the golden bough-第77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！


　classical　story　of　the　beautiful　Narcissus；　who　languished　and　died　through　seeing　his　reflection　in　the　water。

Further；　we　can　now　explain　the　widespread　custom　of　covering　up　mirrors　or　turning　them　to　the　wall　after　a　death　has　taken　place　in　the　house。　It　is　feared　that　the　soul；　projected　out　of　the　person　in　the　shape　of　his　reflection　in　the　mirror；　may　be　carried　off　by　the　ghost　of　the　departed；　which　is　commonly　supposed　to　linger　about　the　house　till　the　burial。　The　custom　is　thus　exactly　parallel　to　the　Aru　custom　of　not　sleeping　in　a　house　after　a　death　for　fear　that　the　soul；　projected　out　of　the　body　in　a　dream；　may　meet　the　ghost　and　be　carried　off　by　it。　The　reason　why　sick　people　should　not　see　themselves　in　a　mirror；　and　why　the　mirror　in　a　sick…room　is　therefore　covered　up；　is　also　plain；　in　time　of　sickness；　when　the　soul　might　take　flight　so　easily；　it　is　particularly　dangerous　to　project　it　out　of　the　body　by　means　of　the　reflection　in　a　mirror。　The　rule　is　therefore　precisely　parallel　to　the　rule　observed　by　some　peoples　of　not　allowing　sick　people　to　sleep；　for　in　sleep　the　soul　is　projected　out　of　the　body；　and　there　is　always　a　risk　that　it　may　not　return。

As　with　shadows　and　reflections；　so　with　portraits；　they　are　often　believed　to　contain　the　soul　of　the　person　portrayed。　People　who　hold　this　belief　are　naturally　loth　to　have　their　likenesses　taken；　for　if　the　portrait　is　the　soul；　or　at　least　a　vital　part　of　the　person　portrayed；　whoever　possesses　the　portrait　will　be　able　to　exercise　a　fatal　influence　over　the　original　of　it。　Thus　the　Esquimaux　of　Bering　Strait　believe　that　persons　dealing　in　witchcraft　have　the　power　of　stealing　a　person's　shade；　so　that　without　it　he　will　pine　away　and　die。　Once　at　a　village　on　the　lower　Yukon　River　an　explorer　had　set　up　his　camera　to　get　a　picture　of　the　people　as　they　were　moving　about　among　their　houses。　While　he　was　focusing　the　instrument；　the　headman　of　the　village　came　up　and　insisted　on　peeping　under　the　cloth。　Being　allowed　to　do　so；　he　gazed　intently　for　a　minute　at　the　moving　figures　on　the　ground　glass；　then　suddenly　withdrew　his　head　and　bawled　at　the　top　of　his　voice　to　the　people；　He　has　all　of　your　shades　in　this　box。　A　panic　ensued　among　the　group；　and　in　an　instant　they　disappeared　helterskelter　into　their　houses。　The　Tepehuanes　of　Mexico　stood　in　mortal　terror　of　the　camera；　and　five　days'　persuasion　was　necessary　to　induce　them　to　pose　for　it。　When　at　last　they　consented；　they　looked　like　criminals　about　to　be　executed。　They　believed　that　by　photographing　people　the　artist　could　carry　off　their　souls　and　devour　them　at　his　leisure　moments。　They　said　that；　when　the　pictures　reached　his　country；　they　would　die　or　some　other　evil　would　befall　them。　When　Dr。　Catat　and　some　companions　were　exploring　the　Bara　country　on　the　west　coast　of　Madagascar；　the　people　suddenly　became　hostile。　The　day　before　the　travellers；　not　without　difficulty；　had　photographed　the　royal　family；　and　now　found　themselves　accused　of　taking　the　souls　of　the　natives　for　the　purpose　of　selling　them　when　they　returned　to　France。　Denial　was　vain；　in　compliance　with　the　custom　of　the　country　they　were　obliged　to　catch　the　souls；　which　were　then　put　into　a　basket　and　ordered　by　Dr。　Catat　to　return　to　their　respective　owners。

Some　villagers　in　Sikhim　betrayed　a　lively　horror　and　hid　away　whenever　the　lens　of　a　camera；　or　the　evil　eye　of　the　box　as　they　called　it；　was　turned　on　them。　They　thought　it　took　away　their　souls　with　their　pictures；　and　so　put　it　in　the　power　of　the　owner　of　the　pictures　to　cast　spells　on　them；　and　they　alleged　that　a　photograph　of　the　scenery　blighted　the　landscape。　Until　the　reign　of　the　late　King　of　Siam　no　Siamese　coins　were　ever　stamped　with　the　image　of　the　king；　for　at　that　time　there　was　a　strong　prejudice　against　the　making　of　portraits　in　any　medium。　Europeans　who　travel　into　the　jungle　have；　even　at　the　present　time；　only　to　point　a　camera　at　a　crowd　to　procure　its　instant　dispersion。　When　a　copy　of　the　face　of　a　person　is　made　and　taken　away　from　him；　a　portion　of　his　life　goes　with　the　picture。　Unless　the　sovereign　had　been　blessed　with　the　years　of　a　Methusaleh　he　could　scarcely　have　permitted　his　life　to　be　distributed　in　small　pieces　together　with　the　coins　of　the　realm。

Beliefs　of　the　same　sort　still　linger　in　various　parts　of　Europe。　Not　very　many　years　ago　some　old　women　in　the　Greek　island　of　Carpathus　were　very　angry　at　having　their　likenesses　drawn；　thinking　that　in　consequence　they　would　pine　and　die。　There　are　persons　in　the　West　of　Scotland　who　refuse　to　have　their　likenesses　taken　lest　it　prove　unlucky；　and　give　as　instances　the　cases　of　several　of　their　friends　who　never　had　a　day's　health　after　being　photographed。

Chapter　19。　Tabooed　Acts。

1。　Taboos　on　Intercourse　with　Strangers

SO　much　for　the　primitive　conceptions　of　the　soul　and　the　dangers　to　which　it　is　exposed。　These　conceptions　are　not　limited　to　one　people　or　country；　with　variations　of　detail　they　are　found　all　over　the　world；　and　survive；　as　we　have　seen；　in　modern　Europe。　Beliefs　so　deep…seated　and　so　widespread　must　necessarily　have　contributed　to　shape　the　mould　in　which　the　early　kingship　was　cast。　For　if　every　person　was　at　such　pains　to　save　his　own　soul　from　the　perils　which　threatened　it　on　so　many　sides；　how　much　more　carefully　must　he　have　been　guarded　upon　whose　life　hung　the　welfare　and　even　the　existence　of　the　whole　people；　and　whom　therefore　it　was　the　common　interest　of　all　to　preserve？　Therefore　we　should　expect　to　find　the　king's　life　protected　by　a　system　of　precautions　or　safeguards　still　more　numerous　and　minute　than　those　which　in　primitive　society　every　man　adopts　for　the　safety　of　his　own　soul。　Now　in　point　of　fact　the　life　of　the　early　kings　is　regulated；　as　we　have　seen　and　shall　see　more　fully　presently；　by　a　very　exact　code　of　rules。　May　we　not　then　conjecture　that　these　rules　are　in　fact　the　very　safeguards　which　we　should　expect　to　find　adopted　for　the　protection　of　the　king's　life？　An　examination　of　the　rules　themselves　confirms　this　conjecture。　For　from　this　it　appears　that　some　of　the　rules　observed　by　the　kings　are　identical　with　those　observed　by　private　persons　out　of　regard　for　the　safety　of　their　souls；　and　even　of　those　which　seem　peculiar　to　the　king；　many；　if　not　all；　are　most　readily　explained　on　the　hypothesis　that　they　are　nothing　but　safeguards　or　lifeguards　of　the　king。　I　will　now　enumerate　some　of　these　royal　rules　or　taboos；　offering　on　each　of　them　such　comments　and　explanations　as　may　serve　to　set　the　original　intention　of　the　rule　in　its　proper　light。

As　the　object　of　the　royal　taboos　is　to　isolate　the　king　from　all　sources　of　danger；　their　general　effect　is　to　compel　him　to　live　in　a　state　of　seclusion；　more　or　less　complete；　according　to　the　number　and　stringency　of　the　rules　he　observes。　Now　of　all　sources　of　danger　none　are　more　dreaded　by　the　savage　than　magic　and　witchcraft；　and　he　suspects　all　strangers　of　practising　these　black　arts。　To　guard　against　the　baneful　influence　exerted　voluntarily　or　involuntarily　by　strangers　is　therefore　an　elementary　dictate　of　savage　prudence。　Hence　before　strangers　are　allowed　to　enter　a　district；　or　at　least　before　they　are　permitted　to　mingle　freely　with　the　inhabitants；　certain　ceremonies　are　often　performed　by　the　natives　of　the　country　for　the　purpose　of　disarming　the　strangers　of　their　magical　powers；　of　counteracting　the　baneful　influence　which　is　believed　to　emanate　from　them；　or　of　disinfecting；　so　to　speak；　the　tainted　atmosphere　by　which　they　are　supposed　to　be　surrounded。　Thus；　when　the　ambassadors　sent　by　Justin　II。；　Emperor　of　the　East；　to　conclude　a　peace　with　the　Turks　had　reached　their　destination；　they　were　received　by　shamans；　who　subjected　them　to　a　ceremonial　purification　for　the　purpose　of　exorcising　all　harmful　influence。　Having　deposited　the　goods　brought　by　the　ambassadors　in　an　open　place；　these　wizards　carried　burning　branches　of　incense　round　them；　while　they　rang　a　bell　and　beat　on　a　tambourine；　snorting　and　falling　into　a　state　of　frenzy　in　their　efforts　to　dispel　the　powers　of　evil。　Afterwards　they　purified　the　ambassadors　thems