the golden bough-第205节

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uth…eastern　Bolivia　hoisted　the　girl　in　her　hammock　to　the　roof；　where　she　stayed　for　a　month：　the　second　month　the　hammock　was　let　half…way　down　from　the　roof；　and　in　the　third　month　old　women；　armed　with　sticks；　entered　the　hut　and　ran　about　striking　everything　they　met；　saying　they　were　hunting　the　snake　that　had　wounded　the　girl。

Among　the　Matacos　or　Mataguayos；　an　Indian　tribe　of　the　Gran　Chaco；　a　girl　at　puberty　has　to　remain　in　seclusion　for　some　time。　She　lies　covered　up　with　branches　or　other　things　in　a　corner　of　the　hut；　seeing　no　one　and　speaking　to　no　one；　and　during　this　time　she　may　eat　neither　flesh　nor　fish。　Meantime　a　man　beats　a　drum　in　front　of　the　house。　Among　the　Yuracares；　an　Indian　tribe　of　Eastern　Bolivia；　when　a　girl　perceives　the　signs　of　puberty；　her　father　constructs　a　little　hut　of　palm　leaves　near　the　house。　In　this　cabin　he　shuts　up　his　daughter　so　that　she　cannot　see　the　light；　and　there　she　remains　fasting　rigorously　for　four　days。

Amongst　the　Macusis　of　British　Guiana；　when　a　girl　shows　the　first　signs　of　puberty；　she　is　hung　in　a　hammock　at　the　highest　point　of　the　hut。　For　the　first　few　days　she　may　not　leave　the　hammock　by　day；　but　at　night　she　must　come　down；　light　a　fire；　and　spend　the　night　beside　it；　else　she　would　break　out　in　sores　on　her　neck；　throat；　and　other　parts　of　her　body。　So　long　as　the　symptoms　are　at　their　height；　she　must　fast　rigorously。　When　they　have　abated；　she　may　come　down　and　take　up　her　abode　in　a　little　compartment　that　is　made　for　her　in　the　darkest　corner　of　the　hut。　In　the　morning　she　may　cook　her　food；　but　it　must　be　at　a　separate　fire　and　in　a　vessel　of　her　own。　After　about　ten　days　the　magician　comes　and　undoes　the　spell　by　muttering　charms　and　breathing　on　her　and　on　the　more　valuable　of　the　things　with　which　she　has　come　in　contact。　The　pots　and　drinking…vessels　which　she　used　are　broken　and　the　fragments　buried。　After　her　first　bath；　the　girl　must　submit　to　be　beaten　by　her　mother　with　thin　rods　without　uttering　a　cry。　At　the　end　of　the　second　period　she　is　again　beaten；　but　not　afterwards。　She　is　now　clean；　and　can　mix　again　with　people。　Other　Indians　of　Guiana；　after　keeping　the　girl　in　her　hammock　at　the　top　of　the　hut　for　a　month；　expose　her　to　certain　large　ants；　whose　bite　is　very　painful。　Sometimes；　in　addition　to　being　stung　with　ants；　the　sufferer　has　to　fast　day　and　night　so　long　as　she　remains　slung　up　on　high　in　her　hammock；　so　that　when　she　comes　down　she　is　reduced　to　a　skeleton。

When　a　Hindoo　maiden　reaches　maturity　she　is　kept　in　a　dark　room　for　four　days；　and　is　forbidden　to　see　the　sun。　She　is　regarded　as　unclean；　no　one　may　touch　her。　Her　diet　is　restricted　to　boiled　rice；　milk；　sugar；　curd；　and　tamarind　without　salt。　On　the　morning　of　the　fifth　day　she　goes　to　a　neighbouring　tank；　accompanied　by　five　women　whose　husbands　are　alive。　Smeared　with　turmeric　water；　they　all　bathe　and　return　home；　throwing　away　the　mat　and　other　things　that　were　in　the　room。　The　Rarhi　Brahmans　of　Bengal　compel　a　girl　at　puberty　to　live　alone；　and　do　not　allow　her　to　see　the　face　of　any　male。　For　three　days　she　remains　shut　up　in　a　dark　room；　and　has　to　undergo　certain　penances。　Fish；　flesh；　and　sweetmeats　are　forbidden　her；　she　must　live　upon　rice　and　ghee。　Among　the　Tiyans　of　Malabar　a　girl　is　thought　to　be　polluted　for　four　days　from　the　beginning　of　her　first　menstruation。　During　this　time　she　must　keep　to　the　north　side　of　the　house；　where　she　sleeps　on　a　grass　mat　of　a　particular　kind；　in　a　room　festooned　with　garlands　of　young　coco…nut　leaves。　Another　girl　keeps　her　company　and　sleeps　with　her；　but　she　may　not　touch　any　other　person；　tree　or　plant。　Further；　she　may　not　see　the　sky；　and　woe　betide　her　if　she　catches　sight　of　a　crow　or　a　cat！　Her　diet　must　be　strictly　vegetarian；　without　salt；　tamarinds；　or　chillies。　She　is　armed　against　evil　spirits　by　a　knife；　which　is　placed　on　the　mat　or　carried　on　her　person。

In　Cambodia　a　girl　at　puberty　is　put　to　bed　under　a　mosquito　curtain；　where　she　should　stay　a　hundred　days。　Usually；　however；　four；　five；　ten；　or　twenty　days　are　thought　enough；　and　even　this；　in　a　hot　climate　and　under　the　close　meshes　of　the　curtain；　is　sufficiently　trying。　According　to　another　account；　a　Cambodian　maiden　at　puberty　is　said　to　enter　into　the　shade。　During　her　retirement；　which；　according　to　the　rank　and　position　of　her　family；　may　last　any　time　from　a　few　days　to　several　years；　she　has　to　observe　a　number　of　rules；　such　as　not　to　be　seen　by　a　strange　man；　not　to　eat　flesh　or　fish；　and　so　on。　She　goes　nowhere；　not　even　to　the　pagoda。　But　this　state　of　seclusion　is　discontinued　during　eclipses；　at　such　times　she　goes　forth　and　pays　her　devotions　to　the　monster　who　is　supposed　to　cause　eclipses　by　catching　the　heavenly　bodies　between　his　teeth。　This　permission　to　break　her　rule　of　retirement　and　appear　abroad　during　an　eclipse　seems　to　show　how　literally　the　injunction　is　interpreted　which　forbids　maidens　entering　on　womanhood　to　look　upon　the　sun。

A　superstition　so　widely　diffused　as　this　might　be　expected　to　leave　traces　in　legends　and　folk…tales。　And　it　has　done　so。　The　old　Greek　story　of　Danae；　who　was　confined　by　her　father　in　a　subterranean　chamber　or　a　brazen　tower；　but　impregnated　by　Zeus；　who　reached　her　in　the　shape　of　a　shower　of　gold；　perhaps　belongs　to　this　class　of　tales。　It　has　its　counterpart　in　the　legend　which　the　Kirghiz　of　Siberia　tell　of　their　ancestry。　A　certain　Khan　had　a　fair　daughter；　whom　he　kept　in　a　dark　iron　house；　that　no　man　might　see　her。　An　old　woman　tended　her；　and　when　the　girl　was　grown　to　maidenhood　she　asked　the　old　woman；　Where　do　you　go　so　often？　My　child；　said　the　old　dame；　there　is　a　bright　world。　In　that　bright　world　your　father　and　mother　live；　and　all　sorts　of　people　live　there。　That　is　where　I　go。　The　maiden　said；　Good　mother；　I　will　tell　nobody；　but　show　me　that　bright　world。　So　the　old　woman　took　the　girl　out　of　the　iron　house。　But　when　she　saw　the　bright　world；　the　girl　tottered　and　fainted；　and　the　eye　of　God　fell　upon　her；　and　she　conceived。　Her　angry　father　put　her　in　a　golden　chest　and　sent　her　floating　away　（fairy　gold　can　float　in　fairyland）　over　the　wide　sea。　The　shower　of　gold　in　the　Greek　story；　and　the　eye　of　God　in　the　Kirghiz　legend；　probably　stand　for　sunlight　and　the　sun。　The　idea　that　women　may　be　impregnated　by　the　sun　is　not　uncommon　in　legends；　and　there　are　even　traces　of　it　in　marriage　customs。

4。　Reasons　for　the　Seclusion　of　Girls　at　Puberty

THE　MOTIVE　for　the　restraints　so　commonly　imposed　on　girls　at　puberty　is　the　deeply　engrained　dread　which　primitive　man　universally　entertains　of　menstruous　blood。　He　fears　it　at　all　times　but　especially　on　its　first　appearance；　hence　the　restrictions　under　which　women　lie　at　their　first　menstruation　are　usually　more　stringent　than　those　which　they　have　to　observe　at　any　subsequent　recurrence　of　the　mysterious　flow。　Some　evidence　of　the　fear　and　of　the　customs　based　on　it　has　been　cited　in　an　earlier　part　of　this　work；　but　as　the　terror；　for　it　is　nothing　less；　which　the　phenomenon　periodically　strikes　into　the　mind　of　the　savage　has　deeply　influenced　his　life　and　institutions；　it　may　be　well　to　illustrate　the　subject　with　some　further　examples。

Thus　in　the　Encounter　Bay　tribe　of　South　Australia　there　is；　or　used　to　be；　a　superstition　which　obliges　a　woman　to　separate　herself　from　the　camp　at　the　time　of　her　monthly　illness；　when　if　a　young　man　or　boy　should　approach；　she　calls　out；　and　he　immediately　makes　a　circuit　to　avoid　her。　If　she　is　neglectful　upon　this　point；　she　exposes　herself　to　scolding；　and　sometimes　to　severe　beating　by　her　husband　or　nearest　relation；　because　the　boys　are　told　from　their　infancy；　that　if　they　see　the　blood　they　will　early　become　grey…headed；　and　their　strength　will　fail　prematurely。　The　Dieri　of　Central　Australia　believe　that　if　women　at　these　times　were　to　eat　fish　or　bathe　in　a　river；　the　fish　would　all　die　and　the　water　would　dry　up。　The　Arunta　of　the　same　region　forbid　menstruous　women　to　gather　the　irriakura　bulbs；　which　form　a　staple　article　of　diet　for　both　men　and　women。　They　think　that　were　a　woman　to　break　this　rule；　the　supply　of　bulbs　would　fail。

In　some　Australian　tribes　the　seclusion　of　menstruous　women　was　even　more　rigid；　and　was　enforced　by　severer　penalties　than　a　scolding　or　a　beating。　Thus　there　is　a　regulation　relating　to　camps　in　the　Wakelbura　tribe　which　forbids　the　women　coming　into　the　encampment　by　the　same　path　as　the　men。　Any　violation　of　this　rule　would　in　a　large　camp　be　punished　with　death。　The　reason　for　this　is　the　dread　with　which　they　regard　the　menstrual　period　of　women。　During　such　a　time；　a　woman　is　kept　entirely　away　from　the　camp；　half　a　mile　at　least。　A　woman　in　such　a　condition　has　boughs　of　some　tree　of　her　totem　tied　round　her　loins；　and　is　constantly　watched　and　guarded；　for　it　is　thought　that　should　any　male　be　so　unfortunate　as　to　see　a　woman　in　such　a　condition；　he　would　die。　If　such　a　woman　were　to　let　herself　be　seen　by　a　man；　she　would　probably　be　put　to　death。　When　the　woman　has　recovered；　she　is　painted　red　and　white；　her　head　covered　with　feathers；　and　returns　to　the　camp。

In　Muralug；　one　of　the　Torres　Straits　Islands；