the golden bough-第10章

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　a　magical　ceremony；　so　the　dreaded　consequence　does　not　really　result　from　the　violation　of　a　taboo。　If　the　supposed　evil　necessarily　followed　a　breach　of　taboo；　the　taboo　would　not　be　a　taboo　but　a　precept　of　morality　or　common　sense。　It　is　not　a　taboo　to　say；　Do　not　put　your　hand　in　the　fire；　it　is　a　rule　of　common　sense；　because　the　forbidden　action　entails　a　real；　not　an　imaginary　evil。　In　short；　those　negative　precepts　which　we　call　taboo　are　just　as　vain　and　futile　as　those　positive　precepts　which　we　call　sorcery。　The　two　things　are　merely　opposite　sides　or　poles　of　one　great　disastrous　fallacy；　a　mistaken　conception　of　the　association　of　ideas。　Of　that　fallacy；　sorcery　is　the　positive；　and　taboo　the　negative　pole。　If　we　give　the　general　name　of　magic　to　the　whole　erroneous　system；　both　theoretical　and　practical；　then　taboo　may　be　defined　as　the　negative　side　of　practical　magic。　To　put　this　in　tabular　form：

I　have　made　these　remarks　on　taboo　and　its　relations　to　magic　because　I　am　about　to　give　some　instances　of　taboos　observed　by　hunters；　fishermen；　and　others；　and　I　wished　to　show　that　they　fall　under　the　head　of　Sympathetic　Magic；　being　only　particular　applications　of　that　general　theory。　Thus；　among　the　Esquimaux　boys　are　forbidden　to　play　cat's　cradle；　because　if　they　did　so　their　fingers　might　in　later　life　become　entangled　in　the　harpoon…line。　Here　the　taboo　is　obviously　an　application　of　the　law　of　similarity；　which　is　the　basis　of　homoeopathic　magic：　as　the　child's　fingers　are　entangled　by　the　string　in　playing　cat's　cradle；　so　they　will　be　entangled　by　the　harpoonline　when　he　is　a　man　and　hunts　whales。　Again；　among　the　Huzuls　of　the　Carpathian　Mountains　the　wife　of　a　hunter　may　not　spin　while　her　husband　is　eating；　or　the　game　will　turn　and　wind　like　the　spindle；　and　the　hunter　will　be　unable　to　hit　it。　Here　again　the　taboo　is　clearly　derived　from　the　law　of　similarity。　So；　too；　in　most　parts　of　ancient　Italy　women　were　forbidden　by　law　to　spin　on　the　highroads　as　they　walked；　or　even　to　carry　their　spindles　openly；　because　any　such　action　was　believed　to　injure　the　crops。　Probably　the　notion　was　that　the　twirling　of　the　spindle　would　twirl　the　corn…stalks　and　prevent　them　from　growing　straight。　So；　too；　among　the　Ainos　of　Saghalien　a　pregnant　woman　may　not　spin　nor　twist　ropes　for　two　months　before　her　delivery；　because　they　think　that　if　she　did　so　the　child's　guts　might　be　entangled　like　the　thread。　For　a　like　reason　in　Bilaspore；　a　district　of　India；　when　the　chief　men　of　a　village　meet　in　council；　no　one　present　should　twirl　a　spindle；　for　they　think　that　if　such　a　thing　were　to　happen；　the　discussion；　like　the　spindle；　would　move　in　a　circle　and　never　be　wound　up。　In　some　of　the　East　Indian　islands　any　one　who　comes　to　the　house　of　a　hunter　must　walk　straight　in；　he　may　not　loiter　at　the　door；　for　were　he　to　do　so；　the　game　would　in　like　manner　stop　in　front　of　the　hunter's　snares　and　then　turn　back；　instead　of　being　caught　in　the　trap。　For　a　similar　reason　it　is　a　rule　with　the　Toradjas　of　Central　Celebes　that　no　one　may　stand　or　loiter　on　the　ladder　of　a　house　where　there　is　a　pregnant　woman；　for　such　delay　would　retard　the　birth　of　the　child；　and　in　various　parts　of　Sumatra　the　woman　herself　in　these　circumstances　is　forbidden　to　stand　at　the　door　or　on　the　top　rung　of　the　house…ladder　under　pain　of　suffering　hard　labour　for　her　imprudence　in　neglecting　so　elementary　a　precaution。　Malays　engaged　in　the　search　for　camphor　eat　their　food　dry　and　take　care　not　to　pound　their　salt　fine。　The　reason　is　that　the　camphor　occurs　in　the　form　of　small　grains　deposited　in　the　cracks　of　the　trunk　of　the　camphor　tree。　Accordingly　it　seems　plain　to　the　Malay　that　if；　while　seeking　for　camphor；　he　were　to　eat　his　salt　finely　ground；　the　camphor　would　be　found　also　in　fine　grains；　whereas　by　eating　his　salt　coarse　he　ensures　that　the　grains　of　the　camphor　will　also　be　large。　Camphor　hunters　in　Borneo　use　the　leathery　sheath　of　the　leaf…stalk　of　the　Penang　palm　as　a　plate　for　food；　and　during　the　whole　of　the　expedition　they　will　never　wash　the　plate；　for　fear　that　the　camphor　might　dissolve　and　disappear　from　the　crevices　of　the　tree。　Apparently　they　think　that　to　wash　their　plates　would　be　to　wash　out　the　camphor　crystals　from　the　trees　in　which　they　are　imbedded。　The　chief　product　of　some　parts　of　Laos；　a　province　of　Siam；　is　lac。　This　is　a　resinous　gum　exuded　by　a　red　insect　on　the　young　branches　of　trees；　to　which　the　little　creatures　have　to　be　attached　by　hand。　All　who　engage　in　the　business　of　gathering　the　gum　abstain　from　washing　themselves　and　especially　from　cleansing　their　heads；　lest　by　removing　the　parasites　from　their　hair　they　should　detach　the　other　insects　from　the　boughs。　Again；　a　Blackfoot　Indian　who　has　set　a　trap　for　eagles；　and　is　watching　it；　would　not　eat　rosebuds　on　any　account；　for　he　argues　that　if　he　did　so；　and　an　eagle　alighted　near　the　trap；　the　rosebuds　in　his　own　stomach　would　make　the　bird　itch；　with　the　result　that　instead　of　swallowing　the　bait　the　eagle　would　merely　sit　and　scratch　himself。　Following　this　train　of　thought　the　eagle　hunter　also　refrains　from　using　an　awl　when　he　is　looking　after　his　snares；　for　surely　if　he　were　to　scratch　with　an　awl；　the　eagles　would　scratch　him。　The　same　disastrous　consequence　would　follow　if　his　wives　and　children　at　home　used　an　awl　while　he　is　out　after　eagles；　and　accordingly　they　are　forbidden　to　handle　the　tool　in　his　absence　for　fear　of　putting　him　in　bodily　danger。

Among　the　taboos　observed　by　savages　none　perhaps　are　more　numerous　or　important　than　the　prohibitions　to　eat　certain　foods；　and　of　such　prohibitions　many　are　demonstrably　derived　from　the　law　of　similarity　and　are　accordingly　examples　of　negative　magic。　Just　as　the　savage　eats　many　animals　or　plants　in　order　to　acquire　certain　desirable　qualities　with　which　he　believes　them　to　be　endowed；　so　he　avoids　eating　many　other　animals　and　plants　lest　he　should　acquire　certain　undesirable　qualities　with　which　he　believes　them　to　be　infected。　In　eating　the　former　he　practises　positive　magic；　in　abstaining　from　the　latter　he　practises　negative　magic。　Many　examples　of　such　positive　magic　will　meet　us　later　on；　here　I　will　give　a　few　instances　of　such　negative　magic　or　taboo。　For　example；　in　Madagascar　soldiers　are　forbidden　to　eat　a　number　of　foods　lest　on　the　principle　of　homoeopathic　magic　they　should　be　tainted　by　certain　dangerous　or　undesirable　properties　which　are　supposed　to　inhere　in　these　particular　viands。　Thus　they　may　not　taste　hedgehog；　as　it　is　feared　that　this　animal；　from　its　propensity　of　coiling　up　into　a　ball　when　alarmed；　will　impart　a　timid　shrinking　disposition　to　those　who　partake　of　it。　Again；　no　soldier　should　eat　an　ox's　knee；　lest　like　an　ox　he　should　become　weak　in　the　knees　and　unable　to　march。　Further；　the　warrior　should　be　careful　to　avoid　partaking　of　a　cock　that　has　died　fighting　or　anything　that　has　been　speared　to　death；　and　no　male　animal　may　on　any　account　be　killed　in　his　house　while　he　is　away　at　the　wars。　For　it　seems　obvious　that　if　he　were　to　eat　a　cock　that　had　died　fighting；　he　would　himself　be　slain　on　the　field　of　battle；　if　he　were　to　partake　of　an　animal　that　had　been　speared；　he　would　be　speared　himself；　if　a　male　animal　were　killed　in　his　house　during　his　absence；　he　would　himself　be　killed　in　like　manner　and　perhaps　at　the　same　instant。　Further；　the　Malagasy　soldier　must　eschew　kidneys；　because　in　the　Malagasy　language　the　word　for　kidney　is　the　same　as　that　for　shot；　so　shot　he　would　certainly　be　if　he　ate　a　kidney。

The　reader　may　have　observed　that　in　some　of　the　foregoing　examples　of　taboos　the　magical　influence　is　supposed　to　operate　at　considerable　distances；　thus　among　the　Blackfeet　Indians　the　wives　and　children　of　an　eagle　hunter　are　forbidden　to　use　an　awl　during　his　absence；　lest　the　eagles　should　scratch　the　distant　husband　and　father；　and　again　no　male　animal　may　be　killed　in　the　house　of　a　Malagasy　soldier　while　he　is　away　at　the　wars；　lest　the　killing　of　the　animal　should　entail　the　killing　of　the　man。　This　belief　in　the　sympathetic　influence　exerted　on　each　other　by　persons　or　things　at　a　distance　is　of　the　essence　of　mag