the golden bough-第120章

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e　sticks；　believing　that　this　would　make　the　animals　fat　or　fruitful。　Afterwards　they　visited　the　house　or　houses　from　which　they　had　carried　the　image　of　Death；　where　they　received　a　dole　of　half…boiled　peas。　The　custom　of　Carrying　out　Death　was　practised　also　in　Saxony。　At　Leipsic　the　bastards　and　public　women　used　to　make　a　straw　effigy　of　Death　every　year　at　Mid…Lent。　This　they　carried　through　all　the　streets　with　songs　and　showed　it　to　the　young　married　women。　Finally　they　threw　it　into　the　river　Parthe。　By　this　ceremony　they　professed　to　make　the　young　wives　fruitful；　to　purify　the　city；　and　to　protect　the　inhabitants　for　that　year　from　plague　and　other　epidemics。

Ceremonies　of　the　same　sort　are　observed　at　Mid…Lent　in　Silesia。　Thus　in　many　places　the　grown　girls　with　the　help　of　the　young　men　dress　up　a　straw　figure　with　women's　clothes　and　carry　it　out　of　the　village　towards　the　setting　sun。　At　the　boundary　they　strip　it　of　its　clothes；　tear　it　in　pieces；　and　scatter　the　fragments　about　the　fields。　This　is　called　Burying　Death。　As　they　carry　the　image　out；　they　sing　that　they　are　about　to　bury　Death　under　an　oak；　that　he　may　depart　from　the　people。　Sometimes　the　song　runs　that　they　are　bearing　Death　over　hill　and　dale　to　return　no　more。　In　the　Polish　neighbourhood　of　Gross…Strehlitz　the　puppet　is　called　Goik。　It　is　carried　on　horseback　and　thrown　into　the　nearest　water。　The　people　think　that　the　ceremony　protects　them　from　sickness　of　every　sort　in　the　coming　year。　In　the　districts　of　Wohlau　and　Guhrau　the　image　of　Death　used　to　be　thrown　over　the　boundary　of　the　next　village。　But　as　the　neighbours　feared　to　receive　the　ill…omened　figure；　they　were　on　the　look…out　to　repel　it；　and　hard　knocks　were　often　exchanged　between　the　two　parties。　In　some　Polish　parts　of　Upper　Silesia　the　effigy；　representing　an　old　woman；　goes　by　the　name　of　Marzana；　the　goddess　of　death。　It　is　made　in　the　house　where　the　last　death　occurred；　and　is　carried　on　a　pole　to　the　boundary　of　the　village；　where　it　is　thrown　into　a　pond　or　burnt。　At　Polkwitz　the　custom　of　Carrying　out　Death　fell　into　abeyance；　but　an　outbreak　of　fatal　sickness　which　followed　the　intermission　of　the　ceremony　induced　the　people　to　resume　it。

In　Bohemia　the　children　go　out　with　a　straw…man；　representing　Death；　to　the　end　of　the　village；　where　they　burn　it；　singing

Now　carry　we　Death　out　of　the　village；　The　new　Summer　into　the　village；　Welcome；　dear　Summer；　Green　little　corn。

At　Tabor　in　Bohemia　the　figure　of　Death　is　carried　out　of　the　town　and　flung　from　a　high　rock　into　the　water；　while　they　sing

Death　swims　on　the　water；　Summer　will　soon　be　here；　We　carried　Death　away　for　you　We　brought　the　Summer。　And　do　thou；　O　holy　Marketa；　Give　us　a　good　year　For　wheat　and　for　rye。

In　other　parts　of　Bohemia　they　carry　Death　to　the　end　of　the　village；　singing

We　carry　Death　out　of　the　village；　And　the　New　Year　into　the　village。　Dear　Spring；　we　bid　you　welcome；　Green　grass；　we　bid　you　welcome。

Behind　the　village　they　erect　a　pyre；　on　which　they　burn　the　straw　figure；　reviling　and　scoffing　at　it　the　while。　Then　they　return；　singing

We　have　carried　away　Death；　And　brought　Life　back。　He　has　taken　up　his　quarters　in　the　village；　Therefore　sing　joyous　songs。

In　some　German　villages　of　Moravia；　as　in　Jassnitz　and　Seitendorf；　the　young　folk　assemble　on　the　third　Sunday　in　Lent　and　fashion　a　straw…man；　who　is　generally　adorned　with　a　fur　cap　and　a　pair　of　old　leathern　hose；　if　such　are　to　be　had。　The　effigy　is　then　hoisted　on　a　pole　and　carried　by　the　lads　and　lasses　out　into　the　open　fields。　On　the　way　they　sing　a　song；　in　which　it　is　said　that　they　are　carrying　Death　away　and　bringing　dear　Summer　into　the　house；　and　with　Summer　the　May　and　the　flowers。　On　reaching　an　appointed　place　they　dance　in　a　circle　round　the　effigy　with　loud　shouts　and　screams；　then　suddenly　rush　at　it　and　tear　it　to　pieces　with　their　hands。　Lastly；　the　pieces　are　thrown　together　in　a　heap；　the　pole　is　broken；　and　fire　is　set　to　the　whole。　While　it　burns　the　troop　dances　merrily　round　it；　rejoicing　at　the　victory　won　by　Spring；　and　when　the　fire　has　nearly　died　out　they　go　to　the　householders　to　beg　for　a　present　of　eggs　wherewith　to　hold　a　feast；　taking　care　to　give　as　a　reason　for　the　request　that　they　have　carried　Death　out　and　away。

The　preceding　evidence　shows　that　the　effigy　of　Death　is　often　regarded　with　fear　and　treated　with　marks　of　hatred　and　abhorrence。　Thus　the　anxiety　of　the　villagers　to　transfer　the　figure　from　their　own　to　their　neighbours'　land；　and　the　reluctance　of　the　latter　to　receive　the　ominous　guest；　are　proof　enough　of　the　dread　which　it　inspires。　Further；　in　Lusatia　and　Silesia　the　puppet　is　sometimes　made　to　look　in　at　the　window　of　a　house；　and　it　is　believed　that　some　one　in　the　house　will　die　within　the　year　unless　his　life　is　redeemed　by　the　payment　of　money。　Again；　after　throwing　the　effigy　away；　the　bearers　sometimes　run　home　lest　Death　should　follow　them；　and　if　one　of　them　falls　in　running；　it　is　believed　that　he　will　die　within　the　year。　At　Chrudim；　in　Bohemia；　the　figure　of　Death　is　made　out　of　a　cross；　with　a　head　and　mask　stuck　at　the　top；　and　a　shirt　stretched　out　on　it。　On　the　fifth　Sunday　in　Lent　the　boys　take　this　effigy　to　the　nearest　brook　or　pool；　and　standing　in　a　line　throw　it　into　the　water。　Then　they　all　plunge　in　after　it；　but　as　soon　as　it　is　caught　no　one　more　may　enter　the　water。　The　boy　who　did　not　enter　the　water　or　entered　it　last　will　die　within　the　year；　and　he　is　obliged　to　carry　the　Death　back　to　the　village。　The　effigy　is　then　burned。　On　the　other　hand；　it　is　believed　that　no　one　will　die　within　the　year　in　the　house　out　of　which　the　figure　of　Death　has　been　carried；　and　the　village　out　of　which　Death　has　been　driven　is　sometimes　supposed　to　be　protected　against　sickness　and　plague。　In　some　villages　of　Austrian　Silesia　on　the　Saturday　before　Dead　Sunday　an　effigy　is　made　of　old　clothes；　hay；　and　straw；　for　the　purpose　of　driving　Death　out　of　the　village。　On　Sunday　the　people；　armed　with　sticks　and　straps；　assemble　before　the　house　where　the　figure　is　lodged。　Four　lads　then　draw　the　effigy　by　cords　through　the　village　amid　exultant　shouts；　while　all　the　others　beat　it　with　their　sticks　and　straps。　On　reaching　a　field　which　belongs　to　a　neighbouring　village　they　lay　down　the　figure；　cudgel　it　soundly；　and　scatter　the　fragments　over　the　field。　The　people　believe　that　the　village　from　which　Death　has　been　thus　carried　out　will　be　safe　from　any　infectious　disease　for　the　whole　year。

4。　Bringing　in　Summer

IN　THE　PRECEDING　ceremonies　the　return　of　Spring；　Summer；　or　Life；　as　a　sequel　to　the　expulsion　of　Death；　is　only　implied　or　at　most　announced。　In　the　following　ceremonies　it　is　plainly　enacted。　Thus　in　some　parts　of　Bohemia　the　effigy　of　Death　is　drowned　by　being　thrown　into　the　water　at　sunset；　then　the　girls　go　out　into　the　wood　and　cut　down　a　young　tree　with　a　green　crown；　hang　a　doll　dressed　as　a　woman　on　it；　deck　the　whole　with　green；　red；　and　white　ribbons；　and　march　in　procession　with　their　Líto　（Summer）　into　the　village；　collecting　gifts　and　singing

Death　swims　in　the　water；　Spring　comes　to　visit　us；　With　eggs　that　are　red；　With　yellow　pancakes。　We　carried　Death　out　of　the　village；　We　are　carrying　Summer　into　the　village。

In　many　Silesian　villages　the　figure　of　Death；　after　being　treated　with　respect；　is　stript　of　its　clothes　and　flung　with　curses　into　the　water；　or　torn　to　pieces　in　a　field。　Then　the　young　folk　repair　to　a　wood；　cut　down　a　small　fir…tree；　peel　the　trunk；　and　deck　it　with　festoons　of　evergreens；　paper　roses；　painted　egg…shells；　motley　bits　of　cloth；　and　so　forth。　The　tree　thus　adorned　is　called　Summer　or　May。　Boys　carry　it　from　house　to　house　singing　appropriate　songs　and　begging　for　presents。　Among　their　songs　is　the　following：

We　have　carried　Death　out；　We　are　bringing　the　dear　Summer　back；　The　Summer　and　the　May　And　all　the　flowers　gay。

Sometimes　they　also　bring　back　from　the　wood　a　prettily　adorned　figure；　which　goes　by　the　name　of　Summer；　May；　or　the　Bride；　in　the　Polish　districts　it　is　called　Dziewanna；　the　goddess　of　spring。

At　Eisenach　on　the　fourth　Sunday　in　Lent　young　people　use