the golden bough-第32章

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and　huge　fires　are　kindled。　No　layman　may　approach　the　sacred　spot　while　the　mystic　ceremony　is　being　performed。　When　the　Sulka　of　New　Britain　wish　to　procure　rain　they　blacken　stones　with　the　ashes　of　certain　fruits　and　set　them　out；　along　with　certain　other　plants　and　buds；　in　the　sun。　Then　a　handful　of　twigs　is　dipped　in　water　and　weighted　with　stones；　while　a　spell　is　chanted。　After　that　rain　should　follow。　In　Manipur；　on　a　lofty　hill　to　the　east　of　the　capital；　there　is　a　stone　which　the　popular　imagination　likens　to　an　umbrella。　When　rain　is　wanted；　the　rajah　fetches　water　from　a　spring　below　and　sprinkles　it　on　the　stone。　At　Sagami　in　Japan　there　is　a　stone　which　draws　down　rain　whenever　water　is　poured　on　it。　When　the　Wakondyo；　a　tribe　of　Central　Africa；　desire　rain；　they　send　to　the　Wawamba；　who　dwell　at　the　foot　of　snowy　mountains；　and　are　the　happy　possessors　of　a　rain…stone。　In　consideration　of　a　proper　payment；　the　Wawamba　wash　the　precious　stone；　anoint　it　with　oil；　and　put　it　in　a　pot　full　of　water。　After　that　the　rain　cannot　fail　to　come。　In　the　arid　wastes　of　Arizona　and　New　Mexico　the　Apaches　sought　to　make　rain　by　carrying　water　from　a　certain　spring　and　throwing　it　on　a　particular　point　high　up　on　a　rock；　after　that　they　imagined　that　the　clouds　would　soon　gather；　and　that　rain　would　begin　to　fall。

But　customs　of　this　sort　are　not　confined　to　the　wilds　of　Africa　and　Asia　or　the　torrid　deserts　of　Australia　and　the　New　World。　They　have　been　practised　in　the　cool　air　and　under　the　grey　skies　of　Europe。　There　is　a　fountain　called　Barenton；　of　romantic　fame；　in　those　wild　woods　of　Broceliande；　where；　if　legend　be　true；　the　wizard　Merlin　still　sleeps　his　magic　slumber　in　the　hawthorn　shade。　Thither　the　Breton　peasants　used　to　resort　when　they　needed　rain。　They　caught　some　of　the　water　in　a　tankard　and　threw　it　on　a　slab　near　the　spring。　On　Snowdon　there　is　a　lonely　tarn　called　Dulyn；　or　the　Black　Lake；　lying　in　a　dismal　dingle　surrounded　by　high　and　dangerous　rocks。　A　row　of　stepping…stones　runs　out　into　the　lake；　and　if　any　one　steps　on　the　stones　and　throws　water　so　as　to　wet　the　farthest　stone；　which　is　called　the　Red　Altar；　it　is　but　a　chance　that　you　do　not　get　rain　before　night；　even　when　it　is　hot　weather。　In　these　cases　it　appears　probable　that；　as　in　Samoa；　the　stone　is　regarded　as　more　or　less　divine。　This　appears　from　the　custom　sometimes　observed　of　dipping　a　cross　in　the　Fountain　of　Barenton　to　procure　rain；　for　this　is　plainly　a　Christian　substitute　for　the　old　pagan　way　of　throwing　water　on　the　stone。　At　various　places　in　France　it　is；　or　used　till　lately　to　be；　the　practice　to　dip　the　image　of　a　saint　in　water　as　a　means　of　procuring　rain。　Thus；　beside　the　old　priory　of　Commagny；　there　is　a　spring　of　St。　Gervais；　whither　the　inhabitants　go　in　procession　to　obtain　rain　or　fine　weather　according　to　the　needs　of　the　crops。　In　times　of　great　drought　they　throw　into　the　basin　of　the　fountain　an　ancient　stone　image　of　the　saint　that　stands　in　a　sort　of　niche　from　which　the　fountain　flows。　At　Collobrières　and　Carpentras　a　similar　practice　was　observed　with　the　images　of　St。　Pons　and　St。　Gens　respectively。　In　several　villages　of　Navarre　prayers　for　rain　used　to　be　offered　to　St。　Peter；　and　by　way　of　enforcing　them　the　villagers　carried　the　image　of　the　saint　in　procession　to　the　river；　where　they　thrice　invited　him　to　reconsider　his　resolution　and　to　grant　their　prayers；　then；　if　he　was　still　obstinate；　they　plunged　him　in　the　water；　despite　the　remonstrances　of　the　clergy；　who　pleaded　with　as　much　truth　as　piety　that　a　simple　caution　or　admonition　administered　to　the　image　would　produce　an　equally　good　effect。　After　this　the　rain　was　sure　to　fall　within　twenty…four　hours。　Catholic　countries　do　not　enjoy　a　monopoly　of　making　rain　by　ducking　holy　images　in　water。　In　Mingrelia；　when　the　crops　are　suffering　from　want　of　rain；　they　take　a　particularly　holy　image　and　dip　it　in　water　every　day　till　a　shower　falls；　and　in　the　Far　East　the　Shans　drench　the　images　of　Buddha　with　water　when　the　rice　is　perishing　of　drought。　In　all　such　cases　the　practice　is　probably　at　bottom　a　sympathetic　charm；　however　it　may　be　disguised　under　the　appearance　of　a　punishment　or　a　threat。

Like　other　peoples；　the　Greeks　and　Romans　sought　to　obtain　rain　by　magic；　when　prayers　and　processions　had　proved　ineffectual。　For　example；　in　Arcadia；　when　the　corn　and　trees　were　parched　with　drought；　the　priest　of　Zeus　dipped　an　oak　branch　into　a　certain　spring　on　Mount　Lycaeus。　Thus　troubled；　the　water　sent　up　a　misty　cloud；　from　which　rain　soon　fell　upon　the　land。　A　similar　mode　of　making　rain　is　still　practised；　as　we　have　seen；　in　Halmahera　near　New　Guinea。　The　people　of　Crannon　in　Thessaly　had　a　bronze　chariot　which　they　kept　in　a　temple。　When　they　desired　a　shower　they　shook　the　chariot　and　the　shower　fell。　Probably　the　rattling　of　the　chariot　was　meant　to　imitate　thunder；　we　have　already　seen　that　mock　thunder　and　lightning　form　part　of　a　rain…charm　in　Russia　and　Japan。　The　legendary　Salmoneus；　King　of　Elis；　made　mock　thunder　by　dragging　bronze　kettles　behind　his　chariot；　or　by　driving　over　a　bronze　bridge；　while　he　hurled　blazing　torches　in　imitation　of　lightning。　It　was　his　impious　wish　to　mimic　the　thundering　car　of　Zeus　as　it　rolled　across　the　vault　of　heaven。　Indeed　he　declared　that　he　was　actually　Zeus；　and　caused　sacrifices　to　be　offered　to　himself　as　such。　Near　a　temple　of　Mars；　outside　the　walls　of　Rome；　there　was　kept　a　certain　stone　known　as　the　lapis　manalis。　In　time　of　drought　the　stone　was　dragged　into　Rome；　and　this　was　supposed　to　bring　down　rain　immediately。

3。　The　Magical　Control　of　the　Sun

AS　THE　MAGICIAN　thinks　he　can　make　rain；　so　he　fancies　he　can　cause　the　sun　to　shine；　and　can　hasten　or　stay　its　going　down。　At　an　eclipse　the　Ojebways　used　to　imagine　that　the　sun　was　being　extinguished。　So　they　shot　fire…tipped　arrows　in　the　air；　hoping　thus　to　rekindle　his　expiring　light。　The　Sencis　of　Peru　also　shot　burning　arrows　at　the　sun　during　an　eclipse；　but　apparently　they　did　this　not　so　much　to　relight　his　lamp　as　to　drive　away　a　savage　beast　with　which　they　supposed　him　to　be　struggling。　Conversely　during　an　eclipse　of　the　moon　some　tribes　of　the　Orinoco　used　to　bury　lighted　brands　in　the　ground；　because；　said　they；　if　the　moon　were　to　be　extinguished；　all　fire　on　earth　would　be　extinguished　with　her；　except　such　as　was　hidden　from　her　sight。　During　an　eclipse　of　the　sun　the　Kamtchatkans　were　wont　to　bring　out　fire　from　their　huts　and　pray　the　great　luminary　to　shine　as　before。　But　the　prayer　addressed　to　the　sun　shows　that　this　ceremony　was　religious　rather　than　magical。　Purely　magical；　on　the　other　hand；　was　the　ceremony　observed　on　similar　occasions　by　the　Chilcotin　Indians。　Men　and　women　tucked　up　their　robes；　as　they　do　in　travelling；　and　then　leaning　on　staves；　as　if　they　were　heavy　laden；　they　continued　to　walk　in　a　circle　till　the　eclipse　was　over。　Apparently　they　thought　thus　to　support　the　failing　steps　of　the　sun　as　he　trod　his　weary　round　in　the　sky。　Similarly　in　ancient　Egypt　the　king；　as　the　representative　of　the　sun；　walked　solemnly　round　the　walls　of　a　temple　in　order　to　ensure　that　the　sun　should　perform　his　daily　journey　round　the　sky　without　the　interruption　of　an　eclipse　or　other　mishap。　And　after　the　autumnal　equinox　the　ancient　Egyptians　held　a　festival　called　the　nativity　of　the　sun's　walking…stick；　because；　as　the　luminary　declined　daily　in　the　sky；　and　his　light　and　heat　diminished；　he　was　supposed　to　need　a　staff　on　which　to　lean。　In　New　Caledonia　when　a　wizard　desires　to　make　sunshine；　he　takes　some　plants　and　corals　to　the　burial…ground；　and　fashions　them　into　a　bundle；　adding　two　locks　of　hair　cut　from　a　living　child　of　his　family；　also　two　teeth　or　an　entire　jawbone　from　the　skeleton　of　an　ancestor。　He　then　climbs　a　mountain　whose　top　catches　the　first　rays　of　the　morning　sun。　Here　he　deposits　three　sorts　of　plants　on　a　flat　stone；　places　a　branch　of　dry　coral　beside　them；　and　hangs　the　bundle　of　charms　over　the　stone。　Next　morning　he　returns　to　the　spot　and　sets　fire　to　the　bundle　at　the　moment　when　the　sun　rises　from　the　sea。　As　the　smoke　curls　up；　he　rubs　the　stone　with　the　dry　cor