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epresentative。 But the task of making the crops grow； thus deputed to the temporary kings； is one of the magical functions regularly supposed to be discharged by kings in primitive society。 The rule that the mock king must stand on one foot upon a raised seat in the rice…field was perhaps originally meant as a charm to make the crop grow high； at least this was the object of a similar ceremony observed by the old Prussians。 The tallest girl； standing on one foot upon a seat； with her lap full of cakes； a cup of brandy in her right hand and a piece of elm…bark or linden…bark in her left； prayed to the god Waizganthos that the flax might grow as high as she was standing。 Then； after draining the cup； she had it refilled； and poured the brandy on the ground as an offering to Waizganthos； and threw down the cakes for his attendant sprites。 If she remained steady on one foot throughout the ceremony； it was an omen that the flax crop would be good； but if she let her foot down； it was feared that the crop might fail。 The same significance perhaps attaches to the swinging of the Brahmans； which the Lord of the Heavenly Hosts had formerly to witness standing on one foot。 On the principles of homoeopathic or imitative magic it might be thought that the higher the priests swing the higher will grow the rice。 For the ceremony is described as a harvest festival； and swinging is practised by the Letts of Russia with the avowed intention of influencing the growth of the crops。 In the spring and early summer； between Easter and St。 John's Day （the summer solstice）； every Lettish peasant is said to devote his leisure hours to swinging diligently； for the higher he rises in the air the higher will his flax grow that season。
In the foregoing cases the temporary king is appointed annually in accordance with a regular custom。 But in other cases the appointment is made only to meet a special emergency； such as to relieve the real king from some actual or threatened evil by diverting it to a substitute； who takes his place on the throne for a short time。 The history of Persia furnishes instances of such occasional substitutes for the Shah。 Thus Shah Abbas the Great； being warned by his astrologers in the year 1591 that a serious danger impended over him； attempted to avert the omen by abdicating the throne and appointing a certain unbeliever named Yusoofee； probably a Christian； to reign in his stead。 The substitute was accordingly crowned； and for three days； if we may trust the Persian historians； he enjoyed not only the name and the state but the power of the king。 At the end of his brief reign he was put to death： the decree of the stars was fulfilled by this sacrifice； and Abbas； who reascended his throne in a most propitious hour； was promised by his astrologers a long and glorious reign。
Chapter 26。 Sacrifice of the King's Son。
A POINT to notice about the temporary kings described in the foregoing chapter is that in two places （Cambodia and Jambi） they come of a stock which is believed to be akin to the royal family。 If the view here taken of the origin of these temporary kingships is correct； we can easily understand why the king's substitute should sometimes be of the same race as the king。 When the king first succeeded in getting the life of another accepted as a sacrifice instead of his own； he would have to show that the death of that other would serve the purpose quite as well as his own would have done。 Now it was as a god or demigod that the king had to die； therefore the substitute who died for him had to be invested； at least for the occasion； with the divine attributes of the king。 This； as we have just seen； was certainly the case with the temporary kings of Siam and Cambodia； they were invested with the supernatural functions； which in an earlier stage of society were the special attributes of the king。 But no one could so well represent the king in his divine character as his son； who might be supposed to share the divine afflatus of his father。 No one； therefore； could so appropriately die for the king and； through him； for the whole people； as the king's son。
We have seen that according to tradition； Aun or On； King of Sweden； sacrificed nine of his sons to Odin at Upsala in order that his own life might be spared。 After he had sacrificed his second son he received from the god an answer that he should live so long as he gave him one of his sons every ninth year。 When he had sacrificed his seventh son； he still lived； but was so feeble that he could not walk but had to be carried in a chair。 Then he offered up his eighth son； and lived nine years more； lying in his bed。 After that he sacrificed his ninth son； and lived another nine years； but so that he drank out of a horn like a weaned child。 He now wished to sacrifice his only remaining son to Odin； but the Swedes would not allow him。 So he died and was buried in a mound at Upsala。
In ancient Greece there seems to have been at least one kingly house of great antiquity of which the eldest sons were always liable to be sacrificed in room of their royal sires。 When Xerxes was marching through Thessaly at the head of his mighty host to attack the Spartans at Thermopylae； he came to the town of Alus。 Here he was shown the sanctuary of Laphystian Zeus； about which his guides told him a strange tale。 It ran somewhat as follows。 Once upon a time the king of the country； by name Athamas； married a wife Nephele； and had by her a son called Phrixus and a daughter named Helle。 Afterwards he took to himself a second wife called Ino； by whom he had two sons； Learchus and Melicertes。 But his second wife was jealous of her stepchildren； Phrixus and Helle； and plotted their death。 She went about very cunningly to compass her bad end。 First of all she persuaded the women of the country to roast the seed corn secretly before it was committed to the ground。 So next year no crops came up and the people died of famine。 Then the king sent messengers to the oracle at Delphi to enquire the cause of the dearth。 But the wicked stepmother bribed the messenger to give out as the answer of the god that the dearth would never cease till the children of Athamas by his first wife had been sacrificed to Zeus。 When Athamas heard that； he sent for the children； who were with the sheep。 But a ram with a fleece of gold opened his lips； and speaking with the voice of a man warned the children of their danger。 So they mounted the ram and fled with him over land and sea。 As they flew over the sea； the girl slipped from the animal's back； and falling into water was drowned。 But her brother Phrixus was brought safe to the land of Colchis； where reigned a child of the sun。 Phrixus married the king's daughter； and she bore him a son Cytisorus。 And there he sacrificed the ram with the golden fleece to Zeus the God of Flight； but some will have it that he sacrificed the animal to Laphystian Zeus。 The golden fleece itself he gave to his wife's father； who nailed it to an oak tree； guarded by a sleepless dragon in a sacred grove of Ares。 Meanwhile at home an oracle had commanded that King Athamas himself should be sacrificed as an expiatory offering for the whole country。 So the people decked him with garlands