the golden bough-第86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！


ring　which　he　might　not　comb　his　hair；　and　if　his　head　itched　he　might　not　scratch　it　except　with　a　little　stick　which　he　wore　fastened　to　his　wrist　for　the　purpose。　This　ceremonial　mourning　for　the　enemies　they　had　slain　was　not　uncommon　among　the　North　American　Indians。

Thus　we　see　that　warriors　who　have　taken　the　life　of　a　foe　in　battle　are　temporarily　cut　off　from　free　intercourse　with　their　fellows；　and　especially　with　their　wives；　and　must　undergo　certain　rites　of　purification　before　they　are　readmitted　to　society。　Now　if　the　purpose　of　their　seclusion　and　of　the　expiatory　rites　which　they　have　to　perform　is；　as　we　have　been　led　to　believe；　no　other　than　to　shake　off；　frighten；　or　appease　the　angry　spirit　of　the　slain　man；　we　may　safely　conjecture　that　the　similar　purification　of　homicides　and　murderers；　who　have　imbrued　their　hands　in　the　blood　of　a　fellow…tribesman；　had　at　first　the　same　significance；　and　that　the　idea　of　a　moral　or　spiritual　regeneration　symbolised　by　the　washing；　the　fasting；　and　so　on；　was　merely　a　later　interpretation　put　upon　the　old　custom　by　men　who　had　outgrown　the　primitive　modes　of　thought　in　which　the　custom　originated。　The　conjecture　will　be　confirmed　if　we　can　show　that　savages　have　actually　imposed　certain　restrictions　on　the　murderer　of　a　fellow…tribesman　from　a　definite　fear　that　he　is　haunted　by　the　ghost　of　his　victim。　This　we　can　do　with　regard　to　the　Omahas　of　North　America。　Among　these　Indians　the　kinsmen　of　a　murdered　man　had　the　right　to　put　the　murderer　to　death；　but　sometimes　they　waived　their　right　in　consideration　of　presents　which　they　consented　to　accept。　When　the　life　of　the　murderer　was　spared；　he　had　to　observe　certain　stringent　rules　for　a　period　which　varied　from　two　to　four　years。　He　must　walk　barefoot；　and　he　might　eat　no　warm　food；　nor　raise　his　voice；　nor　look　around。　He　was　compelled　to　pull　his　robe　about　him　and　to　have　it　tied　at　the　neck　even　in　hot　weather；　he　might　not　let　it　hang　loose　or　fly　open。　He　might　not　move　his　hands　about；　but　had　to　keep　them　close　to　his　body。　He　might　not　comb　his　hair；　and　it　might　not　be　blown　about　by　the　wind。　When　the　tribe　went　out　hunting；　he　was　obliged　to　pitch　his　tent　about　a　quarter　of　mile　from　the　rest　of　the　people　lest　the　ghost　of　his　victim　should　raise　a　high　wind；　which　might　cause　damage。　Only　one　of　his　kindred　was　allowed　to　remain　with　him　at　his　tent。　No　one　wished　to　eat　with　him；　for　they　said；　If　we　eat　with　him　whom　Wakanda　hates；　Wakanda　will　hate　us。　Sometimes　he　wandered　at　night　crying　and　lamenting　his　offence。　At　the　end　of　his　long　isolation　the　kinsmen　of　the　murdered　man　heard　his　crying　and　said；　It　is　enough。　Begone；　and　walk　among　the　crowd。　Put　on　moccasins　and　wear　a　good　robe。　Here　the　reason　alleged　for　keeping　the　murderer　at　a　considerable　distance　from　the　hunters　gives　the　clue　to　all　the　other　restrictions　laid　on　him：　he　was　haunted　and　therefore　dangerous。　The　ancient　Greeks　believed　that　the　soul　of　a　man　who　had　just　been　killed　was　wroth　with　his　slayer　and　troubled　him；　wherefore　it　was　needful　even　for　the　involuntary　homicide　to　depart　from　his　country　for　a　year　until　the　anger　of　the　dead　man　had　cooled　down；　nor　might　the　slayer　return　until　sacrifice　had　been　offered　and　ceremonies　of　purification　performed。　If　his　victim　chanced　to　be　a　foreigner；　the　homicide　had　to　shun　the　native　country　of　the　dead　man　as　well　as　his　own。　The　legend　of　the　matricide　Orestes；　how　he　roamed　from　place　to　place　pursued　by　the　Furies　of　his　murdered　mother；　and　none　would　sit　at　meat　with　him；　or　take　him　in；　till　he　had　been　purified；　reflects　faithfully　the　real　Greek　dread　of　such　as　were　still　haunted　by　an　angry　ghost。

6。　Hunters　and　Fishers　tabooed

IN　SAVAGE　society　the　hunter　and　the　fisherman　have　often　to　observe　rules　of　abstinence　and　to　submit　to　ceremonies　of　purification　of　the　same　sort　as　those　which　are　obligatory　on　the　warrior　and　the　manslayer；　and　though　we　cannot　in　all　cases　perceive　the　exact　purpose　which　these　rules　and　ceremonies　are　supposed　to　serve；　we　may　with　some　probability　assume　that；　just　as　the　dread　of　the　spirits　of　his　enemies　is　the　main　motive　for　the　seclusion　and　purification　of　the　warrior　who　hopes　to　take　or　has　already　taken　their　lives；　so　the　huntsman　or　fisherman　who　complies　with　similar　customs　is　principally　actuated　by　a　fear　of　the　spirits　of　the　beasts；　birds；　or　fish　which　he　has　killed　or　intends　to　kill。　For　the　savage　commonly　conceives　animals　to　be　endowed　with　souls　and　intelligences　like　his　own；　and　hence　he　naturally　treats　them　with　similar　respect。　Just　as　he　attempts　to　appease　the　ghosts　of　the　men　he　has　slain；　so　he　essays　to　propitiate　the　spirits　of　the　animals　he　has　killed。　These　ceremonies　of　propitiation　will　be　described　later　on　in　this　work；　here　we　have　to　deal；　first；　with　the　taboos　observed　by　the　hunter　and　the　fisherman　before　or　during　the　hunting　and　fishing　seasons；　and；　second；　with　the　ceremonies　of　purification　which　have　to　be　practised　by　these　men　on　returning　with　their　booty　from　a　successful　chase。

While　the　savage　respects；　more　or　less；　the　souls　of　all　animals；　he　treats　with　particular　deference　the　spirits　of　such　as　are　either　especially　useful　to　him　or　formidable　on　account　of　their　size；　strength；　or　ferocity。　Accordingly　the　hunting　and　killing　of　these　valuable　or　dangerous　beasts　are　subject　to　more　elaborate　rules　and　ceremonies　than　the　slaughter　of　comparatively　useless　and　insignificant　creatures。　Thus　the　Indians　of　Nootka　Sound　prepared　themselves　for　catching　whales　by　observing　a　fast　for　a　week；　during　which　they　ate　very　little；　bathed　in　the　water　several　times　a　day；　sang；　and　rubbed　their　bodies；　limbs；　and　faces　with　shells　and　bushes　till　they　looked　as　if　they　had　been　severely　torn　with　briars。　They　were　likewise　required　to　abstain　from　any　commerce　with　their　women　for　the　like　period；　this　last　condition　being　considered　indispensable　to　their　success。　A　chief　who　failed　to　catch　a　whale　has　been　known　to　attribute　his　failure　to　a　breach　of　chastity　on　the　part　of　his　men。　It　should　be　remarked　that　the　conduct　thus　prescribed　as　a　preparation　for　whaling　is　precisely　that　which　in　the　same　tribe　of　Indians　was　required　of　men　about　to　go　on　the　war…path。　Rules　of　the　same　sort　are；　or　were　formerly；　observed　by　Malagasy　whalers。　For　eight　days　before　they　went　to　sea　the　crew　of　a　whaler　used　to　fast；　abstaining　from　women　and　liquor；　and　confessing　their　most　secret　faults　to　each　other；　and　if　any　man　was　found　to　have　sinned　deeply；　he　was　forbidden　to　share　in　the　expedition。　In　the　island　of　Mabuiag　continence　was　imposed　on　the　people　both　before　they　went　to　hunt　the　dugong　and　while　the　turtles　were　pairing。　The　turtle…season　lasts　during　parts　of　October　and　November；　and　if　at　that　time　unmarried　persons　had　sexual　intercourse　with　each　other；　it　was　believed　that　when　the　canoe　approached　the　floating　turtle；　the　male　would　separate　from　the　female　and　both　would　dive　down　in　different　directions。　So　at　Mowat　in　New　Guinea　men　have　no　relation　with　women　when　the　turtles　are　coupling；　though　there　is　considerable　laxity　of　morals　at　other　times。　In　the　island　of　Uap；　one　of　the　Caroline　group；　every　fisherman　plying　his　craft　lies　under　a　most　strict　taboo　during　the　whole　of　the　fishing　season；　which　lasts　for　six　or　eight　weeks。　Whenever　he　is　on　shore　he　must　spend　all　his　time　in　the　men's　clubhouse；　and　under　no　pretext　whatever　may　he　visit　his　own　house　or　so　much　as　look　upon　the　faces　of　his　wife　and　womenkind。　Were　he　but　to　steal　a　glance　at　them；　they　think　that　flying　fish　must　inevitably　bore　out　his　eyes　at　night。　If　his　wife；　mother；　or　daughter　brings　any　gift　for　him　or　wishes　to　talk　with　him；　she　must　stand　down　towards　the　shore　with　her　back　turned　to　the　men's　clubhouse。　Then　the　fisherman　may　go　out　and　speak　to　her；　or　with　his　back　turned　to　her　he　may　receive　what　she　has　brought　him；　after　which　he　must　return　at　once　to　his　rigorous　confinement。　Indeed　the　fishermen　may　not　even　join　in　dance　and　song　with　the　other　men　of　the　clubhouse　in　the　evening；　they　must　keep　to　themselves　and　be　silent。　In　Mirzapur