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in spring； represents the spirit of the tree； who； dead in winter； revives when the apple…blossoms appear on the boughs。 Thus the person who plucks the first fruit from the tree and thereby receives the name of the great mondard must be regarded as a representative of the tree…spirit。 Primitive peoples are usually reluctant to taste the annual first…fruits of any crop； until some ceremony has been performed which makes it safe and pious for them to do so。 The reason of this reluctance appears to be a belief that the first…fruits either belong to or actually contain a divinity。 Therefore when a man or animal is seen boldly to appropriate the sacred first…fruits； he or it is naturally regarded as the divinity himself in human or animal form taking possession of his own。 The time of the Athenian sacrifice； which fell about the close of the threshing； suggests that the wheat and barley laid upon the altar were a harvest offering； and the sacramental character of the subsequent repastall partaking of the flesh of the divine animalwould make it parallel to the harvest…suppers of modern Europe； in which； as we have seen； the flesh of the animal which stands for the corn…spirit is eaten by the harvesters。 Again； the tradition that the sacrifice was instituted in order to put an end to drought and famine is in favour of taking it as a harvest festival。 The resurrection of the corn…spirit； enacted by setting up the stuffed OX and yoking it to the plough； may be compared with the resurrection of the tree…spirit in the person of his representative； the Wild Man。
The OX appears as a representative of the corn…spirit in other parts of the world。 At Great Bassam； in Guinea； two oxen are slain annually to procure a good harvest。 If the sacrifice is to be effectual； it is necessary that the oxen should weep。 So all the women of the village sit in front of the beasts； chanting； The OX will weep； yes； he will weep！ From time to time one of the women walks round the beasts； throwing manioc meal or palm wine upon them； especially into their eyes。 When tears roll down from the eyes of the oxen； the people dance； singing； The OX weeps！ the OX weeps！ Then two men seize the tails of the beasts and cut them off at one blow。 It is believed that a great misfortune will happen in the course of the year if the tails are not severed at one blow。 The oxen are afterwards killed； and their flesh is eaten by the chiefs。 Here the tears of the oxen； like those of the human victims amongst the Khonds and the Aztecs； are probably a rain…charm。 We have already seen that the virtue of the corn…spirit； embodied in animal form； is sometimes supposed to reside in the tail； and that the last handful of corn is sometimes conceived as the tail of the corn…spirit。 In the Mithraic religion this conception is graphically set forth in some of the numerous sculptures which represent Mithras kneeling on the back of a bull and plunging a knife into its flank； for on certain of these monuments the tail of the bull ends in three stalks of corn； and in one of them corn…stalks instead of blood are seen issuing from the wound inflicted by the knife。 Such representations certainly suggest that the bull； whose sacrifice appears to have formed a leading feature in the Mithraic ritual； was conceived； in one at least of its aspects； as an incarnation of the corn…spirit。
Still more clearly does the ox appear as a personification of the corn…spirit in a ceremony which is observed in all the provinces and districts of China to welcome the approach of spring。 On the first day of spring； usually on the third or fourth of February； which is also the beginning of the Chinese New Year； the governor or prefect of the city goes in procession to the east gate of the city； and sacrifices to the Divine Husbandman； who is represented with a bull's head on the body of a man。 A large effigy of an ox； cow； or buffalo has been prepared for the occasion； and stands outside of the east gate； with agricultural implements beside it。 The figure is made of differently…coloured pieces of paper pasted on a framework either by a blind man or according to the directions of a necromancer。 The colours of the paper prognosticate the character of the coming year； if red prevails； there will be many fires； if white； there will be floods and rain； and so with the other colours。 The mandarins walk slowly round the ox； beating it severely at each step with rods of various hues。 It is filled with five kinds of grain； which pour forth when the effigy is broken by the blows of the rods。 The paper fragments are then set on fire； and a scramble takes place for the burning fragments； because the people believe that whoever gets one of them is sure to be fortunate throughout the year。 A live buffalo is next killed； and its flesh is divided among the mandarins。 According to one account； the effigy of the ox is made of clay； and； after being beaten by the governor； is stoned by the people till they break it in pieces； from which they expect an abundant year。 Here the corn…spirit appears to be plainly represented by the corn…filled ox； whose fragments may therefore be supposed to bring fertility with them。
On the whole we may perhaps conclude that both as a goat and as a bull Dionysus was essentially a god of vegetation。 The Chinese and European customs which I have cited may perhaps shed light on the custom of rending a live bull or goat at the rites of Dionysus。 The animal was torn in fragments； as the Khond victim was cut in pieces； in order that the worshippers might each secure a portion of the life…giving and fertilising influence of the god。 The flesh was eaten raw as a sacrament； and we may conjecture that some of it was taken home to be buried in the fields； or otherwise employed so as to convey to the fruits of the earth the quickening influence of the god of vegetation。 The resurrection of Dionysus； related in his myth； may have been enacted in his rites by stuffing and setting up the slain ox； as was done at the Athenian bouphonia。
2。 Demeter； the Pig and the Horse。
PASSING next to the corn…goddess Demeter； and remembering that in European folk…lore the pig is a common embodiment of the corn…spirit； we may now ask whether the pig； which was so closely associated with Demeter； may not have been originally the goddess herself in animal form。 The pig was sacred to her； in art she was portrayed carrying or accompanied by a pig； and the pig was regularly sacrificed in her mysteries； the reason assigned being that the pig injures the corn and is therefore an enemy of the goddess。 But after an animal has been conceived as a god； or a god as an animal； it sometimes happens； as we have seen； that the god sloughs off his animal form and becomes purely anthropomorphic； and that then the animal； which at first had been slain in the character of the god； comes to be viewed as a victim offered to the god on the ground of its hostility to the deity； in short； the god is sacrificed to himself on the ground that he is his own enemy。 This happened to Dionysus； and it may have happened to Demeter also。 And in fact the rites of one of her festivals； the Thesmophoria； bear out the view that originally the pig was an embodiment of t