pagan and christian creeds-第43章
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plague out of a bad smellor apparently even out of nothing at all！ Under those circumstances it was perhaps wise； wherever there was the smallest SUSPICION of danger or ill…luck； to create a hard and fast TABOOjust as we tell our children ON NO ACCOUNT to walk under a ladder （thereby creating a superstition in their minds）； partly because it would take too long to explain all about the real dangers of paint…pots and other things； and partly because for the children themselves it seems simpler to have a fixed and inviolable law than to argue over every case that occurs。 The priests and elders among early folk no doubt took the line of FORBIDDAL of activities； as safer and simpler； even if carried sometimes too far； than the opposite； of easy permission and encouragement。 Taboos multipliedmany of them quite senselessbut perhaps in this perilous maze of the world； of which I have spoken； it really WAS simpler to cut out a large part of the labyrinth； as forbidden ground； thus rendering it easier for the people to find their way in those portions of the labyrinth which remained。 If you read in Deuteronomy （ch。 xiv） the list of birds and beasts and fishes permitted for food among the Israelites； or tabooed； you will find the list on the whole reasonable； but you will be struck by some curious exceptions （according to our ideas）； which are probably to be explained by the necessity of making the rules simple enough to be comprehended by everybodyeven if they included the forbiddal of some quite eatable animals。
At some early period； in Babylonia or Assyria； a very stringent taboo on the Sabbath arose； which； taken up in turn by the Jewish and Christian Churches； has ruled the Western World for three thousand years or more； and still survives in a quite senseless form among some of our rural populations； who will see their corn rot in the fields rather than save it on a Sunday。＇1＇ It is quite likely that this taboo in its first beginning was due not to any need of a weekly rest…day （a need which could never be felt among nomad savages； but would only occur in some kind of industrial and stationary civilization）； but to some superstitious fear； connected with such things as the changes of the Moon； and the probable ILL…LUCK of any enterprise undertaken on the seventh day； or any day of Moon…change。 It is probable； however； that as time went on and Society became more complex； the advantages of a weekly REST…DAY （or market… day） became more obvious and that the priests and legislators deliberately turned the taboo to a social use。＇2＇ The learned modern Ethnologists； however； will generally have none of this latter idea。 As a rule they delight in representing early peoples as totally destitute of common sense （which is supposed to be a monopoly of us moderns！）； and if the Sabbath…arrangement has had any value or use they insist on ascribing this to pure accident； and not to the application of any sane argument or reason。
＇1＇ For other absurd Sunday taboos see Westermarck on The Moral Ideas； vol。 ii； p。 289。
＇2＇ For a tracing of this taboo from useless superstition to practical utility see Hastings's Encycl。 Religion and Ethics； art。 〃The Sabbath。〃
It is true indeed that a tabooin order to be a proper taboomust not rest in the general mind on argument or reason。 It may have had good sense in the past or even an underlying good sense in the present； but its foundation must rest on something beyond。 It must be an absolute fiatsomething of the nature of a Mystery＇1＇ or of Religion or Magic…and not to be disputed。 This gives it its blood… curdling quality。 The rustic does not know what would happen to him if he garnered his corn on Sunday； nor does the diner…out in polite society know what would happen if he spooned up his food with his knifebut they both are stricken with a sort of paralysis at the very suggestion of infringing these taboos。
＇1＇ See Westermarck； Ibid。； ii。 586。
Marriage…customs have always been a fertile field for the generation of taboos。 It seems doubtful whether anything like absolute promiscuity ever prevailed among the human race； but there is much to show that wide choice and intercourse were common among primitive folk and that the tendency of later marriage custom has been on the whole to LIMIT this range of choice。 At some early period the forbiddal of marriage between those who bore the same totem…name took place。 Thus in Australia 〃no man of the Emu stock might marry an Emu woman； no Blacksnake might marry a Blacksnake woman； and so forth。〃＇1＇ Among the Kamilaroi and the Arunta of S。 Australia the tribe was divided into classes or clans； sometimes four； sometimes eight； and a man of one particular clan was only marriageable with a woman of another particular clansay （1） with （3） or （2） with （4）； and so on。＇2＇ Customs with a similar tendency； but different in detail； seem to have prevailed among native tribes in Central Africa and N。 America。 And the regulations in all this matter have been so （apparently） entirely arbitrary in the various cases that it would almost appear as if the bar of kinship through the Totem had been the EXCUSE； originating perhaps in some superstition； but that the real and more abiding object was simply limitation。 And this perhaps was a wise line to take。 A taboo on promiscuity had to be created； and for this purpose any current prejudice could be made use of。＇3＇
＇1＇ Myth； Ritual and Religion； i； p。 66。
＇2＇ See Spencer and Gillen； Native Tribes of Australia。
＇3＇ The author of The Mystic Rose seems to take this view。 See p。 214 of that book。
With us moderns the whole matter has taken a different complexion。 When we consider the enormous amount of suffering and disease； both of mind and body； arising from the sex…suppression of which I have just spoken； especially among women； we see that mere unreasoning tabooswhich possibly had their place and use in the pastcan be tolerated no longer。 We are bound to turn the searchlight of reason and science on a number of superstitions which still linger in the dark and musty places of the Churches and the Law courts。 Modern inquiry has shown conclusively not only the foundational importance of sex in the evolution of each human being； but also the very great VARIETY of spontaneous manifestations in different individuals and the vital necessity that these should be recognized； if society is ever to expand into a rational human form。 It is not my object here to sketch the future of marriage and sex…relations generallya subject which is now being dealt with very effectively from many sides； but only to insist on our using our good sense in the whole matter； and refusing any longer to be bound by senseless pre…judgments。
Something of the same kind may be said with regard to Nakedness； which in modern Civilization has become the object of a very serious and indeed harmful taboo； both of speech and act。 As someone has said； it became in the end of the nineteenth century almost a crime to mention by name any portion of the human body within a radius of about twenty inches from its centre （！） and as a matter of fact a few dress…reformers of that period were actually brought into court and treated as criminals for going about with legs bare up to the knees； and shoulders and chest uncovered！ Public follies such as these have been responsible for much of the bodily and mental disease and suppression just mentioned； and the sooner they are sent to limbo the better。 No sensible person would advocate promiscuous nakedness any more than promiscuous sex… relationship； nor is it likely that aged and deformed people would at any time wish to expose themselves。 But surely there is enough good sense and appreciation of grace and fitness in the average human mind for it to be able to liberate the body from senseless concealment； and give it its due expression。 The Greeks of old； having on the whole clean bodies； treated them with respect and distinction。 The young men appeared quite naked in the palaestra； and even the girls of Sparta ran races publicly in the same condition；＇1＇ and some day when our bodies （and minds too） have become clean we shall return to similar institutions。 But that will not be just yet。 As long as the defilement of
