the golden bough-第84节

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tions　cannot　be　destroyed　without　injury　to　the　man。

9。　Spittle　tabooed。

THE　SAME　fear　of　witchcraft　which　has　led　so　many　people　to　hide　or　destroy　their　loose　hair　and　nails　has　induced　other　or　the　same　people　to　treat　their　spittle　in　a　like　fashion。　For　on　the　principles　of　sympathetic　magic　the　spittle　is　part　of　the　man；　and　whatever　is　done　to　it　will　have　a　corresponding　effect　on　him。　A　Chilote　Indian；　who　has　gathered　up　the　spittle　of　an　enemy；　will　put　it　in　a　potato；　and　hang　the　potato　in　the　smoke；　uttering　certain　spells　as　he　does　so　in　the　belief　that　his　foe　will　waste　away　as　the　potato　dries　in　the　smoke。　Or　he　will　put　the　spittle　in　a　frog　and　throw　the　animal　into　an　inaccessible；　unnavigable　river；　which　will　make　the　victim　quake　and　shake　with　ague。　The　natives　of　Urewera；　a　district　of　New　Zealand；　enjoyed　a　high　reputation　for　their　skill　in　magic。　It　was　said　that　they　made　use　of　people's　spittle　to　bewitch　them。　Hence　visitors　were　careful　to　conceal　their　spittle；　lest　they　should　furnish　these　wizards　with　a　handle　for　working　them　harm。　Similarly　among　some　tribes　of　South　Africa　no　man　will　spit　when　an　enemy　is　near；　lest　his　foe　should　find　the　spittle　and　give　it　to　a　wizard；　who　would　then　mix　it　with　magical　ingredients　so　as　to　injure　the　person　from　whom　it　fell。　Even　in　a　man's　own　house　his　saliva　is　carefully　swept　away　and　obliterated　for　a　similar　reason。

If　common　folk　are　thus　cautious；　it　is　natural　that　kings　and　chiefs　should　be　doubly　so。　In　the　Sandwich　Islands　chiefs　were　attended　by　a　confidential　servant　bearing　a　portable　spittoon；　and　the　deposit　was　carefully　buried　every　morning　to　put　it　out　of　the　reach　of　sorcerers。　On　the　Slave　Coast；　for　the　same　reason；　whenever　a　king　or　chief　expectorates；　the　saliva　is　scrupulously　gathered　up　and　hidden　or　buried。　The　same　precautions　are　taken　for　the　same　reason　with　the　spittle　of　the　chief　of　Tabali　in　Southern　Nigeria。

The　magical　use　to　which　spittle　may　be　put　marks　it　out；　like　blood　or　nail…parings；　as　a　suitable　material　basis　for　a　covenant；　since　by　exchanging　their　saliva　the　covenanting　parties　give　each　other　a　guarantee　of　good　faith。　If　either　of　them　afterwards　foreswears　himself；　the　other　can　punish　his　perfidy　by　a　magical　treatment　of　the　purjurer's　spittle　which　he　has　in　his　custody。　Thus　when　the　Wajagga　of　East　Africa　desire　to　make　a　covenant；　the　two　parties　will　sometimes　sit　down　with　a　bowl　of　milk　or　beer　between　them；　and　after　uttering　an　incantation　over　the　beverage　they　each　take　a　mouthful　of　the　milk　or　beer　and　spit　it　into　the　other's　mouth。　In　urgent　cases；　when　there　is　no　time　to　spend　on　ceremony；　the　two　will　simply　spit　into　each　other's　mouth；　which　seals　the　covenant　just　as　well。

10。　Foods　tabooed。

AS　MIGHT　have　been　expected；　the　superstitions　of　the　savage　cluster　thick　about　the　subject　of　food；　and　he　abstains　from　eating　many　animals　and　plants；　wholesome　enough　in　themselves；　which　for　one　reason　or　another　he　fancies　would　prove　dangerous　or　fatal　to　the　eater。　Examples　of　such　abstinence　are　too　familiar　and　far　too　numerous　to　quote。　But　if　the　ordinary　man　is　thus　deterred　by　superstitious　fear　from　partaking　of　various　foods；　the　restraints　of　this　kind　which　are　laid　upon　sacred　or　tabooed　persons；　such　as　kings　and　priests；　are　still　more　numerous　and　stringent。　We　have　already　seen　that　the　Flamen　Dialis　was　forbidden　to　eat　or　even　name　several　plants　and　animals；　and　that　the　flesh　diet　of　Egyptian　kings　was　restricted　to　veal　and　goose。　In　antiquity　many　priests　and　many　kings　of　barbarous　peoples　abstained　wholly　from　a　flesh　diet。　The　Gangas　or　fetish　priests　of　the　Loango　Coast　are　forbidden　to　eat　or　even　see　a　variety　of　animals　and　fish；　in　consequence　of　which　their　flesh　diet　is　extremely　limited；　often　they　live　only　on　herbs　and　roots；　though　they　may　drink　fresh　blood。　The　heir　to　the　throne　of　Loango　is　forbidden　from　infancy　to　eat　pork；　from　early　childhood　he　is　interdicted　the　use　of　the　cola　fruit　in　company；　at　puberty　he　is　taught　by　a　priest　not　to　partake　of　fowls　except　such　as　he　has　himself　killed　and　cooked；　and　so　the　number　of　taboos　goes　on　increasing　with　his　years。　In　Fernando　Po　the　king　after　installation　is　forbidden　to　eat　cocco　（arum　acaule）；　deer；　and　porcupine；　which　are　the　ordinary　foods　of　the　people。　The　head　chief　of　the　Masai　may　eat　nothing　but　milk；　honey；　and　the　roasted　livers　of　goats；　for　if　he　partook　of　any　other　food　he　would　lose　his　power　of　soothsaying　and　of　compounding　charms。

Chapter　22。　Tabooed　Words。

1。　Personal　Names　tabooed。

UNABLE　to　discriminate　clearly　between　words　and　things；　the　savage　commonly　fancies　that　the　link　between　a　name　and　the　person　or　thing　denominated　by　it　is　not　a　mere　arbitrary　and　ideal　association；　but　a　real　and　substantial　bond　which　unites　the　two　in　such　a　way　that　magic　may　be　wrought　on　a　man　just　as　easily　through　his　name　as　through　his　hair；　his　nails；　or　any　other　material　part　of　his　person。　In　fact；　primitive　man　regards　his　name　as　a　vital　portion　of　himself　and　takes　care　of　it　accordingly。　Thus；　for　example；　the　North　American　Indian　regards　his　name；　not　as　a　mere　label；　but　as　a　distinct　part　of　his　personality；　just　as　much　as　are　his　eyes　or　his　teeth；　and　believes　that　injury　will　result　as　surely　from　the　malicious　handling　of　his　name　as　from　a　wound　inflicted　on　any　part　of　his　physical　organism。　This　belief　was　found　among　the　various　tribes　from　the　Atlantic　to　the　Pacific；　and　has　occasioned　a　number　of　curious　regulations　in　regard　to　the　concealment　and　change　of　names。　Some　Esquimaux　take　new　names　when　they　are　old；　hoping　thereby　to　get　a　new　lease　of　life。　The　Tolampoos　of　Celebes　believe　that　if　you　write　a　man's　name　down　you　can　carry　off　his　soul　along　with　it。　Many　savages　at　the　present　day　regard　their　names　as　vital　parts　of　themselves；　and　therefore　take　great　pains　to　conceal　their　real　names；　lest　these　should　give　to　evil…disposed　persons　a　handle　by　which　to　injure　their　owners。

Thus；　to　begin　with　the　savages　who　rank　at　the　bottom　of　the　social　scale；　we　are　told　that　the　secrecy　with　which　among　the　Australian　aborigines　personal　names　are　often　kept　from　general　knowledge　arises　in　great　measure　from　the　belief　that　an　enemy；　who　knows　your　name；　has　in　it　something　which　he　can　use　magically　to　your　detriment。　An　Australian　black；　says　another　writer；　is　always　very　unwilling　to　tell　his　real　name；　and　there　is　no　doubt　that　this　reluctance　is　due　to　the　fear　that　through　his　name　he　may　be　injured　by　sorcerers。　Amongst　the　tribes　of　Central　Australia　every　man；　woman；　and　child　has；　besides　a　personal　name　which　is　in　common　use；　a　secret　or　sacred　name　which　is　bestowed　by　the　older　men　upon　him　or　her　soon　after　birth；　and　which　is　known　to　none　but　the　fully　initiated　members　of　the　group。　This　secret　name　is　never　mentioned　except　upon　the　most　solemn　occasions；　to　utter　it　in　the　hearing　of　women　or　of　men　of　another　group　would　be　a　most　serious　breach　of　tribal　custom；　as　serious　as　the　most　flagrant　case　of　sacrilege　among　ourselves。　When　mentioned　at　all；　the　name　is　spoken　only　in　a　whisper；　and　not　until　the　most　elaborate　precautions　have　been　taken　that　it　shall　be　heard　by　no　one　but　members　of　the　group。　The　native　thinks　that　a　stranger　knowing　his　secret　name　would　have　special　power　to　work　him　ill　by　means　of　magic。

The　same　fear　seems　to　have　led　to　a　custom　of　the　same　sort　amongst　the　ancient　Egyptians；　whose　comparatively　high　civilisation　was　strangely　dashed　and　chequered　with　relics　of　the　lowest　savagery。　Every　Egyptian　received　two　names；　which　were　known　respectively　as　the　true　name　and　the　good　name；　or　the　great　name　and　the　little　name；　and　while　the　good　or　little　name　was　made　public；　the　true　or　great　name　appears　to　have　been　carefully　concealed。　A　Brahman　child　receives　two　names；　one　for　common　use；　the　other　a　secret　name　which　none　but　his　father　and　mother　should　know。　The　latter　is　only　used　at　ceremonies　such　as　marriage。　The　custom　is　intended　to　protect　the　person　against　magic；　since　a　charm　only　becomes　effectual　in　combination　with　the　real　name。　Similarly；　the　natives　of　Nias　believe　that　harm　may　be　done　to　a　person　by　the　demons　who　hear　his　name　pronounced。　Hence　the　names　of　infants；　who　are　especially　exposed　to　the　assaults　of　evil　sprits；　are　never　spoken；　and　often　in　haunted　spots；　such　as　the　gloomy　depths　of　the　forest；　the　banks　of　a　river；　or　beside　a　bubbling　spring；　men　will　abstain　from　calling　each　other　by　their　names　for　a　like　reason。

The　Indians　of　Chiloe　keep　their　names　secret　and　do　not　like　to　have　them　uttered　aloud；　for　they　say　that　there　are　fairies　or　imps　on　the　mainland　or　neighbouring　islands　who；　if　they　knew　folk's　names；　would　do　them　an　injury；　but　so　long　as　they　do　not　know　the　names；　these　mischievous　sprites　are　powerless。　The　Araucanians　will　hardly　ever　tell　a　stranger　their　names　because　they　fear　that　he　would　thereby　acquire　some　supernatural　power　over　themselves。　Asked　his　name　by　a　stranger；　who　is　ignorant　of　their　superstitions；　an　Araucanian　will　answer；　I　have　none。　When　an　Ojebway　is　asked　his