Forlong - Rivers of Life

452
Rivers of Life, or Faiths of Man in all Lands.
leaders of Gangs going amonst the crops at this season in India, I have seen them smile
and glance meaningly to one another as they passed promising fields, which made me
remember that these were either the landlords, or the agents of shrines or chiefs, who
were all to be “paid in kind,” and who here could, and undoubtedly did, estimate the
acreage and weight of the produce of which they were all to get a regular percentage.
This inspection could thus completely check any Ananiases or Saphiras who tried to
keep back part of the produce, and if so, the prayers were a mere blind.
MIDSUMMER SOLSTlCE—JUNE.
The heavens are now strong and resplendent with the Midsummer sun, and man
is anxiously waiting, at least in all temperate zones, for the rich harvest fruit which he
has so long laboured and prayed for. Fire is again his chosen God, and although he
is taught to worship a spiritual Deity, Christian priests also tell him he may “go to
the chirche with candellys brennying;” which he did at this season, though “after
he fell to lecherie and daunces, harping, glotony, and sinne.” 1
The 21st of June is Midsummer day, and though we are then really further from
the sun than in spring, his rays now come down more vertically. Then days in Europe
reach their greatest length, and the North Pole knows no night. All nature in the
northern portion of the temperate zone is now genially warmed, but too much so for
comfort in the southern parts, causing those who dwelt there of old to say: “The
Dragons being incited to lust volando per aërem frequenter in puteos et fontes spermatigabant.”
2 Thus water and air are polluted, for these are now old; and the gifts of
the new year, of which June was always the first month, must now alone be partaken of,
especially on St. John’s Eve, about the 23d, and on the fete days of St. Peter and St. Paul.
At St. IOn’s fete, the Church permitted women to commit many extravagances.
A young virgin, the firstborn of her parents, was then selected and taken down to the
sea, decked as a bride; other women then filled a narrow-necked vessel with sea water
(mark all the symbols, for so this faith speaks to us), into which each put some trinket or
gift; when, after dancing and feasting, they made their June Queen draw out and
distribute the various articles which were supposed to clearly indicate the future fate of
each recipient. The Vase and Sea-Water are representative woman—Isis and Venus
—who often used to reveal the destiny of their kind through the medium of a spotless
maid.
On the 29th of June, men and even babes had to be passed through the fire. “On
this night,” says Dr. Moresin, “did the Highlanders run about on the mountains and high
grounds with lighted torches, like the Sicilian women of old, in seareh of Proserpine;”
and Scotch farmers then used to go round their corn fields with blazing torches, as was
the custom at the Cerealia. The ancient Roman Kalendar states among other matter
1 Bishop Hall. Triumph of Pleasure. See Brand’s Antiquities, p. 301.
2 Durant, quoted by Bourne. Brand, p. 272.