the golden bough-第83章

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American　tribes；　hardly　any　other　being　was　the　object　of　so　much　dread　as　a　menstruating　woman。　As　soon　as　signs　of　that　condition　made　themselves　apparent　in　a　young　girl　she　was　carefully　segregated　from　all　but　female　company；　and　had　to　live　by　herself　in　a　small　hut　away　from　the　gaze　of　the　villagers　or　of　the　male　members　of　the　roving　band。　While　in　that　awful　state；　she　had　to　abstain　from　touching　anything　belonging　to　man；　or　the　spoils　of　any　venison　or　other　animal；　lest　she　would　thereby　pollute　the　same；　and　condemn　the　hunters　to　failure；　owing　to　the　anger　of　the　game　thus　slighted。　Dried　fish　formed　her　diet；　and　cold　water；　absorbed　through　a　drinking　tube；　was　her　only　beverage。　Moreover；　as　the　very　sight　of　her　was　dangerous　to　society；　a　special　skin　bonnet；　with　fringes　falling　over　her　face　down　to　her　breast；　hid　her　from　the　public　gaze；　even　some　time　after　she　had　recovered　her　normal　state。　Among　the　Bribri　Indians　of　Costa　Rica　a　menstruous　woman　is　regarded　as　unclean。　The　only　plates　she　may　use　for　her　food　are　banana　leaves；　which；　when　she　has　done　with　them；　she　throws　away　in　some　sequestered　spot；　for　were　a　cow　to　find　them　and　eat　them；　the　animal　would　waste　away　and　perish。　And　she　drinks　out　of　a　special　vessel　for　a　like　reason；　because　if　any　one　drank　out　of　the　same　cup　after　her；　he　would　surely　die。

Among　many　peoples　similar　restrictions　are　imposed　on　women　in　childbed　and　apparently　for　similar　reasons；　at　such　periods　women　are　supposed　to　be　in　a　dangerous　condition　which　would　infect　any　person　or　thing　they　might　touch；　hence　they　are　put　into　quarantine　until；　with　the　recovery　of　their　health　and　strength；　the　imaginary　danger　has　passed　away。　Thus；　in　Tahiti　a　woman　after　childbirth　was　secluded　for　a　fortnight　or　three　weeks　in　a　temporary　hut　erected　on　sacred　ground；　during　the　time　of　her　seclusion　she　was　debarred　from　touching　provisions；　and　had　to　be　fed　by　another。　Further；　if　any　one　else　touched　the　child　at　this　period；　he　was　subjected　to　the　same　restrictions　as　the　mother　until　the　ceremony　of　her　purification　had　been　performed。　Similarly　in　the　island　of　Kadiak；　off　Alaska；　a　woman　about　to　be　delivered　retires　to　a　miserable　low　hovel　built　of　reeds；　where　she　must　remain　for　twenty　days　after　the　birth　of　her　child；　whatever　the　season　may　be；　and　she　is　considered　so　unclean　that　no　one　will　touch　her；　and　food　is　reached　to　her　on　sticks。　The　Bribri　Indians　regard　the　pollution　of　childbed　as　much　more　dangerous　even　than　that　of　menstruation。　When　a　woman　feels　her　time　approaching；　she　informs　her　husband；　who　makes　haste　to　build　a　hut　for　her　in　a　lonely　spot。　There　she　must　live　alone；　holding　no　converse　with　anybody　save　her　mother　or　another　woman。　After　her　delivery　the　medicine…man　purifies　her　by　breathing　on　her　and　laying　an　animal；　it　matters　not　what；　upon　her。　But　even　this　ceremony　only　mitigates　her　uncleanness　into　a　state　considered　to　be　equivalent　to　that　of　a　menstruous　woman；　and　for　a　full　lunar　month　she　must　live　apart　from　her　housemates；　observing　the　same　rules　with　regard　to　eating　and　drinking　as　at　her　monthly　periods。　The　case　is　still　worse；　the　pollution　is　still　more　deadly；　if　she　has　had　a　miscarriage　or　has　been　delivered　of　a　stillborn　child。　In　that　case　she　may　not　go　near　a　living　soul：　the　mere　contact　with　things　she　has　used　is　exceedingly　dangerous：　her　food　is　handed　to　her　at　the　end　of　a　long　stick。　This　lasts　generally　for　three　weeks；　after　which　she　may　go　home；　subject　only　to　the　restrictions　incident　to　an　ordinary　confinement。

Some　Bantu　tribes　entertain　even　more　exaggerated　notions　of　the　virulent　infection　spread　by　a　woman　who　has　had　a　miscarriage　and　has　concealed　it。　An　experienced　observer　of　these　people　tells　us　that　the　blood　of　childbirth　appears　to　the　eyes　of　the　South　Africans　to　be　tainted　with　a　pollution　still　more　dangerous　than　that　of　the　menstrual　fluid。　The　husband　is　excluded　from　the　hut　for　eight　days　of　the　lying…in　period；　chiefly　from　fear　that　he　might　be　contaminated　by　this　secretion。　He　dare　not　take　his　child　in　his　arms　for　the　three　first　months　after　the　birth。　But　the　secretion　of　childbed　is　particularly　terrible　when　it　is　the　product　of　a　miscarriage；　especially　a　concealed　miscarriage。　In　this　case　it　is　not　merely　the　man　who　is　threatened　or　killed；　it　is　the　whole　country；　it　is　the　sky　itself　which　suffers。　By　a　curious　association　of　ideas　a　physiological　fact　causes　cosmic　troubles！　As　for　the　disastrous　effect　which　a　miscarriage　may　have　on　the　whole　country　I　will　quote　the　words　of　a　medicine…man　and　rain…maker　of　the　Ba…Pedi　tribe：　When　a　woman　has　had　a　miscarriage；　when　she　has　allowed　her　blood　to　flow；　and　has　hidden　the　child；　it　is　enough　to　cause　the　burning　winds　to　blow　and　to　parch　the　country　with　heat。　The　rain　no　longer　falls；　for　the　country　is　no　longer　in　order。　When　the　rain　approaches　the　place　where　the　blood　is；　it　will　not　dare　to　approach。　It　will　fear　and　remain　at　a　distance。　That　woman　has　committed　a　great　fault。　She　has　spoiled　the　country　of　the　chief；　for　she　has　hidden　blood　which　had　not　yet　been　well　congealed　to　fashion　a　man。　That　blood　is　taboo。　It　should　never　drip　on　the　road！　The　chief　will　assemble　his　men　and　say　to　them；　'Are　you　in　order　in　your　villages？'　Some　one　will　answer；　'Such　and　such　a　woman　was　pregnant　and　we　have　not　yet　seen　the　child　which　she　has　given　birth　to。'　Then　they　go　and　arrest　the　woman。　They　say　to　her；　'Show　us　where　you　have　hidden　it。'　They　go　and　dig　at　the　spot；　they　sprinkle　the　hole　with　a　decoction　of　two　sorts　of　roots　prepared　in　a　special　pot。　They　take　a　little　of　the　earth　of　this　grave；　they　throw　it　into　the　river；　then　they　bring　back　water　from　the　river　and　sprinkle　it　where　she　shed　her　blood。　She　herself　must　wash　every　day　with　the　medicine。　Then　the　country　will　be　moistened　again　（by　rain）。　Further；　we　（medicine…men）；　summon　the　women　of　the　country；　we　tell　them　to　prepare　a　ball　of　the　earth　which　contains　the　blood。　They　bring　it　to　us　one　morning。　If　we　wish　to　prepare　medicine　with　which　to　sprinkle　the　whole　country；　we　crumble　this　earth　to　powder；　at　the　end　of　five　days　we　send　little　boys　and　little　girls；　girls　that　yet　know　nothing　of　women's　affairs　and　have　not　yet　had　relations　with　men。　We　put　the　medicine　in　the　horns　of　oxen；　and　these　children　go　to　all　the　fords；　to　all　the　entrances　of　the　country。　A　little　girl　turns　up　the　soil　with　her　mattock；　the　others　dip　a　branch　in　the　horn　and　sprinkle　the　inside　of　the　hole　saying；　'Rain！　rain！'　So　we　remove　the　misfortune　which　the　women　have　brought　on　the　roads；　the　rain　will　be　able　to　come。　The　country　is　purified！

4。　Warriors　tabooed。

ONCE　more；　warriors　are　conceived　by　the　savage　to　move；　so　to　say；　in　an　atmosphere　of　spiritual　danger　which　constrains　them　to　practise　a　variety　of　superstitious　observances　quite　different　in　their　nature　from　those　rational　precautions　which；　as　a　matter　of　course；　they　adopt　against　foes　of　flesh　and　blood。　The　general　effect　of　these　observances　is　to　place　the　warrior；　both　before　and　after　victory；　in　the　same　state　of　seclusion　or　spiritual　quarantine　in　which；　for　his　own　safety；　primitive　man　puts　his　human　gods　and　other　dangerous　characters。　Thus　when　the　Maoris　went　out　on　the　war…path　they　were　sacred　or　taboo　in　the　highest　degree；　and　they　and　their　friends　at　home　had　to　observe　strictly　many　curious　customs　over　and　above　the　numerous　taboos　of　ordinary　life。　They　became；　in　the　irreverent　language　of　Europeans　who　knew　them　in　the　old　fighting　days；　tabooed　an　inch　thick；　and　as　for　the　leader　of　the　expedition；　he　was　quite　unapproachable。　Similarly；　when　the　Israelites　marched　forth　to　war　they　were　bound　by　certain　rules　of　ceremonial　purity　identical　with　rules　observed　by　Maoris　and　Australian　blackfellows　on　the　war…path。　The　vessels　they　used　were　sacred；　and　they　had　to　practise　continence　and　a　custom　of　personal　cleanliness　of　which　the　original　motive；　if　we　may　judge　from　the　avowed　motive　of　savages　who　conform　to　the　same　custom；　was　a　fear　lest　the　enemy　should　obtain　the　refuse　of　their　persons；　and　thus　b