the golden bough-第43节

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e　heathen　Lithuanians　to　fell　their　sacred　groves；　a　multitude　of　women　besought　the　Prince　of　Lithuania　to　stop　him；　saying　that　with　the　woods　he　was　destroying　the　house　of　god　from　which　they　had　been　wont　to　get　rain　and　sunshine。　The　Mundaris　in　Assam　think　that　if　a　tree　in　the　sacred　grove　is　felled　the　sylvan　gods　evince　their　displeasure　by　withholding　rain。　In　order　to　procure　rain　the　inhabitants　of　Monyo；　a　village　in　the　Sagaing　district　of　Upper　Burma；　chose　the　largest　tamarind…tree　near　the　village　and　named　it　the　haunt　of　the　spirit　（nat）　who　controls　the　rain。　Then　they　offered　bread；　coco…nuts；　plantains；　and　fowls　to　the　guardian　spirit　of　the　village　and　to　the　spirit　who　gives　rain；　and　they　prayed；　O　Lord　nat　have　pity　on　us　poor　mortals；　and　stay　not　the　rain。　Inasmuch　as　our　offering　is　given　ungrudgingly；　let　the　rain　fall　day　and　night。　Afterwards　libations　were　made　in　honour　of　the　spirit　of　the　tamarind…tree；　and　still　later　three　elderly　women；　dressed　in　fine　clothes　and　wearing　necklaces　and　earrings；　sang　the　Rain　Song。

Again；　tree…spirits　make　the　crops　to　grow。　Amongst　the　Mundaris　every　village　has　its　sacred　grove；　and　the　grove　deities　are　held　responsible　for　the　crops；　and　are　especially　honoured　at　all　the　great　agricultural　festivals。　The　negroes　of　the　Gold　Coast　are　in　the　habit　of　sacrificing　at　the　foot　of　certain　tall　trees；　and　they　think　that　if　one　of　these　were　felled　all　the　fruits　of　the　earth　would　perish。　The　Gallas　dance　in　couples　round　sacred　trees；　praying　for　a　good　harvest。　Every　couple　consists　of　a　man　and　woman；　who　are　linked　together　by　a　stick；　of　which　each　holds　one　end。　Under　their　arms　they　carry　green　corn　or　grass。　Swedish　peasants　stick　a　leafy　branch　in　each　furrow　of　their　corn…fields；　believing　that　this　will　ensure　an　abundant　crop。　The　same　idea　comes　out　in　the　German　and　French　custom　of　the　Harvest…May。　This　is　a　large　branch　or　a　whole　tree；　which　is　decked　with　ears　of　corn；　brought　home　on　the　last　waggon　from　the　harvest…field；　and　fastened　on　the　roof　of　the　farmhouse　or　of　the　barn；　where　it　remains　for　a　year。　Mannhardt　has　proved　that　this　branch　or　tree　embodies　the　tree…spirit　conceived　as　the　spirit　of　vegetation　in　general；　whose　vivifying　and　fructifying　influence　is　thus　brought　to　bear　upon　the　corn　in　particular。　Hence　in　Swabia　the　Harvest…May　is　fastened　amongst　the　last　stalks　of　corn　left　standing　on　the　field；　in　other　places　it　is　planted　on　the　corn…field　and　the　last　sheaf　cut　is　attached　to　its　trunk。

Again；　the　tree…spirit　makes　the　herds　to　multiply　and　blesses　women　with　offspring。　In　Northern　India　the　Emblica　officinalis　is　a　sacred　tree。　On　the　eleventh　of　the　month　Phalgun　（February）　libations　are　poured　at　the　foot　of　the　tree；　a　red　or　yellow　string　is　bound　about　the　trunk；　and　prayers　are　offered　to　it　for　the　fruitfulness　of　women；　animals；　and　crops。　Again；　in　Northern　India　the　coco…nut　is　esteemed　one　of　the　most　sacred　fruits；　and　is　called　Sriphala；　or　the　fruit　of　Sri；　the　goddess　of　prosperity。　It　is　the　symbol　of　fertility；　and　all　through　Upper　India　is　kept　in　shrines　and　presented　by　the　priests　to　women　who　desire　to　become　mothers。　In　the　town　of　Qua；　near　Old　Calabar；　there　used　to　grow　a　palm…tree　which　ensured　conception　to　any　barren　woman　who　ate　a　nut　from　its　branches。　In　Europe　the　May…tree　or　May…pole　is　apparently　supposed　to　possess　similar　powers　over　both　women　and　cattle。　Thus　in　some　parts　of　Germany　on　the　first　of　May　the　peasants　set　up　May…trees　or　May…bushes　at　the　doors　of　stables　and　byres；　one　for　each　horse　and　cow；　this　is　thought　to　make　the　cows　yield　much　milk。　Of　the　Irish　we　are　told　that　they　fancy　a　green　bough　of　a　tree；　fastened　on　May…day　against　the　house；　will　produce　plenty　of　milk　that　summer。

On　the　second　of　July　some　of　the　Wends　used　to　set　up　an　oak…tree　in　the　middle　of　the　village　with　an　iron　cock　fastened　to　its　top；　then　they　danced　round　it；　and　drove　the　cattle　round　it　to　make　them　thrive。　The　Circassians　regard　the　pear…tree　as　the　protector　of　cattle。　So　they　cut　down　a　young　pear…tree　in　the　forest；　branch　it；　and　carry　it　home；　where　it　is　adored　as　a　divinity。　Almost　every　house　has　one　such　pear…tree。　In　autumn；　on　the　day　of　the　festival；　the　tree　is　carried　into　the　house　with　great　ceremony　to　the　sound　of　music　and　amid　the　joyous　cries　of　all　the　inmates；　who　compliment　it　on　its　fortunate　arrival。　It　is　covered　with　candles；　and　a　cheese　is　fastened　to　its　top。　Round　about　it　they　eat；　drink；　and　sing。　Then　they　bid　the　tree　good…bye　and　take　it　back　to　the　courtyard；　where　it　remains　for　the　rest　of　the　year；　set　up　against　the　wall；　without　receiving　any　mark　of　respect。

In　the　Tuhoe　tribe　of　Maoris　the　power　of　making　women　fruitful　is　ascribed　to　trees。　These　trees　are　associated　with　the　navel…strings　of　definite　mythical　ancestors；　as　indeed　the　navel…strings　of　all　children　used　to　be　hung　upon　them　down　to　quite　recent　times。　A　barren　woman　had　to　embrace　such　a　tree　with　her　arms；　and　she　received　a　male　or　a　female　child　according　as　she　embraced　the　east　or　the　west　side。　The　common　European　custom　of　placing　a　green　bush　on　May　Day　before　or　on　the　house　of　a　beloved　maiden　probably　originated　in　the　belief　of　the　fertilising　power　of　the　tree…spirit。　In　some　parts　of　Bavaria　such　bushes　are　set　up　also　at　the　houses　of　newly…married　pairs；　and　the　practice　is　only　omitted　if　the　wife　is　near　her　confinement；　for　in　that　case　they　say　that　the　husband　has　set　up　a　May…bush　for　himself。　Among　the　South　Slavonians　a　barren　woman；　who　desires　to　have　a　child；　places　a　new　chemise　upon　a　fruitful　tree　on　the　eve　of　St。　George's　Day。　Next　morning　before　sunrise　she　examines　the　garment；　and　if　she　finds　that　some　living　creature　has　crept　on　it；　she　hopes　that　her　wish　will　be　fulfilled　within　the　year。　Then　she　puts　on　the　chemise；　confident　that　she　will　be　as　fruitful　as　the　tree　on　which　the　garment　has　passed　the　night。　Among　the　Kara…Kirghiz　barren　women　roll　themselves　on　the　ground　under　a　solitary　apple…tree；　in　order　to　obtain　offspring。　Lastly；　the　power　of　granting　to　women　an　easy　delivery　at　child…birth　is　ascribed　to　trees　both　in　Sweden　and　Africa。　In　some　districts　of　Sweden　there　was　formerly　a　bardtr？d　or　guardian…tree　（lime；　ash；　or　elm）　in　the　neighbourhood　of　every　farm。　No　one　would　pluck　a　single　leaf　of　the　sacred　tree；　any　injury　to　which　was　punished　by　ill…luck　or　sickness。　Pregnant　women　used　to　clasp　the　tree　in　their　arms　in　order　to　ensure　an　easy　delivery。　In　some　negro　tribes　of　the　Congo　region　pregnant　women　make　themselves　garments　out　of　the　bark　of　a　certain　sacred　tree；　because　they　believe　that　this　tree　delivers　them　from　the　dangers　that　attend　child…bearing。　The　story　that　Leto　clasped　a　palm…tree　and　an　olive…tree　or　two　laurel…trees；　when　she　was　about　to　give　birth　to　the　divine　twins　Apollo　and　Artemis；　perhaps　points　to　a　similar　Greek　belief　in　the　efficacy　of　certain　trees　to　facilitate　delivery。

Chapter　10。　Relics　of　Tree　Worship　in　Modern　Europe

FROM　THE　FOREGOING　review　of　the　beneficent　qualities　commonly　ascribed　to　tree…spirits；　it　is　easy　to　understand　why　customs　like　the　May…tree　or　May…pole　have　prevailed　so　widely　and　figured　so　prominently　in　the　popular　festivals　of　European　peasants。　In　spring　or　early　summer　or　even　on　Midsummer　Day；　it　was　and　still　is　in　many　parts　of　Europe　the　custom　to　go　out　to　the　woods；　cut　down　a　tree　and　bring　it　into　the　village；　where　it　is　set　up　amid　general　rejoicings；　or　the　people　cut　branches　in　the　woods；　and　fasten　them　on　every　house。　The　intention　of　these　customs　is　to　bring　home　to　the　village；　and　to　each　house；　the　blessings　which　the　tree…spirit　has　in　its　power　to　bestow。　Hence　the　custom　in　some　places　of　planting　a　May…tree　before　every　house；　or　of　carrying　the　village　May…tree　from　door　to　door；　that　every　household　may　receive　its　share　of　the　blessing。　Out　of　the　mass　of　evidence　on　this　subject　a　few　examples　may　be　selected。

Sir　Henry　Piers；　in　his　Description　of　Westmeath；　writing　in　1682　says：　On　May…eve；　every　family　sets　up　before　their　door　a　green　bush；　strewed　over　with　yellow　flowers；　which　the　meadows　yield　plentifully。　In　countries　where　timber　is　plentiful；　they　erect　tall　slender　trees；　which　stand　high；　and　they　continue　almost　the　whole　year；　so　as　a　stranger　would　go　nigh　to　imagine　that　they　were　all　signs　of　ale…sellers；　and　that　all　houses　were　ale…houses。　In　Northamptonshire　a　young　tree　ten　or　twelve　feet　high　used　to　be　planted　before　each　house　on　May　Day　so　as　to　appear　growing；　flowers　were　thrown　over　it　and　strewn　about　the　door。　Among　ancient　customs　still　retained　by　the　Cornish；　may　be　reckoned　that　of　decking　their　doors　and　porches　on　the　first　of　May　with　green　boughs　of　sycamore　and　hawthorn；　and　of　planting　trees；　or　rather　stumps　of　trees；　before　their　houses。　In　the　north　of　England　it　was　formerly　the　custom　for　young　people　to　rise　a　little　after　midnight　on　the　morning　of　the　first　of　May；　and　go　out　with　music　and　the　blowing　of　horns　into　the　woods；　where　they　broke　branches　and　adorned　them　with　nosegays　and　crowns　of　flowers。　This　done；　they　returned　about