Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 15, 1904.djvu/425

 The European Sky-god. 395

religious observances. Among other things it fixed the length of the king's tether. "As . . . the dignity of the kings," says C. O. Muller,^"'^ " was founded on a religious notion, so it was also limited by religion, although the account we have is rather of an ancient custom, that was retained when its meaning had been lost, than an institution of real influence. Once in every eight years {hC erwv ivvea) the ephors chose a calm and moonless night, and placed themselves in the most profound silence to observe the heavens : if there was any appearance of a shooting star, it was believed that the kings had in some manner offended the Deity, and they were suspended until an oracle from Delphi, or the priests at Olympia, absolved them from the guilt. ^•'^^ If this custom ... is compared with the frequent occurrence of this period of nine years in early times, ^^^ and especially with the tradition preserved in a verse of Homer,^"*^^ ' of Minos, who reigned for periods of nine years, holding intercourse with Jupiter,' it is easy to perceive that the dominion of the ancient Doric princes determined, as it were, at the period of every eight years, and required a fresh religious ratification. So intimate in early times was the connexion between government and religion." The case of Minos merits more than a passing mention. Tradition said that at the expiration of each period of eight years he repaired to the cave on Mount Ida for a personal interview with Zeus, who then communicated

'*' C. O. Miiller oJ>. cii., ii., 104.

'38 Plut. vit.Agis, II.

'^^ \E.g. the famine of Busiris lasted for nine years {supra, p. 393). Anius, the priestly king of Delos, bade the Achceans on their way to Troy stay with him for nine years (Lye. Alex., 571, tvvio>pov .... xpoi'ov, altd.'). The werwolves of Arcadia returned to human shape after nine years (Plin. nat hist., 8. 81 f.)].

'" \_0d., 19. 178 f. Ty(Ji S' evl ILvwffog, fieydXr] TroXtr, tv9a re Mivwc | ivvewpoQ /3;.(7i\£i/e Aiog [leydXov 6api(TTi]g.^