the golden bough-第76节

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ler；　on　approaching　in　the　night　a　village　of　Ottawas；　I　found　all　the　inhabitants　in　confusion：　they　were　all　busily　engaged　in　raising　noises　of　the　loudest　and　most　inharmonious　kind。　Upon　inquiry；　I　found　that　a　battle　had　been　lately　fought　between　the　Ottawas　and　the　Kickapoos；　and　that　the　object　of　all　this　noise　was　to　prevent　the　ghosts　of　the　departed　combatants　from　entering　the　village。

Among　the　Basutos　ablution　is　specially　performed　on　return　from　battle。　It　is　absolutely　necessary　that　the　warriors　should　rid　themselves；　as　soon　as　possible；　of　the　blood　they　have　shed；　or　the　shades　of　their　victims　would　pursue　them　incessantly；　and　disturb　their　slumbers。　They　go　in　a　procession；　and　in　full　armour；　to　the　nearest　stream。　At　the　moment　they　enter　the　water　a　diviner；　placed　higher　up；　throws　some　purifying　substances　into　the　current。　This　is；　however；　not　strictly　necessary。　The　javelins　and　battle…axes　also　undergo　the　process　of　washing。　Among　the　Bageshu　of　East　Africa　a　man　who　has　killed　another　may　not　return　to　his　own　house　on　the　same　day；　though　he　may　enter　the　village　and　spend　the　night　in　a　friend's　house。　He　kills　a　sheep　and　smears　his　chest；　his　right　arm；　and　his　head　with　the　contents　of　the　animal's　stomach。　His　children　are　brought　to　him　and　he　smears　them　in　like　manner。　Then　he　smears　each　side　of　the　doorway　with　the　tripe　and　entrails；　and　finally　throws　the　rest　of　the　stomach　on　the　roof　of　his　house。　For　a　whole　day　he　may　not　touch　food　with　his　hands；　but　picks　it　up　with　two　sticks　and　so　conveys　it　to　his　mouth。　His　wife　is　not　under　any　such　restrictions。　She　may　even　go　to　mourn　for　the　man　whom　her　husband　has　killed；　if　she　wishes　to　do　so。　Among　the　Angoni；　to　the　north　of　the　Zambesi；　warriors　who　have　slain　foes　on　an　expedition　smear　their　bodies　and　faces　with　ashes；　hang　garments　of　their　victims　on　their　persons；　and　tie　bark　ropes　round　their　necks；　so　that　the　ends　hang　down　over　their　shoulders　or　breasts。　This　costume　they　wear　for　three　days　after　their　return；　and　rising　at　break　of　day　they　run　through　the　village　uttering　frightful　yells　to　drive　away　the　ghosts　of　the　slain；　which；　if　they　were　not　thus　banished　from　the　houses；　might　bring　sickness　and　misfortune　on　the　inmates。

In　some　of　these　accounts　nothing　is　said　of　an　enforced　seclusion；　at　least　after　the　ceremonial　cleansing；　but　some　South　African　tribes　certainly　require　the　slayer　of　a　very　gallant　foe　in　war　to　keep　apart　from　his　wife　and　family　for　ten　days　after　he　has　washed　his　body　in　running　water。　He　also　receives　from　the　tribal　doctor　a　medicine　which　he　chews　with　his　food。　When　a　Nandi　of　East　Africa　has　killed　a　member　of　another　tribe；　he　paints　one　side　of　his　body；　spear；　and　sword　red；　and　the　other　side　white。　For　four　days　after　the　slaughter　he　is　considered　unclean　and　may　not　go　home。　He　has　to　build　a　small　shelter　by　a　river　and　live　there；　he　may　not　associate　with　his　wife　or　sweetheart；　and　he　may　eat　nothing　but　porridge；　beef；　and　goat's　flesh。　At　the　end　of　the　fourth　day　he　must　purify　himself　by　taking　a　strong　purge　made　from　the　bark　of　the　segetet　tree　and　by　drinking　goat's　milk　mixed　with　blood。　Among　the　Bantu　tribes　of　Kavirondo；　when　a　man　has　killed　an　enemy　in　warfare　he　shaves　his　head　on　his　return　home；　and　his　friends　rub　a　medicine；　which　generally　consists　of　goat's　dung；　over　his　body　to　prevent　the　spirit　of　the　slain　man　from　troubling　him。　Exactly　the　same　custom　is　practised　for　the　same　reason　by　the　Wageia　of　East　Africa。　With　the　Ja…Luo　of　Kavirondo　the　custom　is　somewhat　different。　Three　days　after　his　return　from　the　fight　the　warrior　shaves　his　head。　But　before　he　may　enter　his　village　he　has　to　hang　a　live　fowl；　head　uppermost；　round　his　neck；　then　the　bird　is　decapitated　and　its　head　left　hanging　round　his　neck。　Soon　after　his　return　a　feast　is　made　for　the　slain　man；　in　order　that　his　ghost　may　not　haunt　his　slayer。　In　the　Pelew　Islands；　when　the　men　return　from　a　warlike　expedition　in　which　they　have　taken　a　life；　the　young　warriors　who　have　been　out　fighting　for　the　first　time；　and　all　who　handled　the　slain；　are　shut　up　in　the　large　council…house　and　become　tabooed。　They　may　not　quit　the　edifice；　nor　bathe；　nor　touch　a　woman；　nor　eat　fish；　their　food　is　limited　to　coco…nuts　and　syrup。　They　rub　themselves　with　charmed　leaves　and　chew　charmed　betel。　After　three　days　they　go　together　to　bathe　as　near　as　possible　to　the　spot　where　the　man　was　killed。

Among　the　Natchez　Indians　of　North　America　young　braves　who　had　taken　their　first　scalps　were　obliged　to　observe　certain　rules　of　abstinence　for　six　months。　They　might　not　sleep　with　their　wives　nor　eat　flesh；　their　only　food　was　fish　and　hasty…pudding。　If　they　broke　these　rules；　they　believed　that　the　soul　of　the　man　they　had　killed　would　work　their　death　by　magic；　that　they　would　gain　no　more　successes　over　the　enemy；　and　that　the　least　wound　inflicted　on　them　would　prove　mortal。　When　a　Choctaw　had　killed　an　enemy　and　taken　his　scalp；　he　went　into　mourning　for　a　month；　during　which　he　might　not　comb　his　hair；　and　if　his　head　itched　he　might　not　scratch　it　except　with　a　little　stick　which　he　wore　fastened　to　his　wrist　for　the　purpose。　This　ceremonial　mourning　for　the　enemies　they　had　slain　was　not　uncommon　among　the　North　American　Indians。

Thus　we　see　that　warriors　who　have　taken　the　life　of　a　foe　in　battle　are　temporarily　cut　off　from　free　intercourse　with　their　fellows；　and　especially　with　their　wives；　and　must　undergo　certain　rites　of　purification　before　they　are　readmitted　to　society。　Now　if　the　purpose　of　their　seclusion　and　of　the　expiatory　rites　which　they　have　to　perform　is；　as　we　have　been　led　to　believe；　no　other　than　to　shake　off；　frighten；　or　appease　the　angry　spirit　of　the　slain　man；　we　may　safely　conjecture　that　the　similar　purification　of　homicides　and　murderers；　who　have　imbrued　their　hands　in　the　blood　of　a　fellow…tribesman；　had　at　first　the　same　significance；　and　that　the　idea　of　a　moral　or　spiritual　regeneration　symbolised　by　the　washing；　the　fasting；　and　so　on；　was　merely　a　later　interpretation　put　upon　the　old　custom　by　men　who　had　outgrown　the　primitive　modes　of　thought　in　which　the　custom　originated。　The　conjecture　will　be　confirmed　if　we　can　show　that　savages　have　actually　imposed　certain　restrictions　on　the　murderer　of　a　fellow…tribesman　from　a　definite　fear　that　he　is　haunted　by　the　ghost　of　his　victim。　This　we　can　do　with　regard　to　the　Omahas　of　North　America。　Among　these　Indians　the　kinsmen　of　a　murdered　man　had　the　right　to　put　the　murderer　to　death；　but　sometimes　they　waived　their　right　in　consideration　of　presents　which　they　consented　to　accept。　When　the　life　of　the　murderer　was　spared；　he　had　to　observe　certain　stringent　rules　for　a　period　which　varied　from　two　to　four　years。　He　must　walk　barefoot；　and　he　might　eat　no　warm　food；　nor　raise　his　voice；　nor　look　around。　He　was　compelled　to　pull　his　robe　about　him　and　to　have　it　tied　at　the　neck　even　in　hot　weather；　he　might　not　let　it　hang　loose　or　fly　open。　He　might　not　move　his　hands　about；　but　had　to　keep　them　close　to　his　body。　He　might　not　comb　his　hair；　and　it　might　not　be　blown　about　by　the　wind。　When　the　tribe　went　out　hunting；　he　was　obliged　to　pitch　his　tent　about　a　quarter　of　mile　from　the　rest　of　the　people　lest　the　ghost　of　his　victim　should　raise　a　high　wind；　which　might　cause　damage。　Only　one　of　his　kindred　was　allowed　to　remain　with　him　at　his　tent。　No　one　wished　to　eat　with　him；　for　they　said；　If　we　eat　with　him　whom　Wakanda　hates；　Wakanda　will　hate　us。　Sometimes　he　wandered　at　night　crying　and　lamenting　his　offence。　At　the　end　of　his　long　isolation　the　kinsmen　of　the　murdered　man　heard　his　crying　and　said；　It　is　enough。　Begone；　and　walk　among　the　crowd。　Put　on　moccasins　and　wear　a　good　robe。　Here　the　reason　alleged　for　keeping　the　murderer　at　a　considerable　distance　from　the　hunters　gives　the　clue　to　all　the　other　restrictions　laid　on　him：　he　was　haunted　and　therefore　dangerous。　The　ancient　Greeks　believed　that　the　soul　of　a　man　who　had　just　been　killed　was　wroth　with　his　slayer　and　troubled　him；　wherefore　it　was　needful　even　for　the　involuntary　homicide　to　depart　from　his　country　for　a　year　until　the　anger　of　the　dead　man　had　cooled　down；　nor　might　the　slayer　return　until　sacrifice　had　been　offered　and　ceremonies　of　purification　performed。　If　his　victim　chanced　to　be　a　foreigner；　the　homicide　had　to　shun　the　native　country　of　the　dead　man　as　well　as　his　own。　The　legend　of　the　matricide　Orestes；　how　he　roamed　from　place　to　place　pursued　by　the　Furies　of　his　murdered　mother；　and　none　would　sit　at　meat　with　him；　or　take　him　in；　till　he　had　been　purified；　reflects　faithfully　the　real　Greek　dread　of　such　as　were　still　haunted　by　an　angry　ghost。

6。　Hunters　and　Fishers　tabooed

IN　SAVAGE　society　the　hunter　and　the　fisherman　have　often　to　observe　rules　of　abstinence　and　to　submit　to　ceremonies　of　purification　of　the　same　sort　as　those　which　are　obligatory　on　the　warrior　and　the　manslayer；　and　though　we　cannot　in　all　cases　perceive　the　exact　purpose　which　these　rules　and　ceremonies　are　supposed　to　serve；　we　may　with　some　probability　assume　that；　just　as　the　dread　of　the　spirits　of　his　enemie