the golden bough-第76章

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w　his　soul　out　from　him；　so　that　he　will　die。　Such　stones；　therefore；　are　set　in　a　house　to　guard　it；　and　a　messenger　sent　to　a　house　by　the　absent　owner　will　call　out　the　name　of　the　sender；　lest　the　watchful　ghost　in　the　stone　should　fancy　that　he　came　with　evil　intent　and　should　do　him　a　mischief。　At　a　funeral　in　China；　when　the　lid　is　about　to　be　placed　on　the　coffin；　most　of　the　bystanders；　with　the　exception　of　the　nearest　kin；　retire　a　few　steps　or　even　retreat　to　another　room；　for　a　person's　health　is　believed　to　be　endangered　by　allowing　his　shadow　to　be　enclosed　in　a　coffin。　And　when　the　coffin　is　about　to　be　lowered　into　the　grave　most　of　the　spectators　recoil　to　a　little　distance　lest　their　shadows　should　fall　into　the　grave　and　harm　should　thus　be　done　to　their　persons。　The　geomancer　and　his　assistants　stand　on　the　side　of　the　grave　which　is　turned　away　from　the　sun；　and　the　grave…diggers　and　coffin…bearers　attach　their　shadows　firmly　to　their　persons　by　tying　a　strip　of　cloth　tightly　round　their　waists。　Nor　is　it　human　beings　alone　who　are　thus　liable　to　be　injured　by　means　of　their　shadows。　Animals　are　to　some　extent　in　the　same　predicament。　A　small　snail；　which　frequents　the　neighbourhood　of　the　limestone　hills　in　Perak；　is　believed　to　suck　the　blood　of　cattle　through　their　shadows；　hence　the　beasts　grow　lean　and　sometimes　die　from　loss　of　blood。　The　ancients　supposed　that　in　Arabia；　if　a　hyaena　trod　on　a　man's　shadow；　it　deprived　him　of　the　power　of　speech　and　motion；　and　that　if　a　dog；　standing　on　a　roof　in　the　moonlight；　cast　a　shadow　on　the　ground　and　a　hyaena　trod　on　it；　the　dog　would　fall　down　as　if　dragged　with　a　rope。　Clearly　in　these　cases　the　shadow；　if　not　equivalent　to　the　soul；　is　at　least　regarded　as　a　living　part　of　the　man　or　the　animal；　so　that　injury　done　to　the　shadow　is　felt　by　the　person　or　animal　as　if　it　were　done　to　his　body。

Conversely；　if　the　shadow　is　a　vital　part　of　a　man　or　an　animal；　it　may　under　certain　circumstances　be　as　hazardous　to　be　touched　by　it　as　it　would　be　to　come　into　contact　with　the　person　or　animal。　Hence　the　savage　makes　it　a　rule　to　shun　the　shadow　of　certain　persons　whom　for　various　reasons　he　regards　as　sources　of　dangerous　influence。　Amongst　the　dangerous　classes　he　commonly　ranks　mourners　and　women　in　general；　but　especially　his　mother…in…law。　The　Shuswap　Indians　think　that　the　shadow　of　a　mourner　falling　upon　a　person　would　make　him　sick。　Amongst　the　Kurnai　of　Victoria　novices　at　initiation　were　cautioned　not　to　let　a　woman's　shadow　fall　across　them；　as　this　would　make　them　thin；　lazy；　and　stupid。　An　Australian　native　is　said　to　have　once　nearly　died　of　fright　because　the　shadow　of　his　mother…in…law　fell　on　his　legs　as　he　lay　asleep　under　a　tree。　The　awe　and　dread　with　which　the　untutored　savage　contemplates　his　mother…in…law　are　amongst　the　most　familiar　facts　of　anthropology。　In　the　Yuin　tribes　of　New　South　Wales　the　rule　which　forbade　a　man　to　hold　any　communication　with　his　wife's　mother　was　very　strict。　He　might　not　look　at　her　or　even　in　her　direction。　It　was　a　ground　of　divorce　if　his　shadow　happened　to　fall　on　his　mother…in…law：　in　that　case　he　had　to　leave　his　wife；　and　she　returned　to　her　parents。　In　New　Britain　the　native　imagination　fails　to　conceive　the　extent　and　nature　of　the　calamities　which　would　result　from　a　man's　accidentally　speaking　to　his　wife's　mother；　suicide　of　one　or　both　would　probably　be　the　only　course　open　to　them。　The　most　solemn　form　of　oath　a　New　Briton　can　take　is；　Sir；　if　I　am　not　telling　the　truth；　I　hope　I　may　shake　hands　with　my　mother…in…law。

Where　the　shadow　is　regarded　as　so　intimately　bound　up　with　the　life　of　the　man　that　its　loss　entails　debility　or　death；　it　is　natural　to　expect　that　its　diminution　should　be　regarded　with　solicitude　and　apprehension；　as　betokening　a　corresponding　decrease　in　the　vital　energy　of　its　owner。　In　Amboyna　and　Uliase；　two　islands　near　the　equator；　where　necessarily　there　is　little　or　no　shadow　cast　at　noon；　the　people　make　it　a　rule　not　to　go　out　of　the　house　at　mid…day；　because　they　fancy　that　by　doing　so　a　man　may　lose　the　shadow　of　his　soul。　The　Mangaians　tell　of　a　mighty　warrior；　Tukaitawa；　whose　strength　waxed　and　waned　with　the　length　of　his　shadow。　In　the　morning；　when　his　shadow　fell　longest；　his　strength　was　greatest；　but　as　the　shadow　shortened　towards　noon　his　strength　ebbed　with　it；　till　exactly　at　noon　it　reached　its　lowest　point；　then；　as　the　shadow　stretched　out　in　the　afternoon；　his　strength　returned。　A　certain　hero　discovered　the　secret　of　Tukaitawa's　strength　and　slew　him　at　noon。　The　savage　Besisis　of　the　Malay　Peninsula　fear　to　bury　their　dead　at　noon；　because　they　fancy　that　the　shortness　of　their　shadows　at　that　hour　would　sympathetically　shorten　their　own　lives。

Nowhere；　perhaps；　does　the　equivalence　of　the　shadow　to　the　life　or　soul　come　out　more　clearly　than　in　some　customs　practised　to　this　day　in　South…eastern　Europe。　In　modern　Greece；　when　the　foundation　of　a　new　building　is　being　laid；　it　is　the　custom　to　kill　a　cock；　a　ram；　or　a　lamb；　and　to　let　its　blood　flow　on　the　foundation…stone；　under　which　the　animal　is　afterwards　buried。　The　object　of　the　sacrifice　is　to　give　strength　and　stability　to　the　building。　But　sometimes；　instead　of　killing　an　animal；　the　builder　entices　a　man　to　the　foundation…stone；　secretly　measures　his　body；　or　a　part　of　it；　or　his　shadow；　and　buries　the　measure　under　the　foundation…stone；　or　he　lays　the　foundation…stone　upon　the　man's　shadow。　It　is　believed　that　the　man　will　die　within　the　year。　The　Roumanians　of　Transylvania　think　that　he　whose　shadow　is　thus　immured　will　die　within　forty　days；　so　persons　passing　by　a　building　which　is　in　course　of　erection　may　hear　a　warning　cry；　Beware　lest　they　take　thy　shadow！　Not　long　ago　there　were　still　shadow…traders　whose　business　it　was　to　provide　architects　with　the　shadows　necessary　for　securing　their　walls。　In　these　cases　the　measure　of　the　shadow　is　looked　on　as　equivalent　to　the　shadow　itself；　and　to　bury　it　is　to　bury　the　life　or　soul　of　the　man；　who；　deprived　of　it；　must　die。　Thus　the　custom　is　a　substitute　for　the　old　practice　of　immuring　a　living　person　in　the　walls；　or　crushing　him　under　the　foundation…stone　of　a　new　building；　in　order　to　give　strength　and　durability　to　the　structure；　or　more　definitely　in　order　that　the　angry　ghost　may　haunt　the　place　and　guard　it　against　the　intrusion　of　enemies。

As　some　peoples　believe　a　man's　soul　to　be　in　his　shadow；　so　other　（or　the　same）　peoples　believe　it　to　be　in　his　reflection　in　water　or　a　mirror。　Thus　the　Andamanese　do　not　regard　their　shadows　but　their　reflections　（in　any　mirror）　as　their　souls。　When　the　Motumotu　of　New　Guinea　first　saw　their　likenesses　in　a　looking…glass；　they　thought　that　their　reflections　were　their　souls。　In　New　Caledonia　the　old　men　are　of　opinion　that　a　person's　reflection　in　water　or　a　mirror　is　his　soul；　but　the　younger　men；　taught　by　the　Catholic　priests；　maintain　that　it　is　a　reflection　and　nothing　more；　just　like　the　reflection　of　palm…trees　in　the　water。　The　reflection…soul；　being　external　to　the　man；　is　exposed　to　much　the　same　dangers　as　the　shadow…soul。　The　Zulus　will　not　look　into　a　dark　pool　because　they　think　there　is　a　beast　in　it　which　will　take　away　their　reflections；　so　that　they　die。　The　Basutos　say　that　crocodiles　have　the　power　of　thus　killing　a　man　by　dragging　his　reflection　under　water。　When　one　of　them　dies　suddenly　and　from　no　apparent　cause；　his　relatives　will　allege　that　a　crocodile　must　have　taken　his　shadow　some　time　when　he　crossed　a　stream。　In　Saddle　Island；　Melanesia；　there　is　a　pool　into　which　if　any　one　looks　he　dies；　the　malignant　spirit　takes　hold　upon　his　life　by　means　of　his　reflection　on　the　water。

We　can　now　understand　why　it　was　a　maxim　both　in　ancient　India　and　ancient　Greece　not　to　look　at　one's　reflection　in　water；　and　why　the　Greeks　regarded　it　as　an　omen　of　death　if　a　man　dreamed　of　seeing　himself　so　reflected。　They　feared　that　the　water…spirits　would　drag　the　person's　reflection　or　soul　under　water；　leaving　him　soulless　to　perish。　This　was　probably　the　origin　of　the　classical　story　of　the　beautiful　Narcissus；　who　languished　and　died　through　seeing　his　reflection　i