the golden bough-第77节

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d　to　serve；　we　may　with　some　probability　assume　that；　just　as　the　dread　of　the　spirits　of　his　enemies　is　the　main　motive　for　the　seclusion　and　purification　of　the　warrior　who　hopes　to　take　or　has　already　taken　their　lives；　so　the　huntsman　or　fisherman　who　complies　with　similar　customs　is　principally　actuated　by　a　fear　of　the　spirits　of　the　beasts；　birds；　or　fish　which　he　has　killed　or　intends　to　kill。　For　the　savage　commonly　conceives　animals　to　be　endowed　with　souls　and　intelligences　like　his　own；　and　hence　he　naturally　treats　them　with　similar　respect。　Just　as　he　attempts　to　appease　the　ghosts　of　the　men　he　has　slain；　so　he　essays　to　propitiate　the　spirits　of　the　animals　he　has　killed。　These　ceremonies　of　propitiation　will　be　described　later　on　in　this　work；　here　we　have　to　deal；　first；　with　the　taboos　observed　by　the　hunter　and　the　fisherman　before　or　during　the　hunting　and　fishing　seasons；　and；　second；　with　the　ceremonies　of　purification　which　have　to　be　practised　by　these　men　on　returning　with　their　booty　from　a　successful　chase。

While　the　savage　respects；　more　or　less；　the　souls　of　all　animals；　he　treats　with　particular　deference　the　spirits　of　such　as　are　either　especially　useful　to　him　or　formidable　on　account　of　their　size；　strength；　or　ferocity。　Accordingly　the　hunting　and　killing　of　these　valuable　or　dangerous　beasts　are　subject　to　more　elaborate　rules　and　ceremonies　than　the　slaughter　of　comparatively　useless　and　insignificant　creatures。　Thus　the　Indians　of　Nootka　Sound　prepared　themselves　for　catching　whales　by　observing　a　fast　for　a　week；　during　which　they　ate　very　little；　bathed　in　the　water　several　times　a　day；　sang；　and　rubbed　their　bodies；　limbs；　and　faces　with　shells　and　bushes　till　they　looked　as　if　they　had　been　severely　torn　with　briars。　They　were　likewise　required　to　abstain　from　any　commerce　with　their　women　for　the　like　period；　this　last　condition　being　considered　indispensable　to　their　success。　A　chief　who　failed　to　catch　a　whale　has　been　known　to　attribute　his　failure　to　a　breach　of　chastity　on　the　part　of　his　men。　It　should　be　remarked　that　the　conduct　thus　prescribed　as　a　preparation　for　whaling　is　precisely　that　which　in　the　same　tribe　of　Indians　was　required　of　men　about　to　go　on　the　war…path。　Rules　of　the　same　sort　are；　or　were　formerly；　observed　by　Malagasy　whalers。　For　eight　days　before　they　went　to　sea　the　crew　of　a　whaler　used　to　fast；　abstaining　from　women　and　liquor；　and　confessing　their　most　secret　faults　to　each　other；　and　if　any　man　was　found　to　have　sinned　deeply；　he　was　forbidden　to　share　in　the　expedition。　In　the　island　of　Mabuiag　continence　was　imposed　on　the　people　both　before　they　went　to　hunt　the　dugong　and　while　the　turtles　were　pairing。　The　turtle…season　lasts　during　parts　of　October　and　November；　and　if　at　that　time　unmarried　persons　had　sexual　intercourse　with　each　other；　it　was　believed　that　when　the　canoe　approached　the　floating　turtle；　the　male　would　separate　from　the　female　and　both　would　dive　down　in　different　directions。　So　at　Mowat　in　New　Guinea　men　have　no　relation　with　women　when　the　turtles　are　coupling；　though　there　is　considerable　laxity　of　morals　at　other　times。　In　the　island　of　Uap；　one　of　the　Caroline　group；　every　fisherman　plying　his　craft　lies　under　a　most　strict　taboo　during　the　whole　of　the　fishing　season；　which　lasts　for　six　or　eight　weeks。　Whenever　he　is　on　shore　he　must　spend　all　his　time　in　the　men's　clubhouse；　and　under　no　pretext　whatever　may　he　visit　his　own　house　or　so　much　as　look　upon　the　faces　of　his　wife　and　womenkind。　Were　he　but　to　steal　a　glance　at　them；　they　think　that　flying　fish　must　inevitably　bore　out　his　eyes　at　night。　If　his　wife；　mother；　or　daughter　brings　any　gift　for　him　or　wishes　to　talk　with　him；　she　must　stand　down　towards　the　shore　with　her　back　turned　to　the　men's　clubhouse。　Then　the　fisherman　may　go　out　and　speak　to　her；　or　with　his　back　turned　to　her　he　may　receive　what　she　has　brought　him；　after　which　he　must　return　at　once　to　his　rigorous　confinement。　Indeed　the　fishermen　may　not　even　join　in　dance　and　song　with　the　other　men　of　the　clubhouse　in　the　evening；　they　must　keep　to　themselves　and　be　silent。　In　Mirzapur；　when　the　seed　of　the　silkworm　is　brought　into　the　house；　the　Kol　or　Bhuiyar　puts　it　in　a　place　which　has　been　carefully　plastered　with　holy　cowdung　to　bring　good　luck。　From　that　time　the　owner　must　be　careful　to　avoid　ceremonial　impurity。　He　must　give　up　cohabitation　with　his　wife；　he　may　not　sleep　on　a　bed；　nor　shave　himself；　nor　cut　his　nails；　nor　anoint　himself　with　oil；　nor　eat　food　cooked　with　butter；　nor　tell　lies；　nor　do　anything　else　that　he　deems　wrong。　He　vows　to　Singarmati　Devi　that；　if　the　worms　are　duly　born；　he　will　make　her　an　offering。　When　the　cocoons　open　and　the　worms　appear；　he　assembles　the　women　of　the　house　and　they　sing　the　same　song　as　at　the　birth　of　a　baby；　and　red　lead　is　smeared　on　the　parting　of　the　hair　of　all　the　married　women　of　the　neighbourhood。　When　the　worms　pair；　rejoicings　are　made　as　at　a　marriage。　Thus　the　silkworms　are　treated　as　far　as　possible　like　human　beings。　Hence　the　custom　which　prohibits　the　commerce　of　the　sexes　while　the　worms　are　hatching　may　be　only　an　extension；　by　analogy；　of　the　rule　which　is　observed　by　many　races；　that　the　husband　may　not　cohabit　with　his　wife　during　pregnancy　and　lactation。

In　the　island　of　Nias　the　hunters　sometimes　dig　pits；　cover　them　lightly　over　with　twigs；　grass；　and　leaves；　and　then　drive　the　game　into　them。　While　they　are　engaged　in　digging　the　pits；　they　have　to　observe　a　number　of　taboos。　They　may　not　spit；　or　the　game　would　turn　back　in　disgust　from　the　pits。　They　may　not　laugh；　or　the　sides　of　the　pit　would　fall　in。　They　may　eat　no　salt；　prepare　no　fodder　for　swine；　and　in　the　pit　they　may　not　scratch　themselves；　for　if　they　did；　the　earth　would　be　loosened　and　would　collapse。　And　the　night　after　digging　the　pit　they　may　have　no　intercourse　with　a　woman；　or　all　their　labour　would　be　in　vain。

This　practice　of　observing　strict　chastity　as　a　condition　of　success　in　hunting　and　fishing　is　very　common　among　rude　races；　and　the　instances　of　it　which　have　been　cited　render　it　probable　that　the　rule　is　always　based　on　a　superstition　rather　than　on　a　consideration　of　the　temporary　weakness　which　a　breach　of　the　custom　may　entail　on　the　hunter　or　fisherman。　In　general　it　appears　to　be　supposed　that　the　evil　effect　of　incontinence　is　not　so　much　that　it　weakens　him；　as　that；　for　some　reason　or　other；　it　offends　the　animals；　who　in　consequence　will　not　suffer　themselves　to　be　caught。　A　Carrier　Indian　of　British　Columbia　used　to　separate　from　his　wife　for　a　full　month　before　he　set　traps　for　bears；　and　during　this　time　he　might　not　drink　from　the　same　vessel　as　his　wife；　but　had　to　use　a　special　cup　made　of　birch　bark。　The　neglect　of　these　precautions　would　cause　the　game　to　escape　after　it　had　been　snared。　But　when　he　was　about　to　snare　martens；　the　period　of　continence　was　cut　down　to　ten　days。

An　examination　of　all　the　many　cases　in　which　the　savage　bridles　his　passions　and　remains　chaste　from　motives　of　superstition；　would　be　instructive；　but　I　cannot　attempt　it　now。　I　will　only　add　a　few　miscellaneous　examples　of　the　custom　before　passing　to　the　ceremonies　of　purification　which　are　observed　by　the　hunter　and　fisherman　after　the　chase　and　the　fishing　are　over。　The　workers　in　the　salt…pans　near　Siphoum；　in　Laos；　must　abstain　from　all　sexual　relations　at　the　place　where　they　are　at　work；　and　they　may　not　cover　their　heads　nor　shelter　themselves　under　an　umbrella　from　the　burning　rays　of　the　sun。　Among　the　Kachins　of　Burma　the　ferment　used　in　making　beer　is　prepared　by　two　women；　chosen　by　lot；　who　during　the　three　days　that　the　process　lasts　may　eat　nothing　acid　and　may　have　no　conjugal　relations　with　their　husbands；　otherwise　it　is　supposed　that　the　beer　would　be　sour。　Among　the　Masai　honey…wine　is　brewed　by　a　man　and　a　woman　who　live　in　a　hut　set　apart　for　them　till　the　wine　is　ready　for　drinking。　But　they　are　strictly　forbidden　to　have　sexual　intercourse　with　each　other　during　this　time；　it　is　deemed　essential　that　they　should　be　chaste　for　two　days　before　they　begin　to　brew　and　for　the　whole　of　the　six　days　that　the　brewing　lasts。　The　Masai　believe　that　were　the　couple　to　commit　a　breach　of　chastity；　not　only　would　the　wine　be　undrinkable　but　the　bees　which　made　the　honey　would　fly　away。　Similarly　they　require　that　a　man　who　is　making　poison　should　sleep　alone　and　observe　other　taboos　which　render　him　almost　an　outcast。　The　Wandorobbo；　a　tribe　of　the　same　region　as　the　Masai；　believe　that　the　mere　presence　of　a　woman　in　the　neighbourhood　of　a　man　who　is　brewing　poison　would　deprive　the　poison　of　its　venom；　and　that　the　same　thing　would　happen　if　the　wife　of　the　poison…maker　were　to　commit　adultery　while　her　husband　was　brewing　the　poison。　In　this　last　case　it　is　obvious　that　a　rationalistic　explanation　of　the　taboo　is　impossible。　How　could　the　loss　of　virtue　in　the　poison　be　a　physical　consequence　of　the　loss　of　virtue　in　the　poison…maker's　wife？　Clearly　the　effect　which　the　wife's　adultery　is　supposed　to　have　on　the　poison　is　a　case　of　sympathetic　magic；　her　misconduct　sympathetically　affects　her　husband　and　his　work　at　a　distance。