按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
n which springs from the ground that has been fertilised by the water of heaven？ It is true that the land of Egypt owed its fertility directly to the Nile and not to showers； but the inhabitants must have known or guessed that the great river in its turn was fed by the rains which fell in the far interior。 Again； the legend that Osiris was the first to teach men the use of corn would be most naturally told of the corn…god himself。 Further； the story that his mangled remains were scattered up and down the land and buried in different places may be a mythical way of expressing either the sowing or the winnowing of the grain。 The latter interpretation is supported by the tale that Isis placed the severed limbs of Osiris on a corn…sieve。 Or more probably the legend may be a reminiscence of a custom of slaying a human victim； perhaps a representative of the corn…spirit； and distributing his flesh or scattering his ashes over the fields to fertilise them。 In modern Europe the figure of Death is sometimes torn in pieces； and the fragments are then buried in the ground to make the crops grow well； and in other parts of the world human victims are treated in the same way。 With regard to the ancient Egyptians we have it on the authority of Manetho that they used to burn red…haired men and scatter their ashes with winnowing fans； and it is highly significant that this barbarous sacrifice was offered by the kings at the grave of Osiris。 We may conjecture that the victims represented Osiris himself； who was annually slain； dismembered； and buried in their persons that he might quicken the seed in the earth。
Possibly in prehistoric times the kings themselves played the part of the god and were slain and dismembered in that character。 Set as well as Osiris is said to have been torn in pieces after a reign of eighteen days； which was commemorated by an annual festival of the same length。 According to one story Romulus； the first king of Rome； was cut in pieces by the senators； who buried the fragments of him in the ground； and the traditional day of his death； the seventh of July； was celebrated with certain curious rites； which were apparently connected with the artificial fertilisation of the fig。 Again； Greek legend told how Pentheus； king of Thebes； and Lycurgus； king of the Thracian Edonians； opposed the vine…god Dionysus； and how the impious monarchs were rent in pieces； the one by the frenzied Bacchanals； the other by horses。 The Greek traditions may well be distorted reminiscences of a custom of sacrificing human beings； and especially divine kings； in the character of Dionysus； a god who resembled Osiris in many points and was said like him to have been torn limb from limb。 We are told that in Chios men were rent in pieces as a sacrifice to Dionysus； and since they died the same death as their god； it is reasonable to suppose that they personated him。 The story that the Thracian Orpheus was similarly torn limb from limb by the Bacchanals seems to indicate that he too perished in the character of the god whose death he died。 It is significant that the Thracian Lycurgus； king of the Edonians； is said to have been put to death in order that the ground； which had ceased to be fruitful； might regain its fertility。
Further； we read of a Norwegian king； Halfdan the Black； whose body was cut up and buried in different parts of his kingdom for the sake of ensuring the fruitfulness of the earth。 He is said to have been drowned at the age of forty through the breaking of the ice in spring。 What followed his death is thus related by the old Norse historian Snorri Sturluson： He had been the most prosperous （literally； blessed with abundance） of all kings。 So greatly did men value him that when the news came that he was dead and his body removed to Hringariki and intended for burial there； the chief men from Raumariki and Westfold and Heithm？rk came and all requested that they might take his body with them and bury it in their various provinces； they thought that it would bring abundance to those who obtained it。 Eventually it was settled that the body was distributed in four places。 The head was laid in a barrow at Steinn in Hringariki； and each party took away their own share and buried it。 All these barrows are called Halfdan's barrows。 It should be remembered that this Halfdan belonged to the family of the Ynglings； who traced their descent from Frey； the great Scandinavian god of fertility。
The natives of Kiwai； an island lying off the mouth of the Fly River in British New Guinea； tell of a certain magician named Segera； who had sago for his totem。 When Segera was old and ill； he told the people that he would soon die； but that； nevertheless； he would cause their gardens to thrive。 Accordingly； he instructed them that when he was dead they should cut him up and place pieces of his flesh in their gardens； but his head was to be buried in his own garden。 Of him it is said that he outlived the ordinary age； and that no man knew his father； but that he made the sago good and no one was hungry any more。 Old men who were alive some years ago affirmed that they had known Segera in their youth； and the general opinion of the Kiwai people seems to be that Segera died not more than two generations ago。
Taken all together； these legends point to a widespread practice of dismembering the body of a king or magician and burying the pieces in different parts of the country in order to ensure the fertility of the ground and probably also the fecundity of man and beast。
To return to the human victims whose ashes the Egyptians scattered with winnowing…fans； the red hair of these unfortunates was probably significant。 For in Egypt the oxen which were sacrificed had also to be red； a single black or white hair found on the beast would have disqualified it for the sacrifice。 If； as I conjecture； these human sacrifices were intended to promote the growth of the cropsand the winnowing of their ashes seems to support this viewredhaired victims were perhaps selected as best fitted to personate the spirit of the ruddy grain。 For when a god is represented by a living person； it is natural that the human representative should be chosen on the ground of his supposed resemblance to the divine original。 Hence the ancient Mexicans； conceiving the maize as a personal being who went through the whole course of life between seed…time and harvest； sacrificed new…born babes when the maize was sown； older children when it had sprouted； and so on till it was fully ripe； when they sacrificed old men。 A name for Osiris was the crop or harvest； and the ancients sometimes explained him as a personification of the corn。
2。 Osiris a Tree…spirit。
BUT Osiris was more than a spirit of the corn； he was also a tree…spirit； and this may perhaps have been his primitive character； since the worship of trees is naturally older in the history of religion than the worship of the cereals。 The character of Osiris as a tree…spirit was represented very graphically in a ceremony described by Firmicus Maternus。 A pine…tree having been cut down； the centre was hollowed out； and with the wood thus excavated an image of Osiris was made； which was then buried like a corpse in the hollow of