darwin and modern science-第51节

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had　made　it　into　a　little　man；　and　that　after　examining　it；　and　finding　it　well　formed；　he　blew　up　his　work；　and　forthwith　that　little　man　had　life；　grew；　acted；　walked；　and　found　himself　a　man　perfectly　well　shaped。〃　　As　to　the　mode　in　which　the　first　woman　was　created；　the　priest　had　no　information；　but　thought　she　was　probably　made　in　the　same　way　as　the　first　man；　so　Du　Pratz　corrected　his　imperfect　notions　by　reference　to　Scripture。　　（M。　Le　Page　Du　Pratz；　〃The　History　of　Louisiana〃　（London；　1774）；　page　330。）　　The　Michoacans　of　Mexico　said　that　the　great　god　Tucapacha　first　made　man　and　woman　out　of　clay；　but　that　when　the　couple　went　to　bathe　in　a　river　they　absorbed　so　much　water　that　the　clay　of　which　they　were　composed　all　fell　to　pieces。　　Then　the　creator　went　to　work　again　and　moulded　them　afresh　out　of　ashes；　and　after　that　he　essayed　a　third　time　and　made　them　of　metal。　　This　last　attempt　succeeded。　　The　metal　man　and　woman　bathed　in　the　river　without　falling　to　pieces；　and　by　their　union　they　became　the　progenitors　of　mankind。　　（A。　de　Herrera；　〃General　History　of　the　vast　Continent　and　Islands　of　America〃；　translated　into　English　by　Capt。　J。　Stevens　（London；　1725；　1726）；　III。　254；　Brasseur　de　Bourbourg；　〃Histoire　des　Nations　Civilisees　du　Mexique　et　de　l'Amerique…　Centrale〃　（Paris；　18571859）；　III。　80　sq；　compare　id。　I。　54　sq。）

According　to　a　legend　of　the　Peruvian　Indians；　which　was　told　to　a　Spanish　priest　in　Cuzco　about　half　a　century　after　the　conquest；　it　was　in　Tiahuanaco　that　man　was　first　created；　or　at　least　was　created　afresh　after　the　deluge。　　〃There　（in　Tiahuanaco）；〃　so　runs　the　legend；　〃the　Creator　began　to　raise　up　the　people　and　nations　that　are　in　that　region；　making　one　of　each　nation　of　clay；　and　painting　the　dresses　that　each　one　was　to　wear；　those　that　were　to　wear　their　hair；　with　hair；　and　those　that　were　to　be　shorn；　with　hair　cut。　　And　to　each　nation　was　given　the　language；　that　was　to　be　spoken；　and　the　songs　to　be　sung；　and　the　seeds　and　food　that　they　were　to　sow。　　When　the　Creator　had　finished　painting　and　making　the　said　nations　and　figures　of　clay；　he　gave　life　and　soul　to　each　one；　as　well　men　as　women；　and　ordered　that　they　should　pass　under　the　earth。　　Thence　each　nation　came　up　in　the　places　to　which　he　ordered　them　to　go。〃　　（E。J。　Payne；　〃History　of　the　New　World　called　America〃；　I。　（Oxford；　1892）；　page　462。）

These　examples　suffice　to　prove　that　the　theory　of　the　creation　of　man　out　of　dust　or　clay　has　been　current　among　savages　in　many　parts　of　the　world。　But　it　is　by　no　means　the　only　explanation　which　the　savage　philosopher　has　given　of　the　beginnings　of　human　life　on　earth。　　Struck　by　the　resemblances　which　may　be　traced　between　himself　and　the　beasts；　he　has　often　supposed；　like　Darwin　himself；　that　mankind　has　been　developed　out　of　lower　forms　of　animal　life。　　For　the　simple　savage　has　none　of　that　high　notion　of　the　transcendant　dignity　of　man　which　makes　so　many　superior　persons　shrink　with　horror　from　the　suggestion　that　they　are　distant　cousins　of　the　brutes。　　He　on　the　contrary　is　not　too　proud　to　own　his　humble　relations；　indeed　his　difficulty　often　is　to　perceive　the　distinction　between　him　and　them。　　Questioned　by　a　missionary；　a　Bushman　of　more　than　average　intelligence　〃could　not　state　any　difference　between　a　man　and　a　brutehe　did　not　know　but　a　buffalo　might　shoot　with　bows　and　arrows　as　well　as　man；　if　it　had　them。〃　　（Reverend　John　Campbell；　〃Travels　in　South　Africa〃　（London；　1822；　II。　page　34。）　　When　the　Russians　first　landed　on　one　of　the　Alaskan　islands；　the　natives　took　them　for　cuttle…fish　〃on　account　of　the　buttons　on　their　clothes。〃　　（I。　Petroff；　〃Report　on　the　Population；　Industries；　and　Resources　of　Alaska〃；　page　145。）　　The　Giliaks　of　the　Amoor　think　that　the　outward　form　and　size　of　an　animal　are　only　apparent；　in　substance　every　beast　is　a　real　man；　just　like　a　Giliak　himself；　only　endowed　with　an　intelligence　and　strength；　which　often　surpass　those　of　mere　ordinary　human　beings。　　（L。　Sternberg；　〃Die　Religion　der　Giljaken〃；　〃Archiv　fur　Religionswissenschaft〃；　VIII。　（1905）；　page　248。）　　The　Borororos；　an　Indian　tribe　of　Brazil；　will　have　it　that　they　are　parrots　of　a　gorgeous　red　plumage　which　live　in　their　native　forests。　　Accordingly　they　treat　the　birds　as　their　fellow…tribesmen；　keeping　them　in　captivity；　refusing　to　eat　their　flesh；　and　mourning　for　them　when　they　die。　　（K。　von　den　Steinen；　〃Unter　den　Naturvolkern　Zentral…Brasiliens〃　（Berlin；　1894）；　pages　352　sq。；　512。）

This　sense　of　the　close　relationship　of　man　to　the　lower　creation　is　the　essence　of　totemism；　that　curious　system　of　superstition　which　unites　by　a　mystic　bond　a　group　of　human　kinsfolk　to　a　species　of　animals　or　plants。　　Where　that　system　exists　in　full　force；　the　members　of　a　totem　clan　identify　themselves　with　their　totem　animals　in　a　way　and　to　an　extent　which　we　find　it　hard　even　to　imagine。　　For　example；　men　of　the　Cassowary　clan　in　Mabuiag　think　that　cassowaries　are　men　or　nearly　so。　　〃Cassowary；　he　all　same　as　relation；　he　belong　same　family；〃　is　the　account　they　give　of　their　relationship　with　the　long…legged　bird。　　Conversely　they　hold　that　they　themselves　are　cassowaries　for　all　practical　purposes。　　They　pride　themselves　on　having　long　thin　legs　like　a　cassowary。　　This　reflection　affords　them　peculiar　satisfaction　when　they　go　out　to　fight；　or　to　run　away；　as　the　case　may　be；　for　at　such　times　a　Cassowary　man　will　say　to　himself；　〃My　leg　is　long　and　thin；　I　can　run　and　not　feel　tired；　my　legs　will　go　quickly　and　the　grass　will　not　entangle　them。〃　　Members　of　the　Cassowary　clan　are　reputed　to　be　pugnacious；　because　the　cassowary　is　a　bird　of　very　uncertain　temper　and　can　kick　with　extreme　violence。　　（A。C。　Haddon；　〃The　Ethnography　of　the　Western　Tribe　of　Torres　Straits〃；　〃Journal　of　the　Anthropological　Institute〃；　XIX。　（1890）；　page　393；　〃Reports　of　the　Cambridge　Anthropological　Expedition　to　Torres　Straits〃；　V。　（Cambridge；　1904）；　pages　166；　184。）　　So　among　the　Ojibways　men　of　the　Bear　clan　are　reputed　to　be　surly　and　pugnacious　like　bears；　and　men　of　the　Crane　clan　to　have　clear　ringing　voices　like　cranes。　　（W。W。　Warren；　〃History　of　the　Ojibways〃；　〃Collections　of　the　Minnesota　Historical　Society〃；　V。　（Saint　Paul；　Minn。　1885）；　pages　47；　49。）　　Hence　the　savage　will　often　speak　of　his　totem　animal　as　his　father　or　his　brother；　and　will　neither　kill　it　himself　nor　allow　others　to　do　so；　if　he　can　help　it。　　For　example；　if　somebody　were　to　kill　a　bird　in　the　presence　of　a　native　Australian　who　had　the　bird　for　his　totem；　the　black　might　say；　〃What　for　you　kill　that　fellow？　that　my　father！〃　or　〃That　brother　belonging　to　me　you　have　killed；　why　did　you　do　it？〃　　（E。　Palmer；　〃Notes　on　some　Australian　Tribes〃；　〃Journal　of　the　Anthropological　Institute〃；　XIII。　（1884）；　page　300。）　　Bechuanas　of　the　Porcupine　clan　are　greatly　afflicted　if　anybody　hurts　or　kills　a　porcupine　in　their　presence。　　They　say；　〃They　have　killed　our　brother；　our　master；　one　of　ourselves；　him　whom　we　sing　of〃；　and　so　saying　they　piously　gather　the　quills　of　their　murdered　brother；　spit　on　them；　and　rub　their　eyebrows　with　them。　　They　think　they　would　die　if　they　touched　its　flesh。　　In　like　manner　Bechuanas　of　the　Crocodile　clan　call　the　crocodile　one　of　themselves；　their　master；　their　brother；　and　they　mark　the　ears　of　their　cattle　with　a　long　slit　like　a　crocodile's　mouth　by　way　of　a　family　crest。　　Similarly　Bechuanas　of　the　Lion　clan　would　not；　like　the　members　of　other　clans；　partake　of　lion's　flesh；　for　how；　say　they；　could　they　eat　their　grandfather？　　If　they　are　forced　in　self…defence　to　kill　a　lion；　they　do　so　with　great　regret　and　rub　their　eyes　carefully　with　its　skin；　fearing　to　lose　their　sight　if　they　neglected　this　precaution。　　（T。　Arbousset　et　F。　Daumas；　〃Relation　d'un　Voyage　d'Exploration　au　Nord…Est　de　la　Colonie　du　Cap　de　Bonne…Esperance〃　（Paris；　1842）；　pages　349　sq。；　422…24。）　　A　Mandingo　porter　has　been　known　to　offer　the　whole　of　his　month's　pay　to　save　the　life　of　a　python；　because　the　python　was　his　totem　and　he　therefore　regarded　the　reptile　as　his　relation；　he　thought　that　if　he　allowed　the　creature　to　be　killed；　the　whole　of　his　own　family　would　perish；　probably　through　the　vengeance　to　be　taken　by　the　reptile　kinsfolk　of　the　murdered　serpent。　　（M。　le　Docteur　Tautain；　〃Notes　sur　les　Croyances　et　Pratiques　Religieuses　des　Banmanas〃；　〃Revue　d'Ethnographie〃；　III。　（1885）；　pages　396　sq。；　A。　Rancon；　〃Dans　la　Haute…Gambie；　Voyage　d'Exploration　Scientifique〃　（Paris；　1894）；　page　445。）

Sometimes；　indeed；　the　savage　goes　further　and　identifies　the　revered　animal　not　merely　with　a　kinsman　but　with　himself；　he　imagines　that　one　of　his　own　more　or　less　numerous　souls；　or　at　all　events　that　a　vital　part　of　himself；　is　in　the　beast；　so　that　if　it　is　killed　he　must　die。　　Thus；　the　Balong　tribe　of　the　Cameroons；　in　West　Africa；　think　that　every　man　has　several　souls；　of　which　one　is　lodged　in　an　elephant；　a　wild　boar；　a　leopard；　or　what　not。　　When　any　one　comes　home；　feels　ill；　and　says；　〃I　shall　soon　die；〃　and　is　as　good　as　his　word；　his　friends　are　of　opinion　that　one　of　his　souls　has　been　shot　by　a　hunter　in　a　wild　boar　or　a　leopard；　for　example；　and　that　that　is　the　real　cause　of　his　death。　　（J。　Keller；　〃