ion with the pagan sacramental
practices of Christmastide, it is well to bear in mind the possibility
that at the origin of these customs there may have been no notion of
communion with strictly personal beings, but rather some such _mana_ idea
as has been suggested above.

It is probable that animal-cults had their origin at a stage of human
life preceding agriculture, when man lived not upon cultivated plants or
tamed beasts, but upon roots and fruits and the products of the chase.
Some scholars, indeed, hold that the domestication of animals for
practical use was an outcome of the sacred, inviolable character of
certain creatures: they may originally have been spared not for reasons
of convenience but because it was deemed a crime to kill them--except
upon certain solemn occasions--and may have become friendly towards man
through living by his side.{41} On the other hand it is possible that
totems were originally staple articles of food, that they were sacred
because they were eaten with satisfaction, and that the very awe and
respect attached to them because of their life-giving powers tended to
remove them from common use and limit their consumption to rare
ceremonial occasions.

Closely akin to the worship of animals is that of plants, and especially
trees, and there is much evidence pointing to sacramental cults in
connection with the plant-world.{42} Some cakes and special vegetable
dishes eaten on festal days may be survivals of sacramental feasts
parallel to those upon the flesh and blood of |178| an animal victim.
Benediction by external contact, again, is suggested by the widespread
use in various ways of branches or sprigs or whole trees. The
Christmas-tree and evergreen decorations are the most obvious examples;
we shall see others in the course of our survey, and in connection with
plants as well as with animals we shall meet with processions intended to
convey a blessing to every house by carrying about the sacred
elements--to borrow a term from Christian theology. Even the familiar
practice of going carol-singing may be a Christianized form of some such
perambulation.

It is possible that men and women had originally separate cults. The cult
of animals, according to a theory set forth by Mr. Chambers, would at
first belong to the men, who as hunters worshipped the beasts they slew,
apologizing to them, as some primitive people do to-day, for the
slaughter they were obliged to commit. Other animals, a