the golden bough-第201章

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es＇　which　furnish　food。　The　bear　is　formidable；　and　good　to　eat。　They　render　ceremonies　to　him；　begging　him　to　allow　himself　to　be　eaten；　although　they　know　he　has　no　fancy　for　it。　We　kill　you；　but　you　are　not　annihilated。　His　head　and　paws　are　objects　of　homage　。　Other　animals　are　treated　similarly　from　similar　reasons　。　Many　of　the　animal　manidos；　not　being　dangerous；　are　often　treated　with　contemptthe　terrapin；　the　weasel；　polecat；　etc。　The　distinction　is　instructive。　Animals　which　are　feared；　or　are　good　to　eat；　or　both；　are　treated　with　ceremonious　respect；　those　which　are　neither　formidable　nor　good　to　eat　are　despised。　We　have　had　examples　of　reverence　paid　to　animals　which　are　both　feared　and　eaten。　It　remains　to　prove　that　similar　respect　is　shown　to　animals　which；　without　being　feared；　are　either　eaten　or　valued　for　their　skins。

When　Siberian　sable…hunters　have　caught　a　sable；　no　one　is　allowed　to　see　it；　and　they　think　that　if　good　or　evil　be　spoken　of　the　captured　sable　no　more　sables　will　be　caught。　A　hunter　has　been　known　to　express　his　belief　that　the　sables　could　hear　what　was　said　of　them　as　far　off　as　Moscow。　He　said　that　the　chief　reason　why　the　sable　hunt　was　now　so　unproductive　was　that　some　live　sables　had　been　sent　to　Moscow。　There　they　had　been　viewed　with　astonishment　as　strange　animals；　and　the　sables　cannot　abide　that。　Another；　though　minor；　cause　of　the　diminished　take　of　sables　was；　he　alleged；　that　the　world　is　now　much　worse　than　it　used　to　be；　so　that　nowadays　a　hunter　will　sometimes　hide　the　sable　which　he　has　got　instead　of　putting　it　into　the　common　stock。　This　also；　said　he；　the　sables　cannot　abide。　Alaskan　hunters　preserve　the　bones　of　sables　and　beavers　out　of　reach　of　the　dogs　for　a　year　and　then　bury　them　carefully；　lest　the　spirits　who　look　after　the　beavers　and　sables　should　consider　that　they　are　regarded　with　contempt；　and　hence　no　more　should　be　killed　or　trapped。　The　Canadian　Indians　were　equally　particular　not　to　let　their　dogs　gnaw　the　bones；　or　at　least　certain　of　the　bones；　of　beavers。　They　took　the　greatest　pains　to　collect　and　preserve　these　bones；　and；　when　the　beaver　had　been　caught　in　a　net；　they　threw　them　into　the　river。　To　a　Jesuit　who　argued　that　the　beavers　could　not　possibly　know　what　became　of　their　bones；　the　Indians　replied；　You　know　nothing　about　catching　beavers　and　yet　you　will　be　prating　about　it。　Before　the　beaver　is　stone　dead；　his　soul　takes　a　turn　in　the　hut　of　the　man　who　is　killing　him　and　makes　a　careful　note　of　what　is　done　with　his　bones。　If　the　bones　are　given　to　the　dogs；　the　other　beavers　would　get　word　of　it　and　would　not　let　themselves　be　caught。　Whereas；　if　their　bones　are　thrown　into　the　fire　or　a　river；　they　are　quite　satisfied；　and　it　is　particularly　gratifying　to　the　net　which　caught　them。　Before　hunting　the　beaver　they　offered　a　solemn　prayer　to　the　Great　Beaver；　and　presented　him　with　tobacco；　and　when　the　chase　was　over；　an　orator　pronounced　a　funeral　oration　over　the　dead　beavers。　He　praised　their　spirit　and　wisdom。　You　will　hear　no　more；　said　he；　the　voice　of　the　chieftains　who　commanded　you　and　whom　you　chose　from　among　all　the　warrior　beavers　to　give　you　laws。　Your　language；　which　the　medicine…men　understand　perfectly；　will　be　heard　no　more　at　the　bottom　of　the　lake。　You　will　fight　no　more　battles　with　the　otters；　your　cruel　foes。　No；　beavers！　But　your　skins　shall　serve　to　buy　arms；　we　will　carry　your　smoked　hams　to　our　children；　we　will　keep　the　dogs　from　eating　your　bones；　which　are　so　hard。

The　elan；　deer；　and　elk　were　treated　by　the　American　Indians　with　the　same　punctilious　respect；　and　for　the　same　reason。　Their　bones　might　not　be　given　to　the　dogs　nor　thrown　into　the　fire；　nor　might　their　fat　be　dropped　upon　the　fire；　because　the　souls　of　the　dead　animals　were　believed　to　see　what　was　done　to　their　bodies　and　to　tell　it　to　the　other　beasts；　living　and　dead。　Hence；　if　their　bodies　were　illused；　the　animals　of　that　species　would　not　allow　themselves　to　be　taken；　neither　in　this　world　nor　in　the　world　to　come。　Among　the　Chiquites　of　Paraguay　a　sick　man　would　be　asked　by　the　medicine…man　whether　he　had　not　thrown　away　some　of　the　flesh　of　the　deer　or　turtle；　and　if　he　answered　yes；　the　medicine…man　would　say；　That　is　what　is　killing　you。　The　soul　of　the　deer　or　turtle　has　entered　into　your　body　to　avenge　the　wrong　you　did　it。　The　Canadian　Indians　would　not　eat　the　embryos　of　the　elk；　unless　at　the　close　of　the　hunting　season；　otherwise　the　mother…elks　would　be　shy　and　refuse　to　be　caught。

In　the　Timor…laut　islands　of　the　Indian　Archipelago　the　skulls　of　all　the　turtles　which　a　fisherman　has　caught　are　hung　up　under　his　house。　Before　he　goes　out　to　catch　another；　he　addresses　himself　to　the　skull　of　the　last　turtle　that　he　killed；　and　having　inserted　betel　between　its　jaws；　he　prays　the　spirit　of　the　dead　animal　to　entice　its　kinsfolk　in　the　sea　to　come　and　be　caught。　In　the　Poso　district　of　Central　Celebes　hunters　keep　the　jawbones　of　deer　and　wild　pigs　which　they　have　killed　and　hang　them　up　in　their　houses　near　the　fire。　Then　they　say　to　the　jawbones；　Ye　cry　after　your　comrades；　that　your　grandfathers；　or　nephews；　or　children　may　not　go　away。　Their　notion　is　that　the　souls　of　the　dead　deer　and　pigs　tarry　near　their　jawbones　and　attract　the　souls　of　living　deer　and　pigs；　which　are　thus　drawn　into　the　toils　of　the　hunter。　Thus　the　wily　savage　employs　dead　animals　as　decoys　to　lure　living　animals　to　their　doom。

The　Lengua　Indians　of　the　Gran　Chaco　love　to　hunt　the　ostrich；　but　when　they　have　killed　one　of　these　birds　and　are　bringing　home　the　carcase　to　the　village；　they　take　steps　to　outwit　the　resentful　ghost　of　their　victim。　They　think　that　when　the　first　natural　shock　of　death　is　passed；　the　ghost　of　the　ostrich　pulls　himself　together　and　makes　after　his　body。　Acting　on　this　sage　calculation；　the　Indians　pluck　feathers　from　the　breast　of　the　bird　and　strew　them　at　intervals　along　the　track。　At　every　bunch　of　feathers　the　ghost　stops　to　consider；　Is　this　the　whole　of　my　body　or　only　a　part　of　it？　The　doubt　gives　him　pause；　and　when　at　last　he　has　made　up　his　mind　fully　at　all　the　bunches；　and　has　further　wasted　valuable　time　by　the　zigzag　course　which　he　invariably　pursues　in　going　from　one　to　another；　the　hunters　are　safe　at　home；　and　the　bilked　ghost　may　stalk　in　vain　round　about　the　village；　which　he　is　too　timid　to　enter。

The　Esquimaux　about　Bering　Strait　believe　that　the　souls　of　dead　sea…beasts；　such　as　seals；　walrus；　and　whales；　remain　attached　to　their　bladders；　and　that　by　returning　the　bladders　to　the　sea　they　can　cause　the　souls　to　be　reincarnated　in　fresh　bodies　and　so　multiply　the　game　which　the　hunters　pursue　and　kill。　Acting　on　this　belief　every　hunter　carefully　removes　and　preserves　the　bladders　of　all　the　sea…beasts　that　he　kills；　and　at　a　solemn　festival　held　once　a　year　in　winter　these　bladders；　containing　the　souls　of　all　the　sea…beasts　that　have　been　killed　throughout　the　year；　are　honoured　with　dances　and　offerings　of　food　in　the　public　assembly…room；　after　which　they　are　taken　out　on　the　ice　and　thrust　through　holes　into　the　water；　for　the　simple　Esquimaux　imagine　that　the　souls　of　the　animals；　in　high　good　humour　at　the　kind　treatment　they　have　experienced；　will　thereafter　be　born　again　as　seals；　walrus；　and　whales；　and　in　that　form　will　flock　willingly　to　be　again　speared；　harpooned；　or　otherwise　done　to　death　by　the　hunters。

For　like　reasons；　a　tribe　which　depends　for　its　subsistence；　chiefly　or　in　part；　upon　fishing　is　careful　to　treat　the　fish　with　every　mark　of　honour　and　respect。　The　Indians　of　Peru　adored　the　fish　that　they　caught　in　greatest　abundance；　for　they　said　that　the　first　fish　that　was　made　in　the　world　above　（for　so　they　named　Heaven）　gave　birth　to　all　other　fish　of　that　species；　and　took　care　to　send　them　plenty　of　its　children　to　sustain　their　tribe。　For　this　reason　they　worshipped　sardines　in　one　region；　where　they　killed　more　of　them　than　of　any　other　fish；　in　others；　the　skate；　in　others；　the　dogfish；　in　others；　the　golden　fish　for　its　beauty；　in　others；　the　crawfish；　in　others；　for　want　of　larger　gods；　the　crabs；　where　they　had　no　other　fish；　or　where　they　knew　not　how　to