the golden bough-第68节

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r　direction。　It　was　a　ground　of　divorce　if　his　shadow　happened　to　fall　on　his　mother…in…law：　in　that　case　he　had　to　leave　his　wife；　and　she　returned　to　her　parents。　In　New　Britain　the　native　imagination　fails　to　conceive　the　extent　and　nature　of　the　calamities　which　would　result　from　a　man's　accidentally　speaking　to　his　wife's　mother；　suicide　of　one　or　both　would　probably　be　the　only　course　open　to　them。　The　most　solemn　form　of　oath　a　New　Briton　can　take　is；　Sir；　if　I　am　not　telling　the　truth；　I　hope　I　may　shake　hands　with　my　mother…in…law。

Where　the　shadow　is　regarded　as　so　intimately　bound　up　with　the　life　of　the　man　that　its　loss　entails　debility　or　death；　it　is　natural　to　expect　that　its　diminution　should　be　regarded　with　solicitude　and　apprehension；　as　betokening　a　corresponding　decrease　in　the　vital　energy　of　its　owner。　In　Amboyna　and　Uliase；　two　islands　near　the　equator；　where　necessarily　there　is　little　or　no　shadow　cast　at　noon；　the　people　make　it　a　rule　not　to　go　out　of　the　house　at　mid…day；　because　they　fancy　that　by　doing　so　a　man　may　lose　the　shadow　of　his　soul。　The　Mangaians　tell　of　a　mighty　warrior；　Tukaitawa；　whose　strength　waxed　and　waned　with　the　length　of　his　shadow。　In　the　morning；　when　his　shadow　fell　longest；　his　strength　was　greatest；　but　as　the　shadow　shortened　towards　noon　his　strength　ebbed　with　it；　till　exactly　at　noon　it　reached　its　lowest　point；　then；　as　the　shadow　stretched　out　in　the　afternoon；　his　strength　returned。　A　certain　hero　discovered　the　secret　of　Tukaitawa's　strength　and　slew　him　at　noon。　The　savage　Besisis　of　the　Malay　Peninsula　fear　to　bury　their　dead　at　noon；　because　they　fancy　that　the　shortness　of　their　shadows　at　that　hour　would　sympathetically　shorten　their　own　lives。

Nowhere；　perhaps；　does　the　equivalence　of　the　shadow　to　the　life　or　soul　come　out　more　clearly　than　in　some　customs　practised　to　this　day　in　South…eastern　Europe。　In　modern　Greece；　when　the　foundation　of　a　new　building　is　being　laid；　it　is　the　custom　to　kill　a　cock；　a　ram；　or　a　lamb；　and　to　let　its　blood　flow　on　the　foundation…stone；　under　which　the　animal　is　afterwards　buried。　The　object　of　the　sacrifice　is　to　give　strength　and　stability　to　the　building。　But　sometimes；　instead　of　killing　an　animal；　the　builder　entices　a　man　to　the　foundation…stone；　secretly　measures　his　body；　or　a　part　of　it；　or　his　shadow；　and　buries　the　measure　under　the　foundation…stone；　or　he　lays　the　foundation…stone　upon　the　man's　shadow。　It　is　believed　that　the　man　will　die　within　the　year。　The　Roumanians　of　Transylvania　think　that　he　whose　shadow　is　thus　immured　will　die　within　forty　days；　so　persons　passing　by　a　building　which　is　in　course　of　erection　may　hear　a　warning　cry；　Beware　lest　they　take　thy　shadow！　Not　long　ago　there　were　still　shadow…traders　whose　business　it　was　to　provide　architects　with　the　shadows　necessary　for　securing　their　walls。　In　these　cases　the　measure　of　the　shadow　is　looked　on　as　equivalent　to　the　shadow　itself；　and　to　bury　it　is　to　bury　the　life　or　soul　of　the　man；　who；　deprived　of　it；　must　die。　Thus　the　custom　is　a　substitute　for　the　old　practice　of　immuring　a　living　person　in　the　walls；　or　crushing　him　under　the　foundation…stone　of　a　new　building；　in　order　to　give　strength　and　durability　to　the　structure；　or　more　definitely　in　order　that　the　angry　ghost　may　haunt　the　place　and　guard　it　against　the　intrusion　of　enemies。

As　some　peoples　believe　a　man's　soul　to　be　in　his　shadow；　so　other　（or　the　same）　peoples　believe　it　to　be　in　his　reflection　in　water　or　a　mirror。　Thus　the　Andamanese　do　not　regard　their　shadows　but　their　reflections　（in　any　mirror）　as　their　souls。　When　the　Motumotu　of　New　Guinea　first　saw　their　likenesses　in　a　looking…glass；　they　thought　that　their　reflections　were　their　souls。　In　New　Caledonia　the　old　men　are　of　opinion　that　a　person's　reflection　in　water　or　a　mirror　is　his　soul；　but　the　younger　men；　taught　by　the　Catholic　priests；　maintain　that　it　is　a　reflection　and　nothing　more；　just　like　the　reflection　of　palm…trees　in　the　water。　The　reflection…soul；　being　external　to　the　man；　is　exposed　to　much　the　same　dangers　as　the　shadow…soul。　The　Zulus　will　not　look　into　a　dark　pool　because　they　think　there　is　a　beast　in　it　which　will　take　away　their　reflections；　so　that　they　die。　The　Basutos　say　that　crocodiles　have　the　power　of　thus　killing　a　man　by　dragging　his　reflection　under　water。　When　one　of　them　dies　suddenly　and　from　no　apparent　cause；　his　relatives　will　allege　that　a　crocodile　must　have　taken　his　shadow　some　time　when　he　crossed　a　stream。　In　Saddle　Island；　Melanesia；　there　is　a　pool　into　which　if　any　one　looks　he　dies；　the　malignant　spirit　takes　hold　upon　his　life　by　means　of　his　reflection　on　the　water。

We　can　now　understand　why　it　was　a　maxim　both　in　ancient　India　and　ancient　Greece　not　to　look　at　one's　reflection　in　water；　and　why　the　Greeks　regarded　it　as　an　omen　of　death　if　a　man　dreamed　of　seeing　himself　so　reflected。　They　feared　that　the　water…spirits　would　drag　the　person's　reflection　or　soul　under　water；　leaving　him　soulless　to　perish。　This　was　probably　the　origin　of　the　classical　story　of　the　beautiful　Narcissus；　who　languished　and　died　through　seeing　his　reflection　in　the　water。

Further；　we　can　now　explain　the　widespread　custom　of　covering　up　mirrors　or　turning　them　to　the　wall　after　a　death　has　taken　place　in　the　house。　It　is　feared　that　the　soul；　projected　out　of　the　person　in　the　shape　of　his　reflection　in　the　mirror；　may　be　carried　off　by　the　ghost　of　the　departed；　which　is　commonly　supposed　to　linger　about　the　house　till　the　burial。　The　custom　is　thus　exactly　parallel　to　the　Aru　custom　of　not　sleeping　in　a　house　after　a　death　for　fear　that　the　soul；　projected　out　of　the　body　in　a　dream；　may　meet　the　ghost　and　be　carried　off　by　it。　The　reason　why　sick　people　should　not　see　themselves　in　a　mirror；　and　why　the　mirror　in　a　sick…room　is　therefore　covered　up；　is　also　plain；　in　time　of　sickness；　when　the　soul　might　take　flight　so　easily；　it　is　particularly　dangerous　to　project　it　out　of　the　body　by　means　of　the　reflection　in　a　mirror。　The　rule　is　therefore　precisely　parallel　to　the　rule　observed　by　some　peoples　of　not　allowing　sick　people　to　sleep；　for　in　sleep　the　soul　is　projected　out　of　the　body；　and　there　is　always　a　risk　that　it　may　not　return。

As　with　shadows　and　reflections；　so　with　portraits；　they　are　often　believed　to　contain　the　soul　of　the　person　portrayed。　People　who　hold　this　belief　are　naturally　loth　to　have　their　likenesses　taken；　for　if　the　portrait　is　the　soul；　or　at　least　a　vital　part　of　the　person　portrayed；　whoever　possesses　the　portrait　will　be　able　to　exercise　a　fatal　influence　over　the　original　of　it。　Thus　the　Esquimaux　of　Bering　Strait　believe　that　persons　dealing　in　witchcraft　have　the　power　of　stealing　a　person's　shade；　so　that　without　it　he　will　pine　away　and　die。　Once　at　a　village　on　the　lower　Yukon　River　an　explorer　had　set　up　his　camera　to　get　a　picture　of　the　people　as　they　were　moving　about　among　their　houses。　While　he　was　focusing　the　instrument；　the　headman　of　the　village　came　up　and　insisted　on　peeping　under　the　cloth。　Being　allowed　to　do　so；　he　gazed　intently　for　a　minute　at　the　moving　figures　on　the　ground　glass；　then　suddenly　withdrew　his　head　and　bawled　at　the　top　of　his　voice　to　the　people；　He　has　all　of　your　shades　in　this　box。　A　panic　ensued　among　the　group；　and　in　an　instant　they　disappeared　helterskelter　into　their　houses。　The　Tepehuanes　of　Mexico　stood　in　mortal　terror　of　the　camera；　and　five　days'　persuasion　was　necessary　to　induce　them　to　pose　for　it。　When　at　last　they　consented；　they　looked　like　criminals　about　to　be　executed。　They　believed　that　by　photographing　people　the　artist　could　carry　off　their　souls　and　devour　them　at　his　leisure　moments。　They　said　that；　when　the　pictures　reached　his　country；　they　would　die　or　some　other　evil　would　befall　them。　When　Dr。　Catat　and　some　companions　were　exploring　the　Bara　country　on　the　west　coast　of　Madagascar；　the　people　suddenly　became　hostile。　The　day　before　the　travellers；　not　without　difficulty；　had　photographed　the　royal　family；　and　now　found　themselves　accused　of　taking　the　souls　of　the　natives　for　the　purpose　of　selling　them　when　they　returned　to　France。　Denial　was　vain；　in　compliance　with　the　custom　of　the　country　they　were　obliged　to　catch　the　souls；　which　were　then　put　into　a　basket　and　ordered　by　Dr。　Catat　to　return　to　their　respective　owners。

Some　villagers　in　Sikhim　betrayed　a　lively　horror　and　hid　away　whenever　the　lens　of　a　camera；　or　the　evil　eye　of　the　box　as　they　called　it；　was　turned　on　them。　They　thought　it　took　away　their　souls　with　their　pictures；　and　so　put　it　in　the　power　of　the　owner　of　the　pictures　to　cast　spells　on　them；　and　they　alleged　that　a　photograph　of　the　scenery　blighted　the　landscape。　Until　the　reign　of　the　late　King　of　Siam　no　Siamese　coins　were　ever　stamped　with　the　image　of　the　king；　for　at　that　time　there　was　a　strong　prejudice　against　the　making　of　portraits　in　any　medium。　Europeans　who　travel　into　the　jungle　have；　even　at　the　present　time；　only　to　point　a　camera　at　a　crowd　to　procure　its　instant　dispersion。　When　a　copy　of　the　face　of　a　person　is　made　and　taken　away　from　him；　a　portion　of　his　life　goes　with　the　picture。　Unless　the　sovereign　had　bee