the golden bough-第82章

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he　Indian　tribes　of　Brazil；　if　the　medicine…man　predicted　the　death　of　any　one　who　had　offended　him；　the　wretch　took　to　his　hammock　instantly　in　such　full　expectation　of　dying；　that　he　would　neither　eat　nor　drink；　and　the　prediction　was　a　sentence　which　faith　effectually　executed。

2。　Mourners　tabooed。

THUS　regarding　his　sacred　chiefs　and　kings　as　charged　with　a　mysterious　spiritual　force　which　so　to　say　explodes　at　contact；　the　savage　naturally　ranks　them　among　the　dangerous　classes　of　society；　and　imposes　upon　them　the　same　sort　of　restraints　that　he　lays　on　manslayers；　menstruous　women；　and　other　persons　whom　he　looks　upon　with　a　certain　fear　and　horror。　For　example；　sacred　kings　and　priests　in　Polynesia　were　not　allowed　to　touch　food　with　their　hands；　and　had　therefore　to　be　fed　by　others；　and　as　we　have　just　seen；　their　vessels；　garments；　and　other　property　might　not　be　used　by　others　on　pain　of　disease　and　death。　Now　precisely　the　same　observances　are　exacted　by　some　savages　from　girls　at　their　first　menstruation；　women　after　childbirth；　homicides；　mourners；　and　all　persons　who　have　come　into　contact　with　the　dead。　Thus；　for　example；　to　begin　with　the　last　class　of　persons；　among　the　Maoris　any　one　who　had　handled　a　corpse；　helped　to　convey　it　to　the　grave；　or　touched　a　dead　man's　bones；　was　cut　off　from　all　intercourse　and　almost　all　communication　with　mankind。　He　could　not　enter　any　house；　or　come　into　contact　with　any　person　or　thing；　without　utterly　bedevilling　them。　He　might　not　even　touch　food　with　his　hands；　which　had　become　so　frightfully　tabooed　or　unclean　as　to　be　quite　useless。　Food　would　be　set　for　him　on　the　ground；　and　he　would　then　sit　or　kneel　down；　and；　with　his　hands　carefully　held　behind　his　back；　would　gnaw　at　it　as　best　he　could。　In　some　cases　he　would　be　fed　by　another　person；　who　with　outstretched　arm　contrived　to　do　it　without　touching　the　tabooed　man；　but　the　feeder　was　himself　subjected　to　many　severe　restrictions；　little　less　onerous　than　those　which　were　imposed　upon　the　other。　In　almost　every　populous　village　there　lived　a　degraded　wretch；　the　lowest　of　the　low；　who　earned　a　sorry　pittance　by　thus　waiting　upon　the　defiled。　Clad　in　rags；　daubed　from　head　to　foot　with　red　ochre　and　stinking　shark　oil；　always　solitary　and　silent；　generally　old；　haggard；　and　wizened；　often　half　crazed；　he　might　be　seen　sitting　motionless　all　day　apart　from　the　common　path　or　thoroughfare　of　the　village；　gazing　with　lack…lustre　eyes　on　the　busy　doings　in　which　he　might　never　take　a　part。　Twice　a　day　a　dole　of　food　would　be　thrown　on　the　ground　before　him　to　munch　as　well　as　he　could　without　the　use　of　his　hands；　and　at　night；　huddling　his　greasy　tatters　about　him；　he　would　crawl　into　some　miserable　lair　of　leaves　and　refuse；　where；　dirty；　cold；　and　hungry；　he　passed；　in　broken　ghost…haunted　slumbers；　a　wretched　night　as　a　prelude　to　another　wretched　day。　Such　was　the　only　human　being　deemed　fit　to　associate　at　arm's　length　with　one　who　had　paid　the　last　offices　of　respect　and　friendship　to　the　dead。　And　when；　the　dismal　term　of　his　seclusion　being　over；　the　mourner　was　about　to　mix　with　his　fellows　once　more；　all　the　dishes　he　had　used　in　his　seclusion　were　diligently　smashed；　and　all　the　garments　he　had　worn　were　carefully　thrown　away；　lest　they　should　spread　the　contagion　of　his　defilement　among　others；　just　as　the　vessels　and　clothes　of　sacred　kings　and　chiefs　are　destroyed　or　cast　away　for　a　similar　reason。　So　complete　in　these　respects　is　the　analogy　which　the　savage　traces　between　the　spiritual　influences　that　emanate　from　divinities　and　from　the　dead；　between　the　odour　of　sanctity　and　the　stench　of　corruption。

The　rule　which　forbids　persons　who　have　been　in　contact　with　the　dead　to　touch　food　with　their　hands　would　seem　to　have　been　universal　in　Polynesia。　Thus　in　Samoa　those　who　attended　the　deceased　were　most　careful　not　to　handle　food；　and　for　days　were　fed　by　others　as　if　they　were　helpless　infants。　Baldness　and　the　loss　of　teeth　were　supposed　to　be　the　punishment　inflicted　by　the　household　god　if　they　violated　the　rule。　Again；　in　Tonga；　no　person　can　touch　a　dead　chief　without　being　taboo'd　for　ten　lunar　months；　except　chiefs；　who　are　only　taboo'd　for　three；　four；　or　five　months；　according　to　the　superiority　of　the　dead　chief；　except　again　it　be　the　body　of　Tooitonga　＇the　great　divine　chief＇；　and　then　even　the　greatest　chief　would　be　taboo'd　ten　months　。　During　the　time　a　man　is　taboo'd　he　must　not　feed　himself　with　his　own　hands；　but　must　be　fed　by　somebody　else：　he　must　not　even　use　a　toothpick　himself；　but　must　guide　another　person's　hand　holding　the　toothpick。　If　he　is　hungry　and　there　is　no　one　to　feed　him；　he　must　go　down　upon　his　hands　and　knees；　and　pick　up　his　victuals　with　his　mouth：　and　if　he　infringes　upon　any　of　these　rules；　it　is　firmly　expected　that　he　will　swell　up　and　die。

Among　the　Shuswap　of　British　Columbia　widows　and　widowers　in　mourning　are　secluded　and　forbidden　to　touch　their　own　head　or　body；　the　cups　and　cooking…vessels　which　they　use　may　be　used　by　no　one　else。　They　must　build　a　sweat…house　beside　a　creek；　sweat　there　all　night　and　bathe　regularly；　after　which　they　must　rub　their　bodies　with　branches　of　spruce。　The　branches　may　not　be　used　more　than　once；　and　when　they　have　served　their　purpose　they　are　stuck　into　the　ground　all　round　the　hut。　No　hunter　would　come　near　such　mourners；　for　their　presence　is　unlucky。　If　their　shadow　were　to　fall　on　any　one；　he　would　be　taken　ill　at　once。　They　employ　thorn　bushes　for　bed　and　pillow；　in　order　to　keep　away　the　ghost　of　the　deceased；　and　thorn　bushes　are　also　laid　all　around　their　beds。　This　last　precaution　shows　clearly　what　the　spiritual　danger　is　which　leads　to　the　exclusion　of　such　persons　from　ordinary　society；　it　is　simply　a　fear　of　the　ghost　who　is　supposed　to　be　hovering　near　them。　In　the　Mekeo　district　of　British　New　Guinea　a　widower　loses　all　his　civil　rights　and　becomes　a　social　outcast；　an　object　of　fear　and　horror；　shunned　by　all。　He　may　not　cultivate　a　garden；　nor　show　himself　in　public；　nor　traverse　the　village；　nor　walk　on　the　roads　and　paths。　Like　a　wild　beast　he　must　skulk　in　the　long　grass　and　the　bushes；　and　if　he　sees　or　hears　any　one　coming；　especially　a　woman；　he　must　hide　behind　a　tree　or　a　thicket。　If　he　wishes　to　fish　or　hunt；　he　must　do　it　alone　and　at　night。　If　he　would　consult　any　one；　even　the　missionary；　he　does　so　by　stealth　and　at　night；　he　seems　to　have　lost　his　voice　and　speaks　only　in　whispers。　Were　he　to　join　a　party　of　fishers　or　hunters；　his　presence　would　bring　misfortune　on　them；　the　ghost　of　his　dead　wife　would　frighten　away　the　fish　or　the　game。　He　goes　about　everywhere　and　at　all　times　armed　with　a　tomahawk　to　defend　himself；　not　only　against　wild　boars　in　the　jungle；　but　against　the　dreaded　spirit　of　his　departed　spouse；　who　would　do　him　an　ill　turn　if　she　could；　for　all　the　souls　of　the　dead　are　malignant　and　their　only　delight　is　to　harm　the　living。

3。　Women　tabooed　at　Menstruation　and　Childbirth。

IN　GENERAL；　we　may　say　that　the　prohibition　to　use　the　vessels；　garments；　and　so　forth　of　certain　persons；　and　the　effects　supposed　to　follow　an　infraction　of　the　rule；　are　exactly　the　same　whether　the　persons　to　whom　the　things　belong　are　sacred　or　what　we　might　call　unclean　and　polluted。　As　the　garments　which　have　been　touched　by　a　sacred　chief　kill　those　who　handle　them；　so　do　the　things　which　have　been　touched　by　a　menstruous　women。　An　Australian　blackfellow；　who　discovered　that　his　wife　had　lain　on　his　blanket　at　her

menstrual　period；　killed　her　and　died　of　terror　himself　within　a　fortnight。　Hence　Australian　women　at　these　times　are　forbidden　under　pain　of　death　to　touch　anything　that　men　use；　or　even　to　walk　on　a　path　that　any　man　frequents。　They　are　also　secluded　at　childbirth；　and　all　vessels　used　by　them　during　their　seclusion　are　burned。　In　Uganda　the　pots　which　a　woman　touches；　while　the　impurity　of　childbirth　or　of　menstruation　is　on　her；　should　be　destroyed；　spears　and　shields　defiled　by　her　touch　are　not　destroyed；　but　only　purified。　Among　all　the　Déné　and　most　other　American　tribes；　hardly　any　other　being　was　the　object　of　so　much　dread　as　a　menstruating　woman。　As