the golden bough-第101章

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　between　the　incorporeal　and　the　corporeal；　between　the　name　and　its　material　embodiment；　could　hardly　be　found　than　in　this　practice　of　civilised　Greece。

5。　Names　of　Gods　tabooed。

PRIMITIVE　man　creates　his　gods　in　his　own　image。　Xenophanes　remarked　long　ago　that　the　complexion　of　negro　gods　was　black　and　their　noses　flat；　that　Thracian　gods　were　ruddy　and　blue…eyed；　and　that　if　horses；　oxen；　and　lions　only　believed　in　gods　and　had　hands　wherewith　to　portray　them；　they　would　doubtless　fashion　their　deities　in　the　form　of　horses；　and　oxen；　and　lions。　Hence　just　as　the　furtive　savage　conceals　his　real　name　because　he　fears　that　sorcerers　might　make　an　evil　use　of　it；　so　he　fancies　that　his　gods　must　likewise　keep　their　true　name　secret；　lest　other　gods　or　even　men　should　learn　the　mystic　sounds　and　thus　be　able　to　conjure　with　them。　Nowhere　was　this　crude　conception　of　the　secrecy　and　magical　virtue　of　the　divine　name　more　firmly　held　or　more　fully　developed　than　in　ancient　Egypt；　where　the　superstitions　of　a　dateless　past　were　embalmed　in　the　hearts　of　the　people　hardly　less　effectually　than　the　bodies　of　cats　and　crocodiles　and　the　rest　of　the　divine　menagerie　in　their　rock…cut　tombs。　The　conception　is　well　illustrated　by　a　story　which　tells　how　the　subtle　Isis　wormed　his　secret　name　from　Ra；　the　great　Egyptian　god　of　the　sun。　Isis；　so　runs　the　tale；　was　a　woman　mighty　in　words；　and　she　was　weary　of　the　world　of　men；　and　yearned　after　the　world　of　the　gods。　And　she　meditated　in　her　heart；　saying；　Cannot　I　by　virtue　of　the　great　name　of　Ra　make　myself　a　goddess　and　reign　like　him　in　heaven　and　earth？　For　Ra　had　many　names；　but　the　great　name　which　gave　him　all　power　over　gods　and　men　was　known　to　none　but　himself。　Now　the　god　was　by　this　time　grown　old；　he　slobbered　at　the　mouth　and　his　spittle　fell　upon　the　ground。　So　Isis　gathered　up　the　spittle　and　the　earth　with　it；　and　kneaded　thereof　a　serpent　and　laid　it　in　the　path　where　the　great　god　passed　every　day　to　his　double　kingdom　after　his　heart's　desire。　And　when　he　came　forth　according　to　his　wont；　attended　by　all　his　company　of　gods；　the　sacred　serpent　stung　him；　and　the　god　opened　his　mouth　and　cried；　and　his　cry　went　up　to　heaven。　And　the　company　of　gods　cried；　What　aileth　thee？　and　the　gods　shouted；　Lo　and　behold！　But　he　could　not　answer；　his　jaws　rattled；　his　limbs　shook；　the　poison　ran　through　his　flesh　as　the　Nile　floweth　over　the　land。　When　the　great　god　had　stilled　his　heart；　he　cried　to　his　followers；　Come　to　me；　O　my　children；　offspring　of　my　body。　I　am　a　prince；　the　son　of　a　prince；　the　divine　seed　of　a　god。　My　father　devised　my　name；　my　father　and　my　mother　gave　me　my　name；　and　it　remained　hidden　in　my　body　since　my　birth；　that　no　magician　might　have　magic　power　over　me。　I　went　out　to　behold　that　which　I　have　made；　I　walked　in　the　two　lands　which　I　have　created；　and　lo！　something　stung　me。　What　it　was；　I　know　not。　Was　it　fire？　was　it　water？　My　heart　is　on　fire；　my　flesh　trembleth；　all　my　limbs　do　quake。　Bring　me　the　children　of　the　gods　with　healing　words　and　understanding　lips；　whose　power　reacheth　to　heaven。　Then　came　to　him　the　children　of　the　gods；　and　they　were　very　sorrowful。　And　Isis　came　with　her　craft；　whose　mouth　is　full　of　the　breath　of　life；　whose　spells　chase　pain　away；　whose　word　maketh　the　dead　to　live。　She　said；　What　is　it；　divine　Father？　what　is　it？　The　holy　god　opened　his　mouth；　he　spake　and　said；　I　went　upon　my　way；　I　walked　after　my　heart's　desire　in　the　two　regions　which　I　have　made　to　behold　that　which　I　have　created；　and　lo！　a　serpent　that　I　saw　not　stung　me。　Is　it　fire？　is　it　water？　I　am　colder　than　water；　I　am　hotter　than　fire；　all　my　limbs　sweat；　I　tremble；　mine　eye　is　not　steadfast；　I　behold　not　the　sky；　the　moisture　bedeweth　my　face　as　in　summer…time。　Then　spake　Isis；　Tell　me　thy　name；　divine　Father；　for　the　man　shall　live　who　is　called　by　his　name。　Then　answered　Ra；　I　created　the　heavens　and　the　earth；　I　ordered　the　mountains；　I　made　the　great　and　wide　sea；　I　stretched　out　the　two　horizons　like　a　curtain。　I　am　he　who　openeth　his　eyes　and　it　is　light；　and　who　shutteth　them　and　it　is　dark。　At　his　command　the　Nile　riseth；　but　the　gods　know　not　his　name。　I　am　Khepera　in　the　morning；　I　am　Ra　at　noon；　I　am　Tum　at　eve。　But　the　poison　was　not　taken　away　from　him；　it　pierced　deeper；　and　the　great　god　could　no　longer　walk。　Then　said　Isis　to　him；　That　was　not　thy　name　that　thou　spakest　unto　me。　Oh　tell　it　me；　that　the　poison　may　depart；　for　he　shall　live　whose　name　is　named。　Now　the　poison　burned　like　fire；　it　was　hotter　than　the　flame　of　fire。　The　god　said；　I　consent　that　Isis　shall　search　into　me；　and　that　my　name　shall　pass　from　my　breast　into　hers。　Then　the　god　hid　himself　from　the　gods；　and　his　place　in　the　ship　of　eternity　was　empty。　Thus　was　the　name　of　the　great　god　taken　from　him；　and　Isis；　the　witch；　spake；　Flow　away；　poison；　depart　from　Ra。　It　is　I；　even　I；　who　overcome　the　poison　and　cast　it　to　the　earth；　for　the　name　of　the　great　god　hath　been　taken　away　from　him。　Let　Ra　live　and　let　the　poison　die。　Thus　spake　great　Isis；　the　queen　of　the　gods；　she　who　knows　Ra　and　his　true　name。

From　this　story　it　appears　that　the　real　name　of　the　god；　with　which　his　power　was　inextricably　bound　up；　was　supposed　to　be　lodged；　in　an　almost　physical　sense；　somewhere　in　his　breast；　from　which　Isis　extracted　it　by　a　sort　of　surgical　operation　and　transferred　it　with　all　its　supernatural　powers　to　herself。　In　Egypt　attempts　like　that　of　Isis　to　appropriate　the　power　of　a　high　god　by　possessing　herself　of　his　name　were　not　mere　legends　told　of　the　mythical　beings　of　a　remote　past；　every　Egyptian　magician　aspired　to　wield　like　powers　by　similar　means。　For　it　was　believed　that　he　who　possessed　the　true　name　possessed　the　very　being　of　god　or　man；　and　could　force　even　a　deity　to　obey　him　as　a　slave　obeys　his　master。　Thus　the　art　of　the　magician　consisted　in　obtaining　from　the　gods　a　revelation　of　their　sacred　names；　and　he　left　no　stone　unturned　to　accomplish　his　end。　When　once　a　god　in　a　moment　of　weakness　or　forgetfulness　had　imparted　to　the　wizard　the　wondrous　lore；　the　deity　had　no　choice　but　to　submit　humbly　to　the　man　or　pay　the　penalty　of　his　contumacy。

The　belief　in　the　magic　virtue　of　divine　names　was　shared　by　the　Romans。　When　they　sat　down　before　a　city；　the　priests　addressed　the　guardian　deity　of　the　place　in　a　set　form　of　prayer　or　incantation；　inviting　him　to　abandon　the　beleaguered　city　and　come　over　to　the　Romans；　who　would　treat　him　as　well　as　or　better　than　he　had　ever　been　treated　in　his　old　home。　Hence　the　name　of　the　guardian　deity　of　Rome　was　kept　a　profound　secret；　lest　the　enemies　of　the　republic　might　lure　him　away；　even　as　the　Romans　themselves　had　induced　many　gods　to　desert；　like　rats；　the　falling　fortunes　of　cities　that　had　sheltered　them　in　happier　days。　Nay；　the　real　name；　not　merely　of　its　guardian　deity；　but　of　the　city　itself；　was　wrapt　in　mystery　and　might　never　be　uttered；　not　even　in　the　sacred　rites。　A　certain　Valerius　Soranus；　who　dared　to　divulge　the　priceless　secret；　was　put　to　death　or　came　to　a　bad　end。　In　like　manner；　it　seems；　the　ancient　Assyrians　were　forbidden　to　mention　the　mystic　names　of　their　cities；　and　down　to　modern　times　the　Cheremiss　of　the　Caucasus　keep　the　names　of　their　communal　villages　secret　from　motives　of　superstition。

If　the　reader　has　had　the　patience　to　follow　this　examination　of　the　superstitions　attaching　to　personal　names；　he　will　probably　agree　that　the　mystery　in　which　the　names　of　royal　personages　are　so　often　shrouded　is　no　isolated　phenomenon；　no　arbitrary　expression　of　courtly　servility　and　adulation；　but　merely　the　particular　application　of　a　general　law　of　primitive　thought；　which　includes　within　its　scope　common　folk　and　gods　as　well　as　kings　and　priests。

Chapter　23。　Our　Debt　to　the　Savage。

IT　would　be　easy　to　extend　the　list　of　royal　and　priestly　taboos；　but　the　instances　collected　in　the　preceding　pages　may　suffice　as　specimens。　To　conclude　this　part　of　our　subject　it　only　remains　to　state　summarily　the　general　conclusions　to　which　our　enquiries　have　thus　far　conducted　us。　We　have　seen　that　in　savage　or　barbarous　society　there　are　often　found　men　to　whom　the　supe