the golden bough-第180节

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the　first　halibut　of　the　season　is　carefully　handled　and　addressed　as　a　chief；　and　a　festival　is　given　in　his　honour；　after　which　the　fishing　goes　on。　In　spring；　when　the　winds　blow　soft　from　the　south　and　the　salmon　begin　to　run　up　the　Klamath　river；　the　Karoks　of　California　dance　for　salmon；　to　ensure　a　good　catch。　One　of　the　Indians；　called　the　Kareya　or　God…man；　retires　to　the　mountains　and　fasts　for　ten　days。　On　his　return　the　people　flee；　while　he　goes　to　the　river；　takes　the　first　salmon　of　the　catch；　eats　some　of　it；　and　with　the　rest　kindles　the　sacred　fire　in　the　sweating　house。　No　Indian　may　take　a　salmon　before　this　dance　is　held；　nor　for　ten　days　after　it；　even　if　his　family　are　starving。　The　Karoks　also　believe　that　a　fisherman　will　take　no　salmon　if　the　poles　of　which　his　spearing…booth　is　made　were　gathered　on　the　river…side；　where　the　salmon　might　have　seen　them。　The　poles　must　be　brought　from　the　top　of　the　highest　mountain。　The　fisherman　will　also　labour　in　vain　if　he　uses　the　same　poles　a　second　year　in　booths　or　weirs；　because　the　old　salmon　will　have　told　the　young　ones　about　them。　There　is　a　favourite　fish　of　the　Aino　which　appears　in　their　rivers　about　May　and　June。　They　prepare　for　the　fishing　by　observing　rules　of　ceremonial　purity；　and　when　they　have　gone　out　to　fish；　the　women　at　home　must　keep　strict　silence　or　the　fish　would　hear　them　and　disappear。　When　the　first　fish　is　caught　he　is　brought　home　and　passed　through　a　small　opening　at　the　end　of　the　hut；　but　not　through　the　door；　for　if　he　were　passed　through　the　door；　the　other　fish　would　certainly　see　him　and　disappear。　This　may　partly　explain　the　custom　observed　by　other　savages　of　bringing　game　in　certain　cases　into　their　huts；　not　by　the　door；　but　by　the　window；　the　smoke…hole；　or　by　a　special　opening　at　the　back　of　the　hut。

With　some　savages　a　special　reason　for　respecting　the　bones　of　game；　and　generally　of　the　animals　which　they　eat；　is　a　belief　that；　if　the　bones　are　preserved；　they　will　in　course　of　time　be　reclothed　with　flesh；　and　thus　the　animal　will　come　to　life　again。　It　is；　therefore；　clearly　for　the　interest　of　the　hunter　to　leave　the　bones　intact　since　to　destroy　them　would　be　to　diminish　the　future　supply　of　game。　Many　of　the　Minnetaree　Indians　believe　that　the　bones　of　those　bisons　which　they　have　slain　and　divested　of　flesh　rise　again　clothed　with　renewed　flesh；　and　quickened　with　life；　and　become　fat；　and　fit　for　slaughter　the　succeeding　June。　Hence　on　the　western　prairies　of　America；　the　skulls　of　buffaloes　may　be　seen　arranged　in　circles　and　symmetrical　piles；　awaiting　the　resurrection。　After　feasting　on　a　dog；　the　Dacotas　carefully　collect　the　bones；　scrape；　wash；　and　bury　them；　partly；　as　it　is　said；　to　testify　to　the　dog…species；　that　in　feasting　upon　one　of　their　number　no　disrespect　was　meant　to　the　species　itself；　and　partly　also　from　a　belief　that　the　bones　of　the　animal　will　rise　and　reproduce　another。　In　sacrificing　an　animal　the　Lapps　regularly　put　aside　the　bones；　eyes；　ears；　heart；　lungs；　sexual　parts　（if　the　animal　was　a　male）；　and　a　morsel　of　flesh　from　each　limb。　Then；　after　eating　the　remainder　of　the　flesh；　they　laid　the　bones　and　the　rest　in　anatomical　order　in　a　coffin　and　buried　them　with　the　usual　rites；　believing　that　the　god　to　whom　the　animal　was　sacrificed　would　reclothe　the　bones　with　flesh　and　restore　the　animal　to　life　in　Jabme…Aimo；　the　subterranean　world　of　the　dead。　Sometimes；　as　after　feasting　on　a　bear；　they　seem　to　have　contented　themselves　with　thus　burying　the　bones。　Thus　the　Lapps　expected　the　resurrection　of　the　slain　animal　to　take　place　in　another　world；　resembling　in　this　respect　the　Kamtchatkans；　who　believed　that　every　creature；　down　to　the　smallest　fly；　would　rise　from　the　dead　and　live　underground。　On　the　other　hand；　the　North　American　Indians　looked　for　the　resurrection　of　the　animals　in　the　present　world。　The　habit；　observed　especially　by　Mongolian　peoples；　of　stuffing　the　skin　of　a　sacrificed　animal；　or　stretching　it　on　a　framework；　points　rather　to　a　belief　in　a　resurrection　of　the　latter　sort。　The　objection　commonly　entertained　by　primitive　peoples　to　break　the　bones　of　the　animals　which　they　have　eaten　or　sacrificed　may　be　based　either　on　a　belief　in　the　resurrection　of　the　animals；　or　on　a　fear　of　intimidating　other　creatures　of　the　same　species　and　offending　the　ghosts　of　the　slain　animals。　The　reluctance　of　North　American　Indians　and　Esquimaux　to　let　dogs　gnaw　the　bones　of　animals　is　perhaps　only　a　precaution　to　prevent　the　bones　from　being　broken。

But　after　all　the　resurrection　of　dead　game　may　have　its　inconveniences；　and　accordingly　some　hunters　take　steps　to　prevent　it　by　hamstringing　the　animal　so　as　to　prevent　it　or　its　ghost　from　getting　up　and　running　away。　This　is　the　motive　alleged　for　the　practice　by　Koui　hunters　in　Laos；　they　think　that　the　spells　which　they　utter　in　the　chase　may　lose　their　magical　virtue；　and　that　the　slaughtered　animal　may　consequently　come　to　life　again　and　escape。　To　prevent　that　catastrophe　they　therefore　hamstring　the　beast　as　soon　as　they　have　butchered　it。　When　an　Esquimau　of　Alaska　has　killed　a　fox；　he　carefully　cuts　the　tendons　of　all　the　animal's　legs　in　order　to　prevent　the　ghost　from　reanimating　the　body　and　walking　about。　But　hamstringing　the　carcase　is　not　the　only　measure　which　the　prudent　savage　adopts　for　the　sake　of　disabling　the　ghost　of　his　victim。　In　old　days；　when　the　Aino　went　out　hunting　and　killed　a　fox　first；　they　took　care　to　tie　its　mouth　up　tightly　in　order　to　prevent　the　ghost　of　the　animal　from　sallying　forth　and　warning　its　fellows　against　the　approach　of　the　hunter。　The　Gilyaks　of　the　Amoor　River　put　out　the　eyes　of　the　seals　they　have　killed；　lest　the　ghosts　of　the　slain　animals　should　know　their　slayers　and　avenge　their　death　by　spoiling　the　seal…hunt。

Besides　the　animals　which　primitive　man　dreads　for　their　strength　and　ferocity；　and　those　which　he　reveres　on　account　of　the　benefits　which　he　expects　from　them；　there　is　another　class　of　creatures　which　he　sometimes　deems　it　necessary　to　conciliate　by　worship　and　sacrifice。　These　are　the　vermin　that　infest　his　crops　and　his　cattle。　To　rid　himself　of　these　deadly　foes　the　farmer　has　recourse　to　many　superstitious　devices；　of　which；　though　some　are　meant　to　destroy　or　intimidate　the　vermin；　others　aim　at　propitiating　them　and　persuading　them　by　fair　means　to　spare　the　fruits　of　the　earth　and　the　herds。　Thus　Esthonian　peasants；　in　the　island　of　Oesel；　stand　in　great　awe　of　the　weevil；　an　insect　which　is　exceedingly　destructive　to　the　grain。　They　give　it　a　fine　name；　and　if　a　child　is　about　to　kill　a　weevil　they　say；　Don't　do　it；　the　more　we　hurt　him；　the　more　he　hurts　us。　If　they　find　a　weevil　they　bury　it　in　the　earth　instead　of　killing　it。　Some　even　put　the　weevil　under　a　stone　in　the　field　and　offer　corn　to　it。　They　think　that　thus　it　is　appeased　and　does　less　harm。　Amongst　the　Saxons　of　Transylvania；　in　order　to　keep　sparrows　from　the　corn；　the　sower　begins　by　throwing　the　first　handful　of　seed　backwards　over　his　head；　saying；　That　is　for　you；　sparrows。　To　guard　the　corn　against　the　attacks　of　leaf…flies　he　shuts　his　eyes　and　scatters　three　handfuls　of　oats　in　different　directions。　Having　made　this　offering　to　the　leaf…flies　he　feels　sure　that　they　will　spare　the　corn。　A　Transylvanian　way　of　securing　the　crops　against　all　birds；　beasts；　and　insects；　is　this：　after　he　has　finished　sowing；　the　sower　goes　once　more　from　end　to　end　of　the　field　imitating　the　gesture　of　sowing；　but　with　an　empty　hand。　As　he　does　so　he　says；　I　sow　this　for　the　animals；　I　sow　it　for　every　thing　that　flies　and　creeps；　that　walks　and　stands；　that　sings　and　springs；　in　the　name　of　God　the　Father；　etc。　The　following　is　a　German　way　of　freeing　a　garden　from　caterpillars。　After　sunset　or　at　midnight　the　mistress　of　the　house；　or　another　female　member　of　the　family；　walks　all　round　the　garden　dragging　a　broom　after　her。　She　may　not　look　behind　her；　and　must　keep　murmuring；　Good　evening；　Mother　Caterpillar；　you　shall　come　with　your　husband　to　church。　The　garden　gate　is　left　open　till　the　following　morning。

Sometimes　in　dealing　with　vermin　the　farmer　aims　at　hitting　a　happy　mean　between　excessive　rigour　on　the　one　hand　and　weak　indulgence　on　the　other；　kind　but　firm；　he　tempers　severity　with　mercy。　An　ancient　Greek　treatise　on　farming　advises　the　husbandman　who　would　rid　his　lands　of　mice　to　act　thus：　Take　a　sheet　of　paper　and　write　on　it　as　follows：　'I　adjure　you；　ye　mice　here　present；　that　ye　neither　injure　me　nor　suffer　another　mouse　to　do　so。　I　give　you　yonder　field'　（here　you　specify　the　field）；　'but　if　ever　I　catch　you　here　again；　by　the　Mother　of　the　Gods　I　will　rend　you　in　seven　pieces。'　Write　this；　and　stick　the　paper　on　an　unhewn　stone　in　the　field　before　sunrise；　taking　care　to　keep　the　written　side　up。　In　the　Ardennes　they　say　that　to　get　rid　of　rats　you　should　repeat　the　following　words：　Erat　verbum；　apud　Deum　vestrum。　Male　rats　and　female　rats；　I　conjure　you；　by　the　great　God；　to　go　out　of　my　house；　out　of　all　my　habitations；　and　to　betake　yourselves　to　such　and　such　a　place；　there　to　end　your　days。　Decretis；　reversis　et　desembarassis　virgo　potens；　clemens；　justitiae。　Then　w