the evolution of theology-第9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！



to　your　god；〃　and　it　was　offered；　though　only　as　a　matter　of

form。　In　Tonga　and　Samoa　there　were　many　sacred　places　or

morais；　with　houses　of　the　ordinary　construction；　but

which　served　as　temples　in　consequence　of　being　dedicated　to

various　gods；　and　there　were　altars　on　which　the　sacrifices　were

offered；　nevertheless　there　were　few　or　no　images。　Mariner

mentions　none　in　Tonga；　and　the　Samoans　seem　to　have　been

regarded　as　no　better　than　atheists　by　other　Polynesians　because

they　had　none。　It　does　not　appear　that　either　of　these　peoples

had　images　even　of　their　family　or　ancestral　gods。



In　Tahiti　and　the　adjacent　islands；　Moerenhout　（t。　i。　p。　471）

makes　the　very　interesting　observation；　not　only　that　idols　were

often　absent；　but　that；　where　they　existed；　the　images　of　the

gods　served　merely　as　depositories　for　the　proper

representatives　of　the　divinity。　Each　of　these　was　called　a

maro　aurou；　and　was　a　kind　of　girdle　artistically　adorned

with　red；　yellow；　blue；　and　black　feathersthe　red　feathers

being　especially　importantwhich　were　consecrated　and　kept　as

sacred　objects　within　the　idols。　They　were　worn　by　great

personages　on　solemn　occasions；　and　conferred　upon　their　wearers

a　sacred　and　almost　divine　character。　There　is　no　distinct

evidence　that　the　maro　aurou　was　supposed　to　have　any

special　efficacy　in　divination；　but　one　cannot　fail　to　see　a

certain　parallelism　between　this　holy　girdle；　which　endowed　its

wearer　with　a　particular　sanctity；　and　the　ephod。



According　to　the　Rev。　R。　Taylor；　the　New　Zealanders　formerly

used　the　word　karakia　（now　employed　for　〃prayer〃）　to

signify　a　〃spell；　charm；　or　incantation；〃　and　the　utterance　of

these　karakias　constituted　the　chief　part　of　their　cult。　In　the

south；　the　officiating　priest　had　a　small　image；　〃about　eighteen

inches　long；　resembling　a　peg　with　a　carved　head；〃　which　reminds

one　of　the　form　commonly　attributed　to　the　teraphim。





The　priest　first　bandaged　a　fillet　of　red　parrot　feathers　under

the　god's　chin；　which　was　called　his　pahau　or　beard；　this

bandage　was　made　of　a　certain　kind　of　sennet；　which　was　tied　on

in　a　peculiar　way。　When　this　was　done　it　was　taken　possession　of

by　the　Atua；　whose　spirit　entered　it。　The　priest　then　either

held　it　in　the　hand　and　vibrated　it　in　the　air　whilst　the

powerful　karakia　was　repeated；　or　he　tied　a　piece　of　string

（formed　of　the　centre　of　a　flax　leaf）　round　the　neck　of　the

image　and　stuck　it　in　the　ground。　He　sat　at　a　little　distance

from　it；　leaning　against　a　tuahu；　a　short　stone　pillar　stuck　in

the　ground　in　a　slanting　position　and；　holding　the　string　in　his

hand；　he　gave　the　god　a　jerk　to　arrest　his　attention；　lest　he

should　be　otherwise　engaged；　like　Baal　of　old；　either　hunting；

fishing；　or　sleeping；　and　therefore　must　be　awaked。　。。。　The　god

is　supposed　to　make　use　of　the　priest's　tongue　in　giving　a

reply。　Image…worship　appears　to　have　been　confined　to　one　part

of　the　island。　The　Atua　was　supposed　only　to　enter　the　image　for

the　occasion。　The　natives　declare　they　did　not　worship　the　image

itself；　but　only　the　Atua　it　represented；　and　that　the　image　was

merely　used　as　a　way　of　approaching　him。





This　is　the　excuse　for　image…worship　which　the　more　intelligent

idolaters　make　all　the　world　over；　but　it　is　more　interesting　to

observe　that；　in　the　present　case；　we　seem　to　have　the

equivalents　of　divination　by　teraphim；　with　the　aid　of　something

like　an　ephod　（which；　however；　is　used　to　sanctify　the　image　and

not　the　priest）　mixed　up　together。　Many　Hebrew　archaeologists

have　supposed　that　the　term　〃ephod〃　is　sometimes　used　for　an

image　（particularly　in　the　case　of　Gideon's　ephod）；　and　the

story　of　Micah；　in　the　book　of　Judges；　shows　that　images　were；

at　any　rate；　employed　in　close　association　with　the　ephod。

If　the　pulling　of　the　string　to　call　the　attention　of　the　god

seems　as　absurd　to　us　as　it　appears　to　have　done　to　the　worthy

missionary；　who　tells　us　of　the　practice；　it　should　be

recollected　that　the　high　priest　of　Jahveh　was　ordered　to　wear　a

garment　fringed　with　golden　bells。





And　it　shall　be　upon　Aaron　to　minister；　and　the　sound　thereof

shall　be　heard　when　he　goeth　in　unto　the　holy　place　before

Jahveh；　and　when　he　cometh　out；　that　he　die　not　（Exod。

xxviii。　35）。







An　escape　from　the　obvious　conclusion　suggested　by　this　passage

has　been　sought　in　the　supposition　that　these　bells　rang　for　the

sake　of　the　worshippers；　as　at　the　elevation　of　the　host　in　the

Roman　Catholic　ritual；　but　then　why　should　the　priest　be

threatened　with　the　well…known　penalty　for　inadvisedly　beholding

the　divinity？



In　truth；　the　intermediate　step　between　the　Maori　practice　and

that　of　the　old　Israelites　is　furnished　by　the　Kami　temples　in

Japan。　These　are　provided　with　bells　which　the　worshippers　who

present　themselves　ring；　in　order　to　call　the　attention　of　the

ancestor…god　to　their　presence。　Grant　the　fundamental　assumption

of　the　essentially　human　character　of　the　spirit；　whether　Atua；

Kami；　or　Elohim；　and　all　these　practices　are　equally　rational。



The　sacrifices　to　the　gods　in　Tonga；　and　elsewhere　in　Polynesia；

were　ordinarily　social　gatherings；　in　which　the　god；　either　in

his　own　person　or　in　that　of　his　priestly　representative；　was

supposed　to　take　part。　These　sacrifices　were　offered　on　every

occasion　of　importance；　and　even　the　daily　meals　were　prefaced

by　oblations　and　libations　of　food　and　drink；　exactly　answering

to　those　offered　by　the　old　Romans　to　their　manes；　penates；　and

lares。　The　sacrifices　had　no　moral　significance；　but　were　the

necessary　result　of　the　theory　that　the　god　was　either　a　deified

ghost　of　an　ancestor　or　chief；　or；　at　any　rate；　a　being　of　like

nature　to　these。　If　one　wanted　to　get　anything　out　of　him；

therefore；　the　first　step　was　to　put　him　in　good　humour　by

gifts；　and　if　one　desired　to　escape　his　wrath；　which　might　be

excited　by　the　most　trifling　neglect　or　unintentional

disrespect；　the　great　thing　was　to　pacify　him　by　costly

presents。　King　Finow　appears　to　have　been　somewhat　of　a

freethinker　（to　the　great　horror　of　his　subjects）；　and　it　was

only　his　untimely　death　which　prevented　him　from　dealing　with

the　priest　of　a　god；　who　had　not　returned　a　favourable　answer　to

his　supplications；　as　Saul　dealt　with　the　priests　of　the

sanctuary　of　Jahveh　at　Nob。　Nevertheless；　Finow　showed　his

practical　belief　in　the　gods　during　the　sickness　of　a　daughter；

to　whom　he　was　fondly　attached；　in　a　fashion　which　has　a　close

parallel　in　the　history　of　Israel。





〃If　the　gods　have　any　resentment　against　us；　let　the　whole

weight　of　vengeance　fall　on　my　head。　I　fear　not　their　vengeance

but　spare　my　child；　and　I　earnestly　entreat　you；　Toobo　Totai　

＇the　god　whom　he　had　evoked＇；　to　exert　all　your　influence　with

the　other　gods　that　I　alone　may　suffer　all　the　punishment　they

desire　to　inflict　（vol。　i。　p。　354）。





So　when　the　king　of　Israel　has　sinned　by　〃numbering　the　people；〃

and　they　are　punished　for　his　fault　by　a　pestilence　which　slays

seventy　thousand　innocent　men；　David　cries　to　Jahveh：





Lo；　I　have　sinned；　and　I　have　done　perversely；　but　these　sheep；

what　have　they　done？　let　thine　hand；　I　pray　thee；　be　against　me；

and　against　my　father's　house〃　（2　Sam。　xxiv。　17）。





Human　sacrifices　were　extremely　common　in　Polynesia；　and；　in

Tonga；　the　〃devotion〃　of　a　child　by　strangling　was　a　favourite

method　of　averting　the　wrath　of　the　gods。　The　well…known

instances　of　Jephthah's　sacrifice　of　his　daughter　and　of　David's

giving　up　the　seven　sons　of　Saul　to　be　sacrificed　by　the

Gibeonites　〃before　Jahveh；〃　appear　to　me　to　leave　no　doubt　that

the　old　Israelites；　even　when　devout　worshippers　of　Jahveh；

considered　human　sacrifices；　under　certain　circumstances；　to　be

not　only　permissible　but　laudable。　Samuel's　hewing　to　pieces　of

the　miser