the golden bough-第232章

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nd　that　if　a　man　treads　on　the　place　where　she　has　passed；　his　legs　will　immediately　swell　up。　Among　the　Bri…bri　Indians　of　Costa　Rica　a　married　woman　at　her　periods　uses　for　plates　only　banana　leaves；　which；　when　she　has　done　with　them；　she　throws　away　in　a　sequestered　spot；　for　should　a　cow　find　and　eat　them；　the　animal　would　waste　away　and　perish。　Also　she　drinks　only　out　of　a　special　vessel；　because　any　person　who　should　afterwards　drink　out　of　the　same　vessel　would　infallibly　pine　away　and　die。

Among　most　tribes　of　North　American　Indians　the　custom　was　that　women　in　their　courses　retired　from　the　camp　or　the　village　and　lived　during　the　time　of　their　uncleanness　in　special　huts　or　shelters　which　were　appropriated　to　their　use。　There　they　dwelt　apart；　eating　and　sleeping　by　themselves；　warming　themselves　at　their　own　fires；　and　strictly　abstaining　from　all　communications　with　men；　who　shunned　them　just　as　if　they　were　stricken　with　the　plague。

Thus；　to　take　examples；　the　Creek　and　kindred　Indians　of　the　United　States　compelled　women　at　menstruation　to　live　in　separate　huts　at　some　distance　from　the　village。　There　the　women　had　to　stay；　at　the　risk　of　being　surprised　and　cut　off　by　enemies。　It　was　thought　a　most　horrid　and　dangerous　pollution　to　go　near　the　women　at　such　times；　and　the　danger　extended　to　enemies　who；　if　they　slew　the　women；　had　to　cleanse　themselves　from　the　pollution　by　means　of　certain　sacred　herbs　and　roots。　The　Stseelis　Indians　of　British　Columbia　imagined　that　if　a　menstruous　woman　were　to　step　over　a　bundle　of　arrows；　the　arrows　would　thereby　be　rendered　useless　and　might　even　cause　the　death　of　their　owner；　and　similarly　that　if　she　passed　in　front　of　a　hunter　who　carried　a　gun；　the　weapon　would　never　shoot　straight　again。　Among　the　Chippeways　and　other　Indians　of　the　Hudson　Bay　Territory；　menstruous　women　are　excluded　from　the　camp；　and　take　up　their　abode　in　huts　of　branches。　They　wear　long　hoods；　which　effectually　conceal　the　head　and　breast。　They　may　not　touch　the　household　furniture　nor　any　objects　used　by　men；　for　their　touch　is　supposed　to　defile　them；　so　that　their　subsequent　use　would　be　followed　by　certain　mischief　or　misfortune；　such　as　disease　or　death。　They　must　drink　out　of　a　swan's　bone。　They　may　not　walk　on　the　common　paths　nor　cross　the　tracks　of　animals。　They　are　never　permitted　to　walk　on　the　ice　of　rivers　or　lakes；　or　near　the　part　where　the　men　are　hunting　beaver；　or　where　a　fishing…net　is　set；　for　fear　of　averting　their　success。　They　are　also　prohibited　at　those　times　from　partaking　of　the　head　of　any　animal；　and　even　from　walking　in　or　crossing　the　track　where　the　head　of　a　deer；　moose；　beaver；　and　many　other　animals　have　lately　been　carried；　either　on　a　sledge　or　on　the　back。　To　be　guilty　of　a　violation　of　this　custom　is　considered　as　of　the　greatest　importance；　because　they　firmly　believe　that　it　would　be　a　means　of　preventing　the　hunter　from　having　an　equal　success　in　his　future　excursions。　So　the　Lapps　forbid　women　at　menstruation　to　walk　on　that　part　of　the　shore　where　the　fishers　are　in　the　habit　of　setting　out　their　fish；　and　the　Esquimaux　of　Bering　Strait　believe　that　if　hunters　were　to　come　near　women　in　their　courses　they　would　catch　no　game。　For　a　like　reason　the　Carrier　Indians　will　not　suffer　a　menstruous　woman　to　cross　the　tracks　of　animals；　if　need　be；　she　is　carried　over　them。　They　think　that　if　she　waded　in　a　stream　or　a　lake；　the　fish　would　die。

Amongst　the　civilised　nations　of　Europe　the　superstitions　which　cluster　round　this　mysterious　aspect　of　woman's　nature　are　not　less　extravagant　than　those　which　prevail　among　savages。　In　the　oldest　existing　cyclopaediathe　Natural　History　of　Plinythe　list　of　dangers　apprehended　from　menstruation　is　longer　than　any　furnished　by　mere　barbarians。　According　to　Pliny；　the　touch　of　a　menstruous　woman　turned　wine　to　vinegar；　blighted　crops；　killed　seedlings；　blasted　gardens；　brought　down　the　fruit　from　trees；　dimmed　mirrors；　blunted　razors；　rusted　iron　and　brass　（especially　at　the　waning　of　the　moon）；　killed　bees；　or　at　least　drove　them　from　their　hives；　caused　mares　to　miscarry；　and　so　forth。　Similarly；　in　various　parts　of　Europe；　it　is　still　believed　that　if　a　woman　in　her　courses　enters　a　brewery　the　beer　will　turn　sour；　if　she　touches　beer；　wine；　vinegar；　or　milk；　it　will　go　bad；　if　she　makes　jam；　it　will　not　keep；　if　she　mounts　a　mare；　it　will　miscarry；　if　she　touches　buds；　they　will　wither；　if　she　climbs　a　cherry　tree；　it　will　die。　In　Brunswick　people　think　that　if　a　menstruous　woman　assists　at　the　killing　of　a　pig；　the　pork　will　putrefy。　In　the　Greek　island　of　Calymnos　a　woman　at　such　times　may　not　go　to　the　well　to　draw　water；　nor　cross　a　running　stream；　nor　enter　the　sea。　Her　presence　in　a　boat　is　said　to　raise　storms。

Thus　the　object　of　secluding　women　at　menstruation　is　to　neutralise　the　dangerous　influences　which　are　supposed　to　emanate　from　them　at　such　times。　That　the　danger　is　believed　to　be　especially　great　at　the　first　menstruation　appears　from　the　unusual　precautions　taken　to　isolate　girls　at　this　crisis。　Two　of　these　precautions　have　been　illustrated　above；　namely；　the　rules　that　the　girls　may　not　touch　the　ground　nor　see　the　sun。　The　general　effect　of　these　rules　is　to　keep　her　suspended；　so　to　say；　between　heaven　and　earth。　Whether　enveloped　in　her　hammock　and　slung　up　to　the　roof；　as　in　South　America；　or　raised　above　the　ground　in　a　dark　and　narrow　cage；　as　in　New　Ireland；　she　may　be　considered　to　be　out　of　the　way　of　doing　mischief；　since；　being　shut　off　both　from　the　earth　and　from　the　sun；　she　can　poison　neither　of　these　great　sources　of　life　by　her　deadly　contagion。　In　short；　she　is　rendered　harmless　by　being；　in　electrical　language；　insulated。　But　the　precautions　thus　taken　to　isolate　or　insulate　the　girl　are　dictated　by　a　regard　for　her　own　safety　as　well　as　for　the　safety　of　others。　For　it　is　thought　that　she　herself　would　suffer　if　she　were　to　neglect　the　prescribed　regimen。　Thus　Zulu　girls；　as　we　have　seen；　believe　that　they　would　shrivel　to　skeletons　if　the　sun　were　to　shine　on　them　at　puberty；　and　the　Macusis　imagine　that；　if　a　young　woman　were　to　transgress　the　rules；　she　would　suffer　from　sores　on　various　parts　of　her　body。　In　short；　the　girl　is　viewed　as　charged　with　a　powerful　force　which；　if　not　kept　within　bounds；　may　prove　destructive　both　to　herself　and　to　all　with　whom　she　comes　in　contact。　To　repress　this　force　within　the　limits　necessary　for　the　safety　of　all　concerned　is　the　object　of　the　taboos　in　question。

The　same　explanation　applies　to　the　observance　of　the　same　rules　by　divine　kings　and　priests。　The　uncleanness；　as　it　is　called；　of　girls　at　puberty　and　the　sanctity　of　holy　men　do　not；　to　the　primitive　mind；　differ　materially　from　each　other。　They　are　only　different　manifestations　of　the　same　mysterious　energy　which；　like　energy　in　general；　is　in　itself　neither　good　nor　bad；　but　becomes　beneficent　or　maleficent　according　to　its　application。　Accordingly；　if；　like　girls　at　puberty；　divine　personages　may　neither　touch　the　ground　nor　see　the　sun；　the　reason　is；　on　the　one　hand；　a　fear　lest　their　divinity　might；　at　contact　with　earth　or　heaven；　discharge　itself　with　fatal　violence　on　either；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　an　apprehension　that　the　divine　being；　thus　drained　of　his　ethereal　virtue；　might　thereby　be　incapacitated　for　the　future　performance　of　those　magical　functions；　upon　the　proper　discharge　of　which　the　safety　of　the　people　and　even　of　the　world　is　believed　to　hang。　Thus　the　rules　in　question　fall　under　the　head　of　the　taboos　which　we　examined　in　an　earlier　part　of　this　book；　they　are　intended　to　preserve　the　life　of　the　divine　person　and　with　it　the　life　of　his　subjects　and　worshippers。　Nowhere；　it　is　thought；　can　his　precious　yet　dangerous　life　be　at　once　so　safe　and　so　harmless　as　when　it　is　neither　in　heaven　nor　in　earth；　but；　as　far　as　possible；　suspended　between　the　two。

Chapter　61。　The　Myth　of　Balder

A　DEITY　whose　life　might　in　a　sense　be　said　to　be　neither　in　heaven　nor　on　earth　but　between　the　two；　was　the　Norse　Balder；　the　good　and　beautiful　god；　the　son　of　the　great　god　Odin；　and　himself　the　wisest；　mildest；　best　beloved　of　all　the　immortals。　The　stor