darwin and modern science-第53节

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rt　of　the　Royal　Commentaries　of　the　Yncas〃；　Vol。　I。　page　323；　Vol。　II。　page　156　（Markham's　translation）。）　　The　Wanika　of　East　Africa　look　upon　the　hyaena　as　one　of　their　ancestors　or　as　associated　in　some　way　with　their　origin　and　destiny。　　The　death　of　a　hyaena　is　mourned　by　the　whole　people；　and　the　greatest　funeral　ceremonies　which　they　perform　are　performed　for　this　brute。　　The　wake　held　over　a　chief　is　as　nothing　compared　to　the　wake　held　over　a　hyaena；　one　tribe　only　mourns　the　death　of　its　chief；　but　all　the　tribes　unite　to　celebrate　the　obsequies　of　a　hyaena。　　（Charles　New；　〃Life；　Wanderings；　and　Labours　in　Eastern　Africa〃　（London；　1873）　page　122。）　　Some　Malagasy　families　claim　to　be　descended　from　the　babacoote　（Lichanotus　brevicaudatus）；　a　large　lemur　of　grave　appearance　and　staid　demeanour；　which　lives　in　the　depth　of　the　forest。　　When　they　find　one　of　these　creatures　dead；　his　human　descendants　bury　it　solemnly；　digging　a　grave　for　it；　wrapping　it　in　a　shroud；　and　weeping　and　lamenting　over　its　carcase。　　A　doctor　who　had　shot　a　babacoote　was　accused　by　the　inhabitants　of　a　Betsimisaraka　village　of　having　killed　〃one　of　their　grandfathers　in　the　forest；〃　and　to　appease　their　indignation　he　had　to　promise　not　to　skin　the　animal　in　the　village　but　in　a　solitary　place　where　nobody　could　see　him。　　（Father　Abinal；　〃Croyances　fabuleuses　des　Malgaches〃；　〃Les　Missions　Catholiques〃；　XII。　（1880）；　page　526；　G。H。　Smith；　〃Some　Betsimisaraka　superstitions〃；　〃The　Antananarivo　Annual　and　Madagascar　Magazine〃；　No。　10　（Antananarivo；　1886）；　page　239；　H。W。　Little；　〃Madagascar；　its　History　and　People〃　（London；　1884）；　pages　321　sq；　A。　van　Gennep；　〃Tabou　et　Totemisme　a　Madagascar〃　（Paris；　1904）；　pages　214　sqq。）　　Many　of　the　Betsimisaraka　believe　that　the　curious　nocturnal　animal　called　the　aye…aye　（Cheiromys　madagascariensis）　〃is　the　embodiment　of　their　forefathers；　and　hence　will　not　touch　it；　much　less　do　it　an　injury。　　It　is　said　that　when　one　is　discovered　dead　in　the　forest；　these　people　make　a　tomb　for　it　and　bury　it　with　all　the　forms　of　a　funeral。　　They　think　that　if　they　attempt　to　entrap　it；　they　will　surely　die　in　consequence。〃　　（G。A。　Shaw；　〃The　Aye…aye〃；　〃Antananarivo　Annual　and　Madagascar　Magazine〃；　Vol。　II。　（Antananarivo；　1896）；　pages　201；　203　（Reprint　of　the　Second　four　Numbers）。　　Compare　A。　van　Gennep；　〃Tabou　et　Totemisme　a　Madagascar〃；　pages　223　sq。）　　Some　Malagasy　tribes　believe　themselves　descended　from　crocodiles　and　accordingly　they　deem　the　formidable　reptiles　their　brothers。　　If　one　of　these　scaly　brothers　so　far　forgets　the　ties　of　kinship　as　to　devour　a　man；　the　chief　of　the　tribe；　or　in　his　absence　an　old　man　familiar　with　the　tribal　customs；　repairs　at　the　head　of　the　people　to　the　edge　of　the　water；　and　summons　the　family　of　the　culprit　to　deliver　him　up　to　the　arm　of　justice。　　A　hook　is　then　baited　and　cast　into　the　river　or　lake。　　Next　day　the　guilty　brother　or　one　of　his　family　is　dragged　ashore；　formally　tried；　sentenced　to　death；　and　executed。　　The　claims　of　justice　being　thus　satisfied；　the　dead　animal　is　lamented　and　buried　like　a　kinsman；　a　mound　is　raised　over　his　grave　and　a　stone　marks　the　place　of　his　head。　　（Father　Abinal；　〃Croyances　fabuleuses　des　Malgaches〃；　〃Les　Missions　Catholiques〃；　XII。　（1880）；　page　527；　A。　van　Gennep；　〃Tabou　et　Totemisme　a　Madagascar〃；　pages　281　sq。）

Amongst　the　Tshi…speaking　tribes　of　the　Gold　Coast　in　West　Africa　the　Horse…mackerel　family　traces　its　descent　from　a　real　horse…mackerel　whom　an　ancestor　of　theirs　once　took　to　wife。　　She　lived　with　him　happily　in　human　shape　on　shore　till　one　day　a　second　wife；　whom　the　man　had　married；　cruelly　taunted　her　with　being　nothing　but　a　fish。　　That　hurt　her　so　much　that　bidding　her　husband　farewell　she　returned　to　her　old　home　in　the　sea；　with　her　youngest　child　in　her　arms；　and　never　came　back　again。　　But　ever　since　the　Horse…mackerel　people　have　refrained　from　eating　horse…mackerels；　because　the　lost　wife　and　mother　was　a　fish　of　that　sort。　　（A。B。　Ellis；　〃The　Tshi…speaking　Peoples　of　the　Gold　Coast　of　West　Africa〃　（London；　1887）；　pages　208…11。　　A　similar　tale　is　told　by　another　fish　family　who　abstain　from　eating　the　fish　（appei）　from　which　they　take　their　name　（A。B。　Ellis　op。　cit。　pages　211　sq。）。）　　Some　of　the　Land　Dyaks　of　Borneo　tell　a　similar　tale　to　explain　a　similar　custom。　　〃There　is　a　fish　which　is　taken　in　their　rivers　called　a　puttin；　which　they　would　on　no　account　touch；　under　the　idea　that　if　they　did　they　would　be　eating　their　relations。　　The　tradition　respecting　it　is；　that　a　solitary　old　man　went　out　fishing　and　caught　a　puttin；　which　he　dragged　out　of　the　water　and　laid　down　in　his　boat。　　On　turning　round；　he　found　it　had　changed　into　a　very　pretty　little　girl。　　Conceiving　the　idea　she　would　make；　what　he　had　long　wished　for；　a　charming　wife　for　his　son；　he　took　her　home　and　educated　her　until　she　was　fit　to　be　married。　　She　consented　to　be　the　son's　wife　cautioning　her　husband　to　use　her　well。　　Some　time　after　their　marriage；　however；　being　out　of　temper；　he　struck　her；　when　she　screamed；　and　rushed　away　into　the　water；　but　not　without　leaving　behind　her　a　beautiful　daughter；　who　became　afterwards　the　mother　of　the　race。〃　　（The　Lord　Bishop　of　Labuan；　〃On　the　Wild　Tribes　of　the　North…West　Coast　of　Borneo〃；　〃Transactions　of　the　Ethnological　Society　of　London〃；　New　Series　II。　（London；　1863）；　pages　26　sq。　　Such　stories　conform　to　a　well…known　type　which　may　be　called　the　Swan…Maiden　type　of　story；　or　Beauty　and　the　Beast；　or　Cupid　and　Psyche。　　The　occurrence　of　stories　of　this　type　among　totemic　peoples；　such　as　the　Tshi…speaking　negroes　of　the　Gold　Coast；　who　tell　them　to　explain　their　totemic　taboos；　suggests　that　all　such　tales　may　have　originated　in　totemism。　　I　shall　deal　with　this　question　elsewhere。）

Members　of　a　clan　in　Mandailing；　on　the　west　coast　of　Sumatra；　assert　that　they　are　descended　from　a　tiger；　and　at　the　present　day；　when　a　tiger　is　shot；　the　women　of　the　clan　are　bound　to　offer　betel　to　the　dead　beast。　　When　members　of　this　clan　come　upon　the　tracks　of　a　tiger；　they　must；　as　a　mark　of　homage；　enclose　them　with　three　little　sticks。　　Further；　it　is　believed　that　the　tiger　will　not　attack　or　lacerate　his　kinsmen；　the　members　of　the　clan。　　（H。　Ris；　〃De　Onderafdeeling　Klein　Mandailing　Oeloe　en　Pahantan　en　hare　Bevolking　met　uitzondering　van　de　Oeloes〃；　〃Bijdragen　tot　de　Tall…　Land…　en　Volkenkunde　van　Nederlansch…Indie；　XLVI。　（1896）；　page　473。）　　The　Battas　of　Central　Sumatra　are　divided　into　a　number　of　clans　which　have　for　their　totems　white　buffaloes；　goats；　wild　turtle…doves；　dogs；　cats；　apes；　tigers；　and　so　forth；　and　one　of　the　explanations　which　they　give　of　their　totems　is　that　these　creatures　were　their　ancestors；　and　that　their　own　souls　after　death　can　transmigrate　into　the　animals。　　（J。B。　Neumann；　〃Het　Pane　en　Bila…stroomgebied　op　het　eiland　Sumatra〃；　〃Tijdschrift　van　het　Nederlandsch　Aardrijkskundig　Genootschap〃；　Tweede　Serie；　III。　Afdeeling；　Meer　uitgebreide　Artikelen；　No。　2　（Amsterdam；　1886）；　pages　311　sq。；　id。　ib。　Tweede　Serie；　IV。　Afdeeling；　Meer　uitgebreide　Artikelen；　No。　1　（Amsterdam；　1887）；　pages　8　sq。）　　In　Amboyna　and　the　neighbouring　islands　the　inhabitants　of　some　villages　aver　that　they　are　descended　from　trees；　such　as　the　Capellenia　moluccana；　which　had　been　fertilised　by　the　Pandion　Haliaetus。　　Others　claim　to　be　sprung　from　pigs；　octopuses；　crocodiles；　sharks；　and　eels。　　People　will　not　burn　the　wood　of　the　trees　from　which　they　trace　their　descent；　nor　eat　the　flesh　of　the　animals　which　they　regard　as　their　ancestors。　　Sicknesses　of　all　sorts　are　believed　to　result　from　disregarding　these　taboos。　　（J。G。F。　Riedel；　〃De　sluik…　en　kroesharige　rassen　tusschen　Selebes　en　Papua〃　（The　Hague；　1886）；　pages　32；　61；　G。W。W。C。　Baron　van　Hoevell；　〃Ambon　en　meer　bepaaldelijk　de　Oeliasers〃　（Dordrecht；　1875）；　page　152。）　　Similarly　in　Ceram　persons　who　think　they　are　descended　from　crocodiles；　serpents；　iguanas；　and　sharks　will　not　eat　the　flesh　of　these　animals。　　（J。G。F。　Riedel　op。　cit。　page　122。）　　Many　other　peoples　of　the　Molucca　Islands　entertain　similar　beliefs　and　observe　similar　taboos。　　（J。G。F。　Riedel　〃De　sluik…　en　kroesharige　rassen　tusschen　Selebes　en　Papua〃　（The　Hague；　1886）；　pages　253；　334；　341；　348；　412；　414；　432。）　　Again；　in　Ponape；　one　of　the　Caroline　Islands；　〃The　different　families　suppose　themselves　to　stand　in　a　certain　relation　to　animals；　and　especially　to　fishes；　and　believe　in　their　descent　from　them。　　They　actually　name　these　animals　'mothers'；　the　creatures　are　sacred　to　the　family　and　may　not　be　injured。　　Great　dances；　accompanied　with　the　offering　of　prayers；　are　performed　in　their　honour。　　Any　person　who　killed　such　an　animal　would　expose　himself　to　contempt　and　punishment；　certainly　also　to　the　vengeance　of　the　insulted　deity。〃　　Blindness　is　commonly　supposed　to　be　the　consequence　of　such　a　sacrilege。　　（Dr　Hahl；　〃Mittheilungen　uber　Sitten　und　rechtliche　Verhaltnisse　auf　Ponape〃；　〃Ethnologisches　Notizblatt〃；　Vol。　II。　Heft　2　（Berlin；　1901）；　page　10。）

Some　of　the　aborigines　of　Western　Australia　believe　that　their　ancestors　were　swans；　ducks；　or　various　other　species　of　water…fowl　before　they　were　transformed　into　men。　　（Captain　G。　Grey；　〃A　Vocabulary　of　the　Dialects　of　So