the golden bough-第202章

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rs；　for　want　of　larger　gods；　the　crabs；　where　they　had　no　other　fish；　or　where　they　knew　not　how　to　catch　and　kill　them。　In　short；　they　had　whatever　fish　was　most　serviceable　to　them　as　their　gods。　The　Kwakiutl　Indians　of　British　Columbia　think　that　when　a　salmon　is　killed　its　soul　returns　to　the　salmon　country。　Hence　they　take　care　to　throw　the　bones　and　offal　into　the　sea；　in　order　that　the　soul　may　reanimate　them　at　the　resurrection　of　the　salmon。　Whereas　if　they　burned　the　bones　the　soul　would　be　lost；　and　so　it　would　be　quite　impossible　for　that　salmon　to　rise　from　the　dead。　In　like　manner　the　Ottawa　Indians　of　Canada；　believing　that　the　souls　of　dead　fish　passed　into　other　bodies　of　fish；　never　burned　fish　bones；　for　fear　of　displeasing　the　souls　of　the　fish；　who　would　come　no　more　to　the　nets。　The　Hurons　also　refrained　from　throwing　fish　bones　into　the　fire；　lest　the　souls　of　the　fish　should　go　and　warn　the　other　fish　not　to　let　themselves　be　caught；　since　the　Hurons　would　burn　their　bones。　Moreover；　they　had　men　who　preached　to　the　fish　and　persuaded　them　to　come　and　be　caught。　A　good　preacher　was　much　sought　after；　for　they　thought　that　the　exhortations　of　a　clever　man　had　a　great　effect　in　drawing　the　fish　to　the　nets。　In　the　Huron　fishing　village　where　the　French　missionary　Sagard　stayed；　the　preacher　to　the　fish　prided　himself　very　much　on　his　eloquence；　which　was　of　a　florid　order。　Every　evening　after　supper；　having　seen　that　all　the　people　were　in　their　places　and　that　a　strict　silence　was　observed；　he　preached　to　the　fish。　His　text　was　that　the　Hurons　did　not　burn　fish　bones。　Then　enlarging　on　this　theme　with　extraordinary　unction；　he　exhorted　and　conjured　and　invited　and　implored　the　fish　to　come　and　be　caught　and　to　be　of　good　courage　and　to　fear　nothing；　for　it　was　all　to　serve　their　friends　who　honoured　them　and　did　not　burn　their　bones。　The　natives　of　the　Duke　of　York　Island　annually　decorate　a　canoe　with　flowers　and　ferns；　lade　it；　or　are　supposed　to　lade　it；　with　shell…money；　and　set　it　adrift　to　compensate　the　fish　for　their　fellows　who　have　been　caught　and　eaten。　It　is　especially　necessary　to　treat　the　first　fish　caught　with　consideration　in　order　to　conciliate　the　rest　of　the　fish；　whose　conduct　may　be　supposed　to　be　influenced　by　the　reception　given　to　those　of　their　kind　which　were　the　first　to　be　taken。　Accordingly　the　Maoris　always　put　back　into　the　sea　the　first　fish　caught；　with　a　prayer　that　it　may　tempt　other　fish　to　come　and　be　caught。

Still　more　stringent　are　the　precautions　taken　when　the　fish　are　the　first　of　the　season。　On　salmon　rivers；　when　the　fish　begin　to　run　up　the　stream　in　spring；　they　are　received　with　much　deference　by　tribes　who；　like　the　Indians　of　the　Pacific　Coast　of　North　America；　subsist　largely　upon　a　fish　diet。　In　British　Columbia　the　Indians　used　to　go　out　to　meet　the　first　fish　as　they　came　up　the　river：　They　paid　court　to　them；　and　would　address　them　thus：　'You　fish；　you　fish；　you　are　all　chiefs；　you　are；　you　are　all　chiefs。'　Amongst　the　Tlingit　of　Alaska　the　first　halibut　of　the　season　is　carefully　handled　and　addressed　as　a　chief；　and　a　festival　is　given　in　his　honour；　after　which　the　fishing　goes　on。　In　spring；　when　the　winds　blow　soft　from　the　south　and　the　salmon　begin　to　run　up　the　Klamath　river；　the　Karoks　of　California　dance　for　salmon；　to　ensure　a　good　catch。　One　of　the　Indians；　called　the　Kareya　or　God…man；　retires　to　the　mountains　and　fasts　for　ten　days。　On　his　return　the　people　flee；　while　he　goes　to　the　river；　takes　the　first　salmon　of　the　catch；　eats　some　of　it；　and　with　the　rest　kindles　the　sacred　fire　in　the　sweating　house。　No　Indian　may　take　a　salmon　before　this　dance　is　held；　nor　for　ten　days　after　it；　even　if　his　family　are　starving。　The　Karoks　also　believe　that　a　fisherman　will　take　no　salmon　if　the　poles　of　which　his　spearing…booth　is　made　were　gathered　on　the　river…side；　where　the　salmon　might　have　seen　them。　The　poles　must　be　brought　from　the　top　of　the　highest　mountain。　The　fisherman　will　also　labour　in　vain　if　he　uses　the　same　poles　a　second　year　in　booths　or　weirs；　because　the　old　salmon　will　have　told　the　young　ones　about　them。　There　is　a　favourite　fish　of　the　Aino　which　appears　in　their　rivers　about　May　and　June。　They　prepare　for　the　fishing　by　observing　rules　of　ceremonial　purity；　and　when　they　have　gone　out　to　fish；　the　women　at　home　must　keep　strict　silence　or　the　fish　would　hear　them　and　disappear。　When　the　first　fish　is　caught　he　is　brought　home　and　passed　through　a　small　opening　at　the　end　of　the　hut；　but　not　through　the　door；　for　if　he　were　passed　through　the　door；　the　other　fish　would　certainly　see　him　and　disappear。　This　may　partly　explain　the　custom　observed　by　other　savages　of　bringing　game　in　certain　cases　into　their　huts；　not　by　the　door；　but　by　the　window；　the　smoke…hole；　or　by　a　special　opening　at　the　back　of　the　hut。

With　some　savages　a　special　reason　for　respecting　the　bones　of　game；　and　generally　of　the　animals　which　they　eat；　is　a　belief　that；　if　the　bones　are　preserved；　they　will　in　course　of　time　be　reclothed　with　flesh；　and　thus　the　animal　will　come　to　life　again。　It　is；　therefore；　clearly　for　the　interest　of　the　hunter　to　leave　the　bones　intact　since　to　destroy　them　would　be　to　diminish　the　future　supply　of　game。　Many　of　the　Minnetaree　Indians　believe　that　the　bones　of　those　bisons　which　they　have　slain　and　divested　of　flesh　rise　again　clothed　with　renewed　flesh；　and　quickened　with　life；　and　become　fat；　and　fit　for　slaughter　the　succeeding　June。　Hence　on　the　western　prairies　of　America；　the　skulls　of　buffaloes　may　be　seen　arranged　in　circles　and　symmetrical　piles；　awaiting　the　resurrection。　After　feasting　on　a　dog；　the　Dacotas　carefully　collect　the　bones；　scrape；　wash；　and　bury　them；　partly；　as　it　is　said；　to　testify　to　the　dog…species；　that　in　feasting　upon　one　of　their　number　no　disrespect　was　meant　to　the　species　itself；　and　partly　also　from　a　belief　that　the　bones　of　the　animal　will　rise　and　reproduce　another。　In　sacrificing　an　animal　the　Lapps　regularly　put　aside　the　bones；　eyes；　ears；　heart；　lungs；　sexual　parts　（if　the　animal　was　a　male）；　and　a　morsel　of　flesh　from　each　limb。　Then；　after　eating　the　remainder　of　the　flesh；　they　laid　the　bones　and　the　rest　in　anatomical　order　in　a　coffin　and　buried　them　with　the　usual　rites；　believing　that　the　god　to　whom　the　animal　was　sacrificed　would　reclothe　the　bones　with　flesh　and　restore　the　animal　to　life　in　Jabme…Aimo；　the　subterranean　world　of　the　dead。　Sometimes；　as　after　feasting　on　a　bear；　they　seem　to　have　contented　themselves　with　thus　burying　the　bones。　Thus　the　Lapps　expected　the　resurrection　of　the　slain　animal　to　take　place　in　another　world；　resembling　in　this　respect　the　Kamtchatkans；　who　believed　that　every　creature；　down　to　the　smallest　fly；　would　rise　from　the　dead　and　live　underground。　On　the　other　hand；　the　North　American　Indians　looked　for　the　resurrection　of　the　animals　in　the　present　world。　The　habit；　observed　especially　by　Mongolian　peoples；　of　stuffing　the　skin　of　a　sacrificed　animal；　or　stretching　it　on　a　framework；　points　rather　to　a　belief　in　a　resurrection　of　the　latter　sort。　The　objection　commonly　entertained　by　primitive　peoples　to　break　the　bones　of　the　animals　which　they　have　eaten　or　sacrificed　may　be　based　either　on　a　belief　in　the　resurrection　of　the　animals；　or　on　a　fear　of　intimidating　other　creatures　of　the　same　species　and　offending　the　ghosts　of　the　slain　animals。　The　reluctance　of　North　American　Indians　and　Esquimaux　to　let　dogs　gnaw　the　bones　of　animals　is　perhaps　only　a　precaution　to　prevent　the　bones　from　being　broken。

But　after　all　the　resurrection　of　dead　game　may　have　its　inconveniences；　and　accordingly　some　hunters　take　steps　to　prevent　it　by　hamstringing　the　animal　so　as　to　prevent　it　or　its　ghost　from　getting　up　and　running　away。　This　is　the　motive　alleged　for　the　practice　by　Koui　hunters　in　Laos；　they　think　that　the　spells　which　they　utter　in　the　chase　may　lose　their　magical　virtue；　and　that　the　slaughtered　animal　may　consequently　come　to　life　again　and　escape。　To　prevent　that　catastrophe　they　therefore　hamstring　the　beast　as　soon　as　they　have　butchered　it。　When　an　Esquimau　of　Alaska　has　killed　a　fox；　he　carefully　cuts　the　t