the golden bough-第67章

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his　eye　on　spiritual　foes　behind　and　before；　and　stood　ready　to　bludgeon　them　on　the　spot。　We　may；　therefore；　dispense　with　the　tedious　and　unsatisfactory　explanations　which；　if　we　may　trust　Ovid；　the　wily　Janus　himself　fobbed　off　an　anxious　Roman　enquirer。

To　apply　these　conclusions　to　the　priest　of　Nemi；　we　may　suppose　that　as　the　mate　of　Diana　he　represented　originally　Dianus　or　Janus　rather　than　Jupiter；　but　that　the　difference　between　these　deities　was　of　old　merely　superficial；　going　little　deeper　than　the　names；　and　leaving　practically　unaffected　the　essential　functions　of　the　god　as　a　power　of　the　sky；　the　thunder；　and　the　oak。　It　was　fitting；　therefore；　that　his　human　representative　at　Nemi　should　dwell；　as　we　have　seen　reason　to　believe　he　did；　in　an　oak　grove。　His　title　of　King　of　the　Wood　clearly　indicates　the　sylvan　character　of　the　deity　whom　he　served；　and　since　he　could　only　be　assailed　by　him　who　had　plucked　the　bough　of　a　certain　tree　in　the　grove；　his　own　life　might　be　said　to　be　bound　up　with　that　of　the　sacred　tree。　Thus　he　not　only　served　but　embodied　the　great　Aryan　god　of　the　oak；　and　as　an　oak…god　he　would　mate　with　the　oak…goddess；　whether　she　went　by　the　name　of　Egeria　or　Diana。　Their　union；　however　consummated；　would　be　deemed　essential　to　the　fertility　of　the　earth　and　the　fecundity　of　man　and　beast。　Further；　as　the　oak…god　was　also　a　god　of　the　sky；　the　thunder；　and　the　rain；　so　his　human　representative　would　be　required；　like　many　other　divine　kings；　to　cause　the　clouds　to　gather；　the　thunder　to　peal；　and　the　rain　to　descend　in　due　season；　that　the　fields　and　orchards　might　bear　fruit　and　the　pastures　be　covered　with　luxuriant　herbage。　The　reputed　possessor　of　powers　so　exalted　must　have　been　a　very　important　personage；　and　the　remains　of　buildings　and　of　votive　offerings　which　have　been　found　on　the　site　of　the　sanctuary　combine　with　the　testimony　of　classical　writers　to　prove　that　in　later　times　it　was　one　of　the　greatest　and　most　popular　shrines　in　Italy。　Even　in　the　old　days；　when　the　champaign　country　around　was　still　parcelled　out　among　the　petty　tribes　who　composed　the　Latin　League；　the　sacred　grove　is　known　to　have　been　an　object　of　their　common　reverence　and　care。　And　just　as　the　kings　of　Cambodia　used　to　send　offerings　to　the　mystic　kings　of　Fire　and　Water　far　in　the　dim　depths　of　the　tropical　forest；　so；　we　may　well　believe；　from　all　sides　of　the　broad　Latian　plain　the　eyes　and　footsteps　of　Italian　pilgrims　turned　to　the　quarter　where；　standing　sharply　out　against　the　faint　blue　line　of　the　Apennines　or　the　deeper　blue　of　the　distant　sea；　the　Alban　Mountain　rose　before　them；　the　home　of　the　mysterious　priest　of　Nemi；　the　King　of　the　Wood。　There；　among　the　green　woods　and　beside　the　still　waters　of　the　lonely　hills；　the　ancient　Aryan　worship　of　the　god　of　the　oak；　the　thunder；　and　the　dripping　sky　lingered　in　its　early；　almost　Druidical　form；　long　after　a　great　political　and　intellectual　revolution　had　shifted　the　capital　of　Latin　religion　from　the　forest　to　the　city；　from　Nemi　to　Rome。

Chapter　17。　The　Burden　of　Royalty。

1。　Royal　and　Priestly　Taboos

AT　A　CERTAIN　stage　of　early　society　the　king　or　priest　is　often　thought　to　be　endowed　with　supernatural　powers　or　to　be　an　incarnation　of　a　deity；　and　consistently　with　this　belief　the　course　of　nature　is　supposed　to　be　more　or　less　under　his　control；　and　he　is　held　responsible　for　bad　weather；　failure　of　the　crops；　and　similar　calamities。　To　some　extent　it　appears　to　be　assumed　that　the　king's　power　over　nature；　like　that　over　his　subjects　and　slaves；　is　exerted　through　definite　acts　of　will；　and　therefore　if　drought；　famine；　pestilence；　or　storms　arise；　the　people　attribute　the　misfortune　to　the　negligence　or　guilt　of　their　king；　and　punish　him　accordingly　with　stripes　and　bonds；　or；　if　he　remains　obdurate；　with　deposition　and　death。　Sometimes；　however；　the　course　of　nature；　while　regarded　as　dependent　on　the　king；　is　supposed　to　be　partly　independent　of　his　will。　His　person　is　considered；　if　we　may　express　it　so；　as　the　dynamical　centre　of　the　universe；　from　which　lines　of　force　radiate　to　all　quarters　of　the　heaven；　so　that　any　motion　of　histhe　turning　of　his　head；　the　lifting　of　his　handinstantaneously　affects　and　may　seriously　disturb　some　part　of　nature。　He　is　the　point　of　support　on　which　hangs　the　balance　of　the　world；　and　the　slightest　irregularity　on　his　part　may　overthrow　the　delicate　equipoise。　The　greatest　care　must；　therefore；　be　taken　both　by　and　of　him；　and　his　whole　life；　down　to　its　minutest　details；　must　be　so　regulated　that　no　act　of　his；　voluntary　or　involuntary；　may　disarrange　or　upset　the　established　order　of　nature。　Of　this　class　of　monarchs　the　Mikado　or　Dairi；　the　spiritual　emperor　of　Japan；　is　or　rather　used　to　be　a　typical　example。　He　is　an　incarnation　of　the　sun　goddess；　the　deity　who　rules　the　universe；　gods　and　men　included；　once　a　year　all　the　gods　wait　upon　him　and　spend　a　month　at　his　court。　During　that　month；　the　name　of　which　means　without　gods；　no　one　frequents　the　temples；　for　they　are　believed　to　be　deserted。　The　Mikado　receives　from　his　people　and　assumes　in　his　official　proclamations　and　decrees　the　title　of　manifest　or　incarnate　deity；　and　he　claims　a　general　authority　over　the　gods　of　Japan。　For　example；　in　an　official　decree　of　the　year　646　the　emperor　is　described　as　the　incarnate　god　who　governs　the　universe。

The　following　description　of　the　Mikado's　mode　of　life　was　written　about　two　hundred　years　ago：

Even　to　this　day　the　princes　descended　of　this　family；　more　particularly　those　who　sit　on　the　throne；　are　looked　upon　as　persons　most　holy　in　themselves；　and　as　Popes　by　birth。　And；　in　order　to　preserve　these　advantageous　notions　in　the　minds　of　their　subjects；　they　are　obliged　to　take　an　uncommon　care　of　their　sacred　persons；　and　to　do　such　things；　which；　examined　according　to　the　customs　of　other　nations；　would　be　thought　ridiculous　and　impertinent。　It　will　not　be　improper　to　give　a　few　instances　of　it。　He　thinks　that　it　would　be　very　prejudicial　to　his　dignity　and　holiness　to　touch　the　ground　with　his　feet；　for　this　reason；　when　he　intends　to　go　anywhere；　he　must　be　carried　thither　on　men's　shoulders。　Much　less　will　they　suffer　that　he　should　expose　his　sacred　person　to　the　open　air；　and　the　sun　is　not　thought　worthy　to　shine　on　his　head。　There　is　such　a　holiness　ascribed　to　all　the　parts　of　his　body　that　he　dares　to　cut　off　neither　his　hair；　nor　his　beard；　nor　his　nails。　However；　lest　he　should　grow　too　dirty；　they　may　clean　him　in　the　night　when　he　is　asleep；　because；　they　say；　that　which　is　taken　from　his　body　at　that　time；　hath　been　stolen　from　him；　and　that　such　a　theft　doth　not　prejudice　his　holiness　or　dignity。　In　ancient　times；　he　was　obliged　to　sit　on　the　throne　for　some　hours　every　morning；　with　the　imperial　crown　on　his　head；　but　to　sit　altogether　like　a　statue；　without　stirring　either　hands　or　feet；　head　or　eyes；　nor　indeed　any　part　of　his　body；　because；　by　this　means；　it　was　thought　that　he　could　preserve　peace　and　tranquillity　in　his　empire；　for　if；　unfortunately；　he　turned　himself　on　one　side　or　the　other；　or　if　he　looked　a　good　while　towards　any　part　of　his　dominions；　it　was　apprehended　that　war；　famine；　fire；　or　some　other　great　misfortune　was　near　at　hand　to　desolate　the　country。　But　it　having　been　afterwards　discovered；　that　the　imperial　crown　was　the　palladium；　which　by　its　immobility　could　preserve　peace　in　the　empire；　it　was　thought　expedient　to　deliver　his　imperial　person；　consecrated　only　to　idleness　and　pleasures；　from　this　burthensome　duty；　and　therefore　the　crown　is　at　present　placed　on　the　throne　for　some　hours　every　morning。　His　victuals　must　be　dressed　every　time　in　new　pots；　and　served　at　table　in　new　dishes：　both　are　very　clean　and　neat；　but　made　only　of　common　clay；　that　without　any　considerable　expense　they　may　be　laid　aside；　or　broke；　after　they　have　served　once。　They　are　generally　broke；　for　fear　they　should　come　into　the　hands　of　laymen；　for　they　believe　religiously；　that　if　any　layman　should　presume　to　eat　his　food　out　of　these　sacred　dishes；　it　would　swell　and　inflame　his　mouth　and　throat。　The　like　ill　effect　is　dreaded　from　the　Dairi's　sacred　h