the golden bough-第35章

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t　the　holy　stones　and　sticks　（churinga）　with　which　the　souls　of　all　the　people；　both　living　and　dead；　are　apparently　supposed　to　be　in　a　manner　bound　up。　Thus　while　the　headmen　have　certainly　to　perform　what　we　should　call　civil　duties；　such　as　to　inflict　punishment　for　breaches　of　tribal　custom；　their　principal　functions　are　sacred　or　magical。

When　we　pass　from　Australia　to　New　Guinea　we　find　that；　though　the　natives　stand　at　a　far　higher　level　of　culture　than　the　Australian　aborigines；　the　constitution　of　society　among　them　is　still　essentially　democratic　or　oligarchic；　and　chieftainship　exists　only　in　embryo。　Thus　Sir　William　MacGregor　tells　us　that　in　British　New　Guinea　no　one　has　ever　arisen　wise　enough；　bold　enough；　and　strong　enough　to　become　the　despot　even　of　a　single　district。　The　nearest　approach　to　this　has　been　the　very　distant　one　of　some　person　becoming　a　renowned　wizard；　but　that　has　only　resulted　in　levying　a　certain　amount　of　blackmail。

According　to　a　native　account；　the　origin　of　the　power　of　Melanesian　chiefs　lies　entirely　in　the　belief　that　they　have　communication　with　mighty　ghosts；　and　wield　that　supernatural　power　whereby　they　can　bring　the　influence　of　the　ghosts　to　bear。　If　a　chief　imposed　a　fine；　it　was　paid　because　the　people　universally　dreaded　his　ghostly　power；　and　firmly　believed　that　he　could　inflict　calamity　and　sickness　upon　such　as　resisted　him。　As　soon　as　any　considerable　number　of　his　people　began　to　disbelieve　in　his　influence　with　the　ghosts；　his　power　to　levy　fines　was　shaken。　Again；　Dr。　George　Brown　tells　us　that　in　New　Britain　a　ruling　chief　was　always　supposed　to　exercise　priestly　functions；　that　is；　he　professed　to　be　in　constant　communication　with　the　tebarans　（spirits）；　and　through　their　influence　he　was　enabled　to　bring　rain　or　sunshine；　fair　winds　or　foul　ones；　sickness　or　health；　success　or　disaster　in　war；　and　generally　to　procure　any　blessing　or　curse　for　which　the　applicant　was　willing　to　pay　a　sufficient　price。

Still　rising　in　the　scale　of　culture　we　come　to　Africa；　where　both　the　chieftainship　and　the　kingship　are　fully　developed；　and　here　the　evidence　for　the　evolution　of　the　chief　out　of　the　magician；　and　especially　out　of　the　rain…maker；　is　comparatively　plentiful。　Thus　among　the　Wambugwe；　a　Bantu　people　of　East　Africa；　the　original　form　of　government　was　a　family　republic；　but　the　enormous　power　of　the　sorcerers；　transmitted　by　inheritance；　soon　raised　them　to　the　rank　of　petty　lords　or　chiefs。　Of　the　three　chiefs　living　in　the　country　in　1894　two　were　much　dreaded　as　magicians；　and　the　wealth　of　cattle　they　possessed　came　to　them　almost　wholly　in　the　shape　of　presents　bestowed　for　their　services　in　that　capacity。　Their　principal　art　was　that　of　rain…making。　The　chiefs　of　the　Wataturu；　another　people　of　East　Africa；　are　said　to　be　nothing　but　sorcerers　destitute　of　any　direct　political　influence。　Again；　among　the　Wagogo　of　East　Africa　the　main　power　of　the　chiefs；　we　are　told；　is　derived　from　their　art　of　rain…making。　If　a　chief　cannot　make　rain　himself；　he　must　procure　it　from　some　one　who　can。

Again；　among　the　tribes　of　the　Upper　Nile　the　medicine…men　are　generally　the　chiefs。　Their　authority　rests　above　all　upon　their　supposed　power　of　making　rain；　for　rain　is　the　one　thing　which　matters　to　the　people　in　those　districts；　as　if　it　does　not　come　down　at　the　right　time　it　means　untold　hardships　for　the　community。　It　is　therefore　small　wonder　that　men　more　cunning　than　their　fellows　should　arrogate　to　themselves　the　power　of　producing　it；　or　that　having　gained　such　a　reputation；　they　should　trade　on　the　credulity　of　their　simpler　neighbours。　Hence　most　of　the　chiefs　of　these　tribes　are　rain…makers；　and　enjoy　a　popularity　in　proportion　to　their　powers　to　give　rain　to　their　people　at　the　proper　season　。　Rain…making　chiefs　always　build　their　villages　on　the　slopes　of　a　fairly　high　hill；　as　they　no　doubt　know　that　the　hills　attract　the　clouds；　and　that　they　are；　therefore；　fairly　safe　in　their　weather　forecasts。　Each　of　these　rain…makers　has　a　number　of　rain…stones；　such　as　rock…crystal；　aventurine；　and　amethyst；　which　he　keeps　in　a　pot。　When　he　wishes　to　produce　rain　he　plunges　the　stones　in　water；　and　taking　in　his　hand　a　peeled　cane；　which　is　split　at　the　top；　he　beckons　with　it　to　the　clouds　to　come　or　waves　them　away　in　the　way　they　should　go；　muttering　an　incantation　the　while。　Or　he　pours　water　and　the　entrails　of　a　sheep　or　goat　into　a　hollow　in　a　stone　and　then　sprinkles　the　water　towards　the　sky。　Though　the　chief　acquires　wealth　by　the　exercise　of　his　supposed　magical　powers；　he　often；　perhaps　generally；　comes　to　a　violent　end；　for　in　time　of　drought　the　angry　people　assemble　and　kill　him；　believing　that　it　is　he　who　prevents　the　rain　from　falling。　Yet　the　office　is　usually　hereditary　and　passes　from　father　to　son。　Among　the　tribes　which　cherish　these　beliefs　and　observe　these　customs　are　the　Latuka；　Bari；　Laluba；　and　Lokoiya。


In　Central　Africa；　again；　the　Lendu　tribe；　to　the　west　of　Lake　Albert；　firmly　believe　that　certain　people　possess　the　power　of　making　rain。　Among　them　the　rain…maker　either　is　a　chief　or　almost　invariably　becomes　one。　The　Banyoro　also　have　a　great　respect　for　the　dispensers　of　rain；　whom　they　load　with　a　profusion　of　gifts。　The　great　dispenser；　he　who　has　absolute　and　uncontrollable　power　over　the　rain；　is　the　king；　but　he　can　depute　his　power　to　other　persons；　so　that　the　benefit　may　be　distributed　and　the　heavenly　water　laid　on　over　the　various　parts　of　the　kingdom。

In　Western　as　well　as　in　Eastern　and　Central　Africa　we　meet　with　the　same　union　of　chiefly　with　magical　functions。　Thus　in　the　Fan　tribe　the　strict　distinction　between　chief　and　medicine…man　does　not　exist。　The　chief　is　also　a　medicine…man　and　a　smith　to　boot；　for　the　Fans　esteem　the　smith's　craft　sacred；　and　none　but　chiefs　may　meddle　with　it。

As　to　the　relation　between　the　offices　of　chief　and　rain…maker　in　South　Africa　a　well…informed　writer　observes：　In　very　old　days　the　chief　was　the　great　Rain…maker　of　the　tribe。　Some　chiefs　allowed　no　one　else　to　compete　with　them；　lest　a　successful　Rain…maker　should　be　chosen　as　chief。　There　was　also　another　reason：　the　Rain…maker　was　sure　to　become　a　rich　man　if　he　gained　a　great　reputation；　and　it　would　manifestly　never　do　for　the　chief　to　allow　any　one　to　be　too　rich。　The　Rain…maker　exerts　tremendous　control　over　the　people；　and　so　it　would　be　most　important　to　keep　this　function　connected　with　royalty。　Tradition　always　places　the　power　of　making　rain　as　the　fundamental　glory　of　ancient　chiefs　and　heroes；　and　it　seems　probable　that　it　may　have　been　the　origin　of　chieftainship。　The　man　who　made　the　rain　would　naturally　become　the　chief。　In　the　same　way　Chaka　＇the　famous　Zulu　despot＇　used　to　declare　that　he　was　the　only　diviner　in　the　country；　for　if　he　allowed　rivals　his　life　would　be　insecure。　Similarly　speaking　of　the　South　African　tribes　in　general；　Dr。　Moffat　says　that　the　rain…maker　is　in　the　estimation　of　the　people　no　mean　personage；　possessing　an　influence　over　the　minds　of　the　people　superior　even　to　that　of　the　king；　who　is　likewise　compelled　to　yield　to　the　dictates　of　this　arch…official。

The　foregoing　evidence　renders　it　probable　that　in　Africa　the　king　has　often　been　developed　out　of　the　public　magician；　and　especially　out　of　the　rain…maker。　The　unbounded　fear　which　the　magician　inspires　and　the　wealth　which　he　amasses　in　the　exercise　of　his　profession　may　both　be　supposed　to　have　contributed　to　his　promotion。　But　if　the　career　of　a　magician　and　especially　of　a　rain…maker　offers　great　rewards　to　the　successful　practitioner　of　the　art；　it　is　beset　with　many　pitfalls　into　which　the　unskilful　or　unlucky　artist　may　fall。　The　position　of　the　public　sorcerer　is　indeed　a　very　precarious　one；　for　where　the　people　firmly　believe　that　he　has　it　in　his　power　to　make　the　rain　to　fall；　the　sun　to　shine；　and　the　fruits　of　the　earth　to　grow；　they　naturally　impute　drought　and　dearth　to　his　culpable　negligence　or　wilful　obstinacy；　and　they　punish　him　accordingly。　Hence　in　Africa　the　chief　who　fails　to　procure　rain　is　often　exiled　or　killed。　Thus；　in　some　parts　of　West　Africa；　when　prayers　and　offerings　presented　to　the　k