the golden bough-第244章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


alien　races　had　not　yet　driven　home　the　wedges　of　separation　between　them。

In　the　Isle　of　Man　also；　another　Celtic　country；　Hallowe'en　was　celebrated　down　to　modern　times　by　the　kindling　of　fires；　accompanied　with　all　the　usual　ceremonies　designed　to　prevent　the　baneful　influence　of　fairies　and　witches。

7。　The　Midwinter　Fires

IF　THE　HEATHEN　of　ancient　Europe　celebrated；　as　we　have　good　reason　to　believe；　the　season　of　Midsummer　with　a　great　festival　of　fire；　of　which　the　traces　have　survived　in　many　places　down　to　our　own　time；　it　is　natural　to　suppose　that　they　should　have　observed　with　similar　rites　the　corresponding　season　of　Midwinter；　for　Midsummer　and　Midwinter；　or；　in　more　technical　language；　the　summer　solstice　and　the　winter　solstice；　are　the　two　great　turningpoints　in　the　sun's　apparent　course　through　the　sky；　and　from　the　standpoint　of　primitive　man　nothing　might　seem　more　appropriate　than　to　kindle　fires　on　earth　at　the　two　moments　when　the　fire　and　heat　of　the　great　luminary　in　heaven　begin　to　wane　or　to　wax。

In　modern　Christendom　the　ancient　fire…festival　of　the　winter　solstice　appears　to　survive；　or　to　have　survived　down　to　recent　years；　in　the　old　custom　of　the　Yule　log；　clog；　or　block；　as　it　was　variously　called　in　England。　The　custom　was　widespread　in　Europe；　but　seems　to　have　flourished　especially　in　England；　France；　and　among　the　South　Slavs；　at　least　the　fullest　accounts　of　the　custom　come　from　these　quarters。　That　the　Yule　log　was　only　the　winter　counterpart　of　the　midsummer　bonfire；　kindled　within　doors　instead　of　in　the　open　air　on　account　of　the　cold　and　inclement　weather　of　the　season；　was　pointed　out　long　ago　by　our　English　antiquary　John　Brand；　and　the　view　is　supported　by　the　many　quaint　superstitions　attaching　to　the　Yule　log；　superstitions　which　have　no　apparent　connexion　with　Christianity　but　carry　their　heathen　origin　plainly　stamped　upon　them。　But　while　the　two　solstitial　celebrations　were　both　festivals　of　fire；　the　necessity　or　desirability　of　holding　the　winter　celebration　within　doors　lent　it　the　character　of　a　private　or　domestic　festivity；　which　contrasts　strongly　with　the　publicity　of　the　summer　celebration；　at　which　the　people　gathered　on　some　open　space　or　conspicuous　height；　kindled　a　huge　bonfire　in　common；　and　danced　and　made　merry　round　it　together。

Down　to　about　the　middle　of　the　nineteenth　century　the　old　rite　of　the　Yule　log　was　kept　up　in　some　parts　of　Central　Germany。　Thus　in　the　valleys　of　the　Sieg　and　Lahn　the　Yule　log；　a　heavy　block　of　oak；　was　fitted　into　the　floor　of　the　hearth；　where；　though　it　glowed　under　the　fire；　it　was　hardly　reduced　to　ashes　within　a　year。　When　the　new　log　was　laid　next　year；　the　remains　of　the　old　one　were　ground　to　powder　and　strewed　over　the　fields　during　the　Twelve　Nights；　which　was　supposed　to　promote　the　growth　of　the　crops。　In　some　villages　of　Westphalia；　the　practice　was　to　withdraw　the　Yule　log　（Christbrand）　from　the　fire　so　soon　as　it　was　slightly　charred；　it　was　then　kept　carefully　to　be　replaced　on　the　fire　whenever　a　thunderstorm　broke；　because　the　people　believed　that　lightning　would　not　strike　a　house　in　which　the　Yule　log　was　smouldering。　In　other　villages　of　Westphalia　the　old　custom　was　to　tie　up　the　Yule　log　in　the　last　sheaf　cut　at　harvest。

In　several　provinces　of　France；　and　particularly　in　Provence；　the　custom　of　the　Yule　log　or　tréfoir；　as　it　was　called　in　many　places；　was　long　observed。　A　French　writer　of　the　seventeenth　century　denounces　as　superstitious　the　belief　that　a　log　called　the　tréfoir　or　Christmas　brand；　which　you　put　on　the　fire　for　the　first　time　on　Christmas　Eve　and　continue　to　put　on　the　fire　for　a　little　while　every　day　till　Twelfth　Night；　can；　if　kept　under　the　bed；　protect　the　house　for　a　whole　year　from　fire　and　thunder；　that　it　can　prevent　the　inmates　from　having　chilblains　on　their　heels　in　winter；　that　it　can　cure　the　cattle　of　many　maladies；　that　if　a　piece　of　it　be　steeped　in　the　water　which　cows　drink　it　helps　them　to　calve；　and　lastly　that　if　the　ashes　of　the　log　be　strewn　on　the　fields　it　can　save　the　wheat　from　mildew。

In　some　parts　of　Flanders　and　France　the　remains　of　the　Yule　log　were　regularly　kept　in　the　house　under　a　bed　as　a　protection　against　thunder　and　lightning；　in　Berry；　when　thunder　was　heard；　a　member　of　the　family　used　to　take　a　piece　of　the　log　and　throw　it　on　the　fire；　which　was　believed　to　avert　the　lightning。　Again；　in　Perigord；　the　charcoal　and　ashes　are　carefully　collected　and　kept　for　healing　swollen　glands；　the　part　of　the　trunk　which　has　not　been　burnt　in　the　fire　is　used　by　ploughmen　to　make　the　wedge　for　their　plough；　because　they　allege　that　it　causes　the　seeds　to　thrive　better；　and　the　women　keep　pieces　of　it　till　Twelfth　Night　for　the　sake　of　their　chickens。　Some　people　imagine　that　they　will　have　as　many　chickens　as　there　are　sparks　that　fly　out　of　the　brands　of　the　log　when　they　shake　them；　and　others　place　the　extinct　brands　under　the　bed　to　drive　away　vermin。　In　various　parts　of　France　the　charred　log　is　thought　to　guard　the　house　against　sorcery　as　well　as　against　lightning。

In　England　the　customs　and　beliefs　concerning　the　Yule　log　used　to　be　similar。　On　the　night　of　Christmas　Eve；　says　the　antiquary　John　Brand；　our　ancestors　were　wont　to　light　up　candles　of　an　uncommon　size；　called　Christmas　Candles；　and　lay　a　log　of　wood　upon　the　fire；　called　a　Yule…clog　or　Christmas…block；　to　illuminate　the　house；　and；　as　it　were；　to　turn　night　into　day。　The　old　custom　was　to　light　the　Yule　log　with　a　fragment　of　its　predecessor；　which　had　been　kept　throughout　the　year　for　the　purpose；　where　it　was　so　kept；　the　fiend　could　do　no　mischief。　The　remains　of　the　log　were　also　supposed　to　guard　the　house　against　fire　and　lightning。

To　this　day　the　ritual　of　bringing　in　the　Yule　log　is　observed　with　much　solemnity　among　the　Southern　Slavs；　especially　the　Serbians。　The　log　is　usually　a　block　of　oak；　but　sometimes　of　olive　or　beech。　They　seem　to　think　that　they　will　have　as　many　calves；　lambs；　pigs；　and　kids　as　they　strike　sparks　out　of　the　burning　log。　Some　people　carry　a　piece　of　the　log　out　to　the　fields　to　protect　them　against　hail。　In　Albania　down　to　recent　years　it　was　a　common　custom　to　burn　a　Yule　log　at　Christmas；　and　the　ashes　of　the　fire　were　scattered　on　the　fields　to　make　them　fertile。　The　Huzuls；　a　Slavonic　people　of　the　Carpathians；　kindle　fire　by　the　friction　of　wood　on　Christmas　Eve　（Old　Style；　the　fifth　of　January）　and　keep　it　burning　till　Twelfth　Night。

It　is　remarkable　how　common　the　belief　appears　to　have　been　that　the　remains　of　the　Yule　log；　if　kept　throughout　the　year；　had　power　to　protect　the　house　against　fire　and　especially　against　lightning。　As　the　Yule　log　was　frequently　of　oak；　it　seems　possible　that　this　belief　may　be　a　relic　of　the　old　Aryan　creed　which　associated　the　oak…tree　with　the　god　of　thunder。　Whether　the　curative　and　fertilising　virtues　ascribed　to　the　ashes　of　the　Yule　log；　which　are　supposed　to　heal　cattle　as　well　as　men；　to　enable　cows　to　calve；　and　to　promote　the　fruitfulness　of　the　earth；　may　not　be　derived　from　the　same　ancient　source；　is　a　question　which　deserves　to　be　considered。

8。　The　Need…fire

THE　FIRE…FESTIVALS　hitherto　described　are　all　celebrated　periodically　at　certain　stated　times　of　the　year。　But　besides　these　regularly　recurring　celebrations　the　peasants　in　many　parts　of　Europe　have　been　wont　from　time　immemorial　to　resort　to　a　ritual　of　fire　at　irregular　intervals　in　seasons　of　distress　and　calamity；　above　all　when　their　cattle　were　attacked　by　epidemic　disease。　No　account　of　the　popular　European　fire…festivals　would　be　complete　without　some　notice　of　these　remarkable　rites；　which　have　all　the　greater　claim　on　our　attention　because　they　may　perhaps　be　regarded　as　the　source　and　origin　of　all　the　other　fire…festivals；　certainly　they　must　date　from　a　very　remote　antiquity。　The　general　name　by　which　they　are　known　among　the　Teutonic　peoples　is　need…fire。　Sometimes　the　need…fire　was　known　as　wild　fire；　to　distinguish　it　no　doubt　from　the　tame　fire　produced　by　more　ordinary　methods。　Among　Slavonic　peoples　it　is　called　living　fire。

The　history　of　the　custom　can　be　traced　from　the　early　Middle　Ages；