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y the placing of their images on branches over a heap of grass and flowers。 Here； as often in European folk…custom； the divinities of vegetation are represented in duplicate； by plants and by puppets。 The marriage of these Indian deities in spring corresponds to the European ceremonies in which the marriage of the vernal spirits of vegetation is represented by the King and Queen of May； the May Bride； Bridegroom of the May； and so forth。 The throwing of the images into the water； and the mourning for them； are the equivalents of the European customs of throwing the dead spirit of vegetation under the name of Death； Yarilo； Kostroma； and the rest； into the water and lamenting over it。 Again； in India； as often in Europe； the rite is performed exclusively by females。 The notion that the ceremony helps to procure husbands for the girls can be explained by the quickening and fertilising influence which the spirit of vegetation is believed to exert upon the life of man as well as of plants。
9。 The Magic Spring。
THE GENERAL explanation which we have been led to adopt of these and many similar ceremonies is that they are； or were in their origin； magical rites intended to ensure the revival of nature in spring。 The means by which they were supposed to effect this end were imitation and sympathy。 Led astray by his ignorance of the true causes of things； primitive man believed that in order to produce the great phenomena of nature on which his life depended he had only to imitate them； and that immediately by a secret sympathy or mystic influence the little drama which he acted in forest glade or mountain dell； on desert plain or wind…swept shore； would be taken up and repeated by mightier actors on a vaster stage。 He fancied that by masquerading in leaves and flowers he helped the bare earth to clothe herself with verdure； and that by playing the death and burial of winter he drove that gloomy season away； and made smooth the path for the footsteps of returning spring。 If we find it hard to throw ourselves even in fancy into a mental condition in which such things seem possible； we can more easily picture to ourselves the anxiety which the savage； when he first began to lift his thoughts above the satisfaction of his merely animal wants； and to meditate on the causes of things； may have felt as to the continued operation of what we now call the laws of nature。 To us； familiar as we are with the conception of the uniformity and regularity with which the great cosmic phenomena succeed each other； there seems little ground for apprehension that the causes which produce these effects will cease to operate； at least within the near future。 But this confidence in the stability of nature is bred only by the experience which comes of wide observation and long tradition； and the savage； with his narrow sphere of observation and his short…lived tradition； lacks the very elements of that experience which alone could set his mind at rest in face of the ever…changing and often menacing aspects of nature。 No wonder； therefore； that he is thrown into a panic by an eclipse； and thinks that the sun or the moon would surely perish； if he did not raise a clamour and shoot his puny shafts into the air to defend the luminaries from the monster who threatens to devour them。 No wonder he is terrified when in the darkness of night a streak of sky is suddenly illumined by the flash of a meteor； or the whole expanse of the celestial arch glows with the fitful light of the Northern Streamers。 Even phenomena which recur at fixed and uniform intervals may be viewed by him with apprehension； before he has come to recognise the orderliness of their recurrence。 The speed or slowness of his recognition of such periodic or cyclic changes in nature will depend largely on the length of the particular cycle。 The cycle； for example； of day and night is everywhere； except in the polar regions； so short and hence so frequent that men probably soon ceased to discompose themselves seriously as to the chance of its failing to recur； though the ancient Egyptians； as we have seen； daily wrought enchantments to bring back to the east in the morning the fiery orb which had sunk at evening in the crimson west。 But it was far otherwise with the annual cycle of the seasons。 To any man a year is a considerable period； seeing that the number of our years is but few at the best。 To the primitive savage； with his short memory and imperfect means of marking the flight of time； a year may well have been so long that he failed to recognise it as a cycle at all； and watched the changing aspects of earth and heaven with a perpetual wonder； alternately delighted and alarmed； elated and cast down； according as the vicissitudes of light and heat； of plant and animal life； ministered to his comfort or threatened his existence。 In autumn when the withered leaves were whirled about the forest by the nipping blast； and he looked up at the bare boughs； could he feel sure that they would ever be green again？ As day by day the sun sank lower and lower in the sky； could he be certain that the luminary would ever retrace his heavenly road？ Even the waning moon； whose pale sickle rose thinner and thinner every night over the rim of the eastern horizon； may have excited in his mind a fear lest； when it had wholly vanished； there should be moons no more。
These and a thousand such misgivings may have thronged the fancy and troubled the peace of the man who first began to reflect on the mysteries of the world he lived in； and to take thought for a more distant future than the morrow。 It was natural； therefore； that with such thoughts and fears he should have done all that in him lay to bring back the faded blossom to the bough； to swing the low sun of winter up to his old place in the summer sky； and to restore its orbed fulness to the silver lamp of the waning moon。 We may smile at his vain endeavours if we please； but it was only by making a long series of experiments； of which some were almost inevitably doomed to failure； that man learned from experience the futility of some of his attempted methods and the fruitfulness of others。 After all； magical ceremonies are nothing but experiments which have failed and which continue to be repeated merely because； for reasons which have already been indicated； the operator is unaware of their failure。 With the advance of knowledge these ceremonies either cease to be performed altogether or are kept up from force of habit long after the intention with which they were instituted has been forgotten。 Thus fallen from their high estate； no longer regarded as solemn rites on the punctual performance of which the welfare and even the life of the community depend； they sink gradually to the level of simple pageants； mummeries； and pastimes； till in the final stage of degeneration they are wholly abandoned by older people； and； from having once been the most serious occupation of the sage； become at last the idle sport of children。 It is in this final stage of decay that most of the old magical rites of our European forefathers linger on at the present day； and even from this their last retreat they are fast being swept away by the rising tide of those multitudinous fo