the golden bough-第104章

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　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　make　room　for　a　more　vigorous　successor。　Taken　along　with　the　other　reasons　which　are　alleged　for　putting　the　king　to　death；　this　one　suggests　that　the　fertility　of　men；　of　cattle；　and　of　the　crops　is　believed　to　depend　sympathetically　on　the　generative　power　of　the　king；　so　that　the　complete　failure　of　that　power　in　him　would　involve　a　corresponding　failure　in　men；　animals；　and　plants；　and　would　thereby　entail　at　no　distant　date　the　entire　extinction　of　all　life；　whether　human；　animal；　or　vegetable。　No　wonder；　that　with　such　a　danger　before　their　eyes　the　Shilluk　should　be　most　careful　not　to　let　the　king　die　what　we　should　call　a　natural　death　of　sickness　or　old　age。　It　is　characteristic　of　their　attitude　towards　the　death　of　the　kings　that　they　refrain　from　speaking　of　it　as　death：　they　do　not　say　that　a　king　has　died　but　simply　that　he　has　gone　away　like　his　divine　ancestors　Nyakang　and　Dag；　the　two　first　kings　of　the　dynasty；　both　of　whom　are　reported　not　to　have　died　but　to　have　disappeared。　The　similar　legends　of　the　mysterious　disappearance　of　early　kings　in　other　lands；　for　example　at　Rome　and　in　Uganda；　may　well　point　to　a　similar　custom　of　putting　them　to　death　for　the　purpose　of　preserving　their　life。

On　the　whole　the　theory　and　practice　of　the　divine　kings　of　the　Shilluk　correspond　very　nearly　to　the　theory　and　practice　of　the　priests　of　Nemi；　the　Kings　of　the　Wood；　if　my　view　of　the　latter　is　correct。　In　both　we　see　a　series　of　divine　kings　on　whose　life　the　fertility　of　men；　of　cattle；　and　of　vegetation　is　believed　to　depend；　and　who　are　put　to　death；　whether　in　single　combat　or　otherwise；　in　order　that　their　divine　spirit　may　be　transmitted　to　their　successors　in　full　vigour；　uncontaminated　by　the　weakness　and　decay　of　sickness　or　old　age；　because　any　such　degeneration　on　the　part　of　the　king　would；　in　the　opinion　of　his　worshippers；　entail　a　corresponding　degeneration　on　manking；　on　cattle；　and　on　the　crops。　Some　points　in　this　explanation　of　the　custom　of　putting　divine　kings　to　death；　particularly　the　method　of　transmitting　their　divine　souls　to　their　successors；　will　be　dealt　with　more　fully　in　the　sequel。　Meantime　we　pass　to　other　examples　of　the　general　practice。

The　Dinka　are　a　congeries　of　independent　tribes　in　the　valley　of　the　White　Nile。　They　are　essentially　a　pastoral　people；　passionately　devoted　to　the　care　of　their　numerous　herds　of　oxen；　though　they　also　keep　sheep　and　goats；　and　the　women　cultivate　small　quantities　of　millet　and　sesame。　For　their　crops　and　above　all　for　their　pastures　they　depend　on　the　regularity　of　the　rains：　in　seasons　of　prolonged　drought　they　are　said　to　be　reduced　to　great　extremities。　Hence　the　rain…maker　is　a　very　important　personage　among　them　to　this　day；　indeed　the　men　in　authority　whom　travellers　dub　chiefs　or　sheikhs　are　in　fact　the　actual　or　potential　rain…makers　of　the　tribe　or　community。　Each　of　them　is　believed　to　be　animated　by　the　spirit　of　a　great　rain…maker；　which　has　come　down　to　him　through　a　succession　of　rain…makers；　and　in　virtue　of　this　inspiration　a　successful　rain…maker　enjoys　very　great　power　and　is　consulted　on　all　important　matters。　Yet　in　spite；　or　rather　in　virtue；　of　the　high　honour　in　which　he　is　held；　no　Dinka　rain…maker　is　allowed　to　die　a　natural　death　of　sickness　or　old　age；　for　the　Dinka　believe　that　if　such　an　untoward　event　were　to　happen；　the　tribe　would　suffer　from　disease　and　famine；　and　the　herds　would　not　yield　their　increase。　So　when　a　rain…maker　feels　that　he　is　growing　old　and　infirm；　he　tells　his　children　that　he　wishes　to　die。　Among　the　Agar　Dinka　a　large　grave　is　dug　and　the　rain…maker　lies　down　in　it；　surrounded　by　his　friends　and　relatives。　From　time　to　time　he　speaks　to　the　people；　recalling　the　past　history　of　the　tribe；　reminding　them　how　he　has　ruled　and　advised　them；　and　instructing　them　how　they　are　to　act　in　the　future。　Then；　when　he　has　concluded　his　admonition；　he　bids　them　cover　him　up。　So　the　earth　is　thrown　down　on　him　as　he　lies　in　the　grave；　and　he　soon　dies　of　suffocation。　Such；　with　minor　variat