pagan and christian creeds-第11章

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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　expected　from　her！　Moreover；　no　doubt　it　had　been　observed　that　the　scattering　of　dead　flesh　over　the　ground　or　mixed　with　the　seed；　did　bless　the　ground　to　a　greater　fertility；　and　so　by　a　strange　mixture　of　primitive　observation　with　a　certain　child…like　belief　that　by　means　of　symbols　and　suggestions　Nature　could　be　appealed　to　and　induced　to　answer　to　the　desires　and　needs　for　her　children　this　sort　of　ceremonial　Magic　arose。　It　was　not　exactly　Science；　and　it　was　not　exactly　Religion；　but　it　was　a　naive；　and　perhaps　not　altogether　mistaken；　sense　of　the　bond　between　Nature　and　Man。

＇1＇　See　Gilbert　Murray's　Four　Stages　of　Greek　Religion；　p。　29。


For　we　can　perceive　that　earliest　man　was　not　yet　consciously　differentiated　from　Nature。　Not　only　do　we　see　that　the　tribal　life　was　so　strong　that　the　individual　seldom　regarded　himself　as　different　or　separate　or　opposed　to　the　rest　of　the　tribe；　but　that　something　of　the　same　kind　was　true　with　regard　to　his　relation　to　the　Animals　and　to　Nature　at　large。　This　outer　world　was　part　of　himself；　was　also　himself。　His　sub…conscious　sense　of　unity　was　so　great　that　it　largely　dominated　his　life。　That　brain…cleverness　and　brain…activity　which　causes　modern　man　to　perceive　such　a　gulf　between　him　and　the　animals；　or　between　himself　and　Nature；　did　not　exist　in　the　early　man。　Hence　it　was　no　difficulty　to　him　to　believe　that　he　was　a　Bear　or　an　Emu。　Sub…consciously　he　was　wiser　than　we　are。　He　knew　that　he　was　a　bear　or　an　emu；　or　any　other　such　animal　as　his　totem…creed　led　him　to　fix　his　mind　upon。　Hence　we　find　that　a　familiarity　and　common　consent　existed　between　primitive　man　and　many　of　his　companion　animals　such　as　has　been　lost　or　much　attenuated　in　modern　times。　Elisee　Reclus　in　his　very　interesting　paper　La　Grande　Famille＇1＇　gives　support　to　the　idea　that　the　so…called　domestication　of　animals　did　not　originally　arise　from　any　forcible　subjugation　of　them　by　man；　but　from　a　natural　amity　with　them　which　grew　up　in　the　beginning　from　common　interests；　pursuits　and　affections。　Thus　the　chetah　of　India　（and　probably　the　puma　of　Brazil）　from　far…back　times　took　to　hunting　in　the　company　of　his　two…legged　and　bow…and…arrow…armed　friend；　with　whom　he　divided　the　spoil。　W。　H。　Hudson＇2＇　declares　that　the　Puma；　wild　and　fierce　though　it　is；　and　capable　of　killing　the　largest　game；　will　never　even　to…day　attack　man；　but　when　maltreated　by　the　latter　submits　to　the　outrage；　unresisting；　with　mournful　cries　and　every　sign　of　grief。　The　Llama；　though　domesticated　in　a　sense；　has　never　allowed　the　domination　of　the　whip　or　the　bit；　but　may　still　be　seen　walking　by　the　side　of　the　Brazilian　peasant　and　carrying　his　burdens　in　a　kind　of　proud　companionship。　The　mutual　relations　of　Women　and　the　Cow；　or　of　Man　and　the　Horse＇3＇　（also　the　Elephant）　reach　so　far　into　the　past　that　their　origin　cannot　be　traced。　The　Swallow　still　loves　to　make　its　home　under　the　cottage　eaves　and　still　is　welcomed　by　the　inmates　as　the　bringer　of　good　fortune。　Elisee　Reclus　assures　us　that　the　Dinka　man　on　the　Nile　calls　to　certain　snakes　by　name　and　shares　with　them　the　milk　of　his　cows。


＇1＇　Published　originally　in　Le　Magazine　International；　January　1896。

＇2＇　See　The　Naturalist　in　La　Plata；　ch。　ii。

＇3＇　〃It　is　certain　that　the　primitive　Indo…European　reared　droves　of　tame　or　half…tame　horses　for　generations；　if　not　centuries；　before　it　ever　occurred　to　him　to　ride　or　drive　them〃　（F。　B。　Jevons；　Introd。　to　Hist。　Religion；　p。　119）。


And　so　with　Nature。　The　communal　sense；　or　subconscious　perception；　which　made　primitive　men　feel　their　unity　with　other　members　of　their　tribe；　and　their　obvious　kinship　with　the　animals　around　them；　brought　them　also　so　close　to　general　Nature　that　they　looked　upon　the　trees；　the　vegetation；　the　rain；　the　warmth　of　the　sun；　as　part　of　their　bodies；　part　of　themselves。　Conscious　differentiation　had　not　yet　set　in。　To　cause　rain　or　thunder　you　had　to　make　rain…　or　thunder…like　noises；　to　encourage　Vegetation　and　the　crops　to　leap　out　of　the　ground；　you　had　to　leap