the golden bough-第92节

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g　it　to　a　suitable　successor；　and；　in　the　second　place；　by　putting　him　to　death　before　his　natural　force　was　abated；　they　would　secure　that　the　world　should　not　fall　into　decay　with　the　decay　of　the　man…god。　Every　purpose；　therefore；　was　answered；　and　all　dangers　averted　by　thus　killing　the　man…god　and　transferring　his　soul；　while　yet　at　its　prime；　to　a　vigorous　successor。

The　mystic　kings　of　Fire　and　Water　in　Cambodia　are　not　allowed　to　die　a　natural　death。　Hence　when　one　of　them　is　seriously　ill　and　the　elders　think　that　he　cannot　recover；　they　stab　him　to　death。　The　people　of　Congo　believed；　as　we　have　seen；　that　if　their　pontiff　the　Chitomé　were　to　die　a　natural　death；　the　world　would　perish；　and　the　earth；　which　he　alone　sustained　by　his　power　and　merit；　would　immediately　be　annihilated。　Accordingly　when　he　fell　ill　and　seemed　likely　to　die；　the　man　who　was　destined　to　be　his　successor　entered　the　pontiff's　house　with　a　rope　or　a　club　and　strangled　or　clubbed　him　to　death。　The　Ethiopian　kings　of　Meroe　were　worshipped　as　gods；　but　whenever　the　priests　chose；　they　sent　a　messenger　to　the　king；　ordering　him　to　die；　and　alleging　an　oracle　of　the　gods　as　their　authority　for　the　command。　This　command　the　kings　always　obeyed　down　to　the　reign　of　Ergamenes；　a　contemporary　of　Ptolemy　II。；　King　of　Egypt。　Having　received　a　Greek　education　which　emancipated　him　from　the　superstitions　of　his　countrymen；　Ergamenes　ventured　to　disregard　the　command　of　the　priests；　and；　entering　the　Golden　Temple　with　a　body　of　soldiers；　put　the　priests　to　the　sword。

Customs　of　the　same　sort　appear　to　have　prevailed　in　this　part　of　Africa　down　to　modern　times。　In　some　tribes　of　Fazoql　the　king　had　to　administer　justice　daily　under　a　certain　tree。　If　from　sickness　or　any　other　cause　he　was　unable　to　discharge　this　duty　for　three　whole　days；　he　was　hanged　on　the　tree　in　a　noose；　which　contained　two　razors　so　arranged　that　when　the　noose　was　drawn　tight　by　the　weight　of　the　king's　body　they　cut　his　throat。

A　custom　of　putting　their　divine　kings　to　death　at　the　first　symptoms　of　infirmity　or　old　age　prevailed　until　lately；　if　indeed　it　is　even　now　extinct　and　not　merely　dormant；　among　the　Shilluk　of　the　White　Nile；　and　in　recent　years　it　has　been　carefully　investigated　by　Dr。　C。　G。　Seligman。　The　reverence　which　the　Shilluk　pay　to　their　king　appears　to　arise　chiefly　from　the　conviction　that　he　is　a　reincarnation　of　the　spirit　of　Nyakang；　the　semi…divine　hero　who　founded　the　dynasty　and　settled　the　tribe　in　their　present　territory。　It　is　a　fundamental　article　of　the　Shilluk　creed　that　the　spirit　of　the　divine　or　semi…divine　Nyakang　is　incarnate　in　the　reigning　king；　who　is　accordingly　himself　invested　to　some　extent　with　the　character　of　a　divinity。　But　while　the　Shilluk　hold　their　kings　in　high；　indeed　religious　reverence　and　take　every　precaution　against　their　accidental　death；　nevertheless　they　cherish　the　conviction　that　the　king　must　not　be　allowed　to　become　ill　or　senile；　lest　with　his　diminishing　vigour　the　cattle　should　sicken　and　fail　to　bear　their　increase；　the　crops　should　rot　in　the　fields；　and　man；　stricken　with　disease；　should　die　in　ever…increasing　numbers。　To　prevent　these　calamities　it　used　to　be　the　regular　custom　with　the　Shilluk　to　put　the　king　to　death　whenever　he　showed　signs　of　ill…health　or　failing　strength。　One　of　the　fatal　symptoms　of　decay　was　taken　to　be　an　incapacity　to　satisfy　the　sexual　passions　of　his　wives；　of　whom　he　has　very　many；　distributed　in　a　large　number　of　houses　at　Fashoda。　When　this　ominous　weakness　manifested　itself；　the　wives　reported　it　to　the　chiefs；　who　are　popularly　said　to　have　intimated　to　the　king　his　doom　by　spreading　a　white　cloth　over　his　face　and　knees　as　he　lay　slumbering　in　the　heat　of　the　sultry　afternoon。　Execution　soon　followed　the　sentence　of　death。　A　hut　was　specially　built　for　the　occasion：　the　king　was　led　into　it　and　lay　down　with　his　head　resting　on　the　lap　of　a　nubile　virgin：　the　door　of　the　hut　was　then　walled　up；　and　the　couple　were　left　without　food；　water；　or　fire　to　die　of　hunger　and　suffocation。　This　was　the　old　custom；　but　it　was　abolished　some　five　generations　ago　on　account　of　the　excessive　sufferings　of　one　of　the　kings　who　perished　in　this　way。　It　is　said　that　the　chiefs　announce　his　fate　to　the　king；　and　that　afterwards　he　is　strangled　in　a　hut　which　has　been　specially　built　for　the　occasion。

From　Dr。　Seligman's　enquiries　it　appears　that　not　only　was　the　Shilluk　king　liable　to　be　killed　with　due　ceremony　at　the　first　symptoms　of　incipient　decay；　but　even　while　he　was　yet　in　the　prime　of　health　and　strength　he　might　be　attacked　at　any　time　by　a　rival　and　have　to　defend　his　crown　in　a　combat　to　the　death。　According　to　the　common　Shilluk　tradition　any　son　of　a　king　had　the　right　thus　to　fight　the　king　in　possession　and；　if　he　succeeded　in　killing　him；　to　reign　in　his　stead。　As　every　king　had　a　large　harem　and　many　sons；　the　number　of　possible　candidates　for　the　throne　at　any　time　may　well　have　been　not　inconsiderable；　and　the　reigning　monarch　must　have　carried　his　life　in　his　hand。　But　the　attack　on　him　could　only　take　place　with　any　prospect　of　success　at　night；　for　during　the　day　the　king　surrounded　himself　with　his　friends　and　bodyguards；　and　an　aspirant　to　the　throne　could　hardly　hope　to　cut　his　way　through　them　and　strike　home。　It　was　otherwise　at　night。　For　then　the　guards　were　dismissed　and　the　king　was　alone　in　his　enclosure　with　his　favourite　wives；　and　there　was　no　man　near　to　defend　him　except　a　few　herdsmen；　whose　huts　stood　a　little　way　off。　The　hours　of　darkness　were　therefore　the　season　of　peril　for　the　king。　It　is　said　that　he　used　to　pass　them　in　constant　watchfulness；　prowling　round　his　huts　fully　armed；　peering　into　the　blackest　shadows；　or　himself　standing　silent　and　alert；　like　a　sentinel　on　duty；　in　some　dark　corner。　When　at　last　his　rival　appeared；　the　fight　would　take　place　in　grim　silence；　broken　only　by　the　clash　of　spears　and　shields；　for　it　was　a　point　of　honour　with　the　king　not　to　call　the　herdsmen　to　his　assistance。

Like　Nyakang　himself；　their　founder；　each　of　the　Shilluk　kings　after　death　is　worshipped　at　a　shrine；　which　is　erected　over　his　grave；　and　the　grave　of　a　king　is　always　in　the　village　where　he　was　born。　The　tomb…shrine　of　a　king　resembles　the　shrine　of　Nyakang；　consisting　of　a　few　huts　enclosed　by　a　fence；　one　of　the　huts　is　built　over　the　king's　grave；　the　others　are　occupied　by　the　guardians　of　the　shrine。　Indeed　the　shrines　of　Nyakang　and　the　shrines　of　the　kings　are　scarcely　to　be　distinguished　from　each　other；　and　the　religious　rituals　observed　at　all　of　them　are　identical　in　form　and　vary　only　in　matters　of　detail；　the　variations　being　due　apparently　to　the　far　greater　sanctity　attributed　to　the　shrines　of　Nyakang。　The　grave…shrines　of　the　kings　are　tended　by　certain　old　men　or　women；　who　correspond　to　the　guardians　of　the　shrines　of　Nyakang。　They　are　usually　widows　or　old　men…servants　of　the　deceased　king；　and　when　they　die　they　are　succeeded　in　their　office　by　their　descendants。　Moreover；　cattle　are　dedicated　to　the　grave…shrines　of　the　kings　and　sacrifices　are　offered　at　them　just　as　at　the　shrines　of　Nyakang。

In　general　the　principal　element　in　the　religion　of　the　Shilluk　would　seem　to　be　the　worship　which　they　pay　to　their　sacred　or　divine　kings；　whether　dead　or　alive。　These　are　believed　to　be　animated　by　a　single　divine　spirit；　which　has　been　transmitted　from　the　semi…mythical；　but　probably　in　substance　historical；　founder　of　the　dynasty　through　all　his　successors　to　the　present　day。　Hence；　regarding　their　kings　as　incarnate　divinities　on　whom　the　welfare　of　men；　of　cattle；　and　of　the　corn　implicitly　depends；　the　Shilluk　naturally　pay　them　the　greatest　respect　and　take　every　care　of　them；　and　however　strange　it　may　seem　to　us；　their　custom　of　putting　the　divine　king　to　death　as　soon　as　he　shows　signs　of　ill…health　or　failing　strength　springs　directly　from　their　profound　veneration　for　him　and　from　their　anxiety　to　preserve　him；　or　rather　the　divine　spirit　by　which　he　is　animated；　in　the　most　perfect　state　of　efficiency：　nay；　we　may　go　further　and　say　that　their　practice　of　regicide　is　the　best　proof　they　can　give　of　the　high　regard　in　which　they　hold　their　kings。　For　they　believe；　as　we　have　seen；　that　the　king's　life　or　spirit　is　so　sympathetically　bound　up　with　the　prosperity　of　the　whole　country；　that　if　he　fell　ill　or　grew　senile　the　cattle　would　sicken　and　cease　to　multiply；　the　crops　would　rot　in　the　fields；　and　men　would　perish　of　widespread　disease。　Hence；　in　their　opinion；　the　only　way　of　averting　these　calamities　is　to　put　the　king　to　death　while　he　is　still　hale　and　hearty；　in　order　that　the　divine　spirit　which　he　has　inherited　from　his　predecessors　may　be　transmitted　in　turn　by　him　to　his　successor　while　it　is　still　in　full　vigour　and　has　not　yet　been　impaired　by　the　weakness　of　disease　and　old　age。　In　this　connexion　the　particular　symptom　which　is　commonly　said　to　seal　the　king's　death…warrant　is　highly　significant；　when　he　can　no　longer　satisfy　the　passions　of　his　numerous　wives；　in　other　words；　when　he　has　ceased；　whether　partially　or　wholly；　to　be　able　to　reproduce　his　kind；　it　is　time　for　him　to　die　and　to