the golden bough-第190章

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　to　see　in　the　dark。

When　the　Kansas　Indians　were　going　to　war；　a　feast　used　to　be　held　in　the　chief's　hut；　and　the　principal　dish　was　dog's　flesh；　because；　said　the　Indians；　the　animal　who　is　so　brave　that　he　will　let　himself　be　cut　in　pieces　in　defence　of　his　master；　must　needs　inspire　valour。　Men　of　the　Buru　and　Aru　Islands；　East　Indies；　eat　the　flesh　of　dogs　in　order　to　be　bold　and　nimble　in　war。　Amongst　the　Papuans　of　the　Port　Moresby　and　Motumotu　districts；　New　Guinea；　young　lads　eat　strong　pig；　wallaby；　and　large　fish；　in　order　to　acquire　the　strength　of　the　animal　or　fish。　Some　of　the　natives　of　Northern　Australia　fancy　that　by　eating　the　flesh　of　the　kangaroo　or　emu　they　are　enabled　to　jump　or　run　faster　than　before。　The　Miris　of　Assam　prize　tiger's　flesh　as　food　for　men；　it　gives　them　strength　and　courage。　But　it　is　not　suited　for　women；　it　would　make　them　too　strong…minded。　In　Corea　the　bones　of　tigers　fetch　a　higher　price　than　those　of　leopards　as　a　means　of　inspiring　courage。　A　Chinaman　in　Seoul　bought　and　ate　a　whole　tiger　to　make　himself　brave　and　fierce。　In　Norse　legend；　Ingiald；　son　of　King　Aunund；　was　timid　in　his　youth；　but　after　eating　the　heart　of　a　wolf　he　became　very　bold；　Hialto　gained　strength　and　courage　by　eating　the　heart　of　a　bear　and　drinking　its　blood。

In　Morocco　lethargic　patients　are　given　ants　to　swallow；　and　to　eat　lion's　flesh　will　make　a　coward　brave；　but　people　abstain　from　eating　the　hearts　of　fowls；　lest　thereby　they　should　be　rendered　timid。　When　a　child　is　late　in　learning　to　speak；　the　Turks　of　Central　Asia　will　give　it　the　tongues　of　certain　birds　to　eat。　A　North　American　Indian　thought　that　brandy　must　be　a　decoction　of　hearts　and　tongues；　because；　said　he；　after　drinking　it　I　fear　nothing；　and　I　talk　wonderfully。　In　Java　there　is　a　tiny　earthworm　which　now　and　then　utters　a　shrill　sound　like　that　of　the　alarum　of　a　small　clock。　Hence　when　a　public　dancing　girl　has　screamed　herself　hoarse　in　the　exercise　of　her　calling；　the　leader　of　the　troop　makes　her　eat　some　of　these　worms；　in　the　belief　that　thus　she　will　regain　her　voice　and　will；　after　swallowing　them；　be　able　to　scream　as　shrilly　as　ever。　The　people　of　Darfur；　in　Central　Africa；　think　that　the　liver　is　the　seat　of　the　soul；　and　that　a　man　may　enlarge　his　soul　by　eating　the　liver　of　an　animal。　Whenever　an　animal　is　killed　its　liver　is　taken　out　and　eaten；　but　the　people　are　most　careful　not　to　touch　it　with　their　hands；　as　it　is　considered　sacred；　it　is　cut　up　in　small　pieces　and　eaten　raw；　the　bits　being　conveyed　to　the　mouth　on　the　point　of　a　knife；　or　the　sharp　point　of　a　stick。　Any　one　who　may　accidentally　touch　the　liver　is　strictly　forbidden　to　partake　of　it；　which　prohibition　is　regarded　as　a　great　misfortune　for　him。　Women　are　not　allowed　to　eat　liver；　because　they　have　no　soul。

Again；　the　flesh　and　blood　of　dead　men　are　commonly　eaten　and　drunk　to　inspire　bravery；　wisdom；　or　other　qualities　for　which　the　men　themselves　were　remarkable；　or　which　are　supposed　to　have　their　special　seat　in　the　particular　part　eaten。　Thus　among　the　mountain　tribes　of　South…Eastern　Africa　there　are　ceremonies　by　which　the　youths　are　formed　into　guilds　or　lodges；　and　among　the　rites　of　initiation　there　is　one　which　is　intended　to　infuse　courage；　intelligence；　and　other　qualities　into　the　novices。　Whenever　an　enemy　who　has　behaved　with　conspicuous　bravery　is　killed；　his　liver；　which　is　considered　the　seat　of　valour；　his　ears；　which　are　supposed　to　be　the　seat　of　intelligence；　the　skin　of　his　forehead；　which　is　regarded　as　the　seat　of　perseverance；　his　testicles；　which　are　held　to　be　the　seat　of　strength；　and　other　members；　which　are　viewed　as　the　seat　of　other　virtues；　are　cut　from　his　body　and　baked　to　cinders。　The　ashes　are　carefully　kept　in　the　horn　of　a　bull；　and；　during　the　ceremonies　observed　at　circumcision；　are　mixed　with　other　ingredients　into　a　kind　of　paste；　which　is　administered　by　the　tribal　priest　to　the　youths。　By　this　means　the　strength；　valour；　intelligence；　and　other　virtues　of　the　slain　are　believed　to　be　imparted　to　the　eaters。　When　Basutos　of　the　mountains　have　killed　a　very　brave　foe；　they　immediately　cut　out　his　heart　and　eat　it；　because　this　is　supposed　to　give　them　his　courage　and　strength　in　battle。　When　Sir　Charles　M'Carthy　was　killed　by　the　Ashantees　in　1824；　it　is　said　that　his　heart　was　devoured　by　the　chiefs　of　the　Ashantee　army；　who　hoped　by　this　means　to　imbibe　his　courage。　His　flesh　was　dried　and　parcelled　out　among　the　lower　officers　for　the　same　purpose；　and　his　bones　were　long　kept　at　Coomassie　as　national　fetishes。　The　Nauras　Indians　of　New　Granada　ate　the　hearts　of　Spaniards　when　they　had　the　opportunity；　hoping　thereby　to　make　themselves　as　dauntless　as　the　dreaded　Castilian　chivalry。　The　Sioux　Indians　used　to　reduce　to　powder　the　heart　of　a　valiant　enemy　and　swallow　the　powder；　hoping　thus　to　appropriate　the　dead　man's　valour。

But　while　the　human　heart　is　thus　commonly　eaten　for　the　sake　of　imbuing　the　eater　with　the　qualities　of　its　original　owner；　it　is　not；　as　we　have　already　seen；　the　only　part　of　the　body　which　is　consumed　for　this　purpose。　Thus　warriors　of　the　Theddora　and　Ngarigo　tribes　of　South…Eastern　Australia　used　to　eat　the　hands　and　feet　of　their　slain　enemies；　believing　that　in　this　way　they　acquired　some　of　the　qualities　and　courage　of　the　dead。　The　Kamilaroi　of　New　South　Wales　ate　the　liver　as　well　as　the　heart　of　a　brave　man　to　get　his　courage。　In　Tonquin　also　there　is　a　popular　superstition　that　the　liver　of　a　brave　man　makes　brave　any　who　partake　of　it。　With　a　like　intent　the　Chinese　swallow　the　bile　of　notorious　bandits　who　have　been　executed。　The　Dyaks　of　Sarawak　used　to　eat　the　palms　of　the　hands　and　the　flesh　of　the　knees　of　the　slain　in　order　to　steady　their　own　hands　and　strengthen　their　own　knees。　The　Tolalaki；　notorious　head…hunters　of　Central　Celebes；　drink　the　blood　and　eat　the　brains　of　their　victims　that　they　may　become　brave。　The　Italones　of　the　Philippine　Islands　drink　the　blood　of　their　slain　enemies；　and　eat　part　of　the　back　of　their　heads　and　of　their　entrails　raw　to　acquire　their　courage。　For　the　same　reason　the　Efugaos；　another　tribe　of　the　Philippines；　suck　the　brains　of　their　foes。　In　like　manner　the　Kai　of　German　New　Guinea　eat　the　brains　of　the　enemies　they　kill　in　order　to　acquire　their　strength。　Among　the　Kimbunda　of　Western　Africa；　when　a　new　king　succeeds　to　the　throne；　a　brave　prisoner　of　war　is　killed　in　order　that　the　king　and　nobles　may　eat　his　flesh；　and　so　acquire　his　strength　and　courage。　The　notorious　Zulu　chief　Matuana　drank　the　gall　of　thirty　chiefs；　whose　people　he　had　destroyed；　in　the　belief　that　it　would　make　him　strong。　It　is　a　Zulu　fancy　that　by　eating　the　centre　of　the　forehead　and　the　eyebrow　of　an　enemy　they　acquire　the　power　of　looking　steadfastly　at　a　foe。　Before　every　warlike　expedition　the　people　of　Minahassa　in　Celebes　used　to　take　the　locks　of　hair　of　a　slain　foe　and　dabble　them　in　boiling　water　to　extract　the　courage；　this　infusion　of　bravery　was　then　drunk　by　the　warriors。　In　New　Zealand　the　chief　was　an　atua　＇god＇；　but　there　were　powerful　and　powerless　gods；　each　naturally　sought　to　make　himself　one　of　the　former；　the　plan　therefore　adopted　was　to　incorporate　the　spirits　of　others　with　their　own；　thus；　when　a　warrior　slew　a　chief；　he　immediately　gouged　out　his　eyes　and　swallowed　them；　the　atua　tonga；　or　divinity；　being　supposed　to　reside　in　that　organ；　thus　he　not　only　killed　the　body；　but　also　possessed　himself　of　the　soul　of　his　enemy；　and　consequently　the　more　chiefs　he　slew　the　greater　did　his　divinity　become。

It　is　now　easy　to　understand　why　a　savage　should　desire　to　partake　of　the　flesh　of　an　animal　or　man　whom　he　regards　as　divine。　By　eating　the　body　of　the　god　he　shares　in　the　god's　attributes　and　powers。　And　when　the　god　is　a　corn…god；　the　corn　is　his　proper　body；　when　he　is　a　vine…god；　the　juice　of　the　grape　is　his　blood；　and　so　by　eating　the　bread　and　drinking　the　wine　the　worshipper　partakes　of　the　real　body　and　blood　of　his　god。　Thus　the　drinking　of　wine　in　the　rites　of　a　vine…god　like　Dionysus　is　not　an　act　of　revelry；　it　is　a　solemn　sacrament。　Yet　a　time　comes　when　reasonable　men　find　it　hard　to　understand