the golden bough-第30节

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d　follows　a　thunder…storm。　Hence　in　spring；　when　these　Indians　are　travelling　over　the　snow　on　high　ground；　they　burn　splinters　of　such　wood　in　the　fire　in　order　that　the　crust　of　the　snow　may　not　melt。

4。　The　Magical　Control　of　the　Wind

ONCE　more；　the　savage　thinks　he　can　make　the　wind　to　blow　or　to　be　still。　When　the　day　is　hot　and　a　Yakut　has　a　long　way　to　go；　he　takes　a　stone　which　he　has　chanced　to　find　in　an　animal　or　fish；　winds　a　horse…hair　several　times　round　it；　and　ties　it　to　a　stick。　He　then　waves　the　stick　about；　uttering　a　spell。　Soon　a　cool　breeze　begins　to　blow。　In　order　to　procure　a　cool　wind　for　nine　days　the　stone　should　first　be　dipped　in　the　blood　of　a　bird　or　beast　and　then　presented　to　the　sun；　while　the　sorcerer　makes　three　turns　contrary　to　the　course　of　the　luminary。　If　a　Hottentot　desires　the　wind　to　drop；　he　takes　one　of　his　fattest　skins　and　hangs　it　on　the　end　of　a　pole；　in　the　belief　that　by　blowing　the　skin　down　the　wind　will　lose　all　its　force　and　must　itself　fall。　Fuegian　wizards　throw　shells　against　the　wind　to　make　it　drop。　The　natives　of　the　island　of　Bibili；　off　New　Guinea；　are　reputed　to　make　wind　by　blowing　with　their　mouths。　In　stormy　weather　the　Bogadjim　people　say；　The　Bibili　folk　are　at　it　again；　blowing　away。　Another　way　of　making　wind　which　is　practised　in　New　Guinea　is　to　strike　a　wind…stone　lightly　with　a　stick；　to　strike　it　hard　would　bring　on　a　hurricane。　So　in　Scotland　witches　used　to　raise　the　wind　by　dipping　a　rag　in　water　and　beating　it　thrice　on　a　stone；　saying：

I　knok　this　rag　upone　this　stane　To　raise　the　wind　in　the　divellis　name；　It　sall　not　lye　till　I　please　againe。

In　Greenland　a　woman　in　child…bed　and　for　some　time　after　delivery　is　supposed　to　possess　the　power　of　laying　a　storm。　She　has　only　to　go　out　of　doors；　fill　her　mouth　with　air；　and　coming　back　into　the　house　blow　it　out　again。　In　antiquity　there　was　a　family　at　Corinth　which　enjoyed　the　reputation　of　being　able　to　still　the　raging　wind；　but　we　do　not　know　in　what　manner　its　members　exercised　a　useful　function；　which　probably　earned　for　them　a　more　solid　recompense　than　mere　repute　among　the　seafaring　population　of　the　isthmus。　Even　in　Christian　times；　under　the　reign　of　Constantine；　a　certain　Sopater　suffered　death　at　Constantinople　on　a　charge　of　binding　the　winds　by　magic；　because　it　happened　that　the　corn…ships　of　Egypt　and　Syria　were　detained　afar　off　by　calms　or　head…winds；　to　the　rage　and　disappointment　of　the　hungry　Byzantine　rabble。　Finnish　wizards　used　to　sell　wind　to　storm…stayed　mariners。　The　wind　was　enclosed　in　three　knots；　if　they　undid　the　first　knot；　a　moderate　wind　sprang　up；　if　the　second；　it　blew　half　a　gale；　if　the　third；　a　hurricane。　Indeed　the　Esthonians；　whose　country　is　divided　from　Finland　only　by　an　arm　of　the　sea；　still　believe　in　the　magical　powers　of　their　northern　neighbours。　The　bitter　winds　that　blow　in　spring　from　the　north　and　north…east；　bringing　ague　and　rheumatic　inflammations　in　their　train；　are　set　down　by　the　simple　Esthonian　peasantry　to　the　machinations　of　the　Finnish　wizards　and　witches。　In　particular　they　regard　with　special　dread　three　days　in　spring　to　which　they　give　the　name　of　Days　of　the　Cross；　one　of　them　falls　on　the　Eve　of　Ascension　Day。　The　people　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Fellin　fear　to　go　out　on　these　days　lest　the　cruel　winds　from　Lappland　should　smite　them　dead。　A　popular　Esthonian　song　runs：

Wind　of　the　Cross！　rushing　and　mighty！　Heavy　the　blow　of　thy　wings　sweeping　past！　Wild　wailing　wind　of　misfortune　and　sorrow；　Wizards　of　Finland　ride　by　on　the　blast。

It　is　said；　too；　that　sailors；　beating　up　against　the　wind　in　the　Gulf　of　Finland；　sometimes　see　a　strange　sail　heave　in　sight　astern　and　overhaul　them　hand　over　hand。　On　she　comes　with　a　cloud　of　canvasall　her　studding…sails　outright　in　the　teeth　of　the　wind；　forging　her　way　through　the　foaming　billows；　dashing　back　the　spray　in　sheets　from　her　cutwater；　every　sail　swollen　to　bursting；　every　rope　strained　to　cracking。　Then　the　sailors　know　that　she　hails　from　Finland。

The　art　of　tying　up　the　wind　in　three　knots；　so　that　the　more　knots　are　loosed　the　stronger　will　blow　the　wind；　has　been　attributed　to　wizards　in　Lappland　and　to　witches　in　Shetland；　Lewis；　and　the　Isle　of　Man。　Shetland　seamen　still　buy　winds　in　the　shape　of　knotted　handkerchiefs　or　threads　from　old　women　who　claim　to　rule　the　storms。　There　are　said　to　be　ancient　crones　in　Lerwick　now　who　live　by　selling　wind。　Ulysses　received　the　winds　in　a　leathern　bag　from　Aeolus；　King　of　the　Winds。　The　Motumotu　in　New　Guinea　think　that　storms　are　sent　by　an　Oiabu　sorcerer；　for　each　wind　he　has　a　bamboo　which　he　opens　at　pleasure。　On　the　top　of　Mount　Agu　in　Togo；　a　district　of　West　Africa；　resides　a　fetish　called　Bagba；　who　is　supposed　to　control　the　wind　and　the　rain。　His　priest　is　said　to　keep　the　winds　shut　up　in　great　pots。

Often　the　stormy　wind　is　regarded　as　an　evil　being　who　may　be　intimidated；　driven　away；　or　killed。　When　storms　and　bad　weather　have　lasted　long　and　food　is　scarce　with　the　Central　Esquimaux；　they　endeavour　to　conjure　the　tempest　by　making　a　long　whip　of　seaweed；　armed　with　which　they　go　down　to　the　beach　and　strike　out　in　the　direction　of　the　wind；　crying　Taba　（it　is　enough）！　Once　when　north…westerly　winds　had　kept　the　ice　long　on　the　coast　and　food　was　becoming　scarce；　the　Esquimaux　performed　a　ceremony　to　make　a　calm。　A　fire　was　kindled　on　the　shore；　and　the　men　gathered　round　it　and　chanted。　An　old　man　then　stepped　up　to　the　fire　and　in　a　coaxing　voice　invited　the　demon　of　the　wind　to　come　under　the　fire　and　warm　himself。　When　he　was　supposed　to　have　arrived；　a　vessel　of　water；　to　which　each　man　present　had　contributed；　was　thrown　on　the　flames　by　an　old　man；　and　immediately　a　flight　of　arrows　sped　towards　the　spot　where　the　fire　had　been。　They　thought　that　the　demon　would　not　stay　where　he　had　been　so　badly　treated。　To　complete　the　effect；　guns　were　discharged　in　various　directions；　and　the　captain　of　a　European　vessel　was　invited　to　fire　on　the　wind　with　cannon。　On　the　twenty…first　of　February　1883　a　similar　ceremony　was　performed　by　the　Esquimaux　of　Point　Barrow；　Alaska；　with　the　intention　of　killing　the　spirit　of　the　wind。　Women　drove　the　demon　from　their　houses　with　clubs　and　knives；　with　which　they　made　passes　in　the　air；　and　the　men；　gathering　round　a　fire；　shot　him　with　their　rifles　and　crushed　him　under　a　heavy　stone　the　moment　that　steam　rose　in　a　cloud　from　the　smouldering　embers；　on　which　a　tub　of　water　had　just　been　thrown。

The　Lengua　Indians　of　the　Gran　Chaco　ascribe　the　rush　of　a　whirl…wind　to　the　passage　of　a　spirit　and　they　fling　sticks　at　it　to　frighten　it　away。　When　the　wind　blows　down　their　huts；　the　Payaguas　of　South　America　snatch　up　firebrands　and　run　against　the　wind；　menacing　it　with　the　blazing　brands；　while　others　beat　the　air　with　their　fists　to　frighten　the　storm。　When　the　Guaycurus　are　threatened　by　a　severe　storm；　the　men　go　out　armed；　and　the　women　and　children　scream　their　loudest　to　intimidate　the　demon。　During　a　tempest　the　inhabitants　of　a　Batak　village　in　Sumatra　have　been　seen　to　rush　from　their　houses　armed　with　sword　and　lance。　The　rajah　placed　himself　at　their　head；　and　with　shouts　and　yells　they　hewed　and　hacked　at　the　invisible　foe。　An　old　woman　was　observed　to　be　specially　active　in　the　defence　of　her　house；　slashing　the　air　right　and　left　with　a　long　sabre。　In　a　violent　thunderstorm；　the　peals　sounding　very　near；　the　Kayans　of　Borneo　have　been　seen　to　draw　their　swords　threateningly　half　out　of　their　scabbards；　as　if　to　frighten　away　the　demons　of　the　storm。　In　Australia　the　huge　columns　of　red　sand　that　move　rapidly　across　a　desert　tract　are　thought　by　the　natives　to　be　spirits　passing　along。　Once　an　athletic　young　black　ran　after　one　of　these　moving　columns　to　kill　it　with　boomerangs。　He　was　away　two　or　three　hours；　and　came　back　very　weary；　saying　he　had　killed　Koochee　（the　demon）；　but　that　Koochee　had　growled　at　him　and　he　must　die。　Of　the　Bedouins　of　Eastern　Africa　it　is　said　that　no　whirl…wind　ever　sweeps　across　the　path　without　being　pursued　by　a　dozen　savages　with　drawn　creeses；　who　stab　into　the　centre　of　the　dusty　column　in　order　to　drive　away　the　evil　spirit　that　is　believed　to　be　riding　on　the　blast。

In　the　light　of　these　examples　a　story　told　by　Herodotus；　which　his　modern　critics　have　treated　as　a　fable；　is　perfectly　credible。　He　says；　without　however　vouching　for　the　truth　of　the　tale；　that　once　in　the　land　of　the　Psylli；　the　modern　Tripoli；　the　wind　blowing　from　the　Sahara　had　dried　up　all　the　water…tanks。　So　the　people　took　counsel　and　marched　in　a　body　to　make　war　on　the　south　wind。　But　when　they　entered　the　desert　the　simoon　swept　down　on　them　and　buried　them　to　a　man。　The　story　may　well　have　been　told　by　one　who　watched　them　disappearing；　in　battle　array；　with　drums　and　cymbals　beating；　into　the　red　cloud　of　whirling　sand。

Chapter　6。　Magicians　as　Kings

THE　FOREGOING　evidence　may　satisfy　us　that　in　many　lands　and　many　races　magic　has　claimed　to　control　the　great　forces　of　nature　for　the　good　of　man。　If　that　has　been　so；　the　practitioners　of　the　art　must　necessarily　be　personages　of　importance　and　influence　in　any　society　which　puts　fai