the golden bough-第187节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　other　calamities。　Hence　in　times　of　public　misfortune；　as　when　an　epidemic　is　raging；　and　all　other　remedies　have　failed；　the　whole　population　go　forth　with　the　priest　at　their　head　to　a　place　at　some　distance　from　the　village。　Here　at　sunset　they　erect　a　couple　of　poles　with　a　cross…bar　between　them；　to　which　they　attach　bags　of　rice；　wooden　models　of　pivot…guns；　gongs；　bracelets；　and　so　on。　Then；　when　everybody　has　taken　his　place　at　the　poles　and　a　death…like　silence　reigns；　the　priest　lifts　up　his　voice　and　addresses　the　spirits　in　their　own　language　as　follows：　Ho！　ho！　ho！　ye　evil　spirits　who　dwell　in　the　trees；　ye　evil　spirits　who　live　in　the　grottoes；　ye　evil　spirits　who　lodge　in　the　earth；　we　give　you　these　pivot…guns；　these　gongs；　etc。　Let　the　sickness　cease　and　not　so　many　people　die　of　it。　Then　everybody　runs　home　as　fast　as　their　legs　can　carry　them。

In　the　island　of　Nias；　when　a　man　is　seriously　ill　and　other　remedies　have　been　tried　in　vain；　the　sorcerer　proceeds　to　exorcise　the　devil　who　is　causing　the　illness。　A　pole　is　set　up　in　front　of　the　house；　and　from　the　top　of　the　pole　a　rope　of　palm…leaves　is　stretched　to　the　roof　of　the　house。　Then　the　sorcerer　mounts　the　roof　with　a　pig；　which　he　kills　and　allows　to　roll　from　the　roof　to　the　ground。　The　devil；　anxious　to　get　the　pig；　lets　himself　down　hastily　from　the　roof　by　the　rope　of　palm…leaves；　and　a　good　spirit；　invoked　by　the　sorcerer；　prevents　him　from　climbing　up　again。　If　this　remedy　fails；　it　is　believed　that　other　devils　must　still　be　lurking　in　the　house。　So　a　general　hunt　is　made　after　them。　All　the　doors　and　windows　in　the　house　are　closed；　except　a　single　dormer…window　in　the　roof。　The　men；　shut　up　in　the　house；　hew　and　slash　with　their　swords　right　and　left　to　the　clash　of　gongs　and　the　rub…a…dub　of　drums。　Terrified　at　this　onslaught；　the　devils　escape　by　the　dormer…window；　and　sliding　down　the　rope　of　palm…leaves　take　themselves　off。　As　all　the　doors　and　windows；　except　the　one　in　the　roof；　are　shut；　the　devils　cannot　get　into　the　house　again。　In　the　case　of　an　epidemic；　the　proceedings　are　similar。　All　the　gates　of　the　village；　except　one；　are　closed；　every　voice　is　raised；　every　gong　and　drum　beaten；　every　sword　brandished。　Thus　the　devils　are　driven　out　and　the　last　gate　is　shut　behind　them。　For　eight　days　thereafter　the　village　is　in　a　state　of　siege；　no　one　being　allowed　to　enter　it。

When　cholera　has　broken　out　in　a　Burmese　village　the　able…bodied　men　scramble　on　the　roofs　and　lay　about　them　with　bamboos　and　billets　of　wood；　while　all　the　rest　of　the　population；　old　and　young；　stand　below　and　thump　drums；　blow　trumpets；　yell；　scream；　beat　floors；　walls；　tin　pans；　everything　to　make　a　din。　This　uproar；　repeated　on　three　successive　nights；　is　thought　to　be　very　effective　in　driving　away　the　cholera　demons。　When　smallpox　first　appeared　amongst　the　Kumis　of　South…Eastern　India；　they　thought　it　was　a　devil　come　from　Aracan。　The　villages　were　placed　in　a　state　of　siege；　no　one　being　allowed　to　leave　or　enter　them。　A　monkey　was　killed　by　being　dashed　on　the　ground；　and　its　body　was　hung　at　the　village　gate。　Its　blood；　mixed　with　small　river　pebbles；　was　sprinkled　on　the　houses；　the　threshold　of　every　house　was　swept　with　the　monkey's　tail；　and　the　fiend　was　adjured　to　depart。

When　an　epidemic　is　raging　on　the　Gold　Coast　of　West　Africa；　the　people　will　sometimes　turn　out；　armed　with　clubs　and　torches；　to　drive　the　evil　spirits　away。　At　a　given　signal　the　whole　population　begin　with　frightful　yells　to　beat　in　every　corner　of　the　houses；　then　rush　like　mad　into　the　streets　waving　torches　and　striking　frantically　in　the　empty　air。　The　uproar　goes　on　till　somebody　reports　that　the　cowed　and　daunted　demons　have　made　good　their　escape　by　a　gate　of　the　town　or　village；　the　people　stream　out　after　them；　pursue　them　for　some　distance　into　the　forest；　and　warn　them　never　to　return。　The　expulsion　of　the　devils　is　followed　by　a　general　massacre　of　all　the　cocks　in　the　village　or　town；　lest　by　their　unseasonable　crowing　they　should　betray　to　the　banished　demons　the　direction　they　must　take　to　return　to　their　old　homes。　When　sickness　was　prevalent　in　a　Huron　village；　and　all　other　remedies　had　been　tried　in　vain；　the　Indians　had　recourse　to　the　ceremony　called　Lonouyroya；　which　is　the　principal　invention　and　most　proper　means；　so　they　say；　to　expel　from　the　town　or　village　the　devils　and　evil　spirits　which　cause；　induce；　and　import　all　the　maladies　and　infirmities　which　they　suffer　in　body　and　mind。　Accordingly；　one　evening　the　men　would　begin　to　rush　like　madmen　about　the　village；　breaking　and　upsetting　whatever　they　came　across　in　the　wigwams。　They　threw　fire　and　burning　brands　about　the　streets；　and　all　night　long　they　ran　howling　and　singing　without　cessation。　Then　they　all　dreamed　of　something；　a　knife；　dog；　skin；　or　whatever　it　might　be；　and　when　morning　came　they　went　from　wigwam　to　wigwam　asking　for　presents。　These　they　received　silently；　till　the　particular　thing　was　given　them　which　they　had　dreamed　about。　On　receiving　it　they　uttered　a　cry　of　joy　and　rushed　from　the　hut；　amid　the　congratulations　of　all　present。　The　health　of　those　who　received　what　they　had　dreamed　of　was　believed　to　be　assured；　whereas　those　who　did　not　get　what　they　had　set　their　hearts　upon　regarded　their　fate　as　sealed。

Sometimes；　instead　of　chasing　the　demon　of　disease　from　their　homes；　savages　prefer　to　leave　him　in　peaceable　possession；　while　they　themselves　take　to　flight　and　attempt　to　prevent　him　from　following　in　their　tracks。　Thus　when　the　Patagonians　were　attacked　by　small…pox；　which　they　attributed　to　the　machinations　of　an　evil　spirit；　they　used　to　abandon　their　sick　and　flee；　slashing　the　air　with　their　weapons　and　throwing　water　about　in　order　to　keep　off　the　dreadful　pursuer；　and　when　after　several　days'　march　they　reached　a　place　where　they　hoped　to　be　beyond　his　reach；　they　used　by　way　of　precaution　to　plant　all　their　cutting　weapons　with　the　sharp　edges　turned　towards　the　quarter　from　which　they　had　come；　as　if　they　were　repelling　a　charge　of　cavalry。　Similarly；　when　the　Lules　or　Tonocotes　Indians　of　the　Gran　Chaco　were　attacked　by　an　epidemic；　they　regularly　sought　to　evade　it　by　flight；　but　in　so　doing　they　always　followed　a　sinuous；　not　a　straight；　course；　because　they　said　that　when　the　disease　made　after　them　he　would　be　so　exhausted　by　the　turnings　and　windings　of　the　route　that　he　would　never　be　able　to　come　up　with　them。　When　the　Indians　of　New　Mexico　were　decimated　by　smallpox　or　other　infectious　disease；　they　used　to　shift　their　quarters　every　day；　retreating　into　the　most　sequestered　parts　of　the　mountains　and　choosing　the　thorniest　thickets　they　could　find；　in　the　hope　that　the　smallpox　would　be　too　afraid　of　scratching　himself　on　the　thorns　to　follow　them。　When　some　Chins　on　a　visit　to　Rangoon　were　attacked　by　cholera；　they　went　about　with　drawn　swords　to　scare　away　the　demon；　and　they　spent　the　day　hiding　under　bushes　so　that　he　might　not　be　able　to　find　them。

3。　The　Periodic　Expulsion　ofEvils

THE　EXPULSION　of　evils；　from　being　occasional；　tends　to　become　periodic。　It　comes　to　be　thought　desirable　to　have　a　general　riddance　of　evil　spirits　at　fixed　times；　usually　once　a　year；　in　order　that　the　people　may　make　a　fresh　start　in　life；　freed　from　all　the　malignant　influences　which　have　been　long　accumulating　about　them。　Some　of　the　Australian　blacks　annually　expelled　the　ghosts　of　the　dead　from　their　territory。　The　ceremony　was　witnessed　by　the　Rev。　W。　Ridley　on　the　banks　of　the　River　Barwan。　A　chorus　of　twenty；　old　and　young；　were　singing　and　beating　time　with　boomerangs　。　Suddenly；　from　under　a　sheet　of　bark　darted　a　man　with　his　body　whitened　by　pipeclay；　his　head　and　face　coloured　with　lines　of　red　and　yellow；　and　a　tuft　of　feathers　fixed　by　means　of　a　stick　two　feet　above　the　crown　of　his　head。　He　stood　twenty　minutes　perfectly　still；　gazing　upwards。　An　aboriginal　who　stood　by　told　me　he　was　looking　for　the　ghosts　of　dead　men。　At　last　he　began　to　move　very　slowly；　and　soon　rushed　to　and　fro　at　full　speed；　flourishing　a　branch　as　if　to　drive　away　some　foes　invisible　to　us。　When　I　thought　this　pantomime　must　be　almost　over；　ten　more；　similarly　adorned；　suddenly　appeared　from　behind　the　trees；　and　the　whole　party　joined　in　a　brisk　conflict　with　their　mysterious　assailants。　　At　last；　after　some　rapid　evolutions　in　which　they　put　forth　all　their　strength；　they　rested　from　the　exciting　toil　which　they　had　kept　up　all　night　and　for　some　hours　after　sunrise；　they　seemed　satisfied　that　the　ghosts　were　driven　away　for　twelve　months。　They　were　performing　the　same　ceremony　at　every　station　along　the　river；　and　I　am　told　it　is　an　annual　custom。

Certain　seasons　of　the　year　mark　themselves　naturally　out　as　appropriate　moments　for　a　general　expulsion　of　devils。　Such　a　moment　occurs　towards　the　close　of　an　Arctic　winter；　when　the　sun　reappears　on　the　horizon　after　an　absence　of　weeks　or　months。　Accordingly；　at　Point　Barrow；　the　most　northerly　extremity　of　Alaska；　and　nearly　of　America；　the　Esquimaux　choose　the　moment　of　the　sun's　reappearance　to　hunt　the　mischievous　spirit　Tu？a　from　every　house。　The　ceremony　was　witnessed　by　the　members　of　the　United　States