PR EFA C E

IN preparing th is volume the writer h as endeavored to

avoid su ch a m u ltiplica tionof references as wou ld be con
fusing or burdensome to th e reader and y et at the same
,

time su ffi cientl y to indicate the sou rces of information

.

whi ch he has found most helpful and to give due credit

,

to authors from whose works quotations have been made .

H e is convinced that more o f the customs beliefs and

, ,

cerem oni al institutions that to so great an ex tent ma k e

up our soci al li fe and civili zation are connected with early
agriculture than h as been generall y acknowledged .

Some reader of the following pages will sa y perchance

, ,

that many things noted therein ought to be forgotten .

Other readers will find all that has at one time or another
, ,

had some influence in th e upward progress of man of deep,

and absorbing interest In all the story of human history

.

there is surel y no page that can be written truth full y just

as we might wish to have it y et who shall sa y t h at it
,

would be wise to e fia ce it i f we could ?

.

T he author is disposed to look chari tabl y upon a l l th e

b eliefs however crude which at any time have influenced
, ,

human conduct believing that the widest latitude possi

,

ble should be allowed for the ex ercise of individual fre e

dom and that superstition is a word too frequently used
,

incautiousl y and unwittin gl y to characteri ze whatever

does not harmoni ze with the convi ctions and teachin gs of
our own period of time and sta g e of development some ,

of which it is possible a few centuries hence wi ll have

, , ,

becom e as ob so l ete as others that we have now outgrown .

 The oldest a nd m ost beau tifu l ch a rms o f all nations p ss int pray r
a o e s,

which w e re re peated du ring sacrifice the s i m pl t r f nd inp t r l l if

es a e ou as o a e.
"

-
Grin
m Tra ns la tiono
f Ja m S tevenSta lly bra u 9 .

After a ll wh atwe a ll tru th is onl y the h ypothes is

, wh i ch d
is fou n to
b est — J G Fra zer s
" "
wo rk Til e Golden B ough
'
. . . i , .
 C O N TE N TS

I . A m ou rn n o ORI GIN or Cu n
r rvx rro n

II . Pu n u nc PO I r m: C uor
III . Ptow nco

I V So wru o
. nu nP u nrrru o

V . Mu m s P eonvc nvx

VI . Ma nna TI " Wu
? r
'
nn

VII . Lu a nnnu n P LAN ETA RY I nnu ru cz

VIII . P e a rce nu s-
r m; H ea p s
I X . Hu m “:

X . Fu ss

XI . Pnoc ns ro ns AND e s m es

X II . Mu nro r m: Hu bs Pa onne

X III . T um . u p Pvm s nu mrr or A m u nu

X IV . Ha ves m i c -

Fm rr-G now m o

XV II . Fow u

I nna:
 MA G I C A N D H U S BA N D R Y

CHA PTE R I

AN TI QU I TY A ND OR G N I I OF CU L TI VA TI ON

Who ca nsee the gree ne rt a h a ny more

As sh e was by
Tim ? th e sou rce s o f e

Wh i m a gin h fi ld
o th y lay
es er e s as e

I nth nhi n nw n by th p l w
e su s e, u or e o

Wh th ink o th y th gh t s as e ou ,

Th t ib e w h th n
r m d nh
es b at o e roa
’
o er re s ,

H vi g
er p imi ti v n ?
o rou s, r e so s

TH E attitu de of primitive humanity in the fi rst sta ges of

a gri cu ltural development we cannot possibly comprehend .

So me knowledge of cultivation preceded all written rec

ords and goes back to a period when they knew nothing
,

of cause and e ffe ct and nothing of physical laws In the

, .

earliest days of the oldest nations of which we have any

knowledge the y were already proficient in agricultu ral
s cience .

T he o l dest o f the G reek historians de scribes a gricu l

tu ra l li fe among th e Babylonians and thei r manner of ,

a rtifici ally fertili zing the date palm a process pictured in

2
,

earliest Ass yrian art T he earliest Egyptian paintin gs .

w ere ex ecuted upon the walls of the tombs for nobles con
necte d with th e reign of King Khu fu builder of the Great ,

P yramid and go back si x thousand years

, In these paint .

—
in gs a re depi cted agricul tural scenes herdsm en with , ,

—
thei r herds men plowing and ma k ing wine 3
A , .

Th F t r
e Matthew A n l d
u u e,
”
r o .

H od t
er i 93
o u s,
”
. 1 .

Ph a a h F lla h a nd E p l e Am li a B Edwa d p 7
r o s, e s x or rs, e . r s, . x .
 MA G I C AN D H L S BA N D R Y
'

dra wing n ng figs wa s fou nd in th e G re a t P yr

rep res e ti

a m id
‘
In the o ldest e x ta nt m a nu scrip t its e l f b u t a copy
.
,

o f on e a m illenniu m olde r the feu da l lo rd ta h I I o te

P
-

p
-
, , ,

E ra , a ltiva to rs to su rro und th e tilled e a rth

dm oni sh e d cu

w ith In th e i r ea rlies t historica l tim es th e

E g yptia ns hi d ca refull y noted th e l im its of th e n o m es or
districts th e a m ou nt o f cu l tiva ted land in e ach and the
, ,

amount o f la nd a vailable fo r agricu l tu ral p urpo se s a fter a

high Nile ‘
Contra ct tablets ha ve b e en fou nd of th e days
.

o f th e Ba b ylonian k ing Ha m mura bi 2 2 5 0 B C relating , . .

,

to th e construction of i rriga ting ditches for ove rfl owing

an d ma king p roductiv e th e fi e lds The oldes t poe t ry o f
’
.

th e Greeks tells th e sto ry of th e pled ge of a fai r dem esne

of fi fty plow gates th e hal f there of vine land and the hal f
-
,
-

open plowland to M e le a gros for a ssi stin g th e Aito

”

lians and Hes iod has pictu red on the shield of Hercu les
’
,

lower s clea vin g th e rich earth and reaper s with thei r

p ,

s ha rp sickles cuttin g the thick standing crop Seventy -

.

k inds of grain and plants are mentioned in the old

Chinese Book o f Poetry and one of thei r peasant ,

songs of early date runs

We ri se a t su nrise ,

We res t a t su nse t ,

D ig w ll e s a nd d i nk
r ,

Till fi ld ou r e s a nd e a t
Wh a t i th t s e s re ngt o f h
th e e m pe ro r to u s ?

O ri g i n of C l ti v a te d Pla nts A lphonse

u ,
”
de C a nd lle p
o , .
3 .

O ld e st B k oo s W ld I aa My pp
in th e or ,
”
s c e r, .
7 6, 1 5 1.

Th M m my E A Wall i B d g p 8
"
e u ,
. . s u e, . .

P i m i ti v C i v iliza ti n E J Si m x i 83
r e o
”
,
. . co ,
. 2 .

l li d ix 58 La ng L af nd Mi
‘
a . 0 , e a c“
, ,
 A N TI QU I TY OF C U LTI VATI ON 3

Yet for four thousands y ears says M r Simcox the , .

,

s t rength of th e empi re has been in the agricultu ral peas

an try who as k nothin g from the emperor but to be let

,
"9
w i sely alone .The indebtedness of this ancient civili za
tion to agriculture and its importance as a f i e cting th e ma
'

te ria l and moral welfare is ex pressed in the language of ,

an imperial mani festo in a y ea r of scarci ty n early two

centu ries before the Christian Era : Crime begins in pov
e rty ; po v e rty in insu f fi ciency of food ; insu f fi ci ency of food
” 1°
in negl e ct o f agricu l ture .

Pliny says the earliest surnames among the R omans

were de rived from a gricul tu re and agricu l tura l im ple
m en ts : from the pestle for p ounding corn cam e Pilumnus ,

an d Piso from the word ex pressing the act o f grinding

corn ; l eguminous plants in the cultivation o f which they ,

e x ce lled supplied the names of L en tu lus and C icero ; the

,

fi rst f igure impre ss ed on m oney was that of a sheep and ,

from pew s a sheep came pecu nia mone y I n the days of

, , ,
.

Cato the highest compliment to a man was to cal l him a

d h b nd an T he poet Cow l e y says the fi wis h
l
g oo u s a m ) rst
of V i rgi l was to be a good phi losopher and the second , ,

a good husban dman ; and Cicero that the p l ea sures of a ,

hu sban dman come very nigh to those of a philosopher .

When considerable progress has been made in civili za

tion and the earliest e fforts in agricultu re ha v e become
more or l ess forgotten when the litera ry instinct has been ,

s omewhat developed and national pri de stimulated it has ,

then been characteristic of nations and peoples to seek to

connect the origin of th ings specifically with thei r own

national divinities Loyal ty and patriotism the lack o f

.
,

a ctual knowledge thei r own vanity and conceit , th e ten

,

.“
rP imitiv C ivi l i zati n
e 46 o , II . .

I bid i i n
”
. . a.

N a t a l H i sto y
ur vi ii 3 ; m iii
r , x 3 . . x .
 M AG I C AN D HUSBAN DR Y

den ey to attribute to th e superna tu ra l whatever they could

not understand all these prepared the way for the a c
,

cep ted belief that they were speciall y fa v o red by God or ,

the gods by whom specific revelations were made to them

,
.

In this wa y various peoples came to believe that it was to

thei r own tribal deities th at th e world was indebted for in
s truction in the cultivation of certain produ cts a n d even ,

for the p roducts them selves at the com m encem ent of their
acquaintance with them The more impo rtant was the .

part that a certain product of th e ea rth played in their

o wn national li fe the more certain they b ecame that it
,

was to thei r own nati onal or tribal god that they w e re

indebted for it primarily The ripe fruit and grain fell .

perfected from their hands and by divine instru ctionth eir ,

people were taught how to reproduce th em So metim es to .

thei r kings emperors or great heroes these fu nctions were

, ,

attributed or by them the first knowledge of plants and

,

vegetables was said to have been communi ca ted but this ,

was along the same line of thinking and anoth e r wa y o f ,

expressing the same conception as in earliest thought ,

deities and kings were not likely to be cl earl y diflerentia ted ,

and might be synonymous .

The Chinese attributed the introduction o f g ra ins a nd

the establishment of husbandry to the mi raculously con
ce ive d son of Kiang Yiin The festal odes in the s a c red
.

Book of Poet ry commemorate his b eneficence ; a nd

sacrifices were o ffered in his honor .

0 T i b th p i n a m pl i h d
a , ou r ce cco s e ,

W thy t li nk wi th H a v n
or o e e ,

G a in give t
r na ti n" r o ou r o

W ith a h nd d b l i ng ame
h im u re e ss s c

T h m il l t th
e a ly nd th la t
e s, e e r a e e,

A nd l a t nd a ly p l
e a nd w h a t
e r u se a e .

Th e S hi King, W i ll i am J e nni ngs , I V . i , s o.

 A N T I Q U I TY OF C U LTI VA TI ON
He f l k t till th fi ld
se t his o o e e s,

S b d th y g ai n f
o a ea ifi r or s cr ce ,

T h mi ll t b la k nd w h i t
e e s c a e, a nd i
r ce .

Th e fruits o f the earth are ascribed to the goodn e ss o f

Bu d dh a :
The production of a grain of rice is as great a work
a s th e creation of a mountain .

Had it not been for the power of Buddh a where ,

s h o uld we have found our food ?

It was the goddess Ceres who taught the Romans the

cultivation o f wh ea t The production of the crop was .

th e u nited du ty of Ceres and Tellus To one was traced .

the o ri gin the other contributed the envi ronment Part

, .

ners in toi l they civili zed antiqui ty and replaced the

, ,

acorn of the oa k with a more whol e some food 15

.

To th e H ebrews the fiat o f Jahveh brought forth ,

gra ss and herb yielding seed a fte r its kind and the tree ,

yi elding fruit whose seed was in , I t was he who

fo rmed ev ery plant of the fi e ld before it grew while yet it ,

had not rained upon th e ea rth and th er e was not a man ,

to ti ll the ground
" .

Th e E gyptians attribu t ed to the godde ss I sis the dis

co ve ry o f wheat and bar l ey At her festiva l s stalks of the .

g ra ins were carri ed in proc e ssions in honor of her because

o f the great boon con ferred upon men G re ek writers .

descri be her a s the mother of the ears of corn and the

f rui ts of the earth “
.

A t th e advent of the Spaniard in America a ll the civil

” “
Th e K ngS hi i ”
IV . iv .
4 .

“ “
Ca th ay W A P Ma ti n 2 5 5 q ting f
The Lore of ,
"
. . . r , ,
uo rom a ma n u

c i pt v l m
s r w itte nby the abb t f a m na t y in th W t
o u e r o o o s er e es e r n H ill s.

Ovi d Fa ti i 67 3
“ ”
'
s s , . .

G n i i
e es s, . ta .

1554 i i 5. . .

T h G ld enB gh
e o 46 ou , u. 3 .
 The o ld
nd m ost b eau tifu l ch arms ofall na ti ons pa ss into pra ye rs ,
est a

which we re re peated d u ring sacrifice ; the s i m ples t a re fou nd inpa s toral l ife "
.

Grimm Tra ns la tionOf Ja ni e: S teven S ta lly bra u p , .

Afte r al l , wh a twe a ll tru th is o nl y th e h yp

oth es s i whi ch f
ou nd to
work b est .
—J . .
"
G Fra zer : Tn
e Golden B ough ,
” '

t. 45 0 .
 MA G I C A N D H US BA N D R Y

CH A PTE R I

A N T QU I I TY A ND OR G N I I OF CUL TI VA TION

Who ca nsee the green e rt a h a ny more

As sh e was by
Ti m ? th e sou rce s o f e

Wh im a g in h fi ld
o th y la y
es er e s as e

I n th n hi n nw m by th pl w ?
e su s e, u o e o

Wh th ink o th y th gh ts as e ou ,

Th t ib w h th n m d nh b at ’
e r es o e roa o er re s ,

H vi g
er p i miti v n ?
o rou s, r e so s
”

TH E atti tu de of primitive humani ty in the fi rs t stages of

a gricultu ra l development we cann ot possibly comprehend .

So me knowledge of cultivation preceded all written rec

ords and goes back to a period when they knew noth ing
,

of ca u se and e ffect and nothing of physical laws In the

, .

e arliest days of the oldest nations of wh ich we have any

k nowledge th ey we re already proficient in agricultu ral

s cience .

T he o l dest of the G reek historians de scribes a gricu l

tu ra l li fe among the Babylonians and thei r manner o f ,

a rti ficiall y fe rtilizing the date palm a process pictured in

2
,

earliest Ass yrian a rt T he earliest Egyptian paintings .

w ere ex ecuted upon the walls o f the tombs for nobles con
ne cte d with the rei gnof King Khu fu builder of the Great ,

P yramid and go back six thousand years

, I n these paint .

ings are depi cted agricultural scenes — herdsm en with , ,

—
thei r herds men plowing and making wine 3
A , .

The F t Matthe w Arn ld

u u re , o .

H rod t s i 93
e o u ,
”
. r .

P h a a h F lla h nd E pl
r o s, e A m l i a B Edwa d p 7
s a x ore rs, e . r s, . x .
12 M AG I C AN D H U S B A ND R Y

man and th e sweat of his brow From the c l os e re lation

.

ship o f the Babylonian creation tablets to the story of the

Hebrews it is probable that yet undeciph e red r ecords m a y
,

show that similar beliefs prevailed among the Babylonia ns

of the disobedience and fall of man The famous cy linder .

disc ov e red by George Smith with a representation of the

,

tree of li fe gives strong coloring to this conclusion Th e

, .

tree stands between th e human couple whose hands reach

out a fter its fruit whil e the tempting se rpent erect stands
, , ,

in an atti tu de of confid e nce close b ehind the female figu re .

One story may not have been copied from the other neces
s a rily yet both are e vidently closely r e lated and ma y h ave
, ,

been derived from the same source .

The Hebrew sto ry of the two brothers and t h ei r ri v al ry

in thei r sacred o fferin g s cu lminating in the tragedy of
,

Cain ma rks the transition of the Heb rew people from th ei r

,

more strictly pastoral to the agricultu ral li fe I t was .

impious to till the g round in the benign age of S a tu rn

-
.

T he fruit o fferings of Cain were les s acceptable to Jahveh .

The cultivation of the soil was forbidden by Abasi the ,

Calabar god accordin g to E a st African legends ti ll the

, ,

temptation o f the wom a n o f the first pai r when came ,

the be g innin g o f a g ri cu lture as a punishment in fl icted upon

the race Elsewhere the a uthor has written o f the per
.
3‘

vading animistic belie f of primitive man in th e ne cessity

fo r the pr opitiation o fthe earth g oddess before trespassing
upon her domain He stood in awe o f the dangers w h ich
.

threatened him i f the earth w a s dis turbed in its peace ,

ful repose without conciliation and atonement Born of

, .

primitive a nimism beli e f in traditional hostili ty to th e

,

cu ltivation of the soil in primev a l times su rvived Drink .

in g up a brother s blood the a ngry earth spi rit appeased

’
, , ,

everm ore consents to the harrowing of her bo som .

F nda ti n Ri t
ou o es ,
 ANTI Q U I TY OF C ULTI VATI O N 13

D eep ly impressed wit h h is own sa d ex periences and too

,

little appreciative o f t h e goodness of things man lo ok ing

, ,

across th e great ab yss of the past and failing to perceive

hi s owngradual development s e e ks to account for t h e u n
,

sa tisfactory conditions of his present surroundings He

.

has po stulated an impossible perio d in the ages gone when ,

all desired things came unsolicited S elf conscious o f h is

.
-

own imperfections , he charges up to his ancesto rs th e

responsibility not y et reali zing that in t h e loftier as p i ra
,

ti o ns o f his higher deve l opment are found the true sou rces
of his increase d a cti v ities and unsatis fi ed longings .
 CH A PTE R I I
PREPAR I N G FOR TH E CRO P
“
They s h all in a
da nce for th e cre se

A nd t ngth f th
s re n d o e cor see ,

O f a h g ai nm a ki ng m a n
e c r y
Ea h g ai n th a t y n i h
c r e ou r s

W i th n w il nd wat "
e so a er

TU R N which wa y one will the conviction is strengthened ,

and deepened th at the earliest e fforts in cultivation of the

soil wer e eve ryw here closely allied with religious belie fs .

I t is t rue that the selection of a field to be tilled might be

deemed of importance enou gh to demand the most care ful
consid e ration I t was often attended wi th man y e l aborate
.

ceremonies in which th e priest perhaps took a prom

, , ,

in cu t part b ut th e momentous q uestion to be determined

,

had less to do with the adaptation o f th e soil to the crop to

be grown of which they knew nothing than wi th its
, ,

acceptability to the supe rnatural bein g s who cou l d ma k e or

destroy thei r h a rvest To this end with ri tualistic ob se rv
.
,

a u ces and sacrificial rites th ey sou g ht the approbation ,

and co operation o f the spi rits around and beneath in

-
,

ea rth and ai r whose power they r eco gni zed a nd feared

, .

How di d sava g e man just emer g in g from barbarism

first c ome to learn to put seeds in the g round and look for
tim e to brin g thei r fruiti on ? T o speculative minds it is
an ever re cu rrin g q ue stion of abso rbin g interest and one
-
,

to which evermore a satisfying a nswer with demonstra

Z ni Myth F H C hi ng
u
”
s, . . us , in Thi rtee nth Annu al Report of B u re a u
o f A m i a n E th n l gy
er c o o .
 PRE PAR I N G FOR TH E C RO P 15

tive proo f is denied W e accept it as an evident t ruth

.
,

a s a commonplace fact that the seed is the essential

,

pa rt necess a ry to rep roduce the plant or ve g etable and ,

th at ther e could have been a period or condition in the

e volution o f man when it could have been otherwise ,

se ems a fa r away conclusion and almost unthi nk able

-
, .

Neve rtheless it is apparent on little re fl ection that it mu s t

,

have been the pivotal point betw e en civili zation and bar
b a rism the most vital one in the hi s to ry of human pro g re s s
,

and cultu re when it first dawned upon the awak e nin g

,

intell ect of man th at the edible f ru its and wild cereals

wh ich nourished him mi ght b e perpetu ated in o ther seasons
by m eans of germs contained within themse lves .

I t is sugges ted that primitive m a n may have observ ed

th e renewal o f vegetation from the s e eds cast out on the
kitchen middens and cleared places where re fuse was acci
d e ntall y thrown around thei r huts and dwellin gs but wh y ,

he should have connected th is fact with the seeds more

than with the shells and b ones and other wa s te products
is not apparent and the problem is le ft still un e xplain e d
,
.

The subject is most ably and intere stin gly discu ss e d by

M r G rant Allen who inclin e s to th e beli e f that the only
.
2
,

way in which primitive man firs t became acqu a inted wi th

the el ementa ry principl e s of the reproduction o f ve getable
organisms was from his cu stom of makin g propitiatory
o ffe rings at the burial places o f the dead F e arin g the .

malevolent in fl uence o fth e spi rit or g host o f th e d e ad m a n ,

they placed his b ody beneath a wei ght of earth and sou g ht ,

to prevent h is troublesome re a ppear a nce Rollin g a stone .

u pon his tumulus added to th e sa fety o f th e livin g by

adding to the di ffi culty o f escape from the confi nement ,

and hence the ori gin of monume ntal comm e mor a tion of
the dead and the be g innin g o f a g ricu lture B e lievin g
, .

Ev l ti
o u o nof the I de a o f Go d ”
, h ap xiii
c . .
16 M AG I C AN D HU S BAN D RY

that whatever gave pleasur e to the living man wi ll be

acceptable to his ghost o fferin gs of food and drin k suc h
,

as he was accustomed to are made at his buri al place b y

h is living associates and the seeds of fruits and nati v e
,

cereals germinating and ta k ing root in th e newly disturbed

soil of the tomb reproduce them T he feared and con
, .

ciliated spirit of the tomb pl eased with th e att ention ,

mani fested and generous contributions b estow ed repa y s ,

thei r o fferings many fold in li k e k in d Step by step it .

would be disco vered th a t vegetation would thrive aroun d ,

as well as upon the actu al gra v e i f it was dug wide and

,

deep enough and slowly would develop the extended cul

,

tiva te d field and possibly the belief connected therewi th

,

of the necessi ty of fresh ghosts to ma k e th e crop grow .

”
Hence sa y s M r Allen might graduall y arise a habit
, .
,

of ma k ing a new grave annuall y at the most fa v orable ,

sowing time .And this new gra v e would be the

grave not of a p erson who happened to die then and there
,

accidentally but of a deliberate victim slain in order to

, ,

provide a spi rit of vegetation an artificial god and to , ,

” 3
make the corn grow with vigor and lu xuriance .

Whether this theory of the beginning of the cultivation

o f the soil is accepted or not it is suggesti v e and stim u la t ,

ing and leads to the consideration o f many customs known

,

b y abundant evidence to have been practiced by many

civili zed and semi civili zed peoples Fear of distu rbing
-
.

the s oil has been characteristic of savages Spirits of the .

earth were re gula rl y invoked as a religious rite among the

m ost ancient civili zations That the beli e f in earth spi rits
.

and demons and deities is primitive and preceded even ,

ea rth burials is probable That the homeless wander

-
, .
,

in g ghosts of the dead were th ought fi t companions for

th e spi rits of the under world is li k el y and that regions ,

Ev l ti n f th I d a f G d p 83
o u o o e e o o , . 3 .
18 MA GI C A N D HU S BAN D R Y

and not he su ffered to remain all night upon the tree lest ,
”
the land be dcfile d Parenthetically it is explained that
.

h e that is hanged is accursed of God but is there not a sug ,

gestion that primaril y the custom may have been asso

cia te d with the fear of harm to the livin g fro m the depre

dations of the maliciously inclined ghost ? The unburied

co rpse O f the hanged man would be available for the use
of magicians and sorcerers The fields might be made .

barren and the crops ruined The demons o f the locality

, .

might connive with the spi rit of the dead and wreak ve n ,

g e a n ce upon those who had instigated the punishment of

the criminal .

Savages resorted to many devices for th warting the ma ]

ice o f spiritual beings whom they feared With various .

ceremonies they sought to impart conten tment to the de

parted and preven t the spi rit from r e pai rin g to the plac es
,
’

o f his former resort and distressin g the survivors The .

priest o f Tahiti placed slips of plantain lea f stalk on the -

breast and under the arm s of the corpse to represent the

father wi fe mother or child of the deceased and go with
, , , ,

him to the spirit world and not s e ek those left behind, .

For a like reason the stem o f a banana tree was buri e d

with a corpse by the Ga le la reese ; and among the Okyo n
tribes as Mary Kin gsley relates wh e n a woman di e s leav
, ,

ing a child over six months old l est the spi rit of the moth e r ,

come back after the child a bunch of plantains is put in ,

with the body and bound up with the funeral b indin g

clothes ’
.

I f Mother Earth providin g a retreat and restin g place

,

for the dead protected the livin g from harm ful spi rit s
, ,

and generously yielded her annual abun dance o f fruits and

g rains and plants for the sustenance o f man and beast sh e ,

‘
D t n my n i 3 3
e u e ro o . . °

T a v l in W t A f i a P 473
r e s es rc ,
 PREPA R I N G FOR TH E C R O P 19

was exacting in th e attentions she demanded in return .

She expected thei r propitiatory o fferings and sacrifices be

fo ne responding to thei r pr ay ers S he had given her drops .

o f blood as the Kh onds be lieved to m a ke the soft mudd y

, , ,

g round harden into firm e a rth suitable for pasturage and

ti ll able fields thus signi fying that bl oody rites were a g re e
,

able to her .

In ancient legend from the earth all livin g creatures

,

spran g generated by means of moisture and the quick en

,

ing heat of the su n .

H e nce m i gh ty mothe r of th
’
I m mo rtal God s ,

O f b ru te a nd m e n s, ,
is Ea th f ll f q
r u re ue nt f i gn d
e e ,

w rote the anci e nt po e t Lucretius In her lion drawn car .

8 -

she trav e l e d th rou gh th e l a nds o f the earth san g the ,

a ncient bards o f Gre e ce In Phrygi a .

,

S ince h
t ese th e c li m w h fi t fa m
es e re rs , as e re p
o rts,

T he fi ld
e was cu l t d nd th h a v t
u re a e r es rose ,
”

at the festivals of the Immortal Mother armed bands , ,

says the poet ,

Sp t wi th fa nta ti h a i n th m a d da n
or s c c s, e e s u re ce

W a vi ng inf ia t h a m d wi th h m anb l d
e ur e, c r e u oo .
”

The h istorian Taci tus relat e s that the tribes o f the Suevi 1°

united in the worship of H e rtha th e Earth Moth e r , .

Only the priest was permitte d to touch he r co nsecr a te d

cha riot which stood in her sacre d g rove on an i sl a nd in
,

the ocean At the annu a l fe s tival o f the godd e ss h e r

.

cha riot was drawn by yoked cows and eve ry place which ,

Th N a t e f Th i ng
e J h n Ma n G d t a n lati n 6 4
ur o s, o so oo
’
s r s o , u . 0 .

Th N a t
e f Th i ngu re o s, 11.

Ge m ani a
r h ap 4 ,
”
c . 0.
20 MAGI C AN D HU S BAN D R Y

she visited was a scene of joyous festivity S atiated with .

the intercour se with mortals the priest conducted her bac k ,

to her sanctuary Goddess and chariot received ablu

.

tion in a secret lake and slaves who assisted were sw a l

,

lowed up in its waters The awa k ening of new li fe w a s

.

announced by the immersion o f the image of the goddess ,

and peace and fertility were secu red The Nerthus of the .

North had been identified b y the historian as the earth deity

of h is own classic land the protectress of agricultu re , ,

whose home was in the earth and whose worshipers ,

touched the ground when invo k ing her .

That human sacrifices have extensively prevailed in the

worship of agricultural deities in former times is shown ,

by abundant evidence gath e red from many sources .

The Golden Bou gh of M r Frazer is especially val .

u a b le as an exhaustive treatise upon these and k indred cere

monies to which many re ferences will be made in the fol

,

lowing pages In discoursing o f goddesses Jacob Grimm

.
,

says the common idea underlying them is th at they are

thought of chiefly as divine mothers who travel round and
visit houses and from whom the human race learns the arts
,

of housekeepin g and husbandry Thei r labors bring peace .

and q uiet in the land though some o f them ta k e k indl y

,

to war as on the other hand some of the gods favor

, , ,

peace and agriculture 11

Heno the Thunder of the
.
,

I ro q uois who rode through the heavens on the clouds and

,

split the forest trees with the thunderbolts wh ich he

hurled at his enemies was the patron of husbandry and
, ,

was invok ed at seedtime and harvest It is suggested b y .

Dr Tylor that Huitzilopochtli the terrible war god of the

.
,

Aztecs was ori g inally a nature deity and that his functions
,

as a wa r god were a later addition 12

His thre e leading .

Teu t ni Myth l gy p 3 50
o c o o ,
. .

Primitiv Cu l t e ii 3 5 30 7
e ur , . 0 , .
 P R E PA R ING FO R THE C R OP 21

festivals were connected with the seasons the principal one ,

b e in g held at the time o f the winter solstice His reputed .

m other was the goddess O f plants who became impre g ,

na te d throu gh a bunch o f flowers that fell from heaven .

T he December festival was emblematic of the season .

T he beginning of winter and the apparent death of ve ge

ta tio n was typified in the killin g of th e g od Th e priest .

p repared his image by kneadin g various kinds of seeds

w ith the blood of sacrificed children A fter numerous .

p u rif in
y g s blood lettings
, fasts and-
sacrifices of quails
, ,

an d human beings the image was pierced with an arrow

,

s hot b y a priest the heart taken out and eaten by the kin g
, ,

the body cut into fra gm ents and distributed every man ,

receiving a piece ; and the annua l ceremony of eati ng

13

the b ody of the god was assurance of the renew a l of li fe

in vegetation and the yearly harvest Tlaloc shared the .

hono rs with the war god in the Mexican pantheon and ,

ruled the rains and thunder and li ghtning His home was .

in the m idst of the clouds and his festival was held on the ,

mountain of earthly paradi se One took place about the .

time of the corn plantin g to secure his good will and a ,

favorable crop “
Babes and children w e re sacrificed in
.

his honor a nd accordin g to the Vatican Codex the dead

, , ,

bo dy of a boy sacrificed to him was put in the mai ze

ranaries o r maize fields
"s
About the ti me o f the winter
g .

so lstice a series of festivities were held in honor of the

goddess of white mai ze I zta ca ce enteo tl On this occa , .

sion th e victims sacrificed were lepers or others su fferin g

from contagious diseases m The Pipiles before be g in .
,

n ing to plant gathered in small bowls specimens of all

,

ai
N t ve Ra iii 3 ces, . r5.

R ig V da Am i a n
e er c u s, D . G . B i nt n
r o , 24 .

Na tiv R a ii 33 ”
e ces, . 2.
”
Mid. ii 3 40
. .
22 MAG I C AN D HU S BAN D R Y

their seeds and a fter performing certain rites with them

,

before the image of a god buried them in the ground and , ,

burned co pal and ulli over them The idol was anointed .

with blood drawn from di fferent parts of the body and ,

the land to be sowed was sprinkled with the blood o f

”
slain fowls .

S acrifices were o ffered by th e natives o f the Gold Co ast

of Africa at a festival held in December in which human ,

victims were slain at the plantations that thei r blood ,

mi g ht fl ow into the holes whence the yams had been

taken 18
. In li k e manner the Algon q uins of Am erica
deposit an o ffering in the earth for Mesu kku m m ik Okwi ,

the Earth the Great Grandmother of all a fter they have

,
-
,

dug up the roots from which thei r medicines were made ,

for in her keepin g were thei r healing plants and the ,

m
animals which fed and clothed them Indians of Guay .

aquil sacrificed human blood and the hearts of men at the

time of sowing thei r fields The Pawnees burned a bu f .

falo or deer or had human sacrifices annually at the sow

,

in g time believin g that the omission of the sacrifice would

,

res ult in the failure of thei r crops The victim mi g ht be .

a captive of either sex Clad in costl y atti re and fattened .

,

for the occasion in the presence of the multitude they

,

bound him to a cross and cleft his head with a toma h aw k

or shot him with arrows So me authorities say that the .

squaws greased thei r hoes with pieces of the victim s ’

flesh An account of the sacri fice of a S iou x girl b y the

.

Pawnees in 1 83 7 or 1 83 8 as described b y Schoolcraft

, , ,

”
De Smet and M r E James is qu oted b y M r Frazer
, . .
, . .

She was burned for some time be fore a slow fire and then ,

shot to death with arrows While her fl esh was still

Na tiv R a eii 7 9 ce s, . 1 .

“
T h i Sp a k i ng P pl f th G ld C a t A B Em” 3 3“
s -
e eo es o e o o s . . ;

P i m i ti v C l t
r ii 7
e u u re ,
”
. 2 0.

Th G ld n B g h ii 3 3 ”
e o e ou , . 2
 PRE PAR I N G FOR TH E C R O P 2
3

w a rm i t wa s cut in small pieces from the bones put in ,

l ittl e bask ets and ta k en to a neighboring cornfield

, Th e .

M ex icans sacri ficed newb orn babes when the mai ze

w a s sown older c h ildren when it sprouted and old men
, ,

w h en it was ripe A queen of West Africa sacrificed a

.

m a n and woman in t h e month of M arch They were .

killed with spades and hoes and their bodies buried in t h e ,

m i dd l e of the newly tilled field At Lagos in Guinea a .

, ,

you ng gi rl was impaled alive a fter the spring equinox to , ,

se cure good crops A similar sacrifice was o ffered at

.

Be nin The M a timos a Bechuana tribe forcibly take

.
, ,

to th e fi elds a human b eing and ki ll him among the wheat .

H is b lood is coagulated in the sun and burned with the ,

sa cred frontal bone and the brain and t h e ashes are ,

scattered on the ground The Bagobos of M indanao .

,
°

one o f th e Philippine Islands hew a slave to pieces in the ,

fore st b efore sowing thei r rice The Gonds of India kid .

naped Brahman b oys sl ew them wit h poisoned arrows , ,

an d S prin k l ed thei r b l ood over the fields The Lhota .

Naga and the Angami tribes of northeastern India , ,

ch op ped o f the heads hands and feet of people they m et , ,

w it h and stuc k the severed e x tremities in thei r fi e ld to

,

en su re a good crop
21
.

O f a ll religions of t h e world remark s Dr Tylor ”

, .
,

per h aps that of t h e Khonds of O rissa gives th e earth

g od d ess her most remar k able place and function Tari .

Peu nn created by the light god or sun god for his con
,

s o rt b ecam e in thei r cosmology the mother of the other

, , ,

g reat g o ds and in the

, functions ascribed to her and in the ,

rites with which s h e was propiti ated was exalted to the ,

h eig h t of divini ty The suppression of the hideous sac

.

rifices w ith whic h she was honored is a m a tte r of recent

The G ld n B gh o ii 2 3 8 24
e ou
”
, .
-
0 .

' “
Primitive Cu l tu 27 re ,
”
u. 0.
24 M AG I C AND HUSBAN D RY

Indian history From the British o fficers engaged in put

.

ting them down com e s our knowled ge o fthem Pro fessor .

Frazer says it is th e b est known c a se of human sacrifices

”
Of fered to ensure goo d c rops They were also be lieved
.

to give immunity from di s ease a nd from accid e nts and ,

were especially nece s s ary in the cultivation of turmeric as ,

without the sheddi ng of blood i t woul d not have a de e p

red color The special victi m s fo r the purpose were
.

known as M oriahs a nd w e re descendants of other Me ria hs

, ,

or purchased for that purpose Fathers in distress o ften

.

sold their children for vic tims b e lievin g i t was most hon
,

o ra ble— that they were conferrin g a blessin g upon mankind

and securing the b e a tifica tion of th e i r souls The Khond .

father who parted with his dau ghter that she mi g ht b e

come a Meri a h was comforted with the belief that she
,

died that all the world mi ght liv e The Meriah w as often
.

kept for years b e fo re th e sacrifice a nd was looked upon as

,

a consecrated person On re a chin g manhoo d the Meriah

.
,

youth was g iven a wi fe also a M eriah and th e i r o ffsprin g

, ,

were reared to b e future victims The sacrifices to the .

godde ss were made by tribes or villa ges and so arran g ed ,

that each head of a family secured a s hred o r portion of

the body of the victim for his fields at least once a yea r ,

and about the time when his field was to be planted .

Several days w e re given up to rev e l ry and debauchery as

the time for the slayi ng of the Meri ah approached He .

w a s anoint e d with oil ghee and tu rmeric a nd adorned

, , ,

wi th flowers The victim som etimes was put to death slowly

.
.

by fire or he mi g ht be pre ss e d to death betwe e n stron g

,

pl a nks or be stran gulated by havin g his neck inserted in

,

the cleft of a split g re e n t re e A g ain he was dragged

.
,

a lon g the field s followed by the crowd who hacked the

, ,

fl e s h from h is bo dy till h e died or was faste ned to the

,

proboscis o f a wooden el e phant which revolved on a p os t

, ,
26 M AG I C AN D H U S BA N DRY

In the sa cri fi ce of e fi gies a nd oth er cu stom s in m odern

Europe M r Al l en finds indica tions of ea rli e r s acrificia l
, .

rit es of the older nations Som etim es the e fligies a re.

bu rned and th rown into the river o r b u ried pi ecem ea l o r , , ,

as in Siles ian Au stri a a stru ggle ta kes p lace for frag

,

ments o f the e fi gy while it is b u rning whenea ch one who ,

s ecures a fra gment o f the fi g ure ties i t to a b ran ch o f th e

la rgest tree in his garden or buries it inhis fi eld b elievin g
, ,

i t wi ll make his crops grow better Portions of a sh ea f .

’

o f corn are b u ri ed in th e field as fe rhli zers In the Ha rtz .

Mountains a li ving man is laid on a ba k ing trou gh and

ca rried with dirges to a g rave and a t th e l ast mo m ent a
, , , ,

glass of brandy is substituted fo r h im I n a Ru s si a n cere .

mon y an old man ca rries a cofi n conta ining a figu re known

, ,

as Yarilo out o f the town into a n op en fie l d a nd b uri es it

, ,

while the women chant di rges and weep a nd wail ” Cer e .

monies in the South Sea Islands used in recla im ing lands ,

recovered a fter having been taken from them by invasion ,

when pigs and plantains are place d u pon th e a lta rs of the

temples newly ornam ented wit h branches of th e sacred
,

miro and the yellow leav e s of the cocoanut tree suggest -

,

earlier and more savage rites L ands acq ui red b y conquest .

were ren de red habitable and ferti le b y li k e formalities .

It is the history of all advancement from barb arism to

civili zation th at one by one th e more sa va ge cu stoms
, ,

have been gradually relieved o f th ei r more rep u lsive

features and so modified as to b e a cce ptable to m o re
,

enlightened generations With increasing population the

.
,

excessive burden of costly sacri fici al rites has alwa ys been

a considerable factor in e ffecting th ei r modi fication t hough ,

in thei r less o ffensive forms the y continue to su rviv e long

a fter they cease to have any special signi fi ca nce a nd o ften ,

they de gen e rate into sports and pastimes for th e amusem ent
E v l ti n f th I d a f G d p 2 94
o u o o e e o o , . .
 PRE PAR I N G FO R TH E C R O P 27

of the populace in the enj oyme nt o f which thei r origin is

,

enti rely lost sight of thei r fo rmer meanin g forgotten and

, ,

new interpretations o f thei r purposes are made to ha r

m onize with the sentiment of the period .

I n the older thou g ht as we have seen man look ed b ack

, ,

wa rd to a distant past when by divine instruction the wa y

,

was pointed out for the cultivation of specific products ,

or to a time when the matured fruits fell p e rfected from

the hands of b ene ficent deities In the revolution wrough t
.

by the disco very that a ll forms of li fe a s we know them , ,

i ncluding man him self are the outcome of growth and

,

development b y slow processes th rou gh all the a ges past ,

the perspective of our intell ectual vision is extended so

that we perceive that fina litie s once acceptable a nd sat
is fying are but the nearer con fin es of limitless realms
untraversed that lie beyond .

We do not know how primitive man as we conceive of ,

him may have be en le d to know thin gs o r to do things

, ,

familiar to us H ow long i t had been a hereditary custom

.

to sacrifice human bein gs annually and put fra gme nts of

thei r fl esh in the fields to make sure of a cr op whe n the ,

English o fficers wrote of the tribes o f India we do not ,

k now . Thei r fathe rs did it before them and they b e ,

lie ve d it was an ess enti a l ceremony Oth e r expl a nation

.

would hardly be neces sa ry and quite likely would not be

,

attempted I f a magical rite it was no less vital a nd

.
,

imperative The gods that thei r fathers had created were

.

lik ened a fter themselves I f the earth go ddess requi red

.

at thei r hands blood and flesh for food the t a ste of it was
'

not wholly obliterated from thei r own memories The .

natives o f New Guinea who believed th a t yams spran g

,

from the buried bodies of murdered m e n had most likely ,

seen th em tak en from the g roun d where sl a i nmen had be en

lai d or they accepted the traditions o f thei r a nc e stors who
,
28 M AG I C AN D HUSBAN DRY

had The F ij ians might e a sily assume a similar origin for

.

them i f it be a fact as travel e rs report that yam plants

, ,

spri ng up from the heaps of yams o ffered to ancestral

spi rits in the sacred stone enclosure or te me nos and grow ,

lux uriantly 27
.

In the course of h uman p rogress as some knowled g e ,

was acquired of ferti li zation traditiona l customs would ,

gradually disappear but many of them would undoubtedly

,

continue in modified forms for a long period as to day ,

-

among the most enli g htened races wh e re the scie nce o f ,

cultivation is most adv a nced m a ny old beliefs lin ge r and , ,

practices are still observed in a g ricu ltu ral operations by

people who can giv e no ratio nal expl a nation of them but ,

still have faith in them Homer r e lates th a t Kin g La ert e s

.

enriched the knolls of his vineyard by strewin g them with

fallen leaves yet th ey continued to burn the hallowed pa rts
,

to the e v erlasting gods when the y fe a sted on the fattened

boars 28
.

I f we try to put ourselves in the place of men in some

bygone epoch and divine the w a ys which led to certa in
,

results we can only parti a lly succeed for the e ffects of our
, ,

e nvi ronments are insepar a ble from ou r intellectual proc

ess e s We know th a t by the chemic a l action of certai n
.

elements brou ght incont a ct with the soil its productiveness ,

is increased but i f we a sk how man in the be g inni ng

,

gained his first in s i ght into the mysteries of fertili zation it ,

is almost as di fficult to a nswer as it is to say how he first

came to know that seed s buri e d inthe e a rth at fitting times
would ge rminat e a nd r e produc e th e pl a nt and fruit .

L e ge nd attributes to kin gs and gods the introduction of

fertili z e rs Pli ny says A u ge a s w a s th e fir st k i ng amon g
.

the Greeks to du ng the fiel ds a nd Hercules divulged th e ,

Ev l ti n f th I d
o u o f G d a 8r
o e ea o o , .

‘
O dy y x i 9 3 ; x i v 4 5
sse ,
. r . 0.
 PRE PAR I N G F O R TH E C R O P 29

p ractice among the Italians I t was impious in the golden .

rei gn O f Saturn to disturb the soil but in later tradition , ,

to the god was added the name Ste rcu tiu s as a title in ,

memory of his bein g the first to la y dun g upon lands to .

make the u i fertile in allusion to which an English author , ,

wrote
“
Th eR man v o nt d p ti ti
s, e e r cou e su e rs ou s,

A d d wi h h i gh ti l
o re f di v i ni ty
t t es o ,

th L d e or

I f the sacred food o fferin g s to a ncestral ghosts and -

ea rth deities le d the way to the pl a ntin g of seeds in the

earth did similar o fferin gs of the flesh o f m e n and beasts
, ,

and of ordure and urine to the go ds o f the field s point , ,

the way to fertilizati on ? V e getati o n spr a n g up a round

th e tombs o f the buried dea d a n d th e u nburi e d enemies ,

o f the gods rotted in the fiel ds and b e cam e as du n g 3°

.

Dungy gods wood and ston e we re not u nknown to the

, ,

I s ra e lite s ‘n At the fe a st o f Be recinth a the m other of

.
,

th e gods one of the names of Cyb e l e or Rhe a th e primal

, , ,

ea rth goddess Roman matrons spri nkl e d her ima ge with

,

u rine . One of the nam e s of a M ex ic a n god de ss s i gnified

the eater of filthy thi ngs ”
The ord u re of c ows h a s a .

prominent pa rt in the r e li g i ou s c e re m o nie s o f Hindus and

Pa rsis The dung of b u ll ock s w a s u s e d a s a s ino fferi ng
.
-

by the Hebrews Whatev e r h a d o nce b ee n conn e cted .

with , or formed part of m a n or b e a st serv e d as a su b sti , ,

tute for the animal or perso n Th e I s r a e li te s buri e d thei r .

excrements to keep them a way f ro m th e m a gi ci a ns a nd 3 2

,

it was a common beli e f in the Mi ddl e A ge s th a t they were

”
H a ingt n Ajax q t d in B k
rr o
’
s S t l gi R it
, uo e ou r e s
’
ca a o c e s,

King i 3 7 ; J m i a h v iii
”
2 s x .
; vi 4 e re . 2 x . .

C d n C n da n
ru e
’
s ti tlo D ngy
cor ce , e
“
u .

S t l gi R i t N ti v R iii 3 8 ; P i m i ti v C l
” “
ca a o 9; c es , r2 a e a ce s, . 0 r e u

ii 4 3 8 ; E od s n i 4 ; L v iv D xx iii
”
tu re , . x 1; vi
u 7; t x r3
. I e . . 1 x . 2 eu . . .
3 0 M AG I C AND HUSBANDRY

a powerful anti dote to witchcra ft and Luther thought the

,

devil hated nothing more than human ordure .

Whether animism as defined b y T ylor is the basis of

primitive religions or magic as suggested b y Frazer is
, ,
33
.
,

the forerunner of them there seems but little reason to

,

doubt that the ceremonial o fferings connected with earl y

religious beliefs led the wa y to a kn owledge o f rational
m ethods of fertili zation .

P i mi ti ve Cu l t
r u re , i 42 6 ; Th G ld n Bou gh
. e o 70
e , r. .
 CHA PTE R I I I
F LO W I N G
Du ll p lowm ant m a n e th fi l d
h one st o ur e e

St ng T a r b a by h im th g nd r till d ;
ro u us e rs, e rou s a e e

N g a dy thi ngs h b
o u d n p iz f w th e ree s, o r e or or ,

B t blu th a th a nd b i ng h la b f th ;
e sse e r , r s er or or

H ta k th th y k
e e n d th th pl w di da i n
e o e, or o e o s ,

A nd t ach efa m t m an th pla i n;

es r e rs o u re e

H th i a m pl w hen h h n
’
e s e r ex th e, e e a rs e su

I n hi b i g h t h n th n bl t i l
s r bg n or s, e o e o
’
s e u ,

The ef l pl w h a
us h
u t i ve fr m t
o s re e re r e s o ru s ,

N live a t a nd want h i str ngth in d t

or s e se, a s s e us .
“

IF it be t rue as Grant Allen conj ectures that agriculture

, ,

originate d in primitive buri al customs and the first garden ,

patch was a tomb then the crude implement whatever i t

, ,

m a y have b een with which some savage scooped a shallow

,

g ra ve to receive his falle n kin s man or slain fo e was th e ,

fi rst pl ow Followin g the Biblical story the poet Cowley

.
,

wrote The three first men in the world were a gar

dene r a pl owman and a grazier ; and i f a ny man object
, ,

that the second of these was a murderer I desi re he would ,

consider that as soo n as he was so he q ui tted our p ro fes ,

”2
s ion and tu rned builder .

In all primitive agricu ltural operations the fi rst in orde r

and importance is the brea k ing up of the soil In tra c .

ing the evolution of the plow it is found to have been

gradually dev e loped from the hoe and that as Pro fessor , ,

T ylor th i nk s from the pick or hatchet I ron plowshares

, .

‘
Manili u s,Engli h t an la ti s r s o n of r697 , book iv .

E s ay on A gri cu l tu
”
s re .
3 2 M AG I C AN D HU S BAN D R Y

are known to have been i n use many centuries b efore the

‘

Christian Era The Hebrew prophets looked forward to

.

the last days when the rei gn of peace should be g in among

the nations of the earth and they should be a t th e i r swords ,

into plowshares or roused for action the mi g hty men o f

3
,

war exhorting them to be a t thei r plowshares into swords

,

and thei r pru nin g hooks into spears 4

.

S harpened stakes and crooked limbs of trees were the

earliest substitu tes fo r the plow in historical times and ,

thei r use has been common amon g the n a ti o ns The .

ancient Egypti a n plow was of wood and wa s sometimes ,

but a pointed stick which was forced into the g round as

it was drawn forward The e a rly Gre eks u sed the t runk .

of a small tree with two branches opposite each other one ,

formin g the share and the other the handle while the ,

trunk formed the pole o r beam The Romans improved .

the plow addin g the coulter and moldboard a nd some

, ,

times attachin g a wheel to the be a m to prevent the sh a re

from goin g too fa r into the g round The Peruvians .

h a d neither the i ron pl o wsha re nor a nim a ls fo r dr a u g ht ,

but they used a stron g sharp pointed st a ke t rav e rsed by a ,

-

hori zontal piece ten to twelve inches from the point on ,

which the plowm a n mi ght set his foot and force it into the
g round S ix or ei g ht stron g men were atta ched to the
.

plow by ropes and dr a gge d it along keepin g time as the y

, ,

moved and ch a ntin g na tional songs

,
5
The annals o f .

early races show a w id e s pre a d hos ti lity to the use o f i ron

in connection with a g riculture as well as in the e rection of
buildin g s and brid ges Some of this feelin g may be .

traced to the natural antip a thy to wards thin gs newly intro

du ce d and i f the introduction of them is followed by dis
,

‘
I s aia h n 4 ; . M i a h iv
c .
3 .

‘
J l i ii
oe . to .
“
P tt
resco
’
s
“
C nq
o u e st o f P e ru ,
34 M AG I C AN D HU S BAN D R Y

was the sacred implement from which there fell chips of

gold It was next to the spindle in sancti ty with her who
.
,

was as Moncure Conway says

, th e beauti ful an g el of ,

the Earth who conv e rts nomads into cu ltivators of the

,
” 9
g round wilde rnesses into gardens tents into homes
, , .

The old poet o f the Greeks to whom fertile Ascra ,

g av e bi rth some seven centu ries before the Christian Era ,

plea santly discourse s in verse to his countrymen u p on the

subject under con s ideration in this chapter His advice .

was to get first of all a h o use and a w o man and a plowin g

ox a nd to be g in plowin g when the Pleiads set not for get
, ,

tin g to make vows to Jove infernal and chaste Demeter

first as he takes in hand the go a d at the extrem i ty of the
,

plow tail and touches the b a ck of the oxen dra gg in g the

-
,

oaken pe g of th e po le w ith th e leathern strap Mountain .

and fi e ld should b e ca re fully searched for the best material

”
fo r constructin g the plow Provide you rself says he .
, ,

a share beam Of oak a plow tail of ilex oak ; for this is

-
,
- -

stoutest for ste e rs to plow ; and a pai r of males steers ,

nine ye a rs old havin g j ust the mean of a g e which are b e st

, ,

fo r workin g And a lon g with these let a lus ty

.

plowman of forty years follow havin g made a meal on a ,

l o a f four squ a re d divided into ei ght morsels who mind

-
, , ,

in g his busin e s s will cut the furrows strai ght no lon ger ,

peerin g round amon g his fellows but havin g his heart in ,

his work for a youn ger man g apes like one dis
tra u ght a fter his fellows M a rk too when from hi gh .
, ,

out o fthe clouds you sh a ll h a ve he a rd the voice of the crane

utte ri ng its ye a rly cry which both brin gs the si gnal for
,

plo w in g and points th e se a son of r a iny w e ather but gnaws

, ,
” 1°
th e he a rt of a m a nth a t h a th no oxen I f perchance the .

p rope r s e a son fo r br e a kin g the earth be not Observed the ,

D m n l gy nd D v il L
e o o o i 88a e o re , . 2 .

W k nd Day t a n la ti n f J Ba nk 440 4 5
or s a s, r s o o . s, -
0 .
 F LOWING 35

crop o f the la gg ard shall not fai l i f Jove permit that wh e n , ,

the cu ckoo sin gs first in the o a k foli a g e deli g htin g mor ,

tals rain wi thout ceasin g shall continue th ree days neither

, ,

overtopping the ox s hoofprint nor f a llin g short of it ’

.

The poet Vi rg il has likewise emb a lmed in verses a de

scription of th e plow used by his c o untrymen which h a s ,

occasioned much diversity O f opinion amon g his inter

p re t e r s One
. of his editors remarks that i f any poet of
the pres ent day were to undertake a description of a plow
in the same numb e r O f lines the terms w h ich he em ploy e d ,

w ould not be intelli g ible out of his own p rovince or county

without an en g ravin g l l
The e lm while yet quite youn g
.

”
in the woods says the poet is b ent by stron g force and
, , ,

trained to g row into the shape o f a plow be a m and re -

,

ce ive s th e form of a crooked plow To the end of this .

a pole as much as ei g ht feet lon g two e a rth b o ards and ,

-
,

share beams with double b a ck a re fitted Also a li ght

-
.

lime tree is cut down betimes for the yoke and a t a ll b e ech
-
,

will make a h a ndle to tu rn the bottom of the plow from ,

behind ; the wood hun g up in the chimney is se a soned by

” ‘2
smoke . In Rom a n t ra dition it w a s C e re s th a t first
introduced the use of the plow on which account the p e ople ,

a re enjoined to observe the annu a l s a crifices to h e r who ,

”
compelled the bulls first to bend thei r necks to the yok e .

It was then for the first time the uptu rned e a rth s a w the
li g ht of the sun 13
Though Hesiod fixes th e time for the
.

beginnin g of the plowin g a t the settin g o f the seven sis

ters Theocritus sin g s of the o xen of th e Cia nne s we a rin g
,

bri ght the plowshare at the risin g of the d a u ghters of

Atlas “
. Vi r g il specific a lly instru cts the h u sbandm a n to
S e W k f Vi g il d i t d by B A G ld G gi i 6 fr
”
e or s o r e e . . ou ,
e or cs, . 1 0 , o

di i n f th bj t
scu s s o o e su ec .

”
E ng li h T a n la ti n f L n dal nd L
s r s o G gi o i 68 7 5 o s e a ee ,
“
e or cs , . 1 -
1 .

O v id F a ti iv 4
” ”
,
s ,
. 00 .

I dy l xi ii .
3 6 M AG I C AN D HU S BAN D R Y

observe the si gns in the heavens accordin g to the cra p he

desires to produce The time to bend to the plows and
.

work th e steers i f he is fittin g the land for flax and barley

,

and the sacre d poppy is when the Balance has equali zed ,
’
hours of da y and sleep and halves the world exactly twixt ,

li ght and sh a d e When Tauru s ushers in the year with

.

his g ilded horns and S i rius sets facin g the threatenin g bull ,

is the time for be a ns For whea t and S p e lt the Pleiad e s

.
,

should hi de themselves from your eyes with the dawn .

M any have be gun before M ai a sets but the desi red crop ,

has b a flie d them with emp ty ears “

.

Many and varied are the romances and ta l es of the

mythical a g es associ a ted with the plo wman and his work ,

which have been c o llected and preserved in the annals

and literature of people s In the cl a ssi cal story of the .

Ar gon a uts which is supposed to h a ve been formulated

,

about the period of H e siod J a son thei r leader yokes to a , , ,

plow the brawny n ecked wild bulls of Actes and sowin g

-
,

the field with dra gons te e th produces a crop of warriors : ’

,

Wi th p nt
se r e s
’
h th f ti l f w ws ;
tee t e er e u rro s so

T he gl b ef e er m nti ng wi th n h a nt d j i
e e c e u ce,

Ma ke s th e s na k t th a h m a n
es
’
pp d ee u cro ro u ce .

Le gends o f the N o rsemen tell of ho rses of the sea ,

s ometim e s O fa d a pple g r a y and at othe rs black which we re

-
, ,

sometimes cunnin g ly bridl e d and f a stened to thei r plows .

A cleve r man at Morl a nd is s a i d to h a ve plowed all his

land in this wa y but the bridle becomin g loosened the
, ,

team d a rted like fire into the se a dr a win g the harrow with ,

them In a nother tale a hu ge bl a ck horse drew both plow

.

and pl o wm a n over the cli ff In the days of gi ants we " .

,

read of them so l a rg e that one o f them could throw a plow

G gi e or i cs, 3 . 2 10 - 2 0 .

N t t C a nt i i
o e o Pa adi L ng f ll w Da nte
o . r” se , o e o
’
s .
 P LO WI N G 37

share the whole len gth of the furrow with but little e ffort .

C laimin g the woodl a nds as thei r own do m a in th e y re sente d ,

the approach of trespassers upon them and sometimes to o k ,

reven ge upon the husbandm a n for it The Esthonians te ll .

o f a g iant s son who fu rrowed up g ra ssy l a nds with a

’

w ooden plow and not a bl a de g rew on them a fterwards

, .

Will o the wisps were accounted the unbl e ssed spi rits of
-
’
- -

men who had plowed th e i r nei g hbors lands and unri g ht ’

,

c ous land surveyors with lon g fiery poles we re seen hover ,

i ng up and down the fu rrows as i f remeasuring the land

which they wron gly measured 17
.

In India the re a re certain d a ys when plowin g is unlaw

ful Mother E a rth is supposed to sleep six days in eve ry
.

month and upon such d a ys she refuses to be distu rb ed in

,

her slumbers So in En gl a nd in North Ridin g of York

.
,

shi re it was consid e red un w ise to distu rb the e a rth with

,

spade or plow upon Good Friday and potato es pl a nted ,

failed to come up but in Devon s hire it wa s considered a ,

g ood day fo r sowin g pe a s and for g ra fti n g 8

It was a rule , .
1

o f the Parsis that i f a do g h a d died o h a piec e of ground ,

th e field must lie f a llo w for a y e a r It was th e n examin ed .

to see i f any bon e s hair fl e sh dun g or bl oo d w a s the re ”

, , , , .

The bewitchment of the e vil e ye was one o f the terro rs

from which the primitive a g ricultu ri s t guarded himsel f a nd
his cattle and his te a m in v a ri o u s w a ys In th e pe a s a nt .

lore of I rel a nd it is told th a t a pl o wm a n seein g a m a nwith ,

whom he wished to conv e rs e st a ndin g at the end of his

fu rrow took p a ins to tu rn his hors e s round so th a t th e i r
,

tails would be tow a rd s the m a n a s th e n they were consid ,

ered safe from any po s sible b e w itchment 20

.

"
G i mm T t ni M yth l gy 4 9 55 3 9 8
r
’
s eu o c o o , 0 , , 1 .

F lk L in th N th n C nti
o -
o re f E ng la nd W illi a m H end r
e or er ou es o
”
, e
n 81
so , .

“
B ou r e sk ’
Ri t
Sca ta lo gic es, 2 62 .

G ae l ic I re land Da ni l D
”
, e ee y
n , 48 .
3 8 MAG I C AN D HUSBAN DRY

The formal inauguration of th e plowing se ason by .

special ceremonies is a custom which is very a ncient and ,

which is still observed in som e parts of th e ea rth The .

y ear was opened with agricultural ceremoni es b y the Per

sians and the Chinese The Atheni ans celebrated three
.

sacred plowin gs according to Plutarch who thinks the

, ,

G recian plowin g was a civi l institution at fi rst to which was ,

a fterwards attached a m ystical mea ning The Chines e .

plowing too k place on the first da y of thei r solar new year .

Fo rmerly the son of heaven o ffered a sacri fi ce inthe spring

to ward off all calamities says M r S imcox but fi ne, .
,

expensive reli gious rite after another was eliminated at the

su gges tion of rationalistic soverei gns or sa ges unti l fi nall y ,

nothing was left bu t th e imperial act of homage to

heaven and earth and agriculture in th e cerem onia l
” 2’
plowin g .

The Siamese observe a ri te designated as R a a kna ,

a b out the middle of M a y which is prelim ina ry to the

,

sprin g plowing I t is not consi dered proper to p low the

.

fi elds and be g in the cu ltivation of them unti l a fter this cere

mony takes place The court astrologers determine the
.

appropriate time for it On the day designated the M in

.
,

ister of A g ricu lture who is always a prince o r a noble

, ,

man of hi g h rank goes with a p rocession to a piece of

,

g rO u nd some distance from the cit y walls Contributions .

a re made to him who for that day s acts as th e pro xy of the

,

K in g Levies upon the g oods of shopkeepers ex p osed for

.

s a le along the route of the processi on were forcibl y m ade

in older times On reaching the fi eld upon whi ch the
.

festivities are to take place a new plow with a p a ir o f ,

fi ne bu ffal oes yoke d to it is found in readines s Bu fl a loes .

and plo w are ga y l y d ecorated with fl ow e rs a nd leaves .

The mi nister guides the plow over the fi elds a nd is cl osely

P i m i ti ve C i vili za ti n E J S im
r o s,
”
. ii 3 7
. cox , . .
 PL O WI N G 39

w atch ed b y the spectators who a re sp ecially interested in ,

the length and folds of the si lk Of his lower g a rment be ,

ca use the prosperi ty of the season and its characteristics , ,

w hether wet or dry are to be predi cted from these as he

,

follows the implement across the fields I f the robe rises .

a bo ve the kn ee o f the royal representative disastrous rains ,

a re indicated while i f it falls to the ankle a scarci ty of

,

m oisture is e x pected A prosperous season will follow i f

.

the folds of th e rob e reach mi dwa y from the knee to the

a nk l e After a proper number of furrows are plowed old
.
,

women strew g rain of di fferent kinds in them and the bulls , ,

reliev ed of their yokes feed upon it and a g ain the om e ns

, ,

are closel y observed by the crowd for that g rain upon ,

which the animals feed most freely will be scarce the next
ha rvest and that which they refuse will be reaped in
,

a bun dance The m inist e r accompanied by soldiers and

.
,

musicians leads the people homewards and after this

, ,

formal opening of the season all are free to be g in the till ,

”
age o fthei r fields 2
.

In the northwestern provinces of India the cu l tivator

employs the Pu ndi t to select an auspicious hou r for the
co mm encement o f plowin g Great secrecy is observed . .

In Mi rzapur the time fixed is in the ni g ht in other places ,

at daybreak The o fficiating Pundit goes to an oblon g or

.

sq uare fi eld takin g a brass drinkin g v e ssel and a branch

,

of th e sacred man go tree which is e fficacious in scarin g evil

,

spi rits which may haunt the fields or b e o f fe nded at thei r ,

disturbance Prithivi the b road world and S esha N aga

.
, , ,

the gre at snake which supports the world are supp osed to ,

b e p ropitiated and reconciled b y this cer em ony By some .

obse rv ations which he m a kes the Pundit satisfies himself

as to the di rection in which the g reat snake i s lying for the ,

sn a k e occasionall y moves about a little to ease himself of

' “
The Kingdom f th e Y ll w R bo E n t Y ng 2 1 e o o e, r es ou ,
1 .
4 0 M AG I C AN D H U S BAND R Y

the great b urden of th e broad world which he carries .

The Pundit marks o ff an imaginary line five ( a lucky ,

number ) clods of earth are thrown up and water is ,

sprinkled in the trench five times with the sacred mango

bush to e nsu re productivenes s by virtue of the sympa
,

thetic ma g ic which is established Caution must b e oh .

served lest th e charm be broken and the prospective for

tune be impe riled and seclu s ion is considered imp e rative
,

durin g the foll o wing da y durin g which no salt must be ,

eaten and no money or g rain or fire g iven away Vil

, .

la gers g o to the fiel ds on the first day of plowing i n

R ajput an a carry in g an e a rthen pot colored with tu rme ric
, ,

and filled with millet This is one of the sacred colors o f

.

which evi l spi rits are supposed to be a fraid Lo okin g to .

the north th e home of the gods they make obeisance to

, ,

the earth then a sel ecte d man plows five furrows His
, .

hands and the bullocks hoofs are rubbed with henna ’

,

which is probably an additional precaution against the bad

spi rits or possibly disastrous results to the crops mi ght
,

follow the contact of the ex tremities with the soil u np ro

tecte d by the henna Amon g the Karnas before be g in
.
,

ning the plowin g the Bai g a makes a burnt o fferin g of

,

butter and molasses in his own field and then sacrifices in ,

the same way at the villa g e shrine ” .

Grimm describes a cere mony among the ancient G er

mans which took place b e fo re the plowin g They cut .

sods from the four corners of the field They laid on the .

sods oil honey and barm milk of each sort of cattle some
, , , ,

of every kind of tree except oak and beech and of all ,

name known herbs save burs and sprin kled them with
-
,

holy water The four turfs were then carried to the

.

church and the g reen side turned toward the altar Fou r
, .

R li gi n nd F l k L
e o f N th rn I ndi a
a o Wil li am C r oks 3 70
-
ore o or e
”
, o , ,
4 2 M AG I C AN D HUSBAN D RY

his head to si gni fy the height to which the crop was li kely
to g row or that it was desirable that it should Someone
, .

must be pl a ced behind the ma g ician to catch the cup lest

it should fall to the g round for i f it came in contact with ,

the earth the cha rm would be broken and the crop would
be likely to lie flat upon the g round 25
.

In the northeast of Scotland when the plow was first ,

put into the g round in the spring to prepare the soil for
the seed bread and chee s e with ale and whisk y were car
,

ried to the field and partaken of by the household and a ,

pi ec e of bread and che e se were put in the plow and other

” “
pieces cast in to the field to feed the craws as it was ,

said .
26

Feedin g the crows was prob ab ly a l ater attempt to s e

count for an older sacrificial custom whose prima ry mean
in g was for gotten Lo a ves and ca k es made on Y ule eve
.
-

by the Swedish peas a nts we re dried and preserved till the

sprin g plowin g when they were g rated and mi x ed with
,

the s ee d corn and a portion g iven to the plow ho rses and

another to the men who held the plow 27
.

In the frolics and mimic spo rts of the fifteenth and six
tee n th centuries in En g l a nd and on the continent of
Europe these ce rem o ina l customs connected with plowin g
,

and once seriously re g arded of g r ea t import su rvived in a ,

de generate fo rm They wer e particularly associated with

.

the closin g festivities of the Christmas holidays the fol ,

lowin g Mond a y bein g known as Plow Monday Our -

.

knowled ge of them is g athered fro m the old c hroniclers

and from allusions to th em in the litera ry publicati ons of
the p e riod Plow Mond a y was the da y when accordin g
.
-
,

to popul a r t ra dition the attention o f the fa rmer was

,

Th e Go lde n Bou gh i ii 4 67
”
,
. .

Fo lk L
-
ore of No r th Ea t S tl a n
s d co
”
,
Re v
. Wa l ter G re gor , 1 60 .

Te u toni c M yth l
o ogy, 124 0 .
 P LOWING 43

tu rned to preparation for his work for the comin g season .

I t was time for the formal o penin g of the plowin g se a son .

U po n that day it was customa ry for m e nand maid ens clad

in fantastic attire dra gg in g a plo w with th e m to march
, ,

from house to house performin g various antics and beg

,

gin g money for the ex penses of thei r festivities or for ,

foo d and drink A writer in the Ge ntle m a ns M a ga zine

.
’

in 1 7 6 2 says : On this da y the youn g men yoke them

,

selves and draw a plow about with music and one or two ,

persons in antic dresses like Jack Puddin gs go from

, ,
-
,

house to house to g ather money to drink I f you refuse .

them they plow up you r dun g hill We call them here ( in .

”
Derbyshi re ) the plow bull ock s Tho mas Tusser auth or .
,
”
of Five Hundred Points of Husb andry sa ys of t h e da y ,

P l w M nday n xt aft th a t Tw lf ti d i pa t
o -
o , e er e -
e s s ,

Bid t wi th th pl w th w t h b a nd i la t
s ou e o , e o rs us s s

I f p l wm a n g t h at h t
o w h ip t th k n
e c e ,
or o e s re e e,

Maid l th th i s ose k if n wa t b n
e r coc e , o er e see .
”

In a later work the last lines of the verse have this e x

planation : In the m o rnin g of th a t da y men and maids vie
with each other in ri s in g e a rly to prepare for the day I f .

the plowm a n ge ts his whip plow sta ff hatch e t or any ,

-
, ,

thin g ne e d e d in the fi e ld and re a ches the fi reside before the

,

maid g ets h e r kettle on then the mai d l os eth her Shrove

,

tide cock a nd it wholly b e lo ngs to the m en

,
28
The draw .

in g of the pl o w w a s undoubtedly ori g inally of a reli g ious

chara cte r and wa s intende d to promote th rivin g crops and
,

a f ruit ful se a son Dances and bonfires sometimes were

.

connected wit h it o r a fire wa s kindled on the plow and it

,

was drawn about whi le burnin g until fin a lly consumed by

the fl ames V a rious entries in old c hu rch records indicate
.

th e reli g ious n a t u re of the festival at one time S ilv e r .

B a nd 7 5
r , 2 .
44 M AG I C AN D HUSBAN D RY

plows were hung in th e churches and demanded as dues

in the M iddle A g es ” In the churchwarden s accounts of
.
’

S t M arg a ret s Westm inster for 14 94 is entered Item

.
’
, , , ,

of the Brotherhood of Rynsyva le for the Plow gere four -

”
shillings In those of Heybridge near M alden Es se x in
.
, ,

15 5 2 is written
, Item re ceyve d of the ga dryng of the
,
“

”
White Plowe I S 3 d An ext ract from the church
. .

’
warden s accounts of Wi gtoft Lincolnshire 1 5 75 says , , , ,

R ece id of Wyllm Clarke 8: John Wa ytt of ye p lou ga d ,

”
rin I f 0 3 od . A note accompanying the last item sa ys
. .
,

why this w a s appli e d to th e use o f the church I cannot ,

sa y . There is a custom in this neighborhood of the plow

m e h paradin g on Plow Monday ; but what little the y col -

lect is applied wholly to feastin g themselves T his would .

appear to have be en added at a later time when the asso

cia tio n of the church with the festival had been di scon

tin u ed In the recor ds of the Church of H olbeche of

.

thin gs sold by the churchwa r d ens to Wm Davy is the .

”
S ygne whereon the Plo wghe di d stond Brand quotes .

from Hutc hin son s History of Northumberland the ’

statement that he had seen twenty men in the yoke of one

plow 3
. I f not requited at any h ouse where they a p
0

d they drew the plow through the pavem nt and

'

p e a re e

raise d the g round of the f ront in fu rrows Th e term .

White Plow came from the fact of the habit of th e g al

lant youn g men who took part in the sport of drawin g it in
thei r shi rts without co a t or waistc o at Another similar cere .

mony was the dra ggin g of a plow with dance rs and music
about th e be g innin g of Lent which was known as the FOO1 ,

Plow in the no rth of En gland The Fool Plow was also .

used on the continent a fter the service of Ash Wednesday .

There was a similar performance also after scattering the

G i mm 6 5 n t
r , 2 ,
o e.
“
B a nd Anti q i ti
r
’
s 74 u es, 2 .
 PLOWIN G 45

ashes on that d a y in En gland as ma y b e inferred from the ,

re ference to it by Barna b y Goo ge s translation o f ’

N a ogeo rgus

“
I n some p l aces a ll the you th fl u locke ,
f
doe re re, w ith mi nstr l e s pa i
h a
A nd ou t of eve ry house t ey p lu cke the girle s a nd m yde na re , fa i
A nd the m topl ai h wa
ow th e y str g t s
y p ,uw i w hi
t th p on e doth t em h it, h
h hl pl w ha d
Anot e r o ds the o in n e ; the Mi l d h
nstre ] h e re ot sit
a d k
A midde th e s me, a nd ru n e n songe sw i ap i
th g i
ng mou th, h e s ngs,
Wh m f l l w th n th a t nw
o e o o e t an
o d e a h f nd ly flings
a ea ou s e , or s es o .

Wh n th th y th gh th t t h a v p l a i d th m n th at
e us e rou e s ree es e e, e a

g id th a ll
u e ,

D th d iv b th p l w nd mayd n th gh m p nd
o r e o o a iv ma ll
e a rou so e o e or r er s

A nd da bbl d a ll w i th d t nd w i ngi ng w tt
e th y m ay bee
ur , a r e e as e ,

T o supp ca ll er nd aft th a t t d ning l ti l

es, a er o au s us ee .
”

In a lite ra ry work in the latter part of the fi fteen th cen

tury the practice is condemned of ledyng of the Plou ghe
aboute the Fi re as for gode b egynnyng of the yere tha t
” 3‘
the y shu lde fare the better alle the yere followyng .

T he cu stom was forbidd e n by the Town Council of U lm

“
in 1 53 0 in an edict dated St Nicholas Eve : Item there .
,

shall none by day nor night trick or disgu ise him nor put
, , ,

on an y carnival raiment moreover shall keep him from , ,

the goin g about of the plow and with ships on pain of 1 , ,

” “2
gulden . G rimm sa ys there was a custom on the Rhine
for the youn g men to gather all the d a nce maidens and put
them in a plow and draw thei r piper who sitteth on the
, ,

plow pipin g into the water In some places evi l minded

, .
-

lads on Shrove Tuesday drove a plow about yokin g it to ,

such damsels as would not pay a ransom while others ,

went behind them sprinklin g them with ch opped straw

and sawdust By acts of Parli ament forbidding the p ra c
.

tice it is proved that in the less civili zed portions of I reland

there e x isted sev eral centuries ago the custom of fastening
, ,

B a nd 2 7 3
r ,
.

G rirnrn
l'
, 263 .
4 6 MAG I C AN D H U S B A N D R Y

plows to the tai ls of horses T he following from a sati re

.

written of I reland in the ei g hteenth century ma y be an

allusion to the practice :
Th e W n i s le re now ne d for bogs,
e s te r

For tori es a nd for g re a t wolf dogs, -

For d rawi ng h obbie s by the ta il s,

A nd th res h i ng co rn wi th fi e ry fl a ils .

“
Q t d fr m W C T a y l
uo e o . . or s
’
a al Hi
N tu r story of Society in P rim i
ti v C lt i 44
”
e u u re , . .
 C HAPTE R IV
SO W I NG A ND PLA NT I N G
Fi t al l th a nk nd g a y h b a g l a
rs e r a r ss er e c e r,

Th n w y g ld n g a i n
e so ou r o e r ,

W l l f d nd p t in t a i n;
e orce a u r

Th w n tw i ll n a b v th i l app a
u s so
’
soo o e e so e r,

A nd h t al ft nd f
s oo tifyo a ru c ,

G w t ng nd fai t
ro s ro a r o see ,

F ll aw n d nd
u e a

ON E of the perplexing problems e v er pres ent with the

agriculturist of whate v er de g ree of ci v ili zation is to know
, ,

how and wh en to commit the seeds to the earth so that he ,

may have reason to ex pect the best returns from them .

To this end according to his envi ronments and intellec

,

tual condition his experiences and obse rvations ha v e led

,

him to adop t many strange de v ices He has studied the .

sta rs in the hea v ens seeking for ligh t that should make
,

clear to him the purposes of the Divine Ones He has .

listened to the voices of the bi rds and followed thei r fl i ght

across the sk ies he has speculated upon the tints of thei r
,

plumage and the contortions of thei r final a gonies in his ,

attem pts to penetrate the mysteries of the future O ne of .

th e most persistent beliefs in the histo ry of man is that

good luc k or bad luck attends certain days or as it is e x ,

press ed by the anci ent poet Sometimes a day is a step ,

mother sometimes a mother

, Undoubtedly Hesiod has .

voi ce d the convictions of the early Greek husbandmen in

his admonition to avoid commencing to sow the g rain on
the thi rteenth day from the be g inning o f the month ,

‘
Jennings t an l a ti n f th S hi K ing III
’
r s o o e
“
, . 11. 1 .

47
4 8 MAG I C AN D HUSBAN DRY
”
thou gh it is the best of da y s for setting plants I mb ued .

with th e spirit of the later da y s one can but ima g ine the ,

long series of tabulated statistics of comparati v e ex p e ri

ments or other mental processes by which the conclusion
,

was reached in th e prehistoric centuries before its emb odi

ment in the inspi red verse which has su rvi v ed An item .

from th e miscellaneous collection of G rimm recalls the

line o f the old poet and this is the wa y it appears after ,

two thousand y ears : Wheat sown in M ichael s week ’

,

turns to cock le ; barley in the first wee k o f April to hedge ,

” 3
mus tard and an old English verse has it :
,

U pon S t Da v id .
’
s D a y, pu t a
o ts a nd ba l
r ey in the c l ay .
”

A ccording to legend recorded in an old manuscript ,

there were twenty ei g ht specified days in the y ear which

-
,

were revealed by the angel Gabriel to th e good Joseph ,

which had ever been found to be fortunate for many pur

poses amon g which were sowin g seed and plantin g trees
,
‘
.

Tue sday was an auspicious day for sowing corn in the

I s l a nd o f Mull and among the Hindus Sunday was a
,

favorable da y for sowin g seed and planting g ardens .

A method of divin a tion for forestallin g the future and

learnin g the fa te of the ensuin g corn crop which is adopted ,

by the Kha rw a rs on the west coast of India is described by ,

“ ’
Hami lton in Pinkerton s Voyages ) A festival was
held at the end of May or be g inning of June in honor o f
the in fern a l gods and men were hung from a pole by
,

m e a ns of t e nter hooks inserted in the fl esh o f thei r backs

-
.

The pole with the men dangling from it was then dragged
, ,

ov e r plowed g round from one sacred gro v e to another ,

\V k
or s nd Day
a 75 s, 0 .

T t ni Myth l gy 824
eu o c o o , 1 .

‘ “
C d li ti P t nd P nt W illi am Jom 496
re u es as a re se
”
.
° “
V y g
o a nd T a v l
es a vi ii 3 6° r e s, .
5 0 MAG I C AN D HUSBANDRY

of the infant J e sus she carries in her a rm s an im a ge of the

,

sun god sh owing that th e story is of pa g an ori g in and

,

sprin gs from beli e f in magic Th e e ffe ct of th e wa rmth

.

and light of the sun god is supposed to be produced by

carry ing his ima ge and imitating the act of r e aping sym
,

bo lizes the ha rvest and is expected to fit the crop for it

,
.

A very comm on idea is that of compelling or pro

m o ting the g rowth o f a plant b y indicatin g with the move
ments of hands or feet or o f the body the hei ght you de
si r e the plant to g row or it ma y be expressed in the words
,

o f an incantation or song as in that of th e Russians already

,

g iven G i rl s sin g all kinds O f son g s over thei r work in

.

th e culture o f fl ax says Grimm , In some places at sow .

in g time the mistress o f the house used to g et on the table

and dance then jump o ff backwards The hi gher she
, .

leaped the hi gher the fl ax would g row Or th e dame

, .

would jump up on the fireplace and cry : Heads as bi g as

mine l e aves like m y apron and stalks li k e my legs and
, , ,

the plant was sure to prosp e r Li fting the a rm s as h ig h.

as they desi re the hemp to grow the W a llachi ans dance , ,

and at midni g ht New Year s E sthoni ans throw hand fuls

of grain on the shel f cry in g : God g rant the gra in this
,
”
year may g row that hi gh or th e Esthon ian woman to
, ,

make her cabb a g es thrive and have large leaves on the ,

day o f sowin g the seed ma kes great panca kes a nd to g ive ,

th e m fine white heads she w ea rs a dazzling white hood .

Th e h e ads are made firm a nd hard by wr a pping ti g htly in

a linen cloth a small round stone and settin g it at the end
o f the cabba g e b e d wh e n th e y are transpl a n ted Th e .

B a vari an wea rs a g olden ring whe n he sows the wheat to ,

i nsure for it a good healthy color The man who sows .

fl a x in Thurin g i a carries the seed in a ba g reaching from

,

should e r to k n ees which swings to and fro as he walks

, ,

which the growing fl ax will imitate in swayin g in th e wind .

 SOWIN G AND PLANTING 5 1

T he women let their hai r hang loose ly down their backs

a s they sow the rice in Sumatra that th e crop may grow ,

l u x uri antly in imitation of it In We stern Africa the sow .

ing is sometimes accompanied b y dances of armed men on

th e field and in Southern India when they sow th e rice V
, , ,

so metimes they have all the musical instruments o f th e

city continually soundin g and makin g merry Another .

m ethod not e d by Grimm for promotin g the grow th of th e

fl a x is a fter sowing the seed to throw the bag hi g h in the
a i r and as h igh as it g oes so hi gh will the flax g row ;
,

but i f bou ght on St Lawr e nce day it will blast and it will
.
,

not thrive if you spin on Shrov e Tu es day I f the sower .

when he enters the fi e ld will sit thr e e times on his bag of

fl a x seed or if he will s teal a little s e ed and mix with his
, ,

it will be w e ll fo r the crop ; and if a bride will scatter fl a x

by the way as she goes to her husband s h ome her fla x will ’
,

th rive " .

The Ta p u a s of South America at thei r yearly seeding , ,

h a v e a custom of h a nging a bunch of ostrich fe a th e rs

spread out like a wh ee l on the back o fone o fthei r number ,

symbolical o f the fructi fyin g power of heaven from which

bread falls in the tu ft o f fea th e rs 8
.

In the v icinity o f Eli zab e thto n Tennessee th ere is said , ,

to be a quite common b e li e f th a t in ord e r to raise gourds , ,

a particular ceremony o f throwi ng the s e eds over the l e ft

shoulder by the pl a nter must be observed before planti ng
them They must be thrown one at a time and an oath
.
,

uttered as each seed is thrown 9

Th e di rection of th e .

movement would be opposite to that of the sun ,

which wo uld seem to i ndicat e that the custom has some

relation to th e beli e f that e vil spi rits in work in g thei r pur
T t ni Myth l gy
eu o 4 c6 96 7 93 84 8 ;
o o T h G ld n B gh
, 12 0 ,
1 , 1 ,
1
“
e o e ou
”
,

r. 3 5 iii , 4 . 12 .

Na tiv R a iii 3 8e ces, . 1 .

'
J n l fA m i n F lk L
ostr a o xiv 2 7er ca o -
ore , . 0 .
5 2 M A GI C A N D HUSBAN D RY
poses go against the sun The significance of the oath ma y
.

be perh a ps that it was a protection to the seed from e v i l

in fl uences or that it se rved as a cha rm against them I n
, .

some countri e s profanity is believ ed to bring luck to the

fishermen and th at cursing and swearing at the time of
,

sowing make more certain a good crop as when the G ree k ,

sower sow e d cummin .

Sowers of the sugar cane in North ern India are dec , ,

orated with silver ornaments or a necklace o f flowers and ,

a red mark on the forehead It is considered a fa v orable .

omen i f durin g the sowin g a man on horseback comes into

the field Next morning a fter the sowing in the Punj ab
.

a woman puts on a neck lace and walks round the field

winding th read on a S pindle a ceremon y most likely be
lo
,

lie ve d to promote the prosperi ty o f the crop thou g h Pliny ,

said that a la w obse rv ed in most o f the rural districts of

ancient I taly forbade women to whirl thei r dista ffs or ,

carry them uncovered along the highwa y s being liable to ,

injure the crops I n Sweden no spi nning was done on

.

Thursday night for fear of inj uring the crops and cattle .

Both in India and in Italy the custom is most li k ely associ

ated in some wa y with the old belief in the Fa rce or Fa tes , ,

one of whom Clothe was the S pinner of the thread of li fe

, , ,

and always carri e d a spindle with her It was the du ty .

of the three sisters to see that the fate fi x ed b y eternal la ws

for each individual should be carried out without inter
ference by mortals or gods Some authorities have rep .

r e sented th e Fates as the chi ldren o fSatu rn who was com ,

m o nly believed to ha v e been the beneficent ruler of the

Golden Age He was connected with things put in
.

th e ea rth the protector of the seed a n

, d later deified as the ,

god of sowing and husbandry The Saturnalia the famous .

,

R li i
e gon a nd Fo lk L
-
o re of Northe rn I n dia , 3 82 .

N a t al Hi t xxviii W hi p Rom a n
”
G ra nge r
”
ur s ory, .
5; ors of the s, , 14 7.
 SOWI N G AN D PLANTING 53

festival of the Romans which commemorated his rei gn ,

was ori g inally held on the 1 7 th o f December and a fter ,

wards extended to as many as seven days durin g which ,

was a period of the g reate st license The c a rnival was .

p re si ded over by a mock kin g chosen by lot and marked

12
, ,

b y feasting and revelry durin g which slaves ord e r e d ,

about thei r masters as a reminiscence of the G olden A g e

,

when all men were equal All manner of pre sents were .

m ade among them w a x candles which are b e li eved to

, ,

ha v e descended from the Saturnali a to the Christmas

ritual of the Roman Church Th e re was a public sacrifice .

a t the temple of Saturn and Horace alludes to the f a mily ,

sa cri fi ce of a suckin g pi g

Th e f l w h il y m y
n pil e the ue e ou a ,

A nd h y
c ee r pi i t h i g h wi th w in
ou r s r s e.

G iv t y
e l av n idl day
o ou r s es o e e ,

A nd f a t p n th fa tt d wi n
”
e s u o e e s e .

Th a t S atu rn was an old a g ricultu ral god says P ro fes ,

so r Fowler
1‘
admits o f no doubt Anci e nt artists rep re
, .

sented him as a nold man with lon g strai ght hai r the back , ,

of his h e ad covered who carri e d a prunin g kni fe or s ickle

,

s haped ha rp in his hand As the tim e of the festival was

.

originall y on th e 1 7 th and lat e r ext ended fo r five or

seven days so we are in formed by S t Chrysostom that in
, .

p rimitive times Christmas and E piphan y ( January

were celebrated at the same time until the s e paratio n of
them at th e Council o f Nic e A D 3 2 5 As at the Satur , . . .

nalia En g lish Christmas c e r emo ni e s in the fi ftee nth and

,

s ixteenth centuries were periods of g re a t licen se R e cords .

”
o f Pri vy Pu rs e Expe nses show th a t l a rge sums were
“

p aid for dis guises and masks for Christmas celebrations

”
“
Anna l s f Ta i t
”
o iii 5c us, x . 1 .

B k ii i Od xvii t a n la ti n f F an
”
oo . e .
, ci r s o o r s.

Roman F ti val
”
es 2 69 s, .
54 M AG I C AND HUSBAND RY

a nd Christmas sports It is probable th a t the cu stom of .

decking houses and churches with e v ergreens at Christm a s

has descended from the practice of the Romans at th e
Sa tu rnalia in trimming thei r houses and temples with
,

g reen boughs Were human sacrifices originally connected

.

with the rites of the Saturnalia ? Such is the contention of

Pro fessor Frazer from the story of the martyrdom of St .

Da s iu s which is found in recentl y disco v ered m a nuscripts

, .

St D a siu s a Ch ristian soldier in 3 0 3 A D was chosen by

.
, , . .
,

lot as the king of the Saturnali a b y Roman soldiers a t

Du rostu lu m in lower Moesia but no twithst a nding th e
, ,

thr e ats of his co mmanding o f icer he refused to play the

f ,

pa rt and wa s behea ded from which it is in ferred th at ,

th e sacrifice of the mo ck k ing was at one time a f e a ture o f

th e festival
15
.

The festival o f the Rom a ns more particularly connected

with the sowing of th e gr a in was howev er the Paganalia , , ,

or feria s e m e ntiva I t w a s held on the last da ys of

.

Janua ry The time for it was appointed by th e magistrates

.

or priests and announced b y proclamation The fa ll seed .

ing was past and the sprin g seeding not y et begun and the ,

ri te may have had reference as Professor Fowler sa y s to , ,

the seed a lready in the ground and to th a t whic h wa s sti ll

to be sown or as some sa y there ma y ha v e been two
, ,

ceremonies one before the autumn and another before

,

the spring sowin g The obj ect of it was to protect .

the seed from harm ful th in gs and bring the crop to

maturity The gods were in v o k ed th a t th e seed might be
.

sprinkled with the rain o f he a v en and escape mis

ch ie vou s birds be a sts and disease Swine were o ffered
, , .

T heGo lde n Bou gh ,

”
iii . 14 1 ; See al so fo r a di nti ng vie w f th
sse o e

m a rty rd om M r A nd re w La ng Ma gi nd R l i gi n 0 9 2 a nd p
’ ”
,
. s c a e o , 1 -
1 1, a

pe ndix B .

R man F ti va l
o es
”
s, 2 95.
 SOWING AN D PLANTING 55

and ca k e s made of e ggs fl our milk a nd oil were supplied

, , , ,

by the f a milies of the district Each pa gus or district .

, ,

had its altar upon which the s acrific e s of the inhabitants

included in it w e re mad e Purific a tion o f the district was.

e ffect e d by l e adin g the victim s ro u nd it be fore the sacrifice .

Ovid fix e s the s e a so n for the P a g a n a li a at th e time when

the g round is impre gn a t e d with the scatte red seed and
th e f a rmer h a n g s on its p e g th e plo w dischar g ed from
s e rvic e
. Th e n says h e Le t th e h a mlet k e ep holid a y ;
,

puri fy the vill a g e ye swai ns a nd to th e h a ml e t s altar

, ,
’

g ive you r y e arly c a k e s Le t C e res and Te llus mothers of

.
,

the fruits be p ropi ti a ted wi th th e ir own co rn and the

, ,
” 17
entrails o f a pr e gna nt sow .

Ceremo ni e s to pro piti a te the gods and avert evi l are

common with Hi ndu s a nd M a l a y s at th e time of the sow
ing Amon g the l a tte r inth e o l dentime wh e n the y w e re
.
, ,

about to be g in the pl a ntin g of th e ric e the P a wan g h e ld ,

a consultation with the e l de rs and fix e d upon th e date .

Each one furni sh e d h is porti on of mo th e r se e d ov e r which ,

prayers had b e en r e a d in the mo s qu e Inc e ns e supplied .

by the Pawa ng wa s bur ne d a nd the mo th e r s e ed pl a nted ,

first in one corn e r o f th e plot I ncens e w a s a g a in burned .

when the g r a in h a d spro u te d .

Re gul a tio ns fo r the pl a ntin g of v a rious crops collecte d ,

at Lan g a t in S e l a ngo r a re g iv e n by M r Sk e a t
, ,
18
The . .

followin g a re s o m e o f th e m : Th e ti m e to pl a nt su g ar cane
is at noo n T h is w ill m a k e it sw e e te r by dryin g up the
.

j uice and l e a vi ng the s a cch a ri ne m a tte r I f pl a nt e d inthe .

mornin g its j o ints w ill b e to o l o ng if inth e middle o f th e ,

day th e y w ill b e sh o rt M a i ze s ho u l d b e pl a nted with a

.

full stom a ch I f th e di b bl e th e p o inte d impl e m e nt u sed

.
,

to m a k e the h o l e s in th e g r o u nd b e thick it wi ll sw e ll the ,

F a ti
s , i 6 7 R il y t a n
. 0 , e
'
s r s .

Malay Ma gi 7 c, 21 .
5 6 M AG I C AN D HUSBAN DRY

ea rs of the mai ze Plantains ( or bananas ) should be

.

pl a nted a fter the evening meal as they will then fill out
,

better A st a rry ni ght is best for planting sweet pota

.

toes to ensure th e i r having plen ty of eye s I f cucumbers .

and gourds are planted on a dark moonless ni ght i t will ,

pre vent thei r b e ing s e en a nd devoure d by fireflies Plant .

cocoanuts when the stomach is overburdened with food .

Run quickly and throw th e cocoanut into a prepared hole

without strai g hte ning th e a rm for i f you str a i g hten it the
,

fruit stalk will break When the s e ed is picked som e

.

one should stand a t th e base of the tr e e to watch wh e ther

the monkey face of each seed cocoanut as it is thrown
-
,

down turns towards himself or th e base of the tree or

, ,

loo ks away from both I f the form e r th e seed is good

.
, ,

o therwise it is not worth plantin g Rice should be planted .

about five in the mornin g Th e Rice Soul is considered as

.

an infant and that is th e hour for in fants to g et up

, .

The sowing of the rice se e d re qui res special prelimina ry

ceremonies Four poles are first arran ged upon the
.

ground so as to form a rectan gular frame in the middle

of the cl e aring A youn g ban a na tree a plant of lemon
.
,

grass a stem of su g ar cane o f a pa rticular kind and a

, ,

plant o f sa ffron are then pl a nted in succession in the four

corn e rs A cocoanut shell full of w a ter is then deposited
.

in the c ente r of the g round e nclosed by the frame Early .

in th e mornin g obse rvations are carefully made to l e a rn

what the omens indicate I f the frame has moved ever
.

so littl e or the water has been spilled it is a b a d omen

, If , .

the fr a me has not m ov ed and the water in the shell has

,

not been spilled or i f a b la ck ant or a white ant is found in

,

the w a ter the omen is fa v orable Then plant the rice

, .

seed in s e ven hol e s made with a dibble of a certain k ind

of wood repeating th e charm :
,
5 8 MAGI C AN D H U SBAN DRY

givenaway to begga rs and labo re rs Th e cu stom p re vails .

throu ghout No rth ern India T he M u nda s sa crifi ce a he .

g oat and a cock at the ri ce sow ing to the ir a ncestra l ,

shades to propiti ate th em

, for they might oth erwise p re
,

vent the seed from germinating ” In Ja va eve ry paddy .

field is thou g ht to have its spi rit and no m a nw ill rea dil y ,

venture to begin sowin g u nti l an o fferin g h as been m ade

by the pries t 23
.

Peramb ulation o f th e fi eld a fter th e sow ing b y a , ,

woman wearin g a necklace has been a lluded to a nd the , ,

sto ry told o f Raj a Br ooke indi ca tes co nfi dence inthe fer

tilizin g power o f the necklace among the D y aks of S ara
wak S i r James Broo ke was made Raj a a nd G overnor
.

o f S a rawak in Borneo in 1 84 1 T he natives believed him .

to possess ma g ical powers to su ch an extent that he could

make the rice crop abundant at his pleasu re Wh en he .

visited a tribe the seed to be sown the next year was ta k en

to him which he fe rtili zed for th em b y sha k ing over it the
,
’
w omen s n ecklaces which had been previously dipped in a
prepared mixture The women washed and ba thed his feet
.

with water and the mi l k o f a youn g cocoanut a nd the water ,

was carefully pr e s e rv e d and distributed on the fa rms to

s e cure a good crop When they were too far awa y for
.

this they sent him pieces of white cloth and pieces of gold
and silv e r to which was impa rted the generating virtue
,

wi th which they ima g in e d him to be possessed T hese .

a rticles were th e n buri e d in the fields and a successful crop

w a s confidently await e d S ha k in g the necklace over
.

the seed was probably sug gested by knowled ge of their

belief in its m a g ical prop erties and this might be owin g ,

to the fact o f its associ a tion with women When Father .

G u m illa asked the m eno f the Orinoco tribe why they did

R li i
e g n an
o d Fo lk L-
ore o f N orth n I nd i a W C
er , . rooke , 37 1 .

”
F . R a tze l s
'
Hi s tory f Ma nk i nd
o i 473
”
, . .
 SO W I N G AN D PLANTING 59

not ass i st th e women in the fie ld th ey repli ed that the ,

wo me n knew h ow to bring forth and could tell it to th e

g r a in
, but th e men did not k now how th ey di d it and could
not teac h i t to the grains The wi fe o f a Sioux a fter she
.
,

ha d planted her corn patc h would rise in the night stri p , ,

he rsel f na ked and walk around the field to impa rt to th e

, ,

g rain the m a gic of her own fertility I t was also an .

Oj ibwa custom for the wi fe some da rk night a fter the ,

planting to di vest hersel f of clothing and dra g her prin

,

cip a l ga rm ent around t h e f ield as a sa fe guard against pe sts ,

an d to ma k e the se ed g erminate The Pawnees moist

3‘

ened th ei r seed corn with the blood of a woman and ,

sel e cted a female prisoner to supply it A s the .

Siou x wom an ran round the cornfield so on S t John s , .

'

ni g h t th e pe asa nt gi rls in the Sa a lfie ld c ountry stripped

th ems elves na ked and danced round th e fla x a nd wallowed
in it to impa rt to it vi g or 25
Seeds however were steri l
.
, ,

ized i f tou ch ed by a menstruous woman “

according to ,

Pliny and i f a menstruous woma nstripped hersel f na k ed

,

and w a l k ed round a fi eld of wheat ca terpilla rs worms and , ,

bee tles and ve rmin w ould f a ll o ff the ears of grain but ,

i f it was done at sunrise the crops would wither He sa y s .

the di scove ry was first made at Cappadoci a where it was ,

pra cticed to protect th e fi elds from these pests Th ey .

som e times wa lk ed t h rou g h the middle of the field with

th ei r clot hin g tu ck ed up a bove th e thi g hs and in other ,

pla ces the y walked barefoot with hai r disheveled a nd

g i r d le loose Somethin
. g a k in to this belief is one recorded
by G rimm that before sowin g barley the seed should be
,

ru n throu gh a man s shi rt Then the sparrows wi ll not

'
.

to uch it .

n "f A m i n F lt Lo
“
l
ea r o er ca i 98 e -
re , x . 1 .

“
G rimm , 17 98.

Na tu ral Hi t y s or , vat . 13 ; x vi ii
x . 2 3.

Teu tnic Myth l

”
o o ogy, 1 81 5.
6O M AG I C AN D HUSBAN DRY

The fancy of the Breton peasant that clover seed sowed

when the tide is comin g in will g row well but i f sown at ,

low water or when the tide is goin g out th e crop will not
reach maturity and cows that feed upon it will burst i s ,

a conception not unlike th at o f th e M a lays already men

tio ne d of plantin g or sowing the seed a fter a full meal
, ,

when th e distend e d stomach is expecte d to ma g ic a lly in

flu e nce the seed to swell a nd g e rminate It is po ssibl e that .

a similar b e lie f may have be e n connecte d with a cu s tom

which Pliny thinks was true of the early Egyptians of ,

drivin g herds of swine over th e sown fields to tread in

the seed a fter the subside nce of the N ile 23
It was a ffirmed
by Greek a uthors th a t the Egypti ans only partook of the
29

flesh of the swine when they sacrificed to the moon at the

full because of its sacredness or its impurity but an o ther ,

reason is g iven by Plin y who had it from the Greek ,

ma thematician Eudoxus who l e arned from conversation ,

with Egyp tian priests during fou rteen months spent in

Egypt that the reas on th e y abstained from eatin g the pi g
was because of its utili ty in agriculture in treadin g the
seed into the earth R e ferring to the custom of a period of
.

revelry and license which has pr evailed among so many

peoples at the time o f sowin g M r Fra zer sa y s Be , .

tween the sower and th e seed there is commonly supposed

to exist a sympathetic connection what wonder
then i f the simple husbandman imagined by
swillin g and guzzling just b e fore he proceeded to sow
his fi e lds he thereby impa rt e d additional vigor to the
” 30
seed ? M r Andrew Lang combating the theory of
.
,

M r Frazer says like exc e ss e s take pl a ce am on g non

.
,

agricultural peoples and som e tim es t a ke place at the end

,

a t al H i t y xv ii i 4 7 ; 6 8
N ur s or ,
. 1 .

”
H d t ii 4 7 ; Pl t h I i
e ro o us . u a rc ,
“
s s a nd Os i s viii
r , .

Th G ld n B g h iii 4 5 ”
e o e ou , . 1 .
 SOWING AN D PLANTING 61

o f the ha rvest as well as at th e so wing and are not so ,

m u ch to improve th e prospects of farming as it i s

“ ”
b ecau se of the devil ry in them on account of t h e
en ding of the ir la b ors when they are fu l l of meat and
”
drink . H e notes however that in the H indu Kus h
, ,
-

at the end of harvest license exis ts when de vi ls a re driven ,

out and t h en seed is so wn n

‘
.
,

That the germination of the seed and the de v elopment

of the plant was p romoted by indulgence of th e sexual
p a ssi ons at the time of sowin g the seed has b een a com
mon bel ief and p ractice amon g many tribes of people .

Priests sometimes enjoined i t upon th e people as a religious

d u ty The fields were soi ne tim es visited by ni gh t for that
.

p u rpose thin
, kin g thereby to impart fe r tility to th e crop .

Men and wo m en sometimes rolled together on the field ,

or as in some pa rts o f Russi a th e priest was rolled by

, ,

women over the S p routing g rain A ga in the opposite .

v iew h as p rev ai l e d and t h e strictes t c h a sti ty insisted u pon

du ring the so wing and growth of the pl a nt as was the ,

cas e among the Ge rina n s of T rans ylvani a where no man ,

mi gh t S leep with h is wi fe durin g the time of sowing th e

se ed and with the Karens of Burma who belie v ed that
, ,

an y il l icit indu lg ence tended to imperi l t h e h arvest T he .

Indi a ns of Nica ra gu a ate no salt or pepper nor did they ,

d rink any intoxicatin g beverage or cohabit wi th thei r ,

wome n durin g th e t ime of planting whi le the Pipiles for ,

some da y s before planting th e seed of the cacao kept apart

frorn th ei r wives and then indulged thei r passions to the
"
,

fu ll est e xtent on th e night before th e p lanting Perso ns .

we re even said to have been selected to perform th e sexu a l

act at the very moment that t h e se ed was put in the gl ou nd ‘
.

In th is wa y were st imulated th e impulses for rep roduction

whi ch it was be lieved the e arth had the sa me as quadru
”
Ma g ic nd Re li gi n 87 88
“
a
"
o , 1 , 1 .
62 MA G I C A N D HUSBAN DRY

peds a belief that Pliny says w a s a g reed to by correct

,

write rs o f his tim e 2

I nBu rma a p e riod o f fastin g which
.
3
,

has be en call e d the Bud dhi st L ent is ob se rv e d while the ,

plowin g and s owin g o fth e fi e lds is a ttend e d to Durin g this .

time of fa stin g no mar ri a g e s t a ke pl a c e Th e y a b st a i nfrom .

tobacco a nd re main at hom e

,
The cu stom is b e li e ve d to .

be older than Buddhism Th e ir m a intena nce for the re st .

of the year is believ e d to d e p end upo nits ob s e rvance Mr . .

Frazer su ggests thou gh h e fi nds no p o si tive e vid e nc e o f it

, ,

that the Sa tu rna li a m a y h a v e b ee n follo wed by a p e riod of

fa sti ng and that Le nt may be m e re ly th e continuatio n ,

under a thi n dis gui se o f a pe riod o f t empe rance which ,

was a nnu a l ly ob se rved from s u p e r stitious motives by , ,

It a lian farm e rs long b e fore the Ch ri stian E ra ” 3

A fter .

the Peruvi a ns had s own th e i r se e d in July ce rtain o f the

priests fa sted till the pl a nt had g row n a fi nger len g th out
o f the g rou nd Th e i r wive s a nd child ren fa sted also and
.

ate noth i ng but boil e d m a i ze a nd h e rbs The common .

p e ople h eld a fea st a nd ch a nte d s o ngs b es e echin g a pros

perons y e ar Dres se d in re d shi rts r e achin g to the fe et
.
,

with no m a ntl e s th ey s a ng a nd d a nce d Variou s ord e rs

, .

of prie sts s a cri fic e d whi te sh e ep O ffe ri ngs were made o f .

mai ze coco a plum e s o fcolo re d fe a th e rs and c e rt a in kinds

, , ,

o f sea sh e ll s A h u nte r s fe a st was h e ld by the M a y a s on

.
’

a da y app o i nte d by the pri e st to a v e rt evil from the seed ,

which th e y h a d sown it w a s s a id l e st the a ng ry gods , ,

should w ithhold th e c rop o na ccou nt o f th e blood that had

b een spilled in th e ch a s e th o u gh w e m a y qu e stion w hether ,

th e cu s tom it s e l f w a s no t fa r old e r th a nth e l a t te r thou g ht .

I n th e pre c e di ng h a rv e s t th e pri e s t s o f th e mai ze g od in

Q u ego la ni vi s i te d the cor nfi e ld w i th a proce ss ion of the
N at lu ra H i s to r
y, xv iii , 56 ;
“
N a ti v R a
e ce s, 11
.
7 1 9, 7 20 ; T he
Go ld e n Bo u g h 1 20 5 2 1 1
,
1 .
-
.

T he G o ld e n B ou g h iii "
, . 14 6 .
 so wm c A N D PLA N TI N G 53

p eop l e and selected the fai res t ca r which the y ca rried to ,

th e village and placed on a decora ted altar be fore w h ich

th e y sang and danced and th e n clothed it i n white and ,

p reserved it ti ll the ne x t seedtime when with sole m n rites , , ,

th is ma g ic ca r with i ts white robe was wrapped in deer

skin and bu ried in the midst o f the cornfield in a hole lin e d ,

with ston es I f a fruitful harvest fo llowed the deca y ed

. ,

remai ns o f the auspicious ca r were tak en up ca refu lly a nd

distributed amo n g the pe ople as talismans a gainst e vil .

Early tra v elers in Florida have wri tten of similar cus

t oms At the end o f Febru a ry the y too k as la rge a deer
.

hide as could be obtained and with the horns left on they , ,

filled i t with va rious herbs and sewed it together The .

best frui ts were fastened on the h orns or othe rwise

atta ch ed to the hide I t was then taken to a nopen space
.

and fastened to a h i g h tree with the head tu rn ed towa rd ,

the east King and ma g icians o ffi ci ated in the ceremonies

.
,

and p ra yers were o ffered to the su nfor th e same fruits in

futu re So the Prussian Slavs k i lled a go at and consumed
.

its flesh at the time of sowing th e winter corn T he ski n .

wa s hung upon a high pole near an oa k where i t rema ined ,

ti ll t h e ha rves t when a bunch o f all so rts of corn and herbs

,

wa s hu n g ov er it A peasant o ffi ciated as a p riest and

.

o ffered a prayer The y oun g people joined hands and

.

danced a round i t P repa rato ry to the plantin g one of

.
,

the keepers of the sa cred tent selected a numbe r of perfect

red ca rs at th e ha rve st and laid them b y In the sprin g a .

crier went th rou g h the vil l age ann ouncing th e planting

tim e ca r rying the kernels o f th is sac red ea r two or th ree
, ,

of which were given to each hou s eh older This wa s .

mixed with ordina ry seed and th en a ll mi ght be g in the ,

planting “
. That thes e v a ry ing bu t k indred ceremonies
“ “
R i te f the I n a
s o p 9 ; J n l f A m ric n F lk L
c
”
. 1 xi ou r a o e a o - ore . . 20 1 ,

x iv 3 N ati v R ce ii 3 5 69
“ ”
. 10 ; e a s, . 0, 1.
64 MAG I C AN D HUSBAN DRY

amon g di ffe re nt peoples were in thei r traditional belief

held a s important and lik e ly to hav e a fa vorable influ e nce
on the future harvest cannot be doubt e d The ex altation
,
.

of th e best fruit s would be a symboli zation o f the harve st

which the m a g ic rit e was intend ed to produce In th e
‘

stu ffe d d e er hid e the spi rit o f v e ge tation mi ght be con

ce ive d as incarnated up o n which th e li fe and g rowth of
,

the crop depend e d .

Old E ngli sh writ e rs have explained in various ways the

cu stom of w e ari ng l e eks in th e i r hats by the ancien t
VVe ls hm e n on the w t o f M arch St D a vid s da y It is ’
.
, .

said to have be en su ffi ci e nt g rou nds for a quarrel with a

W e l shma n i f anyon e did no t h o n o r his cap with a l e ek
upon that da y Ow en s Cambri a n Bi o g r a phy writte n
.
’
,

in 1 80 3 s a ys :
, I nsom e di s trict s in South W a les all th e ,

nei ghbors o f a sm a ll fa rm e r wi thout m e an s appoint a day ,

wh en th e y a ll a tt end to plow h is l a nd a nd the like : and ,

at such a tim e it is th e cu stom fo r e a ch individual to brin g

his p o rtion o f l e e k s to b e us e d in makin g po tta g e for th e
,
”
w hole comp a ny A more prob a bl e explanation th a n
.

that g iv e n by O w e n o f th e ori g i n o f the custom is su g

, ,

g est ed by Br a nd As th e l ee k w a s wo rsh ip e d in E gypt

.

an d A ska lo n a nd d e posi te d in th e s a c re d ch e sts o f th e

,

my ste ri es it wa s a l so s a cre d to Ceu dve n th e a g ricu l tural

, ,

deity o f the a nci e nt D ruid s a nd it w a s wor n on that da y

,

to w in th e favor o f the go d by p a yi ng h im reverence and ,

so s e cure a fa vo ra bl e r e ce p ti o n o f th e s ee d in the earth “

.

The curious la w o f the I s r a e li te s fo rbi ddi ng the sowi ng

of mi ngl e d s eeds in the s a m e fi eld app e ars to have be e n 3“

based upon som e e a rly b e li e f th a t such mixin g up o f th e

crops was unacce p ta bl e to the d e ities o f v e ge tation and so
the e a rth b e cam e de file d and the harve st jeopardi zed .

“
B a nd 54
r ,
.

L v xix 9; D t
“
e . . 1 9 eu . 111111. .
66 M AGI C AN D HUSBAN DRY
or crye or make any noyse under thy fete then it is to wete
, ,

to sowe ; and i f it make no noyse and wyll beare thy horses

, ,

th a nne sowe in the name of God .Another sentime nt

from thi s quaint old writer with which we are in full
,

accord may not b e inappropri ate in brin g in g to a close th is

,

ch a pter Amon g the other cornes sowed b y the b u s

.

bandman it is important to mingle the seed called dis ere

”
tion for they will growe moche the better He that
, .

lack eth let bym bo rrowe of his neygh bo rs that have for
, ,
.

this seed of Discretion hath a wondrous prope rty ; for the

more that it is taken of or lente th e more it is
, .
 CHA PTE R V

MAKI N G P RO D U CT I V E
For l u ck or for fa v
ill or, for goo d or for ,

Th fai i e th n g v n d th pi x i
r es eh ld way o er e , e es e s

A nd h p h d nd ft n S th la nd hi ll ’
s e er a cro e r, o u er s ,

W ld b w t th m a gi f lfi n fay
ou o o e c o e or .

Ob l m k n t th na m f
oc o f b a h ld faith
e e, o r ou r or e rs e

Th a t fa i i w h flit th gh th m nl i ght
r e s, o rou e oo or

R l d v th fa t f th
u e o er p nd th ki n
e e o e cro s a e e,

C l d de ti ny c b b i ng g l m t th g lad
ou s ur , or r oo o e e.
”

T H E savage livin g upon fruits and roots which he finds

,

ready and waiting for his hands to pluck is the lowest in ,

the scale of humanity The hunter who subsists upon .

,

the wild game wh ich he en snares by his rude contrivances ,

or brings to death by such crude weapons as may be within

the limits of his capacity for construction and uti li zation ,

i s accorded a hi gher d e g ree of intelli g ence Civili zation .

,

it may be sai d has really begun with a people when they

,

have ta k en thei r first steps in a g riculture and begun to

cultivate the soil however humble these early e fforts
,

may be .

In contem platin g the early histo ry of husbandry noth

in g is more impressive than the apparent lack of confi
de nce in the resources of the people and the general recog ,

nitio nof thei r dependence on power or powers not of them

selves which wa s for or against th e m for good or evil
, , .

through whose favor by propitiation conciliation or , , ,

supplication the y secured plenti ful cr0 ps or t hroug h

, ,

whose hostility or mali gnance the ha rv ests fa il ed .

K a te A S i m p n in Ch mb J nl
‘ ’
. so , a err ou r a .

67
68 M AG I C AN D HUSBAN D RY

The envi ronments the traditions and the degree o f

, ,

civi li zation which h a s be en at tained have determined

the character of th e methods by which every people has
striven to overcom e anta gonistic forc es or counteract thei r
e ffects With enli ghte nm e nt there comes to the a gricu l
.

turist an awak e n e d con s ciousness of his own power and

its limitations and a more r a tion a l re a li zation of the pos
,

s ib ilitie s o f his own resourc e s H e no lon g er char g es up

.

to di a bolical a genci e s th e failure s which are clearly

attributable to his own lack of foresi g ht or to his ne g lect .

Hope of the harvest no lon ger centers in anticipated sp e cial

divin e favors or in the ministrations o f priests and saints
, .

Traces of the e arly customs of a people are never how ,

ever enti rely oblit e rated from the characteristics of thei r

,

descendants Su rvivals o f them point back to earlier

.

observances In many pa rt s o f the earth there are cere

.

monies connected with agricultural li fe which are most

interesting From the reco rds of them in the past some
.
,

of which indeed are horribl e much information is to be ,

g lean e d which cannot be i gnore d by the ea rn e st and impar

tial stude nt o f the history o f human progress .

The cel ebrated author o f the Roman Questions ,

writin g about the be ginnin g o f the second centu ry of the

“
Christian Era asks ,What is the reason th at in the
mon th of M a y they use at Rome to cast over thei r wooden
brid ge into the river certain ima ges of men which they call
’” 2
A rgeo s i An earlier writer Dionysius recorded that , ,

these images had the appearance o f men bound hand and

foot Tradition sai d that in old e r times a g ed men a fter
.
,

they had reached si xty years were thus sacrificed Th e re

, .

wa s an old Roman proverb Old men must go ov e r the

”
brid ge . It was on the day before the Ides o f M ay ,

a ccording to the verse of Ovid that the Vesta l vi r g ins

,

‘
T an l ati n f P hi l m n H ll a nd 60 3 di te d by F a nk By n J von
r s o o e o o , 1 , e r ro e s.
 M A KI NG PRODU CTIVE 69

t h rew from th e oak b ui lt bridge the i mages o f the ancient

-

me n platte d in ru sh es
,
a
. Th e interpre tation of the cu s
to m as gi v enby Pluta rch poin ts to the ea rlier sacrifice of
, ,

ca ptiv e s He sa ys his countr ymen fo rmerly threw over

.

the bridge the G ree k s found in the country till Hercul es ,

p u t a n end t o i t and, taught th em to make and toss over

co u n ter feit m en i nstead of livin g men The festival .

ma rk ed the passin g of spring and the beginning of sum

me r W hether in earlier times the sacrifici al rites a ecom
.

p a n ying it we r e o f
ferin g s to the river god Tiberinus or as , ,

Ovid and Di onysius say to the old a g ricu ltu ral deity Sat
,

u rn u s th e ce remony was an earnes t of ferti lity for the e n

,

su ing y ear M oisture a nd rain were se cured b y throwin g

.

into th e water th e victims who perhaps were repre senta

,

tiy es of the spi rit o f ve g etation The people s till clung to

.

the ce remonial w h en they were no longer fa vorabl y im

re s se d w i th th e cru e lty connected with it The harsher
p .

fea tu res w e re eliminated when on account o f th e growing

,

pre j u dice against th em th ey were no l onger tolerated

, .

To th e popu l a r deities and heroes were then given th e

cre d it of e f fe cting the m odi fi cation o f them and th e
s ubstitu tion of images . The story of the transition as ,

re la ted by th e distinguished author is the product of the ,

th ou gh t of h i s own times and the hand of He rcules in it is

,

e vi dence of the p rominen ce o f the H ercu l es cult at th e

p e ri o d in w h ich Plu t a rch wrote or at th e tim e of h
t e

ori gi n of the story .

Th e su b stitu tion o f the image of a man for a li v ing man

in sa crifi cial rites was not uncommonin anti q uity I n some .

o f the vil la ges of the Bh a ga ts in I ndia th ey made th e

wo o den image of a man annually and putting clo thes and ,

o rna m ents u pon i t p re sented it be fore the a l ta r of a

,

M a h adeo when t h e one who o ffi ciate d a s a p riest e x

,

"‘
M ”
v. Ga s.
7 0 M AG I C A N D HUSBAN DRY

claimed : 0 M ah adeo we sacrifice this man to you ,

accordin g to ancient customs Give us rain in due sea so n .

,
”
and a plenti ful harvest With a stroke of the a x the .

head of the ima g e was cut o ff as probably in earlier days ,

the head o f the livin g man had been Ima g es of dou g h .

were at times substituted for human sacrifices by the

Aztecs and in Hopi le gends in later days corn and flour
‘

, , ,

came to be used where a child or chi e f had once been used ,

thou gh th e substi tutes were still spoke n of as male and

female and a human face was painted on the end of the
,

prayer stick The sna k e ceremonies of the Tusayans

.
,

according to the conclusions of an emine nt authority w e re ,

intended to promote the growth of th e corn a nd brin g ,

plenti ful rain ‘

.

There was an annual festival held b y the Ioni ans at the

temple and g rove of Artemis Tricla ria which continued ,

all ni ght lon g The priestess of the goddess was a maiden

.

who was dismiss ed on marryin g A le gendary story .

explains the ori g in of the human sacrifices connected with

the ceremonies in this way : The beauti ful prie stess Com
a e th o had a lover M e lanippus who asked for her hand in ,

marri a ge but the parents of both refusin g thei r conse nt

, ,

the y appropri ated the t emple of the goddess for a bridal

chamber to g rati fy th e i r unsanctioned love The an g ry .

goddess brou ght a failure of the harvest and increased

mortality upon the people The oracle of Delphi pl a c e d .

the blame for these calamities upon the unfortunate lovers ,

and to bring an end to them command e d that her e a fter

there should be an annual sacrifice to the o ffended deity of
th e most handsome maiden I t was revealed to them later .

th a t an end to th e human sacrifices would be made b y a

forei gn god that should be brou g ht into the country by a
‘
J Wal t
. er Few ke s in S ix t ee nt h Annu al Rp
e o rt of B u re a u of Ame rica n
Eth n l gy f
o o or 1 894 -
5, p . 0
3 7 .
 MAKING PRODU CTIVE 7 1

forei gn conqueror or kin g A esym netes proved to be the .

god of the ch est who was credite d with e ffectin g a chan ge

in the rite N ine men and mai dens chosen for thei r
.

beauty and worth o fficiated a nnually as di rectors of th e

ceremon y which was substitu ted All the lads of the .

district went down to the river with crowns on their

heads made of ca rs of corn Th e se crowns were laid near .

th e statue of the goddess Then th ey bath ed in the river .

,

put on crowns o f ivy and repai r e d to the temple of the ,

god of the che st It is s ai d that wh en the human victims

.

were sacri fice d they w e re d ecor a ted in the same wa y with

crowns of corn 5
T he whole tradition indicates a cere
.

mon y ori g inally with human sacrifice s for the pu rpose of

increasin g th e productivi ty of the l a nd The idea of the .

sacrifice as a puni shm e nt for violati ng the purity o f the

temple is an explanation conceived long a fterwards when
th e intell e ctu al adva n cem e nt of the p eople had made
repulsive the p rimi tive custom Then the ori g inal cere .

mony was sup e rs e d e d b y one fittin g the ethical and

esthetical id ea s o f th e later p e riod and one with obvious ,

resembl a nce to fe stiv a ls of mod e rn times when the altars ,

are loaded with fruit s a nd h y mns of tha nks g iving are ,

sun g .

Th at the H ebrews like other ancient peoples believed

, ,

in the nec es s ity o f hum a n sa crific e s to a v e rt famine and

secu re pl e nti ful h a rv ests is e vid e nt from thei r sacred
records Wh en in the days of D a vid th e re was a f a mi ne
.

three years ye a r a fte r y e a r the s ev e n so ns o f Saul we re

, ,

delivered up to the Gid eo ni te s fo r an o ffe ri ng to Jahv e h ,

and the y were h a n g e d in the fi rst days in th e be g innin g

“
,
” 0
of the barley harv e st .

There is a tradition th a t th e god Dionysus once inti

'
Pa a ni a vn x i x
us s, . .

S m xxi 6 9
'
2 a . .
-
.
7 2 MA G I C AN D HUSBAN DRY

mated to the E donia ns th a t fe rtility woul d be restored to

th e i r lan ds i f th ey put thei r ki ng Lycur gus to dea th and ,

that they had him torn to pi e c e s by horse s It is re corded in .

the earl y history of Sw e d e n th a t Ki ng Dom a lde w a s sac

rifice d to Odin and th e altars sme a r e d wi th h is blood to ,

put an end to a famin e Ev e ry tr e e a nd ev e ry le a f of th e

.

g rove near the te mpl e of O din at a nci ent Ups a l we re h e ld

sacred and this g rove was filled with the bodi e s of men
,

who had bee n o ffe red up to Odi n for a fru it ful se a son
and the goo d o f the h a rve st The fo r m ul a u se d by th e .

priests wa s so m etime s I devot e th e e for a good ha rve st

, ,

for the re turn o fthe fruitful

The Dyaks hunt for human heads which a re suppo se d ,

to brin g th e m prospe rity They m a ke the paddy g ro w .

and the land productive and cau s e the fo re sts to abou nd

with game They are con s i de red e v en
,

. mo re fertili zin g
than water with which gold h a s b e e n wa sh e d which i s ,

th e gi ft of the Raj a or water which h a s be en pou red over

,

the sacred ston e s 8

The Kayans a nd the K e nyas of
.

Borneo after success ful he a d hu ntin g r a ids set up fo u r

,
-
,

posts on the b a nk of the riv e r c a rv e d at the top to re p re ,

sent a ma ns head to which a re ti e d fr a gm e nts of the

’
,

enem y a rib or a n a rm or le g bo ne a s o ffe ri ng s to drive

, , ,

away evil spi rits The heads a re hu ng up in th e i r hous e s

.

to brin g th e m bl e ss in g s and pl e nti ful c ro p s Th e y k ee p .

off sickness and pains It is b e li ev e d to b e a good a nd

.

b e ne fice nt custom b e queath e d th em by th e i r fa th e rs 9

.

It is told by a people of easte rn Af ric a to accou nt fo r ,

thei r sacrifice of thei r firstbor nso ns that o nce upon a tim e ,

the seasons were h a d thei r crop s h a d fail e d a nd the f ru its

,

would not ripen and at th a t time a pill a r o f i ron stood at

,

Nort h n A nti
er q i ti u3 e s, 11 .

Hi t
s or y f Ma nk i nd F R a tz l
o ,
. e , II . 14 3 .

Hm
o e Li f f B n H ad H n
e o or eo e -
u te rs,
”
W H . . Fu rne ss, J
r. , p .
39 .
74 MAGI C AN D HUSBAN DRY

Sa ) . The sun storms cate rpilla rs a nd destructive

, , ,

insects were his serv ants T he y were commissioned by .

him to go out and eat u p or des troy the plantations o f

those who o f fended him To pa ci fy his wrath and secure
.

his fa vo r dri nk o fferings of ava were poured ou t to h im

,
’
.

’
Before be g inning the e v ening meal a little a v a was poured
on the ground and the act accompani ed wi th su pp lication
that the plantation mi ght be productive 13
.

In I ro q uois legend the spi rits of corn bean s a nd s q uash , ,

a re represented as three sisters very beauti ful females , ,

who were v ery fond o f each oth er and deli ghted to dwell
together After the last ti llin g of the cornfield th e
.

priest o f the Cheroke e and a n assistant went to th e

cente r of the field and built a small enclosure which they ,

entered seatin g themse l v es upon the gro und a nd bendin g

,

down thei r heads the assistant keeping perfect silence

,

while the pri es t with rattle in hand san g son g s of invoca

, ,

tionto the spi rit of the corn The ceremony was rep eated .

on four successi ve ni ghts which were followed by seven ,

ni g hts durin g which no one entered the field both four and ,

seven bei n g sacre d numbers with them and then i f these , ,

regulations had be en properl y observed th e priest entered ,

the fi e ld alone and found youn g e ars upon the sta lks .

Accordin g to th e i r le gend i f melons or squashes were ,

counted or examin e d too clo se ly while still growing on the

vine the y cea sed to thrive One must not step over .

the v ine or it would wither before th e fruit rip ened .

One who had eate n a Ma y appl e must not come near th e -

vines unde r any ci rcumst a nce s as this plant withers and ,

dries up very quickly a nd its presence w ould make the

,

m e lons with e r a l so .

a aS mo , Geo rge T n pp 8 6 u r e r, . 10 , 11 .

My th s of t e
h Ch k Ja m M n y 4
e ro ee , es oo e , 2 3, 42 4 , in N ni
e tee nth
A nn al R p
u e o rt o f th B a f A m i a n Eth n l
e u re u o er c o ogy.
 M A K I N G PROD UC T I VE 75

I t is the duty o f a priest called the La leen among the ,

A lfoo rs o f Celeb es to make the rice grow His functions

,
.

begin about a month before th e sowing b egins and con

tin ne until a fter the ha rvest “
During this time the .

La lee n must not eat or dri nk with an y one e l se or out o f

another s dish T he reason fo r this pro h ibition seem s
’
.

to be founded on the belief th at i f he should eat with

another some part o f th e food associ ated with him mi ght
be used in ma g ic by evilly disposed persons to injure him
and through him to ruin the crop Neither mu st the .

La le en have his hai r cut durin g this period for some ,

magici an mi g ht wor k e v i l to him and the harv es t with

the clippin gs .

M r M a rtin in describin g his ea rl y vo yage to the West

.
,

e rn Islands of S cotland speaks of an invari able custom ,

of pourin g cow s milk on a li ttle hill or bi g stone where

’

the spi rit call e d Brownie lod g ed to which they gave ,

the shape of a tall man with lon g brown hai r He says .

there was scarcely a small village where this practice was

not observed I t had always been done b y thei r ancestors
. ,

and apparently wi thout an y other reason they continue d

to do it believing it was a means of securin g good luck to
,

them and brin g ing prosperi ty m It seems not improbable .

that the custom may have ori g inated in ancestral o fferin gs .

T hat the m a nes shades o r spi rits of the dead con

, ,

tinu ed to have power and influ e nce in th e a ffai rs of the

livin g is a belief that has ext ensiv e ly prevailed I f they .

w ere propi ti ated and k indly dispo s ed they g ave assistance :

i f ne g lected they worked injury In a Hessi an folk tale
, .
-

one Ku rt a fa rmer would not quit the farm thou gh d e ad

, , , ,

but continued to lend a hand in the fieldwork Like a .

good spi rit he assisted in the work in the barn and th rew
T he Go lde n B ou g h , i .
3 18 .

”
Pi nk e rto ns
'
Voy ge s,a ii i 6 19
. .
7 6 MAGI C AN D HUSBAN DRY

the sheave s from the loft To secure the fa v orable .

in fluence of the ancestr a l sh a des the y demand a remem

brance in the fe stivals of the s e ason and a share of the ,

products must be s e t asi de for them Thei r resting .

plac e s are suppli e d with corn bread and meat Among , ,

.

th e Polynesi ans the depart e d anc e stors presided over the

g row th of y am s a nd frui t trees and received prayers and ,

o fferin gs in retu rn The b e nevolent spi rits of the Z ulus

.

brou g ht heal th c a ttle a nd corn but in thei r anger the y

, , ,

wrou ght destruction and s l e w thei r warriors

, .

In a v ery anci ent b e li e f of th e Egypti ans the dead made

th ei r way to a re g ion called S ekhet Aa ru where th ey -
,

enjoyed li fe v e ry much as th ey did while living Pictures .

of thi s re a lm are paint e d on co ffins o f the eleventh dynasty

( 9
2 0 2
-
2 85 2 Th e re th e y must be supplied with
food and drink as in li fe To provide for thei r su ste n .

ance without toil recourse was h a d to ma g ical prepara

,

tions and rites A sto ne im a ge of the deceased a fter

.
,

h a vin g been duly consecrat e d by the priests and e m pow

ered b y pro p e r formulas to do wh a tever was requi red of
it was buri e d wi th him The im a g e was provided with
, .

represe nta ti o ns o f impl em e nts fo r plo win g and thr ashin g ,

and even fo r c a rryi ng th e p roduc e Sometimes by hie ro .

glyphic inscription s upon th em th e ima g es were instructed

to a ssume the r e sp o ns ibili ty o f so w in g the fields filling ,

th e water cours e s a nd brin g i ng the sands for fertili zin g

, .

The use o f th es e im a ges in bu rial conti nued down to the

Rom a n period the g ra ve o f S e ti I a bout 1 3 70 B C
, .
, . .
,

con tainin g no le ss than s e v e n hu ndre d such fi gures " .

One of the m axims of the E gypti an scribe An i declares

th a t wh e n th e re is ru in in the fi e ld which has been sown ,

the spi rits of the de a d a nce sto rs must be invo ked to assist
and pr ote ct th e m or th e y w ould cry ou t against the malig
Egy p tia n Ma g i c, E . A . \Va lla ce B dgu e, 73 .
 MAKIN G PR O D U C TI VE 77

nant in fluence of th e evil spi rits and endeavor to propitiate

them ”
A fter the death of Saul David took the bones
.
,

of Saul and J onathan from the men of Jabesh gilead -

,
“
and they gathered up the bones o f them that were
”
hanged all the rites were performed which the king
,

commanded and a fter that God was entreated for th e

,
” 19
land .

We ha v e a lready referred to o fferings made to the soul

or spi rit of the paddy before beginning the sowing in
Java I t is a commonbelief that if the soul or spirit of
.

the plant is taken away or destroyed the plant will die .

The Dyaks o f Borneo assign a soul to the paddy and ,

hold a feast to retain it securely lest the crop decay The .

”
Karens say that plants have their La and they call ,

back the spi rit of sickly rice believing that it has l e ft th e ,

plant and th at th is is the cause of its lack o f thri ft and

vitality T hey have formulas for replacing it One of
. .

them in part says, 0 come rice kelah c o me

, Come , , .

to the field Come to the rice . C ome from the

west C ome from the east From the throa t of the bird
.
-
.
,

from the maw of the ape from the throat of the elephant ,

from all granaries c ome 0 rice kelah come to .

,
” 2°
the rice .

I n Russi an myths the Rusalkas have much to do with

the ha rvest The p e a sa n ts o f Wh ite Russi a say they
.

dwell amon g the st a n di ng corn and they are eatpe lled b y .

p roper ceremonies which are obse rved in some parts of the

count ry These fem a le w a ter nymphs can ruin the crop
.

at thei r pleasure by bri nging on winds and floods The .

rite for th ei r expul s i o n t a kes pl a ce a fter the Whitsuntide

festival In Li ttle R u s s ia the ci rcles of dark and rich er
.

O ld t B k f th W ld I aa My
es oo s o 95 ; P i m i
e ti v
or C i
, vili
”
za s c e r, 1 r e

ti n i 44 ”
o s, . 1 .

”
2 Sam . x x i
. 1 2 14 -
.

P rim i ti v C lt
e u u re ,
7 s MA G I C AN D HUSBAND R Y

grass which are found in the fields are thought to grow

in the places where these n ymphs dance beneat h the
moon 21
.

T he R obigalia was one o f th e older R oman a gricu l

tural festivals It was celebrated April a sth The
. .

month was re g arded as a critical one for the young corn

which was committed to the p rotection of the gods .

R obi go from which the festival takes its name m e ans

, ,

red rust or mildew When the ea r is beginning to be .

form ed it attacks cereal s Robi gu s was the spi rit work .

ing in the mildew which propitiated with the o fferings , ,

and ceremonies was invoked to spare the gro wing corn

,
.

Ovid retu rning from N o m e ntu m witnesse d the rite per

formed in the g rove speci a lly dedicated to Robi gu s on the
Via Claudia He tells us that h e joined the procession
.
,

which was clothed in white The fl amen carried in his .

hands a towel and frankincense and a b owl of wine The .

win e and frankincense were placed upon the alta r o f the

temple A dog and a sheep had been killed at Rome in
.

the mornin g and thei r V itals were carried as an o ffering

’
to the god As an old En g lish poet r enders Ovid s
.

lines
A fi a m e n nto i R u st s old
'
g ro v did h i
e e,

Th e e nt ail
r s of a dog a nd s h pt fi
ee o r e.
”

The re a so n a s s i gned by th e prie st accordin g to the Latin ,

po e t fo r th e s a c rifi ce o f the do g was th a t the dangerous

,

Do g sta r w a s in the a sce nda nt It w a s not true fo r

-
.
,

Si rius did not rise b u t di s a ppe a red Ap ril a sth , The , .

”
real m e a ni ng o f the cho i ce o f vic ti m say s Professo r ,

Fowle r 22
wa s unkn o wn b o th to p ri e s t and poet ; but
,

modern re se a rch h a s m a de a r e a s onable attempt to

S ngo f th R s ia n P pl
o e
43 u ss eo e, 1 .

R m a n F ti v al 9
o es s,
”
0 .
 MA K IN G PRODU CTIVE 79

recover it I t was a pi ece of sym path etic magic to per

feet the corn R ed hai red puppies w er e sacrificed or
.
-
,

tawny colored and the color may have had reference to

-
,

th e red mi ldew as M annhardt explains it or as Frazer

, ,

”
thin ks the o fferings were for the purpose of making the
,
”
corn gro w ripe and ruddy The sacri fi ce was a ecom .

p a nie d by a prayer of the fi am e n which the R oman poet

ve rs ifies

Corrod i ng R b i g d th pa r th b lad f th co n nd l t th m th
o o, o ou s e e e o e r , a e e s oo

t p q iv
o n th
u fa f th g nd
er o e su r ce o e rou .

Spa I p ay th
re , nd k p thy
r g h h and
ee , f m thac p ; i nj e ee rou s ro e ro s ur

nt fi ld ;
o ou r e s

M t
o re b n fit w il t th
o ou r ed th w d nd th h tf l w ap n
e ou co rro e e s or s a e ur u e o s

th m w wa n
e t n t; th w
e ld i t p a o e or s a e ce ,

L t th h b a nd m a n b
e e us v na b l d t pay h i v w t th k p ing
e e er e e o s o s o ee, ee

thy lf se

Poetic tradition ascribes to Ceres goddess of corn the , ,

fi rst pleasure in the blood of an animal When she found .

that in the early spring the corn swelling with its milky
juice was rooted up b y the snout o f the bristly swine from ,

that day she insisted upon thei r payin g the penalty of ‘

thei r transgres s ion So the g o a t was condemned to be .

sacri fi ced and his blood sprinkl e d on the horns of the wine
,

god as a penalty for lacera tin g the vine with his teeth
,
.

In a work written in 1 5 7 0 St Edith is regarded as th e , .

representative of the Roman Robi gus and it is s a id that ,

the ima ge of St Edith at Ka m s ing pr e vented bl a stin g

.
,

m ilde w and o th e r injuri e s to the co rn The hu sbandm a n

, .

who wished to s a ve his cro ps from ev il i nfl ue nces took a

q uantity o f corn to the prie st wh o a fter puttin g by som e , ,

of it for his own u s e sprinkl e d a h a nd ful of the gra in with ,

”
hol y water repeated a few words o f conjuration and
, ,

d e dicated it to St Edith He then gave it back to the . .

T h G ld n B g h
e 255
o e ou , I I. .

“
T an H T Ri l y iv 9
r s. . . e , . 12 .
80 M A GI C AN D H U SBAND RY

farmer who used i t with his seed A story is told of St . .

A ilb h e that he o nce expostu lated with the birds in the

,

nei g hborhood which were destroyin g the corn and his ,

o rato ry made such an impre s sion upon them that forth

with penitent and ashamed they flew away A simila r
, , .

story is rela ted of a Saint of Brittany St Po l de Le on , . .

The fields of the mon a stery in which he was a stu dent

we re rav a ge d by bi rds and the whole crop w a s in dan ger
of b e in g destroyed S t Pol summoned the culprits befo re
. .

th e principal o f th e monastery S t H ydu ltu s who gave , .

,

them reproo f and admoni ti o n and dismi ssed them with a ,

benediction but the g ra teful bi rds never touched the corn

,

o f th e mona stery a g a in 25
.

The sacrifice of the Robi g ali a is suggested in a custom

of the c a c a o pl a n ters amon g the M ayas who a ssembl e d ,

upon the pla nt a tion of one o f thei r number an nually in

a particul a r month and s a crificed a dog which h a d a S p o t
o nit o fthe colo r o fthe c a cao which was believed to have
26
,

a favorable e ffect upon the crop Each of tho se who o ffi .

cia te d bor e a way wi th him a branch of the cacao plant -

.

Here th e s e lection o f a do g having a spot colored like th e

p la n t is p roo f o f the ma g ical ch a racter o f the rite The .

deiti e s pl e a sed wi th th e attention and o ffe ring would be

, ,

c on stra i ne d to ta ke c a re th a t the color wi th which the

s a c rific e w a s marked wa s repeated in the ha rvest Pr a y .

e rs we re o f fe red a nd in cen s e bu rned at th e fo ur corners o f

th e field b e fo re th e work of w e eding w a s be gun .

In the Book o f Rites of th e Chines e it is s a id the

a ncie n ts prayed to Shang Ti for g rain and pre sented an ,

of fe rin g o f a b u llock wi thout bl e mi s h whi ch h a d been ,

s ta ll f
-
ed f o r th ree months before th e da y of sacrifice
” A .

C d l iti
re u Pa t nd P nt 3 4 3 7
es , s a re se
”
, 2 , 2 .

N iv R ii 6 9
m
B a ncro
”
ft
'
s at e a ce s , . 2.

L o re of C th y \V A P Ma tin 6 8
a a
”
,
. . . r , 1 .
 MAGI C AN D HUSBAND RY

M r Wi lli am Cro ok e relates a method of perfecting the

.

cotton by a specie s of imitative magic in India Wh en .

the cotton comes into fl ower parched rice is taken into the
field on a Wednesday or a Friday S ome of it is thrown .

over the plants and the rest g iven to ch ildren The cere .

mony is supposed to cause the bolls o f cotton to swell as

the rice has by the pa rching A kindred custom in Karn al .

is for the women when the pods are open and ready for
,

picking to go round the field eatin g rice milk and spit the
,
-
,

first mouth ful on the field toward the west 30

Sometimes .

a little patch is left untilled in the corner of the field for

the field S pirit as a refuge T ree S pi rits exercise a power .

fu l influence over th e products o f the fields The Roman .

shepherd who pluck ed the leaves of a tree in the sacred

grove for his sick ewe ac knowledged his trespass on the
guardian S pi rit of th e grove However the displeasure .
,
”
of a spirit observes Professor Granger
, is obviously ,

o f later g rowth than the belief that the tree was th e seat

o f di rect influence upon the lives of the people who live d

” 3 ‘
in its nei ghborhood Negroes of the Gold Coast sac
.

rifice at the foo t of tall trees and they think i f one of these ,

trees were fell e d all th e fru its o f the earth would peri sh
, .

Certain trees in Sweden are not allowed to be cut down

for fear of an ger of the spi rit dwelling in them Idola .

trous Israelite s bu rned i ncense under oa k s and popla rs

an d elm s because th e shadow thereof was good "2
Grov e .

deities amon g the Mund aris were held responsible for the
crops and w e re e specially hono red at a g ricultu ral festivals .

In the Mund ari villa g es eve ryone contributes a fowl ,

a pi tcher o f b e er a nd a hand ful of rue to the o fferings

,

m a de by the pri e s t in the sacred g rove As already stated .

,

R li gi
e o n a nd Fo lk L -
o re of Nort h n I ndia ,
er 3 83
\Vo rs h ip of th e R m an o s,
”
22 3

H a iv
ose , . 13 .
 MA K IN G P RODU CTIVE 83

th e M undas sacrificed at th e sowing of the rice Again .

in June the local g ods are p ropitiated that they may give
thei r blessin g to the crop Again in July each cultivator
.

sacrifices a fowl with mysterious rites H e strips o ff a .

wing and inserting it in a cleft of bamboo he stick s i t

, ,

in the rice field to act as a charm and stimulate the grain

to matu rity 33
Similarl y the Swedish peasant sticks a
.

branch in each furrow of h is cornfield to encourage an

abundant yield at the harvest Amon g the Kols of Chota .

N agpur a special dance is held in which the women kneel

and pat the g round with thei r hands in tune to music to
stimulate the ea rth to be fertile .

Plin y speaks of a certain herb which buried at th e four ,

corners of a field drives away starlings and sparrows

, He .

is sure of the fact but unable to name th e plant The same

,
.

credulous author r ecords however that corn was seen

, ,

g ro w ing
'

o n the trees in the year in which Hannibal was

vanquished and that mildew will pass into branches of
,

laurel placed in the ground and the crops be spared both ,

of which credulities are evidently ph a ses of belief in the

power of tree spi rits The same author says the rava ges
.

of mice in the crops may be prevented i f the ashes of a

w easel or cat are steeped in water and the water is th rown
on the se e d ; or the water in which a cat has been boiled
will answ e r th e pu rpo se He refers to a letter from
.

A rch ib iu s to King Antiochus as authority for a method

of preventin g injury to the corn by bury ing a bramble bug
in a new e a rthen vessel in the middl e of the co rnfield ’

The skull o f a beast of burden the male only set up in , ,

the garden protected from ca terpillars wh ich seemed to

, ,

have been a g rievous thing for the anci e nt Romans i f we

may j ud g e from the num e r ous remedies to ci rcumvent thei r
work which have been prese rved Instead o f the s kull of .

R li gi n nd F lk L
e o a o f N th n I nd i a
-
ore o 37 3 or er
”
,
.
84 M AGI C AN D HUSBAN DRY

th e m a le beast a river crab hung up in the middle of the

,

g a rde n had a s imilar e ffect or i f the plants were touched ,

with s lips o f blood re d cornel 34

A Syrian way o f driv -
.

in g out c a t e rpill a rs from a garden is an application of the

principle o f sympath e tic ma g ic A sin g le caterpillar is .

t a k e n by one of the g i rl s who gather in the ga rden

prod u cts Th e in s ect is then bewailed and bu ried
. .

Another of the g i rls is des ignated to be the mother o f the

insect and is conducted to the place where the other in sect s
,

are amidst g re at lam e ntation for her bereavement The .

other insects will th e n disappea r .

A cha rm against the fin g er worm preserv ed in Teutonic

myths says ,

God th e F a th
a fi ld d i d i de er e r ,

S t tl y th h
ou h pli d e oe e e ,

S t bb d
u p th
e w m t i gh t
u e or s ou r ,

On w e b la k a n th w h i t
as c , o er e,

Th th i d w m it w
e r d; or ,
a s re

H li th w m a l l d ad
e re e e or s e .

A piece of wood from a co ffin that had been dug up

from th e g ra ve i f con ce al e d among the cabbag es kept
, ,

away from th e m c a te rpillars 35

.

It will be re m emb e re d th a t the Philistines made as

many gol de n im a g e s of mice a s there were lords of the
lands which th e mice m a rr e d a nd sent them out of the ,

land in a new c a rt drawn by two mi lk cows and so ban ,

ish e d th e p la gu e The Ch a ms o f Ind o China sacrifice

.
36 -

to the go d ra t wh en exce ss iv e numbers o f verm in in fest

-

thei r fiel ds I n G reec e and Rom e the skull o f the ass

.
,

which wa s s a cre d to P ri a pu s w a s placed in gardens and ,

orch a rd s to p ro te ct th e fi e ld s f ro m thieves
,
37
A cha rm .

Nat l H i t y xvii i 4 5 4 6 7 ; x i v 5 8
u ra s or , .
, , 0 . .

“
G im m r 48 7 84 , 12 , 1 .

S m iv
“
1 a8 . . 1 .

D G B i nt n in J n l f A m i n F lk L iii
. . r o ou r a o e r ca o -
ore , . 20 .
 MAKIN G PR O DU CT IVE 85

prese rved by Si r Thomas Browne a g ainst dodder tetter , ,

and stran g lin g w e eds con s ist e d in pl a cin g a chalked tile

at the four corners and one in the middl e of the field .

The Is raelit es se t up a serp ent of gold u pon a p o l e to

stay the pla gu e o f serpents that overrun th e land and 38
,

in West Africa the serpent is sti ll used as an amulet to

protect the crop s 3 9
.

’
Wonderful magical power was a scribed to a horse s
head fixed upon a stake by the Norsemen and the Teu ,

tons They wer e th rown in the fl ames in th e fires on mid

.

summer eve The s acri ficial u se o f the horse goes back

.

to very ancient tim e s The Persians sacrific e d it to .

Mith ras the giver of li ght and heat the Greeks to the
, ,

sun which they thou ght swi ftest of all the gods
,
40
M ag .

yar shepherds and gypsie s set th e m up in b a rren fields to

counteract the effect of witches Traces of the use o f the .

horse in e arlier time s inm a g ic and reli g ion survive in fe s

tiva ls o f Chri stmas and o ther days In a Christmas cere .

mony in Wal e s th e skull o f a horse dressed up in ribbons

was carried round on a pol e by a m a n co ncealed under a
white cloth Simi lar ceremonies to ok pl a ce on Chri stmas
.

Eve in the I sle of Th a net and in Kent “

On the I st , .

of May in Cornw a ll th e fi gur e of a horse w a s carried

, ,

th rough the stree ts by m e n w omen a nd chil dren to a pool , ,

o f water whe re its h e a d w a s duck e d und e r a n

, d the wa te r
sprinkled on the bys ta n de rs w a s once believed for .

th e wel fare of l a nd and p e ople lives in sports and

pastimes and the m e rrym a ki ng o f holid a ys

, .

Natu re w a s thou ght no t to be in s e n s ibl e to the imit a

tion of her process e s so that fertility might in that way
be suggeste d or impa rted to the fields The P ri nce o f .

N mb xx i 9
“
u e rs . .

”
Elw thy E v il Ey 3 6
or
’
s
“
e, 1 .

“
H dt e ro 6 ; Pa a nia
o u s, 1. iii 21 us s, . 20 .

“
Dy B t h P p la C t m
'
er s
“
47 4 86
rI I S o u r us o s,
”
2, .
86 M AG I C AN D HUSBAN DRY

Neuwied sa w among the M inna ta rees o f North A merica

, ,

a ta ll stron g woman pre te nd to brin g u p from her stomach

,

a s ta lk of mai ze and so make sure o f a good crop for the

,

y ea r By imi tative m e a sures plants and trees could be

.
,

influenced to bea r fruit in due season and in abundance .

Mexicans held a festival when the mai ze was fully grown

and the ear formed and th e women wore thei r long hai r ,

unbound and shakin g as they danced that the tassel of the ,

mai ze mi ght g ro w in like profusion Malays when .

,

searchin g for camphor e a t the ir s a lt coarse lest i f i t is ,

‘

pounded fine the camphor will be found also in fi ne

grains ‘2
.

The danger from sorcery was ever present and the crop ,

mi ght be conjured f rom one fi e ld to ano ther The ch arge .

was made a g ainst Caius Fu riu s Cre s inu s that he raised

larger crops from a small e r field than his neighbo rs could
produce from larger holdin g s of l a nd He was brou ght .

b e fore the ma g istrate upon a charg e of conj urin g the

produce of his nei g hbors fi e lds into his own The de ’
.

fe ndant ho wever was able to convince the court that

, ,

his g reater success was the re sult of g rea te r e ffort and

sup e rior skill and the c a se a g ai nst him was diSm isse d
,
‘3
.

Less fo rtunate was th e trial o f Patrick Lowrie in 1 6 0 5 , ,

in Sco tl a nd He was convi ct e d of abstractin g fo r ten

.

successiv e years the sub sta nce and fiss io u ne from the
corn in Bessi e Saw e r s fi e l d “
A crop mor e tha n usually
’
.

g ood also foreboded e vil in Scotl a nd fro m the belief that ,

”
it was a fey crop and betok e ned the death of the
-
,

goodman .

But it was ass erted that i f a woman by using a cha rm

c a u s e d th e inc re a se of a no th e r s co ws to come to hers th e ’
,

Mal y Ma g i
a 5 c, 21 .

D m n l gy nd \Vit h f \Val t S tt 8 n t
e o o o a c cra t, er co ,
2, o e .

T h Da k
e S p ti i n
r er fS l nd J h n G h m D ly ll 6
u e rs to s o cot a ,
”
o ra a a e , 2 0.

An E h f th O ld n T i m \Val t G g ”
c o o e 33 e e, er re o r, 1 .
 MAKING PRO DUCTIVE 87

ch armed milk yi e lded but little butter T h e cu rd s were .

tou gh e r ; the bu tter was li g h ter in wei gh t and paler in

color To p rotect from thi s injustice amulets o f the roo t
.
,

of g round se l w e re re so rte d to in Sco tland and put in ,

the cream I f the mi lk dishe s were wash e d in a strea m

.

where th e re were tro u t the sub st a nce o f the crea m might ,

be ta ken aw a y by the fish from the cows Thi s could be .

te sted by pourin g mi lk into the mouth of a liv e trout ,

which would at once cu rdl e i f it was part of the increase

so tak e n aw a y by th e a for e s ai d trout ‘6
.

Witches we re a ctive on the e v e s of M idsummer Day

and St Geor ge s Day Th e n th e y wer e wont to go out
.
’
.

and cut chip s fr o m do o rs a nd g a tes o f the fa rmyard and

boil them in a milk p a il and in th a t wa y charm the mi lk ,

from that fa rm Thei r pl a n s mi ght b e frustrated how

.
,

ev e r by care fully sme a rin g th e newly chipped places with

,

mud .
"
Bou rke gives a L a pland custom o f the farmers wi v es
48 ’

to ci rcumvent th e wi tche s a nd m a ke th e but te r come in

’
spi te of th em Th e y p o ur fre sh co w s milk up o n human
.

ordure or in to the p rivy This rende rs the witches

, .

powerl e ss \Vhen the co ws were bewitched and the quan

.

tity of bu tt e r was d e fici e n t s imilar prac tices were some ,

times re sorted to by the G e rm a ns Human ordure was .

appli e d to the te a ts of th e co ws Like c u stoms were re .

p o rted o f the Af ric a n s by S ir S a muel B a ker A red hot .

-

poker is pl u n g e d into the co ntents o f the churn in Pennsyl

vania wh ich b re a ks the sp e ll A nold woman s charm to
,
.
’

make bu tte r c o me s a id to have b ee n ta u ght by a l e a rned

,

churchman in Qu e en Ma rie s days when the churchmen ’

,

had more cunni ng a nd co uld teach people many a trick ,

Pi nk t n V y a g
er o iii 6 3 ’
s o es , . 1 .

“
R al t n S ng f h R i n
s o
'
s
“
o s o t e u ss a s, 2 9 1.

S t l gi R i
ca a o 84 3 96 c te s , , .
88 MAG I C AN D HUSBANDRY

that our minist e rs nowadays know not , was to repeat

th re e times the fo llowing :
C om e b tt
u e r, come ,

Com e, b tt
u e r, com e ,

Pt e er s ta nd s a t the a
g te,
Wai ti ng fo r a b u tte r d
’
c a ke .

Cm bo e, u tte r, co me .
”

Mr R hys reports a custom of th e Celts of burning th re e

.

puppies in a field to ri d it of weeds which su ggests a

“0
,

possibl e connection with the old Roman Robi g alia .

Young men and maids in the north o f En g land used

to wa lk in the co rnfie lds on Palm Sunday afte r receivin g ,

th e sacrament and bless the co m a mani festati o n of

5 1
, ,

fai th in the power of su ggestion to nature by symbol or ,

emotion akin to that implied in the crude saying that

,

peppers will g row better if planted by a red headed man -

or a hi g h tempered person A story told by a negro of

-
.

So uth e rn Kentucky is g iven by a w riter in the Jou rna l of

”
A m e rica n F o lk L o re 2
My old woman and m e says -
.
5
,

he had a spat and I w e nt ri ght out and planted my pep

,
”
pers and they come ri ght up .

’
In Herrick s pretty lines Pray and Prosper is , ,

voiced the seventeen th cen tu ry faith in reli gious ceremoni al

in promoting a g ricultural pros perity
F i t rs ofl e r ad in ce nse , h
t e n th y fi ld e a nd m e s

milS h allnd m s th y b ad e a s e ll th b tt by
e e er e s.

Th pa ng l i ng d w d gg d
e s th g a h a ll be e re e
’
o er e r ss s

T n d all t m l nd m a nna th f th
ur e o e a e re or ee .

B tt f a mb u a m nd wi n nd il
er o e r, cre , a e, a o ,

S h all n i v all th g h t thy il

ru as r e rs rou ou so .

VV ld t th out in il v t n thy m ld
’
s ou o s ce re s er ur ou ,

P ay n ; tw i p ay nd t n th y g nd t g l d
r o ce ce r , a ur rou o o
”
.

“
B and Anti q i ti 7 5
r
’
s u es , 0 .

F lk L W l h nd Ma nx
“ “
o -
o re , e s a

B i ti h P p la C t m
r s o u r us o s,
”

Vo l . x iv 3 3 . .
90 MAGI C AN D HUSBAN DRY

J o hn s Day the Lettish peasant indu striously devoted his

’

leisure hours to swin g in g fo r the hi gh e r he went the

,

taller the fl ax g rew Similar customs were not un known

.

to the Athenians nor are they in modern Greece and

,

Italy Before sunrise clad in his shi rt the Esthonian

.
, ,

pea s ant goes into his g arden and swin gs his scythe over
h is cabba g e s when they curl up thei r l e aves and will not
prop e rly head By swin g ing evil in fl uences were expelled
.
, ,

disea ses were driven away and the ai r was purg ed a fter
,

han g ing or a suicide M r Fra zer su gge sts that swing

. .

in g may have been originally a charm intended to kin

dle and S peed a fresh on its heavenly road the golden swing
in the
T h G ld n B gh ii 4 52
e o e ou , . .
 C HA PTE R VI
M AK I N G TH E WEATH ER
S i l pl
’
eu t j d S ai nt M eda d
le ou r e r

I l pleu t q a an
u t j
r e pl ta dou rs us r

S il pl t l j d S ai nt G v ai de Sa int P r t i
’
eu e ou r e er s et o a a

I l pl t q a an t j ap ”
eu u r e ou rs res.

IN the litera tu re of weather lore one fi nds th a t the

power of controlling the elements is attributed to deities
o r devils as the case may be and the honors are about
, ,

equally divided between them In climates wher e wet .

seasons prevail and des tructive storm s are frequent amon g ,

people constantly anticipatin g supernatural interference in

all the concerns of li fe it could hardly be otherw ise than
,

that they would recogni ze di abolical agencies as responsi

ble for them and on the contrary in parched and desert
, ,

lands where rain seldom falls and is always welcome ,

th e hand of some benevolent power could easily be con

ce ive d as showering bles s in g s upon them in reco g nition o f

fa ithful service or in an s wer to thei r petitions

, .

Ou r m om a nd e v ni ng
e de w
The a a m nt
s cr e

Th a t m a k th ll th i ng
e a s ne w
F m h av n i
ro e e s se nt;

A nd th i th n e r, e er
'
in v ai n ,

\V l k f
e oo or a id,

T o fi nd th e p u nctu a l a in r

Or su n or s h ad )”
e

In one o f the o ld e st dr a m a s o f the G reeks the Furies

‘
J h n B T abb
o . .
9 2 M AG I C AN D HUSBAN D R Y

are represented as ta k ing thei r revenge by destroying the

crops by distilling the pestilential drop

Wh ’
e re e r it fall s, nor f i t a nd
ru rou ,

Nor le a f sh a ll gr a ce th bl a t d g
e s e rou nd .

M arcus Antoninus has preserved a prayer of the

Athenians for rain

R a i n a in 0 d a Z
, r , e r e u s, d ow n on the p lowed fie ld s of the Athe ni a ns
a nd n th p l ai n
o e s.
”

That prayers to the deities availed to prevent or cause

rains and sunshine has been the faith of the civili zed and
,

the uncivili zed Sometimes the prayers were accompanied

.

with o fferings and sacrifices and frequently magi cal rites ,

have been perform ed in connection with them .

A petition of the Esthonians used in the seventeenth

centu ry as given by G rimm reads : Dea r T hunder we
, , ,

o ffer to thee an ox that hath two horns and four cloven

hoofs we would pray thee for our plowing and sowin g
, ,

that our straw be copper red our grain be golden yellow -

,
.

Push el sewhither all the thick black clouds over great fens , ,

high forests and wildernesses But u nto us plowers and .

so we rs give a fruitful season and sweet rain Holy Thun .

der guard our see dfie ld that it bear good straw below ,
”8
good ears above and good grain within , .

Samoans thou g ht the rain god Saato controlled the , ,

supply of moisture from the clouds O fferings of cooked .

taro and fish were made to his parents Fongo and To a fa , ,

who were represented by two oblong smooth stones upo n , ,

which the o fferin gs were placed These were accompani e d .

with prayers for fine weather without rain He who te .

T a n f G g L ng v 7
’
r s . o eo r e o , . .

”
T t ni My th l gy 7 6
eu o c o o , 1 .
94 MAG I C AND HUSBAN DRY

wise in all your eminent troubles and dan gers say to you r ,
”5
selves Lou rgh d Lou rghd help me
, , , .

An En g li sh pastoral by John Gay describes Cloddipo le ,

”
the wise st lout of all the neighborin g plain from whom ,

they learned to read th e skies ,

T k n w w h n h a i l w i ll fall w i nd a i
0 o e or s r se .

H ta g h t t th h if tail t vi w
’
e u u s e rs e e ers o e ,

W h n t k al ft th a t h w w ld t ai gh t n
e s uc o , s o e rs ou s r e su e

H fi t th a t
e rs f l t did x plai n
u se u secre e ,

Th at p i k i ng n f t ld th g a th i ng a n
rc co r s o re o e er r i

Wh n wall w fl t a h i gh nd fl a t in i
e s o s ee so r a o a r,

H t ld
e o th a t th w l k i n w ld b l a
us e e ou e c e r.

T he h e d ge ho g was at one time g ener a lly credited with

bein g a good na tural weath e r prophet This is alluded to .

in many old writin gs in both verse and prose .

Th e he dge hogge h a th a q i k th n d g a m nt u e e or e r e ,

Th a t n h i b a k d th
o sh im f d f n ;
c e o se ru e or e e ce

H e n p a g th wi nd i n nti n nt
ca re s e e s co e ,

A nd h a th g d k n wl d g in th di f
oo f n o e e e e re ce

B tw n th
e ee th n nd th n h n wi nd
e s ou er e a e ort e r e .

Th v i t
e se ll t d h im by k i nd
r u es a re a ot e ,

Wh n in C n t nti n pl th t g a t i ty
e re o o s a o e, a re c ,

A m h a nt in h i g d n g a
e rc n n i h m nt s ar e ue o e ou r s e

By w h i h h k n w th a t wi nd t
c e t i nty e s ru e ce r a ,

B a th h d g h g g h im j t p a g m nt
e c u se e e e o a ue us re s e e .
“

In the Gard e n of the Mus e s , written in 16 0 0 , a re

similar line s :
As h dg h g
e e o s doo f o re see e ns u inge s torm e s,

So wi m n
se e a re fo r fortu ne p pa d
re re .
”

Poor Rich a rd s Almanac in the ei g hteenth centu ry

’
, ,

says of the animal as a weath e r pre dictor

‘
B and 6 9
r , 1.

N t l Hi t y L
a u ra nd L g nd F Edwa d H l m q ti ng f m
s or o re a e e ,
. r u e, uo ro

Lov Ma ty
e s
’
r r .
”
 MAKING TH E WEATHE R 95

If by m so e h dg h g kn w
secre t a rt th e e e o o ,

S l ng b f
o o w h i h way th wi nd w ill bl w
e ore , c e s o ,

Sh h e n t w h i h m a ny a p
as a ar nla k c e rso c s,

Th a t th i nk h i m l f fi t t m a k al ma na k
s se o e c s.

T he halcyon or kingfisher was also from ear l y times

, ,

beli eved to know much about the impen ding win ds and
sto rm s and to be able to make it known by its actions
, ,

dead or alive for a dead kin g fisher was supposed

, ,

i f su sp e nd e d from the roo f to alwa ys tu rn its breast ,

in the di rection from which the wind blows Old .

writers without qu e stioning have made the assertion ,

and appa rently have copied one from anoth e r Shake .

”
speare speaks in Kin g Lear of the halcyon bea ks
that turn with every gal e ; and I nto what corner
”
p e e rs my halcyon s bill ? says Christopher Marlowe
’
.

Si r Thomas B rowne while conce ding that sundry ani ,

”
mals have a kind of na tu ra ll meteorolo gy or in
” “
,
”
nate p ra e se ntio n bothe of winde and weather and as ,

se rtin g that the he dg eho g s p ra ese ntionof winds is such ’

that it stops the north e rn and southern hole o f its nest

”
according to its prenotion of the winds ensuing yet ,

took upon hims e l f to test by actu a l experiments the value

of the dead kin gfisher as a weathervane and rejects the ,

theory enti re ly It was an old G re e k fable that seven

.

days be fore the shorte st da y in the year and se ven days

a fter w hil e the h a lcyon was breeding there always
, ,

prevailed c a lms at sea and for many centuries it was a c

7
,

ce p te d as a fa ct th a t w hil e you ng k ingfishe rs were hatch

ing a c a lm fe ll upon all thin g s fo r fourt e e n days .

Whi l b i d
e r s of c al m s it b di ng
roo o nthe c ha rm e d wa v e,

wrote Mi lton in the b e a uti ful Hymn on the Nativity .

Similar re fe re nc e s are foun d in th e writings of Drayton

Th Ea g l f th H al y n by J h n R k i n
’
N t Th S t
'

S ee e e s es ,
e o ry o e c o , o us .
9 6 M A GI C AND H U SBAN D R Y

and Dry den I n The Song of Lycidas by Theocritu s

.
, ,

th e halcyons that lull the waves are the dea re st to the

gre en hai re d mermaids o f all the bi r ds that take thei r

-

pre y from the salt sea One of the Gr ecian le ge nds make s
.

Halcyone a Pleiad wh o was beloved by the sea g od Po

s e idon and in another le g e n
, d she is the dau g hter of o lus ,

king o f the winds This relationship with the ruler of the

.

winds and the se a makes it clear from what source mus t

have sp rung the repute d power of the bi rd over the waves
and to fore tell th e w inds a nd from the w e ll known habi ts f
-

of the bird o f feedin g on fish and makin g its n e st of thei r

bon e s has come the legend of its co nnection with the g od
,

of the de e p .

Thomas Tusser who was born about 1 5 1 5 in his book

, ,
”
of Good Husbandry has many re ferences to the S i gns ,

which the farmer should observe as indicative of fai r or

foul weather
I t is a n ill wi nd tu rns none to go
od ,

No rt h h
wi nds se nd ail sou t wi nds , h b i ng ai n
r r .

Th e W est a s a fa th ll g d n d th b i ng
e r, a oo ess o r ,

T he Ea s t a f
, b a n m a nn f th i ng ;
or e re r, o er o

T he S o u th , nk i nd d aw th i k n t n a
as u ,
r e s c e ss oo e r;

th a f i nd m a k th ll a g ai n l a ”
T h e No r , as re , e a c e r.

Weath e r prophets in South e rn Kentucky sa y

W nd from
i th e sou t h h k in th , oo e mou t h
Wi nd f rom th e e a t b i t th l a t;
s , e e e s

Wi nd f ro m th e n th f th
or 6, ur er 0

Wi nd f rom th e w t b i t th b t
es , e e es .

The days associate d with some o f the sai nts from a ,

meteorological point of view are re g ard e d as critical It , .

is the case with June 8th or S a i nt M e da rd s Day in ’

'

, ,

France a nd with June 1 9 th the da y of St G e rvais and

, , .

‘
Jo
ur a nl f A m erica n F olk Lore,
o -
x iv 3 7
. .
9 8 MA G I C AN D HUSBAN D R Y

over his grave at which many mi racles have be en per

,

form e d Prof e s sor E a rle o f Ox ford University how

.
,

ever has carefully examin e d the earliest Saxon manu

,

scripts containin g the mo s t authentic account of the saint s ’

li fe and show e d that the weather on the occasion o f the

,

di s interment of the bo dy of the Bi shop was favorable ,

that no ph e nomenon to ok place a nd th at the elements did ,

not con spi re as the l e gen d says to prevent its removal

, ,

in to the church Th e s u ggestion is made by Professor .

Earl e in expl a na ti on of the ori g in of the common belief

,

about the s a i nt that in o ne particular year about the

, ,

time of thi s fe a st th e r a iny constellations of Praesepe and

,

Av e lli arose co smic a lly and caused rain to fall for more ,

than a month to g e th e r I t may be su gg est e d perhaps .

9
,

with e qual pl a u s ibili ty that July l gth had been identified ,

as a critic a l p e ri o d of the s ea son by pa g an agricu lturists ,

or w o rs h ip e rs lon g b e fo re the days of the B ishop of

,

Wi nch e ste r .

Th e re is a sa yin g in Ma rti nique that it always rai ns on

Good F ri da y b e ca u se th e n th e sky we e ps for the death
,

of the S a viour T ra dition is th a t this rain wi ll not e v ap

.

or a te if ca u gh t in a v e sse l and it is said to cure all ,

di s e a se s .
10

The b e lie f th a t b o th sto rm a nd sun s hine could be a rti

ficia lly p ro du ce d is a s o ld a s hi s to ry a nd it is doubtful ,

i f th e re is a ny p a rt o f th e e a rth wh e re it h a s no t prevai led

to so m e e x te n t I n th e s a cre d b o o k s o f th e a n cient E gyp
.

t ia ns we re p re s crib e d fo rm u l a s fo r m a king the sun to

s h in e The m o ns te r A p e p o r A p e pi w a s the e nemy of the
. , ,

s u n go d R a T h ere w e re c e rt a in p ri es ts in the temple of

.

th e go d a t T h e b e s w h o s e du ty it was to perform se rvices

fo r the a ss is ta nce o f th e go d in o ve rco m in g the monster .

M a nn e rs , C us to m s a nd O b s e rva nce s , L p ld \V a gn
eo o e r, 26 5 .

T w o Y e a rs in th e F re nch \Ve s t I ndi L f di H a

e s,
”
a ca o e r n, 2 32.
 MAKI N G THE WEATHE R 99

Minute di rections were g iven for conductin g the ce rem on

ies and r e p e a tin g the litanies A fi gure of the monster
.

was drawn in g re en color o n new papyrus and a wax ,

ima ge o fhim with his name cut and inlaid with g reen
color The fi gu re and ima ge were placed in a fire of
.

kh es a u g rass and bu rnt T hey were to be spit upon e v e ry

.

hour Wh e n tempests th reatened in the east of the sky

.
°

at the setting of R a the pro g ress of the storm was stayed

,

by observ ing the instructions I f by day the clouds oh

.

scu re d the sun it was a g ain made bright by performing the

rite. I ma g es were al so made of all the fiends in the train

of A p ep Thei r names were written on papy rus which
.
,

was th rown to the g round kicked with the left foot and
, ,

pie rced with a stone spear l l

a fter which it was burned
, ,

and th e clouds and the lightning fl ed and the S ky became

clear and bri g ht again One is sta rtled to find these e la b
.

orate rituals for the practice of magical a rts in full force

among the Egyptians at a time when the peopl e had
reached thei r hi g h es t position in enli ghtenment and po wer ,

and at a period to Which even now we look back wi th won

der and admi ration at th e i r ma rvelous achievements But .

perhaps we can b e tter compr e hend th e mystery o f it i f we

try to reali ze how far away in thou g ht and li fe are th e
great masses o f all the hi g hest civili zatio ns of the twen
tie th centu ry from its master minds Fo r all th e revel a .

tions of time a nd p a tient investigation how potent still ,

a re antiquated preju dices and hoary traditions and how ,

s teadfastly they hold thei r o w nin d ominating and shapin g

our daily live s actions and b elie fs "

, ,

That th e sun could b e c ontro lled and hastened or stayed

in its cours e was believed by the Greeks in the time of
H omer for Athene held the night in the west and stayed
,

the golden throned Dawn for the benefit of Ul ysses a n

-
d ,

E gypti an Ma gi E A Wa llis B d g 82 84
”
c, . . u e, -
.
I oo M AGI C AN D HUSBAND R Y
at the death of the ox eyed Hera sent down Pa trok los -

”
the sun unwillingly into the streams of Ocean to save ,

the Gre e ks 12
The same was tru e of the Israelites for
.
, ,

at the command o f Joshua the sun stood sti ll in the midst ,

of the sky a nd delayed to go down almost a whole day

,

a d th
S u n, st n ou sti ll ove r G ibeonl
A nd th M ou , oo n, in the
nl v all y e o f A a loj
A nd the s u n s tood still , a nd the moo n staye d ,
U ntil the na tion h ad a ve nge d itse lf on its e nemies .

T he F is thou g ht to entangle the sun in the reeds by

growing a patch of reeds on the top of the hi lls T he .

Peruvians stretched nets to capture the sunshine T o .

make the sun go down faster the Australian throws sand

in the ai r and blows with his mouth towards the sun One .

of the methods recorded o f the old T eutons for obtaining

fai r w e a ther was to build into a wall a p eek of barle y
and a bowl of water or a live cock “
, .

Fogs were conju red away by the magicians among the

Queen Charlotte Islanders I f the sunshine was with .

held wh e n the Comanche Indi a ns desire d it to conciliate

, ,

the demons responsible for it they whipp e d a slave or ,

”
fl ayed him alive Professor Warde Fowler says he has
.

personally known the chu rch bell s to be rung at Z ermatt

to stop the continuou s downpour of rain in the hay
harve st m .

"
P rofessor Frazer calls attention to the fact that cere
monies for the prevention o f rain in some countri es are
the a ntith ises o f those u sed in oth e rs for p roducing it .

”
O dy y xx i i i 4 3 ; I liad xv ii i 4
s se ,
. 2 ,
. 2 0.

J h a x 3 P ly h m di ti n W H B nn tt
os u ,
. 1 , o c ro e e o ,
. . e e

G i mm 4
r ,64 6 1 1 2, 1 .

N a ti v R a i 7 520 ”
e ce s , . 1 1, .

R m an F tival 4 n t
o es s,
”
0, o e.

Th G ld n B gh
"
e o i 93e ou , . .
10 2 MA G I C AND HUSBAND R Y

Jahveh throu gh the hand of M oses sent hai l in all the

, ,

land o f Egypt upon man and upon beast and upon , ,

”
every herb o f th e field and the thunders and rain a nd ,

hail only ceased at the intercession of Moses 10

Whether .

the record tell s the story o f an actual histo rical event or

not is immaterial for i f it is only a tradition of th e Israel
,

ites it is unquestionable authority for the ex i stence of such

,

a belief among the pe0 p 1e at the time it was written .

”
Dante in a p a ss a ge in Pur g ato ry con fi rms th e Opin
,
°

ion o f Dr Ha ttli ch when he writes o f one

.
,

j in d th a t vil w ill w hi h ye k vil

He o e e , c a se e s e ,

T i nt ll t nd m v d th m i t nd wi nd
o e ec , a o e e s a

By m a n f p w w hi h hi w nna t g a v
e s o o er c s o u re e.

Bu rton says that aerial spirits or devils caused tem pests ,

thunder and lightnin gs and destroyed men a nd b e asts

, , .

They dwelt for the mo st part in the air On the death .

of a suicide th ey were lik e ly to appear and mani fest th ei r

rejoicing in a whirlwind or ternpestu ou s storm ’u
A like .

sentiment is ex press ed in the lines of Pope

“
Rou se d by the p rince of th e a ir, the l
wh ir winds s w p
ee th e s u rge .

A ccording to the confession of I s abell G owdie in 1 66 2 , ,

she raised a storm by dipping a ra g in water and then

hea ting it ona stone th ree times in the nam e of S atan and ,

saying
I kn k th i g p n th i t n oc s ra u o s s o e

T ai th wi nd in th divill na me o r se e e
’
s ,

I t h all n t ly ti ll I pl a
”
g in s o e e se a a e.

D ry ing the rag with anoth e r ce re mony she conjured the ,

Ex d i xo us 3 . 22, 2 .

L ng f ll w T a n ant v
o e o
’
s r s ., c o .

An t m y f M la n h ly
a o 23 o e c o ,
1 .

g
Ep i tl iii 3 5 3
s e,
”
. .
 MAKING TH E WEATHE R 10 3

storm away again Dipping the ra g in water betrays the

.
23

likeness of the ceremon y to the most com mo n of all rain

charms .

M imicking the rai nwas e xp ected to produce it Amon g .

the varying ceremonies of many peoples are found some

common characteristics h owever The waters were sti rred
, . .

According to German records of the sixteenth and sev en

te e nth centuri e s wit ches assembled in crowds b y water
,

brooks or lakes and fl ogged the water with rods till a fog
rose and thicken e d into black clouds On thes e clouds the .

witches are borne up and they guide the clouds to the

,

places where th ey mean to work mischie f A le gend is .

told of a viol e nt S torm which lasted until a hu ntsman on

the highway suspecting th at it was the wor k of a witch
, ,

loaded his gun with a consecrated bullet and fired into th e

middle of the darkest cloud when out of it a naked female ,

fell dead and the storm blew over in a moment I n Car

, .

inth ia the people shoot at storm clouds to scare away the

evi l spi rits that hold counci l in them In some parts of .

France whole fa m ili es are suspecte d of having the power

of raising a storm it b e ing heredita ry wi th them Th e .

Pe ruvians had a rain goddess who sat in the sky with a

pitch e r o f water ready to pour it out at the ri ght time I f .

S he delayed it too long her brother smashed th e pitcher

,

to pi eces with thunder and li ghtning When the corn is .

endan ge red by drou g ht the children of the Slavs sin g a

,

song to Fath e r Lu g a implorin g him to climb into heav e n

, ,

open its doors and send down rain from above that w ell
, ,

the ry e may grow That storms could be both attracte d

.

and rep elled by songs was beli e ved in ancient times a nd ,

is referred to by both Seneca a nd Pliny This charm was .

formerl y used on the Rhine to brin g on showers : A lit tle

nude gi rl was led outsi de the town w here she had to dig ,

Da k S p ti ti n f S tla nd J G D ly ll 4 8
r er u e rs o s o co ,
. . a e , 2 .
19 4 M AG I C AND HUSBAN DRY

henba ne with the little fi nger of her right hand and tie it to
the little toe of her ri ght foot ; she was thenconducted by
the other maidens to the nearest river and splashed with
water S ometimes a gi rl called the da do was stripped
.

and wrapped with grass a nd herbs and fl owers and es corted

from house to house At e ach house a ring was formed in
.
,

the middle of which the little g i rl danced a nd whi rled while

the goodwi fe came out and emptied a bu ck et of water over
h er and h er companions sang
,

To God d th d d a ll
o ou r o o c ,

Th at dewy a i n m y fall
r a ,

A nd d n h th d i g g
re c a lle e rs ,

The w k g a t nd m a ll
or e rs re a s ,

Even th in h ose nd ta ll ou se a s .

The children in G reece when it has not rained fo r,

several wee ks sometimes select one of their number eight

, ,

to ten years old usually a poor orp han who is stripped

, ,

from head to foot and decked with herbs and fl owers .

The other childre n lead her around the villa g e and si ng

hymns ; eve ry housewi fe throws a pail of water o v er her ,

an d gives the children a small piece of money “

.

The huntsmen of the Celts dipped water with th ei r

horns from a certai n fountai n and poured it up on the
stones to cause the rain clouds to rise a nd refresh the
lands A reli g ious ceremony was substituted in later
.

times Amid the chanting of son gs and pealin g of bells

.
,

led by the clergy the parishioners with great banners

,

borne infront of them walked to the sprin g and the leader ,

dipped his foot crosswise in the fo u ntai n; it was considered

certain that rain would fa ll before the homewa rd march
was complet e d I n Spain an image of the Virgin in
.

mourning is e scorted throu g h the village to pr ocu re ra in .

n
G rimm , 5 93 , 594 ; S o ng s of th e R ia n
u ss s, 2 2 7.
10 6 MAG I C AND HUSBAN D R Y

ing weeping and laughing I nIndi a sometimes a plow is

, , .
,

dragg ed across the field by naked women to brin g rain .

Th e Peruvians set a black sheep in the field poured chica ,

over it and g ave it nothin g to eat ti ll it rained The Tim

, .

ores e sacrifice d a blac k pig for rain and a white or red ,

one for sunshine Splashing a blac k cat in the wat e r to

.

darken the sky like rain clou ds was practiced in Sumatra .

A La ngla t M alay told M r Skeat as follows : I f a M alay .

woman puts upo n her head an inverted earthe nware pan ,

and then setting it upon the ground fills it with water

, ,

and wash e s the cat in it until the latter is more than hal f
” 26
drowned heavy rain will certai nly ensue
, .

Cha rms were also recited to stop the down fall o f the
rain when the fl ood was likely to brin g serious co u se
qu e nces T h e following
. is given by M r S k eat as found .

among the M alays

Th ou g hM a nti t k t
the s te m of the er ree roc s o a nd fro ( in th e storm )
,

L t th Y m l a v
e e b th i k a p i bl e es e as c as os s e,

Th at ai n nd t m p t m y m t na g ht
r a e es a co e o u .
”

A song of the R ussians fo r b rin g ing showers says

P ou r, ai n 0 r ,

O ve r th e gr a nd m th yo er s
’
r e,

O ve r th e g arndfa th w h at er s
’
e ,

O ve r th gi l
e fl ax r s
’
,

P ou r in b k t f l uc e s u .

A ple dge is o ffered ifthe prayer of the song is answered

D a ai n d
e r r ai n , ea r r ,

I will k th m h a h h
coo ee so e rs e ( sou p ),
I will p t it in n u a

M r Rodd g ive s the followin g son g as sung inThessaly

.

Mal y Ma g i 8;a T h G ld n B g h i 6
c, 10 se e
“
e o e ou ,
. 10 -
111 .

Ral t n S ng f th R ia n
s o
’
s 7 o s o e u ss s,
”
22 .
 MAKING T HE WEATHE R 10 7

and M acedonia in the charm already referred to b y a pro

, ,

cession of g irls goin g from door to door headed b y an ,

orphan girl stripped and clothed with leaves

ai a h w L d
Le t it r n s o e r, or

A h w f g ntls ain
o er o e e r

L t th m p e t nd l t th m fl we r
e s rou a e e o ,

G i v th w ld th i in ae e or e r cre se ,

G wi ng n nd
ro tt n p l a nt co r a co o ,

Ev y h b th a t i er th i tl er s a rs

Giv giv wate u s, e us e r,

C n in h ap d ab ndan
or e e u ce ,

L t a h fi ll a b h l
e e c ea r us e ,

A nd v y vi n a a k
”
e er e c s .

The ceremonial prayers of the Hopi Indians for rain

a re accompanied with the pourin g of water into a bowl ,

or the concerted spittin g of the spectators typi fyin g the ,

fallin g showers Z igzag symbols o f li g htnin g which a c

.

companies the rain are conceived as the cause of it and ,

therefore used to decorate the alta rs of their rain gods .

In mimic storms e ffig ies of the g reat serpent personating ,

the lightnin g k n ock over the hills of corn in symbolic corn

,

fields the imitation of the storm and its e f

, fects bein g sup
posed to influence the sky god in brin g ing about the de
”
si red result . The use of serpents and figures of them in
rain c h arm s is common and is probably su ggested by thei r ,

fa ncied re s emblance to the play of the li ghtni ng T here .

was a Germa n cu stom of ha ng in g up a snake in the direc

tion from which th e y wi shed the wind to come wh ich w a s ,

expected to bri ng the rain One of the si gns believed t rust .

worthy in the re g ions o f th e Cumberl a nd Mountains in ,

East T enne sse e is th a t i f a sn a ke is kille d a nd stretched out

,

upo nthe fe nc e or hu ng up in tr e es it will bri ng on rain 3“

.

In China processions wi nd throu gh th e narrow lanes bear

C t m nd L
us o s a f M d nG o re o 33 o er reece , 1 .

”
J n l f A m i n F lk L
ou r a o er ca xv 2 o -
ore, . 0.

l bid x i v 2 7
. . 0 .
10 8 MAGI C AN D HUSBAN DRY

in g on their shoulders si lver images of the dra gon kin g to

bring on rain 81
Reptiles and beasts of the field were
.

gathered b y th e Ma y as in the month of Mac in honor ,

o f the Chacs the gods of the co rnfie lds and to secure rain
, ,

th ey were taken to the church or temple where the priests

were assembled each having a ju g of water by his side
,
.

A bundle o f wood with incense was burned as the hea rts

of th e v ictims were torn out and flu ng into the fl ames ,

a fter wI ich the ju g s were emptied in subduin g the fire

- .

T he Otomis of Michoacan sacrificed a vi r g in o n the top

of a hi gh hill to appease the anger of the rain gods whe n
the y wi thheld the showers In the ancient ci ty of Chiche n
.

l tza was an immense pit surrounded by a thick g rove A .

well of water was at the bottom of the pit with a ci rcular ,

stai rwa y cut in the rock descendin g to the ed ge of it An .

altar stood on the brink of the pit on which sacrifices were ,

made when the crops were threatened with dama ge be

cause o f lack of rain Tradition is that animals were
.

o ffered at first and in later times human bei ngs were low
,

ered into the well with reli g ious rites The bodies were .

a fterwards drawn up a nd bu ried inthe g rove .

T he cro ss was used by native Mexica ns as a symbol of

rain or of the winds which brou ght the rain Altars were
, .

erected in the form of a cross around the wells a nd water

sources I t was an emblem o f the god of the wi nds
. .

Ch a lshiu itliou e the sister of the rain gods bore in her

, ,

hands a cross shaped vessel A cross of lime a nd stone ten

-
.

spans in height was the centr a l figure o f the g reat temple

of Cozumel at which the Nahuas a nd M ayas praye d for
,

rain while o fferin g g i fts and sacrifices A n a ged India n .

was chosen in each villa g e amon g the natives of Ca lifo r

nia upon whom devolved the du ty of gettin g r a i n when
,

neede d a nd of procurin g favorable weather at the har

,

L f Ca th ay
o re o 66 , 1 .
1 10 MA G I C AN D H USBAN DRY

ci ty of Volsiniu m when the territo ry was o nce laid waste

by a monster and on one occasion b y Kin g Porsenn a
, .

According to L Piso it had frequently been done before

.
,

the time of Numa Tullius H ostiliu s attempted it but

.
,

faili ng to perform properl y the ceremonies he was him ,

self struck with li ghtnin g P l iny records these incidents .

,

but was appare ntly no t ove rconfident in the truth o f them ,

as he s a ys that opinions entertained depend upon the dis

positions o f di fferent pe 0 p 1e 35
The same writer says .

hailstorms whirlwi nds and lightnin g are scared a way by

, ,

a naked menstruous woman and a storm at sea ma y be ,

lulled by
Monks o f Iona in order to obtain a supp l y o f rain
, ,

thrice shook in the ai r the tunic in which thei r St Columba .

expired while at the same time they read from the

,

books which he wrote Abundance of rain fell and .

a luxuri a nt harvest followed as the biographer of St , .

A do m na nu s testifies from personal knowled g e having ,

been an eyewitness To secure rain a living a s a fter .

, ,

receiving the consecrated host was buried in the portal of ,

a church in Italy a nd a deluge follo wed ,

37
The Rev
e re nd John Batchelor describes a method of brin g in g rain
which was wi tness e d by himself amon g the Ainu A do g .
,

dre ss ed up in most fanta s tic fashion was led abou t the ,

garde n amidst music and l a ughter a nd a hea vy d o wnfa ll

, ,

of rain followed the same ni ght Other ceremonies o f th e .

Ai nu are mentioned A n appointed rain maker o ffere d .

prayers to the goddess of rivers and spri ngs a nd libatio ns ,

of wine were poured out and drank or a comp a ny of the m ,

marched to the river and e a ch man washed his t obacco box

and pipe in the running water T hey bri ng warm fine .
,

al Hi t y
N a tu r s or ,
I t. 53 .

“
Mid xxv ii i 3
. . 2 .

Da k S p ti ti
r er u e rs o ns of Sc tl a nd
o , 1 90 , 2 5 1 .
 M A K I N G TH E WEATHE R 111

weather by using co nvol vu lu s roo ts w h ich are spi tted and ,

pla ced near the fi re on th e hea rth “

A meth od used in .

Bengal to ma ke i t rain is to deluge the image of the god

Ru dra deva in t h e temple A ll the outlets are closed and .
,

hundreds or more Bra hm ans pour water over the image

ti ll it i s immersed up to th e ch in Whenth e water re ach es .

th at point it will always ra in i f th e cha rm work s favor

abl y Brahm ans sometimes stand in th e ri ver and recite
.

pra yers to th e go d Va runa I f this fai l s to bring good .

re su lts i t is attri b uted to a lack of piety in the o fli cia ting

,

B ra hm a ns ? o
Chil dren of the Roumanians sti ll thro w
clay images into the river to bring rain in a dry season .

In 1 894 two bo ys aged S ix and fou rte en th rew a c h i ld

» , ,

into the water and drowned i t for which th e elder was ,

sentence d to two yea rs imprisonm ent Th ey o ffered for ’

.

a de fense th e nece ssity o f i t Th e e ffects of the lack o f .

ra in were so great that the drought must be broken in some

wa y an d as th ey ha d no cl a y fi gu re to use th ey drowne d
,

the ch ild ‘0
.

A b ask etfu l o f mea l an d a pot o f b e e r a re o ffered b y

na tives o f La k e N y assa to th e supreme dei ty for ra in .

Th e m ea l is dropped by hand fuls by the p ri estess on the

"
ground as she cries : H ea r thou O God and send rain , , ,

w hi le th e a s sembled people clap th eir han ds and respond

”
softl y : H ea r thou O God , .

Am ong the Th ompson R iver Indians the G reat Chief ,

or as he was called the Old Man or the Big M y ste ry was

, , ,

believe d to be gi fted in magic above all others He was .

th e maker o f ra in and snow which descended f rom the ,

uppe r regions Wh en it ra ined they said he urinated

. .

The Cen tral Esk imo beli ev e ra in is the urine of a dei ty .

The A inu a nd the ir Pol k Lore-

, 3 34.

lk L
Po -
ore,
”
vo l ix
. . 2 7 8.

W h ip
ors of t
he M a ns, Pra nk G range r
"
, 1 56 .
I 12 M AG I C AN D HUSBAN DRY

The Ka m tch a tka ns think rain is th e urine o f Bilu tschi ,

one of th ei r gods and his geni i a fter voiding wh ich he , ,

puts on a new dress with frin ges o f red se al hai r and col
ored strips of leather and th ese represent th e original ,

rainbow “
.

The biblical sto ry o f E l ah and Ah ab is an interesting

42

study in connection with rain making ceremonies S ore -

.

famine had followed the scarcity of rain in Samaria The .

first verse in the chapter indicates that it was expected th at

rain would follow the visit of the prophet to th e rebel
lious and wicked Ahab To make the test of power pro .

posed by Elij a h the prophets of Baal were gathered at

Ca rmel The bullocks were slaughtered and piled upon
.

the wood The prophets danced upon the altar and cut
.
,

and slashed them selves and cried aloud in vain till the , ,

blood gushed from them a nd the hour for the even in g ,

sacrifice arrived T hen Elij ah took twelve stones built .

,

an altar leaving a trench about it to contain two measures

,

o f seed cu t his bullock in pieces a n

, d laid him on the wood ,

and poured upon it four barrels of water at three separate

times and the fire fe ll c onsumi ng the wood and stones and
, ,

dust licki ng up the water in the tr ench The ceremony

, .

was completed by taki ng the four hundred and fi fty humil

ia te d p rophets of Baal down to the brook Ki shon a nd
slau ghteri ng them and then Elij ah ann o u nced the sound ,
.

of abundance of rain Here we recog ni ze ma ny of the .

f a mili a r r a in m a k i ng cerem o nies of primitive p e ople the

-

world over The seed o fferi ng sym boli zed the harvest de
.

sired and so sorely needed ; by imitative or mimetic ma g ic

the drenchi ng w a ter would stimul a te a n outp o ur from the
he a ven s ; a nd fi nally the si ns on account o f which the r a in ,

Th m p o so n Riv er I ndia ns of B i ti h C l
r s bi a
o um ,
Ja m
es T ite , 10 9 ;
S ca ta lo g ic Ri te s ,
”
J . G Bou rke
.
, 2 70 .
“
1 Ki ng s xviii .
1 14 MAGI C AN D HUSBAN D RY

of sorcerers called the Tem pe sta rn were employed by the

people of a re g ion known as Ma gonia to bring on storms
which injured the crops and that the crops so i njured by ,

storm and hail were carried to the Ma go nia ns in ships

that came in the clouds At one time three men and a .

woman who were said to have fallen from one o f the ships
,

of the Ma gonia ns were sei zed and carried in ch a ins b e

,

fore an assembly of the people who condemned them to ,

be stoned to death from which fate they were onl y saved

,

by the intercession of the Archbishop The storm s raised .

by these Te m p e sta rii could be cou nteracted by employin g

certain practitioners who accepted a s a r ecompense there
,

for a certain percent a ge of the crops which they saved “

.

Sometimes the Chinese when the supply of rain was ,

deficient in th ei r o wn di strict went into another locali ty , ,

presumably one more favored and borrowed a god tem ,

p o ra rily which, was returned with honors i f th e desi red

e ffect had been accomplished otherwise he mi ght be le ft ,

a while in the sun to admonish him to do his du ty Per .

haps a bunch of willows w a s th rust into his hand as an

emblem of moisture to remi nd him o f what was needed .

In certain m onths when the rain fall is due prayers are ,

o ffered which are supposed to become e ffect i ve withi n a

certain limit o f time durin g which the umb rella is u nder
,

a ban a nd at such perio ds fo rei gners have sometimes been

,

ill treated for c a rryin g o ne

-
.

Ki ngs in e a rly times supposed to be divi ne or s emi

,

divi ne person a ges had to share with deities respo nsib ili
,

ties fo r the condition of the we a ther They we re some .

times b e a t e n to comp e l them to brin g a de s i red cha nge in

it when co a xin g and rich pre s e nts f a iled to a ccompli s h it
, .

In some p a rts o f We st A frica they bi nd th e ki ng with

rop e s a nd march him to the graves of his f a thers or the y ,

HI I J f th I nq i i ti n III 4 5
as “
O
'

S OI e u s o 8
'
.
, .
 M AKIN G THE W EATH E R 1 15

strip him of his property a nd banish or k ill him i f the

crops fail or showers fai l to come as has been known to
, ,

be done in Korea " I s th ere not in the wa y s of modern

.
,

times a perceptible reflectio n of this primitive custom in

, ,

countries where the people to a considerable extent enjoy , ,

the privile g e of su ffrage wh e n the pa rty in power is ,

always char g ed with being responsible for hard times re

s u ltin g fro m agricultural depr ession which follows a fail
ure of the crops ? T he reverse is equally noticeable for ,

prosperi ty is al way s said to be th e res u lt of bene ficent rule

when a favorable se a son brin gs plenty to the land .

S eamen in a storm have been known to punish or ill

treat the ima ge of St James Whi rlwinds have been . .

ascribed to divine semi divine and diabolical bein gs One

,
-
, .

of the E dda le gends attributes all winds to a giant in the

S hape of an ea g l e who sits a t th e end of hea v e n When he .

fl aps his win gs the winds rise under th em M r M artin . .

,

writin g about 1 7 I 6 speaks of a former custom of han gin g

,

a he goat to the mast of a bo a t to secure a favorable wind

-
,

and adds th a t the custom h a d been discontinued thirteen

y ears before his visit Sh e tl a nd seam e n bu y winds of the
.

old woman who rules the storms Wi zards of Lapland .

tie up the wind in knots and the more knots are loos e d the ,

stronger it blows It is to this practice that Shakespeare

.

re f e rs wh e n he writ e s in
. M a cbeth of the witches u n
tyi ng the wi nds \Vitch e s o f Norw a y ti e d winds and fo u l
.

weather up in a ba g and a t the proper mome nt let them,

”
out c ryi ng
, wind in the devil s n a me and a storm
,
“ ’
,

w ould rush out laying the l a nd w a s te and overturnin g

,

ships at sea E sthonians thou ght a wind could be ge ner

.

ated by han g in g up a snake B y se ttin g an a x upri g ht .

it could be turn e d in the di rection you wished it to blow .

An old woman a t Ba m b o rg a ppeased the hunger of the

T h G ld n B gh
e o i 57e ou ,
. 1 .
1 16 MAGI C AN D HUSBAN D RY

wind when it wa s ragin g wildly by emptying her meal sack ,

out o f the window into the ai r and exclaimin g Dea r ,

”
wind don t be so wild ; take that home to your child
,
’
.

[Eolus g ave to Odysseus a wallet made of the hide of an

”
ox nine seasons old in which he bound the ways of all ,
”
the noisy winds and he made the wallet fast in the hold
,

o f the ship with a shinin g si lver thong so that not the

, ,

faintest breath might escape Then he sent forth the bla s t .

of the west wind to sta rt them on thei r wa y To get a .

fai r wind fishermen in the north of Galway buried a fowl

,

in the sand of the seashore turnin g its head to the point ,

from wh ich the adverse wind blew The fo wl was left to .

perish To procure a fai r wind in the I sland of Inish

.

g lo ra a black h e n used to be buried alive with its wings ,

spread out ; and Kin g Eric of Swede n with his enchanted ,

cap and some magical murmur of whisperin g terms ,

could comma nd the a é ria l sp IrI ts to trouble the ai r and

make the wind stand which way he would “
.

Ra in makers of Southe rn Po lyn es ia employ human

bones to compel the clouds Amon g some peoples the .

name of the dead must not be mentioned at all times

b e cause it was a vital part of a man and to mention it ,

mi ght be the mea ns of puttin g power of doi ng an inju ry

into the hands of an e nemy or sorcerers T he names of , .

deities i f mentioned mi g ht cause dis tressi ng occu rre nces

, ,

in nature The sacred books of the Mo ngols in which are

.
,

recounted the glorious de e ds of diviniti e s may only be ,

read in sprin g and summer as at other seas o ns th e readi ng ,

mi ght cau se tempest or snow The intimate a ssociation .

of frogs a nd toads with sprin gs and wet places h a s prob

ably led to the belief th a t they controlle d the fa ll o f ra i n .

TMyth l gy 6 3 3 6 3 6 7 67 87 ; Pi nk
e u toni c o o , , , ,
10 e rto ns ’
Voya g
e s,

iii 74 6 ; T a
.
, f th Eld
10 F ai th f I la nd
r ce s o “I e er s o re ,
. G . “foo d Ma ti n
-
r ,

i 3 5 ; Ody y x 9 ; Ma b th i v i 52
. 0 sse ,
. 1 c e ,
. . .
1 18 MAGI C A N D HUSBAN D RY

winter solstices when the y meet with thei r fami lies

, .

Thei r meeti ngs are held upon the bald hills and some ,

times upo nth e th reshing floors and at them special e f forts,

are made to steal the sun and dew and even th e moon
and stars .

An old writer has dwel t upon the continued a ntipathy

of the she ep and the wolf a fter death Fo r i f there .

be put upon a harp says he or a ny such like instrument

, ,

stri ngs made o f the intra illes of a shee p e and amongst

them only one made of the intra ille s of a wolfe be the ,

musician never so cunnin g in skill yet can he not recon ,

cile them to an uni ty and concorde of sounds so discord ,

” 5‘
in g always is th at strin g o f the wolfe In like manner .

it is an old belief and still exists that certain classes of

, ,

persons a fter th ey are dead still continue to anta goni ze

, ,

and inj ure the living As vampi res they come forth from
.

thei r g raves and wander around Th ey bring drou ght .

upon the land by sucking the water from the clouds Su i .

ci de s witches and victims of suddendeath and those who

, , ,

die impenitent and without extreme unction are sti ll

rega rded in some Oriental countries as to be feared le s t
they become rovin g vampires when dead Various .

methods are recorded for compelling the vampire to re

main in his grave a nd so avoid brin g ing drou g ht and pesti
lences They bu ry the body face do wnwa rds and d rive an
.

ash stake through the back in Russia and in Poland a nd ,

East Prussia they wrap the co rp s e in a fish net and cover i t

with poppies Sometimes the h ea d is severed and placed
.

where th e feet are expected to be T he Russian penal .

code forbids opening g raves and mutilating c o rpses for

the purpose of preve nti ng them from becoming vampires .

The law a gainst it attests the fact of the practice A .

pea s a nt han g ed himsel f in the villa ge of Ivanovka in

Na t a l H i t y L
ur nd L g nd Edwa d H l m
s or
"
o re a e
59 e , r u e, 1 .
 M A KI N G TH E W EATHE R 1 19

1887 , a nd soon a fter th e people o f the province be g an to

su fi e r f rom a drough t Assuming a conn ection b etween
.

the suicide and the dry season the y asse mbled at the ,

u n h allowed grave and b y ma g ic soug h t to produce rain .

“
As they po ured out water upon th e grave they cried I , ,

sprink le I pour ; ma y God send a shower bring on a li ttle

, ,
”
rainfall and relieve us from misery The prayer of th e .

supplic a nt not brin g ing a sati sfactory result th e body of ,

the sel f m urderer was ta k en up and b uried in a gorge ou t

-

side the village In som e ca ses the corpse is disinterred

.

an d b eaten on th e h ead and drench ed with water poured

“
th rou g h a si ev e or burned , .

A s re lics of th e dead h ave b een so extensive l y identi fi ed

as potent agents in ceremonies for controlling t h e atmos
p h e ric condi tions i t i s not ,suprising i f we find cu s toms and
beliefs yet ex istin g incivili zed communities w h ic h strongly
su ggest th at th ei r origin has spr un g from th is belief ; and
from such a source it ma y be has sprung th e fa m ila r
, ,

practice in some pa rts of Pennsy l vani a and New York of

, ,

fo rte lling the cha racter of the comin g winter b y ins pecting
the b reastbone o f a goo se killed in November when dark ,

stains o n th e surface indicate a bitte r winter but i f th e ,

bone is white a nd clean an open w inter i s assured .

”
R ece nt e vi dence has been fu rnished of the sti ll pre v
alent beli e f among the peasantry of t h e B u kow ina
,

P ro v ince of A ustria Hun ga ry that when pu b l ic pray ers

-
,

fai l to break up a d rou ght as a l ast resort a corpse wi ll

,

e fl ect it i f dug up at midnigh t

,
— a suicide s for choic e — and ’

fl ung into th e river or in the absence of an y ri v er it

, .

ma y be tosse d into the ne a rest pit I n th e y ea r 190 1 .

pu b lic pra y e rs were tried in vai n to br in g to a n en d th e

drough t f ro m which th e y were se riou s l y s u fferi ng a nd ,

E P Evan s in P p l S i n N a b ly liv
“
. . . o u ar c e3 ce ot ,
. 21 .

New Y rk Ti m oJ ly e r.90 u 13 , 1 1.
1 20 M A GI C AN D HUSBAN DRY

th e inh abitan ts of Kurumar a vi llage near Cernowitz du g

, ,

up a body from a cemete ry and with ceremonies accordin g

,

to the pres cribed formulas pitched it into the Pruth

, ,

wh ere instead of sinking it was tossed about until the

, ,

attention of the public authorities was called to it and an

inqui ry begun which led to prosecutions It is said the
.

v illagers refused to recogni ze an y improprie ty in thei r act ,

and as rain actually fell within the next two days th e y,

probably continue to believ e that it was the result of thei r

charm .
12 2 MA G I C AN D HUSBAN DRY

That th e so called chan ges in the moon cause the

-

chan ges in the weather is a b e li e f which has come down ,

from remot e antiquity and is the child of a s trolo gy and ,

moo n worship It is s till acceptable to the masses

. .

That educated people says Profes so r Tylor to whom , ,

exact weath e r records are accessible should still find sa tis ,

faction in the fanci ful lunar rule is an intere s ting case of ,

”3
int e lle ctual survival .

St Au gustine thou ght is was a great o ffe n se for a man

.

to observe the time and co urs e o f th e moo nin plantin g and

sowin g as no ne put trust in them but those that worship
,

the moon but the persistent use o f many familiar sayin gs

,

and proverb s in which are embodied the w e a ther lor e of -

the moon indicate that they have made a d eeper impres

sion onthe minds of the p e0 p 1e than the voice o f the saint .

A hazy ci rcle round the moon is still re gard ed as pro g

nos tica ting rai n I f the circle be wide and some distance
.

away the rain will be delayed and i f close to the moon s

, ,
’

disc it will foll o w soon The number of stars in the circle

, .

is supposed to determine the number of days before the

storm will come Tusser wrote of the moon at fu ll : .

If r
g e at sh e app a th it h w th
e re , s o e re ou t,

If s m all s he app a th it i gni fi d

e re , s es rou g ht
.
”

Scotch fa rmers have a sayin g that , ,

I f theh w li k a il v h i ld
m oon s o s e s er s e ,

Y n d n t b af a i d t
ou ee ap y fi ld o e r o re ou r e

B t if h
u i h al d nd s e r se s oe rou ,

S n w ll t ad n d l g d g nd
oo e
’
re o e u e rou .

S ailors say that a bi g star is do g ging the moon when

a lar g e s tar or planet is s e en n e ar the moon I t is a s i g n .

th a t th reatens stormy weather When the moon dogs .

P i mi ti v C l t
r i 3e u u re ,
”
. 1 0.
LUNA R AN D PLANETARY IN FLUEN CE 123

are out a nd the moon is surrounded by a halo with wate ry

clouds a chan ge in th e w e ath e r is immin ent
, .

If i
m st s
’
in th e ne w m oon, r ai n in th e old
‘

I f mi in th e o ld, r ai n in th ne w moon
’
st s e .

An old proverb says there will be as many floods a fter

M ichaelmas Day as the moon is days old at that time .

The day o f the week on which an apparent chan ge in

the moon takes place is al so credited by the credulous with
d e termini ng to consid e ra ble ext ent the charact e r of the
weathe r to follow An E ng li s h w e ather saw sa y s
.

Sa t da y ur
’
s ne w a nd u nS day f l l ’
s u

N v we er as goo d and neve r w ll u .

”

A new moon on Monday or moo n day is rega rded a s , ,

al w ays f a vor a ble and a s ign of fai r weather A new

, .

m o on o n Friday is looked upon with less confidence .

“
The Scotch say when the new moon lies sai r on her
back it is a sure si gn of b a d w ea ther and i f the new ,

moon appears with th e old moon in h e r arms we l e arn ,

from the fa m ou s o ld ballad of Si r Patrick Spence what

m a y be exp e c ted
0 y n
sa m y m a t d ia sa e, s er e r,

F orI f i a d dli t m e r ea e s or e.

L t l t y t n I w th n w m n
a e, a e e s re e sa e e oo e

\V i th a ld m n in h i a m
’
e u oo e r r e

A nd I f i I f i my d i m a t
e r, e r, e r s e r,

Th t w will m t h a m
a e co e o r e.
”

The wri te r h a s o fte n h e ard in Centr a l New York the , ,

b e li e f expre ss e d in a ll s i nceri ty th a t a fall of sn ow comin g

in the new o fth e moon w a s mor e likely to remain maki ng ,

more probabl e a lon g run o f sl e i g hin g The poet Vir g il .

has g iv en th e port en t o fappearanc e s of the moon and other

cel e s ti a l bo di es wh ich is prob a bly to be accepted as the
b e li e f pr e v a lent a m o ng th e Ro m a ns two thousa nd yea rs
124 M AG I C A N D HUSBAN DRY

ago A dark ened new moon beto kened rain ; a red wind ;
. ,

and i f the moon was clear and bright on the fourth ni ght
of its appearance the weather would be f a i r for the fol
,

lowing days of the month I f the sun rose spotted . ,

showin g only the center of his orb it portended rain If , .

his rays were pa rted or i f the dawn was pale hail was
, ,

threatened I f the sun was of a bluish color at setti ng it

. ,

indicated rain ; i f red wind ; i f spotted rain and wind I f

, ,
.

bright at rising and settin g there would be clear weather ,

accompanied with a northerly wind ‘

.

The Floralia the Roman festival of fl owers was held

, ,

Ap ril 2 8th and continued four da y s That the cere

, .

monies would tend to bring on a more favorable season

for the fl owers was probably believed to some extent at ,

least ; but i f the period of the festival was at the time of

a full moon great inju ry was feared from it A full
,
.

m oo n was li k ewise undesirable at the feast of the vines ,

th e Vinalia A full moon at these times was especially

.

re g arded with disfavor i f the nights were clear and the ai r

was still The no x ious influence of the full moo n mi ght
.

sometimes be ave rted by buildin g a bonfire in the fields ,

or three crabs were burned alive on the trees upon which

the vines were trained Pliny gives Varro as authority .

for the use of a painted g rape which had been co n s ecr a ted ,

to protect the vineyard from the evi l e fl ects of unfa vor a bl e

atmospheric conditions Pliny thou ght that te m p e sts took
.

thei r rise in certain noxious co nstellatio ns a s Arctu ru s , .

Orion and the Kids and that when sto rms t a ke place
, ,

at the full moon they have additional int ensity The .

influence of the moon in destroyin g ve g etation is account e d

for in this way : emanations from the M ilky Way supply
the milky nutriment o f all ve ge tables a nd the influenc e o f ,

the constellation Sa g itta rius and of Gemi ni develops it self

G g i i 42 7
eo r cs, . .
12 6 M A G I C AND H USBAN D RY
of the latter was cons idered less mali gnant than that of
Satu rn Mars was likened to a bu rning fever while Sat
.
,

urn has been compared to a lingerin g and fatal consu m p

tion T ennyson said that Mars glowed like a ruddy
.

” ’
shield on the lion s hea rt .

Anciently and to a comparatively recent p eriod in

,

modern history astrology was recogni zed as a science

,

worthy of serious a ttention Belief in the in fl uence of .

stars and planets and the difl e rent phases of the moon
upon ve g etation i s probably to be traced to this source ,

and springs primarily from the worship of the heavenly

bodies as deities whe n they were thou ght to grant or with
,

hold the supplies of food for men a nd beasts accordin g ly

as they were favorably disposed towards them or ang ry ,

with them B rand quotes from Hall s Virgidem ia rum :

.
’

Th da mn d M k A t a nd th b a i n i k tal
ou e oc -
r , ou r -
s c e

O f ld A t l g i
o s ro o e

S m d ti ng g ip m ng t th C h ald w ive
o e o oss
’
o s e ee s

D i d t th o d l w ld th fi t d iv ;
e cre u ou s or ee rs er e

A nd S p ti ti n n
u d th v
e rs o n u rse ee e e r se oe ,

A nd p b li h t in p f nd
u s a t p tn ; ro ou er rs re e ce

Th a t n w w h pa h i n il
o ,
o lib h wi n
re s s a es, or s 1s s e,

B t h m t fi t ta k
u e us n ll f th i gn
rs e cou se o e s e.

P robably in all ru ral districts however the moon is , ,

sti ll more or less looked to by the husbandman for favor

able si gns in his agricultural operations Predictions o f .

th e weather are founded on the moon s chan g es I t is a ’

.

matter of not infrequent discussion among them The .

writer has often conversed with practical fa rmers in rela

tion to it and heard them relate thei r personal experience
,

con fi rming thei r belief in the importance of conformin g

to the old traditions He has been assured by tillers o f
.

the soil gray with the e xperience of many years that thei r
buckwheat always filled better i f it had come to bloom in
the period when th e moon was waxing to its full a nd lis ,
LUNA R AN D P LA NETARY I N FLU ENCE 12 7

t ened to th e tales of others with l es s fait h w h o neve rthe , ,

less con fesse d to havin g e x perim ented for thems elves and
, , ,

having planted a portion of a field in the new of the m oo n

and the rest o f it in th e full believed themselves q ualified ,

to spea k with authority upon the subj ect W ith others .

,

w ho had long since pa s sed from the condition of credulity

necessa ry to an acceptance of th is anci ent su rv ival as a
wor king theory it is a no less ma tter o f freq uent conversa
,

tion and comm ent sometim es of jocu lar rema rks and ridi
,
o

cu l e bu t this very fact too i s evi dence of th e vital h old the

, , ,

belief once h ad upon th e minds of men in more p rimitive

time w h en moon and sta rs were th ought to h a v e such
’

influ ence u pon our da ily li ves .

Of the infl u ence o f the moon upon t h ings te rres

tria l as t h e astrologers taught Buti quoting from Albu
, , ,

m a sa r says , T he moon is co ld moist and phlegmatic , , ,

so m etimes wa rm and g ives li ghtness aptitude in all

, ,

th i ngs desi re o f jo y o f b eauty and of p rai se b e ginning

, , , ,

o f all works knowled g e o f the rich and noble p ros peri ty

, ,

in li fe a qu is itio n o f things desi red devotion i n faith

, , ,

su pe rior s ciences multitude o f t h ough ts necromancy

, , ,

a cu teness of m ind i n thin gs geom et ry knowled ge of lands , ,

an d wa ters and thei r meas u re and number wea kne ss o f ,

th e sentiments noble wom en ma rria ges pregnancies

, , , .

nursings embass ies fal sehoods accusations ; th e bein g lord

, , ,

am o ng lords servant among se rvants and con formity

, ,

with ev ery man of li k e nature oblivion thereo f timid of , , ,

ample heart fl attering honorable towards men useful to

, , ,

th em not betraying secrets a multitude o f infi rm ities and

, , ,

th e ca re of healin g bodies cuttin g hai r liberali ty of food , , ,

”
ch a sti ty a nd of th ese in fl uences the wise man follow s
,

the good a nd lea ves th e b ad : thou gh all a re good and

ne cess a ry to the li fe of the univers e .

’
L ngf ll w D ant nt t a nt i ii f Pa radi
o e o
'
s
"
e, o e o c o . o
“
se .
12 8 M AGI C AN D HU S BAN D R Y

The moveme nts and positions of the planets and sta rs

were carefully studi e d by the ancient Babyloni a ns I t wa s .

deemed of the utmost importa nce by them A lar ge por .

tion of the libra ry of A shu rb a na b a l which has been re ,

ce n tly excavated was devoted to the expl a n a tion of th e

,

portents of the varying ph e nomena of the h e avens and ,

thei r in fl uence upon the wel fare of the p e 0 p 1e the p ro s ,

p e rity of the count ry and upo n a g ricul ture By,such .

observations they believed thems e lves to b e b e st prepare d

to counteract un favorable conditions The a pp e arance o f .

the new moon e ach mon th was c a re fully watch e d for and
observed a nd duly reported to the proper o ffi cials The .

time whe n it was first discerned w a s r e cord e d and the ,

kin g was in formed o f it Of speci a l si gni ficance was the .

a nnouncement of an eclipse One of their o ffi cial reports .

re a ds

T th A g i l t i t my l d
o e r cu ur s ,
or ,

Thy v ant N b h h m iddin

se r a us u ,

A n ffi f Ni n v h
o ce r o e e ,

May Nab nd Ma d k b g a i u a r u e r c ou s

T th A g i l t i t my l d
o e r cu urs , or .

Th f t n th da y w
e k pt a wa t h
ou r ee m n e e c oo .

T h m n ff d n lip
“
e oo su e re a ec se .

One of the tablets records the appeara nce of the sun

and moon at the same time o n the fo u rt e e nth da y o f th e
mon th and the prediction that the go ds o f B a byloni a
,

were favorably inclin e d and The c a ttle o f B a bylo ni a ,

“

”9
will pastu re in sa fe ty Th e moon b e in g se e n out o f
.

season mi g ht portend a failur e of the ha r ve st a nd b e in g ,

thus forewarn e d they were prepared to make an e fl o rt to

,

fores tall the future and escape the dreaded cons e qu e nce s .

Th e time of the app e a ra nce and disapp ea ra nc e o f th e

plan e t Venus as an ev enin g s tar was g iv e n S peci a l promi
R li g i n f Baby l ni a nd A y i a M i j a t w 3 57
e o o
"
o a ss r , orr s s ro .

l b id 3 5 9
'
.
13 0 M AG I C A N D HUSBAN DRY

se rve d that the prece pt was a nnu a lly g iv e n in his day in

a lm an a cs th a t h o g s should b e kill e d wh e n th e moon was
,

i ncre a s i ng fo r th e n th e baco n woul d prove th e b e tter in

,

boili ng Old w ri te rs s a y that s h ee p shoul d b e sh e ar e d in

.

th e i n cre a se a nd timb e r cut a t the full but woo d fo r fu e l

, ,

inthe fi rs t qu a rte r Cat tl e mu s t be g e l de d w h e nth e moon

.

is in A ri e s S a g itta riu s or C a pricorn S e tti ng sowi ng

, , .
, ,

g r a fti ng a n d p la
, nti ng wer e a dvi s e d wh e n th e m oo n w a s in
T a u ru s Vi rgo o r C a prico rn I na wo rk w ri tte nin 1 6 3 7
, , .
,

th e r e a s o n g ive n fo r g e l di n g ca ttl e a nd g a theri ng f rui t in

th e wa n i ng m o o n w a s b e cau s e in th a t s e a so n bodies “

h a v e l e ss e humour a nd h e a te by which an inna te d putre ,

faction is wont to m a ke them faulty a nd u nsound A

writer in 1 6 6 1 says that fo a ls got in the wa ne of th e moo n
are in ferior Grimm recor ds a s a yin g th a t c a ttl e bor nor
.

wean e d in a w a nin g moo n are not good fo r br e e din g .

Tho s e we a n e d in the waxin g li ght h a ve a bett e r ch a nc e fo r

g rowi ng Weaned in the wane th e y g row thin a nd l e a n
.
,
.

G ra ss is not to b e cut at the new but a t th e full moo n th a t , ,

it may dry quickly Bamboo planks cu t a t the new m o o n .

last te n years but cut at the full rot wi thin th e y e a r

, , .

Fru its th a t g row above g round a re to b e sown in th e w a x

'

in g moon those under g round in th e w a nin g

,
3
.
1

I n a n al m a na c o f 1 6 6 1 th e n e ce ss ity o f ob s e rvin g th e
prop e r p e rio d of the moon in cultivation is shown in th e
followin g passa ge
I f any corn seed or plant b e eith e r set or sown wi thi n
,

six hours ei th e r before or a fte r th e full moon in sum m e r ,

or b e fore the ne w m o on inw i nt e r h a vi ng j o i ne d w i th th e ,

cos mic a l rising of Arc turus a nd O rio n the H a e di a nd th e ,

Siculi it is subj e c t to bl a stin g a nd

,

A w rite r in th e Lo n don S pe cta to r re fe rs to the commo n

B ra n d , 6 58 ; G ri m m , 7 1 3 , 7 1 5, 1 80 8
.

Ma g 1c of the H o se S
r -
h "
oe , 1 8.
L U N A R A N D P LA N E TA R Y I N FL U E N CE 13 1

belief that cabba ges must be sown the first or second day
a fter the full moon or the plants when grown will run to
,

seed and have no hea rt .

In a work b y Si r Hu g h Plat in 1 660 it is said to be , ,

well to sow p e as at the full moon or three days be fo re and ,

till ei ght da y s a fter Onions must be sowed th e nearer

.

the full the better and within e i g ht da y s a fter at the

,

farthest Sow your cole flowe r at the April full says

.
,

he He g ives it as a commonly accepted opinion of his

.

time that those seeds you wi s h to brin g lar ge roots and not
seed should be so wed in the wane and those you wish to go ,

to seed a g ain should be sowed in the incr e ase 15

Pliny .

thou ght garlic and beans mi ght be sowed in the wane of

the moon The latter he said Pythagoras condemned
.
, ,

because they contained the souls of the dead and Plutarch ,

says the E gypti a n priests rejected the former because it is

the only plant that g rows and flourishes wh ile the m oo n
is on the wane 16
We find Tusser in the century before
.
,

Th e Gard e n o f Ed en was written following th e teach ,

ing of Pliny in his verse

w p a n nd b a n in th wa n f th m n
So e e so a e s e e o e oo e,

Wh w th th m n h w th t
o so e e n;
soo e r, e so e oo sco e

Th a t th y w i th th pla n t m y r t nd i
e , e e ,
a es a r se ,

And fl i h w i th b a i ng m t p l nti f l w i e
ou r s e r , os e u s .

Two centuries later in Tusser Redivi vus ,

th e r e ason assigned for it is that peas and beans sown

du rin g the incre ase run more to hawn and straw and so wn ,

durin g the declension more to cod according to the

, ,
”
common cons ent of count ry men .

Th e moon in the wa n g a the, er f it fo

ru r to la ts ,
”

says Tusse r ,

T h G a d n f Ed n
“
e r e 6 o e , 10 .

Na t al H i t y
ur xviii ; I i
s or , s s a nd O si ris ,
ii
v i .
13 2 M AG I C A N D HUSBAN DRY

But w int f it ga th w h
er ru er e nM ihl
c e is pa ts .
”

The traditional influence of the moon upon vegetatio n

and the n ecessi ty of observin g the pro per lunar peri o d in
putting the seed into the g round is voiced by Keats in the ,

rhapsod y of E dym ion who exclaims ,

I n so w i ng ti m e n r w ld I d ibb l tak
-
’
e e ou e e,

Or d p a d ti ll tho wa t w i d awa k
ro see , u s e e.
”

The cobs from which the corn for the S pring planting has
been shelled are buried with formal ceremonies by some
o f th e southern negroes The cobs are carefully gath .

ered up and carried to a running stream and buried beneath

its bed This will save the fields from drouth or fire and
.
,

be a sa fegu ard against thi eves and prowlin g stock but the ,

ceremony must take place in the growing moon .

Natives of Nicara gua selected the finest grains o f the

seed and exposed it to the moonli g ht four ni g hts before
”
be g innin g to plant the caca o The day of the full moon .

and the third day a fter no farm w o rk is done by the natives

of Sarawak or the paddy will blight and mildew
,
18
Hot .

ten tots dance before the m oon and practice all sorts of ,

bodily contortions crying out at her appeara nce

, I
salute you you are welcome Grant us fodder for our
, .

cattle and mi lk in
In th e folk lore of southern Kentucky they say fru it is
-
,

never kill ed during the li ght of the moon and th a t potatoes ,

must be planted in the dark of the moon a nd all ve getables

that ripen in the ground but corn must be planted in the ,

light of the moon Posts of a rail fe nce will they say

.
, ,

sink into the ground i f not set in the dark of the moo n .

A house should be shingled in the dark of the moon or the ,

N a ti v R a
e ce s,
7 0 11. 1 .

N a ti v
es o f S a awa k nd N th B i ti h B n
r ae i 4 or r s or o, . 0 1.

M nL
oo o re , T Ha l y 6
”
. re , 11 .
13 4 MAG I C AN D H USBAN DRY

wide custom of primitive people of naming months or

moons of the year a fte r that na tu ra l p rodu ct which by its , ,

abundance or usefuln ess emphasi zes it se lf for the tim e ,

bein g above all o ther products In the Oj ibwa lan guag e .

the September moon is called the moon of th e gathering

of wild rice The same was characteristic of oth e r
American Indian tribes Two moons correspondin g to .

September and October in the Dako ta lan gu a ge rec e ived

”
their names from wild rice In I roquois and Ch e r o .

k ee myth the ori g in of the M ilky Way is traced to corn

meal which do gs dropped from thei r mouths as they ran ,

and left a milky trail across th e sky 24

.

A g ain and a g ain the moon and th e sta rs are re ferred

to in the old poet ry of th e Gree k s as signs for agricultural
ists in their labors .

Wh e b n ath th ki n m ni ng b ink
n e e e s es o or
'
s r

T h Pl iad Hy ad
e e nd O i n i nk ;
s, s, a ro s

Kn w th n th pl wi ng nd th
o e d ti m n a
e o a e see e e r

Wh n S i i nd O i n th m id ky
e r us a ro e -
s

A nd nd n A t
sce , a l k f m hi gh
o rc u ru s oo s ro

Th i ng d m n th v i nta g
y f
e ros -
all
er
’
or , e e c s.

Wh n fi t Oi n b my t ngth i b r
o j j

e rs ro n ’
s ea s re s o ,

L t th n th y la b
e e th a h th a d n o re rs r s e s cre co r .

i
N ne tee nth Annu al Rp e ort of the B u re a u of Ame rica n Ethnology , 2 5 9,

10 89
.

"He si ’ W Day El t n anl a ti

I
od s orks a nd s, o
’
s tr s on .
 CHA PTE R VI I I

P ROTECTI N G TH E H E RDS
B li f th a t l d m n l ng g
e e s ru e a o a o

“l ith in a ti n ftti m h w
ou r c o s o es s o

T h h a b it f p i m v al da y
e s o r e s

S ti ll l b t m d n wa v
c ose e se ou r o er s

A nd th g h t wou n w i th b a tf l p ri de
s e sco r o s u ,

Our s e tp n n i
s, u g idco sc ou s u e.
”

T H E phenomena which impress t h emse l ves most forc

"
ib ly on the mind of the savage says the historian Lecky , ,

are not those which enter mani festly into the sequence of
natural law a nd which are productive of most bene ficial
e fl e cts
, but those which a re di sa strous and apparently
” 2
abnormal . At a time whe n it was almost univers a lly
believ e d that one of the ordinary occupations of witche s
and evil spirits was to sti r up hailstorms and tempests ,

brin g i ng destruction upon certain localities and leavin g

’
others in clo s e proximity untouched ruining one man s ,

field and leavin g u nsc a thed his nei ghbor s what more ’
,

lo g ical conclusion than that th e r even geful hand o f some

diabolical a g e nt was respo nsible fo r such un fai r parti ality ?
I f fear that harm would come to his crop from such
sources wa s ever presen t with th e cultivator of the land ,

it was doubly so to him who w a s g iv en the care and over

sight o f flocks and herds Any mal form ation of the .

youn g or un fortunate ci rcumstance attending thei r grow th

,

and a fter li fe even d e ath its e l f point e d to the magicia n

, ,

H ny Ph illip i
e r s, r,
. in J ou r a l o n f Ame rica n F olk- Lore, vol . iii .

R ati nali m in E
o s u ro e , p ”
i .
41 .
13 6 M AG I C A N D HUSBAN DRY

or witch as the source of it To find means to ci rcumve nt .

these powers and undo thei r work or guard a g ainst it , ,

was p raisewo rth y This we cannot deny however much

.
,

th e mind staggers at the magni tude of thei r creduli ty in

some of the meth ods recorded in the works devoted to th e
subject in th e Middle A ges and lat e r centuries In one .

of the most noted and perhaps infamous works o f this

, ,

character the M alleus M a lifica ru m published in 14 89

,
”
, ,

was formulated in detail the doctri ne of witchcra ft It .

was also a code of procedure against witch es Its th re e .

”
principal parts were : Things that pertain to Witchcra ft ,

” “
T he E ffects Of Witchcraft and The Remedi es for ,
”
Witchcraft One of the k inds of witches describ e d
.

therein one of the principal subdivisions of them has the

, ,

prerogative of possessing the power of makin g thunder

and lightning and hail and hurtful weather a nd raisin g
,

tempests To another cla ss is given the faculty of causin g

.

ba rrenness in man woman and beast , these can make ,

horses k ick till the y cast thei r riders these can

with thei r looks kill either man or beast The y can stay .

the progress of the day or the night T hei r loo k kills a .

lamb but fortunately the remedy is pre scribed The e fl ect

, .

ma y be counteracted or prevented by sayin g M i randa

”
ca n unt fed non credenda p e t sa
, A bewitched beast mi ght .

be cured with h oly water thou g h the beast was not to be

,

sprin kled with the water but have it tu rned i nto its mou th
, .

Another cure for a beast So a ffl icted was the sayin g o f

th ree pa ter nos ters and three caves a nd the exh ibit of three
cros ses or at Easter take drops of the hol y paschal candle
, , ,

that lie uppermost a nd make a wax candle of them

, .

Light it on Sunday mo rning and hold it so that it wi ll

drop upon and between th e horns and ears o f the beast
which is under the spell of the witch me a nwhile sayin g ,
“ ”
in nomine filii duplex Then burn the beast a little
.
13 s M AG I C A N D HUSBAN DRY

stuck a kn i fe in an oa k en pos t hun g a strin g on it , ,

and made the mi lk flow out of the strin g or drove an ,

ax into the door pos t and took milk out of the helve .

They drew milk out of a spindle and out of a suspende d

handkerchief They turned good milk blue and watery or
.
,

made it the c ol o r of blood or they bewitched it so that i t

,

brought no butter though by whippin g the milk in the pot

,

o r stirring it with a sic kle the cut of the lash or sic kle m a de

the witch dance They made the cattle poor by strippi ng

.

th e dew from the grass which they carried to th e ir own

,

pastu res They made the herds sick by conj urin g into thei r
.

bones caterpilla rs and beetles the witches elves It m a y ,

’
.

be su ggested in passing that the probable origin of these

witches elves which were conj ured into the bones were the
’

fl ies from whose eggs deposited in the b a ck of the animal

,

as a chosen breedin g place sprang the larv a: desi gnated

,

as caterpillars and beetles and commonly known as g rubs

, .

To guard a g ainst these witches holy stones were hun g ,

at the heads of horses in the stable or an elder was pl a nted ,

before the stable door Branches of the e lsb e e r tre e hun g

.

over the stable on Walpurgis ni ght kept out the flyin g

dra gon Red rags were tied round the cows t a i ls the
.
’

first time they were driven to the pastu re in the sprin g a s

a preventive of bewitchment or a bear shut in the cows ,
’

s table during the ni g ht prev ented the witch from g ettin g

any hold on the cattle for the bea r scratched out the stu ff
,

that held the ma g ic When the Esthonians drove th e i r

.

cattle out first for the year they buried e ggs under the
threshold which the cattle must p a ss over and th a t would
ensure them sa fety I n the S a a lfie ld country when th e
.
,

cattle were first driven out a xes saws a nd oth e r i ron too ls
, , ,

were laid outside the stable door to keep them s a fe fro m

harm In some localities the ax was wrapped in a blue
.

apron and plac e d just inside the stable and th e cattl e were
 PROTE CTING TH E HE RDS 13 9

allowed to step over it And i f when they were fed th e .

evening before three pinch es o f salt were sprinkled be

tween their horns and the k eeper walked backwards out of
the stable evil eyes could not a ffect them Bou ghs hal .

lowed on M idsummer Day and hun g at th e stable door or

at the stall where the cattle stood prevented the work of
witches The sheep fold was decked with g reen boughs
.

and a wreath hun g at th e g ate on the celeb ra tion of the

Roman Parilia “
An old poet has written of Assumption
.

Day
G re a t b ndl th n f h b t h
u es e o ea r e s o c u rc h the pe p 1 fa
0 e st doe
ba e re ,

T he w h i h a gai nt all h tf l th i ng
c s ur u s the pi r e st d th h all
o ow
”
th e a re ,

and thus expel every pain ful g riefe from man or

And the fo ll o wi ng v e rse is a n old expression o f belie f

in consecr a t e d willows and p a lms as guardians o f man
and be a st
B id th y a ndl p d li ght f v t l ik in all
es es e c es u o ,
o er ue e ,

A nd will w b n h h all w th a t th y Pal m d

o t al l
ra c es o , e es o u se o c .

Th i d n th y v ily b l v th t m p t n th t m
s o e, e er e ee e e e es or e s or e

C n n y th a h t th m l v n y t th i a tt ll n th i r com e
e er ur e se e s, or e e r c e , or e

Penna nt in his T o ur of Sc otland spea ks of finding

, ,

mount a in a s h a nd hon eysuckle bou g hs in use in the cow

hou ses to prote ct the h e rd fro m witches and being
bewi tch e d R e d thr e a d wa s ti e d to them to prevent them
.

fro m l o s i ng th e i r milk The evil eye was said to e ffect .

milk cow s more th a n l a mbs To prev e nt its injurious .

e ffe cts the goo d h o u s e wi fe too k wh a t milk she could g et

from the a fl e cte d cattle boi led certain herbs in it a dding , ,

R m a n F ti v al Wa d F w l 5
o es s,
”
r e o e r, 0 .

B a nd Antiq i ti
r
'
s 9 u e s,
”
1 1.
'
l bid 6 2
. .
14 0 MAG I C AN D HUSBAND RY

flints and untempered ste e l Then she fastened the door .

and inv ok ed the sacred three This put the witch in .

a gony and he came be gg in g to the door and see k ing relief

by touching the pot in which the herbs were boiled when ,

the woman barg ained with the witch for a restoration of

the mil k to the herd and so found relief To prove that a , .

cow was really a ffected by a witch a test was made by ,

boiling a certain herb in the milk I f it distilled blood .

there was no lon ger any doubt about it “

.

M r Martin while traveling in the Western I sles o f

.
,

Scotland was assured by the minister and others that

,

when James Macdon a ld was k illed at the battle of Keli

crank y his cows gave bl ood instead of mi lk Most likely .

the story grew out of a belief that the death was e ffected
by witch cra ft A meth o d of breakin g unruly cattle from
.

trespassing on another s field observed by the s a me author ’

, ,

was for the owner of the unruly animals to take th e m to

his own boundaries and draw a little blood from e ach of
them leaving the animals on the spot They would m a k e
, .

him no more trouble durin g the season Cattle ob served .

ru nning up and down the field without any apparent

reason bet ok ened the death of the master or mistress of

,

”
the place .

I n Yor kshi re England and in a lar ge part o f Switzer

, ,

land and France i f some member of a family kills a ro bin

, ,

the fami ly cow it is believed will g ive bl o ody milk

,
1
, .
0

The writer has often heard in N ew York St a te a similar

e ffect asc ribed to th e killin g of a to ad by a member of the
family I f a swallow pass into the stable and under the
.

cow she will give bloody milk is reported by Grimm To , .

stop the flow of it lead the cow to a crossways mil k her , ,

‘
Pi nk e rto ns ’ “
V yag
o e s, iii . 6 9, 2 88.

”bid iii 6
. . 24 .

E ng li h s Fo lk L-
o re , T . F T .
. Dy e r, 63 .
14 2 MAG I C AND H U S BAN DRY
To -
day
h dId v my er ro e

I nt O o L ady g v
ur
’
s ro e,

I nt A b a h a m g a d n;
’
o r s r e

B g d 81 Ma ti n
e oo ,
. r ,

Th i day my a ttl wa d n
s c
’
e s r e ,

M y g d 81 W lfg a ng g d 81 P t
a oo . o , oo . e er

( Wh k y n b av nl k ) ’
ose e ca e o u oc ,

T h a t f w lf nd v i x n b l k
ro o o a e oc ,

B l d f m h dd i ng b n f m n h i ng "
oo ro s e , o e ro cru c

H lp m th h ly n
e e e o o e,

Wh i ll h a th n v d n
o e er o e,

A nd h i V h ly w nd s o ou s

K p m y h d f m all w d h nd
ee er ro oo -
ou s.

The ash tree was held by the I rish to be power ful

against witches Branches of it were wreathed round the
.

horns of the cattle and round the child s cradle to keep o fl ’

evil influences In the tales of fai ry dances with th e dead

.
,

mortals were sa fe i f they secu red a branch of the a sh and

held it till they were out of reach of the spell The alder .

wa s also a sacred tree and had power to avert evil The .

hawth o rn too was sacred to the f a i ries and an oblatio n

, , ,

of milk was poured round its roots on M ay Day Fai ries .

were thought to be desi rous of obtainin g handsome cows ,

and o ften abducted them leavin g in thei r pl a ces old and ,

diseased ones In various ways th e sp e lls of the fai ries

.

were made in e f fe ctive A bunch of primroses was ti e d

.

’
to the tail of the cow or a h ot co a l run dow n the cow s
,

back to singe th e hai r I f witches s tol e the mi lk from th e

.

cows on May Day mornin g it w a s s a i d th e butt e r and , ,

cream for the whole ye a r then bel o n ged to the fa i ries .

Primroses scattered on the threshold protect e d fro m the

theft Cspecially i f they were plucked before sunrise a s
, ,

then no evil spirit could touch any thin g gu a rded by them .

The milk could be s a ved by peelin g br a nches of mount a i n

ash and bindin g them round th e m ilkp a il and the churn .

G i m m 24
r , 1 0.
 PRO TE CTING TH E H E R DS 14 3

This too must b e done before the sun was up A h orse

, , .

shoe would also sometimes se rve to protect the butter or ,

a ru s ty nail f r om a co ffin driven into the side of it or a cross ,

made of leaves of veronica and placed at the bottom of the

m ilkp a il would answer An I rish wa y of preventin g the
.

robbery of the cream from the mi lk by witchcra ft was to

sti r th e milk seven times with the hand of a dead man
newly taken from the churchyard On M a y Day morn .

ing fai ries were thought to have the greatest power and ,

thei r influence must be carefully guarded against Some .

times on that da y a sacred hei fer snow white appeared ,

-
,

among the cattle This was great luck to the farme r

. .

It is alluded to in an I rish song :

Th i a cow n th m nta i n
e re s o e ou ,

A f a i w hi te ow ; r c

Sh g e Ea t nd h g W t
oes s a s e oes es ,

A nd my n h av g n f l v f h ;
se se s e o e or o e o er

Sh g ew i th th n nd h f g t t b n
oe s e su a e or e s o ur ,

A nd th m n t n h e fa w ith l v t h
oo ur s er ce o e o e r,

My fa i w h i t cow f th m nta i n
r e o e ou
”
.

A peculiar custom o f the I rish in the sixteenth century

is given by Thistleton Dyer on the authority of a writer
”
in Notes and Queries It consi sted in drivin g the .

cattle onto a neighbor s corn and l e tting them eat it It ’

.

must be done on M ay Eve and for a whole y ear a witch ,

would have no power over them 16

.

Ni ssen the good fai ry of the farme rs among the Nor

, ,

we gia ns looked a fter the c a ttle a nd made them productive

,

i f he was well tre a ted A di s h of porridge was pl a ced .

upon the threshold of the stable for him on Christm a s

mornin g When the farmer chan ges his residence the
.

protectin g fai ry go es with him ridin g on top of the load ,

which carries his e ffects Pictures of this benevolent .

A n i nt L g nd f I la nd L ady \Vild
c e e e s o 3 27 72
re , e, 10 ,
1 , 1 .

B i ti h P p la C t m
r s o u r us o s,
”
2 22 .
144 MA G IC AN D HUSBAN DRY

guardian adorn agricu ltural advertisements and images ,

o f him are carved and sold in the stores for curios He .

is represented as a short fat bow legged man with big , ,

-

”
whiskers and l ong white hair .

The poet Herric k gives a charm for protecting th e occu

pants o f the stable from the night hag
“
H a ng up h k
h a t ca re
oo s a nd s e rs o s

H n th h g th a t i d
e ce e th m a re
a r es e ,

T i l l th y b all v w t
e e o er e

Wi th th m i nd th w at;
e re a e s e

Thi b v d th m a n h al l be
s o se r e , e es s

Of y h
ou r all k n t f
o rses
"
o -
ree .

The elves or night spi rits which were supposed to have

, ,

ridden the borrowed horses in the night to thei r places o f

meetin g left them all covered with sweat and foam They
, .

rolled up the manes and tai ls of the horses in k nots El f .

all my hai r in knots is the exclamation of Ed g a r i n

, ,
”
Kin g Lear an allusion to this then commonly accepted
,

belief " .

On certain festiva l da ys the Kunbis of I ndia wash thei r

horses and decorate th em with flowers sacrifice a sheep ,

to them and sprin k le them with its blood It is a popula r

, .

belief in Indi a that the hors e once had wings and that th e y ,

grew formerl y where now are the chestnuts or scars o n

its legs “
M an y pe 0 p 1e have ascribed supernatural qual
.

ities to the horse It was believed in Englan d th a t a hors e

.

had the power of seeing ghosts and could cure certain ,

diseases .

In the quaint boo k o f Anthon y Herbert the properti e s

o f a good horse are listed at LI I I T hey are classified .

as follows : I I pa rts of a m an; I I of a bad ger ; I I I ]

. . .

of a lion ; IX of an ox ; I X of a hare ; IX of a fo x ; IX o f
. . . .

A ct ne 3
11. sa .

R
e li g i o n a nd Fo l k -
L
o re of N orthe rn I n dia W C k
,
”
. roo e , 3 18 .
14 6 MAG IC AN D HUSBAN DRY
Q i k q i k q i k"
u c , u c , u c

B i ng m il k i nt th d g
r o e u s.

Th p em in th b
sa h co es e e ec es ,

Th l af e m n th
e k co es o e oa
”
,

and other similar verses desi gned to protect the cows fro m ,

witch influence .

Professor E P Evans relates an incid ent that occu rred

. .

in 1 896 not far from Perm on the Kama when the h u ll

, , ,

of a peasant havin g died suddenly it was d eclared to be ,

the result of witchcraft The owner demanded a test o f .

all the women in the villa ge in order to prove the witch .

It was proposed that they be made to creep through a

horse collar and the pl a n bein g approved by the neigh
,

bors of the peasant it was put into execution thou gh no t

, ,

wi thout some protest on the pa rt of the more scorpu lent

women 21
.

A cow in the stable with white feet and white stripes on

her back has been counted a protection a g ainst witches ,

though some stables i t was said would not endure white , ,

cattle They would die o ff or get crushed

. .

A peculia r property attributed to hay stolen the ni g ht

before Christma s and fed to the cattle was that it protected
th e thief from bei n g cau ght in th e future as w ell as made ,

the animals thrive When a cow was driven fi rs t to pas

.

ture inthe sprin g a salutary e ffect w a s pro duced by mi lk

,

in g her throu g h a wreath of g round ivy Pe a s a nts of .

Thurin g i a led fresh cow s over thr e efold i ron to pr omote

a good yield o f milk or prev e nt the in terfere nce o f ,

witches C reepin g between the fore le gs of a cow pre

.

vented the cow from losin g a horn Pi gs b a th e d in w a t e r .

in which swine h a d be e n scald e d g rew fa m o u s ly Wen ds .

s e t up an o a k tree wi th an i ron cock f a s te ne d o n the to p

an d dro ve th e ca ttle rou nd it to make t h e m th riv e If a

‘
.

T h G ld n B g h
e o iiie ou ,
. 12 .

P p l
o S i n M nth ly li v
u ar c e 9
ce o , . 21 .
 PROTE CTIN G THE HE RD S

person walks down the s treet with one foot shod and the
other one bare all the cattle comin g that way are lia ble to
,

fall sick T he old sayin g that all the cattle stand up

.

between eleven and twelve on Christmas ni ght it is said , ,

can only be i nvesti g ated at the risk of one s li fe ’

.

Curious beliefs are noted to account for the occasional

dryin g up of the milk of a cow The milk from two me ns .
’

cows bein g mixed one of the cows will dry up I f any

, .

part of a firstborn calf be roasted the milk o f the mother

will dry up The Hebrews had a kindred belief that a kid
.

”
must not be seethed in its mother s milk else infla m ’
,

mation would be produced in the mother A beast m ust .

not b e struck with a pe e led rod lest it dry u p Ci rcassians -

.

loo k upon th e pea r tre e a s a protector o f the cattle So .

they carry branches of it home and adore it as a divinity .

On th e day of th e autumn festival it is carried into the

house with g r e at cer e mo ny to the sound of music and ,

covered with c a ndl e s and cheese is fastened to its top

,
23
.

A poi so n e r o f c a ttle mi ght be detected accordin g to an ,

old b e li e f o fth e G e rm a ns by stickin g t hi rty pins into the

“
'

hea rt o f th e animal a nd ha ng in g it in the chimn ey when , ,

prob a bly th ro u gh the e ffect of sympathetic m a g ic the ,

poisoner c o n sci e nce s trick e n m a de co nfe ss i o n The use

, , .

of a sa fetida a s a n an tid o te to witchcra ft is learned from

the s tory of th e b e witchment of g r a ndmother Eiler s cow ’
.

A suspiciou s a pp e a rin g w oman p a s sed throu g h the y a rd

-

whi le she w a s m ilki ng I was foo lish e n o u gh s a i d she

.
, ,

to t e ll he r a ll a b o ut the cow ho w ge n tl e s h e w a s how , ,

much milk sh e w a s g ivin g and a ll th a t a nd s he s a i d I cer , ,

ta inly had a fine cow W e ll the next morni ng that cow

.
,

couldn t sta nd on h e r fe et and th e re s he lay in the s t a ble

’
,

till fa th e r c a me fro m th e m o unt a in where he was cutting

Ex d xx iii 9 ; D t iv
o us . 1 eu . x . 21 .

Th G ld n B gh
e o e i 94 ou ,
. 1 .

“
G imm 8 4
r ,
1 2 .
14 8 MAG I C AN D HUSBAN DRY

wood He said it was all plain enou gh when I told him

.

’
everything but he wondered I hadn t had better sense
,
.

However he knew just what to do He rubbed the cow

,
.

all O ver with asa fetida sayin g words all the time And ,
.

th e next day when mother Ei ler went to the barn the cow
stood on her four le gs eatin g like a hound 25
.

To learn i f the death of an animal was rea lly due to

witchcraft th e carcass was sometimes burnt in the open
,

air This brought the witch to the spot the first that
.
,

came Mr Rhys relates a story told by a Michael wom a n

. .

who watched the burnin g of a beauti ful colt whose death

was supposed to have b e en caused by bewitchment The .

woman a fli rm ed th a t she saw the witch come to the fire

o
,

with her shriveled face a nd nose and chin in close prox ,

im ity 20
In early times the M anx burnt a live sheep fo r
.

the public goo d on May Day They fast e ned crosses o f

, .

rowan to the tails of th e i r cattle to guard them from evil

influences Hi ghlanders of Scotland burned juniper b e
.

fore thei r cattle They sprin kled them with urine on the
.

first Monday in every quarter 27

It is told o f Kin g Lo uis .

Phillipe that he never failed to urinate a g ainst the left

hind le g of his horse be fore mou ntin g as accordin g to an , ,

old caval ry tradition it had th e e ffect of strengthenin g the ,

le g o f the beast and renderin g the animal more apt to sus

ta in the e ffort ma de by the rider when jumpin g upon th e
sa ddle 28
In County Cork I reland rus ty tin dishes are
.
, ,

scoure d with cow manure which is blessed and will be nefit ,

the dishes and brin g good l u c k Not infrequently keele rs .

an d o ther dishes for holding the mi lk are buried under a

‘
Jo rn l ofA meric n F olk Lor x iv 3 9
u a a -
e, . .

Ce l tic F l k L e We l h a nd Ma nx i
o -
or , s ,
”
.
3 0 5 .

Pi nk e rto ns ’
Voyag e s,
"
iii .
90 .

Rit J G B k
S ca ta lo g ic e s,
”
. . ou r e, 3 86 , n the a u th ori ty of a pe rsona l
o

l tt f m C pt H n i J n f th
e er ro a . e r ou a o e F re nc h na vy w ho h ad it f rom P ri nce
,

o f J i nv ill
o n f k i ng L i
e , so o o u s.
150 MAG I C AN D H USBAND RY

In some pa rts of Russi a at th e feast o f the Epip h any

, ,

s heaves of various k inds of grain are taken i n to the court

yard a fter the mornin g serv ice the cattle are driven up to
,

them and both cattle and g rain are sprinkled with holy
,

water . Carryi ng a padlock three times round the herd

before lettin g them into the fields in the S prin g is another
ceremonial for th eir protection He who carries the lock
.
,

loc k s and unlocks it as he go es sayin g I lock from my

, ,

herd the mouths o f th e g ray wolves with this steel loc k .

I t is finally locked and h idden away till the autu mn when ,

the cattle are retu rned to their winter qua rters ” .

In a kindred ceremony of the Bul g arians a woman ta k es ,

a needle and thread a fter dark and sews the ski rts of her
dress together while telli ng h e r child that she is sewing up
the mouths and ears and eyes of the wolves so they ca n
not bite or hear the sheep goats or pi gs A method of
, , .

protecting cattle from the evil eye in H os hongabad is

g iven b y William Crooke Herdsmen g o about in a.

body durin g the ni ght sin g i ng and be gg in g and they keep

, ,

the cattle from sleepin g In the morni ng the white cows

.

are stamped with the hand dipped in yellow paint a nd the ,

red cows with a hand dipped in whi te p a int Strings of .

p eacoc k s’
f e ath e rs are ti e d to their horns and as they are ,

driven out with y e lls a n ea rthen water j ar is sma s hed o n

the last one and the n e ck of it is plac e d on the gateway
,

leading to the ca ttle sh e d s In th e a f ternoon th e priest

.

S prinkles them with wa te r and they are pre s umed to be

,

h e ncefo rth sa fe from a ll evi l In M irzu pu r th e y g ive the

.

animals protection b y h a nging an e a rth e n bell ro u nd the

,

neck . In Bera r a sacre d ro pe is m a d e o f twi s t e d g rass

an d covered with m a n go l e a ve s a nd the bullocks of th e ,

vi ll a ge are m a de to p a ss u nde r it The m a g ic p ower o f .

th e r o pe gu a rdS / f ro m di s e a s e and a ccident A r o pe of .

S ng
o f th R
s o e ia n P pl
u ss eo 8 3 95
e, 20 ,
.
 PROTE C TI N G TH E HE R D S 15 1

st raw cov ered wit h ma ngo l ea ves ma y b e h ung o ve r a

roadwa y a l ong whi ch ca ttle pass or som etimes two p oles ,

and a cro ssb ar are erected at th e entrance o f a vi ll a g e .

Th e Dra v idi a ns of Sou th Mir a npu r ma k e a powerfu l

cha rm by si nk ing a plowbe a m into the ground near by ” .

Pu sha n th e Vedi c a g ricultu ral deity guarded th e ca ttl e

, ,

an d pre vented them from stra y ing a nd found t h em aga in

w h en l ost He was invo ked to ca re for th em to keep
.
,

th em from ha rm and b ring them sa fe home again

, Re .

” ”
s pect for the cow and loathing for the pi g have b een
, ,

sa id to be th e be ginning and end of the reli gion of a large

p ropo rtion of th e ma sses both H indu and Mo hammedan , ,

inIndia “
.

I t is l earned f rom t h e famou s Chapter 0 70 117 of the .

Book of the Dead that the K2 of the Egypti a ns ha d to

be ab l e to declare in the Jud gm ent Hall of Os i ris th at h e
h a d not slau g htered the catt le set apa rt for sacri fi ces a nd ,

h a d not dri v en th em from the sacred p astures ; b ut ca ttle

w hich wandered about and were not ca red for mig h t b e
le d a w a y b y an yone for sacri fi ce “
.

The re gard fo r and the close relations h ip wi th thei r

cattle by nomadic people have often be en noted b y writers .

In the sa cred hym ns o f Z oroaster the fo llowe rs o f the

prophet a re often rem inded of thei r obli ga tions to have
kindly ca re over thei r animals I t is a moral and religious .

duty the neglect of which may be followed b y the mos t

,

serious co ns equ ences to them The des tru ction or l oss of .

thei r h erds wou l d drive them back to pilla g e a n d murder ,

an d ma k e them like the freebooters of whom th ey com

plained " .

" “
Re li gion nd F lk Lore of Northern India 3 77 3 78
a o -
"
, , .

“ “
P im i ti v Ci v ilizati n i 4 7 n t
r e o s,
”
. 1 , o e .

" f Sa yin
‘
Papy ru s gs ( 13 90 13
o B O ldest Book in the
.
” -
00 .
“
s

W l d Isaac Mye 2 6 3
or
"
. r. .

" “
The Oa th» of Zom sm Law ence 11 Mill Yu a n w ill and IL
, r . s,
I 5 2 M A G I C AN D H U SBAN DRY

A story is told of a ne gro cattle driver in M artinique

who left his herd in care of a plaster ima g e of the Vi r g in ,

and re tu rnin g later found them strayed in all di r ce

, ,

tions In his an ger he rushed upon the ima ge breakin g

.
,

it f rom its base and inflictin g numerous lashes with his

whip upon it For this o ffense he was tried and con.

victe d and sentenced to prison for li fe

,
“
.

It has been said of N e ilghe rry herdsmen that i f the cow

was taken from them their whole society would go astr a y
an d fall to pieces Says Elie Re clus : The devotional .

care with which they su rround thei r herds is their worship ,

their reli g ion Each Toda villa ge owns a sacred herd

.
,

led b y a bell cow whose descent in the female line is from

an illustrious or sacred cow Her successor is consecrate d .

by the priest who mornin g and eve nin g for three succes
, ,

sive da ys swin gs the bell before it is fastened upon her

sayin g : H ow fair was thy mother "How much milk
, ,

she g ave l Be not less generous "H enceforth thou shalt

.

” 38
b e a divinity amon gst us .

Amon g pastoral A frican tribes the animals were looked

up on as sa cred or kindred bein gs to be killed only in time ,

of n eed or on exceptional occasions I t is customary

, .

when they kill their cattle for food to do it without shed

din g blood Care is taken lest their blood fall upon the
.

ground as sorcerers mi ght then make evil use of it an d

, ,

mi g ht bring sickness and destruction to the re st o f the

herd The Hebrews were not permitted to use as o ffer
.

in gs animals that were blind or broken or maimed or , , ,

having a wen or scu rvy or scabbed or any thin g sup e r

, , ,
” 39
flu ou s or lackin g in its parts These defec ts were .

proofs of the evil in them and possibly were believed to ,

TwoY a inth F e rs e re nc hW e st In di e s. L a f ad i H a
c o e n, 1 7 3
r

P i m i ti v F l k 2 7
r e o ,
”
1 , 2 18 .

L v xx ii
“
e . . 22.
15 4 MAG I C A N D H USB A N D R Y

In ea rly tim es s a crifices w e re o ffe red to th e wolves in

som e E a ste rn cou n tries to indu ce them to sp a re the fl oc ks
, .

The Letts sa crificed a goa t to protect thei r fl ocks at or ,

a b out Christm a s a t the cross r oa ds

, Early legends say .

th a t the I rish sa crificed the fi rstbo rn of eve ry species to a

—
dei ty called Crom Cru a ith a stone capped with gold
-

a ro und which stoo d twelve other stones repres enting him , .

E a rly legends indicate that a child was at one time sacri

fice d to St Patrick on his day the 1 7 th of M arch thou g h
.
, ,

in later times an animal was substituted ; it was also a

common custom to a flix lar ge cros ses made o f flowers and
straw to the doo rpo sts and sacrifice a black cock It was
, .

thought nece ssary that blood should be S pilled The .

Dru ids o ffered the fi rs tlings of thei r fl ocks to the su n god ,

accordin g to the legendary lore of them " .

The Pass over was the most an cient of the H ebrew rites .

It is believed to date from th e period of th ei r nomadic

'

li fe and to be older th an the agricultu ra l feast of u nle a v

,

ened bread with which it was associated later and to

, ,

belon g to a time when in thei r desert li fe they relied for

suste nance upon manna and thei r cattle “
The wander .

in g people looked upon their cattle as sacred and the fi rst ,

lin gs of them as belon g ing speci ally to the Deity with ,

whom they p a rtook in a sacrificial feast in th e sprin g as

an expression of thei r thankfuln e ss for the annual increase
of their flocks and herds All that openeth the matrix
.

is mine ; and every firstling among thy cattle whether ,

”
ox or sheep that is male said Jahveh
,
“
, The firstborn .

child was ransomed with the sacrifice of a lamb though , ,

says Rober tson Smith the paschal lamb is unknown to

,

Deu teronomy and E ze kiel and its ritual in

,

L g nd f I la nd Lady W i ld" “ 6
e e s o re , 1
°

R li g i n f I a l t th E i l Ca l B udd
e o o sr e o e x e,
”
r e1 74
Ex d x iv 9
“
o u s, x x 1 :
 P ROT E C T IN G T HE H E R D S 15 5

” ‘5
its final form cannot be older than the Exile The .

prophets tes ti fy to the sacrifice of the children of the

Hebrews a ccording to cu s tom in the ce nturies b efore the
, ,

exile .

Shall I give my firstborn for m y transg ression ,

”
the f rui t of my body for the sin of my soul ? asks
M icah “
It is unquestioned that children were o ffered in
.

fire to thei r deities by other Se mi tic peoples in close pro x

im ity to the Hebrews And it is suggested by Professor .

Frazer tha t the lamb was su bsti tuted for the firstborn
child a fter the developm e nt of more humane sentiment " .

That the faithful observance of the annual rite had much

to do with the prosperity of thei r herds and flocks and
thei r families according to thei r be l ief ca n hardly be
, ,

questioned .

Among the cattle breeders of the Babyloni ans it was of

great importance to have famili a r knowledge of the
lore of the omen table ts The birth in the flocks and herds .

of deformed animals or freaks and monstrosities was care

fully noted and was believed to be portentous of good
,

or evil The death of the owner and the destruction o f his

.

house followed the birth of five lambs at one bi rth De .

crease o f population and dev a station were foretold by the

birth in the fl ock of one with more than four legs or lack ,

in g an ear tho u g h the extent of the impen din g misf o rtune

,

mi ght dep e nd upon whether it was the right or the left

ca r .

It was the s a me with colts The birth of one with .

a shortene d le g w a s ominous of calamity I f the ri g ht l e gs .

were lackin g it m eant destruc tion ; thou g h it forbod e d a

long rei gn o f the kin g i f the fo a l was born without l e ft
T ta m nt in h J wi h C h
O ld es e t e e s u rc h . 44 3 1 0 0“
“
Mi a h v i 7
c . .

T h G ld n B gh
e o 49 e ou , 11 .
156 MA G I C AN D HUSBAN D RY

legs Domestic trouble was indicated by a lacking hoof on

.

the right forele g ; and a dog s hoof on a female colt fore ’

boded misfortune to the land though one with a lion s ,

’

claw signified expansion o f territory and one without a -

tail meant death to the kin g “

.

Numerous cases reported by Professor E P Evans . .

in recent years give evidence that belie f in the b ewitchment

of cattle still survives In an article published in 1 89 5
.
,

the author says Theresi a Kle itsch was crucified about a

y ear before in Rekese ley Hun g ary for bewitching the , ,

stalls of her neighbors and causing their cattle to die of

murrain In June 1 885 Xaver Endte s was sent to j ail
.
, ,

for three wee ks at Kempton Bavari a for swindlin g , ,

seventeen marks out of a peasant for casting devils out

from his cattle The sorcerer kindled a fire in the stable
.

and heated two i ron bars red hot then poured on them -
,

a quantity of mi lk and told the peasant the film o f the

,

scalded milk was the skin of the witch which he had ren ,

dered harmless in the fu ture A few years later while .

,

the people of Lupest Hungary were rejoicing over the , ,

death of a reputed witch a villa ger s cow mysteriously ,

’

died suddenly An investi g ation by the Common Council

.

showed that the cow had been bewitched by the dead

woman and to prevent other like calamities it was ordered
,

that a stallion should be made to leap over her g rave As .

the frightened horse could not be induced to e xecute the

decree the Council further ordered that the body of the
,

witch should be exhumed and stabbed with red hot pitch -

forks which was apparently e ffective as no thin g more was

, ,

heard of the trouble In 1 89 2 Victori a S ie fritz was .

charged with bewitching the stall of the burg om a ster in

Baden and causing an epidemic of h oo f disea s e and in the
, ,

R li gi n f Baby l nia nd A y i a M i Ja t w 3 95
e o o o a ss r , o rr s s ro , .

S i n M nt/ ly x l v iii 7 3
“
Th P p l
e o u ar c e ce o s , . .
 CHA PTE R IX
H EAL ING
“
Th e m n i d d th h ap i t lf
o s e se to its ow n wa nts .
“

As lon g as people had faith in plain English believed , ,

t h at they could be magically cured of a disease they ,

”
thou g ht that they or others were so cured wrote Charles ,

Kin gsley . As lon g as they believed that witches could

curse them they believed that an old woman in the nex t
,

parish had overlooked them thei r cattle and thei r crops ; , ,

and that therefore they were poor diseased and u nfortu , ,

”2
nate As in the first century in the country of the Gada ,

renes men were healed by driving the evi l spi ri ts that

,

a ffli cted them into swine and destroying the animals so ,

are the Tibe ta ns now made whole at the dawn of the

tw entieth century M r Landor tells us th a t the H u nya s
. .
3

believe that i f a man falls ill the only way to cure him is
to drive away the evil spirit that ha s entered into him to ,

satis fy its craving for blood I f the illness is sli g ht to .

,

please and decoy the spirit a small animal as a dog or ,

bi rd is plac ed near the sick man I f the illness is more

, .

serious a larger animal as a sheep or yak is produced

, , , ,

and exorcisms are made A bowl of w a te r is whirled three.

'

or fou r times over the sick man s head and then over th e ’
,

animal and then poured on the head of the latter These

,
.

ci rcles and certain mystic words have power to draw away

the evi l S pirit from the patient and cause it to enter the
‘
J a nna Bailli
o e .

Th H m 1
e 2 4
er 1s 0 .

I n th F b idd n L a nd
e or
"
A H n y Sa va ge Land
e .3 93 . e r or ‘

15 8
 HE ALI N G 15 9

brain of th e a n ima l and po uring the water on the h ead of

,

the anim a l prevents its retu rning W hen the spi ri t i s made .

captive a n d sa fel y l odged in the animal the latter is hur ,

rie dly dra gged away to a cros sing of four roads w h ere ,

a gra v e i s dug and it is b uried ali v e T he spi rit rem ains .

to suck th e b lood of its later v ictim and the pa tient rapi dl y ,

recovers Som etimes i f th e animal is small as a bird it

. , ,

i s torn into four pi eces and a piece th rown ineach of the

c ross ing wa ys To prev ent the retu rn of the evil one the
.

Sho ka s p la ce b ranc h es of th orn a nd smal l fly ing pra y ers

i n eac h road .

Th e sacri fi ce o f a l i fe o r so mething bou ght with a '

p rice was an e flective ch arm for averting calamiti es in

p rimitive con ce ptions David bought the threshing fl oor .

of A raunah and his ox en and built a nalta r and sacri ficed

, ,

u po n it and so stayed the pla gue whic h was ra va ging t h e

,

l an d W e are told that t h e p ri ce paid was fi fty shek els of

.

si l v er for th e k ing refuse d to accept th em as a gi ft or to

, ,

ma k e use o f tha t which had cost him nothing ‘

.

That disease and death were brought upon the cattle b y

th e machinations of evil S pi rits and tha t this could be ,

coun teracted b y cere monies and s acri fices and by appea ls ,

to deiti es mo re po we rfu l than these evilly disposed S pi ritu al

beings was as we have seen a common belief in certain
, , ,

sta ges o f cultu re It has al so been an accepted belief that

.

mu r ra in was sometimes b rought upon the herds b y the

bene ficen t deiti es the m sel v es as puni shmen ts for tra ns gre s
,

sions or neglect in devotions Jahveh e ven fix ed an .

a ppointe d time for the d es truction o f the cattle a n d she e p

an d asses of the Eg yptians Nothing belon g ing to the .

Isra elites wou l d be harmed And t h e Lo rd did that .

"
thing on the m orrow a nd all the cattl e of Egypt died , ,

and whe nthe mess e nger of Pha raoh was sent to in ves tiga te
‘
2 Sa m . xx iv . 2 1 - 2 5.
1 60 M AG I C AN D H U SBAND R Y
it behold there was not one of the cattle of the Isr a el
, ,

ites
When a destructive murrain invaded the herds in the
rei gn of Emperor Charlema gne it was attributed to G ri
m o a ld the Duke of Benevento one of his enemies who
, , ,

was char ged with sendin g his emissaries throu g hout the
land to distribute a magic powder Lar ge numbers of .

unfortunate pe 0 p 1e suspected of havin g assisted in it were

captured and pu t to death “
.

The belief has been a most common one that the herd
mi g ht be saved b y the sacri fice of one of thei r number and ,

it is undoubtedly closely allied with that of the Tibetans .

The victim selected for destruction was supposed to bear

away from the herd the evil spi rit that a ffl icted them .

The H u nya s entice into an animal the S pi rit that troubles

the man The R ussians have sometimes reversed the
.

proce ss and expelled the devils from the herd by trans

,

ferring them to a human being a man or woman chosen ,

by lot who was then buried alive with a black cat or a

,

cock Sometimes the cow death was reputed to wander

.
-

through a R ussi an village in the form of a black dog or

cat as a m ottled calf or as a tall shaggy m a nwith hoofs
, , ,

instead of fee t T o ex pel the murrain they carried round

.

the villa g e a pictu re of St Vlas the shepherd successor to . ,

the pro Christian cattle god Volos and san g a s they

- -
,

went

De a th Oh thou Cow De ath

,
-
,

De pa rt from ou r v illa ge .

F rom ab l f m th
th e st e,t" ro e cou r

Th rou gh v illa g g h ly Vl a y
ou r e oe s o s ,

Wi th i n n wi th tap
ce se , e r,

Wi th b ni ng m b ur e e rs

'
Ex d ix 4 7
o us .
-
.

H i t y f th
s or o e q i i ti
In u s o n, H C . . Le a , iii .
4 5
1 .
i6 2 M AG I C AN D H U SBAN D R Y

ness among the calves In the Scotch Hi g hlands bulls .

were sacrificed to cure sickness in 1 6 7 8 In 1 80 0 a lamb .

was burned in Cornwall to save the flock To stop disease .

cattle were burned in Wales in 1 81 2 and in Englan d in ,

In 1 5 3 4 Si r Anthony Herbert gave this remedy for the

murrain : Take the bare head o f the beast that dies an d
put it on a lon g pole and set the pole in a hed g e fast ,

bounden to a stake by the H yghe waye syde that eve rye -

man that rydethe or goeth that waye maye se and knowe ,

by that si gne that the re is sycknes of cattell in the town

,
”
s hyp . Si r Anthony does not express absolute confidence
in the success of the remedy but records that the hus ,
”
bandes holde an opynyon that it shall the rather cease , .

A Hindu cure for the murrain is to hi re a man o f a low er

caste to take the evil upon himself and bear it a w ay into .

th e j un g le They tu rn his face from the village and brand

.

him with a red hot sickle and the murrain goes with him
-
,
.

In Queen Elizabe th s time an owner of cattle having ’

, ,

lost one threw the next that die d into a pit and consumed
,
”
it with fa gots a fter which all his cattle did well
, Bu ry .

in g a dead horse ox or S heep under the threshold of the

, , ,

stable was thou g ht to preserve the rest of the animals .

When many cattle died in Scotland the rest were driven

past a tub of water containing two enchanted stones and ,

each head was sprinkled with the liquid I f one was .

unable to walk and likely to die it was drawn to a hole

prepared into which it was put and all the rest were made
, ,

to go over that place and in this devilisch maner they ,

were cured as chronicled in the reports of the trial of

,

Note s o nth e Fo lk L -
f th
o re o e Nort h ernCou ntie s o f E ng la nd , \Villia m
H nde e rso n, 1 6 7, 1 4 9 ; C a m p b ll e
’
s Note s o n th e S pi ri t Ba s i s o f Be li e f a nd
C u s to m ,
”
3 52 .

B k oo of H b a nd y
us r , 34 .
 H E AL I N G 16 3

Jo ba ne Bru ghe in ,In I reland a species o f cater

pi llar was rega rded as inju riou s to the ca ttle and im ages ,

of it were made use of to prote ct a gainst it and cure t h e ,

mu rrain A large silve r one used for that purpose was

.

found in Cork C ounty in 184 5 Bul g arians have a tra .

dit ion that when the spi rit of the plague wishes to lea v e
the loca lity som eone is noti fi ed in a dream that they ma y ,

p repa re ref reshm ents for it on its depa rture and he p re ,

pa res bread sm ea red with hone y and with salt and a fl ask , ,

o f wine h e goes to a designated place a nd depos i ts them

,
" .

Nine l ea v es o f the ma l e c rowfoot brui sed on a stone

that ne ver was m ove d and mi x ed wi th salt and spi ttle a nd
,

plaste red in th e ea r of a be ast was an ancient I ri sh cure ,

for sick be asts Th e l ittl e a rrow h eads known as el f ston es

.

were val uab l e ch arm s C ry sta l charms a re still in use

.

to he a l cattle with among th e I ri sh A rock cry stal 2 .

l i tt l e l a rger th an an oran ge circ l ed in t h e middle by a

,

si l v er b an d is p reserv e d at Cu rra hmore th e seat of t h e

, ,

M a rq ui s of Waterford w hich has great rep ute in h ealing

,

cattle attacke d with mur rain The stone is said to have .

been b rough t from the H ol y Land and to have be en a gi ft ,

from G odfre y de Bou i llon The cu re is e ffected b y plac

.

in g t h e b all in a running stream th rou gh w h ich the cattl e ,

a re d riven b ack wards a n d fo rwards I t is still s ent for .

f rom distant pa rts of the cou ntry " T he el f st one i s .

g eneral l y found nea r a ra t h and a fter be ing o

, n ce li fted
up b y a spade t h e tra dition is tha t it must nev er a gain
,

touch the earth or its healing vi rtu e wi ll be gone A

, .

h ea rt shaped pebb l e known as th e Le e stone is memo r

- b

a b le in Scotla nd for its h ealing power in curin g the bite of

a mad do g O f cou rse it has a le genda ry history to a ccou nt

.

”“
The D arker
Su perstitia ts of Scot nd, 1 85 la ”
.

C ndu litie s st a n Pa "

d Prese nt. 3 3 6 ; Songs of the
“
Russia ns,
”
2 53.
"
Aucient Le gen
“
ds of l u laod, 20 9
“
.
1 64 MAGI C AN D HUSBAND RY

for its remarkable virtu es I t was part of the ransom o f .

a Moorish Chieftain cap tured by the parties who went with

the heart of Robert Bruce to the Holy L and The way o f .

usi ng it was to plunge it into water a certain number o f

times ; t h e cattle a fterwards drank o f the water and were
healed It was borrowed by the people o f Newcastle to
.

cure t h e plague in the rei gn o f Charles I who left si x .

,

thousand p ounds as a pledge for the loan of it so g reat ,

was its value Lady Baird is also said to have been cured
.

o f hydrop h obi a by drinking of t h e water in which it had

been immersed and bathing in it ,

15
.

Various diseases were charged to the el f s h ots i e the , . .

,

stone arrowheads of the old inhabi tants o f Scotland .

They were said to be the weapons of the fai ries For .

tu na te ly the el f S t one itself was a cure for the wounds i t

caused .I f the S ick cattle were touched with th e stone ,

or drank the water in which one had been boiled they

were made we ]"
,

a g ain The adder stone was likewise .

reputed to be possessed of similar power Thomas Pen .

nant in his tour in Scotland in 1 7 6 9 was shown one by

, ,

—
Captain Archibald Campbell a spheroid set in silver to ,

se e which people came a hundred miles and carried h o me ,

with them some of the water in which it had been dipped m .

Cattle injured by the shrewmouse were cured by giving

them water in which the adder stone had been dipped .

The En glish p oe t Collins referring to the belief in elf ,

stones in the Highlands S ays ,

Th e re e v
h d by d x p i n kn w
e ry er sa e er e ce o s

H w w ing d wi th fa t th i
o lf h t a
’
w e e r e -
s o rro s fly,
Wh nth i k w h
e mm
e s c f df g e e e r su e r- oo o re oe s,

O t t h d n a th th h a t m i t h if
r s re c e o e r e e r -
s e e rs lie .

The Finns had prayers a g ainst the e ffects of el f shots ,

C d li ti Pa t nd P nt 3 5
re u es s a re se ,
”
0.

Pi nk t n V ya g ii i 5
er o
’
s o e s,
”
. 1.
1 66 M AG I C AN D H U SBAN D R Y
i f they crawled throu gh it An incu ra ble dise ase known .

to the Servians as m e til is referred to by Grimm 19

O nce .

the Germans a re said to have caug h t the de vil and asked

of him a cu re for the metil and were told by him that when ,

all the sheep were dead but one they must ca rry the remain
ing one round the pen a nd then no more would die but
that one .

Brand writes of a pra ctice in t h e Orkney s of spri nklin g

catt l e oxen and sheep with a sp ecial mixtu re known as
, ,

forespoken water and of the use o f charm s w h ich by, ,

repe a tin g w ould stop bleeding in the throats of oxen and

,
”
Th e Spell
’ “
sheep 20
Herrick s poem
. alludes to the , ,

use of the mi x ture for sprin kl ing to drive away evi l

H oly wate r nd b ring ;

co me a

Cas t in s a l t for se asoni ng ;

Se t the b ru s h for s p ri nk li ng ;
Sacre d s pi ttle b ring ye h i the r ;
Me al a nd it now mix togethe r ;
A nd a l i ttle oil to e i the r ;
G i ve p h th i li gh t;
the ta e rs e re e r

Ri ng th Sa i nt h ll t a ff i gh t
e s
'
e o r

Fa r f m h n th vil p i t
ro e ce e e s r e.
”

Nea r the villa g e of Cu ldoff C ounty Donegal I reland , , ,

there i s a deep pa rt of the river where diseased cattle were

wont to b e plunged while at the same time p ra ye rs were ,

o ffered to S t Bodham to intercede for them To hea l a

. .

sickly beast the I rish housew i fe waved a li ve coal over its

head 21
.Ralston describes a R ussian rite for preventing
the murrain from entering a village M en and cattle .

are shut up in the villa g e while the women in thei r shi fts ,

with hai r hanging over thei r S hou l ders and car ry ing ,

T t ni Myth l gy
eu o c63 o o , 11 .

A nti q i ti u 73 e s,
”
2.

Ta f th El d
r ce s Fa i th
o f I l and
e W G Wood Ma rti n i
er s o re
”
, . .
-
, .

33 , 2 81 .
 HEALING 167

shovels and ton gs yoke the oldest woman to a plow which

, ,

is drawn three times around the villa g e while all follow and
sin g The mali gnant spirits are supposed no t to be able
.

to cross the lines thus drawn and get at the cattle in the vil
la ge A y oun g g irl sometimes carries an ima ge of St Vlas
. .
,

and an old woman in her S hi ft rides on a broomstick while ,

othe r women s hout and dance and sing or other old ,

women with li g hted fir splinters circle round a widow -

clothed with a horse collar only and as th ey halt at each

farm y ard they cry : Ai " A i l Cut h e w the Cow Death "
,

There S he g oes " I f a cat or a do g ru nout it is taken for

,

the cattle pla gue and killed A g ain two camp fires are .

li g hted at mi dni g ht at the ends of a street in a village ,

and gi rls in the i r shi fts dra g a pl ow to one of them ca rry ,

ing a holy pictu re A black cock is taken to the other by

.

the older wom en in black petticoats and di rty shi fts The .

cock is carried three times round the fl ames one of the ,

women runs to the other end of the vi lla ge with it while

the rest cry out to the black disease : Cattle Plague " “

Ca ttle Pla gue "Spare our cattle "Beh old we o ffer thee
a coc k " The fowl is thrown into the burnin g heap ,

the g i rls dance round it and the plow is drawn three times
,

round the vill a g e A similar cerem ony is reported at

.

Altm ar k Th e y pl ow round a villa ge and sit under the

.
,

plow placed upri g ht and this enabl es anyone to see the

, ,

witches In some villages bits of a plow are hun g up

.

o ver the doo rway through which cattle pass No demon .

can then appro a ch them 22

.

In A rgyles h ire threads with three knots are used to cu re

ailments in man and beast The witch healer rubs the .

cow with th e knotted thread and burns tw o o f the knots ,

in the fi re sayin g I put the dise ase and sickness on top

,

S ng f th R ian 3 95 ; D m n l gy nd D v i "Lo
o s o e u ss s, M D e o o o a e re ,
”
. .

C nway i 2 6 8
o , . .
16 8 MA G I C AN D HUSBAN DRY

of the fi re and ties the rest of the thread around the tai l
,

of the cow so as to conceal the remaining knot As .

kn ots of s om e witch are supp os ed to cause the sic kness ,

undoin g them or counteractin g the e ffects of them with

,

other knots work s a cu re The shadow of a man or be as t

, .

bein g a vital p art of the living bein g an inju ry to it en ,

dange rs the li fe and health A small sna il that frequents .

the limestone hills of Pera k is thought to suck the bloo d

o f cattle through thei r shadows and the beasts grow lean ,

and sick en and die from the loss of blood ”

, .

We learn from Plutarch that when severe drouth

b rought on pestilence the priests of the Egyptians took ou t
the sacred animals quietly by night and threatened them ,

and i f this was not su flicie nt to cause the trouble to abate ,

the a nimals were k illed “

On account of its association .

with thei r semi divine persons extraordinary and supe r

-
,

natural pow ers were attributed to the regalia of kings and ,

in some districts of Celebes when pla gue threatens cattle ,

or men the k ing s regalia is smeared wi th bu ffalo s blood

’ ’

and ca rried about I f the beast of a Hessian farmer

.

brea k s its leg he binds up th e bro k en leg of a chai r or table

,

with bandages and splints and for nine days the banda ged ,

leg must not be touc hed a fter which the leg of the beast ,

”
will be healed Why the treatm ent is not g iven di rectly
.

to the leg of the animal is not easily explained except ,

that it would be more diflicu lt to do a nd Operatin g on the ,

leg of the chai r b y mimetic or imitative magic would be

, ,

as e ffectual .

Forty yea rs ago according to a recent wri ter in the Lon

,

don Specta tor i f a nai l pierced the frog of a horse s foot

,
’

the driver did nothing to the foot but too k the nail and ,

Th e Go lde n Bou g h ,
"
i . 2 87.

I s i s a nd Os i ri s 7 3”
, .

Th e Go lde n Bou g h "

i ,
.
59, 142 .
1 70 M AG I C AN D H U S BA N D R Y

arrow in the mornin g it li ghted on the sowthis tle and the ,

pla gue disappeared on using it It was also nailed inside .

the swine trou g h that the animals might eat over it and
-

receive its ben efits 28

.

A work written in the si x teenth centu ry contains the

following charm
Ta k m a N pkyn f l te“
e e a o

Wi th th bya f a b lte ; e s o o

F th h ali ng f a lte or e e o oo

N b tt thy nge nb ; o e er ca e

F L am pa nd f B tt or s a or o es

T a k m S ynt Wilf id h ttes e e a r e s

’
uo ,

An d h ly S ynt Th m a L tt o a o s o es,

On my Lyfe I w a rra nde ye

'

S t Anthony healed the ho gs ; St Hubert the dogs ; S t

. .
, .

Loy loo k ed a fter horses and k ine and S t Pelagius the , .

,

ox en A s ix teenth centu ry comedy sa y s

.

L h i a b ll t h a ng
“
o p n y h gg
e re s e e o e u o our o e,

A nd av y a tt ll f m th byting f a d gg
s e ou r c e ro e e o o e.

On S t Stephen s day December a 6 th it was formerly

.
’
, ,

held that it was good to bleed the horse .

Forh i b i ng d n p n th i day th y y d th d th m g d
t s e o e u o s , e sa o o e oo ,

An th m f m all m alad i th g h th y
”
d k p ee es e nd i kn
ro e es a s c esse rou e es t .

Tusser sa ys of the custom

Y C h i tm a b pa d l t h
er rs b l t bl d
s e sse , e orse s e e oo ,

F m a ni a p p
or it d th th m m h g d ;
e u r ose o e uc oo

T h da y f S t S t v n ld fa th
e o did . ee e , o e rs u se ,

I f th a t d m i li k th m
o th d y h
s e ee , so e o er a c u se.
”

Amon g receipts and disburse m ents of the canons of S t .

M ary in Huntin gdon for I 5 1 7 is this ent ry : Item for , , ,

”3°
l e ttin g our horses b le de in Ch rystm a ss e VVeke iiij d .

Bl e ssin g s were also i m pl o red upon the pastures on S t .

“
G i mm
r 8 ,
1 20 .

Q t d by B and f m B a l Int l d
uo e r ro
'
e s er u e.
”

B and 2 88 Dy C t m 49 G i mm 66
r ,
.
" ’
ers us o s, 2 . r , 0.
 H EA LI N G 17 1

Stephen s Da y O n this da y F inns throw a bit of si lver

’
.

into the trou g h out of which the horses drin k thinkin g it ,

contribute s to thei r welfare The Pope s stud was .

’

phy sicked and bled a nd the blood saved to be used as a

,

remedy in various disorders A Welsh ceremony on St . .

Stephen s Da y which consists in whipping one another s

’
,
’

legs till the blood fl ows is probably associated in some way

,

with the bleedin g of the horses and both are modified ,

forms of some old sacri ficial rites supposed to promote

the welfare o f horses and cattle It is probabl y connected .

with ancient horse worship as is the custom of han g in g ,

heads of horses in the stable to keep 0 6 cattle pla gue and ,

of putting the head of a horse in the fodder in the crib

to curb the power of the ni g ht ha g that was wont to ride -

the horse to exhaustion S t El oy in the seventh century . .

, ,

condemned the hangin g of amulets on the neck of man

"
or bea st for even thou gh they were called hol y things
,

and contained words of Scripture they were frau g ht not ,

with the remedy o f Christ but with the p o ison of the ,

”3
Devil .
1

In the H o lyru dhou s Ki rk S e ssion R egister April 6 th , ,

1 64 1 , M r D a lye ll has found a cure for a distempered

.

horse which consists of the la y ing on of the hand and ,

utterin g
K rie b itte rs h e s the b i tt
I n th e tu ng, the e ye , the ha rt, —th a t s ’
w orst

Ot h e r th rie th y b it m nb
e a e

I n the n me a o f th Fa th
e e r, Son, a nd B o li e

A healer in recent times in Kentucky havin g been called , ,

upon to cure a case of bots rubb e d the animal nine times ,

from the ti p of his nose to the e nd of his tail while repeat

ing a charm then slapped the animal on the si des and
, ,

C d li ti Pa t nd P nt 88
re u es
"
s a re se , 1
m.
T h Da k
e s pe rsti ti on f Scotl a nd 2 3
r er u s o , .
17 2 MA G I C AN D HU S BAN DRY

assured the owner that the horse would b e up and eatin g

grass in half an hour 38
.

In ancient times frogs were held to b e valua b le medicin e

for both man and beast and marvelous power was credite d ,

to them A live one administered to a dog destroy ed the

.

power of b ark ing and a liniment ma de of a decoction o f

,

f ro gs and water cu red itch scab in horses and a fter one -

,

treatment the cure was permanent “

.

To prolong the li fe of an aged and decrepit man seeme d

usel ess and absurd among sava ges and some civi li zed
nations of the p ast and the same feelin g towa rds animals
,
'

past thei r b etter da ys still largely ex ists am on g enlightened

people though i t is true that in some countries from a very
, ,

ancient period hospitals have b een in e x istence for diseased

,

and decrep it beasts In India there are asylums for such

.

a nimals supported b y public chari ty and private m u n

, ifi
cence .In ancient E gypt were hospitals for su pe ra nnu
ated cats In large European cities there are refu ges for
.

stra y and homeles s cats and do g s Ellen M G ifl o rd . .

founded at Brighton in England a refuge for the sus

, ,

te nan ce of nee dy animals a n d M iss Lin do a hospital for

,

consumptive and worn out horses near London In the -

, .

contract for the white elephant which M r Ba rnum pur .

chased o f King Th ib o of Siam the king stipulated that the

, ,

rich buyer should love a n d cherish the sacre d beast ma k e ,

its li fe pleasant and keep it sa fe f rom pain or injury Yet

, .

it is probabl y true that in the main the care and protection

,

of domestic animals even in m o dern times is largely

, ,

dependent upon thei r marketable value or usefulness to the

owner S ocieties for the protection o f animals from the
.

cruelties of man are essentially the product of modern

times .

“
Jo n
ur a l ofA meri ca nFolk Lore, -
x iv 30
. .

y
Pli n , m ii so . .
1 74 M AG I C A N D HUSBANDRY
” 3
upon the altar ; it shall never g o out A never ceasin g .

fire burned in the temple of Pan at Arcadia I t is still .

‘

kept up b y the Parsis Perpetual lights burn at the .

shrin e s of Chri s tian saints .

In many traditions deities mani fested themse l ves to

mortals throu gh the medium of fire or were encompassed ,

with it The Israelites beheld Jahveh in the burnin g bush

. ,

and he descen ded from Sinai in the mi dst of flames thun ,

ders and li g htnin gs To Ezekiel Isaiah and St John he

, .
, , .

came in the midst of fire As a pillar of fire he led his .

people throu g h the wil derness He is a consumin g fi re . .

Fire resides in all things that have li fe say the sacred ,

writers of the Hin dus The whole world was once a .

globe of fire accordin g to the belief of some Cali fo rn i a

,

Indians but the fire passed into the trees and then only
, ,

came out by rubbin g two pieces of wood to geth er The .

savage looked upon the trees as rese rvoi rs of hi dden fire .

The same word in some Aus tralian lan gua ges means wood
and fire Two pieces of wood one of which fi guratively
.
,

was m a le and the other female produce d it when rubbed ,

to gether In the Highlan ds of Scotland this wild or

.

forced fire known as nee dfi re counteracted the e ffects of

, ,

sorcery and heal e d thei r sick cattle I f other fires were

, .

extin guished and re kin dled from the sacred flame it were -
,

well for them Whe n thei r cattle wer e ma de to smell of

.

it they escaped from the pla gue and murrain Bou g hs of .

many sorts of wo od were so metimes rubbed to g ether to

pro duce the needfire M r M artin in 1 7 1 6 described the . .

method of ma k ing a fi re called Tin e g in on the Isle of -

Lewis and the use of it in curin g murrai n in the cattle

, .

All the fires in the parish were extinguished and eighty ,

°
L vi ti v
e cu s, i. 13 .
‘
Pa a nia
us s, VII I .
37
.

“
Ex iii ; x i x
. . 2 . 18; D eu t. iv . 24 ; I sa i ah , vi .
4; Ez ki l i
e e .
4 ; Rev . i . 14.
 FI RE S 17 5

one married men were ga thered together and subdivided , ,

into sections of nine they took tu rns in rubbing one plan k

,

against another till fire was produced Each family took .

so me of it and rekindled the fire upon its hearth over ,

which a pot of wa t e r was quickl y heated and sprin kled

on the diseased animals Another custom noted by the .

author in the same Isle was that of ma k ing a fiery circle

round horses ca ttle co rn and o ther crops belonging to the
, , ,

family ; and a man carry ing fire in his ri g ht hand went

around the ci rcle He sa ys the ceremon y was known as
.

”
de ssil from the ri g ht han d which in the ancient lan
, ,
”
guage w a s called dess This rite said the author at
.
, ,

that time had not b e en in use for fo rty y ears though it was ,

attempted in the village of S ha die sixteen years before ,

when it un for tunately prove d fatal to the one performing

the rite for the followin g ni g ht his horses cattle and corn
, , ,

were consumed with fire °

The power of nee dfire was .

q uickened i f two b rothers or two of the same Christi an

name participated in its production .

Colonists took thei r fire with them when they were to

found a new colony and i f it was su fi e re d to go out it
,

could only be rekindled with fire from the mother city It .

is told that Peruvi a n fa m ilies seeking a home northward

alon g the Cordilleras used the fire test at a place where
the y halted on the b a nks of a river to lea rn i f the gods ,

were fa vorable to the location A br a n d was pl a ced in .

a hole in the ground and i f the y found it extinct in the

mornin g they co nstrued it as an un favorable omen and
moved on finally selecting a location where the test was
,

successful 7
.

The usual manner of takin g possession of lands by the

Norse colonists was b y lighting fi res around them or by ,

‘
P i nk t n V ya g
ero
’
s o e s,
”
iii 6 1 1, 6 1 3
. .

N a ti v R aces v 4 30
e
”
, . .
17 6 MA G I C AN D H U S BAND RY

lighting fires at the mouths of th e s trea m s B y shooting .

a fiery a rrow across a river the y forma ll y took possession

of the land on the other side of it In this way Orm u nd .

the Wise who occu pied the eastern side of a valley through
,

which a small stream ran took possession of the other si de ,

of the stream to k eep it from falling into the hands of

E irek 8
In order to limit the territory of the grasping
.

chieftains it was established by a later rule that no man

should have more than he and his followers could enclose
and dedicate by fires lighted at sunrise and kept burnin g till
sunset the distance be tween the fires not to be greater than
,

would enable a man placed at one to discern the smoke

of the other by da y and the fl ame b y ni g ht .

Givin g away fire was abstained from in R ome and is ,

still re g arded unfavora b ly in ru ral pa rts of England 9

.

It is a sayin g inIreland that g ivin g away fi re on M ay Day

g ives away the luck for the year I t was considered .

a safe guard from evil upon that day and must not be , ,

carried away from the house Neither must milk or salt .

be carrie d away I f the fi re goes out on a M ay Day m o m

.

in g that too is very unlucky and it must be rekindled b y

, , , ,

brin g in g a lighted sod from the priest s house The ’

.

ashes of the blessed turf were then sprinkled on the fl oor

and threshold o f the h ouse ‘0
At an annual festival of .

the Creek Indi ans a fter a th ree da ys fast all the fires
,
’
,

were put out in thei r houses and on the fourth mornin g ,

the priest rubbed together two dry sticks till they i gnited ,

when the fire was distributed in all the dwellings Not till .

a fter this ceremony was performed were the women at

libe rty to car ry home the new corn from the harves t field .

At a prescribed time of year in spring and autumn a speci al

No rth n A ntiq i ti
er 87 u e s, 2 .

R li g i n nd F lk L
e o a f N th n I ndia
o -
"
W C k
o re o or er ,
. roo e , 370 .

A n i nt L g nd f I la nd Lady W i ld
c e e e s o re
3 , e , 10 ,
17 s MA G I C AN D HUSBAN DRY

twelve at ni ght and it bu rned all the time steadil y the

, ,

power of the witches was foiled for the season b ut i f the ,

li g ht went out it boded ill for the bearer “

.

The M idsummer festival of St John was ob se rv ed all .

over Europe in the M iddle A ges Fires were k indled in .

the streets and market places Sometimes they were .

blessed by the priests Young men and maidens danced

.

around them leaped over them and cast garlands and

, ,

herbs into them It was believed beneficial for men and

.

cattle Evil and sickness were expelled by them Bon

. .

fi res were li g hted with bi rch for that was reputed a foil for ,

wicked spi rits I f one slept on this ni g ht the devil mi g ht

.

ta ke away his wanderin g soul Does this account for the .

custom of sitting up all night on St John s Eve ? There ’

.

is scarcely room left for doubt says Dr Brinton that , .

,
“
b onfire was originally bone fire and ori g inally “
-
,

b on es were burned as s ymbolical of sacrifice To this .

“
da y sa ys he in the remoter parish e s of Munster and
,

Connaught g re at fires are li g hted on St John s Eve .

’

” ‘5
( June 2 d
3 ) in each of which a bone is bu rnt A cere .

m ony in Little Russi a on St John s ni g ht c onsisted in

’
, .
,

wrappin g a stake in straw drivin g it into the g round and

, ,

s ettin g it on fire while peasants threw upon the flames the

b ou g hs of bi rches and san g : M ay my fl ax be as tall as

this Appa ren tly the c e rem o ny was ma g ical .

Fi re sym boli zed the warmth and heat of the sun needed
for the g rowth of the crop The h e rd s men ma ke torches .

of bi rch bark on the day before the M idsummer fires in

Servia and li g htin g the m march around the sheepfolds
, , ,

and cattle pens The flocks a re led over the fires while
.

hym ns of praise are being sung The morning a fter .

B i ti h C
r s u s tom s ,3 95 .

J n
ou r a l o f Am e rira n F olk Lore ,
-
iii . 1 8.

S ong s o f the R ia n P pl
u ss eo e,
”
2 50 .
 FI RES

wards the cattle a re sometimes driven over the embers as

a specific against murrain and magic and also against ha il ,

and lightnin g .

The extensive ob serv ance of these rites ma y b e in ferred

from the fact that e fl o rts were made to suppress them at
various times The Town Council of N ii rnb e rg June
.
,

2 0 th 1 6 53 prohibiting the heathenish use on St Jo hn s

’
, , , .

Da y of fires and dancing and leaping over the fl ames and

,

carrying bran ds to the fiel ds They were forbidden in Aus .

tri a in 18 Lon g before this by the sixth Council of ,

Constantinople A O 6 80 by its 6 5 th Canon bonfires were

, . .
, ,

pro hibited in the following lan gua g e : These Bonefi res “

that a re k indled by certaine p eople on New Mo one s before

thei r shops and houses over which also they use ridicu ,

lou sly and foolishly to le a p e by certaine ancient customs ,

we command th e m from henceforth to cease Whoever .

therefore shall doe an y such thin g ; i f it be a clergyman let ,

”
him be depos e d ; i f a layman let him be excommunicated , .

“
Under P0 p e Z a cha ry A D 7 4 2 were prohibited those , . .
,

sacrilegi ous fires which th e y c a ll N edfir [or b onefires ] ,

” ‘8
and all other observances of the pa g ans whatsoever
’

The M anx drove thei r cattle through the fire on M a y

Da y and sin ge d them a little 19
In the Voi gtland on M a y .

Day Eve children carried blazin g brooms on the hilltops ,

which was supposed to have a favorable cfi ect on the

harvest and the vinta ge At Shrovetide in Fra nconia they .

drew a fiery plow kindled by a fire cunnin gly made there

,
"
on till it fe ll to pi e ces Servians at Christmas lighted a
, .

log of oak newly cut and poured wine upon it \Vhen , .

Pennant made his tour of Sco tl a nd in 17 6 9 the ceremon y , ,

of the Bealtine Beltane or Baal fires on the w t of M a y

, , , ,

Gri m m , 6 1 9, note .

B a nd
r , 172 .

C l tice Fo lk L-
o re , Wlh e s a nd Ma nx J h n Rhy
,
o s, i 30 9
. .
1 80 MAG I C AN D HUSBAN DRY

though varying in difie rent districts of the Hi g h

lands was yet instrict obse rv ance says Walter S cott and
, , ,

the ca k e which was then b aked with scrupulous attenti on

,

to certain rites and forms was divided into fragments , ,

which were formall y dedicated to bi rds or beasts of pre y

that they or rather the being whose agents the y were
, ,
” 2°
might spare the flocks and herds The manner of bak .

ing and distributing the cake in Perthshire has been

described as follows : The boys in the township met on the
moor cut a table in the sod and kindled a fire They
, , .

kneaded an oatmeal ca k e and baked it in the embe rs a fter ,

wards dividin g it into as many pieces as there were persons ,

blackenin g with charcoal one portion All the pieces were .

put in a bonnet and drawn b y lot The one to whom the .

black ened piece fell was devoted to B aal as a sacrifice to ,

secure his favor in making the year producti ve and accord ,

ingly he leaped three times throu g h the fl ames G rimm .

says that in the earl y me ntion of the Bealtine fires two

fires were li g hted side by side and to pass unhurt be tween
,

them was wholes ome for men and beasts 21

E fligie s were .

frequently burned in these fires or a pretense was mad e of ,

putting a livin g person in them In the E i fel Mountains .

in Rhenish Prussia a bu t was built of straw and brushwoo d

which had been collected from house to house and a straw ,

man placed in it and burned with it I f the smoke blew .

towards the co rnfields it boded fortune to the ha rvest .

In Swa b i a the ima g e of a human being was fastened to a

fir tree a nd bu rne d the first Sunday in Lent and the ,

charred embers ta ken home and planted in the fl ax field s .

”
The ceremony was termed burnin g the witch In som e .

parts of Germany a bonfire was kindled on Easter Eve in

an Open sp a ce near the church to which the people carried
,

L tt n D m n l gy
e e rs o e o o o , 78 .

T t ni Myth l gy 6
eu o c o o , 13 .
1 82 MAGI C AN D HUSBAN DRY

arrows some impaled and some burned alive Colossal

, , .

im a ge s o f wood or wickerwork were made and filled w i th

live men and animals and then the ima ges and their livin g
,

contents w e re bu rned The wickerwork g iants o f the

.

Druids surv i ved in the later festivals o f modern Europe ,

colossal g iants made o f o s iers moved throu g h the streets ,

by means o f rollers and ropes controlled by men enclosed

within the fi gures form in g part o f the annual procession
,

at Douay Similar wicker g iants were led about in the

.

sprin g carnivals in the towns o f Bel g ium and French

Flanders Artificial g iants were used in En gland at the
.

M idsummer festival and these were sometimes burned in

,

the bonfires As men and animals were burned in the

.

wicker g iants o fthe Druids so serpents were burne din hol ,

low columns filled with li ght materials at Luchen in the

Pyrenees on M idsummer Eve live cats were burned at ,

Paris and Metz a white cock in Russia and elsewhe re

, ,

squi rrels and horses heads 23

That human sacrifices and
’
.

the sacrifice o f cattle ori g inally were a pa rt o f the rites

connected with the Baal fires is apparently true Later .
,

as an acceptable equivalent children and cattle marched ,

be twe en the fires or leape d over them The cattle were .

so metimes sin ged with the flame o f a li g hted torch or cu t ,

so as to spill blood which as a substitute fo r the ani

,

mal was o ffered as a sacrifice to Baal the sun god The

, , .

ha zel stick o f which the to rch was made that sin ged
the yearlin g was preserved fo r use in driving the cattle
to the waterin g places “
.

An account is g iven by Grimm of an observance at a

M idsummer festival in 1 82 7 a t Konz a German villa g e ,

on the M oselle Men and yo u ths assembled towards

.

evenin g on the top of the Stromber g and eve ry house ,

T h G ld n B g h
e o e i ii 32 3 4
ou ,
. 0 -
2 .

A n i nt L ge nd f I la nd
c e e s o 3 re
”
, 11 .
 FI RES 1 83

de l i v ere d a truss of straw with w h ich a h uge wheel was

wra p ped so that none of the wood was left v isible A .

strong pole was passed throu g h the m iddl e s tick ing out ,

some distance on each side for th ose to grasp w h o were

to gu ide th e wheel At a si gn al th e whee l was ligh ted
.

an d set in mo tion down the h i ll to the M os ell e An .

ab undant vinta g e wa s thou g ht assured i f the bu rning

w h e el reached the river be fore it went out I n the same . .

way butchers o f T reves sent down a w h eel y earl y from the

top of the Pa u lsb e rg The u se of wheels at M idsu mmer
.

fi res in France i s attested by writers of th e twelfth and thi r

te en th c enturies From the fi fteenth t 0 the seventeenth
.
o

ce n turies in great citi es a pile of wood was rea red in the

public square before the town hall d ecorate d with fl owers ,

and folia ge and set on fire by the mayor A b u nch of

, .

white m u llein and a lea fy spra y of walnut were sometimes

w h isked throu g h the fl ame and a fterwards nailed up over
th e cow h ou se door Th e yout h l ea p ed over th e fl ames
.

an d da nced and sang and the old men put some of the
,

coals in th ei r wooden shoes as a sa fe guard a g ainst innu

m era b le woes 23
.

G rimm g ives a ninca n tation ceremony de scri b ed by M i ss ,

Austin which took place in 17 6 7 in the Isle of Mull o li the

,

west coast of Sco tla nd for the purpose of cu ring disea se

,

among the black cattle They ca rried to the top of Car

.

moor a whe e l and nine spindles of oak wood Every fi re .

in eve ry house in si gh t of the hi ll was put out Th e wheel .

was tu rned from east to west in the di recti onof the mov e ,

me nt of the sun over the nine spindles lon g enough to

,

p roduce fire b y friction which m us t be accomplis h ed b e fore

,

noon to be su ccess fu l For se v eral da ys the e fl o rt failed

.
,

an d the fa ilure was attributed to the obstinacy of one of

th e hou s eholde rs who re f us ed to a ll ow t h e fire inh i s h o u se
Te t ni Myth l gy 63 6
u o c o o , 0, 2 1.
1 84 MA G I C AN D HUSBAN DRY

to be extin guished Finally one of his servants was bribed

.

to put out the fire and then the incantation was successful
, .

New fire was produced a hei fer was sacrificed part o f it , ,

bein g burned while yet alive New fires were kindled on .

thei r hea rths from the ma g ical flames and all pa rtook o f ,

the feast ; but the ma s ter of ceremon ies bein g unfortunate ,

a fterwards and reduced to be gg a ry was accounted accursed ,

by the people of the s urro u ndin g country 26

.

While schola rs disa g ree as to the ori g in of the word

Yule some notably Bede have traced its derivation from
, , ,

a word meanin g wheel Br a nd expresses an Opinion that .

the Yule block in its first u se may have been only a

counterpart o f the M idsummer fires made within doors ,

”
because o f the cold weather at the winter sol s tice In .

some parts of Schleswi g a wheel was rolled into the villa g e

at Christmas time and this was sai d to be trundlin g Yule
,
”
into town When the burnin g Yule lo g was st ruck and
.

the sparks flew upward the Serv i an exclaimed : As ,

many sheep as many goats as many swine as many oxen

, , , ,
” 28
as many god sends and ble ssin gs as here fly sparks
-
, .

The cu stoms of the period at the fe a st of St John are .

pictured in an interestin g manner in the Popish Kin g

”
dom a book written in Latin in the mi ddle o f the six
,

te en th centu ry by a fierce German Protestant named Kirch

meyer unde r the litera ry name o f Thomas N a oge o rgu s ,

and translated into En g lish by the Puritan Barnaby ,

G oo ge from which the followin g is an extract

,

Th n d th th j y f l ] f i f J h n th Bap ti t ta k h i t n
e o e o u es s o o e s e s u r e,

Wh n b nfi g a t wi th l fti fl a m in v y t w n d b
e o e rs re , o e e, e er o e oe ur en ;
A nd y ng m n
ou nd a b t wi th m id
e d d n in v y
rou ou a es, oe au oe e er s tree te ,

Wi th ga l a nd w ght f M th w t
r s l wi th V v in
rou o o er or ,
or e se er a e s w ee te ,

T e u to ni c Myth l o ogy , 60 8 .

A nti qu i ti e s ,
”
24 9 .

G ri mm 70 2 , ,
1 2 3 6, note .
1 86 MAGI C A N D HUSB A N D R Y

sacrifice of the children themselves as was practiced by ,

the ancient P haenicia ns when the pri est tossed the children
into the arms of M oloch whose statue was so arranged ,

that the additional wei ght o f the o fferin g chan g ed its bal
ance and the victim rolled o ff into the fie ry fu rn ace
below Hebrews were forbidden to carry thei r children
.

through the fi re 30
The prohibition was accompanied
.

with that of divination witchcra ft and enchantment , , ,

and the lan gua g e indicates some de gree of confid ence i n

the ma g ical e ffects of the practice Th es e were appeals .

to other supernatural powers and an abomination to

Jahveh Whe n in the days of Hosea they fe ll into
.

the hands o f the Assyrians the children of Isra el secr etly

lea gued with the g ods of the foreign powers and caused
"
thei r sons and dau g hters to pass throu g h the fire So .

M anasseh used enchantments That the children of .

Judah sacrificed their sons in the fi re in later times is evi

de u ced from the denunciations of the prophet Jeremi ah .

It is plain says R obertson Smi th that the sacrifice of

, ,

children to M oloch before the captivi ty was regarded by , ,

the worshipers as an oblation to Jehovah under the title

of King In the more ancient Hebrew rite the same
.
,

author says the children sacrificed to M oloch were slau g h

,

te re d before they were burned At H ierapolis the .

sacrificed children were c a lled oxen and Baal or M oloch ,

is identified with Saturn who plays so conspicuous a pa rt ,

in the ceremonies of the ancient Italians as the god of the

h u sbandman 3 1
.

The Arcadi ans accordin g to Pau s anias sacrificed to

, ,

thunder and li g htnin g on a le genda ry battlefield of

the g i ants and the g ods where fire still came out of the ,

D eut . xv iii . to .

2 Ki ng s x vu . 17 ; xx i . 6; 2 Ch ro n. x xx i ii . 6; J e re m ia h vu .
3 s ; x ix .
5;
Re li gi n
o of th e Se mi t es, 3 52 , 3 88 .
 F I RES 1 87

ground not fa r f rom a ri v er ca ll ed Bat h os nea r w h ic h

, ,

wa s a spring that fl owed only every other year The re .

were speci al cham b ers in a te m ple of the Lydians in whic h

we re ashes onthe altars not li ke other ashes in a ppea r ,
"
ance into which chambers th e magician entered and
, , .

ca lling on th e gods in a forei gn tongue and ch anting incan

ta ti a ns fi re was k indled
,
” .

B e cause fertili zed and impre gnated b y t h e lig h tni ng of

the th under cloud rainwater ha s been thou gh t to be more
,

nu tri tive and p rolific th an other water Th e th u nder .

b olt thus b ecomes a n a gent of fecu ndation a nd nu trition

as we ll as o f destructi on P luta r c h sa id a gri cul turi sts
.

thought l i gh tnin g the fertili zer of the wa ters th e impreg ,

nati on o f the w a ters by the t h un der ca us ing vital heat “

.

I t is undou b tedl y true that to a lar g e ex tent the cere

monies o f the a g ri cultu ral festiva l s of the a ncient G reeks
and Romans were connecte d with thei r belie f in magic ,

and it is e q ua ll y t rue o f the kind re d ri tes w h ic h con

tin u e d till a comparativel y recen t peri od among the nati ons
of Eu rope Fi re an d wa rmt h could be p roduced b y im i
.

tating them The Rom a ns let loose a bu rnin g fox at the

.

feast of Ceres whose first temple was built acco rding to

, ,

tra di tion 4 9 6 B C in obe di ence to the Si bylline o ra cle on

, . .
,

the occasi on of a famine The story of Ov id is an attempt .

to ex plain th e ori g in of a cu stom t h e rea l si gni fi cance of

w hich was probably for g otten in his time Th e sto ry .

of the poet is that at Ca rse o li lived with her husband a

fru g a l peasant w oman on a bit of land worked by them
"
selves , when thei r sporti v e son in the dawn of li fe , ,

c a u ght in a s l op ing corner of t h e field at t h e end of a

willow grove a she fox which was believed to have been-
,

guilty of man y a the ft from thei r poultry ya rd Wra p ped .

De c i ption f G reece v a ) ; viii 3 9

s r o ,
”
. . .

Sym p i um iv a
os
“
, . .
1 88 MAG I C AN D HUSBAN DRY

in stubble and hay which the son fired the capti ve fo x , ,

escaped from his hands and set a fi re the fiel ds which were ,

then clothed with the harvest Lawmakers of Ca rs e oli .

then forbade that any captured she fox should a g ain be -

a llowed to escape alive but should be burned at the feast ,

of Ceres the corn goddess ,

“
to atone fo r the inj ury to
-
,

the harvest The relationship is obvious of the tale of

.

’
the Fasti and that o f the Hebrew Samson s three hundred
foxes tied tail to tail with fi reb ra nds between which ,

destroyed the corn and vineyards o f the Philistines 3

The .
5

reven ge of Samson upon the Philistines fo r denyin g him

his wi fe is an interpretati on that probably bears the same
relation to the latter sto ry as the Roman tradition does to
the former M r Steinthal su gg ests that the burnin g foxes
. .

were a sym bolical reminder o f the dama ge done to the

fields by a mildew called red fox which was in this ,

way ma g ically exorcised M r Fowler thinks the fox s . .

’

tail su ggestin g an ear o f co rn was supposed to possess

, ,

some fertili zin g power which mi ght be imparted to the

fields ” . That in some form or other the custom g rew out
of belief in imitative ma g ic and the supernatural power of
fire is hardly to be questioned The ceremony was to
, .

stimulate an abundant ha rvest The tails of the foxes .

su gg ested a patte rn for the bearded wheat as they ran over

the fields and the burnin g brands tied to thei r tails sym
,

b o lize d the li g ht and warmth desi red and needed to perfect

the crop .

At the Fo rdicia and Pa rilia and other fes tiva ls amon g

the Romans there were lik ew ise characteristic symbolic
rites One cow for the Capital and one for each of the
.

thi rty cu ri e were sacrificed at the feast of Tellus Thei r

c .

F a ti i v 6 87
s ,
”
. .

J d g xv
u es .

L g nd f S m n in G ldzih
e e o H b w Myth l gy 3 98
a so o
’
ers e re o o , .

R m a n F ti v l 7 6
o
"
es a s, .
 CHAPTE R XI

P RO CE SS I O N S AND L ITA N I ES
Wh a t hi d v il p
me ns, a I s a y, t s e
’
s rocess o i n,
Wi th m n f th d p f i n?
e o or o ox ro e ss o

Ti th ni nd id lat
'
s e c a o rou s

F m h a th ni m d i v d t
ro e e s er e o us .

IN nearly all cases a featu e o f the ceremonie s with fire r

described in the precedin g chapter was the procession .

Burning torches were often carried by the people in thei r

marches that by this means the influence of the fire or the ,

sunshine which it represented might be disseminated far ,

and wide .

Church records in the time of Edward IV contain .

ch arges for g arlands and fo r men to bear torches about

the parish on Corpus Christi Day ( June 14 th ) In the .

”
Count ry Pa rs on published in 1 6 5 2 it is sai d the
, ,

count ry parson loves the processi on and maintains it One .

of the advanta ges enum e rated as bein g derived therefrom

is the blessin g of God for the fruits o fthe field Of Corpus .

Christi Day Googe s N a oge o rgu s says

,
’

T he H ba nd m n ab t th i
us n d id
e ou e r co r e oe r e,

Wi th m a ny C Ba nn nd S i J h n th i p i t b id
ros se s, e rs, a r o e r r es es e

Wh in a b g ab t h i n k d th b a th b l d B d
o a ou s ec e o e re e e s se re a e,

A nd ft ntym h d w n lig h t
o e nd G p l l w d d th
e e o ad a e s, a os e o e o re e.

Th i ly k p th m f m wi nd nd ai n nd f m th bl a t
s s u re ee es e co e ro e, a r e, a ro e s ,

S h fayth th P p h a th ta gh t nd y t th Papi t h ld it fa t
uc e o e u , a e e s es o s .
“

Processio ns bearin g statues relics and holy emblems , ,

H di b a
u r s .

B nd 64
ra , 1 .
 PROCE SS IONS AN D LI TAN IE S 19 1

h
t rou g h the streets were d e vices for bringin g to naught the
powers of the ai r Rain and storms it was th ought
.
, ,

cou l d be dispersed by them or drought could be c ounte r ,

acted a nd rain produ ced The relics of S t Taur in were . .

pote nt again st dry weath er and th ose of S t P iat in fallible , .

against wet By formulas and reading litani es the evil

.

spi rits which caused the storms and disturbances in th e ai r

migh t b e driven awa y a nd the evil e ffects of thei r m a ledic
ti ons countera cted A formula ascribed to Grego ry
.

X I I I reads
. I a pries t of Christ
, do com
m a nd ye most foul spi rits who do sti r up these clou ds
,

th at y e depa rt from th em and disperse you rselves ,

in to wild and untill ed pla ces that ye ma y be no longer ,

able to harm men or anima l s or fruits or h erbs or what

, , , ,

” 3
soev er is for human use According to medieva l belie f
.

th e wild and unti ll ed pla ces were th e proper habitati ons of

e vil spi ri ts and demon s Other cerem onies to accompan y
.

th e use o f t h e formu l a gi v en according to th e ru b ric were : , ,

A great fire must b e ki n dled on an open place over it the ,

sign of the cross b e made and the 1 14 th Psalm chant ed ,

while su lphur asa fetida and Oth er li ke substances were

, ,

throwninto th e flames .

The custom o fpublic perambulations onone of t h e three

da ys preceding Ascension Day or Holy Thursda y is t raced
to Ma m e rtu s bishop of Vienne in the middle of the fi fth
, , .

centu ry and it began to he obse rved in En g land about the

,

seventh centu ry Ma m e rtu s is said to have introduced

.

the practice on account of the frequency of earthquak e s

and the incu rsions of wi ld beasts T he people accompanied .

the bishop or s om e of the clergy into the fi elds where ,

t hey repea ted li tanies and imp l ored God to avert f rom
.

them pla gues a nd pes til en ce and to give t h em seasonable ,

weath e r and th e f ruits of the e a rth in thei r season Boys .

”
Wa far f Scie n w i th Th l gy ii 34
r e o ce
"
eo o , . 0 .
19 2 MA GI C AN D HUSBAN D RY

with green bou ghs in thei r hands and others singing hymns
sometimes formed part o f the procession After the .

Reformation the recitation of the L it a ny was discontinu e d ,

but th e memorial of the processions lon g su rvived in the

perambulations of Ro g ation week arou nd the parish e s ,

known as beating the bounds when the boys were some ,

times whipped a t the boundaries to make them remember ,

them it is said or as otherwise explained the custom su r

, , ,

vive d as a memorial of earlier s a crifici a l rites at the

terminal points Goo ge has tr a n s l a te d N a ogeo rgu s
.
’

account of Procession We e k as follow s

Now day w h i n th y g d b d wi th
co me s th e e re in h a nd e a a ro e, cros se e,

T b nd
o ou f v y fi ld
es o nde nd a b t th i n i g hb
er e , la nd
a ro u ou e r e or s
’
e

A nd th y g
as th y e i ng nd p ay t v y i nt b
o e s a r o e er sa a ou e ,

B tt
u Ladi p ially w h m m t f all th y l
o ou r e s ec , o os o e ou e .

Wh n th y t th t w n
e as e o m th C h
e h th y nt in
o e a re co e, e u rc e e er ,

A nd l k w h a t ai nt th a t h
oo e h d th g id th y h mb ly p ay t h im
s c u rc o u e, e u r o ,

Th a t h p v b th m nd f i t f m t m nd t m p t g a t
e re se r e o co e a ru s ro s or e a e es re

A nd th m d f nd f m h a m
e e e nd nd th m t
ro f d i nkr nd m a t
e, a se e s o re o r s a e .
”

In the annual processio ns in Roga tion w eek certain trees

alon g the bo u ndary lines were known a s g ospel trees or
hol y trees beca u se of the readin g o f the gosp e l und e r th e m
by the cler gymen in thei r a nnual perambulations Herrick .

refers to the custom in these lines

Da e re s t, b ry m
u e

U nd e r. th a t H ly Ok o -
e, or gos pl e -
tree ,

Wh e re ( th gh thou ou see s t no t) h
t ou m ay ’
st t h i nk p u o n
Me , w h n th y ly
e ou e re go s t
-
p roces s o i n.
”

A ceremony is repo rted as takin g place in Cheshi re o f

readin g the g ospel to the springs on Ascension Da y when ,

t he y were visited in the perambulations It was believed .

that the water was better a ft e r it The Scriptures were .

also read at wells in Derbyshi re on Ascension Da y and

prayers o ffe red 4
.

B i ti h P p l C t m T F T DY" "
r s o u ar us o s, . . .
, 2
194 M AG I C A N D HUSBAN D R Y

M an sa nin the island was perambulated by young men on

, ,

Hallow Eve and rhymes in M anx were stuck up at the

,

door o f eve ry dwellin g and fires kindled This counter , .

acted the baneful influence of fai ries and witches In .

1 7 1 6 in the Isle of Lewis the poorer pe 0 p 1 e still retained

the custom of blessing their co rnfie lds and at the same time ,

they went around them thrice sun ways 7

Old En glish -
.

reco rds tel l of blessin g the corn upon St M ark s Day .

’
,

April a 5 th the day of the old Roman Robi g ali a on whi ch

, ,

occ a sion in divers parishes processions of citi zens with

b a nn e rs m a rched and sang in Latin Su rvivals of the .

old ceremonies still remain The New York Tim es of .

October 7 th 190 1 copi es from the London Teleg ra p h

, ,

a description of the observance of the ancient cu stom of

heatin g the bounds at M aidenhead on the day before ,

when the M ayor and corpo ration perambulated the enti re

boundaries of the borou g h the proceedin g s occupyin g the ,

entire da y M any amusin g incidents occurred Ladies

. .

encountered on th e ro u te were permitted to choose be tween

bein g kiss e d on th e bounda ry stone or bumped against a
tree or a wall .

On one of the last days of M a y the R omans had a

festival known as the A m b a rva lia the ceremonies of which ,

were presided ov e r by the Arval priests or priests o f th e ,

fields The word itself si gnifies to g o round the field

.
,

an d the La tin rite s u gg e s ts the En g li s h perambulations

o f Ro g a tion \Ve ck o f which it is perhaps the parent
, .

Accordin g to Pliny the Arval priests were first established

by Rom u lus and consisted of himself and the sons o f
his foster mother The chaplet bestowed upon them by
.

Romulu s co ns i s te d o f a wre a th of e ars o f corn tied with a

whit e fi lle t Th e obj e ct of the procession was to puri fy
11

nI l f S tl nd in Pi nk t n V ya g iii 6 3
" '
“
Vl
'
e s te r s es o co a ,
er o s o es, . 1 .

N l Hi y x viii
a tu ra s to r ,
. 2 .
 P R OCESS IONS AN D L ITANI ES 19 5

the cra p s T he victims to b e sacri fi ce d were l ed t h ree

.

tim es round the fields while the process i on car ri ed olive

bran ch es and chanted son gs Accompanying the o fferin gs .

were p rayers to M a rs invo king protection f rom un seas on

able influences a pros perou s is sue of the sea son and sa fety
, ,

to the shepherds and fl ocks “

It is perhaps to this festi .

v al that Vi rg il a l ludes when admonishing a ll to remember ‘

to pa y thei r annual o fferings to Ceres sacri ficin g a mi dst ,

“
the j oyous blades of co rn T hrice le t the auspicious .

vi ct im be led round the young corn ; then s h ould follow th e

"
whole choi r of rej oicin g com pani ons O vid says white .

ga rmen ts were worn at the feast of Ceres the goddess of ,

corn , as mos t befitting and the w e a rin g of da rk woolen ,

robes was not allow ed At the G a mes of Ce res of which .

,

the poet sa y s both the o ffi ce and merits of th e goddess are

p lain to be perceived and there is no need of an y ex plana
"
tion of thei r o ri g in on the fi rst day th ere was a process ion
,

from the Capitol to t h e Ci rcus M a x im us wi th t h e o ffi ce rs

of state at the head and the men of a g e for military serv,

ice fol l owin g o n foot and hors e b ack Chari ots followed .
,

and musici ans a nd dance rs and the procession close d with ,

ima ges of the gods carried on the shoulders of men or in ,

cha ri ots .

Th e honors paid to t h e god d ess Demeter at H e rmi one

are descri bed b y Pausanias A n annual festival was held .

in the summer T he pries ts of the gods and all the to wn

.

aut h o rities led t h e process ion and men and wom e n fol ,

l owed Th e boys too clothed in white formed in pro

. , . ,

cess ionwith g arl a nds on thei r heads A fu ll g rownhei fer .

-
,

ti g htl y bo und was drag ged i n the rear of the proc ession
,

to th e temple where old w omen in wait ing cut its th roat

,

Rom a n Fes t v i al s, 13 6 .

”
G e org ia , 3 3 40 .
.

F a ti iv
s ,
“
.
3 93 .
19 6 MAGI C AN D HUSBAN DRY

with a sickle Other hei fers followed and were slain in

.

the s ame way Pausanias said that no man in Herm ione

.

knew the special obj ect of the ceremony which would

12
,

indicate that in his time th e si gnificance of the primitive

custom of which this was a survival no lon ger had any ,

hold upon them althou g h the ancient rites from force of

, ,

tradition continued to be per formed From the season of

, .

the year when the festival took place from the implement ,

used in sla y in g the sacrifices and from the character of the ,

goddess it seems clear that it was a fertili zin g ceremony

,

and believed to influence the g rowth of ve getation .

The possible ori g in of horse racin g amon g the G reeks

and Romans in a g ricultural rites to promote ferti lity of
the land is su ggested by M r Fowler 13
Horse racin g . .

and chariot racin g formed a part o f numerous a g ricu ltural

fe stivittes as in modern times racin g survives in the attra e
,

tions of our annual festivals of husban dmen Earl y .

Roman writers record that one of the pai r of victors in

the chariot race on th e Campus M a rtins was sacrificed to
M ars ori g inally protector of herds and crops and the deity
,

of the cultivator thou g h in later times more celebrated as

,

the god of war .

Most interestin g in the s tu dy of these rites is the festi

val of St Bernard at Monte San Bernardo observed
.
,

annually on the 1 5 th of June M onte Rubello the .

,

form e r name of the now sacred mou ntain had been one o f ,

the n o ted fastnesses on the mountain ta p where F ra Dol

cino the heretical re fo rmer prophet and leader had lon g
, , , ,

withstood the forces of the church in the e arly y e ars of the

fourte enth c e ntury till he was finally captu red a nd tor
,

tu re d to death From his a ssocia tion with it this moun

.

tain fa stness b ecame k no wn a s an accursed sp ot whither ,

D ip ti n f G
e sc r o 35o ree ce , 11
. .

R m a n F ti v al 4 6
o
"
es s, 2 .
19 s M AG I C A N D H USBAN D R Y

cfli gy was borne on a bier at the head of which was a

mock pries t with torchbearers in advance M usic of pipe .

and drum accompanied the slow marching proces sion -

,

which finally brou g ht up in the public square where the

ima ge was burned The ceremony is some times known as
.

the car ry ing out of D e ath Ima g es are made of straw or .

of birchen twi gs They are sometimes flung into the water

.

from a high rock thou g h oftener consumed by fire Again

, .

the cfli gy is carried by the procession into the fi eld and set
on a pole aro und which th e y dance Finally they tea r .

the image into pi eces committin g the fragm ents to the ,

fl ames while they sin g lines like these

We ca rry de a th vi l l a g ou t o f the e,

A nd th N w Y a i nt th v illa g
e e e r o e e.

D a S p i ng w b id y w l m
e r r , e ou e co e,

G ng a w bi d y w l m
ree r ss, e ou e co e.

Wl e come d a S mmer e r u ,

G ree n l i ttl c n e or .

G ive a go d ye ar
us o

For w h a t nd f rye
e a or .

A stru g gle som etimes takes place for the burn ing fra g .

ments of the e ffi gy and those who secure them car ry them

home and tie them to the trees in their gardens or bu ry
them in thei r fields to make the cra ps grow better o r a ,

wis p of the straw from an e fl gy is placed in the manger to

make the cattle thrive The extinct spark of vegetation
.
.

of the o ld year is pe rsonified in the image destroyed .

The Romans had annually a ceremony of expelling M ars ,

who was as already mentioned primarily a god of vege

, ,

”
ta tio n . Westphalians have an annual ceremony of
expelling evil by drivin g out the butter fly on St Peter s .
’

T h G ld n B g h ii 84 ”
e o e ou , . .

R m an F tiv al 48
o es s,
”
.
 P RO CE $ I ONS AND LITAN I ES 199

D a y w h en th e children go from house to hou se knock ing

,

on th e doo rs and sin g ing rhymes biddin g the butter fl y

depart Om ission of the ceremony ex pos es th e ca ttle to

.

sickn es s and other mis fortunes “

.

E zek iel descri b es the weeping and wailing of t h e

women for T am muz at the door of the ga te of t h e temp l e .

T he annual rite was to renew and q uicken vegetable li fe .

The ceremoni al death of th e young go d was followed b y h is

resurre ction and t h e imitative magic p romoted t h e rea l i ty

d esi red Under v a rious forms the Babyloni an ce remon y

.

was ad opted among other Ary ans who ca me in contact

with Sem itic ideas The Babylonians celebrated it just
.

be fore the su m mer so lstice The mourn ing was followed .

b y the reap pe a rance of the god Adonis was th e Syrian .

Ta mm uz At Byb lu s hi s dea th was annua lly mou rned

.

wi th weeping and wailin g and beating the breast Ne xt .

da y he was believed to come to li fe a ga in and the red ,

an em one sprang from his blood I n the fi ft h centu ry .

be fore th e Ch nst1a n E ra t he rite was adopted by th e

G reeks Th e songs of thei r poets co mmem orated it and
.

were sung at th ei r festivals Beside the ima g e of the d ead

.

’
god were placed all ripe fruits that the tall tre es branches
bear and the de l icate g ardens a rrayed in bas kets of sil
, ,

"
ver with golden vessels of incense and dainty ca k es
fashi oned b y t h e women ming ling b losso ms mani fold
with th e w hite w h eaten fl our al l th at is wrou gh t of honey ,

sweet a nd in soft olive oil all ca k es fashioned in the su n

. ,

”
blance of th ings th at fly and of thin gs th a t creep In .

t h e m orn ing the maidens ca me and carri ed him forth

among th e wa v es tha t broke upon the beach an d wit h ,

l ocks unloosed and un g i rt raim ent falling to t h ei r ankl es

, ,

an d b os oms ba re they began th ei r shrill sweet s on g

, ,

“ “
Th G ld n B gh iii 9 n te
e o e ou ,
”
. 1, o .

"
E z ki l viii 3
e e . .
zoo MAG I C AN D H USBAN D RY

Woe woe for Adonis he hath perished the beauteous

, , ,
"
Adonis dead is the beauti ful Adonis
, C yprus sheds a .

tear for each blood drop o f Adonis and tears and blood-
,

are turned to flowe rs on the earth The blood brings .

”
forth the ros e the tears the windflowe r
,
o
.

By invocations litanies and son gs evil things could be

, , ,

put away The ori g in of music has been ascribed to the

.

loud noises made to drive away evil spi rits It was a

2‘
.

tradition of the Swedes and No rwegians that lame horses

had been healed by snatches ofsong Such remedial a g en .

cies were not unkn own to the ancient R omans It was a n .

ancient Irish belief that a beast c ould be rhymed to death .

Re g inald Scot mentions it in the Discovery of Witch

”
cra ft. Rats and other vermin could be driven away by
persistent use of metrical cha rms and incantations Rosa i
.

lind says : I was neve r s o berhymed since Py tha go ras

“ ’

”
time that I was an Irish rat and Shylock
, ,

Wh a t i f h b t bl d wi th a t
my ou se e rou e ra ,

A nd I b pl a d t g iv t n th
e e a nd d ca t
se o e e ou s u s

T h a v it b a n d ?
o e e

Browning s poem has made immortal the l e gend of B run s

’

wick of the old man o f Hamelin who contracted to rid the ,

town of its rats by a secret ch a rm by which he could dra w

A ll cre at ur
es liv i ng b n a th e e th e su n,

Th a t cre e p or s wi m fly or o r ru n ”
.

Similar legends of the piper are told in other countries ,

which are a s u fli cient proof of a widely extended belief in

the power of such charms over the rodents at some period
o f the past A legend of Lorch is that when the Bishop
.

of Worms had institu ted a procession and litanies to rid the

”
Th i t I dyl v ; Bi n I dy l I
e oc r u s, x . o ,
.

W h ip f th R m a n F a nk G a ng
o rs o e 8o s,
”
r r e r, 2 2 .

A Y s Li k I t ii i ; M ch a nt f V ni
ou e , iv . a er o e ce . . 3.
20 2 MAG I C AN D H USBAN D R Y

who firml y beli eved in its effi cacy His book wa s publishe d .

in 1 87 1 Acco rding to one o f the legenda ry accounts of

.

the ori g in of the ceremony in the ei g hth centu ry all the ,

h o rses cows sheep and goats were a fl ecte d with an epi

, , ,

demic of dancing in their stalls and refused to eat .

Medicine failed to overcome it and the p eople vowed to

dance a round the grave of St Willib ro rd When the vow . .

was fulfilled the pla gu e ceased This dance ar ound the .

’
s aint s tomb is still a prominent featu re of the ceremony .

Another t radition connects it with the black death which

p revailed about the middle o f the fourteenth centu r y In .

”
all probabili ty sa ys Profess or Evans it is a survival of
, ,

th e old pagan feast which was celeb rate d at the summer

s olstic e in honor of the sun and chan ged by Willib ro rd ,
” 24
into a Chris ti an festival Statistics derived fro m o fli
.

cia l sources are given relating to the obse rv ance of this

festival on M ay 1 sth 1 894 when pers ons par

, »

ticip a te d including 14 0 clergymen and one bishop

, ,

s in gers 1 ,springe rs and there were prayers , .

M r Frazer calls attention to a cu stom of cer ta in peoples

.

of pro pounding eni gm as to each o th er on special occas i ons ,

as at marria g e or burial or during the pres ence of a co rpse

, ,

in the house Among the A lfoo rs of Central Celebes

.

riddles were proposed during the season for cu ltivatin g the

fields and while the crops were g rowin g but at other times ,

they were forbi dden When someone had guessed the .

answer to the riddle the res t cried aloud M ake our rice ,
” 25
grow .

The Khonds of Orissa besought Bo o ra Pennu and T ari

Pennu and all other gods that the sown seed might appea r
, ,

to the e a tin g bi rds a s e a rth and as stones to th e eating ,

anim a ls The Finns invoked Ta h va nu s lord of the horses

.
, ,

“
A ti l inP p l S i n M nth ly v l x l vi i i 84
r c e o u ar c e ce o , o . . .

T h G ld n B gh iii 6 9 n t ”
e o e ou , .
,
o e.
 PROCE SS IONS AN D LITAN IES 20 3

to guard thei r herds to give them feed to watch th em , ,

when no roo f sheltered them and to defend them in the ,

bush y woods when on beds o f pine tree spra ys onpillows -

,
” 3°
made of twigs th at not a ha ir be broken off
, .

Lullabi e s were sung by th e mil kmaids of U ist to soo the

thei r cows and they fre quentl y changed the song to suit the
actiono f the mil k ing The cows were said to become so .

accustomed to the milking songs or lilts that the y would not

give thei r mil k without them Owners of stock preferred .

maids with v o ices pleasing to the cows Sometimes when .

the cal f of a cow died and th e cow was restive and would
not yield her mil k the s k in of the dead calf was placed on
,

a skeleton frame before the cow with the desi red e ffect
27

of soo thing he r but the cows refused to be com forted i t

,
-
,

is sai d i f the s k in o f another cal f though of the same

, ,

color had been used The sham cal f was made of wick er
, .

work i f the material was obtainable and a boy near by ,

moved it now and then to make the cow b elieve that it was
all right W hile the maid was busy ta k ing the mil k she
.

sang
Oh my h i f " ,Oh m y ge ntl h if "
e er , e e er

My h if f ll f h a t g n
e er nd ki nd
so u o e r , e e rou s a ,

I nth na m f th H i gh K i ng ta k t thy ca lf
e e o e , e o .

Th bl a k w mi n w n g ntl bl a k c w "
ou c co , e o e e c o

Th a m di a a ffl i t th nd m "
e s e se se c s ee a e

Th t g i vi n
ou arg f th y b a tif l fi t ca lf "
re or e u u rs

A nd I f mi n w n b l v dor n nd th e o e o e so u er e se a .

An invoc a ti o n fo rmerl y sung by old men and women while

ten din g th e i r herds in the Hebrides is quoted by Lo rd Arch
ih a ld Campbell in The Records o fArgyll from Gra z
”
in g and A g restic Customs of the Outer Hebrides b y ,

A Ca rm icha e l as follows :
’
.

P re nd P m Hi t i Fi nn J h n A b r mby
a ro -
s or c
20 s
, o e cro , 11. 1.
”
Pi nk t n V ya g iii 6 4
er o
’
s o e s,
”
. 2 .
20 4 MA G I C AN D HU S BAN DR Y
I place thi fl k b f e m s oc e or e,

A twa
s
’
d d by th Ki ng f the w l d
s o r e re e o or ,

Ma y Vi gi n t k p th m t wa it th m t w at h
r r o ee e , o e , o c them,
Onb n ng l n np l a i n
e ,
o e , o ,

On he n n g l n on p l a in
,
o e ,
.

A rise h
B idg t the ge ntle the f i
t ee , r e , , a r,

T a k inthin h and thy c mb nd thy h a i ;

e e o ,
a r

S ince th t th m m ade t th ch a m
ou o e s e r ,

To k e p the m f m t ay i ng t a ve the m f m h a m
e ro s r , o s ro r .

F m ro k f m n w w a th f m tre ams
roc s, ro s o -
re s, ro s ,

F m ro k d way f m d t ti v fi ts
croo e s, ro e s ru c e ,

Fr m th a
o w f the fa i y w m n
e rro s o r o e ,

F m th h t f nvy f m th
ro e yur f evil
o e ,
ro e e e o ,

Fr m th h t f nvy f m th
o e ye f vil
ur o e , ro e e o e .

Ma ry m th t nd th th ff p i ng ll l
,
o e r, e ou e o s r a

B i d g t f th whi t pa lm "h i l d th u my fl ck "

.

r e o e e s s e o o s

C l mb a b l v d "th a int f b t vi t
o u e o e ou s o es r u e s,

"
,

En c mp a oth b e d i ng a tt
ssl b t w they p t ction
ren the h e d c e, es o ro e o r
20 6 MAGI C AN D HUSBAND R Y

in fl uence or in the former case to su fliciently propitiate

, , ,

the p owe rs that were cha stizing them was the problem ,

which con fronted them H owe ver ludicrous in the light.

,

of present knowledge may seem some of the earlier con

,

ce p tions of the human mind it is intere sting to trace the ,

evidences of serious thou g ht and stu dy g iven to perplex in g

prob lems for which they w e re as y et u na b l e to fi nd a ny
better s olution .

That Shakespeare s lines on the fe ast of th e Lupercal

’

fi nd the ir inspi ration in Plutarch s account of it in the ’

”
bi ographies of Romulus and Julius Ce sa r is mos t ,

likely It wa s one of the oldest and most interes ting fes

.

tiva ls of the R omans and was c e lebrated only one month

,

before the death of C e sar How long continued the .

obse rv ance of it had been at that time is unknown b ut so ,

strong was its h o ld upon the pe op le that it su rvived more

th an five centu ries afte rwa rds when Pope G elasius I one , .
,

hundred and seven ty y ea rs a fter the R oman p e 0 p 1e ha d

be en constrained to accept Christianity as th e i r state reli
gion put an end to the old orde r of festivities b y ch angin g
,

the da y of the Lupercal ( Februa ry 1 sth )to that of the Pur

ifica tionof the Vi r g in M a ry Ovid s st o ry of the ori g in ‘ ’
.

of the Lupercal is that when because of long continued , ,

-

b arrenness of the Roman women the oracle o f Juno was ,

consulted the response was le t the rough goat approach

, ,
”
the Troj an matrons and the ceremonies of the festival
,

were insti tuted in an attempt to car ry out thei r conceptions

of the meanin g of the c ommunication from the goddess .

Th e place for the me e tin g o f the celebrants of th e rite was

at the spot where tradi tion said th e twin children had been
deposited by the T i ber at the ca ve Lupercal a name for
, ,

the origin of which there is no satis factory a g reement

R m a n F ti v al Wa d F wl 3 “
o es
”
s, r e o e r,
l ”
Fl S tI, Ii 42 7
u
. .
 M A K IN G TH E H E RDS PRO L I FI C 20 7

am ong autho riti es There was an o ffering of sacred cakes

.

made by the Vesta ls f rom the fi rst ears of th e last harvest

and goats and dogs were sacrificed Selected youths of .

hi gh rank smeared thei r foreheads with kni ves bloody

from the slaughter of the victim s who were then wi ped ,

with wool dipped in mi l k and made to l augh as they gi rded

,

themselves with the skins of the slaughtered goats and , ,

with strips of skin cut from the coverin g of the victims as ,

th e y ran around the b a se of the Palatine Hill the y struck

all the women with whom they came in contact or ,

who o fle red themse l ves or thei r hands T hat the strikin g .

wi th thongs was to produce fertili ty is ex plicitl y a ffi rmed ,

b y Roman authors “
That the thongs b ein g a pa rt of the
.
,

sa cri fi cial vi ctim were conceived as poss ess ing puri fy ing
,

an d even magical power i s probable and by th e b lows

, ,

in fl icted the powers of natu re were quic k ened and th e hos

ti l e o r hindering spi rits causing sterility we re put to fl i gh t .

G rimm relates a cu stom of the Teutons of beating t h ei r

ca ttle with staves on thei r wa y home from the ceremonies
for th e e xpulsi on of Deat h to ma k e them more fruitful
,
1
.

Branch es a nd rods of certain trees were credi ted with magi

cal influence over wom en and herds in productiven e ss and
in facilita ti n g bi rt h Leto cla sped a palm tree and an olive
.

tree or two laurel tre es when about to give bi rth to Apollo

and Art e mis W onderful vi rtu es were ascribed to the
.

sacre d cedar of G il g it Branches of it were ta ken to the

.

villa ge and placed on a stone bes ide runnin g water where ,

the blood o f a sacrificed goat was poured over it and e a ch ,

m an carried to his h ome a s p ri g of th e ceda r The ne x t .

day the wi fe drove th e g oats to the Chili stone and pelted

them with pebbles From th e omens she divined the sex
.

of the ki ds e xpected duri ng the ensui ng year T he ferti .

oR man Fe ti val 3 20 nt 7
s s,
"
, o e .

Te c nic 111m m
u o
"
.
20 8 MAG IC AN D HUSBAN DRY

lizing in fl uence of the cedar was imparted to the goats in

driving them to the stone In Europe the M a y tree or .

”
M aypole says Pro fes sor F ra zer is supposed to poss es s
, ,
” 3
similar powers over both women and cattle .

Flora was one of the deities of the earth or vegeta ti on , ,

o r generation The Fl o ralia of the R omans held in

9
.
,

h onor of this goddess p robabl y originated in the Ori ent , .

T he Ma y fe sti vals introduce d into Britain are believe d to

be its survivals In later times the y degenerated into
.

merrymaking festivities but they had e ve rythin g orig ,

”
ina lly , writes Profes sor Frazer quotin g from M ann ,

hardt , a seri ous and so to speak sacram ental signifi , ,

cance ; people really believed that the god of growth was

present unseen in the bough ; by the procession he was
”
brought to e ach house to bes to w his bl es s ing Herric k .

speaks of them as the harmless folly of the time

S ee h ow
De voti on gives e ach h
a b gh o u se ou

O b an h ; a h p
r r h ahd
c e c o rc , e c oor, e re hi
t s,

A n k a ta b na l i
ar , er ce s,

Mad p f w hi t th n n atly i nte

e u o e or e rwove .

One of the legends of Flora is that she was a courtesan

who left her w e alth to the Roman people on condition that
her birthda y should be celebr a ted with an annual festival ,

which w a s held on the 2 8th of April and a fte rwards ,

extended to M ay 3 d T acitu s refers to the consecra .

tion of her temple near the Ci rcus M aximus in the rei gn o f

“
T i berius .In the same year ( 2 3 8 D C ) games were insti . .

tu te d in her h onor Accordin g to Ovid they were sup

.

ported b y fines levi e d upon th os e who ille g ally pastu red the
public lands The fe stival was a time of g re a t license
. .

T h G ld n B g h
e o i 93
e ou ,
”
. 1 .

R m a n F ti v al 67
o es s, .

T h G ld n B gh
e o i e ou ,
”
. 2 12 .

A nnal 49
s,
”
11. .
2 10 MA G I C AN D HUSBAN DRY

I rv ing describes the delight he experi enced in seeing one

on the banks of the Dec They were also comm on in .

France and German y In 1 6 44 the Puritan Pa rliament .

ordered a ll the M aypoles down in England and Wales ,

but they were a g ain revived on the restoration of Charles

I I in 1 6 6 1
. .

Stubbs in Qu een Eli za b eth s time w rites of th e M aie

,
’
,

Poole which they bring from the w oods with g reat ven
,

cration The y have twentie or fou rtie yoke of oxen

“
,

every ox e h a vyng a sweet nocega ie of flowers tyed on the

tippe of his ho m es and these ox e n drawe home this M ai e
,

poole ( this stinckyng I doll rather ) which is covered all ,

over with flowers and he a rb es bounde rounde aboute with ,

strin g e s fro
, m the top to the bottome and s o m e tym e ,

painted with variable colours with two or three hundred ,

men w o men and children fo llowyng it with gre at devo

, ,

tion And thus being reared up with h a ndke rch e ife s

.
,

and fl a gges stre a m yng on the toppe they stra we the ,

g ro u nd e aboute binde gr e ene boughes

,
a bout it sett up ,

Sommer b aules B o wers and Arbours hard by it And

, ,
.

then fall they to banquet and fe a st to le a p e and da u nce ,

aboute it as the Heathen people did at the dedication of

,

thei r I do lles where o f this is a perfect p a tte m e or rather

, ,
” ‘4
the thyn g itsel f .

Sometimes brush wood and oth e r combustibles were

placed around the tree and the whole set on fire and when ,

con sumed garlands were thrown across the embe rs and

, ,

coupl e s with join e d hands l e aped over them The sin g ed .

ga rlan ds were carried home and preserved They w e re .

thrown on the he a rth when a thunder storm burst and ,

when the cattle w e re sick and during p a rturition they

were g ive nth e g arlan ds to eat .

Thom a s Morton who c a me to Plymou th in 1 6 2 2 has

, ,

B a nd 9
r ,
12 .
 MA KING T HE H E R D S P R O LI F I C 2 11

hims el f d escri bed the introduction of th e M a ypole into

th e New W orld a n d th e ceremoni es on the occasion of th e
,

erection of one at M a re Mount by himsel f and com pa n

-

”
ions,
“
with the help o f salva g es A go odly pine t ree .

ei ghty feet lon g was rea red up with a pai r of buck ho m s ,

-

unto the top of it where it stood ,

ction s ; how to find out t h e way to

”
re M ount Of the scanda l conn ected .

Morton him self has wri tten He was .

in Standis h on the order of the Gover

Escapin g from the guards he su bse ,

u rre n de red and was se nt back to En g land

, He .

the n ex t y ea r to Pl ymouth to find that Gov ernor

h ad ordered down h is M a ypole Go v e rnor .

him a gain to Engia nd where he fou nd h is ,

ing his New En g land Canaan .

wrote in 17 2 4 of a M a ypole Hil l nea r

re t h e b o ys annua ll y went in procession
rryin g white willow wands wit h the b a rk
a cerem ony which strongly su g gests t h at at ,

er period the peeled rods had some special sig

,

There is at least a possibility th at thei r se rvice

b ee n someti me a k in to th at o f the goat s kin -

the hands of the runners at the feast of th e

gi ven special fructi fy ing powers to the

has
l and m istletoe In one o f the rites of the
, .

the sprin g of th e y ear the floor wa s strew n , ,

”
lod g e decorated with willow bou g hs .

of the hazel :
I f h ph d t ll
s e t e th y wa n
er s e d ha h p we r
us ru ,
t o ,

W i th g a i i nfl n t a v t th h a rm
r c ou s ue ce , o er e

O f mi no ou s

i . 1 5 8.

A fie ld, L H B a i l y q ting f
. . e , uo rom the
“
Tk
o e n .
“
2 12 MAGI C AN D HU S BAN DRY

O n spits of hazel wood for to astin g fork s the choice , ,

entrai ls of the sacrificial g oat we re placed at the feasts o f

Bacchus " .

A feature of the midsummer festi v als of the a n

cient Druids was the g atherin g of the sacred mistletoe .

Under the sacred oa k they prepared for a feast and a sac

rifice Two white bulls whose horns h a d never been
.

bound before were taken to the spot where the mistletoe

was to be g athered A priest clad in a white robe climbed
.

the tree and cu t with a golden sickle the precious bou g h ,

and it was cau ght in a white cloth The victims were .

sacrificed with prayers to God tha t he would ma k e the

g i ft prosperous to them T hey believed a potion made .

from the bou g h g iven to barren anima ls removed their

sterility 18
A Worc este rs hire farmer was accustom ed to
.

g ive his bou g h of mistletoe to the cow tha t had a calf fi rst
a fter New Yea rs to brin g good luck to the dai ry M an y
, .

old write rs speak of its remedial prope rties and it was one ,

of the in g redients with which the goddess Kod prepared in

her caldron the water of inspiration science and im , ,

mortality ” It was sacred to Friga the Scandin a v i an

.
,

Venus .

The use of white b u ll s in th e ceremon y o f gatherin g the

sacred mistletoe by the Druids recalls the ancient laws
compellin g the tenants of the church lands attached to the
church of the shrine o f Bury St Edmunds to breed and .
,

p rovide as many white bulls as mi g ht be required for the

ceremony wh ich too k place when barren w omen visited the
shrine to be relieved o f thei r sterility T he women .

”
walked to the shrine with a hand on the white bull .

V rgi il ’
s Ge org ics
3 96 ,
11. .

J ou rna l of A meri ca n F olk Lore , -

x
.
35 .

Sca ta logic Ri t
e s,
”
C ap t J G
. . . B k
ou r e , 10 8
.

”
J ou rna l of A m eri ca n F olk Lore , -
x
.
3 55 .
2 14 M AG I C AN D HUSBAN DRY
importance to us centers in the fact that it is the record
of that which was not re g arded as improbable at the p e riod
in which it wa s wri tten and it is on this account worthy
,

of careful c onsideration After lon g and fa ithful serv .

ice to the father of Rachel and Leah Jacob becomes rest ,

less and desi rous of returnin g to his own country , and asks
for permission to depart at the same time remindin g his ,

father inlaw how g reatly the fl ocks and herds have pros
- -

pered and multiplied under his care and how little were ,

his possessions at the begi nnin g of his service La ban .

,

unwilling to lose so v aluable a n assistant s ee ks to dela y ,

his departure .

What shall I gi v e th ee he a s ks to rem a in ? , ,

”
I f thou wilt do this responds Jacob , thou shalt not ,

g ive me au ght and I will a g ain keep and feed thy

,
”
fl ock . It was thereupon a g reed be tween them that ,

accordin g to the proposition of Jacob all the speck led ,

and spotted cattle and all the brown cattle amon g the
,

sheep and the spo tted and speck led am on g the goats
,

be removed three days j ourney f rom the fl ocks o f Laban

’
.

They were to be the hi re of J a cob and such were to be his ,

portion of the fl ocks and herds therea fter for his con ,

tin u e d se rvice Then Jacob took him rods of green

.

poplar and of the hazel and chesnut tree ; and pilled white
,

strakes in them and made th e white appear which was in

,

the rods And he set the ro ds which he had pilled before

.

the fl ocks in the gutters in the waterin g trou ghs when the
flocks came to drink that they should conceive when they
,

came to drink And the fl ocks conceived before the

.

rods and brou g ht fo rth cattle rin gstraked speckled and

, ,

spotte d . And it came to pass whensoever the

stron ge r c a ttle did conceive that J a cob laid the rods before
,

the eye s of the cattle in the gutters that they mi ght con ,

ce ive amon g the rods But when the cattle were feeble
.
,
 MA KI N G TH E HE R DS PROLI FI C 2 15

h e put them not in ; so the fe ebler were Laban s and the ’

”
stron ger Jacob s ’
.

That the white pilled rods would force the concepti on

of striped and spotted o fl sp ring is but a rep e tition of the
belief in the c ommon principle of sympathetic ma g ic The .

r a in maker brin gs rain by m a kin g an imitation of i t and an ,

emblem o f the sun or a wh e el of fire roll e d down the ,

hillside brin g sunshine Leapin g in the flax makes it g row .

as hi g h as the l e ap and artifici al thund e r stimulates the

,

real reverberation in the he a ve ns In the power ascribed .

to ha zel and popl a r one surm ises a lin gerin g tradition of

,
”
the worship o fthe m oo n th e g overness o ffloods which , ,

may h a ve come do wn from the da ys o fbo nd a ge to the H e

brews The E gyp ti a ns ha d a b e lie f accordin g to Plu
.
,

tarch in the ge ne rative i nflu ence o f moo nli g ht and that

25
, ,

the god Apis the a nim a ted ima ge o f Osi ris was conceived
, ,

by a stron g ge nerative li g ht from the moon fallin g upon a

cow for which reason many o f the d e cor a tio ns o f Apis re
,

sembled the a ppea ra nce o f the moo n a nd his fest ival wa s ,

held at the new moon of the month Ph a m a na th which was ,

”
called the entrance of Osi ris into the mo on bein g the ,

commencement of sprin g The moo n bein g impre gnated .

,

b y the sun a g a in emit te d and disse m in a ted in the a ir the

,

g enerative pri ncipl e s The placi ng o fthe pi lled rods in the

.

water wher e the c a ttle d ra nk su gge sts al s o a pos s ible con ,

nection of the story with the p h ilo s ophical theory that

humidity is the sou rce o f a ll th i ngs and moisture the ,

female pri ncipl e a s Plu ta rch s ay s 20

from which is g en
, ,

crated exis te nc e o r a s Hippoc ra tes ta u g ht th a t a ll livin g

, , ,

creatures includin g bo th a nim a l s a nd men ori ginated from

the two principl e s fire and wat e r o ne o f which g ives li fe ,

Is i s a nd Os ri s i ,
”
x liii .

Is i s and O s i ri s ,
x x x vi ; S m y b li al La ng a g
o c u e of Anci ent A rt a nd
Myth l
o ogy ,
”
R P K ni gh t
. .
,
1 51.
2 16 MAG I C AN D HUSBAN DRY

and the other nourishment or as th e old E gyp ti an priests , ,

tau g ht th a t not only th e Nile but everythin g moist was the

, ,

ou tflow in of Osiris 27
g .

Of the mystical connection of hazel and water there

still su rvi v es a trace in the widespre a d belief th a t a divin
in g rod made of a forke d bra nch of hazel by its move ,

ments in the hands of ce rt a in o nes will reveal the l o cali ty ,

of subterrane a n wate rs I f the recent statistics of a Ber

.

lin publication be true showi ng th a t the popl a r next to

28
,

the oa k is more frequently stru ck with li g htnin g than any

other tree of the forest the credulous wi ll be inclined to ,

accept th a t as evidence of its intimate relationship with the

hi g her powers .

The sprin g decorations of the medicine lod g e of the

M andans with willows has already b e en referred to but ,

another ceremony of these Indi a ns known as the bull ,

dance is also describ e d by M r Catlin

,
29
and in some .
,

respects it reminds o fthe Lupercalia It w a s thou ght that .

without a strict observ a nce of it the bu ffalo would not

return at each season It is no t app a rent to what extent
.

is was supp os ed to influe nce fecundity but the ceremony ,

se ems to indicate a belie f in its fertili zin g pow e r T here .

were four repetitions o f the rite the fi rst da y ei ght the ,

s econd twelv e the thi rd a n

, d sixt e e n the fourth The, .

ei g ht men w ho too k pa rt in it like the ru nners at the ,

Roman festiv a l w e re n a ked except fo r the bu ffalo skin

,

with which they were robed with horns and hoo fs and ,

tail on it T hey look e d throu g h the e yes of the b u fl a lo

.

as throu g h a mask E a ch had a lock of bu fl a lo ha i r

.

tied to his a nkle and carried on his back a bunch of g re en

,

willows like a bundle o f stra w

, .

I s is a nd Os ii
r s, xxxv i .

Se e Jo n l ofA m eri ca nF olk Lore

ur a -
, x i v 59. .

Ma nne rs a nd C u s toms o f th e No rt h Am i a n I ndia n i

er c s, . 1 64 .
2 18 MAG I C AN D HUSBAN DRY

or ne glect o f these comm a nds we may ri g htly accept as the

i nt e rpretation o f thei r belief as to what evil consequences .

would follow thei r ne g lect Wh en ye have g athered in .

the fruit of the land ye sh a ll keep a feast unto Jahveh ,

seven d a ys And ye sh a ll take you on the first

.

day the bou g hs of goodly tre e s br a nches o f pal m t rees , ,

”
and the bou g hs of thick trees and willows o f the brook , .

Ob eyin g the command the r a in sh a ll f a ll in due season , ,

and the land yi e ld he r increase I will h a ve respect unto .

you a nd m a k e you fru itful and multiply you

, and
i f ye walk contra ry unto me wild b e a s ts
shall rob you o f your children a nd de s troy ,
” 33 “
your c a ttle a nd make you few in nu m ber
,
The .

righteous sh a ll flourish like the pal m tree says the ,

Psalmist 34
It flouri s h e d in dry and barren lands
.

wh e re other tr e es would not g row It si gnifi e s longe v .

ity and wa s the symbol of gen e rative power B e sid e

, .

the j ambs of the ve stibul e in the temple of Solomon

stood real palm trees a nd within the templ e were ca rved ,

ones .

As at the fe a st of the Tabern a cles the Hebrews

carried branch e s o f p a lms and willows and my rtle in thei r
hands so th e E gypti a n Th o th carri e d a branch o f
,

p a l m in his h a nd and his priests wore thornin the i r sanda ls .

Homer says never b e fore g rew so g oodly a shoot fro m the

g round as the s a plin g o f the palm which spr a ng up by the
a lt a r of Apollo a t D e l os The a rtifici a l fecu ndation o f .

the s a cre d pal m w a s an import a nt reli g ious ceremony sym

bo lica l of fru it fulne ss a nd p rosperity That the En g lish .

M aypole is a m odern substitute for the mystic p a lm tree

is su gges ted by Dr Inman 35
. .

L v xx iii 4 ; xx vi 9
”
e . . 0 .
,
2 1, 2 2 .

P l m x ii
sa s c . 1 2.

An i nt P g n nd M d n C h i tia n Sym b li m 6 9 ; O dy y
c e a a a o er rs o s , sse ,

Sy mb l i l L ng g f A nci nt A t nd Myth l gy
”
vi. 6 ;
1 2 o ca a 5
ua e o e r a o o ,
1 1.
 M AKING THE HE R DS PROLI FI C 2 19

The festiv a l o f the booths wi th its ce remonial u se of the

bou g hs o fthe palm is believe d to b e a surviv a l o fthe older
tree wo rship wh en the tre e s th emse lv e s were really obj e cts
-

of ado ration a nd fe ar lest failu re to properly propiti ate

the m should result in un f ruit ful ye a rs and u np rolific
”
herds a nd flocks In earliest tim e s says Dr Toy
.
, .
,

the tree w a s itsel f divi ne ; later it became s a cred to some

” 3“
deity . Bou g hs of p a lm t re es c a rried in processions
in mod e rn tim e s a re accordi ng to the Ri tu a lists in imita
, ,

tion o f those w h ich we re str ew n in the p a thway o f Jesus

upo n his e ntry into J e ru s a l e m and that perhaps m a y be ,

re g arded as a re co gni tio no f the earli e r u s e o f the m in the

c e remonies o f the older Jews a nd the su rvivin g cu s
.

toms are r e lics o fa ncient and forgotten rites C e remonies .

re pres entin g the m a rria ge o f the pow e rs o f ve getation

have been common all over the ea rth The tra gedy of th e .

youthful T a m m uz and th e goddess o f fe rtility is enacted

over and ov e r a g a in All such ceremo nies says Pro
.
,

fes so r Frazer it must be re memb e re d are not or at least

, , ,

w e re not o ri g i na lly m ere sp e cta cul a r or d ramatic e x h ibi

, ,

tions They are m a g ic a l c ha rms d e s i gne d to produc e th e

.

” 37
e fl e ctw h ich th e y d ra m a tic a lly s e t forth Modific a tions .

o f the b e li e fs o nce a ss oci a te d with the m are emb a lmed in

re li g ious cr e e ds and a d a pt a tions o f t he m are introduced
,

into r e li g ious fe s tiv a ls o f the hi g hes t ci vili zatio ns .

Th e re is sc a rcely roo m fo r doubt s a ys Pro fessor M or ,

ris Jastrow th a t in the s to ry and ri tual o f the re su rrec

,

tion , my thic a l e l e m e nts illustrative of the ch a n ges of

” 33
seasons have b e e n e mbodi e d .

In the o rg i e s o f Di o ny sus is w a s usu a l to consecrate an

e gg as the re present a ti ve o f t ha t w hic h generates and con
“
P ly h
o c rom e Bi b l Ez k i l
e, e e ,
no te 10 to c h ap . 6, p . 10 7 .

G ld n B gh i "
T he o e ou ,
. 2 27 .

T he S t dy f R l i g i n
u o e o s,
”
2 64 .
220 MAGI C AN D HUSBAN DRY

tains all thin gs in itsel f Eros the god of love was said .
, ,

to have sprung from the e gg o f ni g ht An e gg was the .

material o f g ene ration containin g th e se e ds and germs o f

li fe and motion 39
Th a t the use of Easter e gg s in mode rn
.

times is to be traced to thei r use in ancient rituals when

they were connected with ceremoni e s of fecundity and fer
tility will hardly be questioned
,
.

In fes tiv a ls and rites throu g hout Europe in later ages

phallic symbols ha d consider a bl e si gnificance It has been .

held by promin e nt writers that the palm tree was a phallic

emblem and t h a t th e M a ypole was a su rvival of p hallic
,

worship “0
Ph a llic ima ges of Osi ris were carried in pro
.

cession by the E gyp tians to signi fy his procreative power .

Le gend says th a t Isis m a de and c onsecr a ted such an i m a g e

and instituted festivals in its honor Pausani a s s a ys that .

statues of Priapus were especi ally honored among the

Greeks where there were herds Festiv a ls to the Russi an .

god Jarillo correspondin g to the Greek Priapus were held

, ,

at the end of June and a re noted by writers of the si x teen th ,

century
I n Inverk e ithing in Easter wee k
.

in 1 2 82 the , ,

Chronicl e s o f La ne rcro ft re l a te th a t a C a th o lic priest

gathered the g i rls o f the vill a ge a nd made them dance
around a statue o f Pri a pus hims e l f l e adin g and carryin g a ,

phallic im a ge Called to a n a ccount by the Bishop he

.
,

g ave as an expl a natio n th a t such per form a nces were com .

m on in his p a ri sh In a c e re mony to p roduce ne e dfire

.

by friction o f two pi eces of wood w hich took place in ,

Scotl a nd in 1 2 6 8 the im a ge o f the p ha llus w a s elevated

,

and pr a yers recited It w a s done to promote the w e l fare .

of the ca ttle in the tim e o f pl a gue The worship o f the .

”
K ni g h t ’
s A ncie nt A rt a nd My th o l o gy 1 3 ,
.

“
Mid . 12 ;
“
A nci e nt P a g a n a nd Mod e rn C h ri s ti a n Sym b l i m
o s , 69
“
R l ig i
e o n a nd L u s t,
”
Dr . J a me s \Ve i r, 86 .
222 MAGI C AN D HUSBAN D R Y

fecundity A t a ll strai g ht tree stripped of its branches

.
, ,

except those close to the top w a s set up in the court of the ,

temple A crossbeam thi rty fe e t lon g was fa stened to it

.

close to the top and above this was an ima g e o f the god
,

made of dou g h fanci fully clothed and decorated with

,

strips of p a p e r N a ked and b o u nd c a ptives were borne to

.

the summit of the temple by the priests and sacrificed the ,

p e ople d a nc e d a nd s a n g a nd boys scrambled to the top o f

,

the pole a nd hurled the fra gments of the ima g e amon g

the crowd “3
.

Of the si gnificance of the winds in their relation to soul ,

spirit a nd li fe in the b e lie f of ea rly Americ a n races Dr , .

Brinton has ably writte n H e finds in the cro ss the emblem .

of the winds th e symbol o f the four points of heaven

,
“
.

It is probably to s ome kindred conception of the wind

as the sou rce o f li fe t ha t th e t a le of Rom a n w rite rs of ,

the impre gnation o f breedin g mares by the wind is to be ,

traced It is me nti o ned by both Vir g il and Pliny

.
“
,

thou g h the latte r expl a i ns th a t th e foals of mares so fecu n

dated do not liv e a bov e th ree ye a rs Vi rg il places the .

m a re s wh e n in the sprin g thei r k indled hearts have caught

,

the fl ame o f l o v e on hi g h rocks wit h thei r fac e s tu rned to

,

catch the z e phyr a nd s nu fl the li g ht bre ezes and so they ,

b ecom e with fo a l Then a s they run hith e r and thither

.

he a dlon g over the rocks a nd clifl s tow a rd the qua rter ,

wh e nce blows dusky Auster s a dd eni ng the h e avens with ,

chilli ng ra i n a subst a nce dis tils f rom thei r sides which is

, ,

g a th e red by malicious stepmothers who mix it with herbs ,

and baneful c ha rm s Pliny app a rently g ives credence .

also to belief th a t the s exu a l passi on in m a res could be

extingu ished by croppin g the m a nes He thou g ht it pos .

i R
N a t ve a ce s, 3 29 ;
11 . iii 4 6 9 $9
.
. 0

My h f th
t s o e Ne w \Vo r ld , 3116 4 1

iii N a t al H i t y v iii
‘ “
G g
eo ri C8y . 2 70 ; ur s or , . 67 .
 M A K I N G THE H E R D S P R OLI FI C 2 23

si b l e th at some animals we re engendered b y animals not

them selves engendered M an y creatu res had a mys .

te rious ori gin A serpent was p roduced from th e spinal

.

ma rrow of a man and mice were generated b y lickin g

, .

Pliny hes i tates to accept t h e latter however although it , ,

was approved by Ari stotle and Alex ander the G reat .

The op i ni on is exp ressed b y a philosope r of the seven

te e n th centu ry S i r Kenelm Digb y that the ea rt h grown
, , ,

ba rr en and lean no longer brought fort h of 1ts ownaccord

,

perfect animals but yet produced such inse cts as mice

,
”
and f rogs and sometimes new fash i oned anima l s .

One method of facilitating concepti on of which G ri mm ,

h as made a note in his m onum ental work is to bury a ,

b l ind dog alive just inside the stable door I t a l s o pre .

vented cows f rom ru nn ing away " Give us plenty of .

“

” ‘9
cattle, ex claims th e Hottentot as he tos ses a stone up on ,

one of the graves of his hero god H e its ieibib as he passes , ,

by i t in t h e narrow defilcs in the mo untains I t is highly .

improbable t hat the sava g e could g ive an y clear idea o f

his rea son for doing it but b y con formity to the custom he
,

hopes in some wa y to s ecure the favor of t h e g od who in , ,

his myth ical lo re has al ready died and been res u rre c ted
,

several tim es I s the act a ma g ical rite fo r conn e cti ng

.
,

th roug h h imsel f and his stone his herd with the fe rtiliz ,

ing power of th e god or does he cast awa y from ,

h imse l f and ca ttle by this means whatever hos tile and

, ,

hind e ring spi ri t might ma ke h is h erd ba rren a nd

unprofi tab l e ?
It is wel l auth enticated t h at o l d Scotch fa rmers tied red
t h re ad upon thei r wiv es and th ei r cattle to prevent mis ,

N at al Hi t y
ur 87
s or
”
, x . .

T r ni Myrh l n
eu o c 8 8 o e , 1 0 .

T h G l de n B gh
e o
"
ii q oti ng f r m S ir J a m
ou , . 2. u o es E
. A lex ander s
Ex ped iti n f D i v ry int the I nt im f Af i a
o o sco e o er o rc .
”
2 24 MAGI C AN D HU SBAN D R Y

carriage It is referred to by Pennant and others

. .

Whether this custom was a relic of the old R oman festi val
or not a kinship is su ggested T he thre a d has taken the
, .

place of the g o a t thon gs and its color symboli zes the blood
,

with which the ru nners forehea ds were smeared ’

.

“
S ee M di i n
e c e me n of th e A pach e , J . G . B k
ou r e , i h
N nt A nnu al
Rp
e o rt o f th B e a . u re u of Ame ri ca n E th no logy ,
8
57 , 5 7 9 .
226 MAGI C AN D HUSBAN DRY

th e American Indians could turn to coyotes or wolves .

‘

In some countries it w a s more commonly a cat Wri ters .

o f th e early s e venteenth century describe the proce s s by

which so rcere rs a nointed their b o dies w ith un guents pre

p a red und e r the Devil s auspic e s put on an enchanted ’
,

g i rdle a nd assumed th e likeness o f wolves or oth e r ani

,

m a l s a s th e y app ea r e d to o th e rs and h a d the sh a pe and

, ,

na tu re o f such a nim a ls to th e i r own thinkin g Th a t fo r , .

m a ny c e nturi e s th e te rror o fthe w e rewol fwas a re a lity i s a

hi s to ric a l fa ct The ori g in o f the b e li e f is not so easily de
.

te rm ine d Undoubte dly beli e f in the po ss ibility of such

.

tra ns form a tion was the su ggestin g caus e which led m any
to b e li e ve the chan g e ac tu a lly took p la ce in thei r own per
so n s Some have tra ced it to the Pyth a g ore a n doctrine of
.

transmi g ration ,

Th a t so u s o f al i al i nf
nm s h
u se t e m se lv es

I nto th e tru n s o f k men .

”

Dr Tylo r calls the doctri ne of w e rewolves a tempora ry

.

”
m e tempsychosis and points out its con s ist ency wi th the
5
,

th e o ry t h a t a m a n s soul may g o out o f his body and into

’

th a t o f a b e a st o r bi rd a nd with the opinion that men may ,

b e tra ns fo rm e d in to a ni m a ls id e a s which h a ve had an ,

i m po rta nt pl a c e in the b e lie f of mankind from sava g e ry ,

o nw a rd .

The con nectio n o f e vil spi rits a nd animals goes back

to th e r e m ot es t a n tiquity In the old E g ypti an P a py .

ru s o fS a yi n gs ( ci rc a 13 0 0 D C ) is is said the u g ly o ne . .
,

a pp e a rs wi th his limbs wrapp ed in ornamen ta l cloth

”
ing , su gge stin g the e nchant e d g i rdle o f the werewol f .

I n the e a rly b e li e fs o f th e B a bylonians the demons were ,

a l w a ys g ive n so m e s h a pe animal or human The seven , .

N i nth A nn al R p t f th B u a f A m i a n Eth n l gy 4 58 4 59
e or o e u re u o er c o o , , .

P i m i ti v C l
r i 3 8e u tu re ,
”
. 0 .

O ld t B k in th W ld
es oo I My
s 54 e or ,
. e r, 2 .
 PU N ISHM ENT OF AN I MA LS 2 27

evil spi rits were said to be horses bred on the mountains .

They were powerful among the gods and hostile to

mankind
T w k m i hi f in th
o or tr t th ey
sc ttl th m l v
e inth hi g h way
e s ee se e e se es e .

E v il th y th y
a re vi l
e , e a re e ,

S v n e th y th y
e e ar ev n e v n nd a g a i n v n e th y
, e a re s e , se e , a se e ar e .

Neither men women or animals were sa fe from the power

, ,

o f the demons They drove birds out of thei r nests

.
,

struck down lambs and bulls They glided noiselessly as .

serpents into homes and dwellings and made thei r way ,

into the food and drin k of men and beasts in this wa y ,

acquiring possessi on and control of them and thei r acti ons .

It was the crowni ng g race of the wisdom of Solomon that

he learned the fo rmula for expelling dem ons and was ,

able to impa rt it to those who came a fter him b y vi rtu e ,

of which knowled ge accordin g to the Jewish historian , ,

Eleazar in the presence of Vespasian and his sons and his

, ,

captains and the multitude of soldiers drew the evil

, ,

S pi rit from the nostrils of the demoniac The arch fiend

8
.

himself could assume the form of any beast of the field ,

and his first appearance in Hebrew tradition is as a ser

pent M ilton says he roamed the orb to find
.
,

F it v e s se l fi tt
, es t imp of fa dr u , in wh m o

To e nte r , a nd h is da k r s u gge s ti n h ide

o

F rom s ha p r e st s i gh t”
,

and a fter due d e lib e ration enclosed himsel f in the ser

pent s mazy folds fo r which service as intermediate host
’
, ,

swi ft and certain followed the punishment in fl icted upon

the un fortunate be a s t humili a te d evermore and cursed , ,

above all cattle or as the Jewish histori a n says

, de ,

p rive d of his S peech and the use of his legs and with ,

R ligi n
e o of Ba by l nia o a nd Ass yri a , M Ja t w
. s ro , 2 64.

A nti q i ti u es o f th Je w e s,
”
v iii . 2.
228 MAG I C AN D HUSBAN D RY

poison inserte d under his ton gue I f the statement of .

Josephu s is accepted the conclusion of Wesley would seem ,

to be warranted that the serpent was harmless un til a fter

the Fall of Eve when the poison was inserted un d er his
,

ton gue M ilton says his shape was

. pleasing and
lovely as he approached Eve ,

not w t i nde nte d wa e ih v ,

Prone on the grou nd a s s i nce b u t on h is

, , re a r,

b i
C i rcu la r a se o f ri s ng fo ld s, t at towe re d h
v
Fo ld o e r fo ld , a s u rg ng m a ze
”
i .

However men may wrangle over the si gnificance of the

Fall of M an verily the fall of the serpent has been com
,

p le te
. There is little i f any doubt that the s to ry came to
, ,

the Hebrews a fter the captivity and was of A ryan ori gin ,

and old at the time it was adop ted into the sacred records
of Israel A similar Persi a n le gend is told of Ahri m an
.
,

the evil spi rit who trans formed himsel f into a serpent by
,

eating a certain kind of fruit and then went gliding about ,

the earth annoyin g ma nki nd .

In exami ni ng s ome of the curi ous court trials of ani m als

that took pl a ce duri ng several c e nturies in many coun
tries of Europe it ha s se e med proper to call attention
,

briefly to some of the stra nge beliefs long widely accepted ,

which s e em to the w riter to have be e n the real source from

which the fa mous pro s ecuti ons o fthe Medieval and M iddle
A ges spr a n g It ha s be e n customary with some writers
.

to hold the la w m a ke rs of the period as void of sensibi lity

and conscie nce a nd to re g a rd these c a ses as spectacular

,

exhibitions of farcic a l j uri s prudence The attorneys have .

been char ge d with bringi ng the actions for personal notor

ie ty and merc e nary ends We prefer to regard this .

e pisode in th e hi s tory o f hum a n ity more seriously and ,

Gen . iii . 14 ; J phose u s, Antiqu i ty o f th e Jw e s, i . 1.

23 0 MAGI C AN D HUSBAN DRY
Th y will a ffi
h a t th y h a v e n rm t e e see

C k w hi h I d la
’
gg oo s e s, c ec re ,

I n my p ini n m ak in o o see s

g g la i d by a m a
”
T o e s re .

It was held by the prosecution in this case that the pun ish
ment of a nim a ls for wrong doing found au thori ty in the
legislative code of the ancient Hebrews I f an ox gore .

a man or a woman that they die ; then the o x shall be surely

stoned and his flesh shall not be eaten ; but the owner of
,
” ‘2
the ox shall be quit True i f to the knowledge of the .
,

o wner the ox had been wont in times past to push with his
, ,

horns the guil t was shared be tween them

, I f a man .

servant or a maid s ervant was the injured party it m ight -

,

be se ttled on the pa rt of the owner with shekels of si lver

, , ,

but the ox was still to be stoned So at certain fes tivals .

of the Athenians oxen were brought to the altar a nd

received thei r s entences One of them was sometimes .

o fl e re d up in s a crifice and the rest spared the punish ,

ment of one being accepted as an atonement for the o fl ens es

of all One of the laws of Solon sai d that i f a dog had
.

bitten a man it was to be delivered up bound to a log four

,

cubits in len gth

13
.

In th e Hebrew law the transgressions of t h e people ,

g ave occasion for the infl i ction of punis hment upon thei r
beasts The oxen as ses and sheep of Achan were stoned
.
, ,

and burned because thei r owner had coveted and stolen the
Babylonian ga rments thei r shekel s of silver and wed g es , ,

of gold “
To punish the E gyptians for thei r obs tinacy
.
,

the firs t born of the cattle were sm itten For diso b e .

die nce thei r vines and thei r sycamores were destroyed an d

, ,

their cattle g iven up to the hail an d thei r flocks to h o t ,

" “
C d li ti Pa t nd P nt 4 63 ; Nat a l H i t y L
re u es s a nd re se , ur s or ore a

L g nd 3 6
e e
"
, 2 .

n
Ex odu s x x i. 2 8.

Pl ta h
u rc ,
So l n
o .

J h a v
os u u . 24 .
 P U N ISHM ENT O F AN I M ALS a3 r

t h unde rb o l ts T he goat selected by lot was burdened

.

wi th the sins of the people and driven awa y into the wild e r
ness and the blood of slau ghtered victims sp rinkled in
,

t h e hol y p l a ces made atonement for the uncleanness of the

unri gh teous people “
.

I n later cen turies as already notice d th e e v ils that , ,

a fllict hum anit y by ma g ica l cer emon ies a re transferred to

animals T he dev ils of th e dem oni ac are driven into

.

swine The M oor su ffering from headache beats a lamb

. , ,

or a goat till i t falls down and the disea se is comm uni

ca te d to the beast The Bechu a na king sea ts himse l f upon
.

an o x stretched upon the g roun d the doctor pou rs wate r ,

over the king s h ead till it runs down over his body and
’
,

the head of the o x is held in a vessel of water ti ll d e ath

ensues It is t h en announced to the people that the king s
.
'

diseas e tra nsferred to t h e beas t caused its dea th

,
“
, .

Certa in b easts in the M iddle A ges were h eld to be espe

cia lly wil ling to com p act wit h ev il on es and anima l s once ,

conse crated to the g ods follow in g the fortunes of th e cast ,

o fl deiti es we re pressed into the service of the de v il and

, ,

became the embodiment of evi l The sacred white hors e .

which reve rentl y acc ompanied the army o f Cyrus and p re

ce ded Xerx es inh is famous retreat w h ose nei ghing elected ,

Da riu s king which in the tim e of Tacitu s was proph e tic

,

of good or evi l with the Germans becomin g an omen of ,

d e ath b y i ts nei g hin g and snortin g and the cow whi ch ,

h ad dra wn the ark of Jahveh and been yoked to the car

of Nerth us w h ic h had figu red in the creation of t h e sons
,

of the ancestor of Odin a nd his brothers by whom the

frost gi ant Ymi r was s l ain and the ass which Jahveh had ,

u s ed as h is mouth piece to comm unica te with Ba ls a m

"
,

”
Ex odu s an a 9 ; Ps a lms ln viii
. . x vi . ta- a r.
”“
T he Go l de n Bo u g h, ii i ta
"
. .

ch ap . 3 ; G rimm , 66 5 ; t Sa mu l vi
e . 8; N um bers mm . 3 8.
23 2 M AG I C A N D HUSBAN D RY

were de g raded in the evolution of religious beliefs to com

mon malefactors and paid the penal ty of t h ei r evil
associations and transgressions in public e x ecuti on .

Symbols of animals became conspicuous in ecclesi asti ca l

architectu re and chu rch furnishin gs and those of evil ,

omen were forced into the service of the church This was .

deemed according to Profess or Evans

, a hard hit at the ,
” 3
devil and a masterly stroke of pious policy
, To free .
1

the degraded beasts from thes e evil reputations which had

been forced upon them it is probable the custom was intro
,

du ce d of blessin g them b y t h e saints and sprin k ling them

wi th holy water
‘

They have been subj ected to tria l and prosecu tion as

malefactors alike by rude and uncultured tribes and by
civilized pagan and Christian nations Criminal cou rts .

have condemned them to death within the last half cen

tury in M ontene g ro and other coun tries of Europe
‘
.

In the trials of the M iddle A g es from the tw elfth cen

tu ry onward advocates were appointed for the defense of
,

the animals and due processes of law were observed .

From 1 1 2 0 to 1 74 1 there are records of nine ty two suc h -

processes in the French courts Domestic animals were .

tried in the common crimin a l courts and deat h was the

punishment on conviction Wild animals of noxious char .

a cter were brou g ht b e fore the ecclesiastical courts where ,

it wa s held th a t the church h a d full power and aut hori ty

to exorcise anathemati s e and excommunicate all anim a te
, ,

and inanimate thi ngs Accused animals were co m m itted

.

to prison at the pl a ce where the trial was to take place .

Accusations were made in pro p er le g al form depositi ons ,

of witnesses were t a ke n and i f the prisoner was proved ,

gu il ty of homicide he w a s condemned to death by the

,

A ni m aly b li m
S m o s ,
17 9 .

Ev l ti nal E th i
o u o cs a nd Ani m al Py h l
s c o ogy , 13 .
23 4 M AGI C AN D HUSBAN DRY
taken in the act of committing a crime Asses found in .

a cultivated field not belon g ing to the owner of the beasts

were condemned to los e one ear for the fi rst o ffense and
both for the next and for the thi rd o fl ense the a nim a l was
,

confiscated by the prince T h e M ayor of S t M artin de . .

Laon in 14 94 presided at the trial of a hog for killin g a

, ,

c hild in its cradle and passed sentence upon it that it

,

be strangled and han ged upon a gibb e t at Avin In 14 9 7 .

a sow was condemned to death for eating t h e chin of a

child in the villa g e of Charonne and the flesh was ordered
, ,

by the court to be thrown to the do gs The owner o f the .

anim a l in this case was ordered by the court to make a

, ,

pil g rima ge on the day of Pentecost in atonement for his

, ,

culpable ne gli gence it is to be presumed In a case in the

, .

fourteenth centu ry in the vicinity of Lausa nne t houg h a

, ,

child which a pi g had killed was restored to li fe by bring

in g out an ima g e of St Pancrace the pig was nevertheless
.
,

haled before the Bishop s court and sentenced to death ’

for murder In the latter part of the succeeding cen tu ry

.

in the s a me locali ty on account of the g reat numbe rs of

,

cockcha fers infestin g it they were cited before the Bishop s

,
’

court to answer char ges against them One Pe rro de t .

,

who had then been dead six months was assigne d to the m ,

for counsel but as neither cou nsel nor culprits appeared

,

j ud gment was rendered a g ainst them by default and the ,

in sects w e r e excommunicated in the name of the Holy

Trinity a nd the Blessed Virgin and ordered to quit foreve r ,

the dioces e 21
.

M émoi res de la Soci e té Royale Acad émique de

Savoie show that in 1 5 4 5 a species of beetle made ra v
a ge s in the vineyards near St Julien de M aurienne an d .

that le g al proce edings were be gu n a g ainst them A .

u
Fo r a ccou nt of th is nd nu m e rou s o t
a h e r tr ial s, see
“
C d li ti
re u es Pa t
s

a nd P re se
”
nt, by ‘Villia m on J
e s, c vu h ap . .
 PU N IS H M E N T 0 ?
1 AN IM ALS 23 5

l a wy er was assi gned to defend them but the suit , w as dis

co ntinued because the ins ects sudd en ly left Forty two .
-

y ears later the inse cts retu rned a ga in and th e p roce edings
were renewed A judge was named to try them and an
.
-

attorney to defend them T he concl usion of the tri a l was

.

an order from the cou rt for th e inha bita nts to provi de a

piece of l and ou tside the vine yards of certain e xtent con , ,

t a ining trees and shrub be ry where the insects might live

,

wi th out troubling the vines Th e land was pl edge d by

.

the inhabitan ts on con

, diti on of right of wa y t h rough it ,

and re fuge upon it in case of war A few da y s later on .

,

refusal of defendants to acce pt of the land the cou rt was ,

asked by co unsel for the people to prescri be other p enal

ties T ri al was resum ed and counsel for the defense plead
.

that the land assi gned to his clients was worthl ess and p ro
du ced nothing . The final endin g of the ca se is unknown .

Simila r proceedings were taken a ga inst caterpilla rs in

Pont du Ch ateau in A uvergne in 169 0 w h en t h e anima l s
- -
, ,

were excommuni cated and relegated to an un cu l ti v ated

spot desi gna ted .

Th ere are records of l ega l p rocesses against dov es in

Canada in the seventeen th centu ry a g ainst a nts in Bra zil
, , ,

in the ei g hteenth centu ry and co ws in Poitou Leonard

, .

Vai r a Spanish m on k w ro te a work about t h e middle of

, ,

the f i fteenth centu ry in which he held that a nimals were

,

en g endered from the rubbish of the earth and the ca cen ,

tion of them was condemned The R i tual of B y rons

.

d e cla red in 160 6 that no one shou ld ex orcise animals nor

use pra yers or formulas a gainst them without pe rm uss uo n
o f the ca rdina l .

W h i l e sows pigs and vermin seem to h ave b een m ost

, ,

frequ entl y the subj ects of these le g al proces ses the ch ron ,

icles o f a F rench savant M Be rria t Sain t Prix published

, .
-
,

in 182 9 show that m a ny other anim a ls between 1 1 20 and

,
23 6 M A GI C AN D H U S BAN D R Y

17 4 1 were b roug h t to t h e b ar of j ustice to answer seri ous ,

charges against t hem for crimes and misdemeanors A .

horse was condemned to death in 13 89 at Dij on a bu ll i n ,

1 5 14 in Compte dc Valois ponies in 1 6 0 0 near Dieppe , ,

in 1 60 1 at Provins in 1 60 4 at Joinville in 160 6 near

, ,

L angres in 1 6 2 1 at La Rochelle in 16 3 3 at Bellac in

, , ,

1 6 66 at Tours and in 1 6 9 2 at Moulins

, The trial of a .

m u le is recorded at M ontpelier in 1 5 6 5 and at C h e f ,

boutonne in 1 6 2 4 of she asses at L oudun S ens Le M ans

,
-
, , ,

Corbie Vaudes and the Parliament of Paris from 1 5 4 2

, , ,

to 1 6 6 7 .

It would b e tedious to follow at greater length the

details of these curious legal proceedings and onl y brie f ,

reference will be made to two more cases of considerable

celebri ty A sow and her six pigs were tried at a tow n in
.

F rance for having murdered and eaten a bab y The .

m other hog was condemned to deat h but her o f fspring were

acquitted on the grounds of their yout h the bad example ,

o f their mother and the lack of proof that the y had eaten
,

o f the c h ild At a trial of rats in the diocese of Au tun

.
,

after numerous delays on the pretex t of giving t h e culprits

a chance to appear it was proposed to take judgment by
,

default when Ch a ss a u né the distin gu is hed advocate for

, ,

the defense denounced the whole proceedings as illegal

, ,

and demanded protection from the cats of the locali ty

for his clients the rats while going to and from the courts
, , .

T he prosecution being unable to gu arantee this the case ,

was dismissed .
23 8 MAG I C AND HU S BAN D RY

ruin threatened all their su m mer s husb and ry when in ’

,

thei r distres s they set apart a day for fas ting and prayer
to deprecate the calamity that mi g ht brin g them to fast
”
ing throu g h famine The mo rnin g of t h is da y showed
.

no signs of rain but before ni g ht the sky was overcast

,

wi th clouds and such easy gentle and plenti ful showers

, ,

followed that their corn was revived and t h eir ha rves t

saved and even the pa g an Indians were forced to recog
,

ni ze the go odness of the E nglishm ens God who had sen t ’

”
rain unaccompanied with such tempest and thund er as
they were accustomed to have with the rain t hat followed
a fter thei r powwowin g for it Then the learned and .

devou t author adds : The harvest w h ich God thus gave

to this pious p e 0 p 1e caused them to set apart another day
for solemn Thanksgiving to the glori ous Hearer o f
Pra ye rs l 3
While the lan guage of the his torian would
seem to warrant the in ference of belief in these ob se rv
an ce s
, and the character of thei r worship as facto rs in ,

se curing satisfactory results from thei r agricul tural labors

and the p e rpetui ty of thei r harvests it is earlier ri tes o f
,

natives races upon the continen t th at g ive e xpression to

the more primi tive and vital signi ficance of them The .

be g inning of harves t festivals in America as in other ,

countries is lo s t in the mis ts of prehistoric times

,
.

In the tradition of the M e m ono m ini Indi ans S heka t ,

ch eke n a u was made out of the bea r by thei r hero god

’
.

In the char ge of this chief w a s placed the wild rice to ,

them a m o st im p o rta nt article of food and when the time ,

for the h a rvest c a me says the le gend he called his people

, ,

to gether and made a feast and smoked and asked th e

, ,

G reat Spi rit to g ive them fai r weather durin g the ha rvest
season and they a lways had stormless ha rvests a fte rwards
, .

The India ns o fWhite Earth reservation M innesota gave , ,

M gn li
a aC tt n Ma th i 54
a, o o e r,
 HA RVE STI N G 23 9

a ri ce feast known as th e M a nom in in the fall a fter gath ,

ering ri ce and be fore the winter hunt a thanksgi vi ng

, , ,

with pra ye rs to M anitou Be fore the rice is gath ered the .

,

Oj ibwa in Canada ma k e a feas t and none are allowed

, , ,

to ga th er th e gra in be fore T he fi rst frui ts of the Da k otas .

are set apa rt for a ho l y fea s t at w h ich those I ndi ans ,

onl y who are en titl ed to wea r the badge of h a v ing slain

an enem y a re in vi te d The G reen Corn d a nce of the
, .

Cherokee was held prelimina ry to eating the fi rst new

corn It wa s sa ys M r M ooney
.
, a most solemn tribal .
,

function a propitiation and expiation for the sins o f the

,

past yea r an amnesty for public criminals and a pra yer

, ,
"
for happiness and p ros pe rity for t h e year to come Onl y .

those were a llowed to ta k e part who had prepa red th em

selves by pra yer and fas ting and pu rifica tion No one .

dared to taste t h e co rn ti ll a fte r t h e ceremoni es S even .

ears of the last yea r s crop wer e alwa ys put aside in order
’

to attra ct th e corn ti ll the new cro p was ri p ened and i t was

time for the dance when th is wa s eaten with the res t, .

Ca re was takenineat ing the fi rst new corn a fter the dance ,

not to blow upon it to cool it lest it cau se a windstorm to ,

beat down the standing crop in the field ‘

.

An a nnual tha nks g i vin g is ob served by the Mina ta rce s

of Upper M issou ri which ta kes place when the mai ze is
,

fit fo r ea tin g g reen when they dance and feast and sacri

,

fice for a week or ten days Be fore any one is allowed .

to eat of the new co rn a k ettle full is boiled for the G reat ,

Spi rit a s a sa c ri fice while four medicine men with sta lks o f
corn in one hand and a rattle in the other dance a round the
ke ttle chant in g a song of than ks givin g The fire and
, .

ashes a re thenburi ed in the g round and new fire by friction

is made onthe sa me spo t “
.

‘
i
N neteenth A nnu a l Et hnol ogic al R p
e ort, 4 2 3, 10 9 1 , 10 9 3 .
‘
George C a tli n i , . 189
.
240 MAGI C A N D HUSBAN D R Y

The chief festival of the ye ar of the C ree ks is that of the

first fru its None must taste or h andl e the new co rn ti ll
.

a fte rwards A strict ri tual is ob served in preparation for

.

the sacred rite Pur gatives and fasting are preliminaries

.

with them as wit h the S eminoles b efore eating the ,

new corn Danger might follow the intermingling of the

.

sacred first fruits with common food in thei r stomachs .

In t hi s connection Professor Frazer calls attention to the

custom of Cat holics in partaking of the Eucharist fasting ,

and of the Mexicans in refusing to eat ot her than conse

crated b read on the da y of thei r solemn communion which ,

they revere as the ve ry flesh and bones of thei r God ,

and dare not defile the porti on of God in thei r

” 6
stomachs with comm on food .

At festivals held in Nicara gua w h ich Dr Brinton says , .

took place at the time of the mai ze harvest priests c hie fs , , ,

and all the men drew blood With knives of fl int from thei r
ton gues and genital organs le t it drip upon the sh eaves o f,

ma ize and ate the grain as a blesse d food At a similar .

festival in Peru a human victim was immolated and the

Vi rgins of the Sun mi x ed his blood with meal and b aked it
into ca kes which were distribu ted and eaten and one of
, ,

the m sent to every holy shrine and temple in the kin gdom .

At an Aztec harvest festival a victim u sually the m ost ,

atrocious criminal found in the j ails was crushed between ,

two great stones perhaps to symboli ze the grinding of

,

the mai ze and first fruits were o ffered to the sun I n the
, .

Aztec rite in honor of Tezcatlipoca of whom one of th eir ,

hymns says a dreadful god is our god Tezca tlipoca

, ,
”
he is the only god he will answer us a youth was chosen
, ,

and named for the god For months his every wish was .

g ratified and he receiv ed the ho nors of divini ty and then ,

a t the appointed time on the summit of the s acred p y ra

,

T h G ld nB g h
"
e o e 3 40
ou ,
I 1. .
24 2 MAGI C AN D HUSBAN DRY

priest o ffered up a lamb in sacrifice with prayers and

tha nks g ivin g the cerem onies continuin g for four days
,
“
.

Turnin g to the peoples o f the Old World whether we ,

examine the records and traditions of extinct civili zations ,

those o f g reatest present power and prominence or the ,

cu stoms o f pe 0 p 1e not yet fa r advanced from barba rism ,

there are to be traced some common features in all thei r

ceremonial institutions associated with the in g athering o f
the products o f the fields .

The son g o f Theocri tus glo rifies the goddess with pop
pies and sheaves in her hands whose ha rvest fes tival ,

he attended with his chosen friends where the fa i r ,

robed Demeter was receivin g her la rge ss o f first frui ts

o f the season fo r veri ly in rich measu re she had
, filled
” 1°
thei r threshin g flo o r with barl e y g rain
-
.

M in was the god o f the generative power of natu re

with the E gyptians and it was to him the ha rvest fes tivals
,

were dedicated fo r the ab u ndance which he ca u sed to

spring forth from the ea rth Scu lptures o f the go d .

remain from the prehistoric a g e showin g him decorated ,

with a feather and a g arland o f flowers “

O fferin gs o f .

first fruits are beli e ved to have been established amon g the
Egyptians more t ha n two thousand years be fore the Chris
ti an Era and to have been associ ated with ha rvest
,

festivals from a ve ry early date thou g h it is probable t h at ,

with the E gyptians as with the Babyloni ans and the ,

Chinese su ch o fferin gs in the earli e st times were more

, , ,

S pecifically made to the m a n e s or shades o f the deceased

anc e stors as indicated in the lan gua ge in which the

,

P i m iti v Ci v il i za ti
r e o ns, E J S im
. . cox . 11 4 55 ; R im o f the Inca s.
”

I dy l vu .

u
H i s to ry of E gy p t P t i i
,
e r e, . 14 ; R li gi
e o nof th e A ncie nt E gyp tia ns ,
”

Wi d m a nn
e e , 127 .
 HARVEST I N G 24 3

decease d in t he ch a racter of Horus d esc ribes th e service

rendered to his fat her Os iris as g iven in the ritu al : I ,
“

h ave wor ked the fi elds for th e e I have filled the wells .

for thee . I h ave made thy bread f rom Tu of

red corn I have made thy drink from Tepu of white co m
, .

I have plow ed for thee in t h e fi e l ds of the A a hu I h ave ,

" ‘2
mown it for thee there .

I n the Chinese boo k of rites t h e L i Chi one of th e , ,

fi ve cl ass ics is a passa g e suppose d to have been retained

,

from the earliest material fro m which the book in its later
form wa s com pi led whic h gives a descri ption of a grea t
,

sacri fice made b y th e son of h ea v en in which o fl e rings were ,

m ade to the le g enda r y inventors of the difl e re nt gra ins and

a rts of h usbandry a sort of harv est festival in w hic h
,

pro per retu rns w e re made to the ancient wi se men under

whom they were bless ed Beas ts and bi rds were rep ro .

sented at th e sacri fi cia l ceremonies T he cats also were .

pe rmitted to ha v e represe ntati v es at t h e feast because ,

they d e stroyed the rats a nd the mice which injured the

fruits of the fi elds and the ti ge rs were li kewise remem
,

bere d for the y destroy ed the wild bo a rs whi ch ru ined the

,

c rops Ofl e rings were made to these representatives and

.

to the inventors of dykes and water channels as th ese were .

a ccou nted accessori es of husbandry m .

M any odes and hym ns of t h e Chinese a re indicati v e of

a close relationship be twe en thei r ancestra l ri tes and cere
monies connected with a g ricu lture I n spea kin g o f th em .

M r Le g ge sa ys :
. T hose g rea t sea sonal occasi ons have
a lwa ys be e n what we might ca ll g rand fam ily reuni ons ,

w h ere the dead and the li ving meet eatin g and drinking ,

togeth er w h e re t h e l iving worship the dead and the dead

, ,

bless th e livin g An ode in p ra ise of H i of Lu a ,

P im i ti v Ci vi li zati n i 32 ”
r e o s, . 1 .

“
Mid i 4 8 f ing t L i Ch i i tt
. . 1 , re e rr o , a . .
2 44 MAGI C AN D HUSBAN DRY

descendant of How tsih who began his rei gn in 6 5 0 B C

-
, . .
,

commends him as one who was never remiss in sacri fi cin g

the red unblemished bu lls to his ancestors in the spring and
autumn ceremonies A harvest ode is translated :
.

E x b ant i th y a "
u er s e e r

Of m ill t nd i
e w h at t "
a r ce s ore

A nd th n l ft hi g h
e co r fi ll d o s a re e

Wi th m i lli n l ad nd m
o o s a o re ,

For b w i ng w t d i nk nd tr ng
re s ee r s a s o ,

For o fl ing t
er i s o ou r s re s

A nd g a nda m
r g n b f es o e e o re ,

A nd f al l a h i t
or q ie c r e re u re s.

The be g innin g o f the vintage among the Romans in some

places was made publicly b y the priests At Rome the .

Flamen D ia lis commenced the v intage When it was ti m e .

to begin plucking the grapes he sacrificed a lamb to Jupi

ter The ritual law of Tuscu l u m forbade the sale of
.

wine till the priest had performed the initiato ry rite .

O fferings o f first fruits are thou g ht to have been ma de

primarily for ma g ical e ffects and subsequ ently re g a rded , ,

in part as se rvice of a S pi rit Vacuna the ancient god

, .
,

dess of leisure was worshiped by the husbandmen a fter

, ,

the g atherin g in o f the ha rvest that they mi g ht obtain her ,

favor fo r the winter of repose ; and Vesta the mistress of ,

the hea rth used to bake the bread and honor was done to
, ,
”
the ass that turned the millstone 8 Behold sa y s the °

poet the loaves o f bread hang down from the asses

,

bedecked with g arlands and the wreaths of flowers cover ,

"
the rou gh millstones When the horse was sacrificed in
.

October in the Campus M a rtius the head was decked with

cakes Vi rg il writes : Nor let a man of them da re to
.

put a sickle to the ripe corn till in honor o f Ceres h e h a s , ,

Ki ng Willia m J
T he S h i , e i
nnngs , iv . 11. 4; iv iv. .
4; The Re li giou s
f C h i na Ja m L g g 8
”
o , es e e, 1.
24 6 MAGI C AN D HUSBAN D RY

d e ring spi rits in the rice at ha rvest a mini ature fi eld s o wn ,

with all the plants that g row was dedicated to them It .

is not uncommon to leave fragments of the cr0 p for th e

spirit of ve g etation Hand fu ls of flax were left in Bavar
.

ian fields for the Wood woman the Scotchman left a few -
,
”
stalks for the aul man thou g h it was more commonly
’
,

le ft for the Old Woman or the Co m woman ,

-

We g i ve it to the O ld W om a n;
S he h al l k p it
s ee .

N xt y a m y h b
e e r a s e e to u s

A kind a th i tim
s s s e s he has bee n .

The source of man y cu rious customs seems to ha v e been

th e belief that the last shea f or last grain taken fro m the

field was the pecu li ar propert y of the indwelling spirit that

g ave li fe to the plant which would again come to li fe in
,

the new g rain This spirit was sometimes conceived as

.

takin g the form of some animal which fl ed before the ,

reapers or was captured in the last shea f and k illed A

, .

su dden illness of the reaper was cha rged to contact w ith

this spirit It was a wol f a goat or a cock and would
.
, , ,

hide itsel f in the g ath e red grain to be dri v en out fi na ll y , ,

perhaps with the last strokes of the fl ail Children were

, .

wa rned a g ainst the cock that sat in the cornfield A s .

the last shea f was bound 2 live cock mi g ht be let loos e in

,

the field to be chased by the harvesters till the y cau g ht

,

it or the last shea f was made up into the form of a cock

, ,

and called the harvest cock or the ima g e of one was some ,

times carried on a pole and attached to the ha rvest wagon .

A g ain the fi gure of a cock was nailed o v er th e door and

,

remained ti ll the ensu in g ha rvest or a live cock was buried ,

in the ea rth exceptin g the head which was strick en o ff

, ,

with a blow o f the scythe and the f e athers and s k in pre

se rved and mixed with g rain from the last shea f which ,

T h G ld n B g h
e o e 2 36 n
ouote , 11. , .
 HA R VEST I N G 247

was scatte red on th e fi eld to be tilled I n Scot land th e last .

shea f was somet imes made into the form of a woman and ,

in Swe den the grain of the last shea f might be b aked into
a loa f inth e shape o f a littl e gi rl which was divided among ,

th e h ou seho l d and ea ten w h ile in La Palise Fran ce a

, , ,

m a nmade of doug h and hung u pon a fi r tree was carried

on the last harves t wagon to the ma y or s hous e where at '
, ,

the close of the harvest it was torn to pi eces and eaten b y

,

the people su gg esting as some a re fain to beli e ve a

, , ,

h um an sacrifice as pa rt of harv es t ce rem oni es sometime

in the dis tant p ast .

Bra nc hes of trees deck ed with ca rs of corn were ca rri ed

home with the l ast wa g on from the ha rvest fi el d b y Ge r
m a ns and F rench and fastened to the fa rm h ouse or ba rn
, ,

w he re th e y remained for the year while in ancient G reece ,

branches of olive or lau rel bou n d with ribbon and hu n g

wi th fruit we re ca rri e d in p rocession at ha rves t festiva ls , ,

an d t h en fasten ed o v er t h e door w h ere th e y rem ained ,

throu gh the y ea r that the li fe giving power of the b ou g h

,
"

migh t fos ter the g rowth of the crops When t h e corn is .

ri pe Bech uanas go with axes and each man b rings h ome a

, ,

bra nch of the sacred hackth orn with which they repai r the ,

catt l e yard At harvest festi vals in Z ul ul and a bul l is

.

ki ll ed and the gall dra n k b y kin g and peop l e : th e fl e sh is

ea ten and burned and a greencalabash brok enby the k ing
,

in the p resence of the pe op l e b e fore an yone is allowed to

parta ke o f the new fruits I f one tast e s of th em befo re
.
,

be eith er di es or is k il l ed “
.

The poet H errick sings of t h e Hock ca rt or H a rv est -

,
»

H ome
“
Some b l e e the Ca rt; me kis e the she a v ;
ss so a es

S m p ank th m p w ith a k n l a v ;
o e r e u o e e es

S me
o th e fi ll h
cross ; m w ith g a t
-
o rse so e, re

Devotion t e a k th ha m b rn w he at "
, s r e - o e .

"
The G lde n Bou gh
o i 9 ; ii 3 28 n
, . ote
1 1 . , .
24 8 MAGI C AN D HUSBAN D RY

With obse rvations on Augu st in a seventeenth cen tu ry ,

alm anac is this stanza

,

Hoa cky is brou gh t

H m wi th h ll w in
o e a o ,

B y wi th p l m a k
o s u -
c e

Th Ca t f l l w i ng
e r o o
”
.

B rand note s a cu stom mentioned in the history of North

u m b e rla nd occu rring on the last da y of the reapin g
, An .

ima g e appareled in finery and crowned with flowers w i th ,

sickle in hand and a shea f of corn under its a rm is carried

into the field It was called the Harvest Doll or Co rn
.
-
,

Baby A fi gure made of the last ears of the harvest was

.

known as the Corn Lad y in Sc otland In Kent it was .

called the Ivy Gi rl Peruvians made a similar fi gure put

.
,

up in rich g arments and held in g reat veneration as the

’n
M other of the M ai ze which they called the Pirva , .

Grimm mentions a cu sto m which prevailed in Sweden and

elsewhere of throwin g the last bundle o f the harv e st up o n
,

the g round for the horses o f the wild huntsman l es t as a ,

penalty for not d o in g it thei r cattle should die Ot h er .

sayi ngs n oted b y him a re the followin g : Lay a few o f the

first sh e aves from th e harv e st cro ss wis e in the four corners
of the barn and the dra g on cannot ge t any o f the g ra in .

I f y ou bu rn wheat straw th e crop in the field will tu rn ,

soo ty M ake the last shea f at the harvest bi g and you r

.

next crop will be so good that e v ery shea f can be made a s

lar ge 22
.

It is a Russ ian custom to carry home the first sheaf of

the harv est and place it near the h oly pictures It i s .

thrash ed rep e atedly and the g rain car e fully treasured to be

mixed with the n e xt year s se e d as a pres e rver o fthe futu re
’
,

crop from all mann e r o f evils The straw of i t is also .

B a nd
r
’
s A nti qu i ti e s
, 30 1 .

n
I li id 3 0 2 , 3 0 3
. .

Te u tonic Myth lo ogy, 944 , 1 7 87 , 17 92 , 17 94 .

2 50 M AG I C A N D H U S BA N D R Y

In New G u inea the y commence di gg in g the yams about

the end o f April and in the following month the g reat
,

annual yam festival ta k es place which o ften lasts fo r a

-
,

week or ten da y s durin g which all business is s u spen ded

, ,

the time bein g given u p to feastin g music and dancin g , , .

The g i rls are dre ss ed in new g rass petticoats and g ar -

,

landed with flowers and the men paint thei r faces in g or

,

g eo u s st y le Pi g s are
. slau g htered in g reat n umbers w h ic h ,

are contribute d to gether with ca rtloads of y ams the pi g s ,

bein g cut up and distributed b y lot each man rece ivi ng a ,

portion corresponding to a pi ece o f twine which he h a s

drawn 25
.

When the M alay is read y to b egin reaping his rice he

must fi rst g et permission of the Pawang who is the inte r ,

mediary between men and spi rits ; he must burn benzoi n in

the field and must take the rice soul out o f his fields ;
,
-

to do this he chooses a spot where the rice is best w here

, ,

the bunch of s ta lk s is big and there are seven joints to the

stalk He clips se v en a sacred number of stems fo r
.
, ,

the sou l of th e rice He clips another handful to be th e

.
,

m o ther seed for the followin g year The rice soul i s

-
.
-

wrapped in a white cloth tied with a cord o f bark an d , ,

made into the ima ge of a little child in swaddling clothes ,

and put in a small basket The mother god is put in .

another basket and both are fu mi g ated with benzoin an d

t a ken home He then waits three da ys and be g ins th e
.

cuttin g o f the rice Every da y when the reapers com

.

m ence their work they repeat this charm

A wall w
s o fall n t i k i ng th g
has e , s r e rou nd,
S t i k i ng th
r e g nd in th m iddl
rou f e e o ou r h ou se -
ya rd

B u t ye , O s h ad w nd p t al ap
o s a s ec r re e rs,

See t t ye ha m i ng l n t wi th
e o u s.
”

Tw o Y a am
e rs ng the
o Sa va g e s of Ne w Gu i ne a , W D Pi tca i
. . r n, 6 6 .
 H A R VE STI N G 251

W hen reapin g t h ey co v er thei r heads an d face the sun so ,

as to prevent thei r shadows from falling upon the rice in

the baske t at their sides Thei r shadows must not fall .

u pon the rice durin g the reapin g n e ither m u st thei r hai r ,

be cut A li g ht must be placed at the head of the rice

.

child s bed and must not be allowed to go out at ni ght

’
.

Neither must the fire on their hearths du ring the reaping

be su ffered to go out They perfo rm certain ceremonies .

to make the hu sked rice white and smooth and others will ,

make it rou g her if desi red I f they wish to make the

, .

whole field of rice break into waves they stand up and ,

clap thei r hands and they push each hand up the sleeve
,

o f the opposite a rm and repeat a cha rm to ma k e the ,

g rains swell and prevent them from shrinking or getting

emp ty A lump of earth is du g with the g reat toe of the
.

le ft foo t and inserted in the midst o f each clump of grain

which has been tied u p fo r the rice child and they repeat : -
,

Pa
e ce wi th y P p h t T p
be ou , ro e
”
a , in wh ose c ha rge is th e e a th
r ,

C nfi m th i my h ild
o r s c .

D it n h a m
o o a th r or sc e,

B t m v it f
u re f mdmn
o e ar ro e o s a nd d v il
e s.

A fter ta k in g home the rice soul the she a f which is l e ft -

,

standin g is call e d the mother o f the rice soul and treated -

as a newly made mother by bein g fed with prepared salad , ,

and fo r three su ccessive d a ys youn g shoots of trees pounded

to g ether are scattered bro a dcast Sometimes the women .

re a p naked from the waist u p a ma g ical method o f mak

, ,

in g the rice husk s thinner They repeat charms b efore .

l e aving the house and a g ain be fore depositin g their

,
‘

baskets on the g round The last shea f is reaped b y the .

o wn e r s wi f e
’
who thrashes it o u t a nd mixes it with the
,

rice soul
-
20
.

Malay Ma gi c,
"
W ‘V S k a t
. . e , a s s 24 9
-
.
2 52 M AGI C AN D HUSBAN D R Y

An annual ha rvest festival is observed in S iam the cere ,

monies o f which are believed to be of Brahmanical ori g in .

It takes place inside the ci ty walls on a lawn near a lar g e ,

church and is generally attended by the people the

, ,

thorou g hfares being b locked by them and their carri a g es

and rickshaws and bands and processions with decorated
’
,

bu ffaloes and carts O fferin gs of fruit and flowers and

.

bundles o f rice expre ss thei r gratitude fo r the g i ft o f the

ha rvest There are swin g in g g ames and pri zes After
. .

the Cambodians have g athered and stored the paddy

( rice ) in thei r g ranaries they send fo r the a ch a rs the reli g ,

i ous litera ti who come and read prayers and invocations

,

o v er the g arnered cr 0 p It is placed under the protection

.

of a certain ma g ical st one which they hold in g reat rev ,

erence It is an Iban custom in Borneo for the women at

.
,

thei r harv e st festivals to take down the old skulls and

,

carry th em with the new ones in thei r dances No one

, .

will ventu re to cut the paddy in Java be fore a priest has

made an o ffering The feast of N y ip aan the g atherin g
.
-
,

of first fruits amon g the natives of Sarawak lasts tw o ,

days ; there is music and dancin g ; a fowl is killed ; no one

must cu t his paddy till this is over A second feast is held .

at mid harvest and a third at the close when the crop i s

-
, ,

stored Ei g ht days are g iven u p to the last one duri ng

.
,

which no stran ger must be allowed to enter the v i llage .

A feature of the festival is the ceremonial capturin g o f

the sou l of the paddy which is mix e d with the seed for th e
,

next yea r Pi gs and fowls are sacrificed I f during th e

. .

ha rvest a basket o f paddy is u pset that fa rm must rest fo r ,

a day and a fowl be killed or the paddy will rot I f a tree, .

fall across the path a fowl m u st b e killed and the pa th

, ,

remain un u se d fo r a day to ward o ff portendin g evi l

,
.

On the Gol d C o a s t a harvest festival is held in Septe m

b er wh e n the yam crop is ripe It lasts a fortni g ht a nd .
,
2 54
. MAGI C AN D HUSBAN D RY

attainmen ts ; that they ha v e been adapted to all form s of

religious beliefs and hi g her ethical ideas have marked the
,

abandonment o f thei r repulsive features ; that it is p rob

able that the harvest home o f cultu red humani ty finds its
ori g in in the crude magical fo rmulas by which less civili zed
man thou g ht to defend himself from the hostile in flu ences
a round him and regu late and compel the ha rvest
, .
 C HAPT E R XV

FR U IT GROW"
NG -

We now he re a rt do so tri u m ph a nt see ,

A s w h e n it gra fts or b u d s the tree .

It d oe s, li ke g a r ce , th e fall n t e ree restore

To its b l t ta te
es s o f P a ad i bf r se e o re .

He d ava g h awth n t a h
oe s the s e or e c

T h o th e m dla
ear nd th p a ; e r a e e r

H b id th
e ti pl m t r a
s e ru s c u o e r

A n b l t nk nd b a p a h
o e ru , a e e c .

Ev n Daph n yn h d m ock
’
e e s co ess e oe s ,

A nd we d th h yt h t ks e c e rr o e r s oc ,

Th gh h r f d A p ll
ou s e it e u se o
’
o s su ,

E v n h th a t h a t nd vi gi n t
e s e, c s e a r ree ,

N w w nd e
o th olf t rs a e rse o see

Th a t h a m th m ad
s
’
e s nd b l h o er e, a us es in f it
ru .
”

T HER E is a legend of the patriarchal hero of the deluge ,

which credits him with the planting of the first v ineyard ,

though not without the a ss istance of the Evil One As .

the story is Noa h was laboring to b rea k the hard sod

, ,

when the Devil appeared to him and made inqui ry as to

his intentions On bein g in formed that he was plantin g
.

the g rape S atan o ffered his se rvices which were accepted

, , .

He then procu red a lamb and slau g htered it pourin g its ,

blood upon the clods of earth and assuring the patri

arch that the e ffect of this wou ld be to make those drink
in g the juice from the fruit o f the vine soft spi rited and -

gentle as a lamb S atan then caught a lion slew it and , ,

"
oC w ley G a d n
’
s
'

r e .
2 56 M AG I C A N D HUSBAN DRY

poured its blood upon the soil Thence shall i t come

.
,

said he that those who tas te the j u ice o f the g rape shall
,
”
b e strong and courageou s as the lion He then slew a .

pig pouring its blood u pon the earth too that those w ho
, , ,

dran k of the wine to excess mi g ht b e like the swine fil th y , ,

degraded and bestial .

A kindred M u ssulman tradition of the vine ma k es Ham ,

when it was planted moisten the g round with the bl o od o f

,

a peacock and when the leaves came they w ere sprinkled

, ,

with the blood of an ape b ut the g rown g rapes we re

,

drenched with the blood o fa lion and a g ain when ripened , , ,

with the blood of a swine In this way it came about that

.

the first glass makes a man assume the g ayety of a pea

cock ; when it more a ffects his brain he leaps and g ambols ,

like an ape ; when drunken he ra ge s like a lion furiou sly ,

and when the fu ry is past like the beastl y swine he grovels

, ,

in the dust in his sl eepy stu po r a

.

In this le gend of the plantin g of the vine are to be

traced some of the curious beliefs to which attention h as ,

alr e ady been called which are common amon g the less
,

civili z e d and su rvive to some extent in the customs o f

, , ,

more enli g hten e d races The hostile spi rits of the ea rth
.

are appease d with a sacri fici al o ffering The li fe of so m e .

thin g or its equ ivalent the bl ood i s given to furnish th e

, , ,

new li fe o f the plant The peculia r characteristics o f the

.

animal a re tra nsferred to the living plant and to its f ru i t ,

and mani fest themse lves in thei r e ffects upon the perso ns
who consu me them su gge sting apparently in a modi fi ed
, ,

form the doctrine of transmigration A k indred theo ry

, .

imp e ls the sava ge to eat his brave enemy so that he m a y

acqui re the coura ge of his vanqu ished foe and is the ba si s ,

of the b e lie f that the parts o f a nimals consumed by h im

giv e stren gth and vi gor to corre spondi ng parts in m a n .

L g nd f th Pa t ia h nd P ph t S Ba i ng G ld h ap vi
e e s o e r rc
"
s a ro e s, . r -
ou ,
c . x .
2 58 M AG I C A N D HUSBAN DRY

and other uncanny thin gs upo n the trees who se youn g ,

fruit is be g innin g to redden .

As w e have seen the plan is not unknown in husband ry

, ,

o f conciliatin g the evil ones by allottin g to them a po rti on

o f the field f o r thei r own This method is exempli fied i n .

the description as we have read of the garden o f on e

,
3
, ,

Tony P a rtige r who thought his garden was bewitched

,

because the tu lips he bought fo r double turned out sin g le ,

the candytu ft came out chickweed the lobeli a groundsel , ,

and sow th istles and fool s parsley grew whe re fi nest la w n ’

g rass was promised Accordingly both to conciliate an d

.
,

terri fy th e m he surround e d his fruit garden wit h su c h

,

thin gs as witches cannot bear and made another garden

o f s u ch thing s as they most deli ght in The former h e .

shaped as a p e n tan g le with a p Opla r tree at one point o f

it and at e ach o f the others set an elder a hazel an a s h
, , ,

and a mou n tain ash all po tent against evil spi ri ts At the
, .

foot of one tre e he set bracken ; of another St Johnsw o rt , .

o f the thi rd vervain ; of th e fourth fox glove ; and again st

, ,

the poplar he trained black briony White lilies an d .

swe e tbri ar h a te ful to Satan guarded the center and up o n

, , ,

the popl a r he n a il e d with cross headed nails a bo ard w i t h -

th e pr a y e r u pon I t

F rom wi t h nd w i za d nd l ng tail d b zza d

c es a r s a o -
e u r s,

A nd cre e pi ng th i ng th a t n in h d g b tt m
s ru e e o o s,

G d Lady d li voo ,
e e r u s.

And then in a corner o f the o ther g arden he made a little

pool for new ts and fro gs the play thin gs o f witches a nd , ,

over it hung black alde rs In the garden were nights h a d e .

and h e llebore and henbane and betony and the plant t h a t

”
bore bl o ody m e n s fin ge rs and mallow that so ften s
“ ’
,

m e n s b o ne s a nd m a k es th e m cripples and the plantai nth a t

’
,

‘
Ph il R b i n n in C nt mp y R vin 893
o so ,
o r ora r a e, 1 .
 FRUIT G ROWI N G -
2 59

causes the black sweat Then he threw into the garden .

some dead shrews and bats and set some wands of bay ,

re a dy for use a g ainst the alders and some old broom

, ,

sticks for witches to ride .

By the biblical and other legends of the temptation and

fall of man the association of fru it with evil has been for
ever enshrined in the world s folk lore Barrenness and ’
-
.

d e c a y follow the supremacy of ev il and are thwarted only ,

by the in terc e s sion of some superior cel es tial power Pau .

sa n ia s says that fruits of au tumn laid at the feet of the

ima ge of Demeter in a certain s anctua ry remained fresh
throu ghout the year The fruit of apple trees was .

s e cure d a gainst rot and caterpillars according to Pliny , ,

by to uchin g the tops of the trees with the gall of a green

li zard or by a woman going around each tree barefooted
,

and un g i rt while in her monthly courses Fruit was pro .

te cte d from hail by a certain cha rm the words of which the ,

Roman philosopher dared not venture to transcribe Yet .

the cherry tree which was climbed by a menstruous woman

died and the blasted fruit f e ll from the tree and buds ,

and seedlings and vines withered and died at her touch ,

as the barren fig tree withered at the v oice of th e H oly

One .
‘

Dante describes the tree which he and th e master m et

midway in P u r g atory whose apples were sweet and ,
”
g rate ful to the sm e ll tho u g h i t tapered downward
,

in stead of upward from bou gh to bough in order it was

, , ,

said that no man mi g ht climb it

,
5
.

Ea h did l a
c e n d notions g ve,
r e i
Cowley says of the T ree of Knowledge which in th e fai r ,

F azr ersPa ania ix 9 5 ; Na t al H i t y v 3 ; nu 47

' “
us s, . 1 , ur s or , u. 1 t.

R m an F ti val 24 3 9
o es s,
”
,
.

Cant ii s z
o x x . 1 .
2 60 MAG I C AN D HUSBAN DRY

g arden g rew upon which the t nix T ru th rested an d

,

bu ilt h is perfumed nest The apples were demonstra .

tive and,

80 c e l a th i l nd d ivi n
r e r co o r a e,

Th e v y h ad th y a t did th
er s e e c s o er l i ght s ou ts h in e.

The b ene fice nt li g ht of the fu ll moon perfected the ripe n

ing fr u it and the refore Endymion said
, , ,

No appl w ld es ou I g a th f m th
ere tr ro ee ,

T ill th h ad t ou s coo e l d th i h k d lici

e r c ee s e ou s ly .

Some o f the older En g lish poets sing of enchanted vi nes

and tre e s which pro ffered their fruits to the hands and li p s
of those who approached them Andrew M a rvell in .
,
“ ”
The Garden says ,

T he l i
u sc ou s c u ste rs l of a vin e

Up n m y m ou t do cru s
o h h th i w ine ; e r

Th e necta ri ne a nd cu r ou s i pah e c

h
I nto m y a nd s t e m se es h lv d a h o re c .

T he ve rse o f M arv e ll is but an echo of the still ea rli e r

lines of Sp e ncer :
‘
A rche d v h ad wi th n mb a i ng vi n
o er e a e r c e,

\Vh b n h h a ng i ng d w n m t nti
ose u c es o see o e ce

A ll pa by t ta t th i
s se rs - l i wi n o s e e r u sc ou s e,

A nd did th m l v i nt th i h a nd in li ne
e se es o e r s c ,

A f
s ly ff i ng t b
ree o er o e

Vi r g i l sin gs of th e g oodly f ru it o f the apple tree growi ng

on the barre n pl a i ns of the beech w hitened with the che s t
,

nut s pale blossoms of the pear g rafted upon the m o u n

’
,

tain ash and of the acorns fo u nd u nderneath the elms b u t

, ,

the philo s opher says th a t r e li g ious sc ru pl e s forbade to o

indiscrimin a te g r a fting It was not permitted to g ra ft
’

Fa i e Q
er ne a nt
u ee 54 , 11. c o x 11. .
2 62 M AGI C AN D H USB A N D RY

Dionysus in whose honor was the fes ti va l of th e L i beralia

, ,

when as Virgil says the fa rmers of Ansonia in u nco uth

, ,

v erse and with unchecked laughter celebrated the fea st of

B a cchus putting on the hideous v i zards of hollow ba rk a nd
,

han g ing on the tall pines tiny wa v ing masks On this day .
,

th e 1 7 th of M arch old women pri es tess es sat in the streets

, ,

crowned with ivy pleasing to the god and sold cake s of

, ,

oil and honey and sacri fi ced on their portable altars fo r

,

the benefit of the buyers H ymns of praise were sun g to .

Bacchus The sacri fi cial goat was slain and the ent ra i ls
.

roasted on spits o f hazel wood By vi rtue of these cere .

moni es according to the p oet the vineyards bloomed w i th

, ,

large increase and all the lands prospered wheresoe ve r the

god bore rou nd his comely face 9
It is immateri a l h o w .

m u ch living faith the people really had th at t h ese ,

rites as the poet says increased the vintage T he co n

, , .

tin uan ce o f them and the permanent intere st in them

su ggests at least thei r importance to them at some e a rlier

, , ,

p e riod What other fea tures may have been con ne cted
.

wit h them in that older time is un known In a pecu l ia r .

sacrifice of the Carthaginians it is known that hu m an

bein gs at Hierapolis were suspended alive f rom tree s a nd
, ,

the trees were set on fi re T he Annals of Taci tus te .

late that when Cz cina came upon the scene of th e o ver

throw o f Va rus he found the evi dences of thei r sa cri fi ces
, ,

and human heads were fastened to the trun ks o f trees .

The Yakuts han g heads o f oxen and horses upon tre e s in

their sprin g sacrifices Grimm mentions a White S u nday .

cerem ony when a fir tree was set in a marked o ff sp o t in

,
-

the p a sture and its branches co v ered wi th bones a nd its ta p

ado rned with a horse s skull lo ’
.

R m a n F tival 96 96 ; Fa ti iii 7 67 ; Geo gi

o es s,
”
, 2 s
”
, . r cs,
”
11. 3 89 .

R li g i n f th S m i t 3 5 n t ; Annal f Ta i t
e o o e e es,
”
1, o e s o c u s,
”
i
. 61
Prim i tiv C l t e 4; u T t ni Myth l gy 787 nt
u re ,
”
11. 2 2 eu o c o o
”
, , o e.
 FR U IT G R OWI N G -
2 63

While it is most proba b l e th at ou r C h ristm as trees

and e v ergreens sp ran g from th e rites of t he Roman festi
va ls we may not infer t h at simila r cus toms of deck in g
,

trees and loading t h em with o fferin gs we re un known to

o ther and ol der nations Th ey a ll pointb ack to t he period
.

of cultu re w h en trees were worshi ped as deiti es or feared ,

as dem ons whom in either ca se it was necessary to

, , ,

appease by o fferings and sacr ifi ces L ibations a nd sacri .

fices were o fle re d to the trees b y th e P hte nicia ns and

Canaanites In A rabi a the date pa l m was adored at an
.

a nnua l fea st and hung wi th fi ne c l ot h es and women s orna

’

ments O stri ch eggs and o ther gi fts were hung upon

.

the i r b ranches among which the angels or j i nns were sup

pose d to b e dancing and s inging " Decora ting tre es with .

wom en s ornaments and bel ongings to impart thei r fertil

’
,

ity to it is not unco mm on I n Syria when the tr e e does

, .

not bea r the ga rdener has a pregnant woman fast en a stone

among its b ra nc h es by th is means t ransferring her ferti l
,

ity to th e tree but it is sai d wi th the ri sk of miscarri a g e

, , ,

to h erse l f T o load a tree with stones is an imitati ve

.

charm w h ich is suppos ed to fill the tree with f ruit ; to put

,

a stone in the tree on Christmas E v e has a similar e flect .

In Bo h emi a the fi rs t apple of a tre e is pluck ed a nd eaten b y

a woman who h as borne many ch ildren to impart fe rtiliy ,

to the t re e and secure a plenti ful cra p the ensuin g yea r .

T he Ga le la rees e say the tre e is male i f it fails to bear a nd ,

the y put on it a woma n s petticoat O n Christm as E v e ’

.

German peasants use d to tie the fruit trees to get h er with

st raw ro pe s to make them b ea r fruit sa y ing that the trees ,

were thus marri e d Shru bs and tree s were formally mar

.

ried to each Other in I ndia or to idols and a marria g e cere , ,

mon y was performed in honor of a newl y planted o rch a rd .

I n the Moluccas c love trees in blossom are treated with

“ “
R l igi n f the S mit
e o 69 o e ts . 1 .
2 64 M AG I C A N D HUSBAN D R Y

great care like pregnant women No noise must be m ade

, .

near th e m No light or fire must be carried past them at

.

ni ght and no one must approach them with his hat o n .

Unless these regulations a re observed the tree wil l be

fright ened and yield no f ru it or else will drop its f ru i t ,

before it is perfected Pa s teboard e ffig ies of the fru i t o f.

the si ze desi re d are made in Ceylon and placed in the t re es , ,

or near them with a faith inma g ic not unlike that of th e

12
,

Eskimo in the far away Arctic regions who makes ro u g h ,

chipped ima g es of whales and wears them as amulet s to

bring him plenty of them .

Am ong the thin g s which Gri m m has noted is the b e l i e f

that i f the first fru it of a tree was stolen the tree w o u ld ,

not bear a g ain fo r seven yea rs ; and that no bird would e ve r

touch the fruit o f a man who had never worked on S u n
day Witche s were charged with boiling apple bl o ss o m s
.

to spoil the fruit and they made mice from fa ll enp e a rs

, ,

but it was sai d they had no tails 13

, .

Halliwell embalm ed in rhyme a cu stom whic h h as b e e n

no ted of b e ating the trees to make them yield better :

Aw m an a pa ni l
o , s e ,
a nd a wal n t t u ree ,

The m y w h ip o re ou th e m th b tt
,
th y
e e er e

C o axing threatening and fri ghtening were resorte d to

, ,

that the evil powers that hindered the trees from h e a ring
might be overc ome Anc e stral gods preside over th e .

g rowth o f fruits in the Pap u an Island of Tanna F i rs t .

fru its were o ffe re d to them and the chief acting as h i g h ,

priest prayed : Compa ss ionate father here is some f o o d ,

”
for y ou eat it ; be kind to u s on acco u nt of it
, T he se m i .

Th e Go lde n B ou gh ”
, i . 1 76 ; Ve di c I nd i a ,
J hn M d
3 89 ; o u r och , in
i h
N nt R p t f th B a
Annu al e or o e u re u of A me r c i a n Eth n l gy 43 5 o o ,
.

” “
T t ni My h l gy 6 7
eu o c t o o
”
,
1 2 ,
1 81 2 , 1 814 .

Q t d f m Eng li h F lk L
uo e ro s o -
o re ,
”
by Th i tl t n Dy s e o er .
2 66 MAG I C A N D HUSBAN D RY

sunset torches were wa v ed around the trees and w o m en

,

fastened around them b ands of straw to make t h em

fruitful .

Ceremonies at Christmas and Epiphany in connecti o n

with the fruit trees apparently of close kinship to th e old
,

R oman festivals o f the vine continued in Europe a lm ost ,

to the be g innin g of the nineteenth century Bra nd ‘7

.

quotes from the Ge ntle m a ns M a ga zine in 17 9 1 a des crip ’

tion of an observance in So u th ha m s of Devonshi re on the ,

Eve o f Epiphany The farmer and his workmen g o to .

the orchard car rying a lar ge pitcher o f ci der and e ncir ,

cling one o f the best bearing trees dri nk three times this ,

toast
H e re s
’
to t ee , oldh app l e tree ,

Wh e nce t ouh whence th m ay

m ay ’
st bu d a nd ou
’
st b low "
A nd w h n th m a y t b a app l nw l ’
e ce ou s e r es e o

H a t f ll "C ap f ll "
s u s u

A nd my p k t f ll t l H zz l
oc e s u , oo u a

Another vari a tion of the custom was to go into the orc h a rd

a ft e r s u pp e r with a pan ful of cider and roast apples and ,

under the most fruitful trees drink the toast

H al th t th g d appl t
e o ee , oo e ree ,

W ll t b a p k t f ll
e o e r, oc e -
u s, hat -
f ll
u s,

P k f ll b h l b g f ll l
ec -
u s, us e -
a -
u s

Herrick si n gs of Christmas duties

Wa s s a ile h a t th y m y b a
th e tree s , t e a e re

Y ou m a ny a pl m nd m a ny a p a ; u ,
a e re

For m l f i t th y w ill b ing

o re o r e ss ru s e ,
r ,

As y oud g i v th m wa aili ng
o e e ss .

I ns ome parts o f Norfolk liba tions o f spiced ale used to be

spri nkl e d on orch a rds and meadows on Christmas E ve .

A nti q i ti
u 6 e s, 1 .
 F RUIT G R OW I NG -
267

i n the nei g hborh oo d of Ne w Forest in H a m pshi re th e y

w a ss a ile d the trees on Chris tmas li ve a nd s an g : ,

A pp le s a nd pe a rs w ith ri gh t g ood co m ,

C o me in pl e nty to e ve ry o ne
Ea t a nd dri nk good c ak e an d hot a le ,
G ve i e a rth to dr nki and s he
'

ll not fa il .
"

Durin g the ei g h t d a ys prece din g C h ris tm a s in N o rm a ndy , .

the y p l a ce d bun dl es o f ha y un de r the fru i t tre es a nd the

childre n se t fire to them w h ile cryin g
Ta u pes , e he rille s e r mu l ots

So rte r .
so rte r de mo n c lu e ;
( to , j e v ou s b ride la b a the cl it"as ;
A rb re s, a rb ris ae a u x

Do rme r mo i des po ro mes a m rlos i .

”

Dye fs B i ti h
r s Po p lau r C u stom s,
"
44 8 .
 C H APTE R XVI

B EES

A t eve nng, i
w hi l h i w ife put n h r l k e s o e oo

Of l v ond a n f m it ni h h t k
’
e s e ur ce , ro s c e e oo

T h w i tt n pa g
e r f h i p nd
e b k es o s o e rou s oo ,

A nd ad in h alf th la ng a g f m n
re , e u es o a ,

Hi R s a A p i m w h i h wi th b b gan
u sc u
’
, c ee s e ,

A nd th a a i n n ”
g h th g
rou m t f t e u o cre o ra .

TH E rigin of bees was a great myste ry to anci ent p hil

o

os o p he rs . The subj ect is often re ferred to in the w o rks

which have come down to us The science of a nci ent .

Greece accepted it as a fact that the dead body of a bull

prod u ced bees in the process of na tural decay and th at o f ,

a horse wasps It was endorsed by Latin writers a nd

.
,

hundreds of years later i t was sti ll credited by the author

”
of the Sp e cu lu m Mundi who added to i t that an a ss ,

bred bumbl ebees a mule hornets and a calf honeyb ees

, , , .

Ben Jonson also seems to have endorsed the theory from

the words put into the mouth of his Alchemist who u s es i t ,

as an argument to prove the reasonableness of his m a g ic

B id es e, w ho d th n t in da ily p actice
o o see r

A rt ca nb g t b
e h n t b tl wa p
e ee s, or e s, ee e s, s s,

Ou t o f th a a
e c nd d ng f
rc s ses at a u o cre u re s

Ye a , scor p i n f n h b be i ng i gh tly p l aced ?

o s o a er , r
”

Rev Increase M ather thou g ht that demons cou l d m a k e

.

ins e cts a nd it was also h e ld that some kind of wasps co u ld

,

Whitti ’
Penny lva ni a P i lg im
er s s r .

2 68
270 M AG I C A N D HUSBAN D R Y

T he production o fbees in this manner at first is a ttrib u ted

to A rista u s who when he had lost his bees appea l e d in
, , ,

his despair to his m other the river nymph Cyrene w ho ,

-
, ,

sent her son to Proteus the old prophet of the se a for , ,

counsel instructing him how to proceed to i nduc e the

,

prophet to advise him Proteus trave rs ed the m i g h ty .

main in a car drawn by fishes and a t e am of tw o f o oted -

steeds He tended the monstrous herds and m is s h apen

.
-

sea calves o f Nep tune beneath the fl oods A rista u s was

-
.

instructed how to overcome by force and bind the she p herd

of Neptune He fo u nd him in a cavern scooped fro m the
.

mountain side counting his sea calves bu t the wily Pr o teus

,
-
, .

transformed himself first into fire then into d read beas ts , ,

and then into a river in his e fforts to escape and fin ally , ,

sank in the depths of the flood ; but Cy re ne again co m ing ,

to the prot e ction of h er son g iv es him the nece s sa ry ,

i nstru ction for the proper sacrifices to obtain a new su ppl y

of swa rms .

The Hebrew story of the swarm of bees which S a m

‘

son found in the carcass of the lion which he k illed in th e

vineyard of Timnath as g iven in the biblical records does , ,

not expressly s a y that the bees were generated there yet ,

the ci rcumstance as related l eads to the conclusion th at i n

the thou g ht of the re lator according to the belief p re v ,

a le n t amon g other ancient peoples the bees originate d in ,

th e carcas s of the slain animal .

B e es g enerat e d in this way were known to the G ree ks

as b ou g o ma The final ex tinction of the delusion a m o ng
'

civilized nations is ascribed by a modern scientist to tw o

5

c a u s es : Amon g s cien tific men to the di sbelief in spo nta ,

ne ou s generation and the reco gnition of the princi p le

, ,

J dgu es x iv .

T he S o -
c all d B g ni
e u o a of th e A nci e nts ,
a nd its r
e la ti o n to E rista l ie
T na a T w
e x ,
o -
Wi ng d I ne se ct,
”
by C R . . O ste n Sa kc en,
1 89 3 .
 BEE S 27 1

om en vim ex ova ; a nd among the more ignorant to th e ,

in trod u ction of a sanitary policy w h ich pre v ents the

exposu re of ca rca sses .

It re mains to sa y th at modern science h as made p l ain th e

real founda tion or ori gin of th is strange and persistent
belief which was ow ing to th e fact that a very co m mon
,

fl y ( scienti fi cal l y E ris ta lio Te na x ) kno wn to nearl y a ll

pa rts of the Old World and in North America s ince 1 87 5 ,

la ys i ts e gg s u pon carca sses in w h ich the larv a develop

,

and fina l l y change into a swa rm of fl i es w hic h in thei r , ,

s ha pe hai ry cl othing and color loo k ex actly like bees

, , , ,

th ough be l onging to a totally di fferent order of insects .

M ay we ascribe to this sou rce a l so the ori gin of a legend

told of Job tha t th e re we re no honey bees on th e ea rth
“
,

ti ll a fter th e patria rc h was h ea l e d o f his sores by b at h i ng

in the water o f the sa cred spring and then th e flies w h ich,

had tormented his so res were tu rned into hone yb ees ?

R om a n legend accre d ite d th e disco v ery of h one y to
Bacchus W h ile ona j ou rney attended b y h is Saty rs the
.
, ,

win ge d inse cts ti l l then un known floc ked togeth er at th e

, ,

ti nkl ing of th e c ym b a l s of h is attendants and were co l lected

b y the god and shut in a hollow tree W hen S ilenus .
,

fath er of the Sa tyrs while see k ing honey su rreptitiousl y

, ,

was o v ercom e by the wounds infl icted by the be es Bacc h us ,

h imsel f ta u g ht them how to cu re thems elves b y applying

mud to the wounds A ga in it was said h oney was found
. , ,

on t h e l e aves o f the trees u ntil t h e rei gnof Jupiter b eg an ,

when to encou ra ge the p eople to acti vity in a gri cultural

,

pursu its he s h ook th e hone y off the trees As socia ted

, .

wit h th e m ys te ry o f thei r o ri g in was the belief that th ey

h a d not the power o f re p rodu cti on as oth er anima l s Vi r .
.

“
g il sa y s : The y ne ve r yield themsel v es to se xu al love ,

nor unnerve thei r bo dies to th e l a nguo r of pas sion o r bring ,

Le g nd f the Pa t i archs and P rophe t , Ba ring Gou l d

e s o r
"
s -
.
272 M AG I C A N D HUSBAN DRY

forth their o ffspring by the pangs o f bi rth ; but by them

selves with their mouths they g a ther thei r children from
,
” 7
leaves and sweet plants M aurice Maeterlin ck how .
,

ever has described in his classic story o f The Li fe o f the

,
”
Bee the tra g ic nuptials of the queen in the in finit e radi
,

ant ci rcles of the sky and the murdero us retu rn o f the

”
bride Though none have profaned the secret o f the
.

”
que en bee s wedding
-
science has pa tiently unraveled
’
,

the mysteries of her impregna tion and the reproduction of ,

the bee which among the chroniclers of the h o a ry tradi

, ,

ti ons and legends of the hive was so long catalogued with ,

the miracu lous We now know tha t the long fl ight i nto the
.

ethereal regi ons is essential to the consummation of the act

of procreation because of the peculiar physical form ation
,
”
of the male Prodigious nuptials these
. says the ,

E p ic of M aeterlinck the m ost fai rylike that can be ,

conceived azure and tra g ic raised hi gh above li fe by the

, ,

impe tus of desire ; imperishable and te rrible uni qu e and ,

bewilderin g s o litai y and infinite,

” 3 '

It is evident that much interest was taken in bee cultu re

by the Greeks and Romans from the numerous references ,

to the subj ect in the works of their cla ss ic autho rs H ym e t .

tu s was celebrated for its h oney but accordin g to P a u , ,

sa n ia s it was second to the territo ry of the A la zo ne s

, ,

where the bees were so tame th at they lived amon g th e

pe0 p 1e unconfined in hives seekin g their food and sto ri ng ,

thei r honey without restraint and makin g honey withal s o ,

firm and compact that it could not be separated fro m th e

comb 9
This author says that the sta tues of Pri ap u s
.

were especially honored by tho se who kept swarms of b ee s ,

presumably from the belie f that it would make them m o re

Ge org i cs , iv . L n dal nd L
1 97 , o s e a ee .
‘
T a nla ti
r s o no f A lf d S t p 3
re u ro, . 20 .

‘
B ki 3
oo . 2.
2 74 M AG I C AN D HU S BAN DRY

time and for many hund red yea rs a fterwards Virgil

, .

referr e d to a erial honey as a celestial gi ft I n O b eron s .

’

Palace the six teenth c entury English poet Herrick men

,
”
tions those mites of candied dew in moony ni g hts
“
.

Pliny expressed the opinion that it was engendered from

the ai r mos tly at the risin g o f the c onstella tions and ,

especially when Si rius is shining but never before the ,

risin g of the Ve rgillz and th en j us t be fore daybreak ,

.

He thou ght it uncertain whether it was the swee t o f the

heavens o r a saliva emana ting from the stars or a j u ice
, ,

exuded from the ai r while puri fyin g itself He regretted .

tha t it was not as pure a fter its downward descent as at its

beginning I t was popularly supposed to possess rema rk
.

able medicinal qualities Gilbert White explained it in .

this way : In hot weath e r the e fllu via o f fl owe rs i n fields

and m eadows and g ardens are drawn up in the day by a
brisk evap o ration and th en in the night fall down aga in
,

with the dews with which they are en tan gled

that this clammy sub stance is of the vegetable kind w e m a y
l e arn from bees to wh om it is very g rateful ; and we m a y be
,

assured that it fa lls inthe ni ght because it is always seen

'

,
”
first in warm still mornings But alas remo rsel ess .
,

science has assi g ned an ea rthly ori g in to this poetica l s w e et

o f the heavens and we know that it is but a visci d

, sa c ,

ch a rin e exu dation of the plants and trees themselves wh i ch ,

is found on the leav es and stems in warm dry weathe r , ,

and that the flow is caused by the ruptu re of the ti s s u es

from bein g punctured by inse cts who by thei r pecu l i a r , ,

physical struc ture are enabled to appropriate the sw e et

, ,

transparent flu id 12
.

Geo rg ics iv
,
Na t a l Hi t y
. a xi ; Na t a l H i t y
ur s or , . 12 ur s or of

Se lb n
o r e,
”
L t l x i v t Dai n Ba i ngt n
e te r . o es rr o .

I nse c t L if J hn H n y C m t k 77 ; C h a mb
”
En y l p di
’
e, o e r o s oc , 1 e rs c c o e a .

A p h ide s .
”
 BEE S 275

I n t h e ca re fu l ins tructions to b ee ke ep e rs th at Vi rgi l has

embal med in verse he advi ses th at no yew tree s h ou l d be
,

s u fl e re d nea r the h ome of the bees b ut that a pa l m or great

,

wild oli ve ma y ca nopy the porch that in th e sprin g w hen

,

the you ng swa rm is about to brea k forth a tree infu l l vie w ,

may ch a rm th em to stay wi th in its hospitable b ower A .

tiny s tream running t h rough th e grass s h ou l d b e nea r th e

co lony ; willow bou ghs should be thrown across it and ,

stones formin g a succession of b ri dg e for t h e bees to se ttl e

,
s
u pon and throw out thei r wings i n the su mmer sun .

T he hi ve must not be placed where there I S an echo near

b y which mi g ht fri g hten them Neit h er must red cra b s
, .

b e roast ed in a fire nea r to the bees W h en y oung be es a re

.

unpri soned and soa r awa y see king th ei r new hom e sa vo ry ,

h erbs a re to be sca tte red and bruised l eaves of ba lm

, ,

an d the cym b als of th e m oth er of the gods must be rattled

to e ntice t hem to t h e homes p repared for them “
But .

Gi l be rt Wh ite t h oug h t th e wi l d an d fanci fu l asse r

ti on o f the poet t h at echoes were h a rm ful to b e es would
not be admitted b y the philos ophers of his da y beca u se ,
”
b ees ingo od s ummers says he thri v e w ell in my outl et
, , , ,

w h ere the ech oes are ve ry st ron g Besides i t

.
,

do es not appear from ex pe riment t h at bees a re in an y way

capable ofbeing a flecte d b y sounds ; for I have often tried
m y own with a large spea king tru mpet h e ld close to thei r
-

hives and with such an ex ertion of voice as would have

,

hailed a shi p at the di s tance of a mile and stil l these ,

in se cts pursu ed thei r v a ri ou s employm ents undisturb ed ,

"
and wi th out showing th e l east s ensibility o f resentment .

W riting onthe subj ect a cen tu ry later Sir John Lub bock ,

says : Beva n e xpre s ses no dou bt t he g ene ral opini on with

, ,

re fe rence to bee s w h enhe sa ys that the re is good e vidence

,

tha t b ees have a quick se nse of h ea rin g but he fa rth e r,

’

Q
n 0

0
276 MA G I C AN D H U S B AN D R Y

adds from his own ex perien ce I ha v e never su cceeded in

, ,

satisfy ing m ys elf that my ants bees or was ps heard a ny , ,

”
o f the sounds with which I tried th em and i f t h ey a re not ,

reall y dea f he thinks thei r ran ge of hearing is di fferent

from ours ”
He however like the Roma npoet is co n
.
, , ,

vince d that bees have great sensiti v enes s to certain colors ,

o f which he places blue fo remost M ontaigne relates a .

tale of the use of bees in warfare which illustrates their

an tipathy towa rds li re whether as Virgil says red crabs
, , ,

are roasted in it or not : The Po rtuguese having bes i e ged ,

the ci ty of Tamly in the territory of X ia tine the inh a b i ,

tants of the place to defend themselves brought out m any

,
'
,

hives of bees and placed them on the walls of the to wn ,

and then with fire drove the bees so furiously upon the
bes iegin g enem ies that they were forced to gi ve u p the
s iege and reti re
“
.

Bees have from time immemori al b ee n credi te d w ith

fore knowledge and especially of the futu re conditi on of
,

the weather I f they refused to go ou t of the hive o r sent

.

out their scouts for observation it was accepted a s an ,

indi cation of a day of doubtful character at lea s t w hile ,

going out in large numbe rs without hes itation ma de su re

of bright s k ies and plen ty of sunshine Spofl o rd s F a m ily .
’

Almanac for 1 84 0 says when bees do not go ou t a s usu al ,

but keep in or about their hives ra in ma y be ex p e cted , .

By a pecu liar hummin g the be es a re supposed by s o m e p e o

ple to tell correctly the ni g ht of the bi rth of the S a vi o ur ,

and some of the country pe ople in Yorkshi re a ft e r the ,

change in the calendar used to watch by the bee h iv e s a nd

,

listen to their hummin g to determine the true C h ri s tm a s

night The old Germans as well as the Romans w a tched
.
, ,

the b ees to see i f thei r movements indicated g ood o r ill for

N a t a l Hi t y f S lb n xxxviii ; Ant B an d W p
“ ”
ur s or o e or e , s, ees, as s,

an 3 3 ; M n tai gn E ays ii ’ ”
, 0 o e s ss , x .
278 M AG I C A N D HU S BANDRY

and says the y go in the night and tell the bees of a death
in Essex and put crape on the hive or anoth e r d e a th will
, ,

occur within the y ear .

G enerous distribution of hone y at t h e h arv est is sai d to

be favorable to a plenti ful crop I f bees w h i ch had .

chosen a location under a church roof were rem oved to ,

profane surroundings they la id up no honey an d never ,

prospered Grimm refers to an ancient law of Wales in

.

which it is a ssumed that as bees had their origin in Para

dise which they were obliged to leave through m an s
,
’

transgression God gave them his blessing an d th ere

, ,

fore mass cannot be sung without wa x m .

In the Island of Timor southwes t o f New G u i nea , ,

where the spi rits of the dead which they revere are
supposed to take various fo rms men who have f a llen ,

in battle are especially inclined to assume the form o f b e es

that they may roam the earth at their pleasure .

In the Easter bonfires in the Altmark tar barrels a nd

beehives were piled around a pole and burned aro u nd ,

which the young fol ks danced and made merry and then
the older pe 0 p 1e collected the ashes and preserv ed th e m a s
a remedy fo r the ailments of bees 19
.

In Irish folk lore is found a recipe for enticing b ees

-

into a tree by the use of a preparation made of foxgl o ve ,

raspberry leaves wild marjoram mint camomile and va l

, , , ,

erian The herbs must be g athered on a M ay Day m o m

.

in g and mixed with bu tter made on a M a y Da y and b o i led ,

in honey Then the receptacle which is designed to h old

.

the bees must be rubbed with the preparation insid e a nd ,

out.
20

In Ru ssia every mill on a stream is suppos ed to b e

,

T e u toi Myth l gy 9 5 n t
nc o o , 0 ,
o e.

T he G ld n B g h iii 4 6
o e ou ,
.
, 2 5 6.

L e ge nd f I land
s o 3 re
”
, 21 .
 BEE S 2 79

prite called th e Vodyony who is a ,

They pictu re him as an old m a n

fa ce and na ked Th e , .

f the y ear belongs to him I t i s weig h ted .

th stone and t h rown into t h e nearest river as ,

Sometimes also a honey com b is ta ken from

S t Z os imas Day and fl ung at mi dni ght into
.
, ,

to ma k e friendl y t h e sprite w h ose cattl e it , ,

a re driven into the fields to gra ze at ni gh t

" .

is reputed to h ave power over spi ri ts evi l a nd ,

was cla imed for a k ing w h o rei gned in Egypt

on d Dynasty ( 4 5 14 4 2 1 2 B C ) that for elev en
-
. .

in g his ru l e the Ni l e fl owed wit h h one y H oney .

increases strength and v i rility I t is u sed by Hindus for .

was hin g t h e hous ehold gods The D eccan B ra hman .

fat h er drops honey into the mou th of h is newborn child .

I n th ose of th e higher c l a ss a gold spoon o r ring is used

to drop i t from W h en the b ridegroom comes to the
.

bride s house h one y is gi ven him to sip probabl y to sca re

’
, ,

away evil from him Th e y th in k it a great charm an d

.

pu ri fier I t is the a liment of their gods In Bengal th e

. .

B ra hman b ride ha s pa rt of h er bod y anointed wit h it A .

hymn of the Ri g Veda sa ys : Let th e winds pour down

hon ey the ri vers po ur down h one y m a y our plants be
, ,

sweet M ay th e ni g ht b rin g h one y and th e da wn and

.
,
”
the sky above the eart h b e ful l of h on ey .

The honeysuckle was thought to k eep o ff witchcra ft in

Engla nd B ees figu red in t h e tria ls for witchcra ft in the
.

sev entee nth centu ry Fami l ia rs and de v ils fre q uentl y too k
.

t he form of b ee s W hen th e Arch bishop of St Andrews

. .

wa s murdered in 16 79 on Ope n ing h is to b acco b ox it

, ,

of the Ru ssian Peop le ,

"
3 49.

F . Pa rk . 5
. as ; Note -onthe Spirit Basin
99
2 80 MA GI C AN D H U S BA N DRY

was sa id a fa m i li a r in the fo rm of a h u m m ing

de vil or

bee fle w ou t A wom a n confess ed th at she murdered a

.

ch ild w ith th e a ss i sta n ce o f th e ch ild s g ra ndmother and

'

she decla red the y both took the sha pe o f bu me bees -

an d ca rri e d po ison in thei r clutch es w ings and mou th 23

, , .

A m ong the M a ya s th ere w ere two a nnual fes tiva ls held

,

by the apia ri sts In one of them pro pi tiatory o fl e rings

.

w e re m ade to thei r pa trondeities a nd es pe cially to the four ,

g o d s o f a bund a nce to ea ch o f w
, hom d ish e s a dorned with
figu res of honey w e re p rese nted T he other festi va l was
.

spec ially d esigned to induce th e gods to cause the fl ow e rs

f ro m w hich th e bees gathe red hone y to grow in
a b u ndance
" .

Th Da k
e S p titi n f S tland 5 63
r er u e rs
"
o s o co , .

Na tiv R
"
e ii 6 99 7
a ces, .
, 0 3.
2 82 MAGI C AN D HUSBAN D RY

the geese and Saint Leonarde the duc ks A publi cati o n of .

I 6 I 9 sa y s : They have saints that be good amon gst p oul

try for chick ens when they have the pip for geese w hen
, ,
” 3
they doe sit to have a happ y successe in goslings
, Am ong .

the lore on the subj ec t collected by Grimm are f o un d the

following : I f y ou twist a willow to tie up wood in a stable
where hens geese or ducks are sitting the chickens they
, , ,

hatch will have crooked necks ; i f your hens ducks or pi gs , ,

die fast light a fire in the oven and throw in one of each
, ,

kind and the witch will then perish with them ; se t the hen
,

while pe 0 p 1e are coming out of church and you wi ll h ave

plenty of chickens hatched ; i f you want large h e a ded -

chickens wear a fine large straw hat while you se t the h en;
,

e g gs put under the hen on Friday will not thrive and w hat ,

chicks creep out the bi rd eats up ; i f the e ggs are set on Val
entine s Day they will rot ; i f chickens are ha tch e d on
’

Peter s or Paul s Day they will prove g ood layers ; to m ake

’ ’

a hen hatch cocks or hens take the straw for her nes t from ,

the man s or the woman s side of the bed It wi ll be a p p ar

’ ‘ ’
.

ent that most of them are merely imi tative suggestin g the ,

mos t common principle of magic A g ain it is s a i d i f .

, ,

straw which has formed pa rt of an image that has b een

used in the ma g ical ceremonies for brin g ing in th e S p ring
is used in ma k ing the nest of a brooding hen she w ill do ,

better 5
.

Charms were form erly used in F rance to prote ct the

poultry from the depredations of fox e s The follow i ng .
,

which was to be repeated thrice a week is found in the ,

works of Jean Frederic Bernard I 7 3 3 : Foxes b o th , ,

male and female I conj ure you in the name of the H o ly

,

Trinity that ye neither touch nor carry o fl any of m y

'
B a nd 98
r ,
1 .

T t ni Myth l gy
eu o c o o , 1 77 8- 1 83 4 .

Th G l den B gh
”
e o ou ,
u .
96 .
 FO WL S 2 83

roos ters h ens or ch ick ens ; nor eat thei r

, ,

t h ei r b l ood nor b rea k th ei r eggs nor do

, ,
”
rm whate ver .

th at i t was once a W els h cu st om to th ra sh

re fused to l ay before S hrove Tuesda y wit h a
l on ger good for an ything I f the h en was
.

on g e d to the man who wie l d e d the fl ail .

pa rts of England th e bu rning of eggshel ls

producti veness of the h ens ,

r pa rts it was regarded di fferentl y and believed

s h e lls were burned t h e hens would cea se to lay .

we re sh i ps w h ic h transported witches across

ri v ers and seas to thei r h ome s in La pland and the Ber
mudas t h os e u n ha ll owed localiti es where storms co ntin
,

u a lly preva iled . T he connection of witches with eg gshe lls

is as old as the time of Plin y The shells were destroyed
.

l est e vil shoul d be wroug h t wit h th em by magic T he .

cust om of t h ru sting a s p oon t h roug h t h e s h e ll a fter eating

a boi l ed egg in m odern times is an indication of the per
, ,

sistence of an ci ent traditi ons I t i s sai d to have be e n the

.

in variab l e h abit of Napoleon I I I A ga in a fter certa in

.
,

c e rem onies of consec ra tion eggs were used to countera ct

,

evi l in fl uences a nd became v aluable pro te cto rs as amu

,

lets T o th is source is tra ced th e ori g in of E aster

.

e g gs "
I f an egg was p e cul iarl y formed or ma rked it w a s more
es peciall y rega rded as pos sessed of ta l ismanic q ualities .

When fear of comets a nd eclips es prev ailed e g gs were ,

ed to see i f there were fi gu res of comets

th em Wh en great consternati on pre
.

Rome in consequ enc e o f the appearan ce of the

16 80 a hen of Sei gni or M assimi de Campido glio
,
2 84 M AG I C AN D HUSBAN D RY

is sai d to have laid an egg in which the fi gure of a c o met

was distinctly traced It was carried to be viewed by the .

Pope who wise as he was knew not what to make o f it

, , , .

Papers of 1 6 8I contained elaborate descriptions of the egg

and specu lations as to its mysterious porten t .

I t is told by Suetonius tha t Livia wi fe of Augu stu s ,

C ae sar among various modes of divination to dete rm ine

,

i f her o ffspring would be a son or daughter took a n egg ,

from a hen that was sitting and k ept it wa rm with her ,

own hands and those o f her maids until a fine co c k ,

chicken was hatched with a large comb on accou nt of , ,

which the astrolo g ers predicted g reat things of the ch i ld 8

.

I n some parts of Africa it is said that none but pri e sts

are allowed to eat e ggs Am ong the ancient I ris h i f .
,

own e rs of horses ate e ggs they took care to eat an e ven

number lest mischief come to the horse Grooms wer e not .

allowed to eat them at all and riders washed thei r h an ds ,

a fter eatin g them It is noted b y a writer unde r da t e of

.

I S3 I in Hon e s Year Book that the Norfol k h o u s e

,
’
,

wi fe when she placed thi rteen duck or geese eggs in a

,

nes t for incu bation swung a lighted candle over the m to

,

prevent hawks and cr ows from flyin g away with the y o ung
br ood when hatched Half a cen tury ago in North N o t .
,

tingh a m sh ire i f eg g s wen t out of the house after su n s e t

, ,

it brou g ht ill luck In Derbyshi re it was a bad omen i f

.

they were brou g ht into the h ouse a fter dark or on S u n ,

day No hen must be set on Sunday or a fter dark u p o n

.
,

any day of the week 9

.

The bad luck that attends crowing hens is w ri tte n in

famili ar proverbs the world over The ancient I r ish .

thought they were bewitched by fai ries and there fore ,

stoned the hen or killed it In Albania bad luc k fol

, .
,

Li v f th Cz
es o Ti b i xiv
e s a rs,
”
e r u s, .

C d li ti Pa t nd P nt 4 6 5 469
re u es s a re se ,
”
,
.
2 86 M AGI C AN D H USBAN D R Y
that those who b athed themselves in this were sa fe fro m
harm by lion or panther The broth of a coc k h a s also .

been prescribed against the poison of serpents for th e ,

co ck fi g hts serpents to defend his h e ns and is a t e rror to ,

the basilisk 12
The courage with which the co c k w a s
.

blessed imparted to the weak m ade them brave and s tro ng ,

hence the broth was advised for those was ting from l o ng
sickness and consumption but in the coo k books of the ,

latter pa rt of the sixteenth centu ry it is insisted upon that

the cock must not be too old and must be a red one to be , ,

e ffective in restorin g the weak to rudd y health T he .

brain and comb of a cock were remedies sugges te d a s

s erv iceable in case of a bite b y a mad dog .

Pliny said a collar made of twigs prevented a cock

from overcr owing Throwin g feathers in the fi re w a s
.

followed by the death of someone s fl oc k or a po rti o n ’

,

of it W hen the ominous mi dnight voice of the cock w a s

.

heard in Northern Scotl a nd warning of the death o f so m e ,

member of the family the roost was carefull y inspecte d to,

learn in what direction the bi rd was loo k ing as this g a ve ,

a clue to the home o f the doomed one I f the com b .

,

wat tles and feet o f the bird were cold the mom en t o f
, ,

death was not far distant 13

.

It was formerly a prevalent notion that on Ch ristm as

Eve the cock crowed all ni g ht long and that there fo re ,

on that night of su ch hallowed associations all evi l infl u

en ces were banished Shakespeare puts in the mo u th o f
.

M arcellus an illusion to it in spea k ing of the disa pp e a r ,

ance of the ghost at the crowin g of the cock

a a l Hi t y L
N tu r nd L g nd
s or 54 re f i
o reng to Naa t r l e e
”
,
1 , e rr
“
u a

Mag i by J h n Bap ti t P ta 6 58
c,
”
o s or ,
1 .

N a t al H i t y xx i x 4 ; C l ti F l k L W l h nd M a nx
” ”
ur s or ,
. 2 e c o -
o re, e s a ,

J h n Rhy ii 599 ; A n E h f th O ld n Ti m f m th N th f Se nt
o s, . c o o e e e ro e or o

la nd R v Wal t G g
”
e .
34 er re o r, 1 .
,
 FOWLS 2 87

“
Some a i n
sa y tha t e ve r
g t t h a t a n c me
’
s se so o s

Whe in Savi re bi th i l b a t d
ou r o ur s
’
r s ce e r e ,

The bi d f daw ni ng i ng th al l ni g h t l ng
r o s e o

And th n th y y
e n pi,i t da
e r ti saa b, ad o s r es s r ro

The ni gh t re w h l m ; th n n p l an t trike
s a o e so e e o e s s ,

N fa i y t ke n w i t h h a th p w
o r a s, tor ha m c o er o c r ,

S h a ll w d nd a i i h
’
o o g at so r c ou s s e

Th e terror brough t upon the evil spi ri ts that wander in

the ni g h t b y th e crowing of th e cock is men tioned b y the
, ,

w riters of the fou rth centu ry It is found in the Scan .

”
dina via n Edda co llected in t h e eleventh centu ry I t is
, .

a su rvi va l of the time when the cock was a sacred solar

bi rd for it wa s once sacred to Mercury one o f the pe r
, ,

so n ifica tions of t he sun and t h e s ymbol of Nergal the , ,

idol of the Cu thites believed to represent th e su n [Escu, .

o

la p iu s to whom Socrates v owed a cock was considered as

, ,

a solar inca rnation .

A m ethod of di v ination with co cks and hens cite d b y

Sch wein fu rth in A frica is by gi v ing an oi l y fl ui d made from
re d wood to a hen w h en misfortune in war is portended ,

i f the b i rd dies and victo ry i f she sur vives Again a

, .
,

cock is sei zed and i ts head duck ed in wa ter ti ll it is sti ll

and senseless and then l e ft to its fate I f it ra ll ies the
, .
,

omen is fa vorab l e i f it succum b s th e issue w ill be , ,

adverse " .

Fow ls ser ve as sca p egoats and ca rry awa y e vi l Dis .

e ase is trans ferred to them The color of t h e fow l is .

important in m agica l rites A German pro v erb sa ys .

“
Whe n a bl ack hen over a ra iser flies
S n aft r th a t the m i d ie
oo e
"
se r s.

A witc h s l adder is made of a string tied inkn ots with th e

'

feat he r of a fowl inserted in eve ry knot O ne such was .

1 .

”“ "
Cre dnlities Past and P resent , 40 4.
2 88 MAGI C AN D H USBAN DRY

found in t h e b el fry of a c h urc h in En gland in 1 886 An .

Italian woman related to Leland an incident o f th e be

witchin g of a child in Florence b y placin g one in th e bed
where the child slept As the knots were tied fe athe rs .

from a living hen were plucked and stuck int o t h em a ,

malediction bein g uttered a t each knot A fi gure o f a hen .

made of cotton was also found in the b ed By taki n g the .

feathers of a black hen and workin g them into the e ffi gy

of a hen wit h the hai r of a person or some of hi s cl o thi ng ,

and placin g it in the bed or mattres s of a pers o n the ,

ma g ician worked evil upon them To remove th e be .

w itchm e nt the hen must be found and throw n into ru nning

,

water and the person tak e n to the church where b ap ti sm is

,

takin g place or bathed in holy water G ypsies in Hun

, .

g a ry cure certain diseases by rubbing the body of a black

1“

hen over a patient while utterin g an incantation .

Black cocks were used in conjurin g up little men o f the

mountains and sacrificin g to devils but no white fe a thers ,

must be on them A black cock born lame tak e s the

.
, ,

spell o ff from an enchanted castle Thei r lon g e s t tail .

feathers are ma g ical wands to Open locks and ma k e one

walk invisible while seein g eve rythin g " A wa y o f a vert .

in g evil in North Ridin g of Yorkshire was to take a l i vin g

black cock which had been pierced with pins and bu rn i t at ,

dead of ni g ht with every door window and crevice s tu ffed

, , ,

up .
“

The Battas of Sumatra think the soul of a livi n g m a n

ma y be transferred by evi l spi rits to a fowl when th e doc ,

tor is sent for to extract the m an s soul from the bo dy o f ’

the fowl and restore it to its lawful owner As late a s the .

E t a nR m a nR m ai n 3 53 3 54
ru sc o e s, ,
.

G imm r , 4 85
10 10 , 1 .

E gy p tia n Ma g i E A B d g c,n t q ti ng f
. . u e, 10 0 , o e, uo rom B la k e

b gh F l k L
o rou ,
o nd C t m
-
f N th R idi ng
o re a us o s o or .
2 90 M AG I C A N D H U S BAND R Y

the vines in di fferent directions w ith h alf t h e coc k Wh en .

the y come b ack to the starting point the cock i s b u ried ,

and probably the e v il spi rit with it A red cock w a s dedi .

ca te d b y sick persons in Ce y lon to a malignant di v i n i ty ,

and then o ffered as a sacr i fice in the e v ent of thei r reco very .

M edicine was admi nistered in Europe at the crow i n g of

the cock A cock was buried alive in Scotland for i nsa n
.

ity and the blood of a red cock mixed into a flour ca k e was
,

administered to invalids or a hen was burnt alive fo r some ,

”
distempe rs In Hooker s Tour of Morocco one o f his
.
’
,

attendants cut the throat of a cock to appease the w ra th ,

of t h e demons wh en a st orm raged upon th e h eig h ts o f the

Atlas 19
.

In the Province of Bretagne a cock festi v al was h e ld on

the first Sunday in Advent Each fa mil y brou g ht a cock .

in honor of Saint E ldu t The finest of them was s e l ected .

and carried to the top of a g ranite steeple and pla ce d o n

the weathercock where it remained for a short ti m e a nd
, ,

was allowed to fl y awa y All sorts of good luck fo r th e .

‘

rest of the year was brou g ht to the fortunate peasant w h o

cau g ht it Old writers have discussed the ori g in o f the
.

cock on t h e weathervane some contending that it o ri gi ,

na te d in the crowin g of the cock when Saint Peter de ni ed

his Lord and was devised to prevent schism in the c h u rch
, .

Brand quotes from a work of I 6 3 3 in answer to the q u e s ,

"

tion Wherefo re on the top o f Church Steeples i s the

,

Cocke set upon the Crosse of a lon g continuance ? th e ,

interpretation o f the Jesuits that it is for instru cti o n ,

that whilst aloft we behold the Crosse and th e C ocke

standin g the reon we may rem e mber our sinnes a nd w it h
, ,
” 2°
Peter se e ke and obta ine mercy It is most prob able .
,

T h G ld nB g h i 75 ; i ii 3 3 ; B a nd 7 Pa i a
”
e o e ou , ; .
a n2 . 1 , 10 r , 00 us s,

11.xx v ; C d li ti 4 8
x re u es , 0 .

Antiq i ti 3 4 u e s,
”
2 .
 FOW LS 29 I

howe ve r t h at t h e use of the coc k as a weath erv ane is a

,

su rviva l of its use as an emblem of solar worsh ip and that

its u se in this connection is associ ated wi th the idea that
th e crowing of th e cock pu ts to fl ight the e vil forces in the
air w hich were believed to be the authors of the storm
an d hail and th u nder and l ig h tning The image of that .

which was a te rror to th em w ou l d be a protection from

them .

The S trasb urg e di tion of S i r Jo hn M ande vi lle in 14 84

was i ll ustrated with represen tations of bi rds and beasts
produced in the f rui t of tr e es I t was a long held theo ry .
-

that certain bi rds were gene rated from deca ying wood a ,

theory which was combated in the works of Al bertus

M a gnus For centu ries a real liv ing goose was b elieved
.
,

to be de ve l oped fro m the shellfi sh ba rnacl e w h ich c lings to

the bottom of a sh ip or water soa k ed tim ber W riters
,
- .

a ffirmed it as a fact from actu a l obse rv ati on An animal .

history in 16 6 1 n otes a b e l ief th at b usta rds were generated

b y the eru ctati on of sperm from the mouth T he spon .

ta n e ou s produ ction of worms from wood was ac cepted as

a fact ; the worms presentl y developed a head and feet and

w ings a nd tail fea thers T he bi rd grew to t h e b i gness of
.

a goose and flew a wa y Hol inshed a ffirmed that he saw

.

with his own eyes th e feathers h a ng out of the shell of a

ba rnac l e goos e which were at l eas t two inch es l ong
, .

M a rston s verse sa ys
’

“
Li k e Sc t h B a na le nw a
you r oc r c , o b lock,
I ntantly a wo m
s nd p e e ntl y a
r , a rs gre a t Go
ose .
”

Gera rd in 15 97 wrote that in the no rt h pa rts of Sco tl and

th e re were certain t rees u pon which s he llfishes g rew ,

which dropping into the water do become fowls whom

, ,
”
w e ca ll Barnacles Isaac Walton in t h e
. C om p l ete
Angler gi ves th e v erse of Du Ba rta s
2 92 MAG I C AN D H U SBA N D RY
So l w B t nd n a th h im
s o oo es u er e see s,

I n th i y i la nd g l i ng h t h d f t
’ ’
c s s, os s a c o ree s ,

Wh f itf l l a v fall i ng i nt th wa t
ose ru u e e s, o e e r,

Are t d t i kn wn t li ving f wl
u ru
’
,
’
s n a ft o ,
o o s soo e r.
”

G erard said it groweth to fowle b i gger than a m a llard ,

and less than a g oose havin g black legs and bill o r b eak, , ,

and feathers black and white which was called in Lan ,

ca sh ire a tree goose and the y were so plenty t h at the y

-
,
”
could be bou g ht for threepence Another o ld writer .

says of them : M en of religyonete b ernacles on fa stynge

da y es by cause they ben not en g endered of fless he w h e rin
, ,

as me thinket h t h e y erre For reason is a ga yns t that . .

For yfa man had eten of A dam s legge h e had eten fl es s he ; ’

and yet Adam was not engendered of fader and m o der ,

but that fle sshe came wonderfull y of the e rthe and s o thi s ,

” 31
fle ss he cometh wonderfull y of the tree .

T h Wa fa f S i n wi th Th l gy i 3 7 ; T a n i t f C i vil iz
a
e r re o ce ce eo o , . r s O a

ti n 4 3 ; B a nd 779 ; C d l i ti ”
o , r , re u e s,
2 94 I N DEX

A rctu ru s , 1 30

A rge os, q u e st o i n of P l uta rch b

a ou t,

68 Baa l p p h t f destr y d
, ro ; e s o , o e , 1 12

A ris tz u s, s ai d to h vea b red bees fi in Scotl and

res 8 ; th gh t , 1 0 ou

f m x n 27
ro o e , 0 w h le m f me n a nd b t
o so e or e a s s,

A i t tl th gh t mice gen ra t d
rs o e, ou e e 8 ; h m a n a ifices in
1 0 u 8 s cr , 1 2

by li ki ng 2 2 3 c , Ba by l nian 2 7 2 8; m n t b
o s, 1 , 1 o e a

A k
r f J hv h d raw n by white
o a e , l t f 55
e s o , 1

co w 3 s, 2 1 Ba h f a t f 2 2 2 6 1 ; cred
cc us, e s s o , 1 ,

A n ld Ma tth w qu te d a
r o ,
e , o , it d w i th th e di scov y of hon y
e er e ,

A y a n hym n 89
r , 27 1

A n i n Da y p a mb l a ti n n Ba i l lie J a nna q ote d

sce s o , er u 5 8 o s o , , o , u , 1

9 ;
1 1 G p l re ad t
os e p in g n B a i ly L H q oting fru n Tb
a s r s o , , . .
, u

92
1 T k n2 o e , 11

A h tr
s p we f l a ga i nt w it hes Ba k S i Sa mue l 87
ee s, o r u s c , e r, r ,

“ 2 Ba n a na h ld be p la nted a fter s s ou

A h b nb l
s ur a 28 a a , f ll m a l 56
1 u e ,

A s s, k l l f d t protect f m B a n ft H H 7 2 2 9 5 6
s u o , u se o ro cro , . .
, , 1, , 1, 1,

thi v e84 ; b i d ali v t b ing

e s, 63 8
ure 0 09 75 2 3 3
e w
o r . 0 . 10 . 1 . x . . .

rai n ; ,m ti la t
e
1 10d in l e g a l p n u2 8 u 0

i h m nt 2 34
s e , B a ing Go l d S 2 56 2 7 r -
u ,
.
, , 1

A af tida
s e d a g a i nt w i t h ra ft Ba l y b il t in wa ll to b ring fa ir
, u se s c c , re , u

4 7 ; t f il vil p i i t
1 o o 9 ew a th s r s, 1 1 e e r, 10 0

A ta t 3 3
s r e, 1 Be a n w d in wane f th 0 0 11 s, se e o e 111 ,

A t l gy f me ly re ga de d as a
s ro o ,
or 3 ; r n d m n d by P ytha g ras,
r 1 1 co e e o

i n 26
sc e ce , 1 ta lk b rned a t th f t a s s u e e

A t niae na m
s c, f H n f e f T ll o 89 u ro s or o e u s, 1

m n 2 oo , 1 1 Be a t r f w h n b e w itch e d s s, cu e or, e ,

A th n daw n t y d by f O dy
e s, s a3 8 ; h w t d t t th e w i tch
e ,
or
4 ; s 1 o o e ec , 1 0

se u s, 99 b ye d S t G al l 4 5 ; p ni h d o e .
, 1 u s e

Ath ni a n th ee a re d pl w i ng
e s, r f tra ng e i n
s c f m en o
3 ; s or s r ss o s o , 2 0

o b rv d by 3 8 ; p ayer f f
se e ,
l th d men nd trie d cri m
r o , or c o e as a as

ra i n 92 , i na l 2 3 3 s,

A t al i a n throw s a nd in the i
us r s Be ati ng th bo nd in 90 94 a r e u s 1 1, 1

t o h a t n th n s e ; th e B a h am p W H q ote d 8
e su , 10 0 u se e uc ,
. .
, u ,

s a m w d f r fi e nd w d 74 B chu ana King d isease of tra ns

e or o r a oo ,
1 e , , ,

Avi n t i al f a h g in 34
,
r o fe r d t n 2 3 1
o , 2 r e o a 0x ,

A x , t p by th
se uE th ni a n t di Bee p d c d fr m d a d a nima ls
e s o s o s, ro u e o e ,
re c t th w ind 5 e 2 6 8; fin
, 11 a l xti nti n f the b e c o o e

A zt d g h i m a ges b ti t t d
ecs , ou li f 27 ; t nes in b a l a n in
su s
g u e e , 1 u se s o c ,

f m n by 7 ;
or e i m il a w d
, 2 73 ; di
0 if l k d p n b y a
u se s r or s e oo e u o

f m n nd wa t
or oo ;a hd m nt w m n 2 74 ; w a rm
e r, 1 2 1 cru s e e s ru ou s o e , s s

a c imina l t ha rvest f tiv a ls

r m t n t b p l aced n
a ea a yew
es , us o e r

tree or a n ech o, 2 7 5 ; fo re know l

 IN DEX 295

e d ge of, 2 76 ; o me ns of, 27 7 ; B obow iss i, A frica n de ity ,

17 ; l d or

m u s t be ld f d a th in th to o e e h nd
of t u 9; a ifi t
e r, 109 s cr ce s o, 10

fa m ily 77 ; h i v b nt in b n
,
2 es ur o B b i a lt d g d 6
o c , cu u re o ,

fi re s , 2 78 B n b nt in fi
o es n St J hn
ur res o . o
’
s

B tl
ee e s, l g al p
e rocee d i ng a gai n t s s , Ni ght 78 ,
1

2 34 B nfio i g i nally b n fi
re s , or 78 ; o e -
res, 1

B ll
e s, h u ng o n nec k s o f co w s to li gh t d wi th bi h a f i l f
e rc ,
o or

p f m wi t h 52
rotect ro c es , 1 v il pi i t 7 8 ; a ti fi i a l gi a nt
e s r s, 1 r c s

B ng al
e ai n h a m in
,
r c r ,
111 b n d in 8
ur e , 1 2

B inth
e rec f tiv a l f 2 9 a, es o , B k f th D ad 5
oo o e e , 1 1

B na d J a n Fr d i 2 82
er r , e e e r c, B th f ti v al f a rviva l f
oo s, es o , su o

Bi b l G n i 5 2 3 22 8 ;
e: e es s, , 1 , Ex e t w h ip 8
ree -
o rs , 21

dm . 2 9. we. 14 7 . 1 54 . 1 60 . 1 74» Bt o s, f cu re 6 9 ; in K n t cky or, 1 e u ,

20 5, 2 30 ; L vi ti
e cu s, 2 9, 64, 1 52 , 17 1

17 4, 2 1 8, 2 3 1 , 24 5 ; Nu m be r s, 85, B ou gonia , G ree k na me for bees su p

231 ; De u te ronomy , 2 9, 64, 1 74, p d ose to be gener a t d f om

e r a ni
1 86 ; J h a 2 3 ; J dg
os u , 0 u e s, 1 88, mal s, 2 70

2 70 ; I Sa m l 84 2 3 ; I I ue , , 1 Sa m B k ou r e» 1 01
1“ G .
,
3 91 3 7s 6 51 87 1
ne l. 7 x . 77 . "3 ; I K ing s 3 3 . . 1 1 2, 14 8, 2 12 , 2 17, 223

1 1 2, 1 86 ; I I Ki ngs, 2 9 1 86 ; I I , B y w h ipp d t b nda ies 92

o s, e a ou r , 1

Ch ni l 86 ; P a l m 2 8 3 ;
ro c es, 1 s s, 1 , 2 1 B a h m a n b id a n i nt d w ith
r r e o e

I aia h 3 2
s 74 ; J , mi a h 9 , 1 e re , 2 , h ny 79o e , 2

86 ; Ez ki l 99 ; H a B a nd J h n Anti q i ti i t d 4 3
’
1 74 e e , 1 ,
1 ose , r s, o ,
u e s, c e , ,

82 ; J l 3 2 ; Mi a h oe 32 ,55 ; c , , 1 64, 88. 89. 94 . 12 6. 1 3 9. 1 6 1 .

R v la ti n 74 ; P ly h m di
e e o , 1 o c ro e e 1 84

ti n J
o h a
, ; E ze ki l 2 9
os u , 10 0 e , 1 B a in i nfl n f m n p n 2 9
r , ue ce o oo u o , 1

B il t h i d i ty
u sc 2 , e , 11 B ad f i t i g i n f 8
re ru ,
or o ,

Bi n 2
o , 00 B i nt n D G 6
r o 84 9 1 17
,
. .
, ,
2 1, ,
10 , ,

B i h b g h f b nt n St
rc , ou s o , ur o . 13 3, 1 7 8, 3 23 1 24 1

J hn Ni g ht 7 8 ; t a i a t d
o
’
s , 1 ree ss oc e B roo e , k Ja m m a gi a l p we
S ir e s, c o r

wi th th th nd g d 3 ; wi th e u e r-
o ,
21 a tt i b t d t by na ti v 58
r u e o, es,

May Day nd Ea t ce e a s er r B th f k p rv f m w il d
ro o coc ,
rese es ro

m ni o 2 3 es , 1 b a t 2 86
e s s,

Bla k h p
c , d a ain ha m
s ee , u se as r c r B w n S i Th m a 85 9 5
ro e, r o s, ,

in P 6; t in S m a t a
e ru , 10 ca u r ,
B w ni ng R b t ite d 20 0
ro ,
o er, c ,

10 6 ; h n b i d a liv t e h a ng
, ure e o c e B R b t 64
ru ce , o er , 1

th wi nd 6 ; t b i d a liv
e , 11 ca , ure e B dd Ca l i t d 54
u e, r , c e ,
1

t h al h
o d 6
e er , 1 0 B dd h a f it a ibe d to h i g d
u . ru s scr s oo

B l az i ng w h l l l d t make un ee , ro e o s ne ss, s
s h i n 83 ; t K nz 83
e, 1 a o , 1 B dg E
u e, . A W . .
, 2, 7 6 , 99, 2 88

Bl i ng a ni m al ig i n f 2 3 2
e ss s, or o , B u fi a lo,ifi d s acr ce in I n dia , 25

Bl ind d g b i d nd o ta b l e
, ure u er s B k wi na c p
u o , or se u se d for r a in
d m a k h d f til nd p e
oo r, es er s er e a r h a m in 7
c r 11

v nt w f m t ayi ng 3
e s co s ro s r , 22 B ll b n d al iv
u , ur e e to cu re pla g u e,
2 96 I N DE X

165
; k p t f u e f p a i h
e or s o r s in im ge a d t
o f u se e m in o cu r u rra ,

Eng l a nd 2 7 , 1 1 63 ; lega l pr c d i ngs a g ain to ee s ,

B ia l a p i m i tiv m a n f p
ur ,
r e e s o ro 23 5

t ti n f m th
ec o d ad 7 ; ro e e ,
1 cu s Ca tli n G ge 2 ; n b ll dan
, e or , 11 o u ce

tom s, 1 8 o f Ma nd a n 2 6 ; q ot d 2 3 9 s, 1 u e ,

B a p l w i ng nd w i ng in 6 ;
u rm , o a so , 1 Ca t 3o,

fa ting b v d in 6
s o ser e , 1 Ca ttl h ld b g ld d w h e n moon
e s ou e e e

B ning w h l in I l f M l l
ur , ee s, s e o u i in A i
s Sa gitt i ur e s,C ap i ar s or r

t h al a ttl 83 ; b nd w ith
o e c e, 1 ou c nor 3 ; b nt in Wa l
, 1 0 nd ur es a

S t J h nw t
. 85 ; f
o t fe a t s or , 1 ox a s E ng land t r pla g 62 ;o cu e ue, 1

f Ce r 87 ; O vi d acc nt f d w i th h ly wa t 66
’
o e s, 1 s ou o , cu re o e r, 1

1 88 C da f tilizi ng p w
e r, er f 7 o er o , 20

B u rto ns ’
Ana tomy of M l a n h ly
e c o , C l t p pp i b nt by t id fi ld
e s, u es ur , o r e s

c tei d , 10 2 o f w d 88 ; ai n h a m f
ee s, 4; r c r o , 10

B u ry St Ed m nd
. u s, shr in e of, via cr i minal a ific d by 8 s s cr e , 1 1

ite d by b a e n w rr ome n, 2 12 C nt tl g dd
e eo ,6 o e ss ,

B i is
us r , 113 C r 5 ; fi t i nt d ce d th p l w
e e s, rs ro u e o ,

35 ; b n i ng f url t lo t fee ox e os e
“

tiv l f 87 ; fe a t f 2 44
a o , 1 s o ,

C va nt
er es, 11

Cabb a g s gr w th f nt ll d by
e , o o , co ro e C h a co n d i ties f the M aya s
cs, r e o ,

m agi 5 ; p te t d
c, f m a te 0 ro c e ro c r 10 8

p il la 84 rs, C h a mb En y l pe d i a
e rs
’
c c o , 274

C a a x p e d to m nl i g ht b f e
c o, e os oo e or C h am a ifi t th g d
s s cr ce o e o -
ra t, 84
p l anting 3 2 , 1 C h a l tt I l a nd c nj
ro e s e rs o u re aw ay
Calif ni a I nd i a n f 8
or ,
s o , 10 fog, 10 0

Canaa ni t a i fi d t t e 2 63e s, s cr ce o r es , Ch a m t r , o secu re a good se a so n ,

Ca m b dia x p l i n f v il pi it
o , e u s o o e s r s a m ng C h i n
o ese , 7 9 ; to m ke b u t a
in 9 ; p ay
,
12 ad v p r e rs re o e r cro b ing a in 5 ;
te r come , 87 ; to r r , 10

in, 2 52 t t p
o s o ai n 6 ; f Ma y a r 8 , 10 o s, 10

Ca m pb ll J M it d e , . .
,
c e ,
1 62, 27 9 C h a tity b v d t w i ng tim
s , o se r e a so e

Ca nd ll A lp h n d
o e, o se e, 2, 57 by G m an Ka n nd I ndi n
er s, re s a a s

Ca y i ng t d a th c
rr ou e , e re m o n y of, o f Ni a a g 6 c r u a, 1

1 98 C h k myth f 7 ; n p l a nting
e ro e e , o , cor -

Ca th a g i nia n l i v p r n u
r s, a e e so s s s by 6 5 ; i gi n f M ilky W y
, or o ,

p nd d f m t by 2 62
e e ro ce ree s , 1 34 ; g n n dan f 39
ree cor o , 2

d a in h a m 6 Ch tn t i gi n f 8
.

C t a , u se as r c r , 10 es u , or o ,

C at h pi ta l f in E gyp t 7 2 ;
s, os s o r, , 1 C h y nn i t f 2 7
e e es , r e o ,
1

b n d ali v M i d mm Ev t
ur e e ce r su er e a C hi h n I tza a ifi f
c e i n in , s cr or a
,

Pa i 8 r s, 1 2 8 10

Ca t rp illa
e R m a n m th d f C h i m a tl Aztec godde s of
rs , o e o s o co eco , s

p t ti ng f m 83 ; k pt f m
ro e c f d nd d ink 4ro , e ro oo a r , 2 1

a bb a g by pi
c f esfli n 84 ; Ch ild d w n d by Ro m a nia n t
ece o co , ro e u s o

kn wn o wi t h lv 38
as b i ng a in c es
’
e e s, 1 r r , 111
 Ba rk , P ro f, su ggestio ns b y , o f o ri

gin of sa yi ng o f S t S w i th in, 1 98 .

a
Ea rthq u ke s , more fre q u ent a t fu ll
m oon , 133 ; p era mb u l a ti o ns o n
a ccou nt o f , 1 91

Ea rth s pi ri ts , invoca tion o f, 16

Di gby , S ir Kene lm. ci te d, 22 3 Ea ste r e ggs or ig i n of, 2 20 n ; co

Di ny i 69
o s us , nette d wi th ce re m onies of fec u n

D i ny
o 9
s u s, 21

Di a
se nt
se , p ni
seh m t 59 ; as u s , 1 Ea ste r fi in G m ny
re s, 8 er a , 1 0

t an f
r d t f w l in Ne w
s e rre o o s s q iu rre sl b nt in 8 ur , 1 1

G i n a 89
u e , 2 E h
c oes , nfa v a b l t b
u 27 5
or e o ee s ,

Di t fl
s a f b idd n t b wh i le d
,
or e o e r E li p
c ses , vi l fi t
e f nt e ec s o , cou er

al ng th h i gh way in a nci nt
o e s e ac et d by fi 77 re s , 1

I taly 5 ,
2 Edda fi , re nd w i nd a id t h sa o e
Di v i na ti n by Kh a wa 48 ; by
o ,
r rs, b th in 7 3
ro e rs ,
1

e gg 8s. 2
3; b y ck 2 87 co . Edwa d A m lia B
r s, e .
, 1

D iv i ni ng d 3 ro , 21 Efiig i es, b n d in Baa l fi

ur e 8 ; re s , 1 1
D g
o ,
d in a in h a m by Ai n
u se r c r u, o f f it ru d in C y l n t p
u se e o o ro

1 10 ; b i d ini d ure ta bl d rt s e s e oo o m t g w h
o e ro 64 t , 2

p m t n p ti n 3
ro o e co ce o , 22 E gg l t n Edwa d T a n it f
es o
’
s, r , r s o
D m ld
o a S w d i h ki n
e, g sacri fi ceed s , C iv i l izati n i t d 69 9
o , c e , 2 , 2 2

t O di n 7
o ,
2 E gg b i d nd th h ld 3 8
s, ur e u er res o , 1
D y J Ow n i t d 7
orse ,
. e , c e , u se d t g i f D i ny
a or es o o s u s, 3 30
 IN DEX 2 99

u se d as am l u e ts , 2 83 ; in d iv i na d ivr e n into a ni m a l s, 1 58 ; com

t on i
, 2 83 ; om e ns of, 2 84 m a nde d to di p s e rse by G re go y
E gg h ll d t y d t p v nt
s e s, X III 9
e s ro e o re e .
, 1 1

ma gi 2 83 ; c, d t t a np t Ev i t al f i t d 2 3 6
u se o r s or re u s , r u o , c e ,

wi t h 83
c e s, 2 E m nt b i d by I a l i te t x cre e s ure sr e s o

Egy ptia n a li t pai nti ng f s, e p v nt w it h aft 9

r es s o ,
1 r
e e c cr ,
2

ag i lt r cu f ; pl w u re f 32 ; o ,
2 o s o ,

swi n d i v n v e w n fi ld by
r e o e r so e s ,

6 ; f m la
0 t orm ak nhi ne
u s o e su s ,

98 ; a n g i v n by p i t f
re so s e r es s o ,

f orj ti ng wi n 9 ; b li f F in m w h ip f p hib i t d
re ec s e, 12 e e a sc u , ors o , ro e ,

f in g n a tive i nfl nce
o , e f 2 20er ue o

m nli g h too 5; p ni h d by F ti v a l f St J h n b v d in
, 21 u s e es o ,
. o , o se r e

m i ti ng th i
s a ttl 3 ; fi t e r M i ddl A gc 7 8 ; f e,C 2 0 rs e e s, 1 o e re s,

f it d ru s fl ing by
u se 4 as o er s , 2 2

El aza
e v il pi i t d awn f m F w k J Wal t i t d 7 3
r, e s r r ro e e s, . e r, c e ,

n t il f d m nia
os r s by 2 7
o F i ji e nt g l o n in d c ; e vil ,
2 s e a e su ree s, 10 0

Elf h t w nd m ad by
s o s, d ou p i i t xp ll d by 9
s e , cu re s r s e e e ,
12

by p ay 64 r e rs , F i ng 1 w m h a m a g ai nt 84 er or , c r s ,

Elf t n s o d h a rm 64 ; F inn h al lf h t w nd by
e s, u se as c s, 1 s e e s o ou s

w ap n f fai i
e o 64s o p ay 64r e s, 1 r e rs , 1

El j a h nt t f wi th th p ph ts Fi
i , co es o i g i n f 7 3 ; nl ky t
, e r0 e re , or o ,
1 u uc o

o f B l aa , 1 12 g iv it awa y n Ma y Da y 7 6 e o , 1

Elli A B 7 2 s, . 2 53
.
,
p t t f m lip
1 , 2 ,
nd h l
1 1 1, ro e c s ro ec se s a c o

Elli \Villi m 8 4 9
s, a , 77 , 2 e ra , 1

E lw thy E v il Ey i t d 85 F i b a nd ti d t tai l f f x by
’
or s e, c e re r s e o s o o es
,

Epil pti fi t t a nf d t f w l
e c s S a m n 88
r s e rre o o s so , 1

in Wal 89 e s, F i y ti k wa v d in S tla nd t
2 er s c e co o

E k i m h i nk ai n i
s o t in f p t t n 7 7 ; pl w d awn in
r s ur e o ro ec cor ,
1 o r

d i ty e ,m k imag
111 f F a n nia t Sh a v tid
e 79 es o r co a ro e e, 1

w h al t m a k th m pl nty 64
es o i l m ad by I i h t g a d
e e e , 2 c rc e e r s o u r

E i R ing w i th n h a nt d p
r c, , h ild n 85 e c e ca c re , 1

ch a ng d th wi nd 6 e Fi t f i t
e ff d by Egy ti n in
, 11 rs ru s o e re a s

E th nia n w i ng t m f 5 ;
s o s, so a nti q i ty 4 ; t app a d cu s o o , 0 u ,
2 2 o e se e

p f
ra y e rai n 9 3 ; p nt t or c a r d an t , 4 3 ; in th I l se r e se e se ce s ors , 2 e s

u p b y t b i ng wi nd
, o5; b y r nd f T a nna 64 ,
11 ur a o ,
2

o n f th h d t
e o me a i n Fl m n D i li a i fi d la m b t
er o cu re u rr , a a a s s cr ce o

61 1 J pi t t b g i nni ng f g ap u er a e o r e

E v a n E P 9 4 6 56 3
s, . .
, h a v t 44
11 ,
1 ,
1 ,
2 2 r es ,
2

Ev il Ey g a d d a g ai nt in I
e, u Fl ax r e w i ng in Th i ng ia 5 s re so ur , 0

l nd 3 7 ; b wi t h
a , m il k 39 ; na k d p a a nt g i l d n
e c es nd , 1 e e s rs a ce rou

p t ti ng f m 4 7
ro e c in th S lfi ld
ro , 1nt y 59 ; d e aa e cou r , see

Ev il pi i t d i v n f m l d by
s r s rt iliz d by t
e h f m nt
ro c ou s s er e ouc o e s ru

s h ti ng 3 ; xp l i n f 9 ;
oo , 10 w m n 59 e u s o o , 12 ou s o e ,
Foa ls infe rior in tin w a ne of ti n
m oon, 1 30

Fool P lo w in Eng la nd, 44 ; fa t“

de n by ou nci l of 01 111, 4 5 C
Fores poken wat e r u s ed fl: he a ling
ca ttle in the O rkne ys , 1 66

Fow l b u ried in sa nd m ch a nge the

w ind 6 ; , 11 as sca pe goa t 2 87 ; in ,

m a g i al i t c r es, 287 ; to cu re ep il
e ptic fi ts , 2 89 in England 82 , 1

Fow le r, W Wa . rde, 53 , 78, aoq G ifi d El l n M

or , e f ge for a n
e i .
, r u

1 3 9, 1 88, 2 62 m al ta b li h d by
s es 7 2 s e , 1

Fox b u rned at fe a t fC s o e re s, 1 88 G i l git a d da f 2 7

, s cre ce r o , 0 .

a
Fr gme nts of cro p l ft f e or s pi it
r G i l y k d nd d i v n i nt w a t
rs o e a r e o er

of ve geta t on, i 24 5 as a a in h a m 5
r c r , 10

Fra nku m
’
s N g t, i h cr tic i al time for G l a ni ng l ft by H eb e w a nd
e s e r s

fr i t 57
u , 2 o th e rs . 2
45
F a t A lb i
r e Vi i n e r co a
’
s o of St Pa t
. G a t h ng t m a t t b i ng fa vor
o u o s o r

i k P ga t y 2 6 a b l wi nd 5 ; nt l la ti n f
’
rc s ur or , 1 e , 11 co s e o o ,

F az
r J G s 22 3
e r. '
s . . 2 . 2 5. so. 43 . i nj i t
u r ou s vin 5; a ri o es , 12 s c

5 .
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Fr az e r s,
’
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, Pau a ni s a s, cited, G ld C a t n g e of sa c ifi ced
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3 59» 2 7 3 a t f t f t
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cro o , s o r , l g nd f S a m n cit d in 88
e e o so , e , 1

b a t n t b i ng ai n 7 ; k ill d
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, c e , , ,

by Th m p n R i v I ndia n 7 ;
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h ng n a t
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in I ndia 7 ; giv n t d g p r o e G g Ba na by q t d 4 5 89
oo e , r °
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v nt b a k i ng
e s 7 r , 1 2 1 09 ; nC p o C h i ti D y 92 or u s rs a , 1

Fr i t ti m f
u s, w i ng 3 ; ga th e o r so ,
1 0 G oose , w a th p di t d f m b n
e er re c e ro o e

d in wa n f m n 3
e re e o oo ,
1 0 o f , 9 ; d v l p d f m b a rn
11 a e e o e ro

F it t
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6 3 ; l i b a ti n t
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Eve, 2 67 in R g a ti n w k o 9 ; H r i k
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Fu rne s s W H H m Lif
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neo H ad H nt
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3 0 2 IN DEX
of fi re , 1 74 ; go d wa h d w ith
s s e H otte ntots da n b f ce e o re th e moon,
h ny 79
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Hi pp a t i t d by Pli ny 7 7
ocr e s, c e , 1
°
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d t i n f tw p in ip l
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-
ta ro u ce re o es

t mb
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2 f w i ng 57
o r so ,

H k a t 47
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c r , 2 H dib a q t d 90
u r s, uo e , 1

H dd ntin
o e a tt d by m di i n sc e re e c e H itzil p h tli nat d i ty ig i
u o oc , u re e or

m n te n pla n i ng 6 5
a co r -
t , nally 2 ; f tiv al f 2 , 0 es o , 1

H g h ld b k ill d in i n a
o s s ou e e cre se H l m F Edwa d q t d 94
u e, . r , uo e , ,

o f m n 3 ; oo nd m n d ,
t 1 0 co e e o 8; it d
11 65 69c e 86 , 1 , 2 , 2

d a th in Av i n 3 4
e , 2 H man a i fi
u t a g i l t al
s cr ces o r cu ur

H li n h d i d 9
o s e , c te ,
2 1 d i ti e ; by Paw n
es , e ; by
20 e s, 22

H m
o 8 73
e r, 2 , 2 6 8 , , 11 , 21 K h nd 24 ;
o L ad c g h t by
s, e s au

H n y di v y f a tt i b t d t
o e , sco er o ,
r u e o Dy a k t m a k la nd p ps o e ro s e rou s ,

Ba h 7 ;
cc u s, g a th d f m 2 1 e re ro
7 ; b
2 n d t m p l th
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t 7 ;
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f i n
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2 73 ; p w v p io i t 79 ; er o er s r s, 2 f ti v al in P
es 24 0 s e ru ,

Hi nd g d wa h d w i th 7 9 ;
u o s s e ,
2 H u ny a s, 1 5 8, 1 60

d pp d in th m th f n w
ro e e ou o e H ym e ttu s, h n
o ey of, 2 7 2

b n hi ld n 79
or c re ,
2

H n y d w a n i nt b l i f f 74 ;
o e -
e , c e e e o , 2
I
sou rce of it, 2 74

H oney k l b gh
su c f p t te, ou s o , ro ec a
I m ge of m a n su b s t tu te d fo r m a n i
f m wi t h
ro 39 ; p v nt c e s, 1 re e s in I n , 6 9 ; o f ou gh u se d b y
dia d
wi t h aft 79
c cr , 2 A tecs, 70 ; o f S t
z nc ra ce . Pa
H pi n nd fl
o , co r b ti t t d f a ou r su s u e or re s to re s c hi ld to li f e, 2 3 4

ch ild n a m ng 7 ; p ay
re f o , 0 r e rs o , I nca s a v t it f 4
,
h r es r es o , 2 1

f or rai n 7 ,
10 I ndia a i n h a m in 6 0 9 ;
, r c r , 10 , 1

H a q t d 53
or ce , uo e , , 12 1 h orse s p i nk l d w ith b l d i n
s r e oo ,

H orse , h ad f th w n in Mid m
e o , ro su 1
4 ; p1 t ti n f m vi l y i n
ro e c o ro e e e ,

m er fi 85 ; P ia n a i
re s , e rs s s cr 15 ; 0 t ti ng g acu a n in 53 su r c e , 2

fi ce t Mi th a 85 ; t p
o r s, se u I nd i a n f N i a a g a
s o t n a lt c r u ca o s or

a g ai nt wi t h 85 ; m ad la m
s c e s, e e p pp t planti ng 6 ; f C l i
e er a , 1 o a

by ti k i ng nail in f tp i nt 4 ;
s c oo r s, 1 1 f ni thi nk w ld a g l b f
or s or o e o

S i A nth ny H b t
r it d no er er c e o ,
fi re ,74 ; g n 1 n d an f ree cor ce o

1
4 5 ; b i d nd h ure h ld f u er t re s o o Ch k 39 ; n w
e ro ee , 2 n f ti v l e cor es a

sta b l t a v th h d 6
e o s e e er , 1 2 ofC k 4 ree , 2 0

h al d by ng
e e so , 20 0 I ng a th i ng f a t am ng H i nd
er e s o us,

H o rse i ng i g i n f a m ng th
ra c ,
or o ,
o e 1 81 , 2 53

G k 96
re e s, 1 b la k h n b n d a liv
I nis h g lo ra , c e ur e e

H o rse s o f th N l g nd f e se a , o rse e e s o ,
in t h a ng w i nd 6
, o c e , 11

36 I nm a n Th m a it d 8
,
o s, c e , 21 , 2 20

Ho h
rse s oe p ro te cts b u tte r f ro m I nn nt Da y t
oce b at n n t
s
’
, rees e e o , o
w it h c e s , 14 3 m a k f til e
57 er e, 2
 I N DEX 3 0 3

Insects x mm ni a t d e co u c e in n me a s u mi ng fi re , 1 74 ; fi rst f it
ru s of

f T i ni ty
o 34 r ,
2 f d e re to, -24 5

I nv k i th i ng
er e p h all i , c ce re mony Ja m es VI .
, co nde mns R g i nald
e

in, 2 20 Sco t s boo k 37

’
, 1

v ai
I n oc t o n su ng in H b id 3 e r e s, 20 Ja n ff i ng f h n y t 7 3
u s, o er s o o e o, 2

Io nia n f tiv al f 7 ; ai n h a m
s, es o , 0 r c r Ja i ll R ia n P i ap
r o, u ss r u s, 2 20

of ;, igin f M ilky Way

1 10 or o , Ja t w M i
s ro , 8 56 orr s, 12 , 1 ,

134 Ja v a fl ing in t pi it f i
, o er s , o s r o r ce

Ir n a ia n s, 12 1 fi ld 58 ;
e , m n y in t b i ng
ce re o ,
o r

Ir s i h th gh t h tr e p we f l ou as e o r u fai w ath r e e r, 10 1

a gai nt wi t h 4 ; e f i k
s c es , 1 2 cu r or s c J nk A l b t E i t d 3 3
e s, er .
, c e , 1

b a t 6 3 ; m ad i l f fi r
e s s, 1 e c rc es o e J nni ng Wil l ia m t a nl a ti n f
e s, ,
r s o o

t p t t f m v il 85 ; j m p
o ro ec ro e , 1 u S h i Ki ng 4 47 , ,

th g h fi e wi th th i chil d n
rou r e r re , Job l,g n d e f 7 e o , 2 1

1 86 J h n n Sa m l 9
o so , ue , 12

I ron, p j di a ga i nt 3 ;
re u f ce s , 2 u se o J n William 4 8 8 6 3 64
o e s, , , 0, 1 , 1

in pl wi ng f l l w d by b ad
o o o e se a q ti ng f m B i ti h A pp ll
uo ro r s o o,

so n in P la nd 3 3 ; fi t
s d in o ,
rs u se 22
9; t i a l f a ni mral 2 34 s 84 o s, , 2

A m i a 3 3 ; b li ve d to p i n
er c , e e o so J n n B n A lch mi t q t d
o so
’
s, e , e s , uo e ,

th la nd 3 3
e , 2 68

I ro q i m l ge nd
u o s, co f 74 -
e s o , J ep h
os it d 2 u s, c e ,
28

Is la nd f N ia wa nd i ng p i it
o s, er s r s J da h h il d n
u , c re of, s cra ificed so s n
in p v id d f by
,
ro wi ng a p e or so s e in fi re , 1 86

i l fi ld 24 5
c a e , J da fi g
u s, u re of,
b ur tn in b nfi
o re s,

Is l
e f L wi
o H all w ti d e t m s, o -
e cu s o 1 81

in 89 ;, nfi ld b l d in 94
co r e s es se , 1 J nip
u b nt b f
e r, ttl by ur e o re ca e

Is l
e f M n fi
o a id nd
a ,
res c rr e rou H i g hl a nd 48 e rs , 1

c a ttl in 7 7 ; p a mb l a ti n in
e , 1 er u o s , J n
u o s all ge d i nt vi w
’
e er e

1 94 Fl a or9 , 20

Is l f M ll a ttl h a l d in by
e o u , c e e e , J pi t a i fi t f ai n ;
u e r, s cr ce s o, or r , 10 1

b ni ng w h l 83
ur ee , 1 p ay r f R m an w m n t
e rs o 5 o o e o, 10

I i
s s, th di v y f wh a t nd
e sco er o e a

b a l y di t d t 5 ; n at d
re cre e o, co secr e

a ph alli i m a g f O i i 20 c e o s r s, 2

I a li t
sr e 9 85 74 es , 2 , ,
1 Ka , 1 51

I v a n vk a od gh t in ca e d by,
rou ,
us Ka f
fi rs, 1 53

i id
su c 8 e, 1 1 K a m tch a tk a ns th nk i rain i n ur e of

I zt nt tl g dd
a ca ce e f w h i te eo ,
o ess o d ity e , 1 12

m ai z t w h m l pe w r
e, o o e rs e e Ka n b v h a ti ty t w i ng
re s o se r e c s a so ,

a ifi d
s cr ce , 21 6 ; f m la
1 f f al li ng b a k
or u o , or c c

pi i t f i 77
s r o r ce ,
J K t nt w it d i ty 7
au a o , e ,

Ja b co
'
s se r vi ce La b a n
to ,
2 14 Kay a n d i v v il p m t away by
s r e e s s

Ja hv h e , 5; se nd h ails , 10 2 ; a co n f a gme nt f enm i 7 2

r s o e es ,
3 0 4 IN DEX
K a t J hn q t d 3 2
e s, o , uo e , 1 Lee sto e u se n d in Scotl a nd fo r h e al
K li
e cranky b a ttl f 4 , e o , 1 0 ing, 1 63

K ny a
e t m f 72
s, cu s o o , L k w n by W l hm n n St
ee s or e s e o .

Kh a wa r a th g dd p piti
rs , e r o es s ro D avi d D a y 64 ; w
’
h i p d in
s , o rs e

a te d by 57 ; t an f d ise ase of
,
r s er E gy pt 64 ; a d t g i l,
s cr
e o a r cu

ca ttl t f wl e 89 o o s, 2 t al d i ty
ur f D id 64 e o ru s,

K h nd b l i f f 9
o s, e e o , 1 L gg J a m R l i gi n f Chin
e e s,
’
e s, e o s o a,

Kh f u u, i gn f re o , 1 i t d 44
c e , 2

K i d m t n t b seethe d inm the

us o e o
’
rs L land C h a l G it d 88
e , r es .
, c e , 2

m i lk 47 , 1 L nt l
e i gi n f na m 3
u u s, or o e,

Ki lda fi in 77
re , re s , 1 L tt a ifi d g a t t Ch i tm
e s s cr ce o a r s a s,

K i l k nny fi r 77
e e s, 1 1 54

Ki ng h a wi th d iti
s s rep ni e es re s o s Libe r , It a l ian d ity e w h o p rotected
b ility f w a th 4 ; p ni h d
or e e r, 11 u s e ivnes, 261

f or fail f p 4
u re o cro s , 1 1 Li Chi , e a lyr ofl e ri ngs me ntione d
King l y Ch a l q t d 58
s e , r e s, uo e ,
1 in. 24 3
Ki ng l y Ma y H i t d 8
s e ,
r .
, c e ,
1 L i ght d a ndl f il w i t h
e c 77 e o s c e s, 1

Ki hm y
rc P p i h Kingdom
e er s
’
o s , Li ghtni ng p ifi a g in t 79 ; ,
s ec c a s , 1

c e i t d 84 , 1 f til iz wat 87
er es e r, 1

Kni gh t R P ited 2 5 2 8 2 20
,
. .
, c , 1 ,
1 , Li nd Mi h p i ta l f h
o, s s, os or o rses

Kn tt d th ad
o e d t h al re s u se o e f nd d by in L nd n 7
ou e ,
o o , 1 2

b a t 68
e s s, 1 Li ta ni p t vi l p i i t t fl i gh t
es u e s r s o ,

K d g dd
o , o e ss, 2 1 2 1
9 ;1a v t p l a g 9 ; p v n
ert u es, 1 1 re e

K l da n to ti m la t th a th
o s ce s u e e e r , f t nd b l i ght 92
ros a , 1

83 Littl R i a fi in n St J h n
e u ss , re s , o . o
’
s

Konz, M id su mm e r f tiv al
es a t, 1 82 N i ght 78 ,
1

K nb i
u s, cu stom o f, 144 Liv at b n d t P i M d m
e c s ur e a ar s i su

me r Eve, 1 82

Lo f ll w H W q
ng e o , . .
, u ote d, 36 ;
Da n it d 6 te , c e , 2 1

L w i Pat ick nvi ti

o r e, r , co c o n of in
La lee n, p i t f A lf 75 r es o oo rs , 1 60 5, 86
La mb b i d t a v th fl k 62
ure o s e e oc , 1 L bb k S i Jd m ci ted 27 6
u oc , r , ,

L nd A H S i t d 58
a or, . . .
, c e ,
1 L ky day f w i ng 4 7
uc s or so ,

La ng And w i t d 54 ; n
, re , c e ,
o ex L ti q t d 9 7 3
u cre u s, uo e , 1 , 1

ce sse s t wi ng ti m 6 a so e, 1 L p al da y h ang d t th
u e rc c e o at of

Lap l a nd cu t m in t a v t wi t h :
, s o , o er c P ifi a ti n f th Vi g in
ur c o o e r , 20 5;
cr aft 87 ; wiza d ti p th
,
r s e u e cu s tom s of, 20 6 , 2 1 6

wi nd 5 , 11

La t h a f in th f m f a c ck
s s e e or o o ,

2 6
4 ; in f m f a w m a n 46 or o o , 2

L w n R M i t d 3 83
a re ce , . .
, c e , 1 0 , 2

Lea, H C it d .
4 .
, c e , 10 1 , 11 , Ma b th c e , 1 16

L ky W E H q t d 3 5
ec ,
. . .
, uo e ,
1 Mad t n s o e u se d in Scotl a nd , 163
3 0 6 IN DEX
k i ng ta k a th t m ak th n
s e o o e e su M oore, M . V, . quoted , 11

h i n nd p g w 7 3 ;
s e a cro s ro , ce re M ns, Th om as, N e w E ng la nd
orto
’

m ny f w m n t m a k ta
o o l o e o e s se s C a naa n cite d, 2 1 1 ,

f m aiz g w 86 ;
o e ro , u ses cross a s M oses i nte rcedes for cess a tion of
a i n ym b l 8 ; acl f h ad
r s o ,
10 or es o ,
s torm , 10 2

pe p t al fir e u 73 re s , 1 M ou nta n a sh i u sed to p rote ct fr

a n
Mi ce, t p v nt a v a go f Pl i ny
re e r es o , wi tch e s, 139

i t d 84 ; g n at d by l i k i ng
c e , e er e c , Movertu s , c tei d , 2 69

223; m ad f m f a ll e n pa e ro e rs, M l t i a l f 236

u e, r o ,

2 64 M nda ac i ficed
u s s r at sow i ng of

Mi h a lc W k w heat w n in
e
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s ee ,
so , flee s 8
5 s 83
t n t
ur s k l 48 o coc e, M d k J hn cited 2 64
u r oc , o , ,

M i d mm Day w i tch active

su er ,
es M a in in i gn f C h a l m a gn
u rr re o r e e,

n 89 ; fi
o ,
in E p 7 8 ; l iv re s u ro e , 1 e 60 ; n f h d b n d t
1 o e o er ur e o cu re ,

c t b a sn d in t Pa i nd Metz
ur e a rs a , 6 ;
1 0 a lf kill d in E ng l nd t
c e a o

8 ; b ni ng w h l
1 2 d n 83
ur ee s u se o ,
1 top
s 6 ; S i An
,
th n
1 y H b t
1 r o e r er,

Mil k g t by m a gic yi l d le s b t
o e s s u i t d n 6 2 ; Hind
c e o ,f 1 u cu re or,

te r, 87 62 ; im a ge
1 f ca t p ill d o er ar u se ,

Mill L H i t d 1 51 7 3
s, . .
, c e , , 1 63 ; c
1 d by y king w m n t
u re o o e o

Mil t n Joh n q t d ; ci te d on
o , ,
uo e , 11 p l w 67 ; by ne dfi
o , 1 74 ; t e re , 1 ca

h al y n 95 ; q t d 227
c o , uo e , tle driven over fi re to p re ve nt,
Min E gyp tia n di ty
, e , 17 9

Min t r ma gi
a a ce s, f t ma k co n c o , o e r Mu sic i i nated f m n i
or g ro o se m a de
g w 8
ro6 g ree n c,rn f tiv a l o es to d i v away vi l 2
r e e , 00

of. 2 39 Mu ss u lm n traditi n f
a o o ori g i n of
Mi a ia g p r v nt d by tyi ng
sc rr e e e e v in 56 e, 2

a l t th ad n a ttl
sc re 4 re o c e, 2 2 My I aa e r, s c, cit
e d, 77, 1 5 1, 2 2 6

Mi tl t s f tifying p w of
e oe , ru c o er ,

; b i ng
2 11 l k t da i y 2 ; r s uc o r , 21

ac d t F ig
s re o r a , 2 12

M i tu n d t w l f by h b 2 2 5
oe r s r e o o e r s,

M ng l
o a d b k f ad
o s, s cre oo s o , re N a h a prayed f r ra i n a t t m
u s o e

nly in p i ng nd
o mm 6 s r a su e r, 11
pl f C z me l
e o 08 o u , 1

M ntai g n
o i t d 76 e, c e ,
2 N ap l n o eo 2 83

M nt R b ll
o e 96 u e a, 1 N g ao g Th m a na me d b y
eo r u s, o s, u se

M n m nt i g i n f ;
o u e s, or o , 1 a th r f th P p i h K i ngd m
u o o e o s o ,

M n a n i nt id a f
oo , ; v il
c e e o , 12 1 e 1 84

i nfl n f 7 ; fa v ab l f
ue ce o , 12 or e or Nava a i n ch a m in 5
rro, r r , 10

b di ng nd pla nt
ree 9; in a s, 12 N k lace
ec w n by wome n a fter
, or

fl n ue n v g ta b l
ce 3 o e e e s, 1 0 wi ng in th P nja b 53 ; b
so e u , e

M n y Ja m i t d 6 5 74 ; q t
oo e , e s, c e , , uo li v d t h a v
e e f ti l i zing p ow r
o e er e

e d, 2 39 in S a awa k 60 r ,

M oo r b a t la mb
e s to cu re h ada h
e c e, N dfi
ee a ttl h a l d by 7 4 ; n
re , c e e e , 1 o

th I l f L w i 74 ; p h ib i t d
e s e o e s, 1 ro e
 INDEX 3 0 7

by P p Za h a y 79 ; ph all i
o e c r , 1 c O tm u nd took po se s ssio n of la nd by
ce e r m ny in nn ti n w i th 2
o co ec o , 20 fi y a wer rro s, 17 6

Ne r g al y m b l f ,
87 s o o , 2 O illa h ng
sc u o n tree s at Pa ganal i a ,

Ne r th f d aw n by w hi te
u s, ca r o ,
r 26 1

cow , 2 3 1 Osi i 5 ; p h all i i m a ge of c

r s, 1 1 c , ar

Ne u r h h by S yth ia n
i w e re t ou g t c s i d in p
re i n 20 roces s o ,
2

t t n t w lv
o 5
ur o o e s, 22 O ti h
s rc m ni al ,
f fe ath
ce re o u se o e rs

N w Cal d nia
e a i n h a m in e o , r c r , of, 5 1 ; o f e g gs, 263

10 5 O v id , 5 , 9, 55 ; o n the R bi g al i a
o ,

New G u i ne a , ha v r e st fe tiv a l
s in, 7 8, 113 ; o n fe a s t o f Ce res, 1 87 ,

2 50 1 89
; i g i L or n o f u pe rcal , 20 6 , 20 9
i h
N g t h a g, p t ti n f m 44
-
ro ec o nd ro , 1 Ox n p ni h d by H eb e w
e u s e r s a

il b li v d t b
N e e e l w
tf f
e o e ou o o Atheni a n 2 30 s,

O i i
s r s, 6 21

N i n fa i y f N w gi an 4 3
ssa ,
r o or e s, 1

N orse l ni t t k p co o in f s s oo os sess o o

l a nd wi h fi 75 t res, 1

N orse m na ib d m a g i p w t Pa ga nal i a 5 5 2 6
e scr e c o er o , , 1

h o rse sh ad 85 ’
e Pal m t , b gh f p t t ree , ou s o , ro ec

N way wi nd ti d p by w i t h
or , b a t 3 9 ; a ymb l f g n a
s e u c es e s s, 1 s o o e er

in 5
, 11 ti v pw 8; b an h f e o e r, 2 1 r c es o , ca r

i d in h a nd f Th th nd t re o o a a

f a t f Ta b na l 8; f n e s o er c es , 2 1 ecu

dati n f 8 ; a p h alli ym b l o o , 21 c s o ,

O t mi
c o a i fi vi g i n t a i n
s s cr ce r o r 220

g do s, 8 10 P n t m pl f t A ad i a 74 a , e e o , a rc ,
1

O di n in ti m, f fa min a ki ng Pa n ak in E th nia n m a g i 5
e o e c es s o c, 0

s a ifi d t 7
cr ce Pa nk a p p iti a t g d b f
o, 2 w s ro e o s e o re so

Od y sse u s,6 11 ing 57 .

Oji b wa t m t w i ng 59 34 ; Pa i lia f tiv al f 3 9 88

, cu s o a so , , 1 r , es o , 1 ,
1

ha v t f a f 39
r es e Pa i law f 3 7 74
st o , 2 rs s , o , , 1

Om a h a I ndia n da n nd wa t Pa v da te f 54
s ce rou er sso e r, o , 1

t b i ng
o ai n 5
r r Pa a nia 7 , 105 74 87 9 6 us s, 1, 12 ,
1 ,
1 , 1 ,

O ni no w d t f ll m n 3
s so e 5 a
72 u oo ,
1 1 20 , 2

O d
r u re f w in m ni
o f Pawa ng
co m n
s
y t i h a
ce re v t o es o , ce re o a r ce r es

Hi nd nd Pa i us 9; f b la nd t d by 5 rs s, 2 o u co uc e ,
2 0

l kuc s d a in ff i ng by Paw n m ad h m a n a ifi
u se as s t o er ees e u s cr ce s a

H b w 9 ; h m an nt a t
e re s, 2 w i ng ; a i fi f a la v
u , cou er c s so ,
22 s cr ce o s e

wit h 87 ; f w
c e s, d a g i l by o ; m i t n
co d ds n u se as r , 22 o s e e se e cor

r ai n h a m 9 ; t p t ct f m
c r w i th bl d f a w m a n 59
,
10 o ro e ro oo o o ,

wi t h 8
c e s,
4 1 P a t p t a ttl 47 e r ree rotec s c e, 1

O in ai n h a m P nnant T in S l a nd i t d '
r oco r c r , 10 1 e s ou r cot , c e ,

O i n t m p t ta k
ro i in 4
e i9
es s 64 e r se , 12 , x . 3

P pp g w b tt i f pla nt d by e e rs ro e er e
3 0 8 I N DEX
a d h ad d m n 87 ; Neg
re -
e e a ,
ro P l w Egypti an and G r k 3 ; a d
o , ee ,
2

f lk l
o -
f 87
ore o ,
vice f H i d 3 4 ; d
o i b d by es o , e sc r e

P a m b lati n i nt d d n
er u o s ro u ce o ac Vi gi l 3 5 ; fa te ne d t t i l f
r , s o a s o

cou n t f fr q e ncy o f a rth e u o e hor by I i h 4 6 ; d m l

ses n rs , a se s o

q ake 9
u s, 1 1 th e Rhin y k d t 4 5 ; d ra wn
e o e o,

P p t al fi r a mong H b ew
er e u es e r s, r nd a vi lla ge to cu e m ra in
ou r ur ,

R m an nd M xi a n 74
o s a e c s, 1 1 67

Pe ru vi a n f a t d aft s w i ng 62 ; s e e r so , P l w i ng unlaw f l n ce t i n day

o u o r a s

w h i t h p a i fi d by 6 ;
e s ee s cr ce , 2 in I nd i a 37 ; th gh t nw i , on ou u se

cap t u n in n t
u re ; r in
s e s, 10 0 a Good F i day in N rth R i d ingr o .

c h a m f 0 6 ; h ad acle w i th
r o , 1 or s 3 7 ; se a n i n a gu a t d b y Chi
so u r e

p pe t a l fi
er u74 ; d fi r te t res , 1 u se e s nese 3 8 ; in Ind i a 4 ; b y G
, , 0 et

in lecti ng l a ti n 7 5 ; r
se oc o s, 1 e m a ns 4 ; c t m w i th Sc t h
, 0 us o s o c ,

wa d d h ph d w h e fl ck
r e s e er s os o s 42
in a d 2 7
cre se ,
1 P l w M nday cerem ni
o -
o f 4 ,
o es o , 2

P t i W M P ci ted 242 279

e r e, . . .
, , , hu r h
c c d f 44 reco r s o ,

P h all i mbl mc e ; p nta e s, 220 re rese P l w ha

o s f i r n a ntiq i ty f 3 3
re s o o , u o ,

ti n in a n i n
o s t rt 2 ; a oci c e a , 21 ss th g h
ou t i nj i 3 3 ; fi t ed u r ou s, rs us

a t d w i th
e t El p h a nta 22 cross a e , 1 in A m i a 3 3 er c ,

Phili ppi n I la nd a ific b f r

e s s, s cr e e o e P l ta r h 3 8 6 6 8 2 9 3 168
u c , , 0, , 1 , 1 1, ,

so w ing in 2 3 , 1 87 , 2 1 5, 2 3 0

Phi li ti nes m ad i m a g of mi
s e es ce Pi o so ners of a l
c tt e, de tecti on of,

t d iv
o th m away 84
r e e , 14 7

P hil lip H ny J q te d 3 5
s, e r , r, . uo , 1 Pk o e r, re d -
hot, u se d ag a in t s w itch
P h ni ia n ac ifi d hil d e n 1 86 ;
e c s s r ce c r , cr a ft , 87
to tree s , 2 6 3 P pe A l x and q ot d 0 2
o , e e r, u e , 1

P i nda l g nd f
r, e e o , 273 P pla
o d in sac i fi
r u se t Z ug r ces o e

P i nk t n V ya ge
er o
’
s o s, c tei d , 4 8, 7 5, 21 3; m t f q n tly t osk w ith re ue s ru c

87 , "6 . 140 , 14 8. x 6 5. 1 94 l i gh tni ng n xt t k 2 6 e o oa , 1

Pip H a m li n l g nd f 2
e r of e , e e o , 00 P p la S ie nce M nth ly ite d 4 6
o u r c o , c , 1 ,

Pi pi l a ifi d b f
es s cr pla nti ng ce e o re , 1 56

21 ; b v d h
o a ti ty b f
se r e c s e ore P idose o n, H al cyo e n be love d b y,
pla nting nd i nd l g n t p l ant a u e ce a 96
ing, 6 3 P ta toe h ld
o s s ou be p l a nte d in d a rk
Pi so, ori gi n f na m 3 o e, of moon, 1 3o

Pi t ai n W D ci t d 5
c r ,
. .
, e ,
2 0 P l t y ca d f by Sa int 2 82 ;
ou r re or s,

P l ag tay d by
ue I a li te w i th
s e sr e s p otecte d by ch a rms 86
r , 2

p nt f g ld 85 ; by Da vi d
se r e s o o , , P tt W H
resco ci t d
, 32 . .
, e ,

1 59 P i ap
r ta t u s,f w h o n red
s u es o e re o

P l a nt t d iti
s, nd ki ng
o e es a s was by b kee p nd h p h d 2 2 0
ee e rs a s e e r s, ,

a tt i b t d fi t k n wl d g
r u e rs o e e of, 4 2 72

Pla t S i H gh i t d 3
, r u , c e , 1 1 P r im roses p rotect f rom w itch e s , 142

P li ny i t d 3 5 6 83
, c e , , 2, 0 , ,
1 10 , 12 5, P rocess o s i n c u se aa nd p re ve nt ra i n,
1 3 1 , 2 74, 2 86 191
 IN DEX

R om u u s , l A rval p iesth d
r oo es t ab St. George of C a p a docia , pa tm
lish e d by 94 ,
1 s ai nt of fa rm rs , 1 4 8

R oo s te r, t ial in Sw i
r ss v illa ge of, St. George s ’
Day , w tches i active as,

229 87
R th H n y Li ng i t d 53
o , e r , c e , 2 St. Ge rva i s ’
Da y a , cr tica i lp eriod,

R m a nia n ai n h a m f
ou s, r c r o ,
1 11 96
R d d v
u d i ty in B ng al
ra e a, e e ,
1 11 St. Go a r , 14 5

R al k a x p l i n f 7 7
us s, e u s o o ,
St. H b u e rt h al d
e e dog s, 1 70

R k i n J h n i t d 95
us ,
o , c e ,
St. Ja m es
’
i ma g e p u ns hed in 1 i
R ia n p nal d n vam p i
u ss e co e o res, storm , 115

1 18 St. J h n fi w h i p in h n d
o , re o rs o or .

R ia n b y a m n ali v wi th
uss s ur a e 77 ; fi
1 f b id d n n d y d
res or e o a .

b l k d g t a v th h d 6
ac o o s e e er , 1 0 79 ;
1 f ti v al f d ib d by
es o , escr e

R th ni
u li v k b n d in t
a a, e coc ur e ,
o Ba naby G g 84
r oo e, 1

pla g
cu re 6 u e, 1 1 St.
J h nw t o b ning wi th
s or , ur

b nd w i th 84
ou , 1

S t L ge d
. e l k d fte a l l
ar e oo e a r .

2 81

St. L eo na rd ,
14 5 , 2 82

S a to, Sa m a n a i n g d 92
a o r o , St. Loy l k d aft
oo e er h o rs es ad

Sa ifi cr h m a n by M x i a n 2 ;
ce s , u , e c s, 1 kin 7 e, 1 0

na ti v f G ld C a t
es ; o f o o s , 22 o S t Ma k
. Day r
’
s , co r n b le ssed a ,

G in a u 3 ; by e Kh nd , 4; 2 o s, 2 1 94

Dy a k h a f iv a l St Pa t i k Da y 54 ’
7 ; t v t
s, t 2 a r es es s . rc s , 1

in P St Pat i k P g a t y ’
4 e ru , 2 0 . rc s ur or , 261

S t A go b a rd, 1 1 3
. St. P t Day d i ving
e er s
’
,
r ou t the H
S t A ilbh e , 80
. te rfl y on, 1 98
St . Anth ony p rotector of a ni m al s , , St. Pt i m a g d nch d
e e rs
’
e re e as a

14 5 ; I m a ge o f ca rri e d by Ros a , ai n h a m 5
r c r ,
10

B nh o e u r, 14 5 ; h al d h
e e ogs , 1 70 S t Pia t
. i n p v nt d by
,
ra re e e reh
'

"
St . A u gu s ti ne , 122 of, 191

St . a d f ti v al t M nt
nr s B er
’
es a o e S t Po l de Leon, 80
.

B a d 96
S a n e rn r o, 1 Sai nt s, i mag es of u se d as rah

S t B d h a m h al d a ttl
. o 66 e e c e, 1 c ha rm s, 10 5; i nfl ue nce o n fi nk
S t C l m b a t ni h k n f ai n ’
. o u s u c s a e or r ,
2 57

; bi d m t all f 45 ph ns Day b le d
’
1 10 r s co e a c o , 1 S t S te
. e , h o rs es a
St D i
. m a ty d m f 54
a s u s, r r o o , 1 70

S t Da v id D y l ky f w i ng Sw i th i n Day yi ng
’ ’
. s a uc or so , St. s , sa o f, 97
4 8 ; W l h m n w l k n
e s 64 e ea r ee s o , appl h i t n des c rs e e o n , 2 57
S t D n ta n v il p t f 57 S t Ta i n li ai n a la
’
e re o 2 ch
u s u e ur s re cs as r -
.
, , .
t
S t Edi th
. R man R bi g 79 as o o o, 191

S t El y
. nd m n d a m l t
o co7 e e u e s, 1 1 St V
. la m ai n x p ll d
s, u rr e e e by ca rry
S t F tin p h alli
. ou fi ing t , c o er s o, 2 2 1 i ng i m g f 6 67 a e o , 1 0 , 1

S t G all b a
. b y d 45 , e rs o e e ,
1 S a m o a ns, 92
 IN DEX 3 11

Sa m n S t y f fo es 188 ; b
so , or o x , ees d n n F i day
be V al ntin
o e o r or e e

f nd by 470
ou , Day 2 82 ,

Sandy G g quot d s, eor e , e ,

10 S v n a ac e d n mb w i th Ch r
e e , s r u er e o

S ntal h a rv t h m f 53
a s, es o e o , 2 kee , 6 5
Sa awa k f ll m n b v d by n
r , u oo o se r e a S h ad es o f th e d ad the i i nfl
e , r ue nce
ri v f 3 ; f a t f fi t f it
es o , 1 2 e s o rs ru s o li vi ng 7 5 ; m t b p p i
n the , us e ro

in, 2 52 ti t d 7 5 ; a H
s e , i a n folk ta le f ess -
o ,

Sa dini a im inal law a ga i nt

r , cr s s a n 75 ; p es i d ve g
r row i ng y a m e o r s,

im a la in 2 3 3 , 75
S a ta n fi t app a a n
,
f rs e r ce o , 2 2 7. S h a k p a ci t d 95 44 2 ;
es e re , e , , 1 , 00

2 58 J li Cu us q te d 2 5 ; M e s a r, uo , 0 er

Sa t rn g ld n
u , o e a ge o f, 9; o ld ag i r h a nt f V ni q t d 22 5
c o e ce , uo e ,

cu ltu a l d i ty r e , 50 ; e vil i nfl ue nce H a m l t q t d 2 85 2 87

e , uo e , ,

of, 126 S h a ng ti p a y-
f g a in t 88
,
r er or r o,

Sa t rna li a 5 3 ; ac ifi
u t , s r ces a , 54 ; S h p sh a d in i n r a
ee e fm n re c e se o oo ,

f ll w d by fa ti ng 62
o o e s , 1 0
3 ; d iv n th r g h pl i tr k t e ou s oa o

S u m L ch d m ci t dee 65 o s, e , 1 h e a L 16 5
Sch w inf th G ci t d 87
e ur , .
, e ,
2 S h tla nd a m n b y w i nd
e se e u , 115

Scot h ma n l a v
c pa t f th e es r o e cro p S hi K i ng i t d 2 ; q t d , c e ,
uo e , 4, 4 7 ,
f the O ld W m a n 24 6
or o , 3 3 7r 3 44

Sec R gi nald
, 37 e 48 69 , 1 , 1 ,
1 , 20 0 S hi ng l es s h ld ou be l aid in da rk of

Sa n S i Wa l t
, i t d 96 ; q
r e r, c e , u ote d , moon, 132

180 S hoka s d iv away

r e ev i l w ith flyi ng
Scyt h ia n th gh t th N i t n d
s ou e eu r ur e p ay r 59 e rs . 1

t w lv
o 5 o es , 2 2 S h w h w nd f h e w m
re -
as , ou s o s r ou se

S c t
e re ppli a t C h i n
su ffi ial c o r, ese o c cu re d by 6 5 , 1

f m ly 8
or er , 1 Sh w m
re attl i nj r d by 6 5 ;
ou se , c e u e , 1

S d h w fi t kn wn t p d
ee , o rs o o re ro u ce R m a n th g h t p i n
o s 65 ou o so ou s, 1

it lf se 5 , 1 S i a m h a v t f ti v al in 2 52
,
r es es ,

S d
ec cor n f Paw n m i t n d w i th
o ee s o s e e S ia m p i ng
e se , s m n y f 3 8 r ce re o o ,

b l d f a w m a n 59
oo o o , S il v pl w h ng in ch r h 44
er o s u u c es,

S kh t A a
e e 76
-
ru , Si m x E J i t d 2 ; q t d 3
co ,
. .
, c e , uo e , ,

S mi n l
e I ndia n f tiv al f fi t
o e s, es o rs 3 8. 7 7 . 81 . 1 5 1 . 1 77

f i t a m ng 4
ru s o , 2 0 Si m p so n, Ka t e A .
,
q td uo e , 67
S n a
e ec it d 3 ,
c e , 10 Si x
ou ce re mo ny to ma k c e or n grow ,
S n a
e l g nd
ec s, f 7 e e o , 59
S p nt t p by I a li t
er e se t ta y u sr e es o s S k a t \V \V 55 86 6 5 ;
e ,
. .
, , ,
10 , 2 1

th epla g 85 ; d ai n
ue , u se as r q td 8uo e , 2 1

ha m 7 ; g n at d f m pi
c r , 10 e er e ro s Sk l t n d
e e o ai n h a rm in N w
u se as r c e

n l m a w f m n 3 ; p ni h
a rro o e , 22 u s Cal d nia 5 e o , 10

m nt f e 7; p i n f o , d by22 o so o , cu re S k ll R ma n p t t d f m ca t
u , o s ro ec e ro er

b th f a k 86
ro o coc , 2 pilla w i th 84 ; a i d by w
rs , c rr e o

S tti ng h n
e dd n mb ef gg s, o u er o e s m n f B n in h a ve t f ti
e o or eo r s es

h u l d be
s o d in 8 ; m t n t u se ,
2 1 us o va l 2 52 s,
3 12 IN DEX
S l av ki lled a goat
s a t so w i ng , 63 S qu irre b burned in Ea s ter fi re s , 1 81

Sm ith G ge ci t d
,
eor ,
e , 12 S t nes
o as rai n ch a rm s in S a moa,
Smith R b rt n 54,
o e so ,
1 , 1 55, 1 86, 24 5, 10 5

2 62 S torms ca u sed by devils, 10 2 ;n se t

Soci ty I l ands 8
e s ,
as punishments , 10 2 ; a ttraa e d and
Sol m n pa l m tree in temp le of
o o ,
s , p ll d by ng 10 3
re e e so ,

2 8 ; d m n e pe l le d by f rm l a
1 e o s x o u Straw b nt n H a ll w Eve pr
ur o o o

of,
2 27 tects fr m th w itch e 177 o e s,

S l n law f 2 3
o o , o , 0 St bb
u Mayp l de crib ed by
s, o e s ,

S ng f b i ng i ng a in 0 6
o or r r , 1 q ot d by B and 0
u e r , 21

So rce re rs ,na m f m n u se d in e o a S t ni ci t d 2 84
ue o u s, e ,

nj i ng by
co ur 6 , 11 S ga c n tim f d y f p l ant
u r a e, e o a or

Sorce ry da n ge ,
t p f rom 8 6 i ng r 5 5 ; o cro se m on i a t cu t
t ing , , cer es

c nt acte d by n dfi
ou er 74 in I nd i a 2 5 3 ee re , 1 ,

S l t a n f r d t f w l 288
ou r s er e S ici d b m va m p ire 1 18;
o o , u e eco es ,

S th Se I l and r l a imi ng l nds

ou a s ca ses d r s, gh t 19
ec a u ou , 1

in 2 6 ,
S mat a b lack ca t sed a s ra m u r , u
'

So th n P lyn i a b nes of men

u er o ch a rm in
es 06 ,
o , 1

d
u se a inch a m in 6
as r S mé i ntr d ce d a g icu l tu re a mong
r s , 11 u o u r

S w c nd mn d t F ala i
o o 233 ; f
e or eB az ili an 6
a se , r s,

m de ing a chi ld
ur r33 S n J h a tay d a n , d H r ha u
2 u , os u s e e a

S w s d c rat d w ith silver in

o er , e o ned e ; F i j i en ta n g l in re ed e , 10 0 s e s.

I nd i a 52 , ; P r v i a n ca p tu re in no 10 0 e u s ,

S w i ng i na g rat d by Raja 57
o u u
00 e , 1

M nda ac ifice g at t 58 S nh ine ancient be lief f rtifi a l

u s s r o a , u s , o a

ce m ni
re f Kh a wa
o nd P n
es o p rod cti n f 98 ; f rm la s of
r rs a a u o o , o u

k 7
a s,
5 ; a p ri d f li n e 6 ; E gy p
e ti a n o f m k i
on g 99 ce s , 1 s or a ,

x al l i ne t i m pa t f tility S u ya f ti val t 8
se u ce s o r er r , es o, 1 1

t o cro p 6 ; f mi ng l d ee d f
,
2 Sw i n d i v n v sown fi ld 60
o e s s or e, r e o er e s,

b idd n by I a li t 64
e E gy p ti an r j ct d fle h f 129
sr e es , s e e e s o ,

S w th i tl
o cu r
s f pl a g
e, di vil e p i it d i v n int 5 8
or u e, s e s r s r e o, 1

c v o d by Ch a l th G reat Sw ingi ng
e re n a gricu l t r l rig
r es e , as a u a ,

169 90
Sp c l
e u um M nd i q t d 6 8 u , uo e ,
2 Symb l o s of a ni ma ls in a rchite ctu re,
Sp n e ce, S i Pa t i k b al l ad f
r rc ,
o , 12 3 232

Sp n e ce r, Ed m nd q t d 3 u , uo e ,
21 , 2 60 Sy i a n m a gi a ga int ca t p ill r;
r c s er a

S pi i t
r o f v ge ta ti n in ani m a l f
e o orm, 84 ; m a n ne f fe rtilizing tre es r o
,
24 6 2 63

Spi tti ng t b i ng ra i nby H p i 0 7 ;

o r o , 1
T
p t t f m wit h 4
ro ec s ro c e s, 1 1

Sp fi d
o A l m a na
or i t d 93 ; n Tabb J h n B q t d
'
s c, c e ,
o , o .
, uo e , 91
b ee s we a th i nd i a t 2 76
as Tab na l f a t f er c o rs , er c e s, e s o , 218

S p i ng
r g p l r
s, ad t n A osn T a b l l
e g f b a nda ge a ,
o sce e, e o , ed to cu re
i n D y 92
s o a ,
b a t 1 68
1 e s ,
3 14 I NDEX
a pi d gh t b
V m re s, rou rou g h t by , 1 18 ; W est A frica n tri b e s m a ke r ain
R ia n P na l d
u ss e co e o n, 1 18 ch a rms f rom h a i r o f co rp s e , 1 17
Va 24
rro, 1 Ma rimos kill ed h u m a n b e n g s in i
V a na 1
ru , 11 the, 2 3
Ve nu s, 12 9 Wh at B a va ia n cu
e , r stom a t so w ing ,

V e rm i n d i ven away by h arm

r c s, 50
20 0 ; x ei d in Spai n 2 ; by
orc se ,
01 Wh i l w ind d i a b l ic l g encie m
r s, o a a s e

torc es a h nd xh ta ti nin F an e or o r ce, a e f 5

c us o , 11

20 1 W hit b ll e d b y D id 2 2 ;
u s u se ru s, 1

Vi nal i a f ll m n n t d i d t
, u oo o e s re a ,
at B y S t Ed m nd
ur 2 2 . u s, 1

12 4 ; in h n f J p i t o 6 or o u e r, 2 1 Whi t k b i d on M i d m m m
e coc ure er

Vi n esw i th d by t h f m n e re ou c o e Ev in R e ia 82 u ss , 1

t
s ro u s w m n 59 ; p t t d by o e , 2 ro ec e Whit w in N e m y th logy
e co o rs o ,

Lib 26 e r, 1 23 1

Vi g il 3 ; d
r , ip ti n f p l w 3 5
escr o o o , Whi t e, G ilbe rt , i
c ted, 16 5 ; o n ha s

m n i gn
oo 3 ; si t d 95
s, 12 c e ,
1 , 2 12 , ey -
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