the golden bough-第186节

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r　the　ague　is　to　go　early　in　the　morning　to　an　old　willow；　tie　three　knots　in　one　of　its　branches；　say；　Good…morrow；　Old　One；　I　give　thee　the　cold；　good…morrow；　Old　One；　then　turn　and　run　away　without　looking　round。　In　Sonnenberg；　if　you　would　rid　yourself　of　gout　you　should　go　to　a　young　fir…tree　and　tie　a　knot　in　one　of　its　twigs；　saying；　God　greet　thee；　noble　fir。　I　bring　thee　my　gout。　Here　will　I　tie　a　knot　and　bind　my　gout　into　it。　In　the　name；　etc。

Another　way　of　transferring　gout　from　a　man　to　a　tree　is　this。　Pare　the　nails　of　the　sufferer's　fingers　and　clip　some　hairs　from　his　legs。　Bore　a　hole　in　an　oak；　stuff　the　nails　and　hair　in　the　hole；　stop　up　the　hole　again；　and　smear　it　with　cow's　dung。　If；　for　three　months　thereafter；　the　patient　is　free　of　gout；　you　may　be　sure　the　oak　has　it　in　his　stead。　In　Cheshire　if　you　would　be　rid　of　warts；　you　have　only　to　rub　them　with　a　piece　of　bacon；　cut　a　slit　in　the　bark　of　an　ash…tree；　and　slip　the　bacon　under　the　bark。　Soon　the　warts　will　disappear　from　your　hand；　only　however　to　reappear　in　the　shape　of　rough　excrescences　or　knobs　on　the　bark　of　the　tree。　At　Berkhampstead；　in　Hertfordshire；　there　used　to　be　certain　oak…trees　which　were　long　celebrated　for　the　cure　of　ague。　The　transference　of　the　malady　to　the　tree　was　simple　but　painful。　A　lock　of　the　sufferer's　hair　was　pegged　into　an　oak；　then　by　a　sudden　wrench　he　left　his　hair　and　his　ague　behind　him　in　the　tree。

Chapter　56。　The　Public　Expulsion　of　Evils。

1。　The　Omnipresence　of　Demons

IN　THE　FOREGOING　chapter　the　primitive　principle　of　the　transference　of　ills　to　another　person；　animal；　or　thing　was　explained　and　illustrated。　But　similar　means　have　been　adopted　to　free　a　whole　community　from　diverse　evils　that　afflict　it。　Such　attempts　to　dismiss　at　once　the　accumulated　sorrows　of　a　people　are　by　no　means　rare　or　exceptional；　on　the　contrary　they　have　been　made　in　many　lands；　and　from　being　occasional　they　tend　to　become　periodic　and　annual。

It　needs　some　effort　on　our　part　to　realise　the　frame　of　mind　which　prompts　these　attempts。　Bred　in　a　philosophy　which　strips　nature　of　personality　and　reduces　it　to　the　unknown　cause　of　an　orderly　series　of　impressions　on　our　senses；　we　find　it　hard　to　put　ourselves　in　the　place　of　the　savage；　to　whom　the　same　impressions　appear　in　the　guise　of　spirits　or　the　handiwork　of　spirits。　For　ages　the　army　of　spirits；　once　so　near；　has　been　receding　farther　and　farther　from　us；　banished　by　the　magic　wand　of　science　from　hearth　and　home；　from　ruined　cell　and　ivied　tower；　from　haunted　glade　and　lonely　mere；　from　the　riven　murky　cloud　that　belches　forth　the　lightning；　and　from　those　fairer　clouds　that　pillow　the　silvery　moon　or　fret　with　flakes　of　burning　red　the　golden　eve。　The　spirits　are　gone　even　from　their　last　stronghold　in　the　sky；　whose　blue　arch　no　longer　passes；　except　with　children；　for　the　screen　that　hides　from　mortal　eyes　the　glories　of　the　celestial　world。　Only　in　poets'　dreams　or　impassioned　flights　of　oratory　is　it　given　to　catch　a　glimpse　of　the　last　flutter　of　the　standards　of　the　retreating　host；　to　hear　the　beat　of　their　invisible　wings；　the　sound　of　their　mocking　laughter；　or　the　swell　of　angel　music　dying　away　in　the　distance。　Far　otherwise　is　it　with　the　savage。　To　his　imagination　the　world　still　teems　with　those　motley　beings　whom　a　more　sober　philosophy　has　discarded。　Fairies　and　goblins；　ghosts　and　demons；　still　hover　about　him　both　waking　and　sleeping。　They　dog　his　footsteps；　dazzle　his　senses；　enter　into　him；　harass　and　deceive　and　torment　him　in　a　thousand　freakish　and　mischievous　ways。　The　mishaps　that　befall　him；　the　losses　he　sustains；　the　pains　he　has　to　endure；　he　commonly　sets　down；　if　not　to　the　magic　of　his　enemies；　to　the　spite　or　anger　or　caprice　of　the　spirits。　Their　constant　presence　wearies　him；　their　sleepless　malignity　exasperates　him；　he　longs　with　an　unspeakable　longing　to　be　rid　of　them　altogether；　and　from　time　to　time；　driven　to　bay；　his　patience　utterly　exhausted；　he　turns　fiercely　on　his　persecutors　and　makes　a　desperate　effort　to　chase　the　whole　pack　of　them　from　the　land；　to　clear　the　air　of　their　swarming　multitudes；　that　he　may　breathe　more　freely　and　go　on　his　way　unmolested；　at　least　for　a　time。　Thus　it　comes　about　that　the　endeavour　of　primitive　people　to　make　a　clean　sweep　of　all　their　troubles　generally　takes　the　form　of　a　grand　hunting　out　and　expulsion　of　devils　or　ghosts。　They　think　that　if　they　can　only　shake　off　these　their　accursed　tormentors；　they　will　make　a　fresh　start　in　life；　happy　and　innocent；　the　tales　of　Eden　and　the　old　poetic　golden　age　will　come　true　again。

2。　The　Occasional　Expulsion　ofEvils

WE　can　therefore　understand　why　those　general　clearances　of　evil；　to　which　from　time　to　time　the　savage　resorts；　should　commonly　take　the　form　of　a　forcible　expulsion　of　devils。　In　these　evil　spirits　primitive　man　sees　the　cause　of　many　if　not　of　most　of　his　troubles；　and　he　fancies　that　if　he　can　only　deliver　himself　from　them；　things　will　go　better　with　him。　The　public　attempts　to　expel　the　accumulated　ills　of　a　whole　community　may　be　divided　into　two　classes；　according　as　the　expelled　evils　are　immaterial　and　invisible　or　are　embodied　in　a　material　vehicle　or　scape…goat。　The　former　may　be　called　the　direct　or　immediate　expulsion　of　evils；　the　latter　the　indirect　or　mediate　expulsion；　or　the　expulsion　by　scapegoat。　We　begin　with　examples　of　the　former。

In　the　island　of　Rook；　between　New　Guinea　and　New　Britain；　when　any　misfortune　has　happened；　all　the　people　run　together；　scream；　curse；　howl；　and　beat　the　air　with　sticks　to　drive　away　the　devil；　who　is　supposed　to　be　the　author　of　the　mishap。　From　the　spot　where　the　mishap　took　place　they　drive　him　step　by　step　to　the　sea；　and　on　reaching　the　shore　they　redouble　their　shouts　and　blows　in　order　to　expel　him　from　the　island。　He　generally　retires　to　the　sea　or　to　the　island　of　Lottin。　The　natives　of　New　Britain　ascribe　sickness；　drought；　the　failure　of　crops；　and　in　short　all　misfortunes；　to　the　influence　of　wicked　spirits。　So　at　times　when　many　people　sicken　and　die；　as　at　the　beginning　of　the　rainy　season；　all　the　inhabitants　of　a　district；　armed　with　branches　and　clubs；　go　out　by　moonlight　to　the　fields；　where　they　beat　and　stamp　on　the　ground　with　wild　howls　till　morning；　believing　that　this　drives　away　the　devils；　and　for　the　same　purpose　they　rush　through　the　village　with　burning　torches。　The　natives　of　New　Caledonia　are　said　to　believe　that　all　evils　are　caused　by　a　powerful　and　malignant　spirit；　hence　in　order　to　rid　themselves　of　him　they　will　from　time　to　time　dig　a　great　pit；　round　which　the　whole　tribe　gathers。　After　cursing　the　demon；　they　fill　up　the　pit　with　earth；　and　trample　on　the　top　with　loud　shouts。　This　they　call　burying　the　evil　spirit。　Among　the　Dieri　tribe　of　Central　Australia；　when　a　serious　illness　occurs；　the　medicine…men　expel　Cootchie　or　the　devil　by　beating　the　ground　in　and　outside　of　the　camp　with　the　stuffed　tail　of　a　kangaroo；　until　they　have　chased　the　demon　away　to　some　distance　from　the　camp。

When　a　village　has　been　visited　by　a　series　of　disasters　or　a　severe　epidemic；　the　inhabitants　of　Minahassa　in　Celebes　lay　the　blame　upon　the　devils　who　are　infesting　the　village　and　who　must　be　expelled　from　it。　Accordingly；　early　one　morning　all　the　people；　men；　women；　and　children；　quit　their　homes；　carrying　their　household　goods　with　them；　and　take　up　their　quarters　in　temporary　huts　which　have　been　erected　outside　the　village。　Here　they　spend　several　days；　offering　sacrifices　and　preparing　for　the　final　ceremony。　At　last　the　men；　some　wearing　masks；　others　with　their　faces　blackened；　and　so　on；　but　all　armed　with　swords；　guns；　pikes；　or　brooms；　steal　cautiously　and　silently　back　to　the　deserted　village。　Then；　at　a　signal　from　the　priest；　they　rush　furiously　up　and　down　the　streets　and　into　and　under　the　houses　（which　are　raised　on　piles　above　the　ground）；　yelling　and　striking　on　walls；　doors；　and　windows；　to　drive　away　the　devils。　Next；　the　priests　and　the　rest　of　the　people　come　with　the　holy　fire　and　march　nine　times　round　each　house　and　thrice　round　the　ladder　that　leads　up　to　it；　carrying　the　fire　with　them。　Then　they　take　the　fire　into　the　kitchen；　where　it　must　burn　for　three　days　continuously。　The　devils　are　now　driven　away；　and　great　and　general　is　the　joy。

The　Alfoors　of　Halmahera　attribute　epidemics　to　the　devil　who　comes　from　other　villages　to　carry　them　off。　So；　in　order　to　rid　the　village　of　the　disease；　the　sorcerer　drives　away　the　devil。　From　all　the　villagers　he　receives　a　costly　garment　and　places　it　on　four　vessels；　which　he　takes　to　the　forest　and　leaves　at　the　spot　where　the　devil　is　supposed　to　be。　Then　with　mocking　words　he　bids　the　demon　abandon　the　place。　In　the　Kei　Islands　to　the　south…west　of　New　Guinea；　the　evil　spirits；　who　are　quite　distinct　from　the　souls　of　the　dead；　form　a　mighty　host。　Almost　every　tree　and　every　cave　is　the　lodging…place　of　one　of　these　fiends；　who　are　moreover　extremely　irascible　and　apt　to　fly　out　on　the　smallest　provocation。　They　manifest　their　displeasure　by　sending　sickness　and　other　calamities。　Hence　in　times　of　public　misfortune；　as　when　an　epidemic　is　raging；　and　all　other