pagan and christian creeds-第13部分

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s　the　Catholic　Church　there；　that　although　no　European　or　Christian　has　ever　been　there；　still　in　all　essential　things　they　agree　so　completely　with　the　Roman　Church；　as　even　to　celebrate　the　Host　with　bread　and　wine：　with　my　own　eyes　I　have　seen　it。〃＇1＇　These　few　instances　are　sufficient　to　show　the　extraordinarily　wide　diffusion　of　Totem…sacraments　and　Eucharistic　rites　all　over　the　world。

＇1＇　For　these　two　quotations　see　Jevons'　Introduction　to　the　History　of　Religion；　pp。　148　and　219。



V。　FOOD　AND　VEGETATION　MAGIC

I　have　wandered；　in　pursuit　of　Totems　and　the　Eucharist；　some　way　from　the　astronomical　thread　of　Chapters　II　and　III；　and　now　it　would　appear　that　in　order　to　understand　religious　origins　we　must　wander　still　farther。　The　chapters　mentioned　were　largely　occupied　with　Sungods　and　astronomical　phenomena；　but　now　we　have　to　consider　an　earlier　period　when　there　were　no　definite　forms　of　gods；　and　when　none　but　the　vaguest　astronomical　knowledge　existed。　Sometimes　in　historical　matters　it　is　best　and　safest　to　move　thus　backwards　in　Time；　from　the　things　recent　and　fairly　well　known　to　things　more　ancient　and　less　known。　In　this　way　we　approach　more　securely　to　some　understanding　of　the　dim　and　remote　past。

It　is　clear　that　before　any　definite　speculations　on　heaven…dwelling　gods　or　divine　beings　had　arisen　in　the　human　mindor　any　clear　theories　of　how　the　sun　and　moon　and　stars　might　be　connected　with　the　changes　of　the　seasons　on　the　earththere　were　still　certain　obvious　things　which　appealed　to　everybody；　learned　or　unlearned　alike。　One　of　these　was　the　return　of　Vegetation；　bringing　with　it　the　fruits　or　the　promise　of　the　fruits　of　the　earth；　for　human　food；　and　also　bringing　with　it　increase　of　animal　life；　for　food　in　another　form；　and　the　other　was　the　return　of　Light　and　Warmth；　making　life　easier　in　all　ways。　Food　delivering　from　the　fear　of　starvation；　Light　and　Warmth　delivering　from　the　fear　of　danger　and　of　cold。　These　were　three　glorious　things　which　returned　together　and　brought　salvation　and　renewed　life　to　man。　The　period　of　their　return　was　'Spring；'　and　though　Spring　and　its　benefits　might　fade　away　in　time；　still　there　was　always　the　HOPE　of　its　returnthough　even　so　it　may　have　been　a　long　time　in　human　evolution　before　man　discovered　that　it　really　did　always　return；　and　（with　certain　allowances）　at　equal　intervals　of　time。

Long　then　before　any　Sun　or　Star　gods　could　be　called　in；　the　return　of　the　Vegetation　must　have　enthralled　man's　attention；　and　filled　him　with　hope　and　joy。　Yet　since　its　return　was　somewhat　variable　and　uncertain　the　question；　What　could　man　do　to　assist　that　return？　naturally　became　a　pressing　one。　It　is　now　generally　held　that　the　use　of　Magicsympathetic　magicarose　in　this　way。　Sympathetic　magic　seems　to　have　been　generated　by　a　belief　that　your　own　actions　cause　a　similar　response　in　things　and　persons　around　you。　Yet　this　belief　did　not　rest　on　any　philosophy　or　argument；　but　was　purely　instinctive　and　sometimes　of　the　nature　of　a　mere　corporeal　reaction。　Every　schoolboy　knows　how　in　watching　a　comrade's　high　jump　at　the　Sports　he　often　finds　himself　lifting　a　knee　at　the　moment　'to　help　him　over'；　at　football　matches　quarrels　sometimes　arise　among　the　spectators　by　reason　of　an　ill…placed　kick　coming　from　a　too　enthusiastic　on…looker；　behind　one；　undergraduates　running　on　the　tow…path　beside　their　College　boat　in　the　races　will　hurry　even　faster　than　the　boat　in　order　to　increase　its　speed；　there　is　in　each　case　an　automatic　bodily　response　increased　by　one's　own　desire。　A　person　ACTS　the　part　which　he　desires　to　be　successful。　He　thinks　to　transfer　his　energy　in　that　way。　Again；　if　by　chance　one　witnesses　a　painful　accident；　a　crushed　foot　or　what…not；　it　commonly　happens　that　one　feels　a　pain　in　the　same　part　oneselfa　sympathetic　pain。　What　more　natural　than　to　suppose　that　the　pain　really　is　transferred　from　the　one　person　to　the　other？　and　how　easy　the　inference　that　by　tormenting　a　wretched　scape…goat　or　crucifying　a　human　victim　in　some　cases　the　sufferings　of　people　may　be　relieved　or　their　sins　atoned　for？

Simaetha；　it　will　be　remembered；　in　the　second　Idyll　of　Theocritus；　curses　her　faithless　lover　Delphis；　and　as　she　melts　his　waxen　image　she　prays　that　HE　TOO　MAY　MELT。　All　this　is　of　the　nature　of　Magic；　and　is　independent　of　and　generally　more　primitive　than　Theology　or　Philosophy。　Yet　it　interests　us　because　it　points　to　a　firm　instinct　in　early　manto　which　I　have　already　alludedthe　instinct　of　his　unity　and　continuity　with　the　rest　of　creation；　and　of　a　common　life　so　close　that　his　lightest　actions　may　cause　a　far…reaching　reaction　in　the　world　outside。

Man；　then；　independently　of　any　belief　in　gods；　may　assist　the　arrival　of　Spring　by　magic　ceremonies。　If　you　want　the　Vegetation　to　appear　you　must　have　rain；　and　the　rain…maker　in　almost　all　primitive　tribes　has　been　a　MOST　important　personage。　Generally　he　based　his　rites　on　quite　fanciful　associations；　as　when　the　rain…maker　among　the　Mandans　wore　a　raven's　skin　on　his　head　（bird　of　the　storm）　or　painted　his　shield　with　red　zigzags　of　lightning＇1＇；　but　partly；　no　doubt；　he　had　observed　actual　facts；　or　had　had　the　knowledge　of　them　transmitted　to　himas；　for　instance　that　when　rain　is　impending　loud　noises　will　bring　about　its　speedy　downfall；　a　fact　we　moderns　have　had　occasion　to　notice　on　battlefields。　He　had　observed　perhaps　that　in　a　storm　a　specially　loud　clap　of　thunder　is　generally　followed　by　a　greatly　increased　downpour　of　rain。　He　had　even　noticed　（a　thing　which　I　have　often　verified　in　the　vicinity　of　Sheffield）　that　the　copious　smoke　of　fires　will　generate　rain…cloudsand　so　quite　naturally　he　concluded　that　it　was　his　smoking　SACRIFICES　which　had　that　desirable　effect。　So　far　he　was　on　the　track　of　elementary　Science。　And　so　he　made　〃bull…　roarers〃　to　imitate　the　sound　of　wind　and　the　blessed　rain…bringing　thunder；　or　clashed　great　bronze　cymbals　together　with　the　same　object。　Bull…voices　and　thunder…　drums　and　the　clashing　of　cymbals　were　used　in　this　connection　by　the　Greeks；　and　are　mentioned　by　Aeschylus＇2＇；　but　the　bull…roarer；　in　the　form　of　a　rhombus　of　wood　whirled　at　the　end　of　a　string；　seems　to　be　known；　or　to　have　been　known；　all　over　the　world。　It　is　described　with　some　care　by　Mr。　Andrew　Lang　in　his　Custom　and　Myth　（pp。　29…44）；　where　he　says　〃it　is　found　always　as　a　sacred　instrument　employed　in　religious　mysteries；　in　New　Mexico；　Australia；　New　Zealand；　ancient　Greece；　and　Africa。〃

＇1＇　See　Catlin's　North　American　Indians；　Letter　19。

＇2＇　Themis；　p。　61。


Sometimes；　of　course；　the　rain…maker　was　successful；　but　of　the　inner　causes　of　rain　he　knew　next　to　nothing；　he　was　more　ignorant　even　than　we　are！　His　main　idea　was　a　more　specially　'magical'　onenamely；　that　the　sound　itself　would　appeal　to　the　SPIRITS　of　rain　and　thunder　and　cause　them　to　give　a　response。　For　of　course　the　thunder　（in　Hebrew　Bath…Kol；　〃the　daughter　of　the　Voice〃）　was　everywhere　regarded　as　the　manifestation　of　a　spirit。＇1＇　To　make　sounds　like　thunder　would　therefore　naturally　call　the　attention　of　such　a　spirit；　or　he；　the　rain…maker；　might　make　sounds　like　rain。　He　made　gourd…rattles　（known　in　ever　so　many　parts　of　the　world）　in　which　he　rattled　dried　seeds　or　small　pebbles　with　a　most　beguiling　and　rain…like　insistence；　or　sometimes；　like　the　priests　of　Baal　in　the　Bible；＇2＇　he　would　cut　himself　with　knives　till　the　blood　fell　upon　the　ground　in　great　drops　suggestive　of　an　oncoming　thunder…shower。　〃In　Mexico　the　raingod　was　propitiated　with　sacrifices　of　children。　If　the　children　wept　and　shed　abundant　tears；　they　who　carried　them　rejoiced；　being　convinced　that　rain　would　also　be　abundant。〃＇3＇　Sometimes　he；　the　rain…maker；　would　WHISTLE　for　the　wind；　or；　like　the　Omaha　Indians；　flap　his　blankets　for　the　same　purpose。

＇1＇　See　A。　Lang；　op。　cit。：　〃The　muttering　of　the　thunder　is　said　to　be　his　voice　calling　to　the　rain　to　fall　and　make　the　grass　grow　up　green。〃　Such　are　the　very　words　of　Umbara；　the　minstrel　of　the　Tribe　（Australian）。

＇2＇　I　Kings　xviii。

＇3＇　Quoted　from　Sahagun　II；　2；　3　by　A。　Lang　in　Myth；　Ritual　and　Religion；　vol。　ii；　p。　102。


In　the　ancient　myth　of　Demeter　and　Persephonewhich　has　been　adopted　by　so　many　peoples　under　so　many　formsDemeter　the　Earth…mother　loses　her　daughter　Persephone　（who　represents　of　course　the　Vegetation）；　carried　down　into　the　underworld　by　the　evil　powers　of　Darkness　and　Winter。　And　in　Greece　there　was　a　yearly　ceremonial　and　ritual　of　magic　for　the　purpose　of　restoring　the　lost　one　and　bringing　her　back　to　the　world　again。　Women　carried　certain　charms；　〃fir…cones　and　snakes　and　unnamable　objects　made　of　paste；　to　ensure　fertility；　there　was　a　sacrifice　of　pigs；　who　were　thrown　into　a　deep　cleft　of　the　earth；　and　their　remains　afterwards　collected　and　scattered　as　a　charm　over　the　fields。〃＇1＇　Fir…cones　and　snakes　from　their　very　forms　were　emblems　of　male　fertility；　snakes；　too；　from　their　habit　of　gliding　out　of　their　own　skins　with　renewed　brightness　and　color　were　suggestive　of　resurrection　and　re…vivification；　pigs　and　sows　by　their　exceeding　fruitfulness　would　in　their　hour　of　sacrifice　remind　old　mother　Earth　of　what　was　expec