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d by Mr。 W。 R。 Paton that these poor wretches seem to have masqueraded as the spirits of fig…trees in particular。 He points out that the process of caprification； as it is called； that is； the artificial fertilisation of the cultivated fig…trees by hanging strings of wild figs among the boughs； takes place in Greece and Asia Minor in June about a month after the date of the Thargelia； and he suggests that the hanging of the black and white figs round the necks of the two human victims； one of whom represented the men and the other the women； may have been a direct imitation of the process of caprification designed； on the principle of imitative magic； to assist the fertilisation of the fig…trees。 And since caprification is in fact a marriage of the male fig…tree with the female fig…tree； Mr。 Paton further supposes that the loves of the trees may； on the same principle of imitative magic； have been simulated by a mock or even a real marriage between the two human victims； one of whom appears sometimes to have been a woman。 On this view the practice of beating the human victims on their genitals with branches of wild fig…trees and with squills was a charm intended to stimulate the generative powers of the man and woman who for the time being personated the male and the female fig…trees respectively； and who by their union in marriage； whether real or pretended； were believed to help the trees to bear fruit。
The interpretation which I have adopted of the custom of beating the human scapegoat with certain plants is supported by many analogies。 Thus among the Kai of German New Guinea； when a man wishes to make his banana shoots bear fruit quickly； he beats them with a stick cut from a banana…tree which has already borne fruit。 Here it is obvious that fruitfulness is believed to inhere in a stick cut from a fruitful tree and to be imparted by contact to the young banana plants。 Similarly in New Caledonia a man will beat his taro plants lightly with a branch； saying as he does so； I beat this taro that it may grow； after which he plants the branch in the ground at the end of the field。 Among the Indians of Brazil at the mouth of the Amazon； when a man wishes to increase the size of his generative organ； he strikes it with the fruit of a white aquatic plant called aninga； which grows luxuriantly on the banks of the river。 The fruit； which is inedible； resembles a banana； and is clearly chosen for this purpose on account of its shape。 The ceremony should be performed three days before or after the new moon。 In the county of Bekes； in Hungary； barren women are fertilised by being struck with a stick which has first been used to separate pairing dogs。 Here a fertilising virtue is clearly supposed to be inherent in the stick and to be conveyed by contact to the women。 The Toradjas of Central Celebes think that the plant Dracaena terminalis has a strong soul； because when it is lopped； it soon grows up again。 Hence when a man is ill； his friends will sometimes beat him on the crown of the head with Dracaena leaves in order to strengthen his weak soul with the strong soul of the plant。
These analogies； accordingly； support the interpretation which； following my predecessors W。 Mannhardt and Mr。 W。 R。 Paton； I have given of the beating inflicted on the human victims at the Greek harvest festival of the Thargelia。 That beating； being administered to the generative organs of the victims by fresh green plants and branches； is most naturally explained as a charm to increase the reproductive energies of the men or women either by communicating to them the fruitfulness of the plants and branches； or by ridding them of the maleficent influences； and this interpretation is confirmed by the observation that the two victims represented the two sexes； one of them standing for the men in general and the other for the women。 The season of the year when the ceremony was performed； namely the time of the corn harvest； tallies well with the theory that the rite had an agricultural significance。 Further； that it was above all intended to fertilise the fig…trees is strongly suggested by the strings of black and white figs which were hung round the necks of the victims； as well as by the blows which were given their genital organs with the branches of a wild fig…tree； since this procedure closely resembles the procedure which ancient and modern husbandmen in Greek lands have regularly resorted to for the purpose of actually fertilising their fig…trees。 When we remember what an important part the artificial fertilisation of the date palm…tree appears to have played of old not only in the husbandry but in the religion of Mesopotamia； there seems no reason to doubt that the artificial fertilisation of the fig…tree may in like manner have vindicated for itself a place in the solemn ritual of Greek religion。
If these considerations are just； we must apparently conclude that while the human victims at the Thargelia certainly appear in later classical times to have figured chiefly as public scapegoats； who carried away with them the sins； misfortunes； and sorrows of the whole people； at an earlier time they may have been looked on as embodiments of vegetation； perhaps of the corn but particularly of the fig…trees； and that the beating which they received and the death which they died were intended primarily to brace and refresh the powers of vegetation then beginning to droop and languish under the torrid heat of the Greek summer。
The view here taken of the Greek scapegoat； if it is correct； obviates an objection which might otherwise be brought against the main argument of this book。 To the theory that the priest of Aricia was slain as a representative of the spirit of the grove； it might have been objected that such a custom has no analogy in classical antiquity。 But reasons have now been given for believing that the human being periodically and occasionally slain by the Asiatic Greeks was regularly treated as an embodiment of a divinity of vegetation。 Probably the persons whom the Athenians kept to be sacrificed were similarly treated as divine。 That they were social outcasts did not matter。 On the primitive view a man is not chosen to be the mouth…piece or embodiment of a god on account of his high moral qualities or social rank。 The divine afflatus descends equally on the good and the bad； the lofty and the lowly。 If then the civilised Greeks of Asia and Athens habitually sacrificed men whom they regarded as incarnate gods； there can be no inherent improbability in the supposition that at the dawn of history a similar custom was observed by the semibarbarous Latins in the Arician Grove。
But to clinch the argument； it is clearly desirable to prove that the custom of putting to death a human representative of a god was known and practised in ancient Italy elsewhere than in the Arician Grove。 This proof I now propose to adduce。
3。 The Roman Saturnalia
WE have seen that many peoples have been used to observe an annual period of license； when the customary restraints of law and morality are thrown aside； when the whole population give themselves up to extravagant mirth and jollity； and when the darker passions find a vent which would never be allowed them in the more staid and sober course of ordinary life。 Such outbursts of the pent…up forces of human nature； too often degenerating into wild orgies of lust and crime； occur most commonly at the end of the year； and are frequently associated； as I have had occasion to point out； with one or other of the agricultural seasons； especially with the time of sowing or of harvest。 Now； of all these periods of license the one which is best known and which in modern language has given its name to the rest； is the Saturnalia。 This famous festival fell in December； the last month of the Roman year； and was popularly supposed to commemorate the merry reign of Saturn； the god of sowing and of husbandry； who lived on earth long ago as a righteous and beneficent king of Italy； drew the rude and scattered dwellers on the mountains together； taught them to till the ground； gave them laws； and ruled in peace。 His reign was the fabled Golden Age： the earth brought forth abundantly： no sound of war or discord troubled the happy world： no baleful love of lucre worked like poison in the blood of the industrious and contented peasantry。 Slavery and private property were alike unknown： all men had all things in common。 At last the good god； the kindly king； vanished suddenly； but his memory was cherished to distant ages； shrines were reared in his honour； and many hills and high places in Italy bore his name。 Yet the bright tradition of his reign was crossed by a dark shadow： his altars are said to have been stained with the blood of human victims； for whom a more merciful age afterwards substituted effigies。 Of this gloomy side of the god's religion there is little or no trace in the descriptions which ancient writers have left us of the Saturnalia。 Feasting and revelry and all the mad pursuit of pleasure are the features that seem to have especially marked this carnival of antiquity； as it went on for seven days in the streets and public squares and houses of ancient Rome from the seventeenth to the twenty…third of December。
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