the golden bough-第245章

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es　it　is　called　living　fire。

The　history　of　the　custom　can　be　traced　from　the　early　Middle　Ages；　when　it　was　denounced　by　the　Church　as　a　heathen　superstition；　down　to　the　first　half　of　the　nineteenth　century；　when　it　was　still　occasionally　practised　in　various　parts　of　Germany；　England；　Scotland；　and　Ireland。　Among　Slavonic　peoples　it　appears　to　have　lingered　even　longer。　The　usual　occasion　for　performing　the　rite　was　an　outbreak　of　plague　or　cattle…disease；　for　which　the　need…fire　was　believed　to　be　an　infallible　remedy。　The　animals　which　were　subjected　to　it　included　cows；　pigs；　horses；　and　sometimes　geese。　As　a　necessary　preliminary　to　the　kindling　of　the　need…fire　all　other　fires　and　lights　in　the　neighbourhood　were　extinguished；　so　that　not　so　much　as　a　spark　remained　alight；　for　so　long　as　even　a　night…light　burned　in　a　house；　it　was　imagined　that　the　need…fire　could　not　kindle。　Sometimes　it　was　deemed　enough　to　put　out　all　the　fires　in　the　village；　but　sometimes　the　extinction　extended　to　neighbouring　villages　or　to　a　whole　parish。　In　some　parts　of　the　Highlands　of　Scotland　the　rule　was　that　all　householders　who　dwelt　within　the　two　nearest　running　streams　should　put　out　their　lights　and　fires　on　the　day　appointed。　Usually　the　need…fire　was　made　in　the　open　air；　but　in　some　parts　of　Serbia　it　was　kindled　in　a　dark　room；　sometimes　the　place　was　a　cross…way　or　a　hollow　in　a　road。　In　the　Highlands　of　Scotland　the　proper　places　for　performing　the　rite　seem　to　have　been　knolls　or　small　islands　in　rivers。

The　regular　method　of　producing　the　need…fire　was　by　the　friction　of　two　pieces　of　wood；　it　might　not　be　struck　by　flint　and　steel。　Very　exceptionally　among　some　South　Slavs　we　read　of　a　practice　of　kindling　a　need…fire　by　striking　a　piece　of　iron　on　an　anvil。　Where　the　wood　to　be　employed　is　specified；　it　is　generally　said　to　be　oak；　but　on　the　Lower　Rhine　the　fire　was　kindled　by　the　friction　of　oak…wood　or　fir…wood。　In　Slavonic　countries　we　hear　of　poplar；　pear；　and　cornel　wood　being　used　for　the　purpose。　Often　the　material　is　simply　described　as　two　pieces　of　dry　wood。　Sometimes　nine　different　kinds　of　wood　were　deemed　necessary；　but　rather　perhaps　to　be　burned　in　the　bonfire　than　to　be　rubbed　together　for　the　production　of　the　need…fire。　The　particular　mode　of　kindling　the　need…fire　varied　in　different　districts；　a　very　common　one　was　this。　Two　poles　were　driven　into　the　ground　about　a　foot　and　a　half　from　each　other。　Each　pole　had　in　the　side　facing　the　other　a　socket　into　which　a　smooth　cross…piece　or　roller　was　fitted。　The　sockets　were　stuffed　with　linen；　and　the　two　ends　of　the　roller　were　rammed　tightly　into　the　sockets。　To　make　it　more　inflammable　the　roller　was　often　coated　with　tar。　A　rope　was　then　wound　round　the　roller；　and　the　free　ends　at　both　sides　were　gripped　by　two　or　more　persons；　who　by　pulling　the　rope　to　and　fro　caused　the　roller　to　revolve　rapidly；　till　through　the　friction　the　linen　in　the　sockets　took　fire。　The　sparks　were　immediately　caught　in　tow　or　oakum　and　waved　about　in　a　circle　until　they　burst　into　a　bright　glow；　when　straw　was　applied　to　it；　and　the　blazing　straw　used　to　kindle　the　fuel　that　had　been　stacked　to　make　the　bonfire。　Often　a　wheel；　sometimes　a　cart…wheel　or　even　a　spinning…wheel；　formed　part　of　the　mechanism；　in　Aberdeenshire　it　was　called　the　muckle　wheel；　in　the　island　of　Mull　the　wheel　was　turned　from　east　to　west　over　nine　spindles　of　oak…wood。　Sometimes　we　are　merely　told　that　two　wooden　planks　were　rubbed　together。　Sometimes　it　was　prescribed　that　the　cart…wheel　used　for　fire…making　and　the　axle　on　which　it　turned　should　both　be　new。　Similarly　it　was　said　that　the　rope　which　turned　the　roller　should　be　new；　if　possible　it　should　be　woven　of　strands　taken　from　a　gallows　rope　with　which　people　had　been　hanged；　but　this　was　a　counsel　of　perfection　rather　than　a　strict　necessity。

Various　rules　were　also　laid　down　as　to　the　kind　of　persons　who　might　or　should　make　the　need…fire。　Sometimes　it　was　said　that　the　two　persons　who　pulled　the　rope　which　twirled　the　roller　should　always　be　brothers　or　at　least　bear　the　same　baptismal　name；　sometimes　it　was　deemed　sufficient　if　they　were　both　chaste　young　men。　In　some　villages　of　Brunswick　people　thought　that　if　everybody　who　lent　a　hand　in　kindling　the　need…fire　did　not　bear　the　same　Christian　name；　they　would　labour　in　vain。　In　Silesia　the　tree　employed　to　produce　the　need…fire　used　to　be　felled　by　a　pair　of　twin　brothers。　In　the　western　islands　of　Scotland　the　fire　was　kindled　by　eighty…one　married　men；　who　rubbed　two　great　planks　against　each　other；　working　in　relays　of　nine；　in　North　Uist　the　nine　times　nine　who　made　the　fire　were　all　first…begotten　sons；　but　we　are　not　told　whether　they　were　married　or　single。　Among　the　Serbians　the　need…fire　is　sometimes　kindled　by　a　boy　and　girl　between　eleven　and　fourteen　years　of　age；　who　work　stark　naked　in　a　dark　room；　sometimes　it　is　made　by　an　old　man　and　an　old　woman　also　in　the　dark。　In　Bulgaria；　too；　the　makers　of　need…fire　strip　themselves　of　their　clothes；　in　Caithness　they　divested　themselves　of　all　kinds　of　metal。　If　after　long　rubbing　of　the　wood　no　fire　was　elicited　they　concluded　that　some　fire　must　still　be　burning　in　the　village；　so　a　strict　search　was　made　from　house　to　house；　any　fire　that　might　be　found　was　put　out；　and　the　negligent　householder　punished　or　upbraided；　indeed　a　heavy　fine　might　be　inflicted　on　him。

When　the　need…fire　was　at　last　kindled；　the　bonfire　was　lit　from　it；　and　as　soon　as　the　blaze　had　somewhat　died　down；　the　sick　animals　were　driven　over　the　glowing　embers；　sometimes　in　a　regular　order　of　precedence；　first　the　pigs；　next　the　cows；　and　last　of　all　the　horses。　Sometimes　they　were　driven　twice　or　thrice　through　the　smoke　and　flames；　so　that　occasionally　some　of　them　were　scorched　to　death。　As　soon　as　all　the　beasts　were　through；　the　young　folk　would　rush　wildly　at　the　ashes　and　cinders；　sprinkling　and　blackening　each　other　with　them；　those　who　were　most　blackened　would　march　in　triumph　behind　the　cattle　into　the　village　and　would　not　wash　themselves　for　a　long　time。　From　the　bonfire　people　carried　live　embers　home　and　used　them　to　rekindle　the　fires　in　their　houses。　These　brands；　after　being　extinguished　in　water；　they　sometimes　put　in　the　managers　at　which　the　cattle　fed；　and　kept　them　there　for　a　while。　Ashes　from　the　need…fire　were　also　strewed　on　the　fields　to　protect　the　crops　against　vermin；　sometimes　they　were　taken　home　to　be　employed　as　remedies　in　sickness；　being　sprinkled　on　the　ailing　part　or　mixed　in　water　and　drunk　by　the　patient。　In　the　western　islands　of　Scotland　and　on　the　adjoining　mainland；　as　soon　as　the　fire　on　the　domestic　hearth　had　been　rekindled　from　the　need…fire　a　pot　full　of　water　was　set　on　it；　and　the　water　thus　heated　was　afterwards　sprinkled　upon　the　people　infected　with　the　plague　or　upon　the　cattle　that　were　tainted　by　the　murrain。　Special　virtue　was　attributed　to　the　smoke　of　the　bonfire；　in　Sweden　fruit…trees　and　nets　were　fumigated　with　it；　in　order　that　the　trees　might　bear　fruit　and　the　nets　catch　fish。　In　the　Highlands　of　Scotland　the　need…fire　was　accounted　a　sovereign　remedy　for　witchcraft。　In　the　island　of　Mull；　when　the　fire　was　kindled　as　a　cure　for　the　murrain；　we　hear　of　the　rite　being　accompanied　by　the　sacrifice　of　a　sick　heifer；　which　was　cut　in　pieces　and　burnt。　Slavonian　and　Bulgarian　peasants　conceive　cattle…plague　as　a　foul　fiend　or　vampyre　which　can　be　kept　at　bay　by　interposing　a　barrier　of　fire　between　it　and　the　herds。　A　similar　conception　may　perhaps　have　originally　everywhere　underlain　the　use　of　the　need…fire　as　a　remedy　for　the　murrain。　It　appears　that　in　some　parts　of　Germany　the　people　did　not　wait　for　an　outbreak　of　cattleplague；　but；　taking　time　by　the　forelock；　kindled　a　need…fire　annually　to　prevent　the　calamity。　Similarly　in　Poland　the　peasants　are　said　to　kindle　fires　in　the　village　streets　every　year　on　St。　Rochus's　day　and　to　drive　the　cattle　thrice　through　them　in　order　to　protect　the　beasts　against　the　murrain。　We　have　seen　that　in　the　Hebrides　the　cattle　were　in　like　manner　driven　annually　round　the　Beltane　fires　for　the　same　purpose。　In　some　cantons　of　Switzerland　childre