the golden bough-第39章

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t；　however；　always　leave　him　as　soon　as　the　communication　had　been　made。　Sometimes　the　same　taura；　or　priest；　continued　for　two　or　three　days　possessed　by　the　spirit　or　deity；　a　piece　of　a　native　cloth；　of　a　peculiar　kind；　worn　round　one　arm；　was　an　indication　of　inspiration；　or　of　the　indwelling　of　the　god　with　the　individual　who　wore　it。　The　acts　of　the　man　during　this　period　were　considered　as　those　of　the　god；　and　hence　the　greatest　attention　was　paid　to　his　expressions；　and　the　whole　of　his　deportment　。　When　uruhia　（under　the　inspiration　of　the　spirit）；　the　priest　was　always　considered　as　sacred　as　the　god；　and　was　called；　during　this　period；　atua；　god；　though　at　other　times　only　denominated　taura　or　priest。

But　examples　of　such　temporary　inspiration　are　so　common　in　every　part　of　the　world　and　are　now　so　familiar　through　books　on　ethnology　that　it　is　needless　to　multiply　illustrations　of　the　general　principle。　It　may　be　well；　however；　to　refer　to　two　particular　modes　of　producing　temporary　inspiration；　because　they　are　perhaps　less　known　than　some　others；　and　because　we　shall　have　occasion　to　refer　to　them　later　on。　One　of　these　modes　of　producing　inspiration　is　by　sucking　the　fresh　blood　of　a　sacrificed　victim。　In　the　temple　of　Apollo　Diradiotes　at　Argos；　a　lamb　was　sacrificed　by　night　once　a　month；　a　woman；　who　had　to　observe　a　rule　of　chastity；　tasted　the　blood　of　the　lamb；　and　thus　being　inspired　by　the　god　she　prophesied　or　divined。　At　Aegira　in　Achaia　the　priestess　of　Earth　drank　the　fresh　blood　of　a　bull　before　she　descended　into　the　cave　to　prophesy。　Similarly　among　the　Kuruvikkarans；　a　class　of　bird…catchers　and　beggars　in　Southern　India；　the　goddess　Kali　is　believed　to　descend　upon　the　priest；　and　he　gives　oracular　replies　after　sucking　the　blood　which　streams　from　the　cut　throat　of　a　goat。　At　a　festival　of　the　Alfoors　of　Minahassa；　in　Northern　Celebes；　after　a　pig　has　been　killed；　the　priest　rushes　furiously　at　it；　thrusts　his　head　into　the　carcase；　and　drinks　of　the　blood。　Then　he　is　dragged　away　from　it　by　force　and　set　on　a　chair；　whereupon　he　begins　to　prophesy　how　the　rice…crop　will　turn　out　that　year。　A　second　time　he　runs　at　the　carcase　and　drinks　of　the　blood；　a　second　time　he　is　forced　into　the　chair　and　continues　his　predictions。　It　is　thought　that　there　is　a　spirit　in　him　which　possesses　the　power　of　prophecy。

The　other　mode　of　producing　temporary　inspiration；　to　which　I　shall　here　refer；　consists　in　the　use　of　a　sacred　tree　or　plant。　Thus　in　the　Hindoo　Koosh　a　fire　is　kindled　with　twigs　of　the　sacred　cedar；　and　the　Dainyal　or　sibyl；　with　a　cloth　over　her　head；　inhales　the　thick　pungent　smoke　till　she　is　seized　with　convulsions　and　falls　senseless　to　the　ground。　Soon　she　rises　and　raises　a　shrill　chant；　which　is　caught　up　and　loudly　repeated　by　her　audience。　So　Apollo's　prophetess　ate　the　sacred　laurel　and　was　fumigated　with　it　before　she　prophesied。　The　Bacchanals　ate　ivy；　and　their　inspired　fury　was　by　some　believed　to　be　due　to　the　exciting　and　intoxicating　properties　of　the　plant。　In　Uganda　the　priest；　in　order　to　be　inspired　by　his　god；　smokes　a　pipe　of　tobacco　fiercely　till　he　works　himself　into　a　frenzy；　the　loud　excited　tones　in　which　he　then　talks　are　recognised　as　the　voice　of　the　god　speaking　through　him。　In　Madura；　an　island　off　the　north　coast　of　Java；　each　spirit　has　its　regular　medium；　who　is　oftener　a　woman　than　a　man。　To　prepare　herself　for　the　reception　of　the　spirit　she　inhales　the　fumes　of　incense；　sitting　with　her　head　over　a　smoking　censer。　Gradually　she　falls　into　a　sort　of　trance　accompanied　by　shrieks；　grimaces；　and　violent　spasms。　The　spirit　is　now　supposed　to　have　entered　into　her；　and　when　she　grows　calmer　her　words　are　regarded　as　oracular；　being　the　utterances　of　the　indwelling　spirit；　while　her　own　soul　is　temporarily　absent。

The　person　temporarily　inspired　is　believed　to　acquire；　not　merely　divine　knowledge；　but　also；　at　least　occasionally；　divine　power。　In　Cambodia；　when　an　epidemic　breaks　out；　the　inhabitants　of　several　villages　unite　and　go　with　a　band　of　music　at　their　head　to　look　for　the　man　whom　the　local　god　is　supposed　to　have　chosen　for　his　temporary　incarnation。　When　found；　the　man　is　conducted　to　the　altar　of　the　god；　where　the　mystery　of　incarnation　takes　place。　Then　the　man　becomes　an　object　of　veneration　to　his　fellows；　who　implore　him　to　protect　the　village　against　the　plague。　A　certain　image　of　Apollo；　which　stood　in　a　sacred　cave　at　Hylae　near　Magnesia；　was　thought　to　impart　superhuman　strength。　Sacred　men；　inspired　by　it；　leaped　down　precipices；　tore　up　huge　trees　by　the　roots；　and　carried　them　on　their　backs　along　the　narrowest　defiles。　The　feats　performed　by　inspired　dervishes　belong　to　the　same　class。

Thus　far　we　have　seen　that　the　savage；　failing　to　discern　the　limits　of　his　ability　to　control　nature；　ascribes　to　himself　and　to　all　men　certain　powers　which　we　should　now　call　supernatural。　Further；　we　have　seen　that；　over　and　above　this　general　supernaturalism；　some　persons　are　supposed　to　be　inspired　for　short　periods　by　a　divine　spirit；　and　thus　temporarily　to　enjoy　the　knowledge　and　power　of　the　indwelling　deity。　From　beliefs　like　these　it　is　an　easy　step　to　the　conviction　that　certain　men　are　permanently　possessed　by　a　deity；　or　in　some　other　undefined　way　are　endued　with　so　high　a　degree　of　supernatural　power　as　to　be　ranked　as　gods　and　to　receive　the　homage　of　prayer　and　sacrifice。　Sometimes　these　human　gods　are　restricted　to　purely　supernatural　or　spiritual　functions。　Sometimes　they　exercise　supreme　political　power　in　addition。　In　the　latter　case　they　are　kings　as　well　as　gods；　and　the　government　is　a　theocracy。　Thus　in　the　Marquesas　or　Washington　Islands　there　was　a　class　of　men　who　were　deified　in　their　lifetime。　They　were　supposed　to　wield　a　supernatural　power　over　the　elements：　they　could　give　abundant　harvests　or　smite　the　ground　with　barrenness；　and　they　could　inflict　disease　or　death。　Human　sacrifices　were　offered　to　them　to　avert　their　wrath。　There　were　not　many　of　them；　at　the　most　one　or　two　in　each　island。　They　lived　in　mystic　seclusion。　Their　powers　were　sometimes；　but　not　always；　hereditary。　A　missionary　has　described　one　of　these　human　gods　from　personal　observation。　The　god　was　a　very　old　man　who　lived　in　a　large　house　within　an　enclosure。　In　the　house　was　a　kind　of　altar；　and　on　the　beams　of　the　house　and　on　the　trees　round　it　were　hung　human　skeletons；　head　down。　No　one　entered　the　enclosure　except　the　persons　dedicated　to　the　service　of　the　god；　only　on　days　when　human　victims　were　sacrificed　might　ordinary　people　penetrate　into　the　precinct。　This　human　god　received　more　sacrifices　than　all　the　other　gods；　often　he　would　sit　on　a　sort　of　scaffold　in　front　of　his　house　and　call　for　two　or　three　human　victims　at　a　time。　They　were　always　brought；　for　the　terror　he　inspired　was　extreme。　He　was　invoked　all　over　the　island；　and　offerings　were　sent　to　him　from　every　side。　Again；　of　the　South　Sea　Islands　in　general　we　are　told　that　each　island　had　a　man　who　represented　or　personified　the　divinity。　Such　men　were　called　gods；　and　their　substance　was　confounded　with　that　of　the　deity。　The　man…god　was　sometimes　the　king　himself；　oftener　he　was　a　priest　or　subordinate　chief。

The　ancient　Egyptians；　far　from　restricting　their　adoration　to　cats　and　dogs　and　such　small　deer；　very　liberally　extended　it　to　men。　One　of　these　human　deities　resided　at　the　village　of　Anabis；　and　burnt　sacrifices　were　offered　to　him　on　the　altars；　after　which；　says　Porphyry；　he　would　eat　his　dinner　just　as　if　he　were　an　ordinary　mortal。　In　classical　antiquity　the　Sicilian　philosopher　Empedocles　gave　himself　out　to　be　not　merely　a　wizard　but　a　god。　Addressing　his　fellow…citizens　in　verse　he　said：

O　friends；　in　this　great　city　that　climbs　the　yellow　slope　Of　Agrigentum's　citadel；　who　make　good　works　your　scope；　Who　offer　to　the　stranger　a　haven　quiet　and　fair；　All　hail！　Among　you　honoured　I　walk　with　lofty　air。　With　garlands；　blooming　garlands　you　crown　my　noble　brow；　A　mortal　man　no　longer；　a　deathless　godhead　now。　Where　e'er　I　go；　the　people　crowd　round　and　worship　pay；　And　thousands　follow　seeking　to　learn　the　better　way。　Some　crave　prophetic　visions；