the golden bough-第142部分

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　with　the　seed…corn　in　spring　to　make　the　crop　abundant；　so　in　some　places　the　feathers　of　the　cock；　and　in　Sweden　the　Yule　Boar；　are　kept　till　spring　and　mixed　with　the　seed…corn　for　a　like　purpose。　As　part　of　the　Corn…mother　or　Maiden　is　given　to　the　cattle　at　Christmas　or　to　the　horses　at　the　first　ploughing；　so　part　of　the　Yule　Boar　is　given　to　the　ploughing　horses　or　oxen　in　spring。　Lastly；　the　death　of　the　corn…spirit　is　represented　by　killing　or　pretending　to　kill　either　his　human　or　his　animal　representative；　and　the　worshippers　partake　sacramentally　either　of　the　actual　body　and　blood　of　the　representative　of　the　divinity；　or　of　bread　made　in　his　likeness。

Other　animal　forms　assumed　by　the　corn…spirit　are　the　fox；　stag；　roe；　sheep；　bear；　ass；　mouse；　quail；　stork；　swan；　and　kite。　If　it　is　asked　why　the　corn…spirit　should　be　thought　to　appear　in　the　form　of　an　animal　and　of　so　many　different　animals；　we　may　reply　that　to　primitive　man　the　simple　appearance　of　an　animal　or　bird　among　the　corn　is　probably　enough　to　suggest　a　mysterious　link　between　the　creature　and　the　corn；　and　when　we　remember　that　in　the　old　days；　before　fields　were　fenced　in；　all　kinds　of　animals　must　have　been　free　to　roam　over　them；　we　need　not　wonder　that　the　corn…spirit　should　have　been　identified　even　with　large　animals　like　the　horse　and　cow；　which　nowadays　could　not；　except　by　a　rare　accident；　be　found　straying　in　an　English　corn…field。　This　explanation　applies　with　peculiar　force　to　the　very　common　case　in　which　the　animal　embodiment　of　the　corn…spirit　is　believed　to　lurk　in　the　last　standing　corn。　For　at　harvest　a　number　of　wild　animals；　such　as　hares；　rabbits；　and　partridges；　are　commonly　driven　by　the　progress　of　the　reaping　into　the　last　patch　of　standing　corn；　and　make　their　escape　from　it　as　it　is　being　cut　down。　So　regularly　does　this　happen　that　reapers　and　others　often　stand　round　the　last　patch　of　corn　armed　with　sticks　or　guns；　with　which　they　kill　the　animals　as　they　dart　out　of　their　last　refuge　among　the　stalks。　Now；　primitive　man；　to　whom　magical　changes　of　shape　seem　perfectly　credible；　finds　it　most　natural　that　the　spirit　of　the　corn；　driven　from　his　home　in　the　ripe　grain；　should　make　his　escape　in　the　form　of　the　animal　which　is　seen　to　rush　out　of　the　last　patch　of　corn　as　it　falls　under　the　scythe　of　the　reaper。　Thus　the　identification　of　the　corn…spirit　with　an　animal　is　analogous　to　the　identification　of　him　with　a　passing　stranger。　As　the　sudden　appearance　of　a　stranger　near　the　harvest…field　or　threshing…floor　is；　to　the　primitive　mind；　enough　to　identify　him　as　the　spirit　of　the　corn　escaping　from　the　cut　or　threshed　corn；　so　the　sudden　appearance　of　an　animal　issuing　from　the　cut　corn　is　enough　to　identify　it　with　the　corn…spirit　escaping　from　his　ruined　home。　The　two　identifications　are　so　analogous　that　they　can　hardly　be　dissociated　in　any　attempt　to　explain　them。　Those　who　look　to　some　other　principle　than　the　one　here　suggested　for　the　explanation　of　the　latter　identification　are　bound　to　show　that　their　theory　covers　the　former　identification　also。

Chapter　49。　Ancient　Deities　of　Vegetation　as　Animals。

1。　Dionysus；　the　Goat　and　the　Bull。

HOWEVER　we　may　explain　it；　the　fact　remains　that　in　peasant　folk…lore　the　corn…spirit　is　very　commonly　conceived　and　represented　in　animal　form。　May　not　this　fact　explain　the　relation　in　which　certain　animals　stood　to　the　ancient　deities　of　vegetation；　Dionysus；　Demeter；　Adonis；　Attis；　and　Osiris？

To　begin　with　Dionysus。　We　have　seen　that　he　was　represented　sometimes　as　a　goat　and　sometimes　as　a　bull。　As　a　goat　he　can　hardly　be　separated　from　the　minor　divinities；　the　Pans；　Satyrs；　and　Silenuses；　all　of　whom　are　closely　associated　with　him　and　are　represented　more　or　less　completely　in　the　form　of　goats。　Thus；　Pan　was　regularly　portrayed　in　sculpture　and　painting　with　the　face　and　legs　of　a　goat。　The　Satyrs　were　depicted　with　pointed　goat…ears；　and　sometimes　with　sprouting　horns　and　short　tails。　They　were　sometimes　spoken　of　simply　as　goats；　and　in　the　drama　their　parts　were　played　by　men　dressed　in　goatskins。　Silenus　is　represented　in　art　clad　in　a　goatskin。　Further；　the　Fauns；　the　Italian　counterpart　of　the　Greek　Pans　and　Satyrs；　are　described　as　being　half　goats；　with　goat…feet　and　goat…horns。　Again；　all　these　minor　goat…formed　divinities　partake　more　or　less　clearly　of　the　character　of　woodland　deities。　Thus；　Pan　was　called　by　the　Arcadians　the　Lord　of　the　Wood。　The　Silenuses　kept　company　with　the　tree…nymphs。　The　Fauns　are　expressly　designated　as　woodland　deities；　and　their　character　as　such　is　still　further　brought　out　by　their　association；　or　even　identification；　with　Silvanus　and　the　Silvanuses；　who；　as　their　name　of　itself　indicates；　are　spirits　of　the　woods。　Lastly；　the　association　of　the　Satyrs　with　the　Silenuses；　Fauns；　and　Silvanuses；　proves　that　the　Satyrs　also　were　woodland　deities。　These　goat…formed　spirits　of　the　woods　have　their　counterparts　in　the　folk…lore　of　Northern　Europe。　Thus；　the　Russian　wood…spirits；　called　Ljeschie　（from　ljes；　wood）；　are　believed　to　appear　partly　in　human　shape；　but　with　the　horns；　ears；　and　legs　of　goats。　The　Ljeschi　can　alter　his　stature　at　pleasure；　when　he　walks　in　the　wood　he　is　as　tall　as　the　trees；　when　he　walks　in　the　meadows　he　is　no　higher　than　the　grass。　Some　of　the　Ljeschie　are　spirits　of　the　corn　as　well　as　of　the　wood；　before　harvest　they　are　as　tall　as　the　corn…stalks；　but　after　it　they　shrink　to　the　height　of　the　stubble。　This　brings　outwhat　we　have　remarked　beforethe　close　connexion　between　tree…spirits　and　corn…spirits；　and　shows　how　easily　the　former　may　melt　into　the　latter。　Similarly　the　Fauns；　though　wood…spirits；　were　believed　to　foster　the　growth　of　the　crops。　We　have　already　seen　how　often　the　corn…spirit　is　represented　in　folk…custom　as　a　goat。　On　the　whole；　then；　as　Mannhardt　argues；　the　Pans；　Satyrs；　and　Fauns　perhaps　belong　to　a　widely　diffused　class　of　wood…spirits　conceived　in　goat…form。　The　fondness　of　goats　for　straying　in　woods　and　nibbling　the　bark　of　trees；　to　which　indeed　they　are　most　destructive；　is　an　obvious　and　perhaps　sufficient　reason　why　wood…spirits　should　so　often　be　supposed　to　take　the　form　of　goats。　The　inconsistency　of　a　god　of　vegetation　subsisting　upon　the　vegetation　which　he　personifies　is　not　one　to　strike　the　primitive　mind。　Such　inconsistencies　arise　when　the　deity；　ceasing　to　be　immanent　in　the　vegetation；　comes　to　be　regarded　as　its　owner　or　lord；　for　the　idea　of　owning　the　vegetation　naturally　leads　to　that　of　subsisting　on　it。　Sometimes　the　corn…spirit；　originally　conceived　as　immanent　in　the　corn；　afterwards　comes　to　be　regarded　as　its　owner；　who　lives　on　it　and　is　reduced　to　poverty　and　want　by　being　deprived　of　it。　Hence　he　is　often　known　as　the　Poor　Man　or　the　Poor　Woman。　Occasionally　the　last　sheaf　is　left　standing　on　the　field　for　the　Poor　Old　Woman　or　for　the　Old　Rye…woman。

Thus　the　representation　of　wood…spirits　in　the　form　of　goats　appears　to　be　both　widespread　and；　to　the　primitive　mind；　natural。　Therefore　when　we　find；　as　we　have　done；　that　Dionysusa　tree…godis　sometimes　represented　in　goat…form；　we　can　hardly　avoid　concluding　that　this　representation　is　simply　a　part　of　his　proper　character　as　a　tree…god　and　is　not　to　be　explained　by　the　fusion　of　two　distinct　and　independent　worships；　in　one　of　which　he　originally　appeared　as　a　tree…god　and　in　the　other　as　a　goat。

Dionysus　was　also　figured；　as　we　have　seen；　in　the　shape　of　a　bull。　After　what　has　gone　before　we　are　naturally　led　to　expect　that　his　bull　form　must　have　been　only　another　expression　for　his　character　as　a　deity　of　vegetation；　especially　as　the　bull　is　a　common　embodiment　of　the　corn…spirit　in　Northern　Europe；　and　the　close　association　of　Dionysus　with　Demeter　and　Persephone　in　the　mysteries　of　Eleusis　shows　that　he　had　at　least　strong　agricultural　affinities。

The　probability　of　this　view　will　be　somewhat　increased　if　it　can　be　shown　that　in　other　rites　than　those　of　Dionysus　the　ancients　slew　an　OX　as　a　representative　of　the　spirit　of　vegetation。　This　they　appear　to　have　done　in　the　Athenian　sacrifice　known　as　the　murder　of　the　OX　（bouphonia）。　It　took　place　about　the　end　of　June　or　beginning　of　July；　that　is；　about　the　time　when　the　threshing　is　nearly　over　in　Attica。　According　to　tradition　the　sacrifice　was　instituted　to　procure　a　cessation　of　drought　and　dearth　which　had　afflicted　the　land。　The　ritual　was　as　follows。　Barley　mixed　with　wheat；　or　cakes　made　of　them；　were　laid　upon　the　bronze　altar　of　Zeus　Polieus　on　the　Acropolis。　Oxen　were　driven　round　the　altar；　and　the　OX　which　went　up　to　the　altar　and　ate　the　offering　on　it　was　sacrificed。　The　axe　and　knife　with　which　the　beast　was　slain　had　been　previously　wetted　with　water　brought　by　maidens　called　water…carriers。　The　weapons　were　then　sharpened　and　handed　to　the　butchers；　one　of　whom　felled　the　OX　with　the　axe　and　another　cut　its　throat　with　the　knife。　As　soon　as　he　had　felled　the　OX；　the　former　threw　the　axe　from　him　and　fled；　and　the　man　who　cut　the　beast's　throat　apparently　imitated　his

example。　Meantime　the　OX　was　skinned　and　all　present　partook　of　its　flesh。　Then　the　hide　was　stuffed　with　straw　and　sewed　up；　next　the　stuffed　animal　was　set　on　its　feet　and　yoked　to　a　plough　as　if　it　were　ploughing。　A　trial　then　took　place　in　an　ancient　law…court　presided　over　by　the　King　（as　he　was　called）　to　determine　who　had　murdered　the　OX。　The　maidens　who　had　brought　the　water　accused　the　men　who　had　sharpened　the　axe　and　knife；　the　men　who　had　sharpened　the　axe　and　knife　blamed　the　men　who　had　handed　these　implements　to　the　butchers；　the　men　who　had　handed　the　implements　to　the　butchers　blamed　the　butchers；　and　the　butchers　laid　the　blame　on　the　axe　and　knife；　which　were　accordingly　found　guilty；　condemned；　and　cast　into　the　sea。

The　name　of　this　sacrifice；　the　murder　of　the　OX；the　pains　taken　by　each　person　who　had　a　hand　in　the　slaughter　to　lay　the　blame　on　some　one　else；　together　with　the　formal　trial　and　punishment　of　the　axe　or　knife　or　both；　prove　that　the　OX　was　here　regarded　not　merely　as　a　victim　offered　to　a　god；　but　as　itself　a　sacred　creature；　the　slaughter　of　which　was　sacrilege　or　murder。　This　is　borne　out　by　a　statement　o