the golden bough-第148节

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especially　by　the　women。　The　crowd　danced　round　the　post　to　music；　and　addressing　the　earth；　said；　O　God；　we　offer　this　sacrifice　to　you；　give　us　good　crops；　seasons；　and　health；　then　speaking　to　the　victim　they　said；　We　bought　you　with　a　price；　and　did　not　seize　you；　now　we　sacrifice　you　according　to　custom；　and　no　sin　rests　with　us。

On　the　last　morning　the　orgies；　which　had　been　scarcely　interrupted　during　the　night；　were　resumed；　and　continued　till　noon；　when　they　ceased；　and　the　assembly　proceeded　to　consummate　the　sacrifice。　The　victim　was　again　anointed　with　oil；　and　each　person　touched　the　anointed　part；　and　wiped　the　oil　on　his　own　head。　In　some　places　they　took　the　victim　in　procession　round　the　village；　from　door　to　door；　where　some　plucked　hair　from　his　head；　and　others　begged　for　a　drop　of　his　spittle；　with　which　they　anointed　their　heads。　As　the　victim　might　not　be　bound　nor　make　any　show　of　resistance；　the　bones　of　his　arms　and；　if　necessary；　his　legs　were　broken；　but　often　this　precaution　was　rendered　unnecessary　by　stupefying　him　with　opium。　The　mode　of　putting　him　to　death　varied　in　different　places。　One　of　the　commonest　modes　seems　to　have　been　strangulation；　or　squeezing　to　death。　The　branch　of　a　green　tree　was　cleft　several　feet　down　the　middle；　the　victim's　neck　（in　other　places；　his　chest）　was　inserted　in　the　cleft；　which　the　priest；　aided　by　his　assistants；　strove　with　all　his　force　to　close。　Then　he　wounded　the　victim　slightly　with　his　axe；　whereupon　the　crowd　rushed　at　the　wretch　and　hewed　the　flesh　from　the　bones；　leaving　the　head　and　bowels　untouched。　Sometimes　he　was　cut　up　alive。　In　Chinna　Kimedy　he　was　dragged　along　the　fields；　surrounded　by　the　crowd；　who；　avoiding　his　head　and　intestines；　hacked　the　flesh　from　his　body　with　their　knives　till　he　died。　Another　very　common　mode　of　sacrifice　in　the　same　district　was　to　fasten　the　victim　to　the　proboscis　of　a　wooden　elephant；　which　revolved　on　a　stout　post；　and；　as　it　whirled　round；　the　crowd　cut　the　flesh　from　the　victim　while　life　remained。　In　some　villages　Major　Campbell　found　as　many　as　fourteen　of　these　wooden　elephants；　which　had　been　used　at　sacrifices。　In　one　district　the　victim　was　put　to　death　slowly　by　fire。　A　low　stage　was　formed；　sloping　on　either　side　like　a　roof；　upon　it　they　laid　the　victim；　his　limbs　wound　round　with　cords　to　confine　his　struggles。　Fires　were　then　lighted　and　hot　brands　applied；　to　make　him　roll　up　and　down　the　slopes　of　the　stage　as　long　as　possible；　for　the　more　tears　he　shed　the　more　abundant　would　be　the　supply　of　rain。　Next　day　the　body　was　cut　to　pieces。

The　flesh　cut　from　the　victim　was　instantly　taken　home　by　the　persons　who　had　been　deputed　by　each　village　to　bring　it。　To　secure　its　rapid　arrival；　it　was　sometimes　forwarded　by　relays　of　men；　and　conveyed　with　postal　fleetness　fifty　or　sixty　miles。　In　each　village　all　who　stayed　at　home　fasted　rigidly　until　the　flesh　arrived。　The　bearer　deposited　it　in　the　place　of　public　assembly；　where　it　was　received　by　the　priest　and　the　heads　of　families。　The　priest　divided　it　into　two　portions；　one　of　which　he　offered　to　the　Earth　Goddess　by　burying　it　in　a　hole　in　the　ground　with　his　back　turned；　and　without　looking。　Then　each　man　added　a　little　earth　to　bury　it；　and　the　priest　poured　water　on　the　spot　from　a　hill　gourd。　The　other　portion　of　flesh　he　divided　into　as　many　shares　as　there　were　heads　of　houses　present。　Each　head　of　a　house　rolled　his　shred　of　flesh　in　leaves；　and　buried　it　in　his　favourite　field；　placing　it　in　the　earth　behind　his　back　without　looking。　In　some　places　each　man　carried　his　portion　of　flesh　to　the　stream　which　watered　his　fields；　and　there　hung　it　on　a　pole。　For　three　days　thereafter　no　house　was　swept；　and；　in　one　district；　strict　silence　was　observed；　no　fire　might　be　given　out；　no　wood　cut；　and　no　strangers　received。　The　remains　of　the　human　victim　（namely；　the　head；　bowels；　and　bones）　were　watched　by　strong　parties　the　night　after　the　sacrifice；　and　next　morning　they　were　burned；　along　with　a　whole　sheep；　on　a　funeral　pile。　The　ashes　were　scattered　over　the　fields；　laid　as　paste　over　the　houses　and　granaries；　or　mixed　with　the　new　corn　to　preserve　it　from　insects。　Sometimes；　however；　the　head　and　bones　were　buried；　not　burnt。　After　the　suppression　of　the　human　sacrifices；　inferior　victims　were　substituted　in　some　places；　for　instance；　in　the　capital　of　Chinna　Kimedy　a　goat　took　the　place　of　the　human　victim。　Others　sacrifice　a　buffalo。　They　tie　it　to　a　wooden　post　in　a　sacred　grove；　dance　wildly　round　it　with　brandished　knives；　then；　falling　on　the　living　animal；　hack　it　to　shreds　and　tatters　in　a　few　minutes；　fighting　and　struggling　with　each　other　for　every　particle　of　flesh。　As　soon　as　a　man　has　secured　a　piece　he　makes　off　with　it　at　full　speed　to　bury　it　in　his　fields；　according　to　ancient　custom；　before　the　sun　has　set；　and　as　some　of　them　have　far　to　go　they　must　run　very　fast。　All　the　women　throw　clods　of　earth　at　the　rapidly　retreating　figures　of　the　men；　some　of　them　taking　very　good　aim。　Soon　the　sacred　grove；　so　lately　a　scene　of　tumult；　is　silent　and　deserted　except　for　a　few　people　who　remain　to　guard　all　that　is　left　of　the　buffalo；　to　wit；　the　head；　the　bones；　and　the　stomach；　which　are　burned　with　ceremony　at　the　foot　of　the　stake。

In　these　Khond　sacrifices　the　Meriahs　are　represented　by　our　authorities　as　victims　offered　to　propitiate　the　Earth　Goddess。　But　from　the　treatment　of　the　victims　both　before　and　after　death　it　appears　that　the　custom　cannot　be　explained　as　merely　a　propitiatory　sacrifice。　A　part　of　the　flesh　certainly　was　offered　to　the　Earth　Goddess；　but　the　rest　was　buried　by　each　householder　in　his　fields；　and　the　ashes　of　the　other　parts　of　the　body　were　scattered　over　the　fields；　laid　as　paste　on　the　granaries；　or　mixed　with　the　new　corn。　These　latter　customs　imply　that　to　the　body　of　the　Meriah　there　was　ascribed　a　direct　or　intrinsic　power　of　making　the　crops　to　grow；　quite　independent　of　the　indirect　efficacy　which　it　might　have　as　an　offering　to　secure　the　good…will　of　the　deity。　In　other　words；　the　flesh　and　ashes　of　the　victim　were　believed　to　be　endowed　with　a　magical　or　physical　power　of　fertilising　the　land。　The　same　intrinsic　power　was　ascribed　to　the　blood　and　tears　of　the　Meriah；　his　blood　causing　the　redness　of　the　turmeric　and　his　tears　producing　rain；　for　it　can　hardly　be　doubted　that；　originally　at　least；　the　tears　were　supposed　to　bring　down　the　rain；　not　merely　to　prognosticate　it。　Similarly　the　custom　of　pouring　water　on　the　buried　flesh　of　the　Meriah　was　no　doubt　a　rain…charm。　Again；　magical　power　as　an　attribute　of　the　Meriah　appears　in　the　sovereign　virtue　believed　to　reside　in　anything　that　came　from　his　person；　as　his　hair　or　spittle。　The　ascription　of　such　power　to　the　Meriah　indicates　that　he　was　much　more　than　a　mere　man　sacrificed　to　propitiate　a　deity。　Once　more；　the　extreme　reverence　paid　him　points　to　the　same　conclusion。　Major　Campbell　speaks　of　the　Meriah　as　being　regarded　as　something　more　than　mortal；　and　Major　Macpherson　says；　A　species　of　reverence；　which　it　is　not　easy　to　distinguish　from　adoration；　is　paid　to　him。　In　short；　the　Meriah　seems　to　have　been　regarded　as　divine。　As　such；　he　may　originally　have　represented　the　Earth　Goddess　or；　perhaps；　a　deity　of　vegetation；　though　in　later　times　he　came　to　be　regarded　rather　as　a　victim　offered　to　a　deity　than　as　himself　an　incarnate　god。　This　later　view　of　the　Meriah　as　a　victim　rather　than　a　divinity　may　perhaps　have　received　undue　emphasis　from　the　European　writers　who　have　described　the　Khond　religion。　Habituated　to　the　later　idea　of　sacrifice　as　an　offering　made　to　a　god　for　the　purpose　of　conciliating　his　favour；　European　observers　are　apt　to　interpret　all　religious　slaughter　in　this　sense；　and　to　suppose　that　wherever　such　slaughter　takes　place；　there　must　necessarily　be　a　deity　to　whom　the　carnage　is　believed　by　the　slayers　to　be　acceptable。　Thus　their　preconceived　ideas　may　unconsciously　colour　and　warp　their　descriptions　of　savage　rites。

The　same　custom　of　killing　the　representative　of　a　god；　of　which　strong　traces　appear　in　the　Khond　sacrifices；　may　perhaps　be　detected　in　some　of　the　other　human　sacrifices　described　above。　Thus　the　ashes　of　the　slaughtered　Marimo　were　scattered　over　the　fields；　the　blood　of　the　Brahman　lad　was　put　on　the　crop　and　field；　the　flesh　of　the　slain　Naga　was　stowed　in　the　corn…bin；　and　the　blood　of　the　Sioux　girl　was　allowed　to　trickle　on　the　seed。　Again；　the　identification　of　the　victim　with　the　corn；　in　other　words；　the　view　that　he　is　an　embodiment　or　spirit　of　the　corn；　is　brought　out　in　the　pains　which　seem　to　be　taken　to　secure　a　physical　correspondence　between　him　and　the　natural　object　which　he　embodies　or　represents。　Thus　the　Mexicans　killed　young　victims　for　the　young　corn　and　old　ones　for　the　ripe　corn；　the　Marimos　sacrifice；　as　seed；　a　short；　fat　man；　the　shortness　of　his　stature　corresponding　to　that　of　the　young　corn；　his　fatness　to　the　condition　which　it　is　desired　that　the　crops　may　attain；　and　the　Pawnees　fattened　their　victims　probably　with　the　same　view。　Again；　the　identification　of　the　victim　with　the　corn　comes　out　in　the　African　custom　of　killing　him　with　spades