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life and his office for another year。 In this last case the king in fact holds office on condition of running for his life once a year； just as the King of Calicut in later times held office on condition of defending his life against all comers once every twelve years； and just as the priest of Nemi held office on condition of defending himself against any assault at any time。 In every one of these instances the life of the god…man is prolonged on condition of his showing； in a severe physical contest of fight or flight； that his bodily strength is not decayed； and that； therefore； the violent death； which sooner or later is inevitable； may for the present be postponed。 With regard to flight it is noticeable that flight figured conspicuously both in the legend and in the practice of the King of the Wood。 He had to be a runaway slave in memory of the flight of Orestes； the traditional founder of the worship； hence the Kings of the Wood are described by an ancient writer as both strong of hand and fleet of foot。 Perhaps if we knew the ritual of the Arician grove fully we might find that the king was allowed a chance for his life by flight； like his Bohemian brother。 I have already conjectured that the annual flight of the priestly king at Rome （regifugium） was at first a flight of the same kind； in other words； that he was originally one of those divine kings who are either put to death after a fixed period or allowed to prove by the strong hand or the fleet foot that their divinity is vigorous and unimpaired。 One more point of resemblance may be noted between the Italian King of the Wood and his northern counterparts。 In Saxony and Thüringen the representative of the tree…spirit； after being killed； is brought to life again by a doctor。 This is exactly what legend affirmed to have happened to the first King of the Wood at Nemi； Hippolytus or Virbius； who after he had been killed by his horses was restored to life by the physician Aesculapius。 Such a legend tallies well with the theory that the slaying of the King of the Wood was only a step to his revival or resurrection in his successor。 2。 Burying the Carnival
THUS far I have offered an explanation of the rule which required that the priest of Nemi should be slain by his successor。 The explanation claims to be no more than probable； our scanty knowledge of the custom and of its history forbids it to be more。 But its probability will be augmented in proportion to the extent to which the motives and modes of thought which it assumes can be proved to have operated in primitive society。 Hitherto the god with whose death and resurrection we have been chiefly concerned has been the tree…god。 But if I can show that the custom of killing the god and the belief in his resurrection originated； or at least existed； in the hunting and pastoral stage of society； when the slain god was an animal； and that it survived into the agricultural stage； when the slain god was the corn or a human being representing the corn； the probability of my explanation will have been considerably increased。 This I shall attempt to do in the sequel； and in the course of the discussion I hope to clear up some obscurities which still remain； and to answer some objections which may have suggested themselves to the reader。
We start from the point at which we left offthe spring customs of European peasantry。 Besides the ceremonies already described there are two kindred sets of observances in which the simulated death of a divine or supernatural being is a conspicuous feature。 In one of them the being whose death is dramatically represented is a personification of the Carnival； in the other it is Death himself。 The former ceremony falls naturally at the end of the Carnival； either on the last day of that merry season； namely Shrove Tuesday； or on the first day of Lent； namely Ash Wednesday。 The date of the other ceremonythe Carrying or Driving out of Death； as it is commonly calledis not so uniformly fixed。 Generally it is the fourth Sunday in Lent； which hence goes by the name of Dead Sunday； but in some places the celebration falls a week earlier； in others； as among the Czechs of Bohemia； a week later； while in certain German villages of Moravia it is held on the first Sunday after Easter。 Perhaps； as has been suggested； the date may originally have been variable； depending on the appearance of the first swallow or some other herald of the spring。 Some writers regard the ceremony as Slavonic in its origin。 Grimm thought it was a festival of the New Year with the old Slavs； who began their year in March。 We shall first take examples； of the mimic death of the Carnival； which always falls before the other in the calendar。
At Frosinone； in Latium； about half…way between Rome and Naples； the dull monotony of life in a provincial Italian town is agreeably broken on the last day of the Carnival by the ancient festival known as the Radica。 About four o'clock in the afternoon the town band； playing lively tunes and followed by a great crowd； proceeds to the Piazza del Plebiscito； where is the Sub…Prefecture as well as the rest of the Government buildings。 Here； in the middle of the square； the eyes of the expectant multitude are greeted by the sight of an immense car decked with many…coloured festoons and drawn by four horses。 Mounted on the car is a huge chair； on which sits enthroned the majestic figure of the Carnival； a man of stucco about nine feet high with a rubicund and smiling countenance。 Enormous boots； a tin helmet like those which grace the heads of officers of the Italian marine； and a coat of many colours embellished with strange devices； adorn the outward man of this stately personage。 His left hand rests on the arm of the chair； while with his right he gracefully salutes the crowd； being moved to this act of civility by a string which is pulled by a man who modestly shrinks from publicity under the mercy…seat。 And now the crowd； surging excitedly round the car； gives vent to its feelings in wild cries of joy； gentle and simple being mixed up together and all dancing furiously the Saltarello。 A special feature of the festival is that every one must carry in his hand what is called a radica （ root）； by which is meant a huge leaf of the aloe or rather the agave。 Any one who ventured into the crowd without such a leaf would be unceremoniously hustled out of it； unless indeed he bore as a substitute a large cabbage at the end of a long stick or a bunch of grass curiously plaited。 When the multitude； after a short turn； has escorted the slow…moving car to the gate of the Sub…Prefecture； they halt； and the car； jolting over the uneven ground； rumbles into the courtyard。 A hush now falls on the crowd； their subdued voices sounding； according to the description of one who has heard them； like the murmur of a troubled sea。 All eyes are turned anxiously to the door from which the Sub…Prefect himself and the other representatives of the majesty of the law are expected to issue and pay their homage to the hero of the hour。 A few moments of suspense and then a storm of cheers and hand…clapping salutes the appearance of the dignitaries； as they file out and； descending the staircase； take their place in the procession。 The hymn of the Carnival is now thundered out； after which； amid a deafening roar； aloe leaves and cabbages are whirled aloft and descend impartially on the heads of the just and the unjust； who lend fresh zest to the proceedings by engaging in a free fight。 When these preliminaries have been concluded to the satisfaction of all concerned； the procession gets under weigh。 The rear is brought up by a cart laden with barrels of wine and policemen； the latter engaged in the congenial task of serving out wine to all who ask for it； while a most internecine struggle； accompanied by a copious discharge of yells； blows； and blasphemy； goes on among the surging crowd at the cart's tail in their anxiety not to miss the glorious opportunity of intoxicating themselves at the public expense。 Finally； after the procession has paraded the principal streets in this majestic manner； the effigy of Carnival is taken to the middle of a public square； stripped of his finery； laid on a pile of wood； and burnt amid the cries of the multitude； who thundering out once more the song of the Carnival fling their so…called roots on the pyre and give themselves up without restraint to the pleasures of the dance。
In the Abruzzi a pasteboard figure of the Carnival is carried by four grave…diggers with pipes in their mouths and bottles of wine slung at their shoulder…belts。 In front walks the wife of the Carnival； dressed in mourning and dissolved in tears。 From time to time the company halts； and while the wife addresses the sympathising public； the grave…diggers refresh the inner man with a pull at the bottle。 In the open square the mimic corpse is laid on a pyre； and to the roll of drums； the shrill screams of the women； and the gruffer cries of the men a light is set to it。 While the figure burns； chestnuts are thrown about among the crowd。 Sometimes the Carnival is represented by a straw…man at the top of a pole which is borne through the town by a troop of mummers in the course of the afternoon。 When evening comes on； four o