the golden bough-第52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！


　idol　for　the　people。　They　showed　her　the　utmost　reverence　and　deemed　her　divine。　Every　year　about　the　middle　of　March；　when　the　season　for　fishing　with　the　dragnet　began；　the　Algonquins　and　Hurons　married　their　nets　to　two　young　girls；　aged　six　or　seven。　At　the　wedding　feast　the　net　was　placed　between　the　two　maidens；　and　was　exhorted　to　take　courage　and　catch　many　fish。　The　reason　for　choosing　the　brides　so　young　was　to　make　sure　that　they　were　virgins。　The　origin　of　the　custom　is　said　to　have　been　this。　One　year；　when　the　fishing　season　came　round；　the　Algonquins　cast　their　nets　as　usual；　but　took　nothing。　Surprised　at　their　want　of　success；　they　did　not　know　what　to　make　of　it；　till　the　soul　or　genius　（oki）　of　the　net　appeared　to　them　in　the　likeness　of　a　tall　well…built　man；　who　said　to　them　in　a　great　passion；　I　have　lost　my　wife　and　I　cannot　find　one　who　has　known　no　other　man　but　me；　that　is　why　you　do　not　succeed；　and　why　you　never　will　succeed　till　you　give　me　satisfaction　on　this　head。　So　the　Algonquins　held　a　council　and　resolved　to　appease　the　spirit　of　the　net　by　marrying　him　to　two　such　very　young　girls　that　he　could　have　no　ground　of　complaint　on　that　score　for　the　future。　They　did　so；　and　the　fishing　turned　out　all　that　could　be　wished。　The　thing　got　wind　among　their　neighbours　the　Hurons；　and　they　adopted　the　custom。　A　share　of　the　catch　was　always　given　to　the　families　of　the　two　girls　who　acted　as　brides　of　the　net　for　the　year。

The　Oraons　of　Bengal　worship　the　Earth　as　a　goddess；　and　annually　celebrate　her　marriage　with　the　Sun…god　Dharmeˉ　at　the　time　when　the　saˉl　tree　is　in　blossom。　The　ceremony　is　as　follows。　All　bathe；　then　the　men　repair　to　the　sacred　grove　（sarna）；　while　the　women　assemble　at　the　house　of　the　village　priest。　After　sacrificing　some　fowls　to　the　Sun…god　and　the　demon　of　the　grove；　the　men　eat　and　drink。　The　priest　is　then　carried　back　to　the　village　on　the　shoulders　of　a　strong　man。　Near　the　village　the　women　meet　the　men　and　wash　their　feet。　With　beating　of　drums　and　singing；　dancing；　and　jumping；　all　proceed　to　the　priest's　house；　which　has　been　decorated　with　leaves　and　flowers。　Then　the　usual　form　of　marriage　is　performed　between　the　priest　and　his　wife；　symbolising　the　supposed　union　between　Sun　and　Earth。　After　the　ceremony　all　eat　and　drink　and　make　merry；　they　dance　and　sing　obscene　songs；　and　finally　indulge　in　the　vilest　orgies。　The　object　is　to　move　the　mother　earth　to　become　fruitful。　Thus　the　Sacred　Marriage　of　the　Sun　and　Earth；　personated　by　the　priest　and　his　wife；　is　celebrated　as　a　charm　to　ensure　the　fertility　of　the　ground；　and　for　the　same　purpose；　on　the　principle　of　homoeopathic　magic；　the　people　indulge　in　licentious　orgy。

It　deserves　to　be　remarked　that　the　supernatural　being　to　whom　women　are　married　is　often　a　god　or　spirit　of　water。　Thus　Mukasa；　the　god　of　the　Victoria　Nyanza　lake；　who　was　propitiated　by　the　Baganda　every　time　they　undertook　a　long　voyage；　had　virgins　provided　for　him　to　serve　as　his　wives。　Like　the　Vestals　they　were　bound　to　chastity；　but　unlike　the　Vestals　they　seem　to　have　been　often　unfaithful。　The　custom　lasted　until　Mwanga　was　converted　to　Christianity。　The　Akikuyu　of　British　East　Africa　worship　the　snake　of　a　certain　river；　and　at　intervals　of　several　years　they　marry　the　snake…god　to　women；　but　especially　to　young　girls。　For　this　purpose　huts　are　built　by　order　of　the　medicine…men；　who　there　consummate　the　sacred　marriage　with　the　credulous　female　devotees。　If　the　girls　do　not　repair　to　the　huts　of　their　own　accord　in　sufficient　numbers；　they　are　seized　and　dragged　thither　to　the　embraces　of　the　deity。　The　offspring　of　these　mystic　unions　appears　to　be　fathered　on　God　（ngai）；　certainly　there　are　children　among　the　Akikuyu　who　pass　for　children　of　God。　It　is　said　that　once；　when　the　inhabitants　of　Cayeli　in　Buruan　East　Indian　islandwere　threatened　with　destruction　by　a　swarm　of　crocodiles；　they　ascribed　the　misfortune　to　a　passion　which　the　prince　of　the　crocodiles　had　conceived　for　a　certain　girl。　Accordingly；　they　compelled　the　damsel's　father　to　dress　her　in　bridal　array　and　deliver　her　over　to　the　clutches　of　her　crocodile　lover。

A　usage　of　the　same　sort　is　reported　to　have　prevailed　in　the　Maldive　Islands　before　the　conversion　of　the　inhabitants　to　Islam。　The　famous　Arab　traveller　Ibn　Batutah　has　described　the　custom　and　the　manner　in　which　it　came　to　an　end。　He　was　assured　by　several　trustworthy　natives；　whose　names　he　gives；　that　when　the　people　of　the　islands　were　idolaters　there　appeared　to　them　every　month　an　evil　spirit　among　the　jinn；　who　came　from　across　the　sea　in　the　likeness　of　a　ship　full　of　burning　lamps。　The　wont　of　the　inhabitants；　as　soon　as　they　perceived　him；　was　to　take　a　young　virgin；　and；　having　adorned　her；　to　lead　her　to　a　heathen　temple　that　stood　on　the　shore；　with　a　window　looking　out　to　sea。　There　they　left　the　damsel　for　the　night；　and　when　they　came　back　in　the　morning　they　found　her　a　maid　no　more；　and　dead。　Every　month　they　drew　lots；　and　he　upon　whom　the　lot　fell　gave　up　his　daughter　to　the　jinnee　of　the　sea。　The　last　of　the　maidens　thus　offered　to　the　demon　was　rescued　by　a　pious　Berber；　who　by　reciting　the　Koran　succeeded　in　driving　the　jinnee　back　into　the　sea。

Ibn　Batutah's　narrative　of　the　demon　lover　and　his　mortal　brides　closely　resembles　a　well…known　type　of　folk…tale；　of　which　versions　have　been　found　from　Japan　and　Annam　in　the　East　to　Senegambia；　Scandinavia；　and　Scotland　in　the　West。　The　story　varies　in　details　from　people　to　people；　but　as　commonly　told　it　runs　thus。　A　certain　country　is　infested　by　a　many…headed　serpent；　dragon；　or　other　monster；　which　would　destroy　the　whole　people　if　a　human　victim；　generally　a　virgin；　were　not　delivered　up　to　him　periodically。　Many　victims　have　perished；　and　at　last　it　has　fallen　to　the　lot　of　the　king's　own　daughter　to　be　sacrificed。　She　is　exposed　to　the　monster；　but　the　hero　of　the　tale；　generally　a　young　man　of　humble　birth；　interposes　in　her　behalf；　slays　the　monster；　and　receives　the　hand　of　the　princess　as　his　reward。　In　many　of　the　tales　the　monster；　who　is　sometimes　described　as　a　serpent；　inhabits　the　water　of　a　sea；　a　lake；　or　a　fountain。　In　other　versions　he　is　a　serpent　or　dragon　who　takes　possession　of　the　springs　of　water；　and　only　allows　the　water　to　flow　or　the　people　to　make　use　of　it　on　condition　of　receiving　a　human　victim。

It　would　probably　be　a　mistake　to　dismiss　all　these　tales　as　pure　inventions　of　the　story…teller。　Rather　we　may　suppose　that　they　reflect　a　real　custom　of　sacrificing　girls　or　women　to　be　the　wives　of　waterspirits；　who　are　very　often　conceived　as　great　serpents　or　dragons。

Chapter　13。　The　Kings　of　Rome　and　Alba。

1。　Numa　and　Egeria

FROM　THE　FOREGOING　survey　of　custom　and　legend　we　may　infer　that　the　sacred　marriage　of　the　powers　both　of　vegetation　and　of　water　has　been　celebrated　by　many　peoples　for　the　sake　of　promoting　the　fertility　of　the　earth；　on　which　the　life　of　animals　and　men　ultimately　depends；　and　that　in　such　rites　the　part　of　the　divine　bridegroom　or　bride　is　often　sustained　by　a　man　or　woman。　The　evidence　may；　therefore；　lend　some　countenance　to　the　conjecture　that　in　the　sacred　grove　at　Nemi；　where　the　powers　of　vegetation　and　of　water　manifested　themselves　in　the　fair　forms　of　shady　woods；　tumbling　cascades；　and　glassy　lake；　a　marriage　like　that　of　our　King　and　Queen　of　May　was　annually　celebrated　between　the　mortal　King　of　the　Wood　and　the　immortal　Queen　of　the　Wood；　Diana。　In　this　connexion　an　important　figure　in　the　grove　was　the　water…nymph　Egeria；　who　was　worshipped　by　pregnant　women　because　she；　like　Diana；　could　grant　them　an　easy　delivery。　From　this　it　seems　fairly　safe　to　conclude　that；　like　many　other　springs；　the　water　of　Egeria　was　credited　with　a　power　of　facilitating　conception　as　well　as　delivery。　The　votive　offerings　found　on　the　spot；　which　clearly　refer　to　the　begetting　of　children；　may　possibly　have　been　dedicated　to　Egeria　rather　than　to　Diana；　or　perhaps　we　should　rather　say　that　the　water…nymph　Egeria　is　only　another　form　of　the　great　nature…goddess　Diana　herself；　the　mistress　of　sounding　rivers　as　well　as　of　umbrageous　woods；　who　had　her　home　by　the　lake　and　her　mirror　in　its　calm　waters；　and　whose　Greek　counterpart　Artemis　loved　to　haunt　meres　and　springs。　The　identification　of　Egeria　with　Diana　is　confirmed　by　a　statement　of　Plutarch　that　Egeria　was　one　of　the　oak…nymphs　whom　the　Romans　believed　to　preside　over　every　green　oak…grove；　for；　while　Diana　was　a　goddess　of　the　woodlands　in　general；　she　appears　to　have　been　intimately　associated　with　oaks　in　particular；　especially　at　her　sacred　grove　of　Nemi。　Perhaps；　then；　Egeria　was　the　fairy　of　a　spring　that　flowed　from　the　roots　of　a　sacred　oak。　Such　a　spring　is　said　to　have　gushed　from　the　foot　of　the　great　oak　at　Dodona；　and　from　its　murmurous　flow　the　priestess　drew　oracles。　Among　the　Greeks　a　draught　of　water　from　certain　sacred　springs　or　wells　was　supposed　to　confer　prophetic　powers。　This　would　explain　the　more　than　mortal　wisdom　with　which；　according　to　tradition；　Egeria　inspired　her　royal　husband　or　lover　Numa。　When　we　remember　how　very　often　in　early　society　the　king　is　held　responsible　for　the　fall