun…charm；　but　clearly　and　unmistakably　nothing　but　a　means　of　protecting　man　and　beast　against　the　attacks　of　maleficent　creatures；　whom　the　peasant　thinks　to　burn　or　scare　by　the　heat　of　the　fire；　just　as　he　might　burn　or　scare　wild　animals。

Again；　the　bonfires　are　often　supposed　to　protect　the　fields　against　hail　and　the　homestead　against　thunder　and　lightning。　But　both　hail　and　thunderstorms　are　frequently　thought　to　be　caused　by　witches；　hence　the　fire　which　bans　the　witches　necessarily　serves　at　the　same　time　as　a　talisman　against　hail；　thunder；　and　lightning。　Further；　brands　taken　from　the　bonfires　are　commonly　kept　in　the　houses　to　guard　them　against　conflagration；　and　though　this　may　perhaps　be　done　on　the　principle　of　homoeopathic　magic；　one　fire　being　thought　to　act　as　a　preventive　of　another；　it　is　also　possible　that　the　intention　may　be　to　keep　witch…incendiaries　at　bay。　Again；　people　leap　over　the　bonfires　as　a　preventive　of　colic；　and　look　at　the　flames　steadily　in　order　to　preserve　their　eyes　in　good　health；　and　both　colic　and　sore　eyes　are　in　Germany；　and　probably　elsewhere；　set　down　to　the　machinations　of　witches。　Once　more；　to　leap　over　the　midsummer　fires　or　to　circumambulate　them　is　thought　to　prevent　a　person　from　feeling　pains　in　his　back　at　reaping；　and　in　Germany　such　pains　are　called　witch…shots　and　ascribed　to　witchcraft。

But　if　the　bonfires　and　torches　of　the　fire…festivals　are　to　be　regarded　primarily　as　weapons　directed　against　witches　and　wizards；　it　becomes　probable　that　the　same　explanation　applies　not　only　to　the　flaming　discs　which　are　hurled　into　the　air；　but　also　to　the　burning　wheels　which　are　rolled　down　hill　on　these　occasions；　discs　and　wheels；　we　may　suppose；　are　alike　intended　to　burn　the　witches　who　hover　invisible　in　the　air　or　haunt　unseen　the　fields；　the　orchards；　and　the　vineyards　on　the　hillside。　Certainly　witches　are　constantly　thought　to　ride　through　the　air　on　broomsticks　or　other　equally　convenient　vehicles；　and　if　they　do　so；　how　can　you　get　at　them　so　effectually　as　by　hurling　lighted　missiles；　whether　discs；　torches；　or　besoms；　after　them　as　they　flit　past　overhead　in　the　gloom？　The　South　Slavonian　peasant　believes　that　witches　ride　in　the　dark　hail…clouds；　so　he　shoots　at　the　clouds　to　bring　down　the　hags；　while　he　curses　them；　saying；　Curse；　curse　Herodias；　thy　mother　is　a　heathen；　damned　of　God　and　fettered　through　the　Redeemer's　blood。　Also　he　brings　out　a　pot　of　glowing　charcoal　on　which　he　has　thrown　holy　oil；　laurel　leaves；　and　wormwood　to　make　a　smoke。　The　fumes　are　supposed　to　ascend　to　the　clouds　and　stupefy　the　witches；　so　that　they　tumble　down　to　earth。　And　in　order　that　they　may　not　fall　soft；　but　may　hurt　themselves　very　much；　the　yokel　hastily　brings　out　a　chair　and　tilts　it　bottom　up　so　that　the　witch　in　falling　may　break　her　legs　on　the　legs　of　the　chair。　Worse　than　that；　he　cruelly　lays　scythes；　bill…hooks；　and　other　formidable　weapons　edge　upwards　so　as　to　cut　and　mangle　the　poor　wretches　when　they　drop　plump　upon　them　from　the　clouds。

On　this　view　the　fertility　supposed　to　follow　the　application　of　fire　in　the　form　of　bonfires；　torches；　discs；　rolling　wheels；　and　so　forth；　is　not　conceived　as　resulting　directly　from　an　increase　of　solar　heat　which　the　fire　has　magically　generated；　it　is　merely　an　indirect　result　obtained　by　freeing　the　reproductive　powers　of　plants　and　animals　from　the　fatal　obstruction　of　witchcraft。　And　what　is　true　of　the　reproduction　of　plants　and　animals　may　hold　good　also　of　the　fertility　of　the　human　sexes。　The　bonfires　are　supposed　to　promote　marriage　and　to　procure　offspring　for　childless　couples。　This　happy　effect　need　not　flow　directly　from　any　quickening　or　fertilising　energy　in　the　fire；　it　may　follow　indirectly　from　the　power　of　the　fire　to　remove　those　obstacles　which　the　spells　of　witches　and　wizards　notoriously　present　to　the　union　of　man　and　wife。

On　the　whole；　then；　the　theory　of　the　purificatory　virtue　of　the　ceremonial　fires　appears　more　probable　and　more　in　accordance　with　the　evidence　than　the　opposing　theory　of　their　connexion　with　the　sun。

Chapter　64。　The　Burning　of　Human　Beings　in　the　Fires。

1。　The　Burning　ofEffigies　in　the　Fires

WE　have　still　to　ask；　What　is　the　meaning　of　burning　effigies　in　the　fire　at　these　festivals？　After　the　preceding　investigation　the　answer　to　the　question　seems　obvious。　As　the　fires　are　often　alleged　to　be　kindled　for　the　purpose　of　burning　the　witches；　and　as　the　effigy　burnt　in　them　is　sometimes　called　the　Witch；　we　might　naturally　be　disposed　to　conclude　that　all　the　effigies　consumed　in　the　flames　on　these　occasions　represent　witches　or　warlocks；　and　that　the　custom　of　burning　them　is　merely　a　substitute　for　burning　the　wicked　men　and　women　themselves；　since　on　the　principle　of　homoeopathic　or　imitativ