the golden bough-第35节

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away　from　it　by　force　and　set　on　a　chair；　whereupon　he　begins　to　prophesy　how　the　rice…crop　will　turn　out　that　year。　A　second　time　he　runs　at　the　carcase　and　drinks　of　the　blood；　a　second　time　he　is　forced　into　the　chair　and　continues　his　predictions。　It　is　thought　that　there　is　a　spirit　in　him　which　possesses　the　power　of　prophecy。

The　other　mode　of　producing　temporary　inspiration；　to　which　I　shall　here　refer；　consists　in　the　use　of　a　sacred　tree　or　plant。　Thus　in　the　Hindoo　Koosh　a　fire　is　kindled　with　twigs　of　the　sacred　cedar；　and　the　Dainyal　or　sibyl；　with　a　cloth　over　her　head；　inhales　the　thick　pungent　smoke　till　she　is　seized　with　convulsions　and　falls　senseless　to　the　ground。　Soon　she　rises　and　raises　a　shrill　chant；　which　is　caught　up　and　loudly　repeated　by　her　audience。　So　Apollo's　prophetess　ate　the　sacred　laurel　and　was　fumigated　with　it　before　she　prophesied。　The　Bacchanals　ate　ivy；　and　their　inspired　fury　was　by　some　believed　to　be　due　to　the　exciting　and　intoxicating　properties　of　the　plant。　In　Uganda　the　priest；　in　order　to　be　inspired　by　his　god；　smokes　a　pipe　of　tobacco　fiercely　till　he　works　himself　into　a　frenzy；　the　loud　excited　tones　in　which　he　then　talks　are　recognised　as　the　voice　of　the　god　speaking　through　him。　In　Madura；　an　island　off　the　north　coast　of　Java；　each　spirit　has　its　regular　medium；　who　is　oftener　a　woman　than　a　man。　To　prepare　herself　for　the　reception　of　the　spirit　she　inhales　the　fumes　of　incense；　sitting　with　her　head　over　a　smoking　censer。　Gradually　she　falls　into　a　sort　of　trance　accompanied　by　shrieks；　grimaces；　and　violent　spasms。　The　spirit　is　now　supposed　to　have　entered　into　her；　and　when　she　grows　calmer　her　words　are　regarded　as　oracular；　being　the　utterances　of　the　indwelling　spirit；　while　her　own　soul　is　temporarily　absent。

The　person　temporarily　inspired　is　believed　to　acquire；　not　merely　divine　knowledge；　but　also；　at　least　occasionally；　divine　power。　In　Cambodia；　when　an　epidemic　breaks　out；　the　inhabitants　of　several　villages　unite　and　go　with　a　band　of　music　at　their　head　to　look　for　the　man　whom　the　local　god　is　supposed　to　have　chosen　for　his　temporary　incarnation。　When　found；　the　man　is　conducted　to　the　altar　of　the　god；　where　the　mystery　of　incarnation　takes　place。　Then　the　man　becomes　an　object　of　veneration　to　his　fellows；　who　implore　him　to　protect　the　village　against　the　plague。　A　certain　image　of　Apollo；　which　stood　in　a　sacred　cave　at　Hylae　near　Magnesia；　was　thought　to　impart　superhuman　strength。　Sacred　men；　inspired　by　it；　leaped　down　precipices；　tore　up　huge　trees　by　the　roots；　and　carried　them　on　their　backs　along　the　narrowest　defiles。　The　feats　performed　by　inspired　dervishes　belong　to　the　same　class。

Thus　far　we　have　seen　that　the　savage；　failing　to　discern　the　limits　of　his　ability　to　control　nature；　ascribes　to　himself　and　to　all　men　certain　powers　which　we　should　now　call　supernatural。　Further；　we　have　seen　that；　over　and　above　this　general　supernaturalism；　some　persons　are　supposed　to　be　inspired　for　short　periods　by　a　divine　spirit；　and　thus　temporarily　to　enjoy　the　knowledge　and　power　of　the　indwelling　deity。　From　beliefs　like　these　it　is　an　easy　step　to　the　conviction　that　certain　men　are　permanently　possessed　by　a　deity；　or　in　some　other　undefined　way　are　endued　with　so　high　a　degree　of　supernatural　power　as　to　be　ranked　as　gods　and　to　receive　the　homage　of　prayer　and　sacrifice。　Sometimes　these　human　gods　are　restricted　to　purely　supernatural　or　spiritual　functions。　Sometimes　they　exercise　supreme　political　power　in　addition。　In　the　latter　case　they　are　kings　as　well　as　gods；　and　the　government　is　a　theocracy。　Thus　in　the　Marquesas　or　Washington　Islands　there　was　a　class　of　men　who　were　deified　in　their　lifetime。　They　were　supposed　to　wield　a　supernatural　power　over　the　elements：　they　could　give　abundant　harvests　or　smite　the　ground　with　barrenness；　and　they　could　inflict　disease　or　death。　Human　sacrifices　were　offered　to　them　to　avert　their　wrath。　There　were　not　many　of　them；　at　the　most　one　or　two　in　each　island。　They　lived　in　mystic　seclusion。　Their　powers　were　sometimes；　but　not　always；　hereditary。　A　missionary　has　described　one　of　these　human　gods　from　personal　observation。　The　god　was　a　very　old　man　who　lived　in　a　large　house　within　an　enclosure。　In　the　house　was　a　kind　of　altar；　and　on　the　beams　of　the　house　and　on　the　trees　round　it　were　hung　human　skeletons；　head　down。　No　one　entered　the　enclosure　except　the　persons　dedicated　to　the　service　of　the　god；　only　on　days　when　human　victims　were　sacrificed　might　ordinary　people　penetrate　into　the　precinct。　This　human　god　received　more　sacrifices　than　all　the　other　gods；　often　he　would　sit　on　a　sort　of　scaffold　in　front　of　his　house　and　call　for　two　or　three　human　victims　at　a　time。　They　were　always　brought；　for　the　terror　he　inspired　was　extreme。　He　was　invoked　all　over　the　island；　and　offerings　were　sent　to　him　from　every　side。　Again；　of　the　South　Sea　Islands　in　general　we　are　told　that　each　island　had　a　man　who　represented　or　personified　the　divinity。　Such　men　were　called　gods；　and　their　substance　was　confounded　with　that　of　the　deity。　The　man…god　was　sometimes　the　king　himself；　oftener　he　was　a　priest　or　subordinate　chief。

The　ancient　Egyptians；　far　from　restricting　their　adoration　to　cats　and　dogs　and　such　small　deer；　very　liberally　extended　it　to　men。　One　of　these　human　deities　resided　at　the　village　of　Anabis；　and　burnt　sacrifices　were　offered　to　him　on　the　altars；　after　which；　says　Porphyry；　he　would　eat　his　dinner　just　as　if　he　were　an　ordinary　mortal。　In　classical　antiquity　the　Sicilian　philosopher　Empedocles　gave　himself　out　to　be　not　merely　a　wizard　but　a　god。　Addressing　his　fellow…citizens　in　verse　he　said：

O　friends；　in　this　great　city　that　climbs　the　yellow　slope　Of　Agrigentum's　citadel；　who　make　good　works　your　scope；　Who　offer　to　the　stranger　a　haven　quiet　and　fair；　All　hail！　Among　you　honoured　I　walk　with　lofty　air。　With　garlands；　blooming　garlands　you　crown　my　noble　brow；　A　mortal　man　no　longer；　a　deathless　godhead　now。　Where　e'er　I　go；　the　people　crowd　round　and　worship　pay；　And　thousands　follow　seeking　to　learn　the　better　way。　Some　crave　prophetic　visions；　some　smit　with　anguish　sore　Would　fain　hear　words　of　comfort　and　suffer　pain　no　more。

He　asserted　that　he　could　teach　his　disciples　how　to　make　the　wind　to　blow　or　be　still；　the　rain　to　fall　and　the　sun　to　shine；　how　to　banish　sickness　and　old　age　and　to　raise　the　dead。　When　Demetrius　Poliorcetes　restored　the　Athenian　democracy　in　307　B。C。；　the　Athenians　decreed　divine　honours　to　him

and　his　father　Antigonus；　both　of　them　being　then　alive；　under　the　title　of　the　Saviour　Gods。　Altars　were　set　up　to　the　Saviours；　and　a　priest　appointed　to　attend　to　their　worship。　The　people　went　forth　to　meet　their　deliverer　with　hymns　and　dances；　with　garlands　and　incense　and　libations；　they　lined　the　streets　and　sang　that　he　was　the　only　true　god；　for　the　other　gods　slept；　or　dwelt　far　away；　or　were　not。　In　the　words　of　a　contemporary　poet；　which　were　chanted　in　public　and　sung　in　private：

Of　all　the　gods　the　greatest　and　the　dearest　To　the　city　are　come。　For　Demeter　and　Demetrius　Together　time　has　brought。　She　comes　to　hold　the　Maiden's　awful　rites；　And　he　joyous　and　fair　and　laughing；　As　befits　a　god。　A　glorious　sight；　with　all　his　friends　about　him；　He　in　their　midst；　They　like　to　stars；　and　he　the　sun。　Son　of　Poseidon　the　mighty；　Aphrodite's　son；　All　hail！　The　other　gods　dwell　far　away；　Or　have　no　ears；　Or　are　not；　or　pay　us　no　heed。　But　thee　we　present　see；　No　god　of　wood　or　stone；　but　godhead　true。　Therefore　to　thee　we　pray。

The　ancient　Germans　believed　that　there　was　something　holy　in　women；　and　accordingly　consulted　them　as　oracles。　Their　sacred　women；　we　are　told；　looked　on　the　eddying　rivers　and　listened　to　the　murmur　or　the　roar　of　the　water；　and　from　the　sight　and　sound　foretold　what　would　come　to　pass。　But　often　the　veneration　of　the　men　went　further；　and　they　worshipped　women　as　true　and　living　goddesses。　For　example；　in　the　reign　of　Vespasian　a　certain　Veleda；　of　the　tribe　of　the　Bructeri；　was　commonly　held　to　be　a　deity；　and　in　that　character　reigned　over　her　people；　her　sway　being　acknowledged　far　and　wide。　She　lived　in　a　tower　on　the　river　Lippe；　a　tributary　of　the　Rhine。　When　the　people　of　Cologne　sent　to　make　a　treaty　with　her；　the　ambassadors　were　not　admitted　to　her　presence；　the　negotiations　were　conducted　through　a　minister；　who　acted　as　the　mouthpiece　of　her　divinity　and　reported　her　oracular　utterances。　The　example　shows　how　easily　among　our　rude　forefathers　the　ideas　of　divinity　and　royalty　coalesced。　It　is　said　that　among　the　Getae　down　to　the　beginning　of　our　era　there　was　always　a　man　who　personified　a　god　and　was　called　God　by　the　people。　He　dwelt　on　a　sacred　mountain　and　acted　as　adviser　to　the　king。

According　to　the　early　Portuguese　historian；　Dos　Santos；　the　Zimbas；　or　Muzimbas；　a　people　of　South…eastern　Africa；　do　not　adore　idols　or　recognize　any　god；　but　instead　they　venerate　and　honour　their　king；　whom　they　regard　as　a　divinity；　and　they　say　he　is　the　greatest　and　best　in　the　world。　And　the　said　king　says　of　himself　that　he　alone　is　god　of　the　earth；　for　which　reason　if　it　rains　wh