the golden bough-第9章

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d；　on　the　other　hand；　many　things　are　scrupulously　avoided　because　they　bear　some　more　or　less　fanciful　resemblance　to　others　which　would　really　be　disastrous。

Nowhere　is　the　theory　of　sympathetic　magic　more　systematically　carried　into　practice　for　the　maintenance　of　the　food　supply　than　in　the　barren　regions　of　Central　Australia。　Here　the　tribes　are　divided　into　a　number　of　totem　clans；　each　of　which　is　charged　with　the　duty　of　multiplying　their　totem　for　the　good　of　the　community　by　means　of　magical　ceremonies。　Most　of　the　totems　are　edible　animals　and　plants；　and　the　general　result　supposed　to　be　accomplished　by　these　ceremonies　is　that　of　supplying　the　tribe　with　food　and　other　necessaries。　Often　the　rites　consist　of　an　imitation　of　the　effect　which　the　people　desire　to　produce；　in　other　words；　their　magic　is　homoeopathic　or　imitative。　Thus　among　the　Warramunga　the　headman　of　the　white　cockatoo　totem　seeks　to　multiply　white　cockatoos　by　holding　an　effigy　of　the　bird　and　mimicking　its　harsh　cry。　Among　the　Arunta　the　men　of　the　witchetty　grub　totem　perform　ceremonies　for　multiplying　the　grub　which　the　other　members　of　the　tribe　use　as　food。　One　of　the　ceremonies　is　a　pantomime　representing　the　fully…developed　insect　in　the　act　of　emerging　from　the　chrysalis。　A　long　narrow　structure　of　branches　is　set　up　to　imitate　the　chrysalis　case　of　the　grub。　In　this　structure　a　number　of　men；　who　have　the　grub　for　their　totem；　sit　and　sing　of　the　creature　in　its　various　stages。　Then　they　shuffle　out　of　it　in　a　squatting　posture；　and　as　they　do　so　they　sing　of　the　insect　emerging　from　the　chrysalis。　This　is　supposed　to　multiply　the　numbers　of　the　grubs。　Again；　in　order　to　multiply　emus；　which　are　an　important　article　of　food；　the　men　of　the　emu　totem　paint　on　the　ground　the　sacred　design　of　their　totem；　especially　the　parts　of　the　emu　which　they　like　best　to　eat；　namely；　the　fat　and　the　eggs。　Round　this　painting　the　men　sit　and　sing。　Afterwards　performers；　wearing　head…dresses　to　represent　the　long　neck　and　small　head　of　the　emu；　mimic　the　appearance　of　the　bird　as　it　stands　aimlessly　peering　about　in　all　directions。

The　Indians　of　British　Columbia　live　largely　upon　the　fish　which　abound　in　their　seas　and　rivers。　If　the　fish　do　not　come　in　due　season；　and　the　Indians　are　hungry；　a　Nootka　wizard　will　make　an　image　of　a　swimming　fish　and　put　it　into　the　water　in　the　direction　from　which　the　fish　generally　appear。　This　ceremony；　accompanied　by　a　prayer　to　the　fish　to　come；　will　cause　them　to　arrive　at　once。　The　islanders　of　Torres　Straits　use　models　of　dugong　and　turtles　to　charm　dugong　and　turtle　to　their　destruction。　The　Toradjas　of　Central　Celebes　believe　that　things　of　the　same　sort　attract　each　other　by　means　of　their　indwelling　spirits　or　vital　ether。　Hence　they　hang　up　the　jawbones　of　deer　and　wild　pigs　in　their　houses；　in　order　that　the　spirits　which　animate　these　bones　may　draw　the　living　creatures　of　the　same　kind　into　the　path　of　the　hunter。　In　the　island　of　Nias；　when　a　wild　pig　has　fallen　into　the　pit　prepared　for　it；　the　animal　is　taken　out　and　its　back　is　rubbed　with　nine　fallen　leaves；　in　the　belief　that　this　will　make　nine　more　wild　pigs　fall

into　the　pit；　just　as　the　nine　leaves　fell　from　the　tree。　In　the　East　Indian　islands　of　Saparoea；　Haroekoe；　and　Noessa　Laut；　when　a　fisherman　is　about　to　set　a　trap　for　fish　in　the　sea；　he　looks　out　for　a　tree；　of　which　the　fruit　has　been　much　pecked　at　by　birds。　From　such　a　tree　he　cuts　a　stout　branch　and　makes　of　it　the　principal　post　in　his　fish…trap；　for　he　believes　that；　just　as　the　tree　lured　many　birds　to　its　fruit；　so　the　branch　cut　from　that　tree　will　lure　many　fish　to　the　trap。

The　western　tribes　of　British　New　Guinea　employ　a　charm　to　aid　the　hunter　in　spearing　dugong　or　turtle。　A　small　beetle；　which　haunts　coco…nut　trees；　is　placed　in　the　hole　of　the　spear…haft　into　which　the　spear…head　fits。　This　is　supposed　to　make　the　spear…head　stick　fast　in　the　dugong　or　turtle；　just　as　the　beetle　sticks　fast　to　a　man's　skin　when　it　bites　him。　When　a　Cambodian　hunter　has　set　his　nets　and　taken　nothing；　he　strips　himself　naked；　goes　some　way　off；　then　strolls　up　to　the　net　as　if　he　did　not　see　it；　lets　himself　be　caught　in　it；　and　cries；　Hillo！　what's　this？　I'm　afraid　I'm　caught。　After　that　the　net　is　sure　to　catch　game。　A　pantomime　of　the　same　sort　has　been　acted　within　the　living　memory　in　our　Scottish　Highlands。　The　Rev。　James　Macdonald；　now　of　Reay　in　Caithness；　tells　us　that　in　his　boyhood　when　he　was　fishing　with　companions　about　Loch　Aline　and　they　had　had　no　bites　for　a　long　time；　they　used　to　make　a　pretence　of　throwing　one　of　their　fellows　overboard　and　hauling　him　out　of　the　water；　as　if　he　were　a　fish；　after　that　the　trout　or　silloch　would　begin　to　nibble；　according　as　the　boat　was　on　fresh　or　salt　water。　Before　a　Carrier　Indian　goes　out　to　snare　martens；　he　sleeps　by　himself　for　about　ten　nights　beside　the　fire　with　a　little　stick　pressed　down　on　his　neck。　This　naturally　causes　the　fall…stick　of　his　trap　to　drop　down　on　the　neck　of　the　marten。　Among　the　Galelareese；　who　inhabit　a　district　in　the　northern　part　of　Halmahera；　a　large　island　to　the　west　of　New　Guinea；　it　is　a　maxim　that　when　you　are　loading　your　gun　to　go　out　shooting；　you　should　always　put　the　bullet　in　your　mouth　before　you　insert　it　in　the　gun；　for　by　so　doing　you　practically　eat　the　game　that　is　to　be　hit　by　the　bullet；　which　therefore　cannot　possibly　miss　the　mark。　A　Malay　who　has　baited　a　trap　for　crocodiles；　and　is　awaiting　results；　is　careful　in　eating　his　curry　always　to　begin　by　swallowing　three　lumps　of　rice　successively；　for　this　helps　the　bait　to　slide　more　easily　down　the　crocodile's　throat。　He　is　equally　scrupulous　not　to　take　any　bones　out　of　his　curry；　for；　if　he　did；　it　seems　clear　that　the　sharp…pointed　stick　on　which　the　bait　is　skewered　would　similarly　work　itself　loose；　and　the　crocodile　would　get　off　with　the　bait。　Hence　in　these　circumstances　it　is　prudent　for　the　hunter；　before　he　begins　his　meal；　to　get　somebody　else　to　take　the　bones　out　of　his　curry；　otherwise　he　may　at　any　moment　have　to　choose　between　swallowing　a　bone　and　losing　the　crocodile。

This　last　rule　is　an　instance　of　the　things　which　the　hunter　abstains　from　doing　lest；　on　the　principle　that　like　produces　like；　they　should　spoil　his　luck。　For　it　is　to　be　observed　that　the　system　of　sympathetic　magic　is　not　merely　composed　of　positive　precepts；　it　comprises　a　very　large　number　of　negative　precepts；　that　is；　prohibitions。　It　tells　you　not　merely　what　to　do；　but　also　what　to　leave　undone。　The　positive　precepts　are　charms：　the　negative　precepts　are　taboos。　In　fact　the　whole　doctrine　of　taboo；　or　at　all　events　a　large　part　of　it；　would　seem　to　be　only　a　special　application　of　sympathetic　magic；　with　its　two　great　laws　of　similarity　and　contact。　Though　these　laws　are　certainly　not　formulated　in　so　many　words　nor　even　conceived　in　the　abstract　by　the　savage；　they　are　nevertheless　implicitly　believed　by　him　to　regulate　the　course　of　nature　quite　independently　of　human　will。　He　thinks　that　if　he　acts　in　a　certain　way；　certain　consequences　will　inevitably　follow　in　virtue　of　one　or　other　of　these　laws；　and　if　the　consequences　of　a　particular　act　appear　to　him　likely　to　prove　disagreeable　or　dangerous；　he　is　naturally　careful　not　to　act　in　that　way　lest　he　should　incur　them。　In　other　words；　he　abstains　from　doing　that　which；　in　accordance　with　his　mistaken　notions　of　cause　and　effect；　he　falsely　believes　would　injure　him；　in　short；　he　subjects　himself　to　a　taboo。　Thus　taboo　is　so　far　a　negative　application　of　practical　magic。　Positive　magic　or　sorcery　says；　Do　this　in　order　that　so　and　so　may　happen。　Negative　magic　or　taboo　says；　Do　not　do　this；　lest　so　and　so　should　happen。　The　aim　of　positive　magic　or　sorcery　is　to　produce　a　desired　event；　the　aim　of　negative　magic　or　taboo　is　to　avoid　an　undesirable　one。　But　both　consequences；　the　desirable　and　the　undesirable；　are　supposed　to　be　brought　about　in　accordance　with　the　laws　of　similarity　and　contact。　And　just　as　the　desired　consequence　is　not　really　effected　by　the　observance　of　a　magical　ceremony；　so　the　dreaded　consequence　does　not　really　result　from　the　violation　of　a　taboo