the golden bough-第238节

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e。

Meantime　the　mothers　and　sisters　of　the　lads　have　gone　home　to　weep　and　mourn。　But　in　a　day　or　two　the　men　who　acted　as　guardians　or　sponsors　to　the　novices　return　to　the　village　with　the　glad　tidings　that　the　devil；　at　the　intercession　of　the　priests；　has　restored　the　lads　to　life。　The　men　who　bring　this　news　come　in　a　fainting　state　and　daubed　with　mud；　like　messengers　freshly　arrived　from　the　nether　world。　Before　leaving　the　Kakian　house；　each　lad　receives　from　the　priest　a　stick　adorned　at　both　ends　with　a　cock's　or　cassowary's　feathers。　The　sticks　are　supposed　to　have　been　given　to　the　lads　by　the　devil　at　the　time　when　he　restored　them　to　life；　and　they　serve　as　a　token　that　the　youths　have　been　in　the　spirit　land。　When　they　return　to　their　homes　they　totter　in　their　walk；　and　enter　the　house　backward；　as　if　they　had　forgotten　how　to　walk　properly；　or　they　enter　the　house　by　the　back　door。　If　a　plate　of　food　is　given　to　them；　they　hold　it　upside　down。　They　remain　dumb；　indicating　their　wants　by　signs　only。　All　this　is　to　show　that　they　are　still　under　the　influence　of　the　devil　or　the　spirits。　Their　sponsors　have　to　teach　them　all　the　common　acts　of　life；　as　if　they　were　newborn　children。　Further；　upon　leaving　the　Kakian　house　the　boys　are　strictly　forbidden　to　eat　of　certain　fruits　until　the　next　celebration　of　the　rites　has　taken　place。　And　for　twenty　or　thirty　days　their　hair　may　not　be　combed　by　their　mothers　or　sisters。　At　the　end　of　that　time　the　high　priest　takes　them　to　a　lonely　place　in　the　forest；　and　cuts　off　a　lock　of　hair　from　the　crown　of　each　of　their　heads。　After　these　initiatory　rites　the　lads　are　deemed　men；　and　may　marry；　it　would　be　a　scandal　if　they　married　before。

In　the　region　of　the　Lower　Congo　a　simulation　of　death　and　resurrection　is；　or　rather　used　to　be；　practised　by　the　members　of　a　guild　or　secret　society　called　ndembo。　In　the　practice　of　Ndembo　the　initiating　doctors　get　some　one　to　fall　down　in　a　pretended　fit；　and　in　that　state　he　is　carried　away　to　an　enclosed　place　outside　the　town。　This　is　called　'dying　Ndembo。'　Others　follow　suit；　generally　boys　and　girls；　but　often　young　men　and　women　。　They　are　supposed　to　have　died。　But　the　parents　and　friends　supply　food；　and　after　a　period　varying；　according　to　custom；　from　three　months　to　three　years；　it　is　arranged　that　the　doctor　shall　bring　them　to　life　again　。　When　the　doctor's　fee　has　been　paid；　and　money　（goods）　saved　for　a　feast；　the　Ndembo　people　are　brought　to　life。　At　first　they　pretend　to　know　no　one　and　nothing；　they　do　not　even　know　how　to　masticate　food；　and　friends　have　to　perform　that　office　for　them。　They　want　everything　nice　that　any　one　uninitiated　may　have；　and　beat　them　if　it　is　not　granted；　or　even　strangle　and　kill　people。　They　do　not　get　into　trouble　for　this；　because　it　is　thought　that　they　do　not　know　better。　Sometimes　they　carry　on　the　pretence　of　talking　gibberish；　and　behaving　as　if　they　had　returned　from　the　spirit…world。　After　this　they　are　known　by　another　name；　peculiar　to　those　who　have　'died　Ndembo。'　　We　hear　of　the　custom　far　along　on　the　upper　river；　as　well　as　in　the　cataract　region。

Among　some　of　the　Indian　tribes　of　North　America　there　exist　certain　religious　associations　which　are　only　open　to　candidates　who　have　gone　through　a　pretence　of　being　killed　and　brought　to　life　again。　In　1766　or　1767　Captain　Jonathan　Carver　witnessed　the　admission　of　a　candidate　to　an　association　called　the　friendly　society　of　the　Spirit　（Wakon…Kitchewah）　among　the　Naudowessies；　a　Siouan　or　Dacotan　tribe　in　the　region　of　the　great　lakes。　The　candidate　knelt　before　the　chief；　who　told　him　that　he　himself　was　now　agitated　by　the　same　spirit　which　he　should　in　a　few　moments　communicate　to　him；　that　it　would　strike　him　dead；　but　that　he　would　instantly　be　restored　again　to　life；　to　this　he　added；　that　the　communication；　however　terrifying；　was　a　necessary　introduction　to　the　advantages　enjoyed　by　the　community　into　which　he　was　on　the　point　of　being　admitted。　As　he　spoke　this；　he　appeared　to　be　greatly　agitated；　till　at　last　his　emotions　became　so　violent；　that　his　countenance　was　distorted；　and　his　whole　frame　convulsed。　At　this　juncture　he　threw　something　that　appeared　both　in　shape　and　colour　like　a　small　bean；　at　the　young　man；　which　seemed　to　enter　his　mouth；　and　he　instantly　fell　as　motionless　as　if　he　had　been　shot。　For　a　time　the　man　lay　like　dead；　but　under　a　shower　of　blows　he　showed　signs　of　consciousness；　and　finally；　discharging　from　his　mouth　the　bean；　or　whatever　it　was　that　the　chief　had　thrown　at　him；　he　came　to　life。　In　other　tribes；　for　example；　the　Ojebways；　Winnebagoes；　and　Dacotas　or　Sioux；　the　instrument　by　which　the　candidate　is　apparently　slain　is　the　medicine…bag。　The　bag　is　made　of　the　skin　of　an　animal　（such　as　the　otter；　wild　cat；　serpent；　bear；　raccoon；　wolf；　owl；　weasel）；　of　which　it　roughly　preserves　the　shape。　Each　member　of　the　society　has　one　of　these　bags；　in　which　he　keeps　the　odds　and　ends　that　make　up　his　medicine　or　charms。　They　believe　that　from　the　miscellaneous　contents　in　the　belly　of　the　skin　bag　or　animal　there　issues　a　spirit　or　breath；　which　has　the　power；　not　only　to　knock　down　and　kill　a　man；　but　also　to　set　him　up　and　restore　him　to　life。　The　mode　of　killing　a　man　with　one　of　these　medicine…bags　is　to　thrust　it　at　him；　he　falls　like　dead；　but　a　second　thrust　of　the　bag　restores　him　to　life。

A　ceremony　witnessed　by　the　castaway　John　R。　Jewitt　during　his　captivity　among　the　Indians　of　Nootka　Sound　doubtless　belongs　to　this　class　of　customs。　The　Indian　king　or　chief　discharged　a　pistol　close　to　his　son's　ear；　who　immediately　fell　down　as　if　killed；　upon　which　all　the　women　of　the　house　set　up　a　most　lamentable　cry；　tearing　handfuls　of　hair　from　their　heads；　and　exclaiming　that　the　prince　was　dead；　at　the　same　time　a　great　number　of　the　inhabitants　rushed　into　the　house　armed　with　their　daggers；　muskets；　etc。；　enquiring　the　cause　of　their　outcry。　These　were　immediately　followed　by　two　others　dressed　in　wolf…skins；　with　masks　over　their　faces　representing　the　head　of　that　animal。　The　latter　came　in　on　their　hands　and　feet　in　the　manner　of　a　beast；　and　taking　up　the　prince；　carried　him　off　upon　their　backs；　retiring　in　the　same　manner　they　entered。　In　another　place　Jewitt　mentions　that　the　young　princea　lad　of　about　eleven　years　of　agewore　a　mask　in　imitation　of　a　wolf's　head。　Now；　as　the　Indians　of　this　part　of　America　are　divided　into　totem　clans；　of　which　the　Wolf　clan　is　one　of　the　principal；　and　as　the　members　of　each　clan　are　in　the　habit　of　wearing　some　portion　of　the　totem　animal　about　their　person；　it　is　probable　that　the　prince　belonged　to　the　Wolf　clan；　and　that　the　ceremony　described　by　Jewitt　represented　the　killing　of　the　lad　in　order　that　he　might　be　born　anew　as　a　wolf；　much　in　the　same　way　that　the　Basque　hunter　supposed　himself　to　have　been　killed　and　to　have　come　to　life　again　as　a　bear。

This　conjectural　explanation　of　the　ceremony　has；　since　it　was　first　put　forward；　been　to　some　extent　confirmed　by　the　researches　of　Dr。　Franz　Boas　among　these　Indians；　though　it　would　seem　that　the　community　to　which　the　chief's　son　thus　obtained　admission　was　not　so　much　a　totem　clan　as　a　secret　society　called　Tlokoala；　whose　members　imitated　wolves。　Every　new　member　of　the　society　must　be　initiated　by　the　wolves。　At　night　a　pack　of　wolves；　personated　by　Indians　dressed　in　wolf…skins　and　wearing　wolf…masks；　make　their　appearance；　seize　the　novice；　and　carry　him　into　the　woods。　When　the　wolves　are　heard　outside　the　village；　coming　to　fetch　away　the　novice；　all　the　members　of　the　society　blacken　their　faces　and　sing；　Among　all　the　tribes　is　great　excitement；　because　I　am　Tlokoala。　Next　day　the　wolves　bring　back　the　novice　dead；　and　the　members　of　the　society　have　to　revive　him。　The　wolves　are　supposed　to　have　put　a　magic　stone　into　his　body；　which　must　be　removed　before　he　can　come　to　life。　Till　this　is　done　the　pretended　corpse　is　left　lying　outside　the　house。　Two　wizards　go　and　remove　the　stone；　which　appears　to　be　quartz；　and　then　the　novice　is　resuscitated。　Among　the　Niska　Indians　of　British　Columbia；　who　are　divided　into　four　principal　clans　with　the　raven；　the　wolf；　the　eagle；　and　the　bear　for　their　respective　totems；　the　novice　at　initiation　is　always　brought　back　by　an　artificial　totem　animal。　Thus　when　a　man　was　about　to　be　initiated　into　a　secret　society　called　Olala；　his　friends　drew　their　knives　and　pretended　to　kill　him。　In　reality　they　let　him　slip　away；　while　they　cut　off　the　head　of　a　dummy　which　had　been　adroitly　substituted　for　him。　Then　they　laid　the　decapitated　dummy　down　and　covered　it　over；　and　the　women　began　to　mourn　and　wail。　His　relations　gave　a　funeral　banquet　and　solemnly　burnt　the　effigy。　In　short；　they　held　a　regular　funeral。　For　a　whole　year　the　novice　remained　absent　and　was　seen　by　none　but　members　of　the　secret　society。　But　at　the　end　of　that　time　he　came　back　alive；　carried　by　an　artificial　animal　which　represented　his　totem。

In　these　ceremonies　the　essence　of　the　rite　appears　to　be　the　killing　of　the　novice　in　his　character　of　a　man　and　his　restoration　to　life　in　the　form　of　the　animal　which　is　thenceforward　to　be；　if　not　his　guardian　spirit