the golden bough-第188章

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At　another　festival　the　Mexicans　made　little　images　like　men；　which　stood　for　the　cloud…capped　mountains。　These　images　were　moulded　of　a　paste　of　various　seeds　and　were　dressed　in　paper　ornaments。　Some　people　fashioned　five；　others　ten；　others　as　many　as　fifteen　of　them。　Having　been　made；　they　were　placed　in　the　oratory　of　each　house　and　worshipped。　Four　times　in　the　course　of　the　night　offerings　of　food　were　brought　to　them　in　tiny　vessels；　and　people　sang　and　played　the　flute　before　them　through　all　the　hours　of　darkness。　At　break　of　day　the　priests　stabbed　the　images　with　a　weaver's　instrument；　cut　off　their　heads；　and　tore　out　their　hearts；　which　they　presented　to　the　master　of　the　house　on　a　green　saucer。　The　bodies　of　the　images　were　then　eaten　by　all　the　family；　especially　by　the　servants；　in　order　that　by　eating　them　they　might　be　preserved　from　certain　distempers；　to　which　those　persons　who　were　negligent　of　worship　to　those　deities　conceived　themselves　to　be　subject。

3。　Many　Manii　at　Aricia

WE　are　now　able　to　suggest　an　explanation　of　the　proverb　There　are　many　Manii　at　Aricia。　Certain　loaves　made　in　the　shape　of　men　were　called　by　the　Romans　maniae；　and　it　appears　that　this　kind　of　loaf　was　especially　made　at　Aricia。　Now；　Mania；　the　name　of　one　of　these　loaves；　was　also　the　name　of　the　Mother　or　Grandmother　of　Ghosts；　to　whom　woollen　effigies　of　men　and　women　were　dedicated　at　the　festival　of　the　Compitalia。　These　effigies　were　hung　at　the　doors　of　all　the　houses　in　Rome；　one　effigy　was　hung　up　for　every　free　person　in　the　house；　and　one　effigy；　of　a　different　kind；　for　every　slave。　The　reason　was　that　on　this　day　the　ghosts　of　the　dead　were　believed　to　be　going　about；　and　it　was　hoped　that；　either　out　of　good　nature　or　through　simple　inadvertence；　they　would　carry　off　the　effigies　at　the　door　instead　of　the　living　people　in　the　house。　According　to　tradition；　these　woollen　figures　were　substitutes　for　a　former　custom　of　sacrificing　human　beings。　Upon　data　so　fragmentary　and　uncertain；　it　is　impossible　to　build　with　confidence；　but　it　seems　worth　suggesting　that　the　loaves　in　human　form；　which　appear　to　have　been　baked　at　Aricia；　were　sacramental　bread；　and　that　in　the　old　days；　when　the　divine　King　of　the　Wood　was　annually　slain；　loaves　were　made　in　his　image；　like　the　paste　figures　of　the　gods　in　Mexico；　and　were　eaten　sacramentally　by　his　worshippers。　The　Mexican　sacraments　in　honour　of　Huitzilopochtli　were　also　accompanied　by　the　sacrifice　of　human　victims。　The　tradition　that　the　founder　of　the　sacred　grove　at　Aricia　was　a　man　named　Manius；　from　whom　many　Manii　were　descended；　would　thus　be　an　etymological　myth　invented　to　explain　the　name　maniae　as　applied　to　these　sacramental　loaves。　A　dim　recollection　of　the　original　connexion　of　the　loaves　with　human　sacrifices　may　perhaps　be　traced　in　the　story　that　the　effigies　dedicated　to　Mania　at　the　Compitalia　were　substitutes　for　human　victims。　The　story　itself；　however；　is　probably　devoid　of　foundation；　since　the　practice　of　putting　up　dummies　to　divert　the　attention　of　ghosts　or　demons　from　living　people　is　not　uncommon。

For　example；　the　Tibetans　stand　in　fear　of　innumerable　earth…demons；　all　of　whom　are　under　the　authority　of　Old　Mother　Kh？n…ma。　This　goddess；　who　may　be　compared　to　the　Roman　Mania；　the　Mother　or　Grandmother　of　Ghosts；　is　dressed　in　golden…yellow　robes；　holds　a　golden　noose　in　her　hand；　and　rides　on　a　ram。　In　order　to　bar　the　dwelling…house　against　the　foul　fiends；　of　whom　Old　Mother　Kh？n…ma　is　mistress；　an　elaborate　structure　somewhat　resembling　a　chandelier　is　fixed　above　the　door　on　the　outside　of　the　house。　It　contains　a　ram's　skull；　a　variety　of　precious　objects　such　as　gold…leaf；　silver；　and　turquoise；　also　some　dry　food；　such　as　rice；　wheat；　and　pulse；　and　finally　images　or　pictures　of　a　man；　a　woman；　and　a　house。　The　object　of　these　figures　of　a　man；　wife；　and　house　is　to　deceive　the　demons　should　they　still　come　in　spite　of　this　offering；　and　to　mislead　them　into　the　belief　that　the　foregoing　pictures　are　the　inmates　of　the　house；　so　that　they　may　wreak　their　wrath　on　these　bits　of　wood　and　to　save　the　real　human　occupants。　When　all　is　ready；　a　priest　prays　to　Old　Mother　Kh？n…ma　that　she　would　be　pleased　to　accept　these　dainty　offerings　and　to　close　the　open　doors　of　the　earth；　in　order　that　the　demons　may　not　come　forth　to　infest　and　injure　the　household。

Again；　effigies　are　often　employed　as　a　means　of　preventing　or　curing　sickness；　the　demons　of　disease　either　mistake　the　effigies　for　living　people　or　are　persuaded　or　compelled　to　enter　them；　leaving　the　real　men　and　women　well　and　whole。　Thus　the　Alfoors　of　Minahassa；　in　Celebes；　will　sometimes　transport　a　sick　man　to　another　house；　while　they　leave　on　his　bed　a　dummy　made　up　of　a　pillow　and　clothes。　This　dummy　the　demon　is　supposed　to　mistake　for　the　sick　man；　who　consequently　recovers。　Cure　or　prevention　of　this　sort　seems　to　find　especial　favour　with　the　natives　of　Borneo。　Thus；　when　an　epidemic　is　raging　among　them；　the　Dyaks　of　the　Katoengouw　River　set　up　wooden　images　at　their　doors　in　the　hope　that　the　demons　of　the　plague　may　be　deluded　into　carrying　off　the　effigies　instead　of　the　people。　Among　the　Oloh　Ngadju　of　Borneo；　when　a　sick　man　is　supposed　to　be　suffering　from　the　assaults　of　a　ghost；　puppets　of　dough　or　rice…meal　are　made　and　thrown　under　the　house　as　substitutes　for　the　patient；　who　thus　rids　himself　of　the　ghost。　In　certain　of　the　western　districts　of　Borneo　if　a　man　is　taken　suddenly　and　violently　sick；　the　physician；　who　in　this　part　of　the　world　is　generally　an　old　woman；　fashions　a　wooden　image　and　brings　it　seven　times　into　contact　with　the　sufferer's　head；　while　she　says：　This　image　serves　to　take　the　place　of　the　sick　man；　sickness；　pass　over　into　the　image。　Then；　with　some　rice；　salt；　and　tobacco　in　a　little　basket；　the　substitute　is　carried　to　the　spot　where　the　evil　spirit　is　supposed　to　have　entered　into　the　man。　There　it　is　set　upright　on　the　ground；　after　the　physician　has　invoked　the　spirit　as　follows：　O　devil；　here　is　an　image　which　stands　instead　of　the　sick　man。　Release　the　soul　of　the　sick　man　and　plague　the　image；　for　it　is　indeed　prettier　and　better　than　he。　Batak　magicians　can　conjure　the　demon　of　disease　out　of　the　patient's　body　into　an　image　made　out　of　a　banana…tree　with　a　human　face　and　wrapt　up　in　magic　herbs；　the　image　is　then　hurriedly　removed　and　thrown　away　or　buried　beyond　the　boundaries　of　the　village。　Sometimes　the　image；　dressed　as　a　man　or　a　woman　according　to　the　sex　of　the　patient；　is　deposited　at　a　cross…road　or　other　thoroughfare；　in　the　hope　that　some　passer…by；　seeing　it；　may　start　and　cry　out；　Ah！　So…and…So　is　dead；　for　such　an　exclamation　is　supposed　to　delude　the　demon　of　disease　into　a　belief　that　he　has　accomplished　his　fell　purpose；　so　he　takes　himself　off　and　leaves　the　sufferer　to　get　well。　The　Mai　Darat；　a　Sakai　tribe　of　the　Malay　Peninsula；　attribute　all　kinds　of　diseases　to　the　agency　of　spirits　which　they　call　nyani；　fortunately；　however；　the　magician　can　induce　these　maleficent　beings　to　come　out　of　the　sick　person　and　take　up　their　abode　in　rude　figures　of　grass；　which　are　hung　up　outside　the　houses　in　little　bell…shaped　shrines　decorated　with　peeled　sticks。　During　an　epidemic　of　small…pox　the　Ewe　negroes　will　sometimes　clear　a　space　outside　of　the　town；　where　they　erect　a　number　of　low　mounds　and　cover　them　with　as　many　little　clay　figures　as　there　are　people　in　the　place。　Pots　of　food　and　water　are　also　set　out　for　the　refreshment　of　the　spirit　of　small…pox　who；　it　is　hoped；　will　take　the　clay　figures　and　spare　the　living　folk；　and　to　make　assurance　doubly　sure　the　road　into　the　town　is　barricaded　against　him。

With　these　examples　before　us　we　may　surmise　that　the　woollen　effigies；　which　at　the　festival　of　the　Compitalia　might　be　seen　hanging　at　the　doors　of　all　the　houses　in　ancient　Rome；　were　not　substitutes　for　human　victims　who　had　formerly　been　sacrificed　at　this　season；　but　rather　vicarious　offerings　presented　to　the　Mother　or　Grandmother　of　Ghosts；　in　the　hope　that　on　her　rounds　through　the　city　she　would　accept　or　mistake　the　effigies　for　the　inmates　of　the　house　and　so　spare　the　living　for　ano