the golden bough-第235章

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to　the　end　of　a　wand。　Before　the　disc　is　thrown　it　is　set　on　fire；　the　wand　is　swung　to　and　fro；　and　the　impetus　thus　communicated　to　the　disc　is　augmented　by　dashing　the　rod　sharply　against　a　sloping　board。　The　burning　disc　is　thus　thrown　off；　and　mounting　high　into　the　air；　describes　a　long　fiery　curve　before　it　reaches　the　ground。　The　charred　embers　of　the　burned　witch　and　discs　are　taken　home　and　planted　in　the　flax…fields　the　same　night；　in　the　belief　that　they　will　keep　vermin　from　the　fields。　In　the　Rh？n　Mountains；　situated　on　the　borders　of　Hesse　and　Bavaria；　the　people　used　to　march　to　the　top　of　a　hill　or　eminence　on　the　first　Sunday　in　Lent。　Children　and　lads　carried　torches；　brooms　daubed　with　tar；　and　poles　swathed　in　straw。　A　wheel；　wrapt　in　combustibles；　was　kindled　and　rolled　down　the　hill；　and　the　young　people　rushed　about　the　fields　with　their　burning　torches　and　brooms；　till　at　last　they　flung　them　in　a　heap；　and　standing　round　them；　struck　up　a　hymn　or　a　popular　song。　The　object　of　running　about　the　fields　with　the　blazing　torches　was　to　drive　away　the　wicked　sower。　Or　it　was　done　in　honour　of　the　Virgin；　that　she　might　preserve　the　fruits　of　the　earth　throughout　the　year　and　bless　them。　In　neighbouring　villages　of　Hesse；　between　the　Rh？n　and　the　Vogel　Mountains；　it　is　thought　that　wherever　the　burning　wheels　roll；　the　fields　will　be　safe　from　hail　and　strom。

In　Switzerland；　also；　it　is　or　used　to　be　customary　to　kindle　bonfires　on　high　places　on　the　evening　of　the　first　Sunday　in　Lent；　and　the　day　is　therefore　popularly　known　as　Spark　Sunday。　The　custom　prevailed；　for　example；　throughout　the　canton　of　Lucerne。　Boys　went　about　from　house　to　house　begging　for　wood　and　straw；　then　piled　the　fuel　on　a　conspicuous　mountain　or　hill　round　about　a　pole；　which　bore　a　straw　effigy　called　the　witch。　At　nightfall　the　pile　was　set　on　fire；　and　the　young　folks　danced　wildly　round　it；　some　of　them　cracking　whips　or　ringing　bells；　and　when　the　fire　burned　low　enough；　they　leaped　over　it。　This　was　called　burning　the　witch。　In　some　parts　of　the　canton　also　they　used　to　wrap　old　wheels　in　straw　and　thorns；　put　a　light　to　them；　and　send　them　rolling　and　blazing　down　hill。　The　more　bonfires　could　be　seen　sparkling　and　flaring　in　the　darkness；　the　more　fruitful　was　the　year　expected　to　be；　and　the　higher　the　dancers　leaped　beside　or　over　the　fire；　the　higher；　it　was　thought；　would　grow　the　flax。　In　some　districts　it　was　the　last　married　man　or　woman　who　must　kindle　the　bonfire。

It　seems　hardly　possible　to　separate　from　these　bonfires；　kindled　on　the　first　Sunday　in　Lent；　the　fires　in　which；　about　the　same　season；　the　effigy　called　Death　is　burned　as　part　of　the　ceremony　of　carrying　out　Death。　We　have　seen　that　at　Spachendorf；　in　Austrian　Silesia；　on　the　morning　of　Rupert's　Day　（Shrove　Tuesday？）；　a　straw…man；　dressed　in　a　fur　coat　and　a　fur　cap；　is　laid　in　a　hole　outside　the　village　and　there　burned；　and　that　while　it　is　blazing　every　one　seeks　to　snatch　a　fragment　of　it；　which　he　fastens　to　a　branch　of　the　highest　tree　in　his　garden　or　buries　in　his　field；　believing　that　this　will　make　the　crops　to　grow　better。　The　ceremony　is　known　as　the　burying　of　Death。　Even　when　the　straw…man　is　not　designated　as　Death；　the　meaning　of　the　observance　is　probably　the　same；　for　the　name　Death；　as　I　have　tried　to　show；　does　not　express　the　original　intention　of　the　ceremony。　At　Cobern　in　the　Eifel　Mountains　the　lads　make　up　a　straw…man　on　Shrove　Tuesday。　The　effigy　is　formally　tried　and　accused　of　having　perpetrated　all　the　thefts　that　have　been　committed　in　the　neighbourhood　throughout　the　year。　Being　condemned　to　death；　the　straw…man　is　led　through　the　village；　shot；　and　burned　upon　a　pyre。　They　dance　round　the　blazing　pile；　and　the　last　bride　must　leap　over　it。　In　Oldenburg　on　the　evening　of　Shrove　Tuesday　people　used　to　make　long　bundles　of　straw；　which　they　set　on　fire；　and　then　ran　about　the　fields　waving　them；　shrieking；　and　singing　wild　songs。　Finally　they　burned　a　straw…man　on　the　field。　In　the　district　of　Düsseldorf　the　straw…man　burned　on　Shrove　Tuesday　was　made　of　an　unthreshed　sheaf　of　corn。　On　the　first　Monday　after　the　spring　equinox　the　urchins　of　Zurich　drag　a　straw…man　on　a　little　cart　through　the　streets；　while　at　the　same　time　the　girls　carry　about　a　May…tree。　When　vespers　ring；　the　straw…man　is　burned。　In　the　district　of　Aachen　on　Ash　Wednesday；　a　man　used　to　be　encased　in　peas…straw　and　taken　to　an　appointed　place。　Here　he　slipped　quietly　out　of　his　straw　casing；　which　was　then　burned；　the　children　thinking　that　it　was　the　man　who　was　being　burned。　In　the　Val　di　Ledro　（Tyrol）　on　the　last　day　of　the　Carnival　a　figure　is　made　up　of　straw　and　brushwood　and　then　burned。　The　figure　is　called　the　Old　Woman；　and　the　ceremony　burning　the　Old　Woman。

3。　The　Easter　Fires

ANOTHER　occasion　on　which　these　fire…festivals　are　held　is　Easter　Eve；　the　Saturday　before　Easter　Sunday。　On　that　day　it　has　been　customary　in　Catholic　countries　to　extinguish　all　the　lights　in　the　churches；　and　then　to　make　a　new　fire；　sometimes　with　flint　and　steel；　sometimes　with　a　burning…glass。　At　this　fire　is　lit　the　great　Paschal　or　Easter　candle；　which　is　then　used　to　rekindle　all　the　extinguished　lights　in　the　church。　In　many　parts　of　Germany　a　bonfire　is　also　kindled；　by　means　of　the　new　fire；　on　some　open　space　near　the　church。　It　is　consecrated；　and　the　people　bring　sticks　of　oak；　walnut；　and　beech；　which　they　char　in　the　fire；　and　then　take　home　with　them。　Some　of　these　charred　sticks　are　thereupon　burned　at　home　in　a　newly…kindled　fire；　with　a　prayer　that　God　will　preserve　the　homestead　from　fire；　lightning；　and　hail。　Thus　every　house　receives　new　fire。　Some　of　the　sticks　are　kept　throughout　the　year　and　laid　on　the　hearth…fire　during　heavy　thunder…storms　to　prevent　the　house　from　being　struck　by　lightning；　or　they　are　inserted　in　the　roof　with　the　like　intention。　Others　are　placed　in　the　fields；　gardens；　and　meadows；　with　a　prayer　that　God　will　keep　them　from　blight　and　hail。　Such　fields　and　gardens　are　thought　to　thrive　more　than　others；　the　corn　and　the　plants　that　grow　in　them　are　not　beaten　down　by　hail；　nor　devoured　by　mice；　vermin；　and　beetles；　no　witch　harms　them；　and　the　ears　of　corn　stand　close　and　full。　The　charred　sticks　are　also　applied　to　the　plough。　The　ashes　of　the　Easter　bonfire；　together　with　the　ashes　of　the　consecrated　palm…branches；　are　mixed　with　the　seed　at　sowing。　A　wooden　figure　called　Judas　is　sometimes　burned　in　the　consecrated　bonfire；　and　even　where　this　custom　has　been　abolished　the　bonfire　itself　in　some　places　goes　by　the　name　of　the　burning　of　Judas。

The　essentially　pagan　character　of　the　Easter　fire　festival　appears　plainly　both　from　the　mode　in　which　it　is　celebrated　by　the　peasants　and　from　the　superstitious　beliefs　which　they　associate　with　it。　All　over　Northern　and　Central　Germany；　from　Altmark　and　Anhalt　on　the　east；　through　Brunswick；　Hanover；　Oldenburg；　the　Harz　district；　and　Hesse　to　Westphalia　the　Easter　bonfires　still　blaze　simultaneously　on　the　hill…tops。　As　many　as　forty　may　sometimes　be　counted　within　sight　at　once。　Long　before　Easter　the　young　people　have　been　busy　collecting　firewood；　every　farmer　contributes；　and　tar…barrels；　petroleum　cases；　and　so　forth　go　to　swell　the　pile。　Neighbouring　villages　vie　with　each　other　as　to　which　shall　send　up　the　greatest　blaze。　The　fires　are　always　kindled；　year　after　year；　on　the　same　hill；　which　accordingly　often　takes　the　name　of　Easter　Mountain。　It　is　a　fine　spectacle　to　watch　from　some　eminence　the　bonfires　flaring　up　one　after　another　on　the　neighbouring　heights。　As　far　as　their　light　reaches；　so　far；　in　the　belief　of　the　peasants；　the　fields　will　be　fruitful；　and　the　houses　on　which　they　shine　will　be　safe　from　conflagration　or　sickness。　At　Volkmarsen　and　other　places　in　Hesse　the　people　used　to　observe　which　way　the　wind　blew　the　flames；　and　then　they　sowed　flax　seed　in　that　direction；　confident　that　it　would　grow　well。　Brands　taken　from　the　bonfires　preserve　houses　from　being　struck　by　lightning；　and　the　ashes　increase　the　fertility　of　the　fields；　protect　them　from　mice；　and　mixed　with　the　drinking…water　of　cattle　make　the　animals　thrive　and　ensure　th