the golden bough-第147节

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ceived　a　small　billet　of　wood　and　a　little　paint；　which　she　handed　to　the　warrior　next　to　her。　In　this　way　she　called　at　every　wigwam；　receiving　at　each　the　same　present　of　wood　and　paint。　On　the　twenty…second　of　April　she　was　taken　out　to　be　sacrificed；　attended　by　the　warriors；　each　of　whom　carried　two　pieces　of　wood　which　he　had　received　from　her　hands。　Her　body　having　been　painted　half　red　and　half　black；　she　was　attached　to　a　sort　of　gibbet　and　roasted　for　some　time　over　a　slow　fire；　then　shot　to　death　with　arrows。　The　chief　sacrificer　next　tore　out　her　heart　and　devoured　it。　While　her　flesh　was　still　warm　it　was　cut　in　small　pieces　from　the　bones；　put　in　little　baskets；　and　taken　to　a　neighbouring　corn…field。　There　the　head　chief　took　a　piece　of　the　flesh　from　a　basket　and　squeezed　a　drop　of　blood　upon　the　newly…deposited　grains　of　corn。　His　example　was　followed　by　the　rest；　till　all　the　seed　had　been　sprinkled　with　the　blood；　it　was　then　covered　up　with　earth。　According　to　one　account　the　body　of　the　victim　was　reduced　to　a　kind　of　paste；　which　was　rubbed　or　sprinkled　not　only　on　the　maize　but　also　on　the　potatoes；　the　beans；　and　other　seeds　to　fertilise　them。　By　this　sacrifice　they　hoped　to　obtain　plentiful　crops。

A　West　African　queen　used　to　sacrifice　a　man　and　woman　in　the　month　of　March。　They　were　killed　with　spades　and　hoes；　and　their　bodies　buried　in　the　middle　of　a　field　which　had　just　been　tilled。　At　Lagos　in　Guinea　it　was　the　custom　annually　to　impale　a　young　girl　alive　soon　after　the　spring　equinox　in　order　to　secure　good　crops。　Along　with　her　were　sacrificed　sheep　and　goats；　which；　with　yams；　heads　of　maize；　and　plantains；　were　hung　on　stakes　on　each　side　of　her。　The　victims　were　bred　up　for　the　purpose　in　the　king's　seraglio；　and　their　minds　had　been　so　powerfully　wrought　upon　by　the　fetish　men　that　they　went　cheerfully　to　their　fate。　A　similar　sacrifice　used　to　be　annually　offered　at　Benin；　in　Guinea。　The　Marimos；　a　Bechuana　tribe；　sacrifice　a　human　being　for　the　crops。　The　victim　chosen　is　generally　a　short；　stout　man。　He　is　seized　by　violence　or　intoxicated　and　taken　to　the　fields；　where　he　is　killed　amongst　the　wheat　to　serve　as　seed　（so　they　phrase　it）。　After　his　blood　has　coagulated　in　the　sun；　it　is　burned　along　with　the　frontal　bone；　the　flesh　attached　to　it；　and　the　brain；　the　ashes　are　then　scattered　over　the　ground　to　fertilise　it。　The　rest　of　the　body　is　eaten。

The　Bagobos　of　Mindanao；　one　of　the　Philippine　Islands；　offer　a　human　sacrifice　before　they　sow　their　rice。　The　victim　is　a　slave；　who　is　hewn　to　pieces　in　the　forest。　The　natives　of　Bontoc　in　the　interior　of　Luzon；　one　of　the　Philippine　Islands；　are　passionate　head…hunters。　Their　principal　seasons　for　head…hunting　are　the　times　of　planting　and　reaping　the　rice。　In　order　that　the　crop　may　turn　out　well；　every　farm　must　get　at　least　one　human　head　at　planting　and　one　at　sowing。　The　head…hunters　go　out　in　twos　or　threes；　lie　in　wait　for　the　victim；　whether　man　or　woman；　cut　off　his　or　her　head；　hands；　and　feet；　and　bring　them　back　in　haste　to　the　village；　where　they　are　received　with　great　rejoicings。　The　skulls　are　at　first　exposed　on　the　branches　of　two　or　three　dead　trees　which　stand　in　an　open　space　of　every　village　surrounded　by　large　stones　which　serve　as　seats。　The　people　then　dance　round　them　and　feast　and　get　drunk。　When　the　flesh　has　decayed　from　the　head；　the　man　who　cut　it　off　takes　it　home　and　preserves　it　as　a　relic；　while　his　companions　do　the　same　with　the　hands　and　the　feet。　Similar　customs　are　observed　by　the　Apoyaos；　another　tribe　in　the　interior　of　Luzon。

Among　the　Lhota　Naga；　one　of　the　many　savage　tribes　who　inhabit　the　deep　rugged　labyrinthine　glens　which　wind　into　the　mountains　from　the　rich　valley　of　Brahmapootra；　it　used　to　be　a　common　custom　to　chop　off　the　heads；　hands；　and　feet　of　people　they　met　with；　and　then　to　stick　up　the　severed　extremities　in　their　fields　to　ensure　a　good　crop　of　grain。　They　bore　no　ill…will　whatever　to　the　persons　upon　whom　they　operated　in　this　unceremonious　fashion。　Once　they　flayed　a　boy　alive；　carved　him　in　pieces；　and　distributed　the　flesh　among　all　the　villagers；　who　put　it　into　their　corn…bins　to　avert　bad　luck　and　ensure　plentiful　crops　of　grain。　The　Gonds　of　India；　a　Dravidian　race；　kidnapped　Brahman　boys；　and　kept　them　as　victims　to　be　sacrificed　on　various　occasions。　At　sowing　and　reaping；　after　a　triumphal　procession；　one　of　the　lads　was　slain　by　being　punctured　with　a　poisoned　arrow。　His　blood　was　then　sprinkled　over　the　ploughed　field　or　the　ripe　crop；　and　his　flesh　was　devoured。　The　Oraons　or　Uraons　of　Chota　Nagpur　worship　a　goddess　called　Anna　Kuari；　who　can　give　good　crops　and　make　a　man　rich；　but　to　induce　her　to　do　so　it　is　necessary　to　offer　human　sacrifices。　In　spite　of　the　vigilance　of　the　British　Government　these　sacrifices　are　said　to　be　still　secretly　perpetrated。　The　victims　are　poor　waifs　and　strays　whose　disappearance　attracts　no　notice。　April　and　May　are　the　months　when　the　catchpoles　are　out　on　the　prowl。　At　that　time　strangers　will　not　go　about　the　country　alone；　and　parents　will　not　let　their　children　enter　the　jungle　or　herd　the　cattle。　When　a　catchpole　has　found　a　victim；　he　cuts　his　throat　and　carries　away　the　upper　part　of　the　ring　finger　and　the　nose。　The　goddess　takes　up　her　abode　in　the　house　of　any　man　who　has　offered　her　a　sacrifice；　and　from　that　time　his　fields　yield　a　double　harvest。　The　form　she　assumes　in　the　house　is　that　of　a　small　child。　When　the　householder　brings　in　his　unhusked　rice；　he　takes　the　goddess　and　rolls　her　over　the　heap　to　double　its　size。　But　she　soon　grows　restless　and　can　only　be　pacified　with　the　blood　of　fresh　human　victims。

But　the　best　known　case　of　human　sacrifices；　systematically　offered　to　ensure　good　crops；　is　supplied　by　the　Khonds　or　Kandhs；　another　Dravidian　race　in　Bengal。　Our　knowledge　of　them　is　derived　from　the　accounts　written　by　British　officers　who；　about　the　middle　of　the　nineteenth　century；　were　engaged　in　putting　them　down。　The　sacrifices　were　offered　to　the　Earth　Goddess。　Tari　Pennu　or　Bera　Pennu；　and　were　believed　to　ensure　good　crops　and　immunity　from　all　disease　and　accidents。　In　particular；　they　were　considered　necessary　in　the　cultivation　of　turmeric；　the　Khonds　arguing　that　the　turmeric　could　not　have　a　deep　red　colour　without　the　shedding　of　blood。　The　victim　or　Meriah；　as　he　was　called；　was　acceptable　to　the　goddess　only　if　he　had　been　purchased；　or　had　been　born　a　victimthat　is；　the　son　of　a　victim　father；　or　had　been　devoted　as　a　child　by　his　father　or　guardian。　Khonds　in　distress　often　sold　their　children　for　victims；　considering　the　beatification　of　their　souls　certain；　and　their　death；　for　the　benefit　of　mankind；　the　most　honourable　possible。　A　man　of　the　Panua　tribe　was　once　seen　to　load　a　Khond　with　curses；　and　finally　to　spit　in　his　face；　because　the　Khond　had　sold　for　a　victim　his　own　child；　whom　the　Panua　had　wished　to　marry。　A　party　of　Khonds；　who　saw　this；　immediately　pressed　forward　to　comfort　the　seller　of　his　child；　saying；　Your　child　has　died　that　all　the　world　may　live；　and　the　Earth　Goddess　herself　will　wipe　that　spittle　from　your　face。　The　victims　were　often　kept　for　years　before　they　were　sacrificed。　Being　regarded　as　consecrated　beings；　they　were　treated　with　extreme　affection；　mingled　with　deference；　and　were　welcomed　wherever　they　went。　A　Meriah　youth；　on　attaining　maturity；　was　generally　given　a　wife；　who　was　herself　usually　a　Meriah　or　victim；　and　with　her　he　received　a　portion　of　land　and　farm…stock。　Their　offspring　were　also　victims。　Human　sacrifices　were　offered　to　the　Earth　Goddess　by　tribes；　branches　of　tribes；　or　villages；　both　at　periodical　festivals　and　on　extraordinary　occasions。　The　periodical　sacrifices　were　generally　so　arranged　by　tribes　and　divisions　of　tribes　that　each　head　of　a　family　was　enabled；　at　least　once　a　year；　to　procure　a　shred　of　flesh　for　his　fields；　generally　about　the　time　when　his　chief　crop　was　laid　down。

The　mode　of　performing　these　tribal　sacrifices　was　as　follows。　Ten　or　twelve　days　before　the　sacrifice；　the　victim　was　devoted　by　cutting　off　his　hair；　which；　until　then；　had　been　kept　unshorn。　Crowds　of　men　and　women　assembled　to　witness　the　sacrifice；　none　might　be　excluded；　since　the　sacrifice　was　declared　to　be　for　all　mankind。　It　was　preceded　by　several　days　of　wild　revelry　and　gross　debauchery。　On　the　day　before　the　sacrifice　the　victim；　dressed　in　a　new　garment；　was　led　forth　from　the　village　in　solemn　procession；　with　music　and　dancing；　to　the　Meriah　grove；　a　clump　of　high　forest　trees　standing　a　little　way　from　the　village　and　untouched　by　the　axe。　There　they　tied　him　to　a　post；　which　was　sometimes　placed　between　two　plants　of　the　sankissar　shrub。　He　was　then　anointed　with　oil；　ghee；　and　turmeric；　and　adorned　with　flowers；　and　a　species　of　reverence；　which　it　is　not　easy　to　distinguish　from　adoration；　was　paid　to　him　throughout　the　day。　A　great　struggle　now　arose　to　obtain　the　smallest　relic　from　his　person；　a　particle　of　the　turmeric　paste　with　which　he　was　smeared；　or　a　drop　of　his　spittle；　was　esteemed　of　sovereign　virtue；　especially　by　the　women。　The　crowd　danced　round　the　post　to　music；　and　addressing　the　earth；　said；　O