the golden bough-第112章

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e　ceremony　of　opening　the　ploughing　and　sowing；　are　charms　to　produce　a　plentiful　harvest；　as　appears　from　the　belief　that　those　who　carry　home　some　of　the　trampled　rice；　or　of　the　seed　sown；　will　thereby　secure　a　good　crop。　Moreover；　when　the　Siamese　representative　of　the　king　is　guiding　the　plough；　the　people　watch　him　anxiously；　not　to　see　whether　he　drives　a　straight　furrow；　but　to　mark　the　exact　point　on　his　leg　to　which　the　skirt　of　his　silken　robe　reaches；　for　on　that　is　supposed　to　hang　the　state　of　the　weather　and　the　crops　during　the　ensuing　season。　If　the　Lord　of　the　Heavenly　Hosts　hitches　up　his　garment　above　his　knee；　the　weather　will　be　wet　and　heavy　rains　will　spoil　the　harvest。　If　he　lets　it　trail　to　his　ankle；　a　drought　will　be　the　consequence。　But　fine　weather　and　heavy　crops　will　follow　if　the　hem　of　his　robe　hangs　exactly　half…way　down　the　calf　of　his　leg。　So　closely　is　the　course　of　nature；　and　with　it　the　weal　or　woe　of　the　people；　dependent　on　the　minutest　act　or　gesture　of　the　king's　representative。　But　the　task　of　making　the　crops　grow；　thus　deputed　to　the　temporary　kings；　is　one　of　the　magical　functions　regularly　supposed　to　be　discharged　by　kings　in　primitive　society。　The　rule　that　the　mock　king　must　stand　on　one　foot　upon　a　raised　seat　in　the　rice…field　was　perhaps　originally　meant　as　a　charm　to　make　the　crop　grow　high；　at　least　this　was　the　object　of　a　similar　ceremony　observed　by　the　old　Prussians。　The　tallest　girl；　standing　on　one　foot　upon　a　seat；　with　her　lap　full　of　cakes；　a　cup　of　brandy　in　her　right　hand　and　a　piece　of　elm…bark　or　linden…bark　in　her　left；　prayed　to　the　god　Waizganthos　that　the　flax　might　grow　as　high　as　she　was　standing。　Then；　after　draining　the　cup；　she　had　it　refilled；　and　poured　the　brandy　on　the　ground　as　an　offering　to　Waizganthos；　and　threw　down　the　cakes　for　his　attendant　sprites。　If　she　remained　steady　on　one　foot　throughout　the　ceremony；　it　was　an　omen　that　the　flax　crop　would　be　good；　but　if　she　let　her　foot　down；　it　was　feared　that　the　crop　might　fail。　The　same　significance　perhaps　attaches　to　the　swinging　of　the　Brahmans；　which　the　Lord　of　the　Heavenly　Hosts　had　formerly　to　witness　standing　on　one　foot。　On　the　principles　of　homoeopathic　or　imitative　magic　it　might　be　thought　that　the　higher　the　priests　swing　the　higher　will　grow　the　rice。　For　the　ceremony　is　described　as　a　harvest　festival；　and　swinging　is　practised　by　the　Letts　of　Russia　with　the　avowed　intention　of　influencing　the　growth　of　the　crops。　In　the　spring　and　early　summer；　between　Easter　and　St。　John's　Day　（the　summer　solstice）；　every　Lettish　peasant　is　said　to　devote　his　leisure　hours　to　swinging　diligently；　for　the　higher　he　rises　in　the　air　the　higher　will　his　flax　grow　that　season。

In　the　foregoing　cases　the　temporary　king　is　appointed　annually　in　accordance　with　a　regular　custom。　But　in　other　cases　the　appointment　is　made　only　to　meet　a　special　emergency；　such　as　to　relieve　the　real　king　from　some　actual　or　threatened　evil　by　diverting　it　to　a　substitute；　who　takes　his　place　on　the　throne　for　a　short　time。　The　history　of　Persia　furnishes　instances　of　such　occasional　substitutes　for　the　Shah。　Thus　Shah　Abbas　the　Great；　being　warned　by　his　astrologers　in　the　year　1591　that　a　serious　danger　impended　over　him；　attempted　to　avert　the　omen　by　abdicating　the　throne　and　appointing　a　certain　unbeliever　named　Yusoofee；　probably　a　Christian；　to　reign　in　his　stead。　The　substitute　was　accordingly　crowned；　and　for　three　days；　if　we　may　trust　the　Persian　historians；　he　enjoyed　not　only　the　name　and　the　state　but　the　power　of　the　king。　At　the　end　of　his　brief　reign　he　was　put　to　death：　the　decree　of　the　stars　was　fulfilled　by　this　sacrifice；　and　Abbas；　who　reascended　his　throne　in　a　most　propitious　hour；　was　promised　by　his　astrologers　a　long　and　glorious　reign。

Chapter　26。　Sacrifice　of　the　King's　Son。

A　POINT　to　notice　about　the　temporary　kings　described　in　the　foregoing　chapter　is　that　in　two　places　（Cambodia　and　Jambi）　they　come　of　a　stock　which　is　believed　to　be　akin　to　the　royal　family。　If　the　view　here　taken　of　the　origin　of　these　temporary　kingships　is　correct；　we　can　easily　understand　why　the　king's　substitute　should　sometimes　be　of　the　same　race　as　the　king。　When　the　king　first　succeeded　in　getting　the　life　of　another　accepted　as　a　sacrifice　instead　of　his　own；　he　would　have　to　show　that　the　death　of　that　other　would　serve　the　purpose　quite　as　well　as　his　own　would　have　done。　Now　it　was　as　a　god　or　demigod　that　the　king　had　to　die；　therefore　the　substitute　who　died　for　him　had　to　be　invested；　at　least　for　the　occasion；　with　the　divine　attributes　of　the　king。　This；　as　we　have　just　seen；　was　certainly　the　case　with　the　temporary　kings　of　Siam　and　Cambodia；　they　were　invested　with　the　supernatural　functions；　which　in　an　earlier　stage　of　society　were　the　special　attributes　of　the　king。　But　no　one　could　so　well　represent　the　king　in　his　divine　character　as　his　son；　who　might　be　supposed　to　share　the　divine　afflatus　of　his　father。　No　one；　therefore；　could　so　appropriately　die　for　the　king　and；　through　him；　for　the　whole　people；　as　the　king's　son。

We　have　seen　that　according　to　tradition；　Aun　or　On；　King　of　Sweden；　sacrificed　nine　of　his　sons　to　Odin　at　Upsala　in　order　that　his　own　life　might　be　spared。　After　he　had　sacrificed　his　second　son　he　received　from　the　god　an　answer　that　he　should　live　so　long　as　he　gave　him　one　of　his　sons　every　ninth　year。　When　he　had　sacrificed　his　seventh　son；　he　still　lived；　but　was　so　feeble　that　he　could　not　walk　but　had　to　be　carried　in　a　chair。　Then　he　offered　up　his　eighth　son；　and　lived　nine　years　more；　lying　in　his　bed。　After　that　he　sacrificed　his　ninth　son；　and　lived　another　nine　years；　but　so　that　he　drank　out　of　a　horn　like　a　weaned　child。　He　now　wished　to　sacrifice　his　only　remaining　son　to　Odin；　but　the　Swedes　would　not　allow　him。　So　he　died　and　was　buried　in　a　mound　at　Upsala。

In　ancient　Greece　there　seems　to　have　been　at　least　one　kingly　house　of　great　antiquity　of　which　the　eldest　sons　were　always　liable　to　be　sacrificed　in　room　of　their　royal　sires。　When　Xerxes　was　marching　through　Thessaly　at　the　head　of　his　mighty　host　to　attack　the　Spartans　at　Thermopylae；　he　came　to　the　town　of　Alus。　Here　he　was　shown　the　sanctuary　of　Laphystian　Zeus；　about　which　his　guides　told　him　a　strange　tale。　It　ran　somewhat　as　follows。　Once　upon　a　time　the　king　of　the　country；　by　name　Athamas；　married　a　wife　Nephele；　and　had　by　her　a　son　called　Phrixus　and　a　daughter　named　Helle。　Afterwards　he　took　to　himself　a　second　wife　called　Ino；　by　whom　he　had　two　sons；　Learchus　and　Melicertes。　But　his　second　wife　was　jealous　of　her　stepchildren；　Phrixus　and　Helle；　and　plotted　their　death。　She　went　about　very　cunningly　to　compass　her　bad　end。　First　of　all　she　persuaded　the　women　of　the　country　to　roast　the　seed　corn　secretly　before　it　was　committed　to　the　ground。　So　next　year　no　crops　came　up　and　the　people　died　of　famine。　Then　the　king　sent　messengers　to　the　oracle　at　Delphi　to　enquire　the　cause　of　the　dearth。　But　the　wicked　stepmother　bribed　the　messenger　to　give　out　as　the　answer　of　the　god　that　the　dearth　would　never　cease　till　the　children　of　Athamas　by　his　first　wife　had　been　sacrificed　to　Zeus。　When　Athamas　heard　that；　he　sent　for　the　children；　who　were　with　the　sheep。　But　a　ram　with　a　fleece　of　gold　opened　his　lips；　and　speaking　with　the　voice　of　a　man　warned　the　children　of　their　danger。　So　they　mounted　the　ram　and　fled　with　him　over　land　and　sea。　As　they　flew　over　the　sea；　the　girl　slipped　from　the　animal's　back；　and　falling　into　water　was　drowned。　But　her　brother　Phrixus　was　brought　safe　to　the　land　of　Colchis；　where　reigned　a　child　of　the　sun。　Phrixus　married　the　king's　daughter；　and　she　bore　him　a　son　Cytisorus。　And　there　he　sacrificed　the　ram　with　the　golden　fleece　to　Zeus　the　God　of　Flight；　but　some　will　have　it　that　he　sacrificed　the　animal　to　Laphystian　Zeus。　The　golden　fleece　itself　he　gave　to　his　wife's　father；　who　nailed　it　to　an　oak　tree；　guarded　by　a　sleepless　dragon　in　a　sacred　grove　of　Ares。　Meanwhile　at　home　an　oracle　had　commanded　that　King　Athamas　himself　should　be　sacrificed　as　an　expiatory　offering　for　the　whole　country。　So　the　people　decked　him　with　garlands