the golden bough-第189节

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of　straw；　bound　round　with　cords。　These　they　lighted；　and　passed　from　one　to　the　other；　striking　each　other　with　them；　and　saying；　Let　all　harm　go　away。　Meanwhile　the　runners　ran　with　their　lances　for　a　quarter　of　a　league　outside　the　city；　where　they　found　four　other　Incas　ready；　who　received　the　lances　from　their　hands　and　ran　with　them。　Thus　the　lances　were　carried　by　relays　of　runners　for　a　distance　of　five　or　six　leagues；　at　the　end　of　which　the　runners　washed　themselves　and　their　weapons　in　rivers；　and　set　up　the　lances；　in　sign　of　a　boundary　within　which　the　banished　evils　might　not　return。

The　negroes　of　Guinea　annually　banish　the　devil　from　all　their　towns　with　much　ceremony　at　a　time　set　apart　for　the　purpose。　At　Axim；　on　the　Gold　Coast；　this　annual　expulsion　is　preceded　by　a　feast　of　eight　days；　during　which　mirth　and　jollity；　skipping；　dancing；　and　singing　prevail；　and　a　perfect　lampooning　liberty　is　allowed；　and　scandal　so　highly　exalted；　that　they　may　freely　sing　of　all　the　faults；　villanies；　and　frauds　of　their　superiors　as　well　as　inferiors；　without　punishment；　or　so　much　as　the　least　interruption。　On　the　eighth　day　they　hunt　out　the　devil　with　a　dismal　cry；　running　after　him　and　pelting　him　with　sticks；　stones；　and　whatever　comes　to　hand。　When　they　have　driven　him　far　enough　out　of　the　town；　they　all　return。　In　this　way　he　is　expelled　from　more　than　a　hundred　towns　at　the　same　time。　To　make　sure　that　he　does　not　return　to　their　houses；　the　women　wash　and　scour　all　their　wooden　and　earthen　vessels；　to　free　them　from　all　uncleanness　and　the　devil。

At　Cape　Coast　Castle；　on　the　Gold　Coast；　the　ceremony　was　witnessed　on　the　ninth　of　October；　1844；　by　an　Englishman；　who　has　described　it　as　follows：　To…night　the　annual　custom　of　driving　the　evil　spirit；　Abonsam；　out　of　the　town　has　taken　place。　As　soon　as　the　eight　o'clock　gun　fired　in　the　fort　the　people　began　firing　muskets　in　their　houses；　turning　all　their　furniture　out　of　doors；　beating　about　in　every　corner　of　the　rooms　with　sticks；　etc。；　and　screaming　as　loudly　as　possible；　in　order　to　frighten　the　devil。　Being　driven　out　of　the　houses；　as　they　imagine；　they　sallied　forth　into　the　streets；　throwing　lighted　torches　about；　shouting；　screaming；　beating　sticks　together；　rattling　old　pans；　making　the　most　horrid　noise；　in　order　to　drive　him　out　of　the　town　into　the　sea。　The　custom　is　preceded　by　four　weeks'　dead　silence；　no　gun　is　allowed　to　be　fired；　no　drum　to　be　beaten；　no　palaver　to　be　made　between　man　and　man。　If；　during　these　weeks；　two　natives　should　disagree　and　make　a　noise　in　the　town；　they　are　immediately　taken　before　the　king　and　fined　heavily。　If　a　dog　or　pig；　sheep　or　goat　be　found　at　large　in　the　street；　it　may　be　killed；　or　taken　by　anyone；　the　former　owner　not　being　allowed　to　demand　any　compensation。　This　silence　is　designed　to　deceive　Abonsam；　that；　being　off　his　guard；　he　may　be　taken　by　surprise；　and　frightened　out　of　the　place。　If　anyone　die　during　the　silence；　his　relatives　are　not　allowed　to　weep　until　the　four　weeks　have　been　completed。

Sometimes　the　date　of　the　annual　expulsion　of　devils　is　fixed　with　reference　to　the　agricultural　seasons。　Thus　among　the　Hos　of　Togoland；　in　West　Africa；　the　expulsion　is　performed　annually　before　the　people　partake　of　the　new　yams。　The　chiefs　summon　the　priests　and　magicians　and　tell　them　that　the　people　are　now　to　eat　the　new　yams　and　be　merry；　therefore　they　must　cleanse　the　town　and　remove　the　evils。　Accordingly　the　evil　spirits；　witches；　and　all　the　ills　that　infest　the　people　are　conjured　into　bundles　of　leaves　and　creepers；　fastened　to　poles；　which　are　carried　away　and　set　up　in　the　earth　on　various　roads　outside　the　town。　During　the　following　night　no　fire　may　be　lit　and　no　food　eaten。　Next　morning　the　women　sweep　out　their　hearths　and　houses；　and　deposit　the　sweepings　on　broken　wooden　plates。　Then　the　people　pray；　saying；　All　ye　sicknesses　that　are　in　our　body　and　plague　us；　we　are　come　to…day　to　throw　you　out。　Thereupon　they　run　as　fast　as　they　can　in　the　direction　of　Mount　Adaklu；　smiting　their　mouths　and　screaming；　Out　to…day！　Out　to…day！　That　which　kills　anybody；　out　to…day！　Ye　evil　spirits；　out　to…day！　and　all　that　causes　our　heads　to　ache；　out　to…day！　Anlo　and　Adaklu　are　the　places　whither　all　ill　shall　betake　itself！　When　they　have　come　to　a　certain　tree　on　Mount　Adaklu；　they　throw　everything　away　and　return　home。

At　Kiriwina；　in　South…Eastern　New　Guinea；　when　the　new　yams　had　been　harvested；　the　people　feasted　and　danced　for　many　days；　and　a　great　deal　of　property；　such　as　armlets；　native　money；　and　so　forth；　was　displayed　conspicuously　on　a　platform　erected　for　the　purpose。　When　the　festivities　were　over；　all　the　people　gathered　together　and　expelled　the　spirits　from　the　village　by　shouting；　beating　the　posts　of　the　houses；　and　overturning　everything　under　which　a　wily　spirit　might　be　supposed　to　lurk。　The　explanation　which　the　people　gave　to　a　missionary　was　that　they　had　entertained　and　feasted　the　spirits　and　provided　them　with　riches；　and　it　was　now　time　for　them　to　take　their　departure。　Had　they　not　seen　the　dances；　and　heard　the　songs；　and　gorged　themselves　on　the　souls　of　the　yams；　and　appropriated　the　souls　of　the　money　and　all　the　other　fine　things　set　out　on　the　platform？　What　more　could　the　spirits　want？　So　out　they　must　go。

Among　the　Hos　of　North…Eastern　India　the　great　festival　of　the　year　is　the　harvest　home；　held　in　January；　when　the　granaries　are　full　of　grain；　and　the　people；　to　use　their　own　expression；　are　full　of　devilry。　They　have　a　strange　notion　that　at　this　period；　men　and　women　are　so　overcharged　with　vicious　propensities；　that　it　is　absolutely　necessary　for　the　safety　of　the　person　to　let　off　steam　by　allowing　for　a　time　full　vent　to　the　passions。　The　ceremonies　open　with　a　sacrifice　to　the　village　god　of　three　fowls；　a　cock　and　two　hens；　one　of　which　must　be　black。　Along　with　them　are　offered　flowers　of　the　palas　tree　（Butea　frondosa）；　bread　made　from　rice…flour；　and　sesamum　seeds。　These　offerings　are　presented　by　the　village　priest；　who　prays　that　during　the　year　about　to　begin　they　and　their　children　may　be　preserved　from　all　misfortune　and　sickness；　and　that　they　may　have　seasonable　rain　and　good　crops。　Prayer　is　also　made　in　some　places　for　the　souls　of　the　dead。　At　this　time　an　evil　spirit　is　supposed　to　infest　the　place；　and　to　get　rid　of　it　men；　women；　and　children　go　in　procession　round　and　through　every　part　of　the　village　with　sticks　in　their　hands；　as　if　beating　for　game；　singing　a　wild　chant；　and　shouting　vociferously；　till　they　feel　assured　that　the　evil　spirit　must　have　fled。　Then　they　give　themselves　up　to　feasting　and　drinking　rice…beer；　till　they　are　in　a　fit　state　for　the　wild　debauch　which　follows。　The　festival　now　becomes　a　saturnale；　during　which　servants　forget　their　duty　to　their　masters；　children　their　reverence　for　parents；　men　their　respect　for　women；　and　women　all　notions　of　modesty；　delicacy；　and　gentleness；　they　become　raging　bacchantes。　Usually　the　Hos　are　quiet　and　reserved　in　manner；　decorous　and　gentle　to　women。　But　during　this　festival　their　natures　appear　to　undergo　a　temporary　change。　Sons　and　daughters　revile　their　parents　in　gross　language；　and　parents　their　children；　men　and　women　become　almost　like　animals　in　the　indulgence　of　their　amorous　propensities。　The　Mundaris；　kinsmen　and　neighbours　of　the　Hos；　keep　the　festival　in　much　the　same　manner。　The　resemblance　to　a　Saturnale　is　very　complete；　as　at　this　festival　the　farm　labourers　are　feasted　by　their　masters；　and　allowed　the　utmost　freedom　of　speech　in　addressing　them。　It　is　the　festival　of　the　harvest　home；　the　termination　of　one　year's　toil；　and　a　slight　respite　from　it　before　they　commence　again。

Amongst　some　of　the　Hindoo　Koosh　tribes；　as　among　the　Hos　and　Mundaris；　the　expulsion　of　devils　takes　place　after　harvest。　When　the　last　crop　of　autumn　has　been　got　in；　it　is　thought　necessary　to　drive　away　evil　spirits　from　the　granaries。　A　kind　of　porridge　is　eaten；　and　the　head　of　the　family　takes　his　matchlock　and　fires　it　into　the　floor。　Then；　going　outside；　he　sets　to　work　loading　and　firing　till　his　powder…horn　is　exhausted；　while　all　his　neighbours　are　similarly　employed。　The　next　day　is　spent　in　rejoicings。　In　Chitral　this　festival　is　called　devil…driving。　On　the　other　hand　the　Khonds　of　India　expel　the　devils　at　seed…time　instead　of　at　harvest。　At　this　time　they　worship　Pitteri　Pennu；　the　god　of　increase　and　of　gain　in　every　shape。　On　the　first　day　of　the　festival　a　rude　car　is　made　of　a　basket　set　upon　a　few　sticks；　tied　upon　the　bamboo　rollers　for　wheels。　The　priest　takes　this　car　first　to　the　house　of　the　lineal　head　of　the　tribe；　to　whom　precedence　is　given　in　all　ceremonies　connected　with　agriculture。　Here　he　receives　a　little　of　each　kind　of　seed　and　some　feathers。　He　then　takes　the　car　to　all　the　other　houses　in　the　village；　each　of　which　contributes　the　same　things。　Lastly；　the　car　is　conducted　to　a　field　without　the　village；　attended　by　all　the　young　men；　who　beat　each　other　and　strike　the　air　violently　with　long　sticks。　The　seed　thus　carried　out　is　called　the　share　of　the　evil　spirits；　spoilers　of　the　seed。　These　are　considered　to　be　driven　out　with　the