the golden bough-第80节

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The　general　dislike　of　innovation；　which　always　makes　itself　strongly　felt　in　the　sphere　of　religion；　is　sufficient　by　itself　to　account　for　the　superstitious　aversion　to　iron　entertained　by　kings　and　priests　and　attributed　by　them　to　the　gods；　possibly　this　aversion　may　have　been　intensified　in　places　by　some　such　accidental　cause　as　the　series　of　bad　seasons　which　cast　discredit　on　iron　ploughshares　in　Poland。　But　the　disfavour　in　which　iron　is　held　by　the　gods　and　their　ministers　has　another　side。　Their　antipathy　to　the　metal　furnishes　men　with　a　weapon　which　may　be　turned　against　the　spirits　when　occasion　serves。　As　their　dislike　of　iron　is　supposed　to　be　so　great　that　they　will　not　approach　persons　and　things　protected　by　the　obnoxious　metal；　iron　may　obviously　be　employed　as　a　charm　for　banning　ghosts　and　other　dangerous　spirits。　And　often　it　is　so　used。　Thus　in　the　Highlands　of　Scotland　the　great　safeguard　against　the　elfin　race　is　iron；　or；　better　yet；　steel。　The　metal　in　any　form；　whether　as　a　sword；　a　knife；　a　gun…barrel；　or　what　not；　is　all…powerful　for　this　purpose。　Whenever　you　enter　a　fairy　dwelling　you　should　always　remember　to　stick　a　piece　of　steel；　such　as　a　knife；　a　needle；　or　a　fish…hook；　in　the　door；　for　then　the　elves　will　not　be　able　to　shut　the　door　till　you　come　out　again。　So；　too；　when　you　have　shot　a　deer　and　are　bringing　it　home　at　night；　be　sure　to　thrust　a　knife　into　the　carcase；　for　that　keeps　the　fairies　from　laying　their　weight　on　it。　A　knife　or　nail　in　your　pocket　is　quite　enough　to　prevent　the　fairies　from　lifting　you　up　at　night。　Nails　in　the　front　of　a　bed　ward　off　elves　from　women　in　the　straw　and　from　their　babes；　but　to　make　quite　sure　it　is　better　to　put　the　smoothing…iron　under　the　bed；　and　the　reaping…hook　in　the　window。　If　a　bull　has　fallen　over　a　rock　and　been　killed；　a　nail　stuck　into　it　will　preserve　the　flesh　from　the　fairies。　Music　discoursed　on　a　Jew's　harp　keeps　the　elfin　women　away　from　the　hunter；　because　the　tongue　of　the　instrument　is　of　steel。　In　Morocco　iron　is　considered　a　great　protection　against　demons；　hence　it　is　usual　to　place　a　knife　or　dagger　under　a　sick　man's　pillow。　The　Singhalese　believe　that　they　are　constantly　surrounded　by　evil　spirits；　who　lie　in　wait　to　do　them　harm。　A　peasant　would　not　dare　to　carry　good　food；　such　as　cakes　or　roast　meat；　from　one　place　to　another　without　putting　an　iron　nail　on　it　to　prevent　a　demon　from　taking　possession　of　the　viands　and　so　making　the　eater　ill。　No　sick　person；　whether　man　or　woman；　would　venture　out　of　the　house　without　a　bunch　of　keys　or　a　knife　in　his　hand；　for　without　such　a　talisman　he　would　fear　that　some　devil　might　take　advantage　of　his　weak　state　to　slip　into　his　body。　And　if　a　man　has　a　large　sore　on　his　body　he　tries　to　keep　a　morsel　of　iron　on　it　as　a　protection　against　demons。　On　the　Slave　Coast　when　a　mother　sees　her　child　gradually　wasting　away；　she　concludes　that　a　demon　has　entered　into　the　child；　and　takes　her　measures　accordingly。　To　lure　the　demon　out　of　the　body　of　her　offspring；　she　offers　a　sacrifice　of　food；　and　while　the　devil　is　bolting　it；　she　attaches　iron　rings　and　small　bells　to　her　child's　ankles　and　hangs　iron　chains　round　his　neck。　The　jingling　of　the　iron　and　the　tinkling　of　the　bells　are　supposed　to　prevent　the　demon；　when　he　has　concluded　his　repast；　from　entering　again　into　the　body　of　the　little　sufferer。　Hence　many　children　may　be　seen　in　this　part　of　Africa　weighed　down　with　iron　ornaments。

3。　Sharp　Weapons　tabooed。

THERE　is　a　priestly　king　to　the　north　of　Zengwih　in　Burma；　revered　by　the　Sotih　as　the　highest　spiritual　and　temporal　authority；　into　whose　house　no　weapon　or　cutting　instrument　may　be　brought。　This　rule　may　perhaps　be　explained　by　a　custom　observed　by　various　peoples　after　a　death；　they　refrain　from　the　use　of　sharp　instruments　so　long　as　the　ghost　of　the　deceased　is　supposed　to　be　near；　lest　they　should　wound　it。　Thus　among　the　Esquimaux　of　Bering　Strait　during　the　day　on　which　a　person　dies　in　the　village　no　one　is　permitted　to　work；　and　the　relatives　must　perform　no　labour　during　the　three　following　days。　It　is　especially　forbidden　during　this　period　to　cut　with　any　edged　instrument；　such　as　a　knife　or　an　axe；　and　the　use　of　pointed　instruments；　like　needles　or　bodkins；　is　also　forbidden。　This　is　said　to　be　done　to　avoid　cutting　or　injuring　the　shade；　which　may　be　present　at　any　time　during　this　period；　and；　if　accidentally　injured　by　any　of　these　things；　it　would　become　very　angry　and　bring　sickness　or　death　to　the　people。　The　relatives　must　also　be　very　careful　at　this　time　not　to　make　any　loud　or　harsh　noises　that　may　startle　or　anger　the　shade。　We　have　seen　that　in　like　manner　after　killing　a　white　whale　these　Esquimaux　abstain　from　the　use　of　cutting　or　pointed　instruments　for　four　days；　lest　they　should　unwittingly　cut　or　stab　the　whale's　ghost。　The　same　taboo　is　sometimes　observed　by　them　when　there　is　a　sick　person　in　the　village；　probably　from　a　fear　of　injuring　his　shade　which　may　be　hovering　outside　of　his　body。　After　a　death　the　Roumanians　of　Transylvania　are　careful　not　to　leave　a　knife　lying　with　the　sharp　edge　uppermost　so　long　as　the　corpse　remains　in　the　house；　or　else　the　soul　will　be　forced　to　ride　on　the　blade。　For　seven　days　after　a　death；　the　corpse　being　still　in　the　house；　the　Chinese　abstain　from　the　use　of　knives　and　needles；　and　even　of　chopsticks；　eating　their　food　with　their　fingers。　On　the　third；　sixth；　ninth；　and　fortieth　days　after　the　funeral　the　old　Prussians　and　Lithuanians　used　to　prepare　a　meal；　to　which；　standing　at　the　door；　they　invited　the　soul　of　the　deceased。　At　these　meals　they　sat　silent　round　the　table　and　used　no　knives　and　the　women　who　served　up　the　food　were　also　without　knives。　If　any　morsels　fell　from　the　table　they　were　left　lying　there　for　the　lonely　souls　that　had　no　living　relations　or　friends　to　feed　them。　When　the　meal　was　over　the　priest　took　a　broom　and　swept　the　souls　out　of　the　house；　saying；　Dear　souls；　ye　have　eaten　and　drunk。　Go　forth；　go　forth。　We　can　now　understand　why　no　cutting　instrument　may　be　taken　into　the　house　of　the　Burmese　pontiff。　Like　so　many　priestly　kings；　he　is　probably　regarded　as　divine；　and　it　is　therefore　right　that　his　sacred　spirit　should　not　be　exposed　to　the　risk　of　being　cut　or　wounded　whenever　it　quits　his　body　to　hover　invisible　in　the　air　or　to　fly　on　some　distant　mission。

4。　Blood　tabooed。

WE　have　seen　that　the　Flamen　Dialis　was　forbidden　to　touch　or　even　name　raw　flesh。　At　certain　times　a　Brahman　teacher　is　enjoined　not　to　look　on　raw　flesh；　blood；　or　persons　whose　hands　have　been　cut　off。　In　Uganda　the　father　of　twins　is　in　a　state　of　taboo　for　some　time　after　birth；　among　other　rules　he　is　forbidden　to　kill　anything　or　to　see　blood。　In　the　Pelew　Islands　when　a　raid　has　been　made　on　a　village　and　a　head　carried　off；　the　relations　of　the　slain　man　are　tabooed　and　have　to　submit　to　certain　observances　in　order　to　escape　the　wrath　of　his　ghost。　They　are　shut　up　in　the　house；　touch　no　raw　flesh；　and　chew　betel　over　which　an　incantation　has　been　uttered　by　the　exorcist。　After　this　the　ghost　of　the　slaughtered　man　goes　away　to　the　enemy's　country　in　pursuit　of　his　murderer。　The　taboo　is　probably　based　on　the　common　belief　that　the　soul　or　spirit　of　the　animal　is　in　the　blood。　As　tabooed　persons　are　believed　to　be　in　a　perilous　statefor　example；　the　relations　of　the　slain　man　are　liable　to　the　attacks　of　his　indignant　ghostit　is　especially　necessary　to　isolate　them　from　contact　with　spirits；　hence　the　prohibition　to　touch　raw　meat。　But　as　usual　the　taboo　is　only　the　special　enforcement　of　a　general　precept；　in　other　words；　its　observance　is　particularly　enjoined　in　circumstances　which　seem　urgently　to　call　for　its　application；　but　apart　from　such　circumstances　the　prohibition　is　also　observed；　though　less　strictly；　as　a　common　rule　of　life。　Thus　some　of　the　Esthonians　will　not　taste　blood　because　they　believe　that　it　contains　the　animal's　soul；　which　would　enter　the　body　of　the　person　who　tasted　the　blood。　Some　Indian　tribes　of　North　America；　through　a　strong　principle　of　religion；　abstain　in　the　strictest　manner　from　eating　the　blood　of　any　animal；　as　it　contains　the　life　and　spirit　of　the　beast。　Jewish　hunters　poured　out　the　blood　of　the　game　they　had　killed　and　covered　it　up　with　dust。　They　would　not　taste　the　blood；　believing　that　the　soul　or　life　of　the　animal　was　in　the　blood；　or　actually　was　the　blood。

It　is　a　common　rule　that　royal　blood　may　not　be　shed　upon　the　ground。　Hence　when　a　king　or　one　of　his　family　is　to　be　put　to　death　a　mode　of　execution　is　devised　by　which　the　royal　blood　shall　not　be　spilt　upon　the　earth。　About　the　year　1688　the　generalissimo　of　the　army　rebelled　against　the　king　of　Siam　and　put　him　to　death　after　the　manner　of　royal　criminals；　or　as　princes　of　the　blood　are　treated　when　convicted　of　capital　crimes；　which　is　by　putting　them　into　a　large　iron　caldron；　and　pounding　them　to　pieces　with　wooden　pestles；　because　none　of　their　royal　blood　must　be　spilt　on　the　ground；　it　being；　by　their　religion；　thought　great　impiety　to　contaminate　the　divine　blood　by　mixing　it　with　earth。　When　Kublai　Khan　defeated　and　took　his　uncle　Nayan；　who　had　rebel