Page:Frazer (1890) The Golden Bough (IA goldenboughstudy01fraz).djvu/195

Rh grove. In Crete sacrifices were offered to Menedemus without the use of iron, because, it was said, Menedemus had been killed by an iron weapon in the Trojan war. The Archon of Plataeae might not touch iron; but once a year, at the annual commemoration of the men who fell at the battle of Plataeae, he was allowed to carry a sword wherewith to sacrifice a bull. To this day a Hottentot priest never uses an iron knife, but always a sharp splint of quartz in sacrificing an animal or circumcising a lad. Amongst the Moquis of Arizona stone knives, hatchets, etc., have passed out of common use, but are retained in religious ceremonies. Negroes of the Gold Coast remove all iron or steel from their person when they consult their fetish. The men who made the need-fire in Scotland had to divest themselves of all metal. In making the clavie (a kind of Yule-tide fire-wheel) at Burghead, no hammer may be used; the hammering must be done with a stone. Amongst the Jews no iron tool was used in building the temple at Jerusalem or in making an altar. The old wooden bridge (Pons Sublichis) at Rome, which was considered sacred, was made and had to be kept in repair without the use of iron or bronze. It was expressly provided by law that the temple of Jupiter Liber at Furfo might be repaired