56 THE APPLE TREE WASSAIL. 



species of primitive ballet, endeavouring to depict in action 

 and to sing in words the ideas of life and fertility; they 

 imitated the desired result by showing themselves in possession 

 of health, vigour, strength and agility. 



The problem that presents itself at this point is: why they 

 should dance round the tree ? The answer is that, just as gods 

 have been made in the form of men and in the form of animals, 

 so we are beginning to learn they have also been made in the 

 form of plants. The tree is, if it may be so expressed, a kind 

 of super-plant. It has an intimate connection with the 

 earth. It towers in the air and it is strong and, generally 

 speaking, has a long life. It is extremely likely that 

 originally the ceremony which we are considering was not 

 performed round an Apple Tree at all, but round some forest 

 tree, in all likelihood an Oak. This is perfectly easy to under- 

 stand if it be remembered that primitive man has connected 

 the idea of life, as expressed in plant or animal, not merely 

 with the plants which he eats or the animal which he uses for 

 food, but with those which are not good for this purpose. 

 Thus we have Snake Tribes and Rat Tribes when, generally 

 speaking, the snake or rat is not a common article of diet. 

 Totemism is far older and has exercised far more influence in 

 religious developement than any idea of prayer for actual food. 

 Thus assuming that originally our tree was a forest tree, that 

 the religious idea grew weaker and weaker, and that people 

 began to query why they did this thing, the ceremony, to make 

 it appear more rational, would be transferred to a tree whose 

 crop was actually of value as food, and in such a district as 

 South-west England the natural tree to select would be the 

 apple tree. 



In the libation of cider we have an obvious magical survival. 

 The cider is simply apple-juice, the blood of the tree, drawn 

 from it last year. It may be assumed still to contain the life 

 of the tree and is, therefore, poured back upon the roots or 

 upon the trunk during the dead season of the winter in order 

 that the tree may once more blossom and bear fruit. It 

 carries from one season to another life and growth. 



