the golden bough-第213章

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miting　their　mouths　and　screaming；　Out　to…day！　Out　to…day！　That　which　kills　anybody；　out　to…day！　Ye　evil　spirits；　out　to…day！　and　all　that　causes　our　heads　to　ache；　out　to…day！　Anlo　and　Adaklu　are　the　places　whither　all　ill　shall　betake　itself！　When　they　have　come　to　a　certain　tree　on　Mount　Adaklu；　they　throw　everything　away　and　return　home。

At　Kiriwina；　in　South…Eastern　New　Guinea；　when　the　new　yams　had　been　harvested；　the　people　feasted　and　danced　for　many　days；　and　a　great　deal　of　property；　such　as　armlets；　native　money；　and　so　forth；　was　displayed　conspicuously　on　a　platform　erected　for　the　purpose。　When　the　festivities　were　over；　all　the　people　gathered　together　and　expelled　the　spirits　from　the　village　by　shouting；　beating　the　posts　of　the　houses；　and　overturning　everything　under　which　a　wily　spirit　might　be　supposed　to　lurk。　The　explanation　which　the　people　gave　to　a　missionary　was　that　they　had　entertained　and　feasted　the　spirits　and　provided　them　with　riches；　and　it　was　now　time　for　them　to　take　their　departure。　Had　they　not　seen　the　dances；　and　heard　the　songs；　and　gorged　themselves　on　the　souls　of　the　yams；　and　appropriated　the　souls　of　the　money　and　all　the　other　fine　things　set　out　on　the　platform？　What　more　could　the　spirits　want？　So　out　they　must　go。

Among　the　Hos　of　North…Eastern　India　the　great　festival　of　the　year　is　the　harvest　home；　held　in　January；　when　the　granaries　are　full　of　grain；　and　the　people；　to　use　their　own　expression；　are　full　of　devilry。　They　have　a　strange　notion　that　at　this　period；　men　and　women　are　so　overcharged　with　vicious　propensities；　that　it　is　absolutely　necessary　for　the　safety　of　the　person　to　let　off　steam　by　allowing　for　a　time　full　vent　to　the　passions。　The　ceremonies　open　with　a　sacrifice　to　the　village　god　of　three　fowls；　a　cock　and　two　hens；　one　of　which　must　be　black。　Along　with　them　are　offered　flowers　of　the　palas　tree　（Butea　frondosa）；　bread　made　from　rice…flour；　and　sesamum　seeds。　These　offerings　are　presented　by　the　village　priest；　who　prays　that　during　the　year　about　to　begin　they　and　their　children　may　be　preserved　from　all　misfortune　and　sickness；　and　that　they　may　have　seasonable　rain　and　good　crops。　Prayer　is　also　made　in　some　places　for　the　souls　of　the　dead。　At　this　time　an　evil　spirit　is　supposed　to　infest　the　place；　and　to　get　rid　of　it　men；　women；　and　children　go　in　procession　round　and　through　every　part　of　the　village　with　sticks　in　their　hands；　as　if　beating　for　game；　singing　a　wild　chant；　and　shouting　vociferously；　till　they　feel　assured　that　the　evil　spirit　must　have　fled。　Then　they　give　themselves　up　to　feasting　and　drinking　rice…beer；　till　they　are　in　a　fit　state　for　the　wild　debauch　which　follows。　The　festival　now　becomes　a　saturnale；　during　which　servants　forget　their　duty　to　their　masters；　children　their　reverence　for　parents；　men　their　respect　for　women；　and　women　all　notions　of　modesty；　delicacy；　and　gentleness；　they　become　raging　bacchantes。　Usually　the　Hos　are　quiet　and　reserved　in　manner；　decorous　and　gentle　to　women。　But　during　this　festival　their　natures　appear　to　undergo　a　temporary　change。　Sons　and　daughters　revile　their　parents　in　gross　language；　and　parents　their　children；　men　and　women　become　almost　like　animals　in　the　indulgence　of　their　amorous　propensities。　The　Mundaris；　kinsmen　and　neighbours　of　the　Hos；　keep　the　festival　in　much　the　same　manner。　The　resemblance　to　a　Saturnale　is　very　complete；　as　at　this　festival　the　farm　labourers　are　feasted　by　their　masters；　and　allowed　the　utmost　freedom　of　speech　in　addressing　them。　It　is　the　festival　of　the　harvest　home；　the　termination　of　one　year's　toil；　and　a　slight　respite　from　it　before　they　commence　again。

Amongst　some　of　the　Hindoo　Koosh　tribes；　as　among　the　Hos　and　Mundaris；　the　expulsion　of　devils　takes　place　after　harvest。　When　the　last　crop　of　autumn　has　been　got　in；　it　is　thought　necessary　to　drive　away　evil　spirits　from　the　granaries。　A　kind　of　porridge　is　eaten；　and　the　head　of　the　family　takes　his　matchlock　and　fires　it　into　the　floor。　Then；　going　outside；　he　sets　to　work　loading　and　firing　till　his　powder…horn　is　exhausted；　while　all　his　neighbours　are　similarly　employed。　The　next　day　is　spent　in　rejoicings。　In　Chitral　this　festival　is　called　devil…driving。　On　the　other　hand　the　Khonds　of　India　expel　the　devils　at　seed…time　instead　of　at　harvest。　At　this　time　they　worship　Pitteri　Pennu；　the　god　of　increase　and　of　gain　in　every　shape。　On　the　first　day　of　the　festival　a　rude　car　is　made　of　a　basket　set　upon　a　few　sticks；　tied　upon　the　bamboo　rollers　for　wheels。　The　priest　takes　this　car　first　to　the　house　of　the　lineal　head　of　the　tribe；　to　whom　precedence　is　given　in　all　ceremonies　connected　with　agriculture。　Here　he　receives　a　little　of　each　kind　of　seed　and　some　feathers。　He　then　takes　the　car　to　all　the　other　houses　in　the　village；　each　of　which　contributes　the　same　things。　Lastly；　the　car　is　conducted　to　a　field　without　the　village；　attended　by　all　the　young　men；　who　beat　each　other　and　strike　the　air　violently　with　long　sticks。　The　seed　thus　carried　out　is　called　the　share　of　the　evil　spirits；　spoilers　of　the　seed。　These　are　considered　to　be　driven　out　with　the　car；　and　when　it　and　its　contents　are　abandoned　to　them；　they　are　held　to　have　no　excuse　for　interfering　with　the　rest　of　the　seed…corn。

The　people　of　Bali；　an　island　to　the　east　of　Java；　have　periodical　expulsions　of　devils　upon　a　great　scale。　Generally　the　time　chosen　for　the　expulsion　is　the　day　of　the　dark　moon　in　the　ninth　month。　When　the　demons　have　been　long　unmolested　the　country　is　said　to　be　warm；　and　the　priest　issues　orders　to　expel　them　by　force；　lest　the　whole　of　Bali　should　be　rendered　uninhabitable。　On　the　day　appointed　the　people　of　the　village　or　district　assemble　at　the　principal　temple。　Here　at　a　cross…road　offerings　are　set　out　for　the　devils。　After　prayers　have　been　recited　by　the　priests；　the　blast　of　a　horn　summons　the　devils　to　partake　of　the　meal　which　has　been　prepared　for　them。　At　the　same　time　a　number　of　men　step　forward　and　light　their　torches　at　the　holy　lamp　which　burns　before　the　chief　priest。　Immediately　afterwards；　followed　by　the　bystanders；　they　spread　in　all　directions　and　march　through　the　streets　and　lanes　crying；　Depart！　go　away！　Wherever　they　pass；　the　people　who　have　stayed　at　home　hasten；　by　a　deafening　clatter　on　doors；　beams；　rice…blocks；　and　so　forth；　to　take　their　share　in　the　expulsion　of　devils。　Thus　chased　from　the　houses；　the　fiends　flee　to　the　banquet　which　has　been　set　out　for　them；　but　here　the　priest　receives　them　with　curses　which　finally　drive　them　from　the　district。　When　the　last　devil　has　taken　his　departure；　the　uproar　is　succeeded　by　a　dead　silence；　which　lasts　during　the　next　day　also。　The　devils；　it　is　thought；　are　anxious　to　return　to　their　old　homes；　and　in　order　to　make　them　think　that　Bali　is　not　Bali　but　some　desert　island；　no　one　may　stir　from　his　own　abode　for　twenty…four　hours。　Even　ordinary　household　work；　including　cooking；　is　discontinued。　Only　the　watchmen　may　show　themselves　in　the　streets。　Wreaths　of　thorns　and　leaves　are　hung　at　all　the　entrances　to　warn　strangers　from　entering。　Not　till　the　third　day　is　this　state　of　siege　raised；　and　even　then　it　is　forbidden　to　work　at　the　rice…fields　or　to　buy　and　sell　in　the　market。　Most　people　still　stay　at　home；　whiling　away　the　time　with　cards　and　dice。

In　Tonquin　a　theckydaw　or　general　expulsion　of　maleyolent　spirits　commonly　took　place　once　a　year；　especially　if　there　was　a　great　mortality　amongst　men；　the　elephants　or　horses　of　the　general's　stable；　or　the　cattle　of　the　country；　the　cause　of　which　they　attribute　to　the　malicious　spirits　of　such　men　as　have　been　put　to　death　for　treason；　rebellion；　and　conspiring　the　death　of　the　king；　general；　or　princes；　and　that　in　revenge　of　the　punishment　they　have　suffered；　they　are　bent　to　destroy　everything　and　commit　horrible　violence。　To　prevent　which　their　superstition　has　suggested　to　them　the　institution　of　this　theckydaw；　as　a　proper　means　to　drive　the　devil　away；　and　purge　the　country　of　evil　spirits。　The　day　appointed　for　the　ceremony　was　generally　the　twenty…fifth　of　February；　one　month　after　the　beginning　of　the　new　year；　which　fell　on　t