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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 forces； moral； intellectual； and social； which are bearing mankind onward to a new and unknown goal。 We may feel some natural regret at the disappearance of quaint customs and picturesque ceremonies； which have preserved to an age often deemed dull and prosaic something of the flavour and freshness of the olden time； some breath of the springtime of the world； yet our regret will be lessened when we remember that these pretty pageants； these now innocent diversions； had their origin in ignorance and superstition； that if they are a record of human endeavour； they are also a monument of fruitless ingenuity； of wasted labour； and of blighted hopes； and that for all their gay trappingstheir flowers； their ribbons； and their musicthey partake far more of tragedy than of farce。
The interpretation which； following in the footsteps of W。 Mannhardt； I have attempted to give of these ceremonies has been not a little confirmed by the discovery； made since this book was first written； that the natives of Central Australia regularly practise magical ceremonies for the purpose of awakening the dormant energies of nature at the approach of what may be called the Australian spring。 Nowhere apparently are the alternations of the seasons more sudden and the contrasts between them more striking than in the deserts of Central Australia； where at the end of a long period of drought the sandy and stony wilderness； over which the silence and desolation of death appear to brood； is suddenly； after a few days of torrential rain； transformed into a landscape smiling with verdure and peopled with teeming multitudes of insects and lizards； of frogs and birds。 The marvellous change which passes over the face of nature at such times has been compared even by European observers to the effect of magic； no wonder； then； that the savage should regard it as such in very deed。 Now it is just when there is promise of the approach of a good season that the natives of Central Australia are wont especially to perform those magical ceremonies of which the avowed intention is to multiply the plants and animals they use as food。 These ceremonies； therefore； present a close analogy to the spring customs of our European peasantry not only in the time of their celebration； but also in their aim； for we can hardly doubt that in instituting rites designed to assist the revival of plant life in spring our primitive forefathers were moved； not by any sentimental wish to smell at early violets； or pluck the rathe primrose； or watch yellow daffodils dancing in the breeze； but by the very practical consideration； certainly not formulated in abstract terms； that the life of man is inextricably bound up with that of plants； and that if they were to perish he could not survive。 And as the faith of the Australian savage in the efficacy of his magic rites is confirmed by observing that their performance is invariably followed； sooner or later； by that increase of vegetable and animal life which it is their object to produce； so； we may suppose； it was with European savages in the olden time。 The sight of the fresh green in brake and thicket； of vernal flowers blowing on mossy banks； of swallows arriving from the south； and of the sun mounting daily higher in the sky； would be welcomed by them as so many visible signs that their enchantments were indeed taking effect； and would inspire them with a cheerful confidence that all was well with a world which they could thus mould to suit their wishes。 Only in autumn days； as summer slowly faded； would their confidence again be dashed by doubts and misgivings at symptoms of decay； which told how vain were all their efforts to stave off for ever the approach of winter and of death。
Chapter 29。 The Myth of Adonis。
THE SPECTACLE of the great changes which annually pass over the face of the earth has powerfully impressed the minds of men in all ages； and stirred them to meditate on the causes of transformations so vast and wonderful。 Their curiosity has not been purely disinterested； for even the savage cannot fail to perceive how intimately his own life is bound up with the life of nature； and how the same processes which freeze the stream and strip the earth of vegetation menace him with extinction。 At a certain stage of development men seem to have imagined that the means of averting the threatened calamity were in their own hands； and that they could hasten or retard the flight of the seasons by magic art。 Accordingly they performed ceremonies and recited spells to make the rain to fall； the sun to shine； animals to multiply； and the fruits of the earth to grow。 In course of time the slow advance of knowledge； which has dispelled so many cherished illusions； convinced at least the more thoughtful portion of mankind that the alternations of summer and winter； of spring and autumn； were not merely the result of their own magical rites； but that some deeper cause； some mightier power； was at work behind the shifting scenes of nature。 They now pictured to themselves the growth and decay of vegetation； the birth and death of living cre