the golden bough-第179节

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of　the　bones；　of　beavers。　They　took　the　greatest　pains　to　collect　and　preserve　these　bones；　and；　when　the　beaver　had　been　caught　in　a　net；　they　threw　them　into　the　river。　To　a　Jesuit　who　argued　that　the　beavers　could　not　possibly　know　what　became　of　their　bones；　the　Indians　replied；　You　know　nothing　about　catching　beavers　and　yet　you　will　be　prating　about　it。　Before　the　beaver　is　stone　dead；　his　soul　takes　a　turn　in　the　hut　of　the　man　who　is　killing　him　and　makes　a　careful　note　of　what　is　done　with　his　bones。　If　the　bones　are　given　to　the　dogs；　the　other　beavers　would　get　word　of　it　and　would　not　let　themselves　be　caught。　Whereas；　if　their　bones　are　thrown　into　the　fire　or　a　river；　they　are　quite　satisfied；　and　it　is　particularly　gratifying　to　the　net　which　caught　them。　Before　hunting　the　beaver　they　offered　a　solemn　prayer　to　the　Great　Beaver；　and　presented　him　with　tobacco；　and　when　the　chase　was　over；　an　orator　pronounced　a　funeral　oration　over　the　dead　beavers。　He　praised　their　spirit　and　wisdom。　You　will　hear　no　more；　said　he；　the　voice　of　the　chieftains　who　commanded　you　and　whom　you　chose　from　among　all　the　warrior　beavers　to　give　you　laws。　Your　language；　which　the　medicine…men　understand　perfectly；　will　be　heard　no　more　at　the　bottom　of　the　lake。　You　will　fight　no　more　battles　with　the　otters；　your　cruel　foes。　No；　beavers！　But　your　skins　shall　serve　to　buy　arms；　we　will　carry　your　smoked　hams　to　our　children；　we　will　keep　the　dogs　from　eating　your　bones；　which　are　so　hard。

The　elan；　deer；　and　elk　were　treated　by　the　American　Indians　with　the　same　punctilious　respect；　and　for　the　same　reason。　Their　bones　might　not　be　given　to　the　dogs　nor　thrown　into　the　fire；　nor　might　their　fat　be　dropped　upon　the　fire；　because　the　souls　of　the　dead　animals　were　believed　to　see　what　was　done　to　their　bodies　and　to　tell　it　to　the　other　beasts；　living　and　dead。　Hence；　if　their　bodies　were　illused；　the　animals　of　that　species　would　not　allow　themselves　to　be　taken；　neither　in　this　world　nor　in　the　world　to　come。　Among　the　Chiquites　of　Paraguay　a　sick　man　would　be　asked　by　the　medicine…man　whether　he　had　not　thrown　away　some　of　the　flesh　of　the　deer　or　turtle；　and　if　he　answered　yes；　the　medicine…man　would　say；　That　is　what　is　killing　you。　The　soul　of　the　deer　or　turtle　has　entered　into　your　body　to　avenge　the　wrong　you　did　it。　The　Canadian　Indians　would　not　eat　the　embryos　of　the　elk；　unless　at　the　close　of　the　hunting　season；　otherwise　the　mother…elks　would　be　shy　and　refuse　to　be　caught。

In　the　Timor…laut　islands　of　the　Indian　Archipelago　the　skulls　of　all　the　turtles　which　a　fisherman　has　caught　are　hung　up　under　his　house。　Before　he　goes　out　to　catch　another；　he　addresses　himself　to　the　skull　of　the　last　turtle　that　he　killed；　and　having　inserted　betel　between　its　jaws；　he　prays　the　spirit　of　the　dead　animal　to　entice　its　kinsfolk　in　the　sea　to　come　and　be　caught。　In　the　Poso　district　of　Central　Celebes　hunters　keep　the　jawbones　of　deer　and　wild　pigs　which　they　have　killed　and　hang　them　up　in　their　houses　near　the　fire。　Then　they　say　to　the　jawbones；　Ye　cry　after　your　comrades；　that　your　grandfathers；　or　nephews；　or　children　may　not　go　away。　Their　notion　is　that　the　souls　of　the　dead　deer　and　pigs　tarry　near　their　jawbones　and　attract　the　souls　of　living　deer　and　pigs；　which　are　thus　drawn　into　the　toils　of　the　hunter。　Thus　the　wily　savage　employs　dead　animals　as　decoys　to　lure　living　animals　to　their　doom。

The　Lengua　Indians　of　the　Gran　Chaco　love　to　hunt　the　ostrich；　but　when　they　have　killed　one　of　these　birds　and　are　bringing　home　the　carcase　to　the　village；　they　take　steps　to　outwit　the　resentful　ghost　of　their　victim。　They　think　that　when　the　first　natural　shock　of　death　is　passed；　the　ghost　of　the　ostrich　pulls　himself　together　and　makes　after　his　body。　Acting　on　this　sage　calculation；　the　Indians　pluck　feathers　from　the　breast　of　the　bird　and　strew　them　at　intervals　along　the　track。　At　every　bunch　of　feathers　the　ghost　stops　to　consider；　Is　this　the　whole　of　my　body　or　only　a　part　of　it？　The　doubt　gives　him　pause；　and　when　at　last　he　has　made　up　his　mind　fully　at　all　the　bunches；　and　has　further　wasted　valuable　time　by　the　zigzag　course　which　he　invariably　pursues　in　going　from　one　to　another；　the　hunters　are　safe　at　home；　and　the　bilked　ghost　may　stalk　in　vain　round　about　the　village；　which　he　is　too　timid　to　enter。

The　Esquimaux　about　Bering　Strait　believe　that　the　souls　of　dead　sea…beasts；　such　as　seals；　walrus；　and　whales；　remain　attached　to　their　bladders；　and　that　by　returning　the　bladders　to　the　sea　they　can　cause　the　souls　to　be　reincarnated　in　fresh　bodies　and　so　multiply　the　game　which　the　hunters　pursue　and　kill。　Acting　on　this　belief　every　hunter　carefully　removes　and　preserves　the　bladders　of　all　the　sea…beasts　that　he　kills；　and　at　a　solemn　festival　held　once　a　year　in　winter　these　bladders；　containing　the　souls　of　all　the　sea…beasts　that　have　been　killed　throughout　the　year；　are　honoured　with　dances　and　offerings　of　food　in　the　public　assembly…room；　after　which　they　are　taken　out　on　the　ice　and　thrust　through　holes　into　the　water；　for　the　simple　Esquimaux　imagine　that　the　souls　of　the　animals；　in　high　good　humour　at　the　kind　treatment　they　have　experienced；　will　thereafter　be　born　again　as　seals；　walrus；　and　whales；　and　in　that　form　will　flock　willingly　to　be　again　speared；　harpooned；　or　otherwise　done　to　death　by　the　hunters。

For　like　reasons；　a　tribe　which　depends　for　its　subsistence；　chiefly　or　in　part；　upon　fishing　is　careful　to　treat　the　fish　with　every　mark　of　honour　and　respect。　The　Indians　of　Peru　adored　the　fish　that　they　caught　in　greatest　abundance；　for　they　said　that　the　first　fish　that　was　made　in　the　world　above　（for　so　they　named　Heaven）　gave　birth　to　all　other　fish　of　that　species；　and　took　care　to　send　them　plenty　of　its　children　to　sustain　their　tribe。　For　this　reason　they　worshipped　sardines　in　one　region；　where　they　killed　more　of　them　than　of　any　other　fish；　in　others；　the　skate；　in　others；　the　dogfish；　in　others；　the　golden　fish　for　its　beauty；　in　others；　the　crawfish；　in　others；　for　want　of　larger　gods；　the　crabs；　where　they　had　no　other　fish；　or　where　they　knew　not　how　to　catch　and　kill　them。　In　short；　they　had　whatever　fish　was　most　serviceable　to　them　as　their　gods。　The　Kwakiutl　Indians　of　British　Columbia　think　that　when　a　salmon　is　killed　its　soul　returns　to　the　salmon　country。　Hence　they　take　care　to　throw　the　bones　and　offal　into　the　sea；　in　order　that　the　soul　may　reanimate　them　at　the　resurrection　of　the　salmon。　Whereas　if　they　burned　the　bones　the　soul　would　be　lost；　and　so　it　would　be　quite　impossible　for　that　salmon　to　rise　from　the　dead。　In　like　manner　the　Ottawa　Indians　of　Canada；　believing　that　the　souls　of　dead　fish　passed　into　other　bodies　of　fish；　never　burned　fish　bones；　for　fear　of　displeasing　the　souls　of　the　fish；　who　would　come　no　more　to　the　nets。　The　Hurons　also　refrained　from　throwing　fish　bones　into　the　fire；　lest　the　souls　of　the　fish　should　go　and　warn　the　other　fish　not　to　let　themselves　be　caught；　since　the　Hurons　would　burn　their　bones。　Moreover；　they　had　men　who　preached　to　the　fish　and　persuaded　them　to　come　and　be　caught。　A　good　preacher　was　much　sought　after；　for　they　thought　that　the　exhortations　of　a　clever　man　had　a　great　effect　in　drawing　the　fish　to　the　nets。　In　the　Huron　fishing　village　where　the　French　missionary　Sagard　stayed；　the　preacher　to　the　fish　prided　himself　very　much　on　his　eloquence；　which　was　of　a　florid　order。　Every　evening　after　supper；　having　seen　that　all　the　people　were　in　their　places　and　that　a　strict　silence　was　observed；　he　preached　to　the　fish。　His　text　was　that　the　Hurons　did　not　burn　fish　bones。　Then　enlarging　on　this　theme　with　extraordinary　unction；　he　exhorted　and　conjured　and　invited　and　implored　the　fish　to　come　and　be　caught　and　to　be　of　good　courage　and　to　fear　nothing；　for　it　was　all　to　serve　their　friends　who　honoured　them　and　did　not　burn　their　bones。　The　natives　of　the　Duke　of　York　Island　annually　decorate　a　canoe　with　flowers　and　ferns；　lade　it；　or　are　supposed　to　lade　it；　with　shell…money；　and　set　it　adrift　to　compensate　the　fish　for　their　fellows　who　have　been　caught　and　eaten。　It　is　especially　necessary　to　treat　the　first　fish　caught　with　consideration　in　order　to　conciliate　the　rest　of　the　fish；　whose　conduct　may　be　supposed　to　be　influenced　by　the　reception　given　to　those　of　their　kind　which　were　the　first　to　be　taken。　Accordingly　the　Maoris　always　put　back　into　the　sea　the　first　fish　caught；　with　a　prayer　that　it　may　tempt　other　fish　to　come　and　be　caught。

Still　more　stringent　are　the　precautions　taken　when　the　fish　are　the　first　of　the　season。　On　salmon　rivers；　when　the　fish　begin　to　run　up　the　stream　in　spring；　they　are　received　with　much　deference　by　tribes　who；　like　the　Indians　of　the　Pacific　Coast　of　North　America；　subsist　largely　upon　a　fish　diet。　In　British　Columbia　the　Indians　used　to　go　out　to　meet　the　first　fish　as　they　came　up　the　river：　They　paid　court　to　them；　and　would　address　them　thus：　'You　fish；　you　fish；　you　are　all　chiefs；　you　are；　you　are　all　chiefs。'　Amongst　the　Tlingit　of　Alaska　the　first　halibut　of　the　season　is　carefully　handled　and　addressed　as　a　chief；　and　a　festival　is　giv