the golden bough-第231节

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　a　lovely　woman。　Now　the　King　of　Indrapoora　had　a　fair　young　queen；　who　lived　in　fear　that　the　king　might　take　to　himself　a　second　wife。　So；　hearing　of　the　charms　of　Bidasari；　the　queen　resolved　to　put　her　out　of　the　way。　She　lured　the　girl　to　the　palace　and　tortured　her　cruelly；　but　Bidasari　could　not　die；　because　her　soul　was　not　in　her。　At　last　she　could　stand　the　torture　no　longer　and　said　to　the　queen；　If　you　wish　me　to　die；　you　must　bring　the　box　which　is　in　the　pond　in　my　father's　garden。　So　the　box　was　brought　and　opened；　and　there　was　the　golden　fish　in　the　water。　The　girl　said；　My　soul　is　in　that　fish。　In　the　morning　you　must　take　the　fish　out　of　the　water；　and　in　the　evening　you　must　put　it　back　into　the　water。　Do　not　let　the　fish　lie　about；　but　bind　it　round　your　neck。　If　you　do　this；　I　shall　soon　die。　So　the　queen　took　the　fish　out　of　the　box　and　fastened　it　round　her　neck；　and　no　sooner　had　she　done　so　than　Bidasari　fell　into　a　swoon。　But　in　the　evening；　when　the　fish　was　put　back　into　the　water；　Bidasari　came　to　herself　again。　Seeing　that　she　thus　had　the　girl　in　her　power；　the　queen　sent　her　home　to　her　adopted　parents。　To　save　her　from　further　persecution　her　parents　resolved　to　remove　their　daughter　from　the　city。　So　in　a　lonely　and　desolate　spot　they　built　a　house　and　brought　Bidasari　thither。　There　she　dwelt　alone；　undergoing　vicissitudes　that　corresponded　with　the　vicissitudes　of　the　golden　fish　in　which　was　her　soul。　All　day　long；　while　the　fish　was　out　of　the　water；　she　remained　unconscious；　but　in　the　evening；　when　the　fish　was　put　into　the　water；　she　revived。　One　day　the　king　was　out　hunting；　and　coming　to　the　house　where　Bidasari　lay　unconscious；　was　smitten　with　her　beauty。　He　tried　to　waken　her；　but　in　vain。　Next　day；　towards　evening；　he　repeated　his　visit；　but　still　found　her　unconscious。　However；　when　darkness　fell；　she　came　to　herself　and　told　the　king　the　secret　of　her　life。　So　the　king　returned　to　the　palace；　took　the　fish　from　the　queen；　and　put　it　in　water。　Immediately　Bidasari　revived；　and　the　king　took　her　to　wife。

Another　story　of　an　external　soul　comes　from　Nias；　an　island　to　the　west　of　Sumatra。　Once　on　a　time　a　chief　was　captured　by　his　enemies；　who　tried　to　put　him　to　death　but　failed。　Water　would　not　drown　him　nor　fire　burn　him　nor　steel　pierce　him。　At　last　his　wife　revealed　the　secret。　On　his　head　he　had　a　hair　as　hard　as　a　copper　wire；　and　with　this　wire　his　life　was　bound　up。　So　the　hair　was　plucked　out；　and　with　it　his　spirit　fled。

A　West　African　story　from　Southern　Nigeria　relates　how　a　king　kept　his　soul　in　a　little　brown　bird；　which　perched　on　a　tall　tree　beside　the　gate　of　the　palace。　The　king's　life　was　so　bound　up　with　that　of　the　bird　that　whoever　should　kill　the　bird　would　simultaneously　kill　the　king　and　succeed　to　the　kingdom。　The　secret　was　betrayed　by　the　queen　to　her　lover；　who　shot　the　bird　with　an　arrow　and　thereby　slew　the　king　and　ascended　the　vacant　throne。　A　tale　told　by　the　Ba…Ronga　of　South　Africa　sets　forth　how　the　lives　of　a　whole　family　were　contained　in　one　cat。　When　a　girl　of　the　family；　named　Titishan；　married　a　husband；　she　begged　her　parents　to　let　her　take　the　precious　cat　with　her　to　her　new　home。　But　they　refused；　saying；　You　know　that　our　life　is　attached　to　it；　and　they　offered　to　give　her　an　antelope　or　even　an　elephant　instead　of　it。　But　nothing　would　satisfy　her　but　the　cat。　So　at　last　she　carried　it　off　with　her　and　shut　it　up　in　a　place　where　nobody　saw　it；　even　her　husband　knew　nothing　about　it。　One　day；　when　she　went　to　work　in　the　fields；　the　cat　escaped　from　its　place　of　concealment；　entered　the　hut；　put　on　the　warlike　trappings　of　the　husband；　and　danced　and　sang。　Some　children；　attracted　by　the　noise；　discovered　the　cat　at　its　antics；　and　when　they　expressed　their　astonishment；　the　animal　only　capered　the　more　and　insulted　them　besides。　So　they　went　to　the　owner　and　said；　There　is　somebody　dancing　in　your　house；　and　he　insulted　us。　Hold　your　tongues；　said　he；　I'll　soon　put　a　stop　to　your　lies。　So　he　went　and　hid　behind　the　door　and　peeped　in；　and　there　sure　enough　was　the　cat　prancing　about　and　singing。　He　fired　at　it；　and　the　animal　dropped　down　dead。　At　the　same　moment　his　wife　fell　to　the　ground　in　the　field　where　she　was　at　work；　said　she；　I　have　been　killed　at　home。　But　she　had　strength　enough　left　to　ask　her　husband　to　go　with　her　to　her　parents'　village；　taking　with　him　the　dead　cat　wrapt　up　in　a　mat。　All　her　relatives　assembled；　and　bitterly　they　reproached　her　for　having　insisted　on　taking　the　animal　with　her　to　her　husband's　village。　As　soon　as　the　mat　was　unrolled　and　they　saw　the　dead　cat；　they　all　fell　down　lifeless　one　after　the　other。　So　the　Clan　of　the　Cat　was　destroyed；　and　the　bereaved　husband　closed　the　gate　of　the　village　with　a　branch；　and　returned　home；　and　told　his　friends　how　in　killing　the　cat　he　had　killed　the　whole　clan；　because　their　lives　depended　on　the　life　of　the　cat。

Ideas　of　the　same　sort　meet　us　in　stories　told　by　the　North　American　Indians。　Thus　the　Navajoes　tell　of　a　certain　mythical　being　called　the　Maiden　that　becomes　a　Bear；　who　learned　the　art　of　turning　herself　into　a　bear　from　the　prairie　wolf。　She　was　a　great　warrior　and　quite　invulnerable；　for　when　she　went　to　war　she　took　out　her　vital　organs　and　hid　them；　so　that　no　one　could　kill　her；　and　when　the　battle　was　over　she　put　the　organs　back　in　their　places　again。　The　Kwakiutl　Indians　of　British　Columbia　tell　of　an　ogress；　who　could　not　be　killed　because　her　life　was　in　a　hemlock　branch。　A　brave　boy　met　her　in　the　woods；　smashed　her　head　with　a　stone；　scattered　her　brains；　broke　her　bones；　and　threw　them　into　the　water。　Then；　thinking　he　had　disposed　of　the　ogress；　he　went　into　her　house。　There　he　saw　a　woman　rooted　to　the　floor；　who　warned　him；　saying；　Now　do　not　stay　long。　I　know　that　you　have　tried　to　kill　the　ogress。　It　is　the　fourth　time　that　somebody　has　tried　to　kill　her。　She　never　dies；　she　has　nearly　come　to　life。　There　in　that　covered　hemlock　branch　is　her　life。　Go　there；　and　as　soon　as　you　see　her　enter；　shoot　her　life。　Then　she　will　be　dead。　Hardly　had　she　finished　speaking　when　sure　enough　in　came　the　ogress；　singing　as　she　walked。　But　the　boy　shot　at　her　life；　and　she　fell　dead　to　the　floor。

Chapter　67。　The　External　Soul　in　Folk…Custom。

1。　The　External　Soul　in　Inanimate　Things

THUS　the　idea　that　the　soul　may　be　deposited　for　a　longer　or　shorter　time　in　some　place　of　security　outside　the　body；　or　at　all　events　in　the　hair；　is　found　in　the　popular　tales　of　many　races。　It　remains　to　show　that　the　idea　is　not　a　mere　figment　devised　to　adorn　a　tale；　but　is　a　real　article　of　primitive　faith；　which　has　given　rise　to　a　corresponding　set　of　customs。

We　have　seen　that　in　the　tales　the　hero；　as　a　preparation　for　battle；　sometimes　removes　his　soul　from　his　body；　in　order　that　his　body　may　be　invulnerable　and　immortal　in　the　combat。　With　a　like　intention　the　savage　removes　his　soul　from　his　body　on　various　occasions　of　real　or　imaginary　peril。　Thus　among　the　people　of　Minahassa　in　Celebes；　when　a　family　moves　into　a　new　house；　a　priest　collects　the　souls　of　the　whole　family　in　a　bag；　and　afterwards　restores　them　to　their　owners；　because　the　moment　of　entering　a　new　house　is　supposed　to　be　fraught　with　supernatural　danger。　In　Southern　Celebes；　when　a　woman　is　brought　to　bed；　the　messenger　who　fetches　the　doctor　or　the　midwife　always　carries　with　him　something　made　of　iron；　such　as　a　chopping…knife；　which　he　delivers　to　the　doctor。　The　doctor　must　keep　the　thing　in　his　house　till　the　confinement　is　over；　when　he　gives　it　back；　receiving　a　fixed　sum　of　money　for　doing　so。　The　chopping…knife；　or　whatever　it　is；　represents　the　woman's　soul；　which　at　this　critical　time　is　believed　to　be　safer　out　of　her　body　than　in　it。　Hence　the　doctor　must　take　great　care　of　the　object；　for　were　it　lost；　the　woman's　soul　would　assuredly；　they　think；　be　lost　with　it。

Among　the　Dyaks　of　Pinoeh；　a　district　of　South…eastern　Borneo；　when　a　child　is　born；　a　medicine…man　is　sent　for；　who　conjures　the　soul　of　the　infant　into　half　a　coco…nut；　which　he　thereupon　covers　with　a　cloth　and　places　on　a　square　platter　or　charger　suspended　by　cords　from　the　roof。　This　ceremony　he　repeats　at　every　new　moon　for　a　year。　The　intention　of　the　ceremony　is　not　explained　by　the　writer　who　describes　it；　but　we　may　conjecture　that　it　is　to　place　the　soul　of　the　child　in　a　safer　place　than　its　own　frail　little　body。　This　conjecture　is　confirmed　by　the　reason　assigned　for　a　similar　custom　observed　elsewhere　in　the　Indian　Archipelago。　In　the　Kei　Islands；　when　there　is　a　newly…born　child　in　a　house；　an　empty　coco…nut；　split　and　spliced　together　again；　may　sometimes　be　seen　hanging　beside　a　rough　wooden　image　of　an　ancestor。　The　soul　of　the　infant　is　believed　to　be　temporarily　deposited　in　the　coco…nut　in　order　that　it　may　be　safe　from　the　attacks　of　evil　spirits；　but　when　the　child　grows　bigger　and　stronger；　the　soul　will　take　up　its　permanent　abode　in　its　own　body。　Similarly　among　the　Esquimaux　of　Alaska；　when　a　child　is　sick；　the　medicine…man　will　sometimes　extract　its　soul　from　its　body　and　place　it　for　safe…keeping　in　an　amulet；　which　for　further　security　he　deposits　in　his　own