_WHY WAS THE MOCK-KING OF THE SACÆA WHIPPED AND HANGED?_
Though I have tried to argue against Mr. Frazer's theory of the cause
of the 'sacrifice' of the mock Sacæan king, I am not prepared to offer
a dogmatic counter-theory. The Sacæan case is unique, is isolated; we
are acquainted with no other similar examples, and thus a rite which
has an isolated existence may have had a singular cause. The cause
may be hidden behind the scenes of history. Though I have not a firm
hypothesis as to that cause, I shall end this chapter by throwing out a
conjecture, for what it may be worth.
Meanwhile it may be asked why I call the adventure of the Sacæan
mock-king 'isolated and unique.' Have we not other examples of
temporary kings, holding office for three or four days, in a period
of festivity and unreason? Certainly we have such kings, but all of
them 'scape whipping and hanging. And none of them was a slave or a
criminal. These are not mere verbal, and probably not mere accidental,
variations from the solitary Sacæan type. But we have the legend of St.
Dasius? Yes, but, accepting the truth of that legend, it rather adds to
than diminishes the difficulty of getting a clue to the origin of the
Sacæan mock-king and his doom. Let us tabulate the facts: