the golden bough-第17章

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pathic　Magic；　is　a　mistaken　association　of　ideas；　its　physical　basis；　if　we　may　speak　of　such　a　thing；　like　the　physical　basis　of　Homoeopathic　Magic；　is　a　material　medium　of　some　sort　which；　like　the　ether　of　modern　physics；　is　assumed　to　unite　distant　objects　and　to　convey　impressions　from　one　to　the　other。　The　most　familiar　example　of　Contagious　Magic　is　the　magical　sympathy　which　is　supposed　to　exist　between　a　man　and　any　severed　portion　of　his　person；　as　his　hair　or　nails；　so　that　whoever　gets　possession　of　human　hair　or　nails　may　work　his　will；　at　any　distance；　upon　the　person　from　whom　they　were　cut。　This　superstition　is　world…wide；　instances　of　it　in　regard　to　hair　and　nails　will　be　noticed　later　on　in　this　work。

Among　the　Australian　tribes　it　was　a　common　practice　to　knock　out　one　or　more　of　a　boy's　front　teeth　at　those　ceremonies　of　initiation　to　which　every　male　member　had　to　submit　before　he　could　enjoy　the　rights　and　privileges　of　a　full…grown　man。　The　reason　of　the　practice　is　obscure；　all　that　concerns　us　here　is　the　belief　that　a　sympathetic　relation　continued　to　exist　between　the　lad　and　his　teeth　after　the　latter　had　been　extracted　from　his　gums。　Thus　among　some　of　the　tribes　about　the　river　Darling；　in　New　South　Wales；　the　extracted　tooth　was　placed　under　the　bark　of　a　tree　near　a　river　or　water…hole；　if　the　bark　grew　over　the　tooth；　or　if　the　tooth　fell　into　the　water；　all　was　well；　but　if　it　were　exposed　and　the　ants　ran　over　it；　the　natives　believed　that　the　boy　would　suffer　from　a　disease　of　the　mouth。　Among　the　Murring　and　other　tribes　of　New　South　Wales　the　extracted　tooth　was　at　first　taken　care　of　by　an　old　man；　and　then　passed　from　one　headman　to　another；　until　it　had　gone　all　round　the　community；　when　it　came　back　to　the　lad's　father；　and　finally　to　the　lad　himself。　But　however　it　was　thus　conveyed　from　hand　to　hand；　it　might　on　no　account　be　placed　in　a　bag　containing　magical　substances；　for　to　do　so　would；　they　believed；　put　the　owner　of　the　tooth　in　great　danger。　The　late　Dr。　Howitt　once　acted　as　custodian　of　the

teeth　which　had　been　extracted　from　some　novices　at　a　ceremony　of　initiation；　and　the　old　men　earnestly　besought　him　not　to　carry　them　in　a　bag　in　which　they　knew　that　he　had　some　quartz　crystals。　They　declared　that　if　he　did　so　the　magic　of　the　crystals　would　pass　into　the　teeth；　and　so　injure　the　boys。　Nearly　a　year　after　Dr。　Howitt's　return　from　the　ceremony　he　was　visited　by　one　of　the　principal　men　of　the　Murring　tribe；　who　had　travelled　some　two　hundred　and　fifty　miles　from　his　home　to　fetch　back　the　teeth。　This　man　explained　that　he　had　been　sent　for　them　because　one　of　the　boys　had　fallen　into　ill　health；　and　it　was　believed　that　the　teeth　had　received　some　injury　which　had　affected　him。　He　was　assured　that　the　teeth　had　been　kept　in　a　box　apart　from　any　substances；　like　quartz　crystals；　which　could　influence　them；　and　he　returned　home　bearing　the　teeth　with　him　carefully　wrapt　up　and　concealed。

The　Basutos　are　careful　to　conceal　their　extracted　teeth；　lest　these　should　fall　into　the　hands　of　certain　mythical　beings　who　haunt　graves；　and　who　could　harm　the　owner　of　the　tooth　by　working　magic　on　it。　In　Sussex　some　fifty　years　ago　a　maid…servant　remonstrated　strongly　against　the　throwing　away　of　children's　cast　teeth；　affirming　that　should　they　be　found　and　gnawed　by　any　animal；　the　child's　new　tooth　would　be；　for　all　the　world；　like　the　teeth　of　the　animal　that　had　bitten　the　old　one。　In　proof　of　this　she　named　old　Master　Simmons；　who　had　a　very　large　pig's　tooth　in　his　upper　jaw；　a　personal　defect　that　he　always　averred　was　caused　by　his　mother；　who　threw　away　one　of　his　cast　teeth　by　accident　into　the　hog's　trough。　A　similar　belief　has　led　to　practices　intended；　on　the　principles　of　homoeopathic　magic；　to　replace　old　teeth　by　new　and　better　ones。　Thus　in　many　parts　of　the　world　it　is　customary　to　put　extracted　teeth　in　some　place　where　they　will　be　found　by　a　mouse　or　a　rat；　in　the　hope　that；　through　the　sympathy　which　continues　to　subsist　between　them　and　their　former　owner；　his　other　teeth　may　acquire　the　same　firmness　and　excellence　as　the　teeth　of　these　rodents。　For　example；　in　Germany　it　is　said　to　be　an　almost　universal　maxim　among　the　people　that　when　you　have　had　a　tooth　taken　out　you　should　insert　it　in　a　mouse's　hole。　To　do　so　with　a　child's　milk…tooth　which　has　fallen　out　will　prevent　the　child　from　having　toothache。　Or　you　should　go　behind　the　stove　and　throw　your　tooth　backwards　over　your　head；　saying　Mouse；　give　me　your　iron　tooth；　I　will　give　you　my　bone　tooth。　After　that　your　other　teeth　will　remain　good。　Far　away　from　Europe；　at　Raratonga；　in　the　Pacific；　when　a　child's　tooth　was　extracted；　the　following　prayer　used　to　be　recited：

Big　rat！　little　rat！　Here　is　my　old　tooth。　Pray　give　me　a　new　one。

Then　the　tooth　was　thrown　on　the　thatch　of　the　house；　because　rats　make　their　nests　in　the　decayed　thatch。　The　reason　assigned　for　invoking　the　rats　on　these　occasions　was　that　rats'　teeth　were　the　strongest　known　to　the　natives。

Other　parts　which　are　commonly　believed　to　remain　in　a　sympathetic　union　with　the　body；　after　the　physical　connexion　has　been　severed；　are　the　navel…string　and　the　afterbirth；　including　the　placenta。　So　intimate；　indeed；　is　the　union　conceived　to　be；　that　the　fortunes　of　the　individual　for　good　or　evil　throughout　life　are　often　supposed　to　be　bound　up　with　one　or　other　of　these　portions　of　his　person；　so　that　if　his　navel…string　or　afterbirth　is　preserved　and　properly　treated；　he　will　be　prosperous；　whereas　if　it　be　injured　or　lost；　he　will　suffer　accordingly。　Thus　certain　tribes　of　Western　Australia　believe　that　a　man　swims　well　or　ill；　according　as　his　mother　at　his　birth　threw　the　navel…string　into　water　or　not。　Among　the　natives　on　the　Pennefather　River　in　Queensland　it　is　believed　that　a　part　of　the　child's　spirit　（cho…i）　stays　in　the　afterbirth。　Hence　the　grandmother　takes　the　afterbirth　away　and　buries　it　in　the　sand。　She　marks　the　spot　by　a　number　of　twigs　which　she　sticks　in　the　ground　in　a　circle；　tying　their　tops　together　so　that　the　structure　resembles　a　cone。　When　Anjea；　the　being　who　causes　conception　in　women　by　putting　mud　babies　into　their　wombs；　comes　along　and　sees　the　place；　he　takes　out　the　spirit　and　carries　it　away　to　one　of　his　haunts；　such　as　a　tree；　a　hole　in　a　rock；　or　a　lagoon　where　it　may　remain　for　years。　But　sometime　or　other　he　will　put　the　spirit　again　into　a　baby；　and　it　will　be　born　once　more　into　the　world。　In　Ponape；　one　of　the　Caroline　Islands；　the　navel…string　is　placed　in　a　shell　and　then　disposed　of　in　such　a　way　as　shall　best　adapt　the　child　for　the　career　which　the　parents　have　chosen　for　him；　for　example；　if　they　wish　to　make　him　a　good　climber；　they　will　hang　the　navel…string　on　a　tree。　The　Kei　islanders　regard　the　navel…string　as　the　brother　or　sister　of　the　child；　according　to　the　sex　of　the　infant。　They　put　it　in　a　pot　with　ashes；　and　set　it　in　the　branches　of　a　tree；　that　it　may　keep　a　watchful　eye　on　the　fortunes　of　its　comrade。　Among　the　Bataks　of　Sumatra；　as　among　many　other　peoples　of　the　Indian　Archipelago；　the　placenta　passes　for　the　child's　younger　brother　or　sister；　the　sex　being　determined　by　the　sex　of　the　child；　and　it　is　buried　under　the　house。　According　to　the　Bataks　it　is　bound　up　with　the　child's　welfare；　and　seems；　in　fact；　to　be　the　seat　of　the　transferable　soul；　of　which　we　shall　hear　something　later　on。　The　Karo　Bataks　even　affirm　that　of　a　man's　two　souls　it　is　the　true　soul　that　lives　with　the　placenta　under　the　house；　that　is　the　soul；　they　say；　which　begets　children。

The　Baganda　believe　that　every　person　is　born　with　a　double；　and　this　double　they　identify　with　the　afterbirth；　which　they　regard　as　a　second　child。　The　mother　buries　the　afterbirth　at　the　root　of　a　plantain　tree；　which　then　becomes　sacred　until　the　fruit　has　ripened；　when　it　is　plucked　to　furnish　a　sacred　feast　for　the　family。　Among　the　Cherokees　the　navel…string　of　a　girl　is　buried　under　a　corn…mortar；　in　order　that　the　girl　may　grow　up　to　be　a　good　baker；　but　the　navel…string　of　a　boy　is　hung　up　on　a　tree　in　the　woods；　in　order　that　he　may　be　a　hunter。　The　Incas　of　Peru　preserved　the　navel…strin