the golden bough-第192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！



2。　The　Occasional　Expulsion　of　Evils　in　a　Material　Vehicle

THE　VEHICLE　which　conveys　away　the　demons　may　be　of　various　kinds。　A　common　one　is　a　little　ship　or　boat。　Thus；　in　the　southern　district　of　the　island　of　Ceram；　when　a　whole　village　suffers　from　sickness；　a　small　ship　is　made　and　filled　with　rice；　tobacco；　eggs；　and　so　forth；　which　have　been　contributed　by　all　the　people。　A　little　sail　is　hoisted　on　the　ship。　When　all　is　ready；　a　man　calls　out　in　a　very　loud　voice；　O　all　ye　sicknesses；　ye　smallpoxes；　agues；　measles；　etc。；　who　have　visited　us　so　long　and　wasted　us　so　sorely；　but　who　now　cease　to　plague　us；　we　have　made　ready　this　ship　for　you；　and　we　have　furnished　you　with　provender　sufficient　for　the　voyage。　Ye　shall　have　no　lack　of　food　nor　of　betel…leaves　nor　of　areca　nuts　nor　of　tobacco。　Depart；　and　sail　away　from　us　directly；　never　come　near　us　again；　but　go　to　a　land　which　is　far　from　here。　Let　all　the　tides　and　winds　waft　you　speedily　thither；　and　so　convey　you　thither　that　for　the　time　to　come　we　may　live　sound　and　well；　and　that　we　may　never　see　the　sun　rise　on　you　again。　Then　ten　or　twelve　men　carry　the　vessel　to　the　shore；　and　let　it　drift　away　with　the　land…breeze；　feeling　convinced　that　they　are　free　from　sickness　for　ever；　or　at　least　till　the　next　time。　If　sickness　attacks　them　again；　they　are　sure　it　is　not　the　same　sickness；　but　a　different　one；　which　in　due　time　they　dismiss　in　the　same　manner。　When　the　demon…laden　bark　is　lost　to　sight；　the　bearers　return　to　the　village；　whereupon　a　man　cries　out；　The　sicknesses　are　now　gone；　vanished；　expelled；　and　sailed　away。　At　this　all　the　people　come　running　out　of　their　houses；　passing　the　word　from　one　to　the　other　with　great　joy；　beating　on　gongs　and　on　tinkling　instruments。

Similar　ceremonies　are　commonly　resorted　to　in　other　East　Indian　islands。　Thus　in　Timor…laut；　to　mislead　the　demons　who　are　causing　sickness；　a　small　proa；　containing　the　image　of　a　man　and　provisioned　for　a　long　voyage；　is　allowed　to　drift　away　with　wind　and　tide。　As　it　is　being　launched；　the　people　cry；　O　sickness；　go　from　here；　turn　back；　what　do　you　here　in　this　poor　land？　Three　days　after　this　ceremony　a　pig　is　killed；　and　part　of　the　flesh　is　offered　to　Dudilaa；　who　lives　in　the　sun。　One　of　the　oldest　men　says；　Old　sir；　I　beseech　you　make　well　the　grand…children；　children；　women；　and　men；　that　we　may　be　able　to　eat　pork　and　rice　and　to　drink　palmwine。　I　will　keep　my　promise。　Eat　your　share；　and　make　all　the　people　in　the　village　well。　If　the　proa　is　stranded　at　any　inhabited　spot；　the　sickness　will　break　out　there。　Hence　a　stranded　proa　excites　much　alarm　amongst　the　coast　population；　and　they　immediately　burn　it；　because　demons　fly　from　fire。　In　the　island　of　Buru　the　proa　which　carries　away　the　demons　of　disease　is　about　twenty　feet　long；　rigged　out　with　sails；　oars；　anchor；　and　so　on；　and　well　stocked　with　provisions。　For　a　day　and　a　night　the　people　beat　gongs　and　drums；　and　rush　about　to　frighten　the　demons。　Next　morning　ten　stalwart　young　men　strike　the　people　with　branches；　which　have　been　previously　dipped　in　an　earthen　pot　of　water。　As　soon　as　they　have　done　so；　they　run　down　to　the　beach；　put　the　branches　on　board　the　proa；　launch　another　boat　in　great　haste；　and　tow　the　disease…burdened　bark　far　out　to　sea。　There　they　cast　it　off；　and　one　of　them　calls　out；　Grandfather　Smallpox；　go　awaygo　willingly　awaygo　visit　another　land；　we　have　made　you　food　ready　for　the　voyage；　we　have　now　nothing　more　to　give。　When　they　have　landed；　all　the　people　bathe　together　in　the　sea。　In　this　ceremony　the　reason　for　striking　the　people　with　the　branches　is　clearly　to　rid　them　of　the　disease…demons；　which　are　then　supposed　to　be　transferred　to　the　branches。　Hence　the　haste　with　which　the　branches　are　deposited　in　the　proa　and　towed　away　to　sea。　So　in　the　inland　districts　of　Ceram；　when　smallpox　or　other　sickness　is　raging；　the　priest　strikes　all　the　houses　with　consecrated　branches；　which　are　then　thrown　into　the　river；　to　be　carried　down　to　the　sea；　exactly　as　amongst　the　Wotyaks　of　Russia　the　sticks　which　have　been　used　for　expelling　the　devils　from　the　village　are　thrown　into　the　river；　that　the　current　may　sweep　the　baleful　burden　away。　The　plan　of　putting　puppets　in　the　boat　to　represent　sick　persons；　in　order　to　lure　the　demons　after　them；　is　not　uncommon。　For　example；　most　of　the　pagan　tribes　on　the　coast　of　Borneo　seek　to　drive　away　epidemic　disease　as　follows。　They　carve　one　or　more　rough　human　images　from　the　pith　of　the　sago　palm　and　place　them　on　a　small　raft　or　boat　or　full…rigged　Malay　ship　together　with　rice　and　other　food。　The　boat　is　decked　with　blossoms　of　the　areca　palm　and　with　ribbons　made　from　its　leaves；　and　thus　adorned　the　little　craft　is　allowed　to　float　out　to　sea　with　the　ebb…tide；　bearing；　as　the　people　fondly　think　or　hope；　the　sickness　away　with　it。

Often　the　vehicle　which　carries　away　the　collected　demons　or　ills　of　a　whole　community　is　an　animal　or　scapegoat。　In　the　Central　Provinces　of　India；　when　cholera　breaks　out　in　a　village；　every　one　retires　after　sunset　to　his　house。　The　priests　then　parade　the　streets；　taking　from　the　roof　of　each　house　a　straw；　which　is　burnt　with　an　offering　of　rice；　ghee；　and　turmeric；　at　some　shrine　to　the　east　of　the　village。　Chickens　daubed　with　vermilion　are　driven　away　in　the　direction　of　the　smoke；　and　are　believed　to　carry　the　disease　with　them。　If　they　fail；　goats　are　tried；　and　last　of　all　pigs。　When　cholera　rages　among　the　Bhars；　Mallans；　and　Kurmis　of　India；　they　take　a　goat　or　a　buffaloin　either　case　the　animal　must　be　a　female；　and　as　black　as　possiblethen　having　tied　some　grain；　cloves；　and　red　lead　in　a　yellow　cloth　on　its　back　they　turn　it　out　of　the　village。　The　animal　is　conducted　beyond　the　boundary　and　not　allowed　to　return。　Sometimes　the　buffalo　is　marked　with　a　red　pigment　and　driven　to　the　next　village；　where　he　carries　the　plague　with　him。

Amongst　the　Dinkas；　a　pastoral　people　of　the　White　Nile；　each　family　possesses　a　sacred　cow。　When　the　country　is　threatened　with　war；　famine；　or　any　other　public　calamity；　the　chiefs　of　the　village　require　a　particular　family　to　surrender　their　sacred　cow　to　serve　as　a　scapegoat。　The　animal　is　driven　by　the　women　to　the　brink　of　the　river　and　across　it　to　the　other　bank；　there　to　wander　in　the　wilderness　and　fall　a　prey　to　ravening　beasts。　Then　the　women　return　in　silence　and　without　looking　behind　them；　were　they　to　cast　a　backward　glance；　they　imagine　that　the　ceremony　would　have　no　effect。　In　1857；　when　the　Aymara　Indians　of　Bolivia　and　Peru　were　suffering　from　a　plague；　they　loaded　a　black　llama　with　the　clothes　of　the　plague…stricken　people；　sprinkled　brandy　on　the　clothes；　and　then　turned　the　animal　loose　on　the　mountains；　hoping　that　it　would　carry　the　pest　away　with　it。

Occasionally　the　scapegoat　is　a　man。　For　example；　from　time　to　time　the　gods　used　to　warn　the　King　of　Uganda　that　his　foes　the　Banyoro　were　working　magic　against　him　and　his　people　to　make　them　die　of　disease。　To　avert　such　a　catastrophe　the　king　would　send　a　scapegoat　to　the　frontier　of　Bunyoro；　the　land　of　the　enemy。　The　scapegoat　consisted　of　either　a　man　and　a　boy　or　a　woman　and　her　child；　chosen　because　of　some　mark　or　bodily　defect；　which　the　gods　had　noted　and　by　which　the　victims　were　to　be　recognised。　With　the　human　victims　were　sent　a　cow；　a　goat；　a　fowl；　and　a　dog；　and　a　strong　guard　escorted　them　to　the　land　which　the　god　had　indicated。　There　the　limbs　of　the　victims　were　broken　and　they　were　left　to　die　a　lingering　death　in　the　enemy's　country；　being　too　crippled　to　crawl　back　to　Uganda。　The　disease　or　plague　was　thought　to　have　been　thus　transferred　to　the　victims　and　to　have　been　conveyed　back　in　their　persons　to　the　land　from　which　it　came。

Some　of　the　aboriginal　tribes　of　China；　as　a　protection　against　pestilence；　select　a　man　of　great　muscular　strength　to　act　the　part　of　scapegoat。　Having　besmeared　his　face　with　paint；　he　performs　many　antics　with　the　view　of　enticing　all　pestilential　and　noxious　influences　to　attach　themselves　to　him　only。　He　is　assisted　by　a　priest。　Finally　the　scapegoat；　hotly　pursued　by　men　and　women　beating　gongs　and　tom…toms；　is　driven　with　great　haste　out　of　the　town　or　village。　In　the　Punjaub　a　cure　for　the　murrain　is　to　hire　a　man　of　the　Chamar　caste；　turn　his　face　away　from　the　village；　brand　him　with　a　red…hot　sickle；　and　let　him　go　out　into　the　jungle　taking　the　murrain　with　him。　He　must　not　look　back。

3。　The　Periodic　Expulsion　of　Evils　in　a　Material　Vehicle

THE　MEDIATE　expulsion　of　evils　by　means　of　a　scapegoat　or　other　material　vehicle；　like　the　immediate　expulsion　of　them　in　invisible　form；　tends　to　become　periodic；　and　for　a　like　reason。　Thus　every　year；　generally　in　March；　the　people　of　Leti；　Moa；　and　Lakor；　islands　of　the　Indian　Archipelago；　send　away　all　their　diseases　to　sea。　They　make　a　proa　about　six　feet　long；　rig　it　with　sails；　oars；　rudder；　and　other　gear；　and　every　family　deposits　in　its　some　rice；　fruit；　a　fowl；　two　eggs；　insects　that　ravage　the　fields；　and　so　on。　Then　they　let　it　drift　away　to　sea；　saying；　Take　away　from　here　all　kinds　of　sickness；　take　them　to　other　islands；　to　other　lands；　distribute　them　in　places　that