the golden bough-第270章

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he　humble　plant。　Or；　more　probably；　his　description　was　based　on　a　popular　superstition　that　at　certain　times　the　mistletoe　blazed　out　into　a　supernatural　golden　glory。　The　poet　tells　how　two　doves；　guiding　Aeneas　to　the　gloomy　vale　in　whose　depth　grew　the　Golden　Bough；　alighted　upon　a　tree；　whence　shone　a　flickering　gleam　of　gold。　As　in　the　woods　in　winter　cold　the　mistletoea　plant　not　native　to　its　treeis　green　with　fresh　leaves　and　twines　its　yellow　berries　about　the　boles；　such　seemed　upon　the　shady　holm…oak　the　leafy　gold；　so　rustled　in　the　gentle　breeze　the　golden　leaf。　Here　Virgil　definitely　describes　the　Golden　Bough　as　growing　on　a　holm…oak；　and　compares　it　with　the　mistletoe。　The　inference　is　almost　inevitable　that　the　Golden　Bough　was　nothing　but　the　mistletoe　seen　through　the　haze　of　poetry　or　of　popular　superstition。

Now　grounds　have　been　shown　for　believing　that　the　priest　of　the　Arician　grovethe　King　of　the　Woodpersonified　the　tree　on　which　grew　the　Golden　Bough。　Hence　if　that　tree　was　the　oak；　the　King　of　the　Wood　must　have　been　a　personification　of　the　oakspirit。　It　is；　therefore；　easy　to　understand　why；　before　he　could　be　slain；　it　was　necessary　to　break　the　Golden　Bough。　As　an　oak…spirit；　his　life　or　death　was　in　the　mistletoe　on　the　oak；　and　so　long　as　the　mistletoe　remained　intact；　he；　like　Balder；　could　not　die。　To　slay　him；　therefore；　it　was　necessary　to　break　the　mistletoe；　and　probably；　as　in　the　case　of　Balder；　to　throw　it　at　him。　And　to　complete　the　parallel；　it　is　only　necessary　to　suppose　that　the　King　of　the　Wood　was　formerly　burned；　dead　or　alive；　at　the　midsummer　fire　festival　which；　as　we　have　seen；　was　annually　celebrated　in　the　Arician　grove。　The　perpetual　fire　which　burned　in　the　grove；　like　the　perpetual　fire　which　burned　in　the　temple　of　Vesta　at　Rome　and　under　the　oak　at　Romove；　was　probably　fed　with　the　sacred　oak…wood；　and　thus　it　would　be　in　a　great　fire　of　oak　that　the　King　of　the　Wood　formerly　met　his　end。　At　a　later　time；　as　I　have　suggested；　his　annual　tenure　of　office　was　lengthened　or　shortened；　as　the　case　might　be；　by　the　rule　which　allowed　him　to　live　so　long　as　he　could　prove　his　divine　right　by　the　strong　hand。　But　he　only　escaped　the　fire　to　fall　by　the　sword。

Thus　it　seems　that　at　a　remote　age　in　the　heart　of　Italy；　beside　the　sweet　Lake　of　Nemi；　the　same　fiery　tragedy　was　annually　enacted　which　Italian　merchants　and　soldiers　were　afterwards　to　witness　among　their　rude　kindred；　the　Celts　of　Gaul；　and　which；　if　the　Roman　eagles　had　ever　swooped　on　Norway；　might　have　been　found　repeated　with　little　difference　among　the　barbarous　Aryans　of　the　North。　The　rite　was　probably　an　essential　feature　in　the　ancient　Aryan　worship　of　the　oak。

It　only　remains　to　ask；　Why　was　the　mistletoe　called　the　Golden　Bough？　The　whitish…yellow　of　the　mistletoe　berries　is　hardly　enough　to　account　for　the　name；　for　Virgil　says　that　the　bough　was　altogether　golden；　stems　as　well　as　leaves。　Perhaps　the　name　may　be　derived　from　the　rich　golden　yellow　which　a　bough　of　mistletoe　assumes　when　it　has　been　cut　and　kept　for　some　months；　the　bright　tint　is　not　confined　to　the　leaves；　but　spreads　to　the　stalks　as　well；　so　that　the　whole　branch　appears　to　be　indeed　a　Golden　Bough。　Breton　peasants　hang　up　great　bunches　of　mistletoe　in　front　of　their　cottages；　and　in　the　month　of　June　these　bunches　are　conspicuous　for　the　bright　golden　tinge　of　their　foliage。　In　some　parts　of　Brittany；　especially　about　Morbihan；　branches　of　mistletoe　are　hung　over　the　doors　of　stables　and　byres　to　protect　the　horses　and　cattle；　probably　against　witchcraft。

The　yellow　colour　of　the　withered　bough　may　partly　explain　why　the　mistletoe　has　been　sometimes　supposed　to　possess　the　property　of　disclosing　treasures　in　the　earth；　for　on　the　principles　of　homoeopathic　magic　there　is　a　natural　affinity　between　a　yellow　bough　and　yellow　gold。　This　suggestion　is　confirmed　by　the　analogy　of　the　marvellous　properties　popularly　ascribed　to　the　mythical　fern…seed；　which　is　popularly　supposed　to　bloom　like　gold　or　fire　on　Midsummer　Eve。　Thus　in　Bohemia　it　is　said　that　on　St。　John's　Day　fern…seed　blooms　with　golden　blossoms　that　gleam　like　fire。　Now　it　is　a　property　of　this　mythical　fern…seed　that　whoever　has　it；　or　will　ascend　a　mountain　holding　it　in　his　hand　on　Midsummer　Eve；　will　discover　a　vein　of　gold　or　will　see　the　treasures　of　the　earth　shining　with　a　bluish　flame。　In　Russia　they　say　that　if　you　succeed　in　catching　the　wondrous　bloom　of　the　fern　at　midnight　on　Midsummer　Eve；　you　have　only　to　throw　it　up　into　the　air；　and　it　will　fall　like　a　star　on　the　very　spot　where　a　treasure　lies　hidden。　In　Brittany　treasure…seekers　gather　fern…seed　at　midnight　on　Midsummer　Eve；　and　keep　it　till　Palm　Sunday　of　the　following　year；　then　they　strew　the　seed　on　the　ground　where　they　think　a　treasure　is　concealed。　Tyrolese　peasants　imagine　that　hidden　treasures　can　be　seen　glowing　like　flame　on　Midsummer　Eve；　and　that　fern…seed；　gathered　at　this　mystic　season；　with　the　usual　precautions；　will　help　to　bring　the　buried　gold　to　the　surface。　In　the　Swiss　canton　of　Freiburg　people　used　to　watch　beside　a　fern　on　St。　John's　night　in　the　hope　of　winning　a　treasure；　which　the　devil　himself　sometimes　brought　to　them。　In　Bohemia　they　say　that　he　who　procures　the　golden　bloom　of　the　fern　at　this　season　has　thereby　the　key　to　all　hidden　treasures；　and　that　if　maidens　will　spread　a　cloth　under　the　fast…fading　bloom；　red　gold　will　drop　into　it。　And　in　the　Tryol　and　Bohemia　if　you　place　fern…seed　among　money；　the　money　will　never　decrease；　however　much　of　it　you　spend。　Sometimes　the　fern…seed　is　supposed　to　bloom　on　Christmas　night；　and　whoever　catches　it　will　become　very　rich。　In　Styria　they　say　that　by　gathering　fern…seed　on　Christmas　night　you　can　force　the　devil　to　bring　you　a　bag　of　money。

Thus；　on　the　principle　of　like　by　like；　fern…seed　is　supposed　to　discover　gold　because　it　is　itself　golden；　and　for　a　similar　reason　it　enriches　its　possessor　with　an　unfailing　supply　of　gold。　But　while　the　fern…seed　is　described　as　golden；　it　is　equally　described　as　glowing　and　fiery。　Hence；　when　we　consider　that　two　great　days　for　gathering　the　fabulous　seed　are　Midsummer　Eve　and　Christmasthat　is；　the　two　solstices　（for　Christmas　is　nothing　but　an　old　heathen　celebration　of　the　winter　solstice）we　are　led　to　regard　the　fiery　aspect　of　the　fern…seed　as　primary；　and　its　golden　aspect　as　secondary　and　derivative。　Fern…seed；　in　fact；　would　seem　to　be　an　emanation　of　the　sun's　fire　at　the　two　turning…points　of　its　course；　the　summer　and　winter　solstices。　This　view　is　confirmed　by　a　German　story　in　which　a　hunter　is　said　to　have　procured　fern…seed　by　shooting　at　the　sun　on　Midsummer　Day　at　noon；　three　drops　of　blood　fell　down；　which　he　caught　in　a　white　cloth；　and　these　blood…drops　were　the　fern…seed。　Here　the　blood　is　clearly　the　blood　of　the　sun；　from　which　the　fern…seed　is　thus　directly　derived。　Thus　it　may　be　taken　as　probable　that　fern…seed　is　golden；　because　it　is　believed　to　be　an　emanation　of　the　sun's　golden　fire。

Now；　like　fern…seed；　the　mistletoe　is　gathered　either　at　Midsummer　or　at　Christmasthat　is；　either　at　the　summer　or　at　the　winter　solsticeand；　like　fern…seed；　it　is　supposed　to　possess　the　power　of　revealing　treasures　in　the　earth。　On　Midsummer　Eve　people　in　Sweden　make　divining…rods　of　mistletoe；　or　of　four　different　kinds　of　wood　one　of　which　must　be　mistletoe。　The　treasure…seeker　places　the　rod　on　the　ground　after　sundown；　and　when　it　rests　directly　over　treasure；　the　rod　begins　to　move　as　if　it　were　alive。　Now；　if　the　mistletoe　discovers　gold；　it　must　be　in　its　character　of　the　Golden　Bough；　and　if　it　is　gathered　at　the　solstices；　must　not　the　Golden　Bough；　like　the　golden　fern…seed；　be　an　emanation　of　the　sun's　fire？　The　question　cannot　be　answered　with　a　simple　affirmative。　We　have　seen　that　the　old　Aryans　perhaps　kindled　the　solstitial　and　other　ceremonial　fires　in　part　as　sun…charms；　that　is；　with　the　intention　of　supplying　the　sun　with　fresh　fire；　and　as　these　fires　were　usually　made　by　the　friction　or　combustion　of　oak…wood；　it　may　have　appeared　to　the　ancient　Aryan　that　the　sun　was　periodically　recruited　from　the　fire　which　resided　in　the　sacred　oak。