the golden bough-第85章

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e　may　eat　only　toasted　bananas；　and　only　the　centre　portion　of　themthe　ends　being　thrown　away。　On　the　third　day　of　his　seclusion　a　small　feast　is　prepared　by　his　friends；　who　also　fashion　some　new　perineal　bands　for　him。　This　is　called　ivi　poro。　The　next　day　the　man　dons　all　his　best　ornaments　and　badges　for　taking　life；　and　sallies　forth　fully　armed　and　parades　the　village。　The　next　day　a　hunt　is　organised；　and　a　kangaroo　selected　from　the　game　captured。　It　is　cut　open　and　the　spleen　and　liver　rubbed　over　the　back　of　the　man。　He　then　walks　solemnly　down　to　the　nearest　water；　and　standing　straddle…legs　in　it　washes　himself。　All　the　young　untried　warriors　swim　between　his　legs。　This　is　supposed　to　impart　courage　and　strength　to　them。　The　following　day；　at　early　dawn；　he　dashes　out　of　his　house；　fully　armed；　and　calls　aloud　the　name　of　his　victim。　Having　satisfied　himself　that　he　has　thoroughly　scared　the　ghost　of　the　dead　man；　he　returns　to　his　house。　The　beating　of　flooring…boards　and　the　lighting　of　fires　is　also　a　certain　method　of　scaring　the　ghost。　A　day　later　his　purification　is　finished。　He　can　then　enter　his　wife's　house。

In　Windessi；　Dutch　New　Guinea；　when　a　party　of　head…hunters　has　been　successful；　and　they　are　nearing　home；　they　announce　their　approach　and　success　by　blowing　on　triton　shells。　Their　canoes　are　also　decked　with　branches。　The　faces　of　the　men　who　have　taken　a　head　are　blackened　with　charcoal。　If　several　have　taken　part　in　killing　the　same　victim；　his　head　is　divided　among　them。　They　always　time　their　arrival　so　as　to　reach　home　in　the　early　morning。　They　come　rowing　to　the　village　with　a　great　noise；　and　the　women　stand　ready　to　dance　in　the　verandahs　of　the　houses。　The　canoes　row　past　the　room　sram　or　house　where　the　young　men　live；　and　as　they　pass；　the　murderers　throw　as　many　pointed　sticks　or　bamboos　at　the　wall　or　the　roof　as　there　were　enemies　killed。　The　day　is　spent　very　quietly。　Now　and　then　they　drum　or　blow　on　the　conch；　at　other　times　they　beat　the　walls　of　the　houses　with　loud　shouts　to　drive　away　the　ghosts　of　the　slain。　So　the　Yabim　of　New　Guinea　believe　that　the　spirit　of　a　murdered　man　pursues　his　murderer　and　seeks　to　do　him　a　mischief。　Hence　they　drive　away　the　spirit　with　shouts　and　the　beating　of　drums。　When　the　Fijians　had　buried　a　man　alive；　as　they　often　did；　they　used　at　nightfall　to　make　a　great　uproar　by　means　of　bamboos；　trumpet…shells；　and　so　forth；　for　the　purpose　of　frightening　away　his　ghost；　lest　he　should　attempt　to　return　to　his　old　home。　And　to　render　his　house　unattractive　to　him　they　dismantled　it　and　clothed　it　with　everything　that　to　their　ideas　seemed　most　repulsive。　On　the　evening　of　the　day　on　which　they　had　tortured　a　prisoner　to　death；　the　American　Indians　were　wont　to　run　through　the　village　with　hideous　yells；　beating　with　sticks　on　the　furniture；　the　walls；　and　the　roofs　of　the　huts　to　prevent　the　angry　ghost　of　their　victim　from　settling　there　and　taking　vengeance　for　the　torments　that　his　body　had　endured　at　their　hands。　Once；　says　a　traveller；　on　approaching　in　the　night　a　village　of　Ottawas；　I　found　all　the　inhabitants　in　confusion：　they　were　all　busily　engaged　in　raising　noises　of　the　loudest　and　most　inharmonious　kind。　Upon　inquiry；　I　found　that　a　battle　had　been　lately　fought　between　the　Ottawas　and　the　Kickapoos；　and　that　the　object　of　all　this　noise　was　to　prevent　the　ghosts　of　the　departed　combatants　from　entering　the　village。

Among　the　Basutos　ablution　is　specially　performed　on　return　from　battle。　It　is　absolutely　necessary　that　the　warriors　should　rid　themselves；　as　soon　as　possible；　of　the　blood　they　have　shed；　or　the　shades　of　their　victims　would　pursue　them　incessantly；　and　disturb　their　slumbers。　They　go　in　a　procession；　and　in　full　armour；　to　the　nearest　stream。　At　the　moment　they　enter　the　water　a　diviner；　placed　higher　up；　throws　some　purifying　substances　into　the　current。　This　is；　however；　not　strictly　necessary。　The　javelins　and　battle…axes　also　undergo　the　process　of　washing。　Among　the　Bageshu　of　East　Africa　a　man　who　has　killed　another　may　not　return　to　his　own　house　on　the　same　day；　though　he　may　enter　the　village　and　spend　the　night　in　a　friend's　house。　He　kills　a　sheep　and　smears　his　chest；　his　right　arm；　and　his　head　with　the　contents　of　the　animal's　stomach。　His　children　are　brought　to　him　and　he　smears　them　in　like　manner。　Then　he　smears　each　side　of　the　doorway　with　the　tripe　and　entrails；　and　finally　throws　the　rest　of　the　stomach　on　the　roof　of　his　house。　For　a　whole　day　he　may　not　touch　food　with　his　hands；　but　picks　it　up　with　two　sticks　and　so　conveys　it　to　his　mouth。　His　wife　is　not　under　any　such　restrictions。　She　may　even　go　to　mourn　for　the　man　whom　her　husband　has　killed；　if　she　wishes　to　do　so。　Among　the　Angoni；　to　the　north　of　the　Zambesi；　warriors　who　have　slain　foes　on　an　expedition　smear　their　bodies　and　faces　with　ashes；　hang　garments　of　their　victims　on　their　persons；　and　tie　bark　ropes　round　their　necks；　so　that　the　ends　hang　down　over　their　shoulders　or　breasts。　This　costume　they　wear　for　three　days　after　their　return；　and　rising　at　break　of　day　they　run　through　the　village　uttering　frightful　yells　to　drive　away　the　ghosts　of　the　slain；　which；　if　they　were　not　thus　banished　from　the　houses；　might　bring　sickness　and　misfortune　on　the　inmates。

In　some　of　these　accounts　nothing　is　said　of　an　enforced　seclusion；　at　least　after　the　ceremonial　cleansing；　but　some　South　African　tribes　certainly　require　the　slayer　of　a　very　gallant　foe　in　war　to　keep　apart　from　his　wife　and　family　for　ten　days　after　he　has　washed　his　body　in　running　water。　He　also　receives　from　the　tribal　doctor　a　medicine　which　he　chews　with　his　food。　When　a　Nandi　of　East　Africa　has　killed　a　member　of　another　tribe；　he　paints　one　side　of　his　body；　spear；　and　sword　red；　and　the　other　side　white。　For　four　days　after　the　slaughter　he　is　considered　unclean　and　may　not　go　home。　He　has　to　build　a　small　shelter　by　a　river　and　live　there；　he　may　not　associate　with　his　wife　or　sweetheart；　and　he　may　eat　nothing　but　porridge；　beef；　and　goat's　flesh。　At　the　end　of　the　fourth　day　he　must　purify　himself　by　taking　a　strong　purge　made　from　the　bark　of　the　segetet　tree　and　by　drinking　goat's　milk　mixed　with　blood。　Among　the　Bantu　tribes　of　Kavirondo；　when　a　man　has　killed　an　enemy　in　warfare　he　shaves　his　head　on　his　return　home；　and　his　friends　rub　a　medicine；　which　generally　consists　of　goat's　dung；　over　his　body　to　prevent　the　spirit　of　the　slain　man　from　troubling　him。　Exactly　the　same　custom　is　practised　for　the　same　reason　by　the　Wageia　of　East　Africa。　With　the　Ja…Luo　of　Kavirondo　the　custom　is　somewhat　different。　Three　days　after　his　return　from　the　fight　the　warrior　shaves　his　head。　But　before　he　may　enter　his　village　he　has　to　hang　a　live　fowl；　head　uppermost；　round　his　neck；　then　the　bird　is　decapitated　and　its　head　left　hanging　round　his　neck。　Soon　after　his　return　a　feast　is　made　for　the　slain　man；　in　order　that　his　ghost　may　not　haunt　his　slayer。　In　the　Pelew　Islands；　when　the　men　return　from　a　warlike　expedition　in　which　they　have　taken　a　life；　the　young　warriors　who　have　been　out　fighting　for　the　first　time；　and　all　who　handled　the　slain；　are　shut　up　in　the　large　council…house　and　become　tabooed。　They　may　not　quit　the　edifice；　nor　bathe；　nor　touch　a　woman；　nor　eat　fish；　their　food　is　limited　to　coco…nuts　and　syrup。　They　rub　themselves　with　charmed　leaves　and　chew　charmed　betel。　After　three　days　they　go　together　to　bathe　as　near　as　possible　to　the　spot　where　the　man　was　killed。

Among　the　Natchez　Indians　of　North　America　young　braves　who　had　taken　their　first　scalps　were　obliged　to　observe　certain　rules　of　abstinence　for　six　months。　They　might　not　sleep　with　their　wives　nor　eat　flesh；　their　only　food　was　fish　and　hasty…pudding。　If　they　broke　these　rules；　they　believed　that　the　soul　of　the　man　they　had　killed　would　work　their　death　by　magic；　that　they　would　gain　no　more　successes　over　the　enemy；　and　that　the　least　wound　inflicted　on　them　would　prove　mortal。　When　a　Choctaw　had　killed　an　enemy　and　taken　his　scalp；　he　went　into　mourning　for　a　month；　during　which　he　might　not　comb　his　hair；　and　if　his　head　itched　he　might　not　scratch　it　except　with　a