the golden bough-第251章

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parently　supposed　to　depend　upon　the　due　performance　of　these　sacrifices；　Mannhardt　interpreted　the　Celtic　victims；　cased　in　osiers　and　grass；　as　representatives　of　the　tree…spirit　or　spirit　of　vegetation。

These　wicker　giants　of　the　Druids　seem　to　have　had　till　lately；　if　not　down　to　the　present　time；　their　representatives　at　the　spring　and　midsummer　festivals　of　modern　Europe。　At　Douay；　down　at　least　to　the　early　part　of　the　nineteenth　century；　a　procession　took　place　annually　on　the　Sunday　nearest　to　the　seventh　of　July。　The　great　feature　of　the　procession　was　a　colossal　figure；　some　twenty　or　thirty　feet　high；　made　of　osiers；　and　called　the　giant；　which　was　moved　through　the　streets　by　means　of　rollers　and　ropes　worked　by　men　who　were　enclosed　within　the　effigy。　The　figure　was　armed　as　a　knight　with　lance　and　sword；　helmet　and　shield。　Behind　him　marched　his　wife　and　his　three　children；　all　constructed　of　osiers　on　the　same　principle；　but　on　a　smaller　scale。　At　Dunkirk　the　procession　of　the　giants　took　place　on　Midsummer　Day；　the　twenty…fourth　of　June。　The　festival；　which　was　known　as　the　Follies　of　Dunkirk；　attracted　multitudes　of　spectators。　The　giant　was　a　huge　figure　of　wicker…work；　occasionally　as　much　as　forty…five　feet　high；　dressed　in　a　long　blue　robe　with　gold　stripes；　which　reached　to　his　feet；　concealing　the　dozen　or　more　men　who　made　it　dance　and　bob　its　head　to　the　spectators。　This　colossal　effigy　went　by　the　name　of　Papa　Reuss；　and　carried　in　its　pocket　a　bouncing　infant　of　Brobdingnagian　proportions。　The　rear　was　brought　up　by　the　daughter　of　the　giant；　constructed；　like　her　sire；　of　wicker…work；　and　little；　if　at　all；　inferior　to　him　in　size。　Most　towns　and　even　villages　of　Brabant　and　Flanders　have；　or　used　to　have；　similar　wicker　giants　which　were　annually　led　about　to　the　delight　of　the　populace；　who　loved　these　grotesque　figures；　spoke　of　them　with　patriotic　enthusiasm；　and　never　wearied　of　gazing　at　them。　At　Antwerp　the　giant　was　so　big　that　no　gate　in　the　city　was　large　enough　to　let　him　go　through；　hence　he　could　not　visit　his　brother　giants　in　neighbouring　towns；　as　the　other　Belgian　giants　used　to　do　on　solemn　occasions。

In　England　artificial　giants　seem　to　have　been　a　standing　feature　of　the　midsummer　festival。　A　writer　of　the　sixteenth　century　speaks　of　Midsommer　pageants　in　London；　where　to　make　the　people　wonder；　are　set　forth　great　and　uglie　gyants　marching　as　if　they　were　alive；　and　armed　at　all　points；　but　within　they　are　stuffed　full　of　browne　paper　and　tow；　which　the　shrewd　boyes；　underpeering；　do　guilefully　discover；　and　turne　to　a　greate　derision。　At　Chester　the　annual　pageant　on　Midsummer　Eve　included　the　effigies　of　four　giants；　with　animals；　hobby…horses；　and　other　figures。　At　Coventry　it　appears　that　the　giant's　wife　figured　beside　the　giant。　At　Burford；　in　Oxfordshire；　Midsummer　Eve　used　to　be　celebrated　with　great　jollity　by　the　carrying　of　a　giant　and　a　dragon　up　and　down　the　town。　The　last　survivor　of　these　perambulating　English　giants　lingered　at　Salisbury；　where　an　antiquary　found　him　mouldering　to　decay　in　the　neglected　hall　of　the　Tailors'　Company　about　the　year　1844。　His　bodily　framework　was　a　lath　and　hoop；　like　the　one　which　used　to　be　worn　by　Jack…in…the…Green　on　May　Day。

In　these　cases　the　giants　merely　figured　in　the　processions。　But　sometimes　they　were　burned　in　the　summer　bonfires。　Thus　the　people　of　the　Rue　aux　Ours　in　Paris　used　annually　to　make　a　great　wicker…work　figure；　dressed　as　a　soldier；　which　they　promenaded　up　and　down　the　streets　for　several　days；　and　solemnly　burned　on　the　third　of　July；　the　crowd　of　spectators　singing　Salve　Regina。　A　personage　who　bore　the　title　of　king　presided　over　the　ceremony　with　a　lighted　torch　in　his　hand。　The　burning　fragments　of　the　image　were　scattered　among　the　people；　who　eagerly　scrambled　for　them。　The　custom　was　abolished　in　1743。　In　Brie；　Isle　de　France；　a　wicker…work　giant；　eighteen　feet　high；　was　annually　burned　on　Midsummer　Eve。

Again；　the　Druidical　custom　of　burning　live　animals；　enclosed　in　wicker…work；　has　its　counterpart　at　the　spring　and　midsummer　festivals。　At　Luchon　in　the　Pyrenees　on　Midsummer　Eve　a　hollow　column；　composed　of　strong　wicker…work；　is　raised　to　the　height　of　about　sixty　feet　in　the　centre　of　the　principal　suburb；　and　interlaced　with　green　foliage　up　to　the　very　top；　while　the　most　beautiful　flowers　and　shrubs　procurable　are　artistically　arranged　in　groups　below；　so　as　to　form　a　sort　of　background　to　the　scene。　The　column　is　then　filled　with　combustible　materials；　ready　for　ignition。　At　an　appointed　hourabout　8　P。M。a　grand　procession；　composed　of　the　clergy；　followed　by　young　men　and　maidens　in　holiday　attire；　pour　forth　from　the　town　chanting　hymns；　and　take　up　their　position　around　the　column。　Meanwhile；　bonfires　are　lit；　with　beautiful　effect；　in　the　surrounding　hills。　As　many　living　serpents　as　could　be　collected　are　now　thrown　into　the　column；　which　is　set　on　fire　at　the　base　by　means　of　torches；　armed　with　which　about　fifty　boys　and　men　dance　around　with　frantic　gestures。　The　serpents；　to　avoid　the　flames；　wriggle　their　way　to　the　top；　whence　they　are　seen　lashing　out　laterally　until　finally　obliged　to　drop；　their　struggles　for　life　giving　rise　to　enthusiastic　delight　among　the　surrounding　spectators。　This　is　a　favourite　annual　ceremony　for　the　inhabitants　of　Luchon　and　its　neighbourhood；　and　local　tradition　assigns　it　to　a　heathen　origin。　In　the　midsummer　fires　formerly　kindled　on　the　Place　de　Grève　at　Paris　it　was　the　custom　to　burn　a　basket；　barrel；　or　sack　full　of　live　cats；　which　was　hung　from　a　tall　mast　in　the　midst　of　the　bonfire；　sometimes　a　fox　was　burned。　The　people　collected　the　embers　and　ashes　of　the　fire　and　took　them　home；　believing　that　they　brought　good　luck。　The　French　kings　often　witnessed　these　spectacles　and　even　lit　the　bonfire　with　their　own　hands。　In　1648　Louis　the　Fourteenth；　crowned　with　a　wreath　of　roses　and　carrying　a　bunch　of　roses　in　his　hand；　kindled　the　fire；　danced　at　it　and　partook　of　the　banquet　afterwards　in　the　town　hall。　But　this　was　the　last　occasion　when　a　monarch　presided　at　the　midsummer　bonfire　in　Paris。　At　Metz　midsummer　fires　were　lighted　with　great　pomp　on　the　esplanade；　and　a　dozen　cats；　enclosed　in　wicker　cages；　were　burned　alive　in　them；　to　the　amusement　of　the　people。　Similarly　at　Gap；　in　the　department　of　the　High　Alps；　cats　used　to　be　roasted　over　the　midsummer　bonfire。　In　Russia　a　white　cock　was　sometimes　burned　in　the　midsummer　bonfire；　in　Meissen　or　Thuringia　a　horse's　head　used　to　be　thrown　into　it。　Sometimes　animals　are　burned　in　the　spring　bonfires。　In　the　Vosges　cats　were　burned　on　Shrove　Tuesday；　in　Alsace　they　were　thrown　into　the　Easter　bonfire。　In　the　department　of　the　Ardennes　cats　were　flung　into　the　bonfires　kindled　on　the　first　Sunday　in　Lent；　sometimes；　by　a　refinement　of　cruelty；　they　were　hung　over　the　fire　from　the　end　of　a　pole　and　roasted　alive。　The　cat；　which　represented　the　devil；　could　never　suffer　enough。　While　the　creatures　were　perishing　in　the　flames；　the　shepherds　guarded　their　flocks　and　forced　them　to　leap　over　the　fire；　esteeming　this　an　infallible　means　of　preserving　them　from　disease　and　witchcraft。　We　have　seen　that　squirrels　were　sometimes　burned　in　the　Easter　fire。

Thus　it　appears　that　the　sacrificial　rites　of　the　Celts　of　ancient　Gaul　can　be　traced　in　the　popular　festivals　of　modern　Europe。　Naturally　it　is　in　France；　or　rather　in　the　wider　area　comprised　within　the　limits　of　ancient　Gaul；　that　these　rites　have　left　the　clearest　traces　in　the　customs　of　burning　giants　of　wicker…work　and　animals　enclosed　in　wicker…work　or　baskets。　These　customs；　it　will　have　been　remarked；　are　generally　observed　at　or　about　midsummer。　From　this　we　may　infer　that　the　original　rites　of　which　these　are　the　degenerate　successors　were　solemnised　at　midsummer。　This　inference　harmonises　with　the　conclusion　suggested　by　a　general　survey　of　European　folk…custom；　that　the　midsummer　festival　must　on　the　whole　have　been　the　most　widely　diffused　and　the　most　solemn　of　all　the　yearly　festivals　celebrated　by　the　primitive　Aryans　in　Europe。　At　the　same　time　we　must　bear　in　mind　that　among　the　British　Celts　the　chief　fire…festivals　o