the golden bough-第223章

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strengthen　his　weak　soul　with　the　strong　soul　of　the　plant。

These　analogies；　accordingly；　support　the　interpretation　which；　following　my　predecessors　W。　Mannhardt　and　Mr。　W。　R。　Paton；　I　have　given　of　the　beating　inflicted　on　the　human　victims　at　the　Greek　harvest　festival　of　the　Thargelia。　That　beating；　being　administered　to　the　generative　organs　of　the　victims　by　fresh　green　plants　and　branches；　is　most　naturally　explained　as　a　charm　to　increase　the　reproductive　energies　of　the　men　or　women　either　by　communicating　to　them　the　fruitfulness　of　the　plants　and　branches；　or　by　ridding　them　of　the　maleficent　influences；　and　this　interpretation　is　confirmed　by　the　observation　that　the　two　victims　represented　the　two　sexes；　one　of　them　standing　for　the　men　in　general　and　the　other　for　the　women。　The　season　of　the　year　when　the　ceremony　was　performed；　namely　the　time　of　the　corn　harvest；　tallies　well　with　the　theory　that　the　rite　had　an　agricultural　significance。　Further；　that　it　was　above　all　intended　to　fertilise　the　fig…trees　is　strongly　suggested　by　the　strings　of　black　and　white　figs　which　were　hung　round　the　necks　of　the　victims；　as　well　as　by　the　blows　which　were　given　their　genital　organs　with　the　branches　of　a　wild　fig…tree；　since　this　procedure　closely　resembles　the　procedure　which　ancient　and　modern　husbandmen　in　Greek　lands　have　regularly　resorted　to　for　the　purpose　of　actually　fertilising　their　fig…trees。　When　we　remember　what　an　important　part　the　artificial　fertilisation　of　the　date　palm…tree　appears　to　have　played　of　old　not　only　in　the　husbandry　but　in　the　religion　of　Mesopotamia；　there　seems　no　reason　to　doubt　that　the　artificial　fertilisation　of　the　fig…tree　may　in　like　manner　have　vindicated　for　itself　a　place　in　the　solemn　ritual　of　Greek　religion。

If　these　considerations　are　just；　we　must　apparently　conclude　that　while　the　human　victims　at　the　Thargelia　certainly　appear　in　later　classical　times　to　have　figured　chiefly　as　public　scapegoats；　who　carried　away　with　them　the　sins；　misfortunes；　and　sorrows　of　the　whole　people；　at　an　earlier　time　they　may　have　been　looked　on　as　embodiments　of　vegetation；　perhaps　of　the　corn　but　particularly　of　the　fig…trees；　and　that　the　beating　which　they　received　and　the　death　which　they　died　were　intended　primarily　to　brace　and　refresh　the　powers　of　vegetation　then　beginning　to　droop　and　languish　under　the　torrid　heat　of　the　Greek　summer。

The　view　here　taken　of　the　Greek　scapegoat；　if　it　is　correct；　obviates　an　objection　which　might　otherwise　be　brought　against　the　main　argument　of　this　book。　To　the　theory　that　the　priest　of　Aricia　was　slain　as　a　representative　of　the　spirit　of　the　grove；　it　might　have　been　objected　that　such　a　custom　has　no　analogy　in　classical　antiquity。　But　reasons　have　now　been　given　for　believing　that　the　human　being　periodically　and　occasionally　slain　by　the　Asiatic　Greeks　was　regularly　treated　as　an　embodiment　of　a　divinity　of　vegetation。　Probably　the　persons　whom　the　Athenians　kept　to　be　sacrificed　were　similarly　treated　as　divine。　That　they　were　social　outcasts　did　not　matter。　On　the　primitive　view　a　man　is　not　chosen　to　be　the　mouth…piece　or　embodiment　of　a　god　on　account　of　his　high　moral　qualities　or　social　rank。　The　divine　afflatus　descends　equally　on　the　good　and　the　bad；　the　lofty　and　the　lowly。　If　then　the　civilised　Greeks　of　Asia　and　Athens　habitually　sacrificed　men　whom　they　regarded　as　incarnate　gods；　there　can　be　no　inherent　improbability　in　the　supposition　that　at　the　dawn　of　history　a　similar　custom　was　observed　by　the　semibarbarous　Latins　in　the　Arician　Grove。

But　to　clinch　the　argument；　it　is　clearly　desirable　to　prove　that　the　custom　of　putting　to　death　a　human　representative　of　a　god　was　known　and　practised　in　ancient　Italy　elsewhere　than　in　the　Arician　Grove。　This　proof　I　now　propose　to　adduce。

3。　The　Roman　Saturnalia

WE　have　seen　that　many　peoples　have　been　used　to　observe　an　annual　period　of　license；　when　the　customary　restraints　of　law　and　morality　are　thrown　aside；　when　the　whole　population　give　themselves　up　to　extravagant　mirth　and　jollity；　and　when　the　darker　passions　find　a　vent　which　would　never　be　allowed　them　in　the　more　staid　and　sober　course　of　ordinary　life。　Such　outbursts　of　the　pent…up　forces　of　human　nature；　too　often　degenerating　into　wild　orgies　of　lust　and　crime；　occur　most　commonly　at　the　end　of　the　year；　and　are　frequently　associated；　as　I　have　had　occasion　to　point　out；　with　one　or　other　of　the　agricultural　seasons；　especially　with　the　time　of　sowing　or　of　harvest。　Now；　of　all　these　periods　of　license　the　one　which　is　best　known　and　which　in　modern　language　has　given　its　name　to　the　rest；　is　the　Saturnalia。　This　famous　festival　fell　in　December；　the　last　month　of　the　Roman　year；　and　was　popularly　supposed　to　commemorate　the　merry　reign　of　Saturn；　the　god　of　sowing　and　of　husbandry；　who　lived　on　earth　long　ago　as　a　righteous　and　beneficent　king　of　Italy；　drew　the　rude　and　scattered　dwellers　on　the　mountains　together；　taught　them　to　till　the　ground；　gave　them　laws；　and　ruled　in　peace。　His　reign　was　the　fabled　Golden　Age：　the　earth　brought　forth　abundantly：　no　sound　of　war　or　discord　troubled　the　happy　world：　no　baleful　love　of　lucre　worked　like　poison　in　the　blood　of　the　industrious　and　contented　peasantry。　Slavery　and　private　property　were　alike　unknown：　all　men　had　all　things　in　common。　At　last　the　good　god；　the　kindly　king；　vanished　suddenly；　but　his　memory　was　cherished　to　distant　ages；　shrines　were　reared　in　his　honour；　and　many　hills　and　high　places　in　Italy　bore　his　name。　Yet　the　bright　tradition　of　his　reign　was　crossed　by　a　dark　shadow：　his　altars　are　said　to　have　been　stained　with　the　blood　of　human　victims；　for　whom　a　more　merciful　age　afterwards　substituted　effigies。　Of　this　gloomy　side　of　the　god's　religion　there　is　little　or　no　trace　in　the　descriptions　which　ancient　writers　have　left　us　of　the　Saturnalia。　Feasting　and　revelry　and　all　the　mad　pursuit　of　pleasure　are　the　features　that　seem　to　have　especially　marked　this　carnival　of　antiquity；　as　it　went　on　for　seven　days　in　the　streets　and　public　squares　and　houses　of　ancient　Rome　from　the　seventeenth　to　the　twenty…third　of　December。

But　no　feature　of　the　festival　is　more　remarkable；　nothing　in　it　seems　to　have　struck　the　ancients　themselves　more　than　the　license　granted　to　slaves　at　this　time。　The　distinction　between　the　free　and　the　servile　classes　was　temporarily　abolished。　The　slave　might　rail　at　his　master；　intoxicate　himself　like　his　betters；　sit　down　at　table　with　them；　and　not　even　a　word　of　reproof　would　be　administered　to　him　for　conduct　which　at　any　other　season　might　have　been　punished　with　stripes；　imprisonment；　or　death。　Nay；　more；　masters　actually　changed　places　with　their　slaves　and　waited　on　them　at　table；　and　not　till　the　serf　had　done　eating　and　drinking　was　the　board　cleared　and　dinner　set　for　his　master。　So　far　was　this　inversion　of　ranks　carried；　that　each　household　became　for　a　time　a　mimic　republic　in　which　the　high　offices　of　state　were　discharged　by　the　slaves；　who　gave　their　orders　and　laid　down　the　law　as　if　they　were　indeed　invested　with　all　the　dignity　of　the　consulship；　the　praetorship；　and　the　bench。　Like　the　pale　reflection　of　power　thus　accorded　to　bondsmen　at　the　Saturnalia　was　the　mock　kingship　for　which　freemen　cast　lots　at　the　same　season。　The　person　on　whom　the　lot　fell　enjoyed　the　title　of　king；　and　issued　commands　of　a　playful　and　ludicrous　nature　to　his　temporary　subjects。　One　of　them　he　might　order　to　mix　the　wine；　another　to　drink；　another　to　sing；　another　to　dance；　another　to　speak　in　his　own　dispraise；　another　to　carry　a　flute…girl　on　his　back　round　the　house。

Now；　when　we　remember　that　the　liberty　allowed　to　slaves　at　this　festive　season　was　supposed　to　be　an　imitation　of　the　state　of　society　in　Saturn's　time；　and　that　in　general　the　Saturnalia　passed　for　nothing　more　or　less　than　a　temporary　revival　or　restoration　of　the　reign　of　that　merry　monarch；　we　are　tempted　to　surmise　that　the　mock　king　who　presided　over　the　revels　may　have　originally　represented　Saturn　himself。　The　conjecture　is　strongly　confirmed；　if　not　established；　by　a　very　curious　and　interesting　account　of　the　way　in　which　the　Sat