the golden bough-第181节

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there　to　end　your　days。　Decretis；　reversis　et　desembarassis　virgo　potens；　clemens；　justitiae。　Then　write　the　same　words　on　pieces　of　paper；　fold　them　up；　and　place　one　of　them　under　the　door　by　which　the　rats　are　to　go　forth；　and　the　other　on　the　road　which　they　are　to　take。　This　exorcism　should　be　performed　at　sunrise。　Some　years　ago　an　American　farmer　was　reported　to　have　written　a　civil　letter　to　the　rats；　telling　them　that　his　crops　were　short；　that　he　could　not　afford　to　keep　them　through　the　winter；　that　he　had　been　very　kind　to　them；　and　that　for　their　own　good　he　thought　they　had　better　leave　him　and　go　to　some　of　his　neighbours　who　had　more　grain。　This　document　he　pinned　to　a　post　in　his　barn　for　the　rats　to　read。

Sometimes　the　desired　object　is　supposed　to　be　attained　by　treating　with　high　distinction　one　or　two　chosen　individuals　of　the　obnoxious　species；　while　the　rest　are　pursued　with　relentless　rigour。　In　the　East　Indian　island　of　Bali；　the　mice　which　ravage　the　rice…fields　are　caught　in　great　numbers；　and　burned　in　the　same　way　that　corpses　are　burned。　But　two　of　the　captured　mice　are　allowed　to　live；　and　receive　a　little　packet　of　white　linen。　Then　the　people　bow　down　before　them；　as　before　gods；　and　let　them　go。　When　the　farms　of　the　Sea　Dyaks　or　Ibans　of　Sarawak　are　much　pestered　by　birds　and　insects；　they　catch　a　specimen　of　each　kind　of　vermin　（one　sparrow；　one　grasshopper；　and　so　on）；　put　them　in　a　tiny　boat　of　bark　well…stocked　with　provisions；　and　then　allow　the　little　vessel　with　its　obnoxious　passengers　to　float　down　the　river。　If　that　does　not　drive　the　pests　away；　the　Dyaks　resort　to　what　they　deem　a　more　effectual　mode　of　accomplishing　the　same　purpose。　They　make　a　clay　crocodile　as　large　as　life　and　set　it　up　in　the　fields；　where　they　offer　it　food；　rice…spirit；　and　cloth；　and　sacrifice　a　fowl　and　a　pig　before　it。　Mollified　by　these　attentions；　the　ferocious　animal　very　soon　gobbles　up　all　the　creatures　that　devour　the　crops。　In　Albania；　if　the　fields　or　vineyards　are　ravaged　by　locusts　or　beetles；　some　of　the　women　will　assemble　with　dishevelled　hair；　catch　a　few　of　the　insects；　and　march　with　them　in　a　funeral　procession　to　a　spring　or　stream；　in　which　they　drown　the　creatures。　Then　one　of　the　women　sings；　O　locusts　and　beetles　who　have　left　us　bereaved；　and　the　dirge　is　taken　up　and　repeated　by　all　the　women　in　chorus。　Thus　by　celebrating　the　obsequies　of　a　few　locusts　and　beetles；　they　hope　to　bring　about　the　death　of　them　all。　When　caterpillars　invaded　a　vineyard　or　field　in　Syria；　the　virgins　were　gathered；　and　one　of　the　caterpillars　was　taken　and　a　girl　made　its　mother。　Then　they　bewailed　and　buried　it。　Thereafter　they　conducted　the　mother　to　the　place　where　the　caterpillars　were；　consoling　her；　in　order　that　all　the　caterpillars　might　leave　the　garden。

Chapter　54。　Types　of　Animal　Sacrament。

1。　The　Egyptian　and　the　Aino　Types　of　Sacrament

WE　are　now　perhaps　in　a　position　to　understand　the　ambiguous　behaviour　of　the　Aino　and　Gilyaks　towards　the　bear。　It　has　been　shown　that　the　sharp　line　of　demarcation　which　we　draw　between　mankind　and　the　lower　animals　does　not　exist　for　the　savage。　To　him　many　of　the　other　animals　appear　as　his　equals　or　even　his　superiors；　not　merely　in　brute　force　but　in　intelligence；　and　if　choice　or　necessity　leads　him　to　take　their　lives；　he　feels　bound；　out　of　regard　to　his　own　safety；　to　do　it　in　a　way　which　will　be　as　inoffensive　as　possible　not　merely　to　the　living　animal；　but　to　its　departed　spirit　and　to　all　the　other　animals　of　the　same　species；　which　would　resent　an　affront　put　upon　one　of　their　kind　much　as　a　tribe　of　savages　would　revenge　an　injury　or　insult　offered　to　a　tribesman。　We　have　seen　that　among　the　many　devices　by　which　the　savage　seeks　to　atone　for　the　wrong　done　by　him　to　his　animal　victims　one　is　to　show　marked　deference　to　a　few　chosen　individuals　of　the　species；　for　such　behaviour　is　apparently　regarded　as　entitling　him　to　exterminate　with　impunity　all　the　rest　of　the　species　upon　which　he　can　lay　hands。　This　principle　perhaps　explains　the　attitude；　at　first　sight　puzzling　and　contradictory；　of　the　Aino　towards　the　bear。　The　flesh　and　skin　of　the　bear　regularly　afford　them　food　and　clothing；　but　since　the　bear　is　an　intelligent　and　powerful　animal；　it　is　necessary　to　offer　some　satisfaction　or　atonement　to　the　bear　species　for　the　loss　which　it　sustains　in　the　death　of　so　many　of　its　members。　This　satisfaction　or　atonement　is　made　by　rearing　young　bears；　treating　them；　so　long　as　they　live；　with　respect；　and　killing　them　with　extraordinary　marks　of　sorrow　and　devotion。　So　the　other　bears　are　appeased；　and　do　not　resent　the　slaughter　of　their　kind　by　attacking　the　slayers　or　deserting　the　country；　which　would　deprive　the　Aino　of　one　of　their　means　of　subsistence。

Thus　the　primitive　worship　of　animals　conforms　to　two　types；　which　are　in　some　respects　the　converse　of　each　other。　On　the　one　hand；　animals　are　worshipped；　and　are　therefore　neither　killed　nor　eaten。　On　the　other　hand；　animals　are　worshipped　because　they　are　habitually　killed　and　eaten。　In　both　types　of　worship　the　animal　is　revered　on　account　of　some　benefit；　positive　or　negative；　which　the　savage　hopes　to　receive　from　it。　In　the　former　worship　the　benefit　comes　either　in　the　positive　shape　of　protection；　advice；　and　help　which　the　animal　affords　the　man；　or　in　the　negative　shape　of　abstinence　from　injuries　which　it　is　in　the　power　of　the　animal　to　inflict。　In　the　latter　worship　the　benefit　takes　the　material　form　of　the　animal's　flesh　and　skin。　The　two　types　of　worship　are　in　some　measure　antithetical：　in　the　one；　the　animal　is　not　eaten　because　it　is　revered；　in　the　other；　it　is　revered　because　it　is　eaten。　But　both　may　be　practised　by　the　same　people；　as　we　see　in　the　case　of　the　North　American　Indians；　who；　while　they　apparently　revere　and　spare　their　totem　animals；　also　revere　the　animals　and　fish　upon　which　they　subsist。　The　aborigines　of　Australia　have　totemism　in　the　most　primitive　form　known　to　us；　but　there　is　no　clear　evidence　that　they　attempt；　like　the　North　American　Indians；　to　conciliate　the　animals　which　they　kill　and　eat。　The　means　which　the　Australians　adopt　to　secure　a　plentiful　supply　of　game　appear　to　be　primarily　based；　not　on　conciliation；　but　on　sympathetic　magic；　a　principle　to　which　the　North　American　Indians　also　resort　for　the　same　purpose。　Hence；　as　the　Australians　undoubtedly　represent　a　ruder　and　earlier　stage　of　human　progress　than　the　American　Indians；　it　would　seem　that　before　hunters　think　of　worshipping　the　game　as　a　means　of　ensuring　an　abundant　supply　of　it；　they　seek　to　attain　the　same　end　by　sympathetic　magic。　This；　again；　would　showwhat　there　is　good　reason　for　believingthat　sympathetic　magic　is　one　of　the　earliest　means　by　which　man　endeavours　to　adapt　the　agencies　of　nature　to　his　needs。

Corresponding　to　the　two　distinct　types　of　animal　worship；　there　are　two　distinct　types　of　the　custom　of　killing　the　animal　god。　On　the　one　hand；　when　the　revered　animal　is　habitually　spared；　it　is　nevertheless　killedand　sometimes　eatenon　rare　and　solemn　occasions。　Examples　of　this　custom　have　been　already　given　and　an　explanation　of　them　offered。　On　the　other　hand；　when　the　revered　animal　is　habitually　killed；　the　slaughter　of　any　one　of　the　species　involves　the　killing　of　the　god；　and　is　atoned　for　on　the　spot　by　apologies　and　sacrifices；　especially　when　the　animal　is　a　powerful　and　dangerous　one；　and；　in　addition　to　this　ordinary　and　everyday　atonement；　there　is　a　special　annual　atonement；　at　which　a　select　individual　of　the　species　is　slain　with　extraordinary　marks　of　respect　and　devotion。　Clearly　the　two　types　of　sacramental　killingthe　Egyptian　and　the　Aino　types；　as　we　may　call　them　for　distinctionare　liable　to　be　confounded　by　an　observer；　and；　before　we　can　say　to　which　type　any　particular　example　belongs；　it　is　necessary　to　ascertain　whether　the　animal　sacramentally　slain　belongs　to　a　species　which　is　habitually　spared；　or　to　one　which　is　habitually　killed　by　the　tribe。　In　the　former　case　the　example　belongs　to　the　Egyptian　type　of　sacrament；　in　the　latter　to　the　Aino　type。

The　practice　of　pastoral　tribes　appears　to　furnish　examples　of　both　types　of　sacrament。　Pastoral　tribes；　says　Adolf　Bastian；　being　sometimes　obliged　to　sell　their　herds　to　strangers　who　may　handle　the　bones　disrespectfully；　seek　to　avert　the　danger　which　such　a　sacrilege　would　entail　by　consecrating　one　of　the　herd　as　an　object　of　worship；　eating　it　sacramentally　in　the　family　circle　with　closed　doors；　and　afterwards　treating　the　bones　with　all　the　ceremonious　respect　which；　strictly　speaking；　should　be　accorded　to　every　head　of　cattle；　but　which；　being　punctually　paid　to　the　representative　animal；　is　deemed　to　be　paid　to　all。　Such　family　meals　are　found　among　various　peoples；　especially　those　of　the　Caucasus。　When　amongst　the　Abchases　the　shepherds　in　spring　eat　their　common　meal　with　their　loins　girt　and　their　staves　in　their　hands；　this　may　be　looked　upon　both　as　a　sacrament　and　as　an　oath　of　mutual　help　and　support。　For　the　strongest　of　all　oaths　is　that　which　is　accompanied　with　the　eating　of　a　sacred　substance；　since　the　perjured　person　cannot　possibly　escape　the