the golden bough-第14章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　patrons　of　this　species　of　magic；　which　is　very　useful　to　them　in　the　exercise　of　their　profession。　Thus　a　South　Slavonian　housebreaker　sometimes　begins　operations　by　throwing　a　dead　man's　bone　over　the　house；　saying；　with　pungent　sarcasm；　As　this　bone　may　waken；　so　may　these　people　waken；　after　that　not　a　soul　in　the　house　can　keep　his　or　her　eyes　open。　Similarly；　in　Java　the　burglar　takes　earth　from　a　grave　and　sprinkles　it　round　the　house　which　he　intends　to　rob；　this　throws　the　inmates　into　a　deep　sleep。　With　the　same　intention　a　Hindoo　will　strew　ashes　from　a　pyre　at　the　door　of　the　house；　Indians　of　Peru　scatter　the　dust　of　dead　men's　bones；　and　Ruthenian　burglars　remove　the　marrow　from　a　human　shin…bone；　pour　tallow　into　it；　and　having　kindled　the　tallow；　march　thrice　round　the　house　with　this　candle　burning；　which　causes　the　inmates　to　sleep　a　death…like　sleep。　Or　the　Ruthenian　will　make　a　flute　out　of　a　human　leg…bone　and　play　upon　it；　whereupon　all　persons　within　hearing　are　overcome　with　drowsiness。　The　Indians　of　Mexico　employed　for　this　maleficent　purpose　the　left　fore…arm　of　a　woman　who　had　died　in　giving　birth　to　her　first　child；　but　the　arm　had　to　be　stolen。　With　it　they　beat　the　ground　before　they　entered　the　house　which　they　designed　to　plunder；　this　caused　every　one　in　the　house　to　lose　all　power　of　speech　and　motion；　they　were　as　dead；　hearing　and　seeing　everything；　but　perfectly　powerless；　some　of　them；　however；　really　slept　and　even　snored。　In　Europe　similar　properties　were　ascribed　to　the　Hand　of　Glory；　which　was　the　dried　and　pickled　hand　of　a　man　who　had　been　hanged。　If　a　candle　made　of　the　fat　of　a　malefactor　who　had　also　died　on　the　gallows　was　lighted　and　placed　in　the　Hand　of　Glory　as　in　a　candlestick；　it　rendered　motionless　all　persons　to　whom　it　was　presented；　they　could　not　stir　a　finger　any　more　than　if　they　were　dead。　Sometimes　the　dead　man's　hand　is　itself　the　candle；　or　rather　bunch　of　candles；　all　its　withered　fingers　being　set　on　fire；　but　should　any　member　of　the　household　be　awake；　one　of　the　fingers　will　not　kindle。　Such　nefarious　lights　can　only　be　extinguished　with　milk。　Often　it　is　prescribed　that　the　thief's　candle　should　be　made　of　the　finger　of　a　new…born　or；　still　better；　unborn　child；　sometimes　it　is　thought　needful　that　the　thief　should　have　one　such　candle　for　every　person　in　the　house；　for　if　he　has　one　candle　too　little　somebody　in　the　house　will　wake　and　catch　him。　Once　these　tapers　begin　to　burn；　there　is　nothing　but　milk　that　will　put　them　out。　In　the　seventeenth　century　robbers　used　to　murder　pregnant　women　in　order　thus　to　extract　candles　from　their　wombs。　An　ancient　Greek　robber　or　burglar　thought　he　could　silence　and　put　to　flight　the　fiercest　watchdogs　by　carrying　with　him　a　brand　plucked　from　a　funeral　pyre。　Again；　Servian　and　Bulgarian　women　who　chafe　at　the　restraints　of　domestic　life　will　take　the　copper　coins　from　the　eyes　of　a　corpse；　wash　them　in　wine　or　water；　and　give　the　liquid　to　their　husbands　to　drink。　After　swallowing　it；　the　husband　will　be　as　blind　to　his　wife's　peccadilloes　as　the　dead　man　was　on　whose　eyes　the　coins　were　laid。

Further；　animals　are　often　conceived　to　possess　qualities　of　properties　which　might　be　useful　to　man；　and　homoeopathic　or　imitative　magic　seeks　to　communicate　these　properties　to　human　beings　in　various　ways。　Thus　some　Bechuanas　wear　a　ferret　as　a　charm；　because；　being　very　tenacious　of　life；　it　will　make　them　difficult　to　kill。　Others　wear　a　certain　insect；　mutilated；　but　living；　for　a　similar　purpose。　Yet　other　Bechuana　warriors　wear　the　hair　of　a　hornless　ox　among　their　own　hair；　and　the　skin　of　a　frog　on　their　mantle；　because　a　frog　is　slippery；　and　the　ox；　having　no　horns；　is　hard　to　catch；　so　the　man　who　is　provided　with　these　charms　believes　that　he　will　be　as　hard　to　hold　as　the　ox　and　the　frog。　Again；　it　seems　plain　that　a　South　African　warrior　who　twists　tufts　of　rat's　hair　among　his　own　curly　black　locks　will　have　just　as　many　chances　of　avoiding　the　enemy's　spear　as　the　nimble　rat　has　of　avoiding　things　thrown　at　it；　hence　in　these　regions　rats'　hair　is　in　great　demand　when　war　is　expected。　One　of　the　ancient　books　of　India　prescribes　that　when　a　sacrifice　is　offered　for　victory；　the　earth　out　of　which　the　altar　is　to　be　made　should　be　taken　from　a　place　where　a　boar　has　been　wallowing；　since　the　strength　of　the　boar　will　be　in　that　earth。　When　you　are　playing　the　one…stringed　lute；　and　your　fingers　are　stiff；　the　thing　to　do　is　to　catch　some　long…legged　field　spiders　and　roast　them；　and　then　rub　your　fingers　with　the　ashes；　that　will　make　your　fingers　as　lithe　and　nimble　as　the　spiders'　legsat　least　so　think　the　Galelareese。　To　bring　back　a　runaway　slave　an　Arab　will　trace　a　magic　circle　on　the　ground；　stick　a　nail　in　the　middle　of　it；　and　attach　a　beetle　by　a　thread　to　the　nail；　taking　care　that　the　sex　of　the　beetle　is　that　of　the　fugitive。　As　the　beetle　crawls　round　and　round；　it　will　coil　the　thread　about　the　nail；　thus　shortening　its　tether　and　drawing　nearer　to　the　centre　at　every　circuit。　So　by　virtue　of　homoeopathic　magic　the　runaway　slave　will　be　drawn　back　to　his　master。

Among　the　western　tribes　of　British　New　Guinea；　a　man　who　has　killed　a　snake　will　burn　it　and　smear　his　legs　with　the　ashes　when　he　goes　into　the　forest；　for　no　snake　will　bite　him　for　some　days　afterwards。　If　a　South　Slavonian　has　a　mind　to　pilfer　and　steal　at　market；　he　has　nothing　to　do　but　to　burn　a　blind　cat；　and　then　throw　a　pinch　of　its　ashes　over　the　person　with　whom　he　is　higgling；　after　that　he　can　take　what　he　likes　from　the　booth；　and　the　owner　will　not　be　a　bit　the　wiser；　having　become　as　blind　as　the　deceased　cat　with　whose　ashes　he　has　been　sprinkled。　The　thief　may　even　ask　boldly；　Did　I　pay　for　it？　and　the　deluded　huckster　will　reply；　Why；　certainly。　Equally　simple　and　effectual　is　the　expedient　adopted　by　natives　of　Central　Australia　who　desire　to　cultivate　their　beards。　They　prick　the　chin　all　over　with　a　pointed　bone；　and　then　stroke　it　carefully　with　a　magic　stick　or　stone；　which　represents　a　kind　of　rat　that　has　very　long　whiskers。　The　virtue　of　these　whiskers　naturally　passes　into　the　representative　stick　or　stone；　and　thence　by　an　easy　transition　to　the　chin；　which；　consequently；　is　soon　adorned　with　a　rich　growth　of　beard。　The　ancient　Greeks　thought　that　to　eat　the　flesh　of　the　wakeful　nightingale　would　prevent　a　man　from　sleeping；　that　to　smear　the　eyes　of　a　blear…sighted　person　with　the　gall　of　an　eagle　would　give　him　the　eagle's　vision；　and　that　a　raven's　eggs　would　restore　the　blackness　of　the　raven　to　silvery　hair。　Only　the　person　who　adopted　this　last　mode　of　concealing　the　ravages　of　time　had　to　be　most　careful　to　keep　his　mouth　full　of　oil　all　the　time　he　applied　the　eggs　to　his　venerable　locks；　else　his　teeth　as　well　as　his　hair　would　be　dyed　raven　black；　and　no　amount　of　scrubbing　and　scouring　would　avail　to　whiten　them　again。　The　hair…restorer　was　in　fact　a　shade　too　powerful；　and　in　applying　it　you　might　get　more　than　you　bargained　for。

The　Huichol　Indians　admire　the　beautiful　markings　on　the　backs　of　serpents。　Hence　when　a　Huichol　woman　is　about　to　weave　or　embroider；　her　husband　catches　a　large　serpent　and　holds　it　in　a　cleft　stick；　while　the　woman　strokes　the　reptile　with　one　hand　down　the　whole　length　of　its　back；　then　she　passes　the　same　hand　over　her　forehead　and　eyes；　that　she　may　be　able　to　work　as　beautiful　patterns　in　the　web　as　the　markings　on　the　back　of　the　serpent。

On　the　principle　of　homoeopathic　magic；　inanimate　things；　as　well　as　plants　and　animals；　may　diffuse　blessing　or　bane　around　them；　according　to　their　own　intrinsic　nature　and　the　skill　of　the　wizard　to　tap　or　dam；　as　the　case　may　be；　the　stream　of　weal　or　woe。　In　Samaracand　women　give　a　baby　sugar　candy　to　suck　and　put　glue　in　the　palm　of　its　hand；　in　order　that；　when　the　child　grows　up；　his　words　may　be　sweet　and　precious　things　may　stick　to　his　hands　as　if　they　were　glued。　The　Greeks　thought　that　a　garment　made　from　the　fleece　of　a　sheep　that　had　been　torn　by　a　wolf　would　hurt　the　wearer；　setting　up　an　itch　or　irritation　in　his　skin。　They　were　also　of　opinion　that　if　a　stone　which　had　been　bitten　by　a　dog　were　dropped　in