Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-10-10
THE FLOWING SEASON
Ancient Superstitions of the Till
erS of the Soil.
SACRIFICES TO THE GODS.


china-Rites of the Siamese Farmers.
The formal Inauguration of the plow.
ing season is very ancient and still is
observed in some parts of the world.
Among the Romans by the institution
Of various religious festivals connect
ed with agriculture the seasons came
to be regarded with a sort of sacred
reverence. Before the old Roman put
the plow into the ground he went to
the temple of the goddess of earth,
Tellus, one Of whose priests performed
certain propitiatory rites. Virgil in his
Georges" advises the Roman huS-
bandman to observe the signs on heav-
en- according to the crop he desires to
produce The time to plow for fax,
barley and the sacred poppy was when
'balance has equalized the hours OF
day and sleep and halves the world
exactly between light and shade. When
Taurus ushers In the year with his
gilded horns and Sirius sits facing the
|, threatening bull is time for beans. For
wheat and speit the Pleiades should
hide themselves from your eyes with
the dawn. Many have begun before
Maria sets, but the desired crop has
baf1ed them with empty ears" But
first of all the poet admonishes the
farmer to "honor the gods and offer
sacrifices to Ceres"
In India there are certain days when
it is unlawful to pillow. Mother Earth
is supposed to sleep six days in every
month. and on such days she refuses
to be disturbed in her Slumber.
In northwest India the cultivator
employs a pundit to select an auspi-
cious time for the commencement of
blowing Great secrecy is observed. In
some places the time selected is in the
night; in others daybreak is the GUS
tomary time
The pundit goes to a field. taking a
brass drinking vessel and branch of
the sacred mango tree, which is efica-
cious in frightening away evil spirits
that may haunt the field. Prithivi. the
broad world. and Sesha Maya, the
great snakes which support the world
are supposed to be propitiated and
reconciled by this ceremony. The pun
dit satisfies himself as to the direction
In which the great snake is lying, for
1T occasionally moves about a little to
ease itself of the great burden of the
! broad world which it carries. The
pundit then marks off an imaginary
line. Five Ia lucky number) clOds of
earth are thrown up. and water is
Sprinkled in the trench five times with
the sacred mango bush to insure pro-
ductiveness. Caution must be exercised
! lest the charm be broken and prospec-
tive fortune imperiled. The farmer
must remain secluded during the fol-
lowing day; no salt must be eaten. no
money. grain or fire given away.
Among the KarnaS before blowing
the farmer makes a burnt offering of
butter and moIasses in his own field
and again at the village shrine.
The Chinese begin blowing on the
first day Of their solar year. Anciently
the rites which were celebrated by the
Chinese at blowing time were elabo-
rate. but rationalistic sovereigns elm
mated one expensive religious rite aft
er another until nothing was left ex-
cept the imperial act of homage to
heaven and earth and agriculture in
the ceremonial blowing.
The Siamese observe a rite called
Paakua about the middle of May.
which is preliminary to the blowing
season. and it is not proper for any
one to plow until the ceremony is
over. The court astrologers determine
the time for it. On the day fixed by
them the minister Of agriculture, who
is always a prince or nobleman Of
high rank. goes with procession to
piece Of ground some distance from
the capital. Where the festivities are
to take place new pillow, to which a
pair Of buffaloes are yoked, is in readi-
ness, decorated with flowers and leaves.
The minister guides the pillow over
the field. closely watched by the spec
tators. who are especially interested
in the length and folds of the silk of
his lower garments, because the pros
perity of the season and its character
iSticS, wet or dry, are to be predicted
from these as ne follows the plo-1. If
the robe rises from his knee there will
be disastrous rains If it falls below
his ankles there will be a drought. If
the folds reach midway between knee
and ankle the season will be prosper
Gus.
After a proper number of burrows
have been turned old women strew
grain IF different kinds in them and
bulls are released from the yoke and
allowed to feast upon the seeds. The
grain which the animals eat most free
" will be scarce next harvest, and that
which they refuse to take will be abun-
dant.
In Yorkshire it was considered an
wise to disturb the earth with plow or
spade on Good Friday.-EXchange