the golden bough-第58章

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　of　Boeotia；　and　at　it　all　the　images；　fourteen　in　number；　which　had　accumulated　at　the　lesser　festivals；　were　dragged　on　wains　in　procession　to　the　river　Asopus　and　then　to　the　top　of　Mount　Cithaeron；　where　they　were　burnt　on　a　great　pyre。　The　story　told　to　explain　the　festivals　suggests　that　they　celebrated　the　marriage　of　Zeus　to　Hera；　represented　by　the　oaken　image　in　bridal　array。　In　Sweden　every　year　a　life…size　image　of　Frey；　the　god　of　fertility；　both　animal　and　vegetable；　was　drawn　about　the　country　in　a　waggon　attended　by　a　beautiful　girl　who　was　called　the　god's　wife。　She　acted　also　as　his　priestess　in　his　great　temple　at　Upsala。　Wherever　the　waggon　came　with　the　image　of　the　god　and　his　blooming　young　bride；　the　people　crowded　to　meet　them　and　offered　sacrifices　for　a　fruitful　year。

Thus　the　custom　of　marrying　gods　either　to　images　or　to　human　beings　was　widespread　among　the　nations　of　antiquity。　The　ideas　on　which　such　a　custom　is　based　are　too　crude　to　allow　us　to　doubt　that　the　civilised　Babylonians；　Egyptians；　and　Greeks　inherited　it　from　their　barbarous　or　savage　forefathers。　This　presumption　is　strengthened　when　we　find　rites　of　a　similar　kind　in　vogue　among　the　lower　races。　Thus；　for　example；　we　are　told　that　once　upon　a　time　the　Wotyaks　of　the　Malmyz　district　in　Russia　were　distressed　by　a　series　of　bad　harvests。　They　did　not　know　what　to　do；　but　at　last　concluded　that　their　powerful　but　mischievious　god　Keremet　must　be　angry　at　being　unmarried。　So　a　deputation　of　elders　visited　the　Wotyaks　of　Cura　and　came　to　an　understanding　with　them　on　the　subject。　Then　they　returned　home；　laid　in　a　large　stock　of　brandy；　and　having　made　ready　a　gaily　decked　waggon　and　horses；　they　drove　in　procession　with　bells　ringing；　as　they　do　when　they　are　fetching　home　a　bride；　to　the　sacred　grove　at　Cura。　There　they　ate　and　drank　merrily　all　night；　and　next　morning　they　cut　a　square　piece　of　turf　in　the　grove　and　took　it　home　with　them。　After　that；　though　it　fared　well　with　the　people　of　Malmyz；　it　fared　ill　with　the　people　of　Cura；　for　in　Malmyz　the　bread　was　good；　but　in　Cura　it　was　bad。　Hence　the　men　of　Cura　who　had　consented　to　the　marriage　were　blamed　and　roughly　handled　by　their　indignant　fellow…villagers。　What　they　meant　by　this　marriage　ceremony；　says　the　writer　who　reports　it；　it　is　not　easy　to　imagine。　Perhaps；　as　Bechterew　thinks；　they　meant　to　marry　Keremet　to　the　kindly　and　fruitful　Mukylcin；　the　Earth…wife；　in　order　that　she　might　influence　him　for　good。　When　wells　are　dug　in　Bengal；　a　wooden　image　of　a　god　is　made　and　married　to　the　goddess　of　water。

Often　the　bride　destined　for　the　god　is　not　a　log　or　a　cloud；　but　a　living　woman　of　flesh　and　blood。　The　Indians　of　a　village　in　Peru　have　been　known　to　marry　a　beautiful　girl；　about　fourteen　years　of　age；　to　a　stone　shaped　like　a　human　being；　which　they　regarded　as　a　god　（huaca）。　All　the　villagers　took　part　in　the　marriage　ceremony；　which　lasted　three　days；　and　was　attended　with　much　revelry。　The　girl　thereafter　remained　a　virgin　and　sacrificed　to　the　idol　for　the　people。　They　showed　her　the　utmost　reverence　and　deemed　her　divine。　Every　year　about　the　middle　of　March；　when　the　season　for　fishing　with　the　dragnet　began；　the　Algonquins　and　Hurons　married　their　nets　to　two　young　girls；　aged　six　or　seven。　At　the　wedding　feast　the　net　was　placed　between　the　two　maidens；　and　was　exhorted　to　take　courage　and　catch　many　fish。　The　reason　for　choosing　the　brides　so　young　was　to　make　sure　that　they　were　virgins。　The　origin　of　the　custom　is　said　to　have　been　this。　One　year；　when　the　fishing　season　came　round；　the　Algonquins　cast　their　nets　as　usual；　but　took　nothing。　Surprised　at　their　want　of　success；　they　did　not　know　what　to　make　of　it；　till　the　soul　or　genius　（oki）　of　the　net　appeared　to　them　in　the　likeness　of　a　tall　well…built　man；　who　said　to　them　in　a　great　passion；　I　have　lost　my　wife　and　I　cannot　find　one　who　has　known　no　other　man　but　me；　that　is　why　you　do　not　succeed；　and　why　you　never　will　succeed　till　you　give　me　satisfaction　on　this　head。　So　the　Algonquins　held　a　council　and　resolved　to　appease　the　spirit　of　the　net　by　marrying　him　to　two　such　very　young　girls　that　he　could　have　no　ground　of　complaint　on　that　score　for　the　future。　They　did　so；　and　the　fishing　turned　out　all　that　could　be　wished。　The　thing　got　wind　among　their　neighbours　the　Hurons；　and　they　adopted　the　custom。　A　share　of　the　catch　was　always　given　to　the　families　of　the　two　girls　who　acted　as　brides　of　the　net　for　the　year。

The　Oraons　of　Bengal　worship　the　Earth　as　a　goddess；　and　annually　celebrate　her　marriage　with　the　Sun…god　Dharmeˉ　at　the　time　when　the　saˉl　tree　is　in　blossom。　The　ceremony　is　as　follows。　All　bathe；　then　the　men　repair　to　the　sacred　grove　（sarna）；　while　the　women　assemble　at　the　house　of　the　village　priest。　After　sacrificing　some　fowls　to　the　Sun…god　and　the　demon　of　the　grove；　the　men　eat　and　drink。　The　priest　is　then　carried　back　to　the　village　on　the　shoulders　of　a　strong　man。　Near　the　village　the　women　meet　the　men　and　wash　their　feet。　With　beating　of　drums　and　singing；　dancing；　and　jumping；　all　proceed　to　the　priest's　house；　which　has　been　decorated　with　leaves　and　flowers。　Then　the　usual　form　of　marriage　is　performed　between　the　priest　and　his　wife；　symbolising　the　supposed　union　between　Sun　and　Earth。　After　the　ceremony　all　eat　and　drink　and　make　merry；　they　dance　and　sing　obscene　songs；　and　finally　indulge　in　the　vilest　orgies。　The　object　is　to　move　the　mother　earth　to　become　fruitful。　Thus　the　Sacred　Marriage　of　the　Sun　and　Earth；　personated　by　the　priest　and　his　wife；　is　celebrated　as　a　charm　to　ensure　the　fertility　of　the　ground；　and　for　the　same　purpose；　on　the　principle　of　homoeopathic　magic；　the　people　indulge　in　licentious　orgy。

It　deserves　to　be　remarked　that　the　supernatural　being　to　whom　women　are　married　is　often　a　god　or　spirit　of　water。　Thus　Mukasa；　the　god　of　the　Victoria　Nyanza　lake；　who　was　propitiated　by　the　Baganda　every　time　they　undertook　a　long　voyage；　had　virgins　provided　for　him　to　serve　as　his　wives。　Like　the　Vestals　they　were　bound　to　chastity；　but　unlike　the　Vestals　they　seem　to　have　been　often　unfaithful。　The　custom　lasted　until　Mwanga　was　converted　to　Christianity。　The　Akikuyu　of　British　East　Africa　worship　the　snake　of　a　certain　river；　and　at　intervals　of　several　years　they　marry　the　snake…god　to　women；　but　especially　to　young　girls。　For　this　purpose　huts　are　built　by　order　of　the　medicine…men；　who　there　consummate　the　sacred　marriage　with　the　credulous　female　devotees。　If　the　girls　do　not　repair　to　the　huts　of　their　own　accord　in　sufficient　numbers；　they　are　seized　and　dragged　thither　to　the　embraces　of　the　deity。　The　offspring　of　these　mystic　unions　appears　to　be　fathered　on　God　（ngai）；　certainly　there　are　children　among　the　Akikuyu　who　pass　for　children　of　God。　It　is　said　that　once；　when　the　inhabitants　of　Cayeli　in　Buruan　East　Indian　islandwere　threatened　with　destruction　by　a　swarm　of　crocodiles；　they　ascribed　the　misfortune　to　a　passion　which　the　prince　of　the　crocodiles　had　conceived　for　a　certain　girl。　Accordingly；　they　compelled　the　damsel's　father　to　dress　her　in　bridal　array　and　deliver　her　over　to　the　clutches　of　her　crocodile　lover。

A　usage　of　the　same　sort　is　reported　to　have　prevailed　in　the　Maldive　Islands　before　the　conversion　of　the　inhabitants　to　Islam。　The　famous　Arab　traveller　Ibn　Batutah　has　described　the　custom　and　the　manner　in　which　it　came　to　an　end。　He　was　assured　by　several　trustworthy　natives；　whose　names　he　gives；　that　when　the　people　of　the　islands　were　idolaters　there　appeared　to　them　every　month　an　evil　spirit　among　the　jinn；　who　came　from　across　the　sea　in　the　likeness　of　a　ship　full　of　burning　lamps。　The　wont　of　the　inhabitants；　as　soon　as　they　perceived　him；　was　to　take　a　young　virgin；　and；　having　adorned　her；　to　lead　her　to　a　heathen　temple　that　stood　on　the　shore；　with　a　window　looking　out　to　sea。　There　they　left　the　damsel　for　the　night；　and　when　they　came　back　in　the　morning　they　found　her　a　maid　no　more；　and　dead。　Every　month　they　drew　lots；　and　he　upon　whom　the　lot　fell　gave　up　his　daughter　to　the　jinnee　of　the　sea。　The　last　of　the　maidens　thus　offered　to　the　demon　was　rescued　by　a　pious　Be