the golden bough-第111章

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ense　crowd；　and；　while　a　tatterdemalion　band　of　the　old　style；　in　gaudy　garb　of　vermilion　and　yellow；　bangs　and　tootles　away　on　drums　and　trumpets　of　an　antique　pattern；　the　procession　of　barefooted　soldiers　in　brilliant　uniforms　steps　briskly　along　to　the　lively　strains　of　a　modern　military　band　playing　Marching　through　Georgia。

On　the　first　day　of　the　sixth　month；　which　was　regarded　as　the　beginning　of　the　year；　the　king　and　people　of　Samarcand　used　to　put　on　new　clothes　and　cut　their　hair　and　beards。　Then　they　repaired　to　a　forest　near　the　capital　where　they　shot　arrows　on　horseback　for　seven　days。　On　the　last　day　the　target　was　a　gold　coin；　and　he　who　hit　it　had　the　right　to　be　king　for　one　day。　In　Upper　Egypt　on　the　first　day　of　the　solar　year　by　Coptic　reckoning；　that　is；　on　the　tenth　of　September；　when　the　Nile　has　generally　reached　its　highest　point；　the　regular　government　is　suspended　for　three　days　and　every　town　chooses　its　own　ruler。　This　temporary　lord　wears　a　sort　of　tall　fool's　cap　and　a　long　flaxen　beard；　and　is　enveloped　in　a　strange　mantle。　With　a　wand　of　office　in　his　hand　and　attended　by　men　disguised　as　scribes；　executioners；　and　so　forth；　he　proceeds　to　the　Governor's　house。　The　latter　allows　himself　to　be　deposed；　and　the　mock　king；　mounting　the　throne；　holds　a　tribunal；　to　the　decisions　of　which　even　the　governor　and　his　officials　must　bow。　After　three　days　the　mock　king　is　condemned　to　death；　the　envelope　or　shell　in　which　he　was　encased　is　committed　to　the　flames；　and　from　its　ashes　the　Fellah　creeps　forth。　The　custom　perhaps　points　to　an　old　practice　of　burning　a　real　king　in　grim　earnest。　In　Uganda　the　brothers　of　the　king　used　to　be　burned；　because　it　was　not　lawful　to　shed　the　royal　blood。

The　Mohammedan　students　of　Fez；　in　Morocco；　are　allowed　to　appoint　a　sultan　of　their　own；　who　reigns　for　a　few　weeks；　and　is　known　as　Sultan　t…tulba；　the　Sultan　of　the　Scribes。　This　brief　authority　is　put　up　for　auction　and　knocked　down　to　the　highest　bidder。　It　brings　some　substantial　privileges　with　it；　for　the　holder　is　freed　from　taxes　thenceforward；　and　he　has　the　right　of　asking　a　favour　from　the　real　sultan。　That　favour　is　seldom　refused；　it　usually　consists　in　the　release　of　a　prisoner。　Moreover；　the　agents　of　the　student…sultan　levy　fines　on　the　shopkeepers　and　householders；　against　whom　they　trump　up　various　humorous　charges。　The　temporary　sultan　is　surrounded　with　the　pomp　of　a　real　court；　and　parades　the　streets　in　state　with　music　and　shouting；　while　a　royal　umbrella　is　held　over　his　head。　With　the　so…called　fines　and　free…will　offerings；　to　which　the　real　sultan　adds　a　liberal　supply　of　provisions；　the　students　have　enough　to　furnish　forth　a　magnificent　banquet；　and　altogether　they　enjoy　themselves　thoroughly；　indulging　in　all　kinds　of　games　and　amusements。　For　the　first　seven　days　the　mock　sultan　remains　in　the　college；　then　he　goes　about　a　mile　out　of　the　town　and　encamps　on　the　bank　of　the　river；　attended　by　the　students　and　not　a　few　of　the　citizens。　On　the　seventh　day　of　his　stay　outside　the　town　he　is　visited　by　the　real　sultan；　who　grants　him　his　request　and　gives　him　seven　more　days　to　reign；　so　that　the　reign　of　the　Sultan　of　the　Scribes　nominally　lasts　three　weeks。　But　when　six　days　of　the　last　week　have　passed　the　mock　sultan　runs　back　to　the　town　by　night。　This　temporary　sultanship　always　falls　in　spring；　about　the　beginning　of　April。　Its　origin　is　said　to　have　been　as　follows。　When　Mulai　Rasheed　II。　was　fighting　for　the　throne　in　1664　or　1665；　a　certain　Jew　usurped　the　royal　authority　at　Taza。　But　the　rebellion　was　soon　suppressed　through　the　loyalty　and　devotion　of　the　students。　To　effect　their　purpose　they　resorted　to　an　ingenious　stratagem。　Forty　of　them　caused　themselves　to　be　packed　in　chests　which　were　sent　as　a　present　to　the　usurper。　In　the　dead　of　night；　while　the　unsuspecting　Jew　was　slumbering　peacefully　among　the　packing…cases；　the　lids　were　stealthily　raised；　the　brave　forty　crept　forth；　slew　the　usurper；　and　took　possession　of　the　city　in　the　name　of　the　real　sultan；　who；　to　mark　his　gratitude　for　the　help　thus　rendered　him　in　time　of　need；　conferred　on　the　students　the　right　of　annually　appointing　a　sultan　of　their　own。　The　narrative　has　all　the　air　of　a　fiction　devised　to　explain　an　old　custom；　of　which　the　real　meaning　and　origin　had　been　forgotten。

A　custom　of　annually　appointing　a　mock　king　for　a　single　day　was　observed　at　Lostwithiel　in　Cornwall　down　to　the　sixteenth　century。　On　little　Easter　Sunday　the　freeholders　of　the　town　and　manor　assembled　together；　either　in　person　or　by　their　deputies；　and　one　among　them；　as　it　fell　to　his　lot　by　turn；　gaily　attired　and　gallantly　mounted；　with　a　crown　on　his　head；　a　sceptre　in　his　hand；　and　a　sword　borne　before　him；　rode　through　the　principal　street　to　the　church；　dutifully　attended　by　all　the　rest　on　horseback。　The　clergyman　in　his　best　robes　received　him　at　the　churchyard　stile　and　conducted　him　to　hear　divine　service。　On　leaving　the　church　he　repaired；　with　the　same　pomp；　to　a　house　provided　for　his　reception。　Here　a　feast　awaited　him　and　his　suite；　and　being　set　at　the　head　of　the　table　he　was　served　on　bended　knees；　with　all　the　rites　due　to　the　estate　of　a　prince。　The　ceremony　ended　with　the　dinner；　and　every　man　returned　home。

Sometimes　the　temporary　king　occupies　the　throne；　not　annually；　but　once　for　all　at　the　beginning　of　each　reign。　Thus　in　the　kingdom　of　Jambi　in　Sumatra　it　is　the　custom　that　at　the　beginning　of　a　new　reign　a　man　of　the　people　should　occupy　the　throne　and　exercise　the　royal　prerogatives　for　a　single　day。　The　origin　of　the　custom　is　explained　by　a　tradition　that　there　were　once　five　royal　brothers；　the　four　elder　of　whom　all　declined　the　throne　on　the　ground　of　various　bodily　defects；　leaving　it　to　their　youngest　brother。　But　the　eldest　occupied　the　throne　for　one　day；　and　reserved　for　his　descendants　a　similar　privilege　at　the　beginning　of　every　reign。　Thus　the　office　of　temporary　king　is　hereditary　in　a　family　akin　to　the　royal　house。　In　Bilaspur　it　seems　to　be　the　custom；　after　the　death　of　a　Rajah；　for　a　Brahman　to　eat　rice　out　of　the　dead　Rajah's　hand；　and　then　to　occupy　the　throne　for　a　year。　At　the　end　of　the　year　the　Brahman　receives　presents　and　is　dismissed　from　the　territory；　being　forbidden　apparently　to　return。　The　idea　seems　to　be　that　the　spirit　of　the　Rájá　enters　into　the　Bráhman　who　eats　the　khir　（rice　and　milk）　out　of　his　hand　when　he　is　dead；　as　the　Brahman　is　apparently　carefully　watched　during　the　whole　year；　and　not　allowed　to　go　away。　The　same　or　a　similar　custom　is　believed　to　obtain　among　the　hill　states　about　Kangra。　The　custom　of　banishing　the　Brahman　who　represents　the　king　may　be　a　substitute　for　putting　him　to　death。　At　the　installation　of　a　prince　of　Carinthia　a　peasant；　in　whose　family　the　office　was　hereditary；　ascended　a　marble　stone　which　stood　surrounded　by　meadows　in　a　spacious　valley；　on　his　right　stood　a　black　mother…cow；　on　his　left　a　lean　ugly　mare。　A　rustic　crowd　gathered　about　him。　Then　the　future　prince；　dressed　as　a　peasant　and　carrying　a　shepherd's　staff；　drew　near；　attended　by　courtiers　and　magistrates。　On　perceiving　him　the　peasant　called　out；　Who　is　this　whom　I　see　coming　so　proudly　along？　The　people　answered；　The　prince　of　the　land。　The　peasant　was　then　prevailed　on　to　surrender　the　marble　seat　to　the　prince　on　condition　of　receiving　sixty　pence；　the　cow　and　mare；　and　exemption　from　taxes。　But　before　yielding　his　place　he　gave　the　prince　a　light　blow　on　the　cheek。

Some　points　about　these　temporary　kings　deserve　to　be　specially　noticed　before　we　pass　to　the　next　branch　of　the　evidence。　In　the　first　place；　the　Cambodian　and　Siamese　examples　show　clearly　that　it　is　especially　the　divine　or　magical　functions　of　the　king　which　are　transferred　to　his　temporary　substitute。　This　appears　from　the　belief　that　by　keeping　up　his　foot　the　temporary　king　of　Siam　gained　a　victory　over　the　evil　spirits；　whereas　by　letting　it　down　he　imperilled　the　existence　of　the　state。　Again；　the　Cambodian　ceremony　of　trampling　down　the　mountain　of　rice；　and　the　Siamese　ceremony　of　opening　the　ploughing　and　sowing；　are　charms　to　produce　a　plentiful　harvest；　as　appear