the golden bough-第132章

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ceived　not　as　the　King　of　Terrors；　but　as　an　insidious　enchanter　who　lures　his　victims　to　himself　and　lulls　them　into　an　eternal　sleep。　The　infinite　charm　of　nature　in　the　Lebanon；　he　thought；　lends　itself　to　religious　emotions　of　this　sensuous；　visionary　sort；　hovering　vaguely　between　pain　and　pleasure；　between　slumber　and　tears。　It　would　doubtless　be　a　mistake　to　attribute　to　Syrian　peasants　the　worship　of　a　conception　so　purely　abstract　as　that　of　death　in　general。　Yet　it　may　be　true　that　in　their　simple　minds　the　thought　of　the　reviving　spirit　of　vegetation　was　blent　with　the　very　concrete　notion　of　the　ghosts　of　the　dead；　who　come　to　life　again　in　spring　days　with　the　early　flowers；　with　the　tender　green　of　the　corn　and　the　many…tinted　blossoms　of　the　trees。　Thus　their　views　of　the　death　and　resurrection　of　nature　would　be　coloured　by　their　views　of　the　death　and　resurrection　of　man；　by　their　personal　sorrows　and　hopes　and　fears。　In　like　manner　we　cannot　doubt　that　Renan's　theory　of　Adonis　was　itself　deeply　tinged　by　passionate　memories；　memories　of　the　slumber　akin　to　death　which　sealed　his　own　eyes　on　the　slopes　of　the　Lebanon；　memories　of　the　sister　who　sleeps　in　the　land　of　Adonis　never　again　to　wake　with　the　anemones　and　the　roses。

Chapter　33。　The　Gardens　of　Adonis。

PERHAPS　the　best　proof　that　Adonis　was　a　deity　of　vegetation；　and　especially　of　the　corn；　is　furnished　by　the　gardens　of　Adonis；　as　they　were　called。　These　were　baskets　or　pots　filled　with　earth；　in　which　wheat；　barley；　lettuces；　fennel；　and　various　kinds　of　flowers　were　sown　and　tended　for　eight　days；　chiefly　or　exclusively　by　women。　Fostered　by　the　sun's　heat；　the　plants　shot　up　rapidly；　but　having　no　root　they　withered　as　rapidly　away；　and　at　the　end　of　eight　days　were　carried　out　with　the　images　of　the　dead　Adonis；　and　flung　with　them　into　the　sea　or　into　springs。

These　gardens　of　Adonis　are　most　naturally　interpreted　as　representatives　of　Adonis　or　manifestations　of　his　power；　they　represented　him；　true　to　his　original　nature；　in　vegetable　form；　while　the　images　of　him；　with　which　they　were　carried　out　and　cast　into　the　water；　portrayed　him　in　his　later　human　shape。　All　these　Adonis　ceremonies；　if　I　am　right；　were　originally　intended　as　charms　to　promote　the　growth　or　revival　of　vegetation；　and　the　principle　by　which　they　were　supposed　to　produce　this　effect　was　homoeopathic　or　imitative　magic。　For　ignorant　people　suppose　that　by　mimicking　the　effect　which　they　desire　to　produce　they　actually　help　to　produce　it；　thus　by　sprinkling　water　they　make　rain；　by　lighting　a　fire　they　make　sunshine；　and　so　on。　Similarly；　by　mimicking　the　growth　of　crops　they　hope　to　ensure　a　good　harvest。　The　rapid　growth　of　the　wheat　and　barley　in　the　gardens　of　Adonis　was　intended　to　make　the　corn　shoot　up；　and　the　throwing　of　the　gardens　and　of　the　images　into　the　water　was　a　charm　to　secure　a　due　supply　of　fertilising　rain。　The　same；　I　take　it；　was　the　object　of　throwing　the　effigies　of　Death　and　the　Carnival　into　water　in　the　corresponding　ceremonies　of　modern　Europe。　Certainly　the　custom　of　drenching　with　water　a　leaf…clad　person；　who　undoubtedly　personifies　vegetation；　is　still　resorted　to　in　Europe　for　the　express　purpose　of　producing　rain。　Similarly　the　custom　of　throwing　water　on　the　last　corn　cut　at　harvest；　or　on　the　person　who　brings　it　home　（a　custom　observed　in　Germany　and　France；　and　till　lately　in　England　and　Scotland）；　is　in　some　places　practised　with　the　avowed　intent　to　procure　rain　for　the　next　year's　crops。　Thus　in　Wallachia　and　amongst　the　Roumanians　in　Transylvania；　when　a　girl　is　bringing　home　a　crown　made　of　the　last　ears　of　corn　cut　at　harvest；　all　who　meet　her　hasten　to　throw　water　on　her；　and　two　farm…servants　are　placed　at　the　door　for　the　purpose；　for　they　believe　that　if　this　were　not　done；　the　crops　next　year　would　perish　from　drought。　At　the　spring　ploughing　in　Prussia；　when　the　ploughmen　and　sowers　returned　in　the　evening　from　their　work　in　the　fields；　the　farmer's　wife　and　the　servants　used　to　splash　water　over　them。　The　ploughmen　and　sowers　retorted　by　seizing　every　one；　throwing　them　into　the　pond；　and　ducking　them　under　the　water。　The　farmer's　wife　might　claim　exemption　on　payment　of　a　forfeit；　but　every　one　else　had　to　be　ducked。　By　observing　this　custom　they　hoped　to　ensure　a　due　supply　of　rain　for　the　seed。

The　opinion　that　the　gardens　of　Adonis　are　essentially　charms　to　promote　the　growth　of　vegetation；　especially　of　the　crops；　and　that　they　belong　to　the　same　class　of　customs　as　those　spring　and　mid…summer　folk…customs　of　modern　Europe　which　I　have　described　else…where；　does　not　rest　for　its　evidence　merely　on　the　intrinsic　probability　of　the　case。　Fortunately　we　are　able　to　show　that　gardens　of　Adonis　（if　we　may　use　the　expression　in　a　general　sense）　are　still　planted；　first；　by　a　primitive　race　at　their　sowing　season；　and；　second；　by　European　peasants　at　midsummer。　Amongst　the　Oraons　and　Mundas　of　Bengal；　when　the　time　comes　for　planting　out　the　rice　which　has　been　grown　in　seed…beds；　a　party　of　young　people　of　both　sexes　go　to　the　forest　and　cut　a　young　Karma…tree；　or　the　branch　of　one。　Bearing　it　in　triumph　they　return　dancing；　singing；　and　beating　drums；　and　plant　it　in　the　middle　of　the　village　dancing…ground。　A　sacrifice　is　offered　to　the　tree；　and　next　morning　the　youth　of　both　sexes；　linked　arm…in…arm；　dance　in　a　great　circle　round　the　Karma…tree；　which　is　decked　with　strips　of　coloured　cloth　and　sham　bracelets　and　necklets　of　plaited　straw。　As　a　preparation　for　the　festival；　the　daughters　of　the　headman　of　the　village　cultivate　blades　of　barley　in　a　peculiar　way。　The　seed　is　sown　in　moist；　sandy　soil；　mixed　with　turmeric；　and　the　blades　sprout　and　unfold　of　a　pale…yellow　or　primrose　colour。　On　the　day　of　the　festival　the　girls　take　up　these　blades　and　carry　them　in　baskets　to　the　dancing…ground；　where；　prostrating　themselves　reverentially；　they　place　some　of　the　plants　before　the　Karma…tree。　Finally；　the　Karma…tree　is　taken　away　and　thrown　into　a　stream　or　tank。　The　meaning　of　planting　these　barley　blades　and　then　presenting　them　to　the　Karma…tree　is　hardly　open　to　question。　Trees　are　supposed　to　exercise　a　quickening　influence　upon　the　growth　of　crops；　and　amongst　the　very　people　in　questionthe　Mundas　or　Mundaris　the　grove　deities　are　held　responsible　for　the　crops。　Therefore；　when　at　the　season　for　planting　out　the　rice　the　Mundas　bring　in　a　tree　and　treat　it　with　so　much　respect；　their　object　can　only　be　to　foster　thereby　the　growth　of　the　rice　which　is　about　to　be　planted　out；　and　the　custom　of　causing　barley　blades　to　sprout　rapidly　and　then　presenting　them　to　the　tree　must　be　intended　to　subserve　the　same　purpose；　perhaps　by　reminding　the　tree…spirit　of　his　duty　towards　the　crops；　and　stimulating　his　activity　by　this　visible　example　of　rapid　vegetable　growth。　The　throwing　of　the　Karma…tree　into　the　water　is　to　be　interpreted　as　a　rain…charm。　Whether　the　barley　blades　are　also　thrown　into　the　water　is　not　said；　but　if　my　interpretation　of　the　custom　is　right；　probably　they　are　so。　A　distinction　between　this　Bengal　custom　and　the　Greek　rites　of　Adonis　is　that　in　the　former　the　tree…spirit　appears　in　his　original　form　as　a　tree；　whereas　in　the　Adonis　worship　he　appears　in　human　form；　represented　as　a　dead　man；　though　his　vegetable　nature　is　indicated　by　the　gardens　of　Adonis；　which　are；　so　to　say；　a　secondary　manifestation　of　his　original　power　as　a　tree…spirit。

Gardens　of　Adonis　are　cultivated　also　by　the　Hindoos；　with　the　intention　apparently　of　ensuring　the　fertility　both　of　the　earth　and　of　mankind。　Thus　at　Oodeypoor　in　Rajputana　a　festival　is　held　in　honour　of　Gouri；　or　Isani；　the　goddess　of　abundance。　The　rites　begin　when　the　sun　enters　the　sign　of　the　Ram；　the　opening　of　the　Hindoo　year。　An　image　of　the　goddess　Gouri　is　made　of　earth；　and　a　smaller　one　of　her　husband　Iswara；　and　the　two　are　placed　together。　A　small　trench　is　next　dug；　barley　is　sown　in　it；　and　the　ground　watered　and　heated　artificially　till　the　grain　sprouts；　when　the　women　dance　round　it　hand　in　hand；　invoking　the　blessing　of　Gouri　on　their　husbands。　After　that　the　young　corn　is　taken　up　and　distributed　by　the　women　to　the　men；　who　wear　i