the golden bough-第70章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　place　where　one　was　burned；　he　might　not　see　work　being　done　on　holy　days；　he　might　not　be　uncovered　in　the　open　air；　if　a　man　in　bonds　were　taken　into　his　house；　the　captive　had　to　be　unbound　and　the　cords　had　to　be　drawn　up　through　a　hole　in　the　roof　and　so　let　down　into　the　street。　His　wife；　the　Flaminica；　had　to　observe　nearly　the　same　rules；　and　others　of　her　own　besides。　She　might　not　ascend　more　than　three　steps　of　the　kind　of　staircase　called　Greek；　at　a　certain　festival　she　might　not　comb　her　hair；　the　leather　of　her　shoes　might　not　be　made　from　a　beast　that　had　died　a　natural　death；　but　only　from　one　that　had　been　slain　or　sacrificed；　if　she　heard　thunder　she　was　tabooed　till　she　had　offered　an　expiatory　sacrifice。

Among　the　Grebo　people　of　Sierra　Leone　there　is　a　pontiff　who　bears　the　title　of　Bodia　and　has　been　compared；　on　somewhat　slender　grounds；　to　the　high　priest　of　the　Jews。　He　is　appointed　in　accordance　with　the　behest　of　an　oracle。　At　an　elaborate　ceremony　of　installation　he　is　anointed；　a　ring　is　put　on　his　ankle　as　a　badge　of　office；　and　the　door…posts　of　his　house　are　sprinkled　with　the　blood　of　a　sacrificed　goat。　He　has　charge　of　the　public　talismans　and　idols；　which　he　feeds　with　rice　and　oil　every　new　moon；　and　he　sacrifices　on　behalf　of　the　town　to　the　dead　and　to　demons。　Nominally　his　power　is　very　great；　but　in　practice　it　is　very　limited；　for　he　dare　not　defy　public　opinion；　and　he　is　held　responsible；　even　with　his　life；　for　any　adversity　that　befalls　the　country。　It　is　expected　of　him　that　he　should　cause　the　earth　to　bring　forth　abundantly；　the　people　to　be　healthy；　war　to　be　driven　far　away；　and　witchcraft　to　be　kept　in　abeyance。　His　life　is　trammelled　by　the　observance　of　certain　restrictions　or　taboos。　Thus　he　may　not　sleep　in　any　house　but　his　own　official　residence；　which　is　called　the　anointed　house　with　reference　to　the　ceremony　of　anointing　him　at　inauguration。　He　may　not　drink　water　on　the　highway。　He　may　not　eat　while　a　corpse　is　in　the　town；　and　he　may　not　mourn　for　the　dead。　If　he　dies　while　in　office；　he　must　be　buried　at　dead　of　night；　few　may　hear　of　his　burial；　and　none　may　mourn　for　him　when　his　death　is　made　public。　Should　he　have　fallen　a　victim　to　the　poison　ordeal　by　drinking　a　decoction　of　sassywood；　as　it　is　called；　he　must　be　buried　under　a　running　stream　of　water。

Among　the　Todas　of　Southern　India　the　holy　milkman；　who　acts　as　priest　of　the　sacred　dairy；　is　subject　to　a　variety　of　irksome　and　burdensome　restrictions　during　the　whole　time　of　his　incumbency；　which　may　last　many　years。　Thus　he　must　live　at　the　sacred　dairy　and　may　never　visit　his　home　or　any　ordinary　village。　He　must　be　celibate；　if　he　is　married　he　must　leave　his　wife。　On　no　account　may　any　ordinary　person　touch　the　holy　milkman　or　the　holy　dairy；　such　a　touch　would　so　defile　his　holiness　that　he　would　forfeit　his　office。　It　is　only　on　two　days　a　week；　namely　Mondays　and　Thursdays；　that　a　mere　layman　may　even　approach　the　milkman；　on　other　days　if　he　has　any　business　with　him；　he　must　stand　at　a　distance　（some　say　a　quarter　of　a　mile）　and　shout　his　message　across　the　intervening　space。　Further；　the　holy　milkman　never　cuts　his　hair　or　pares　his　nails　so　long　as　he　holds　office；　he　never　crosses　a　river　by　a　bridge；　but　wades　through　a　ford　and　only　certain　fords；　if　a　death　occurs　in　his　clan；　he　may　not　attend　any　of　the　funeral　ceremonies；　unless　he　first　resigns　his　office　and　descends　from　the　exalted　rank　of　milkman　to　that　of　a　mere　common　mortal。　Indeed　it　appears　that　in　old　days　he　had　to　resign　the　seals；　or　rather　the　pails；　of　office　whenever　any　member　of　his　clan　departed　this　life。　However；　these　heavy　restraints　are　laid　in　their　entirety　only　on　milkmen　of　the　very　highest　class。

2。　Divorce　of　the　Spiritual　from　the　Temporal　Power

THE　BURDENSOME　observances　attached　to　the　royal　or　priestly　office　produced　their　natural　effect。　Either　men　refused　to　accept　the　office；　which　hence　tended　to　fall　into　abeyance；　or　accepting　it；　they　sank　under　its　weight　into　spiritless　creatures；　cloistered　recluses；　from　whose　nerveless　fingers　the　reins　of　government　slipped　into　the　firmer　grasp　of　men　who　were　often　content　to　wield　the　reality　of　sovereignty　without　its　name。　In　some　countries　this　rift　in　the　supreme　power　deepened　into　a　total　and　permanent　separation　of　the　spiritual　and　temporal　powers；　the　old　royal　house　retaining　their　purely　religious　functions；　while　the　civil　government　passed　into　the　hands　of　a　younger　and　more　vigorous　race。

To　take　examples。　In　a　previous　part　of　this　work　we　saw　that　in　Cambodia　it　is　often　necessary　to　force　the　kingships　of　Fire　and　Water　upon　the　reluctant　successors；　and　that　in　Savage　Island　the　monarchy　actually　came　to　an　end　because　at　last　no　one　could　be　induced　to　accept　the　dangerous　distinction。　In　some　parts　of　West　Africa；　when　the　king　dies；　a　family　council　is　secretly　held　to　determine　his　successor。　He　on　whom　the　choice　falls　is　suddenly　seized；　bound；　and　thrown　into　the　fetish…house；　where　he　is　kept　in　durance　till　he　consents　to　accept　the　crown。　Sometimes　the　heir　finds　means　of　evading　the　honour　which　it　is　sought　to　thrust　upon　him；　a　ferocious　chief　has　been　known　to　go　about　constantly　armed；　resolute　to　resist　by　force　any　attempt　to　set　him　on　the　throne。　The　savage　Timmes　of　Sierra　Leone；　who　elect　their　king；　reserve　to　themselves　the　right　of　beating　him　on　the　eve　of　his　coronation；　and　they　avail　themselves　of　this　constitutional　privilege　with　such　hearty　goodwill　that　sometimes　the　unhappy　monarch　does　not　long　survive　his　elevation　to　the　throne。　Hence　when　the　leading　chiefs　have　a　spite　at　a　man　and　wish　to　rid　themselves　of　him；　they　elect　him　king。　Formerly；　before　a　man　was　proclaimed　king　of　Sierra　Leone；　it　used　to　be　the　custom　to　load　him　with　chains　and　thrash　him。　Then　the　fetters　were　knocked　off；　the　kingly　robe　was　placed　on　him；　and　he　received　in　his　hands　the　symbol　of　royal　dignity；　which　was　nothing　but　the　axe　of　the　executioner。　It　is　not　therefore　surprising　to　read　that　in　Sierra　Leone；　where　such　customs　have　prevailed；　〃except　among　the　Mandingoes　and　Suzees；　few　kings　are　natives　of　the　countries　they　govern。　So　different　are　their　ideas　from　ours；　that　very　few　are　solicitous　of　the　honour；　and　competition　is　very　seldom　heard　of。〃

The　Mikados　of　Japan　seem　early　to　have　resorted　to　the　expedient　of　transferring　the　honours　and　burdens　of　supreme　power　to　their　infant　children；　and　the　rise　of　the　Tycoons；　long　the　temporal　sovereigns　of　the　country；　is　traced　to　the　abdication　of　a　certain　Mikado　in　favour　of　his　three…year…old　son。　The　sovereignty　having　been　wrested　by　a　usurper　from　the　infant　prince；　the　cause　of　the　Mikado　was　championed　by　Yoritomo；　a　man　of　spirit　and　conduct；　who　overthrew　the　usurper　and　restored　to　the　Mikado　the　shadow；　while　he　retained　for　himself　the　substance；　of　power。　He　bequeathed　to　his　descendants　the　dignity　he　had　won；　and　thus　became　the　founder　of　the　line　of　Tycoons。　Down　to　the　latter　half　of　the　sixteenth　century　the　Tycoons　were　active　and　efficient　rulers；　but　the　same　fate　overtook　them　which　had　befallen　the　Mikados。　Immeshed　in　the　same　inextricable　web　of　custom　and　law；　they　degenerated　into　mere　puppets；　hardly　stirring　from　their　palaces　and　occupied　in　a　perpetual　round　of　empty　ceremonies；　while　the　real　business　of　government　was　managed　by　the　council　of　state。　In　Tonquin　the　monarchy　ran　a　similar　course。　Living　like　his　predecessors　in　effeminacy　and　sloth；　the　king　was　driven　from　the　throne　by　an　ambitious　adventurer　named　Mack；　who　from　a　fisherman　had　risen　to　be　Grand　Mandarin。　But　the　king's　brother　Tring　put　down　the　usurper　and　restored　the　king；　retaining；　however；　for　himself　and　his　descendants　the　dignity　of　general　of　all　the　forces。　Thenceforward　the　kings；　though　invested　with　the　title　and　pomp　of　sovereignty；　ceased　to　govern。　While　they　lived　secluded　in　their　palaces；　all　real　political　power　was　wielded　by　the　hereditary　generals。

In　Mangaia；　a　Polynesian　island；　religious　and　civil　authority　were　lodged　in　separate　hands；　spiritual　functions　being　discharged　by　a　line　of　hereditary　kings；　while