the golden bough-第262章

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nd；　which　he　preserves　with　so　much　care　that　he　will　not　suffer　a　single　branch　to　be　touched；　for　it　is　believed　the　life　of　the　patient　depends　on　the　life　of　the　tree；　and　the　moment　that　is　cut　down；　be　the　patient　ever　so　distant；　the　rupture　returns；　and　a　mortification　ensues；　and　terminates　in　death；　as　was　the　case　in　a　man　driving　a　waggon　on　the　very　road　in　question。　It　is　not　uncommon；　however；　adds　the　writer；　for　persons　to　survive　for　a　time　the　felling　of　the　tree。　The　ordinary　mode　of　effecting　the　cure　is　to　split　a　young　ash…sapling　longitudinally　for　a　few　feet　and　pass　the　child；　naked；　either　three　times　or　three　times　three　through　the　fissure　at　sunrise。　In　the　West　of　England　it　is　said　that　the　passage　should　be　against　the　sun。　As　soon　as　the　ceremony　has　been　performed；　the　tree　is　bound　tightly　up　and　the　fissure　plastered　over　with　mud　or　clay。　The　belief　is　that　just　as　the　cleft　in　the　tree　closes　up；　so　the　rupture　in　the　child's　body　will　be　healed；　but　that　if　the　rift　in　the　tree　remains　open；　the　rupture　in　the　child　will　remain　too；　and　if　the　tree　were　to　die；　the　death　of　the　child　would　surely　follow。

A　similar　cure　for　various　diseases；　but　especially　for　rupture　and　rickets；　has　been　commonly　practised　in　other　parts　of　Europe；　as　Germany；　France；　Denmark；　and　Sweden；　but　in　these　countries　the　tree　employed　for　the　purpose　is　usually　not　an　ash　but　an　oak；　sometimes　a　willow…tree　is　allowed　or　even　prescribed　instead。　In　Mecklenburg；　as　in　England；　the　sympathetic　relation　thus　established　between　the　tree　and　the　child　is　believed　to　be　so　close　that　if　the　tree　is　cut　down　the　child　will　die。

3。　The　External　Soul　in　Animals

BUT　in　practice；　as　in　folk…tales；　it　is　not　merely　with　inanimate　objects　and　plants　that　a　person　is　occasionally　believed　to　be　united　by　a　bond　of　physical　sympathy。　The　same　bond；　it　is　supposed；　may　exist　between　a　man　and　an　animal；　so　that　the　welfare　of　the　one　depends　on　the　welfare　of　the　other；　and　when　the　animal　dies　the　man　dies　also。　The　analogy　between　the　custom　and　the　tales　is　all　the　closer　because　in　both　of　them　the　power　of　thus　removing　the　soul　from　the　body　and　stowing　it　away　in　an　animal　is　often　a　special　privilege　of　wizards　and　witches。　Thus　the　Yakuts　of　Siberia　believe　that　every　shaman　or　wizard　keeps　his　soul；　or　one　of　his　souls；　incarnate　in　an　animal　which　is　carefully　concealed　from　all　the　world。　Nobody　can　find　my　external　soul；　said　one　famous　wizard；　it　lies　hidden　far　away　in　the　stony　mountains　of　Edzhigansk。　Only　once　a　year；　when　the　last　snows　melt　and　the　earth　turns　black；　do　these　external　souls　of　wizards　appear　in　the　shape　of　animals　among　the　dwellings　of　men。　They　wander　everywhere；　yet　none　but　wizards　can　see　them。　The　strong　ones　sweep　roaring　and　noisily　along；　the　weak　steal　about　quietly　and　furtively。　Often　they　fight；　and　then　the　wizard　whose　external　soul　is　beaten；　falls　ill　or　dies。　The　weakest　and　most　cowardly　wizards　are　they　whose　souls　are　incarnate　in　the　shape　of　dogs；　for　the　dog　gives　his　human　double　no　peace；　but　gnaws　his　heart　and　tears　his　body。　The　most　powerful　wizards　are　they　whose　external　souls　have　the　shape　of　stallions；　elks；　black　bears；　eagles；　or　boars。　Again；　the　Samoyeds　of　the　Turukhinsk　region　hold　that　every　shaman　has　a　familiar　spirit　in　the　shape　of　a　boar；　which　he　leads　about　by　a　magic　belt。　On　the　death　of　the　boar　the　shaman　himself　dies；　and　stories　are　told　of　battles　between　wizards；　who　send　their　spirits　to　fight　before　they　encounter　each　other　in　person。　The　Malays　believe　that　the　soul　of　a　person　may　pass　into　another　person　or　into　an　animal；　or　rather　that　such　a　mysterious　relation　can　arise　between　the　two　that　the　fate　of　the　one　is　wholly　dependent　on　that　of　the　other。

Among　the　Melanesians　of　Mota；　one　of　the　New　Hebrides　islands；　the　conception　of　an　external　soul　is　carried　out　in　the　practice　of　daily　life。　In　the　Mota　language　the　word　tamaniu　signifies　something　animate　or　inanimate　which　a　man　has　come　to　believe　to　have　an　existence　intimately　connected　with　his　own　。　It　was　not　every　one　in　Mota　who　had　his　tamaniu；　only　some　men　fancied　that　they　had　this　relation　to　a　lizard；　a　snake；　or　it　might　be　a　stone；　sometimes　the　thing　was　sought　for　and　found　by　drinking　the　infusion　of　certain　leaves　and　heaping　together　the　dregs；　then　whatever　living　thing　was　first　seen　in　or　upon　the　heap　was　the　tamaniu。　It　was　watched　but　not　fed　or　worshipped；　the　natives　believed　that　it　came　at　call；　and　that　the　life　of　the　man　was　bound　up　with　the　life　of　his　tamaniu；　if　a　living　thing；　or　with　its　safety；　should　it　die；　or　if　not　living　get　broken　or　be　lost；　the　man　would　die。　Hence　in　case　of　sickness　they　would　send　to　see　if　the　tamaniu　was　safe　and　well。

The　theory　of　an　external　soul　deposited　in　an　animal　appears　to　be　very　prevalent　in　West　Africa；　particularly　in　Nigeria；　the　Cameroons；　and　the　Gaboon。　Among　the　Fans　of　the　Gaboon　every　wizard　is　believed　at　initiation　to　unite　his　life　with　that　of　some　particular　wild　animal　by　a　rite　of　blood…brotherhood；　he　draws　blood　from　the　ear　of　the　animal　and　from　his　own　arm；　and　inoculates　the　animal　with　his　own　blood；　and　himself　with　the　blood　of　the　beast。　Henceforth　such　an　intimate　union　is　established　between　the　two　that　the　death　of　the　one　entails　the　death　of　the　other。　The　alliance　is　thought　to　bring　to　the　wizard　or　sorcerer　a　great　accession　of　power；　which　he　can　turn　to　his　advantage　in　various　ways。　In　the　first　place；　like　the　warlock　in　the　fairy　tales　who　has　deposited　his　life　outside　of　himself　in　some　safe　place；　the　Fan　wizard　now　deems　himself　invulnerable。　Moreover；　the　animal　with　which　he　has　exchanged　blood　has　become　his　familiar；　and　will　obey　any　orders　he　may　choose　to　give　it；　so　he　makes　use　of　it　to　injure　and　kill　his　enemies。　For　that　reason　the　creature　with　whom　he　establishes　the　relation　of　blood…brotherhood　is　never　a　tame　or　domestic　animal；　but　always　a　ferocious　and　dangerous　wild　beast；　such　as　a　leopard；　a　black　serpent；　a　crocodile；　a　hippopotamus；　a　wild　boar；　or　a　vulture。　Of　all　these　creatures　the　leopard　is　by　far　the　commonest　familiar　of　Fan　wizards；　and　next　to　it　comes　the　black　serpent；　the　vulture　is　the　rarest。　Witches　as　well　as　wizards　have　their　familiars；　but　the　animals　with　which　the　lives　of　women　are　thus　bound　up　generally　differ　from　those　to　which　men　commit　their　external　souls。　A　witch　never　has　a　panther　for　her　familiar；　but　often　a　venomous　species　of　serpent；　sometimes　a　horned　viper；　sometimes　a　black　serpent；　sometimes　a　green　one　that　lives　in　banana…trees；　or　it　may　be　a　vulture；　an　owl；　or　other　bird　of　night。　In　every　case　the　beast　or　bird　with　which　the　witch　or　wizard　has　contracted　this　mystic　alliance　is　an　individual；　never　a　species；　and　when　the　individual　animal　dies　the　alliance　is　naturally　at　an　end；　since　the　death　of　the　animal　is　supposed　to　entail　the　death　of　the　man。

Similar　beliefs　are　held　by　the　natives　of　the　Cross　River　valley　within　the　provinces　of　the　Cameroons。　Groups　of　people；　generally　the　inhabitants　of　a　village；　have　chosen　various　animals；　with　which　they　believe　themselves　to　stand　on　a　footing　of　intimate　friendship　or　relationship。　Amongst　such　animals　are　hippopotamuses；　elephants；　leopards；　crocodiles；　gorillas；　fish；　and　serpents；　all　of　them　creatures　which　are　either　very　strong　or　can　easily　hide　themselves　in　the　water　or　a　thicket。　This　power　of　concealing　themselves　is　said　to　be　an　indispensable　condition　of　the　choice　of　animal　familiars；　since　the　animal　friend　or　helper　is　expected　to　injure　his　owner's　enemy　by　stealth；　for　example；　if　he　is　a　hippopotamus；　he　will　bob　up　suddenly　out　of　the　water　and　capsize　the　enemy's　canoe。　Between　the　animals　and　their　human　friends　or　kinsfolk　such　a　sympathetic　relation　is　supposed　to　exist　that　the　moment　the　animal　dies　the　man　dies　also；　and　similarly　the　instant　the　man　perishes　so　does　the　beast。　》From　this　it　follows　that　the　animal　kinsfolk　may　never　be　shot　at　or　molested　for　fear　of　injuring　or　killing　the　persons　whose　lives　are　knit　up　with　the　lives　of　the　brutes。　This　does　not；　however；