the golden bough-第105章

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thrown　down　on　him　as　he　lies　in　the　grave；　and　he　soon　dies　of　suffocation。　Such；　with　minor　variations；　appears　to　be　the　regular　end　of　the　honourable　career　of　a　rain…maker　in　all　the　Dinka　tribes。　The　Khor…Adar　Dinka　told　Dr。　Seligman　that　when　they　have　dug　the　grave　for　their　rain…maker　they　strangle　him　in　his　house。　The　father　and　paternal　uncle　of　one　of　Dr。　Seligman's　informants　had　both　been　rain…makers　and　both　had　been　killed　in　the　most　regular　and　orthodox　fashion。　Even　if　a　rain…maker　is　quite　young　he　will　be　put　to　death　should　he　seem　likely　to　perish　of　disease。　Further；　every　precaution　is　taken　to　prevent　a　rain…maker　from　dying　an　accidental　death；　for　such　an　end；　though　not　nearly　so　serious　a　matter　as　death　from　illness　or　old　age；　would　be　sure　to　entail　sickness　on　the　tribe。　As　soon　as　a　rain…maker　is　killed；　his　valuable　spirit　is　supposed　to　pass　to　a　suitable　successor；　whether　a　son　or　other　near　blood　relation。

In　the　Central　African　kingdom　of　Bunyoro　down　to　recent　years　custom　required　that　as　soon　as　the　king　fell　seriously　ill　or　began　to　break　up　from　age；　he　should　die　by　his　own　hand；　for；　according　to　an　old　prophecy；　the　throne　would　pass　away　from　the　dynasty　if　ever　the　king　were　to　die　a　natural　death。　He　killed　himself　by　draining　a　poisoned　cup。　If　he　faltered　or　were　too　ill　to　ask　for　the　cup；　it　was　his　wife's　duty　to　administer　the　poison。　When　the　king　of　Kibanga；　on　the　Upper　Congo；　seems　near　his　end；　the　sorcerers　put　a　rope　round　his　neck；　which　they　draw　gradually　tighter　till　he　dies。　If　the　king　of　Gingiro　happens　to　be　wounded　in　war；　he　is　put　to　death　by　his　comrades；　or；　if　they　fail　to　kill　him；　by　his　kinsfolk；　however　hard　he　may　beg　for　mercy。　They　say　they　do　it　that　he　may　not　die　by　the　hands　of　his　enemies。　The　Jukos　are　a　heathen　tribe　of　the　Benue　River；　a　great　tributary　of　the　Niger。　In　their　country　the　town　of　Gatri　is　ruled　by　a　king　who　is　elected　by　the　big　men　of　the　town　as　follows。　When　in　the　opinion　of　the　big　men　the　king　has　reigned　long　enough；　they　give　out　that　'the　king　is　sick'a　formula　understood　by　all　to　mean　that　they　are　going　to　kill　him；　though　the　intention　is　never　put　more　plainly。　They　then　decide　who　is　to　be　the　next　king。　How　long　he　is　to　reign　is　settled　by　the　influential　men　at　a　meeting；　the　question　is　put　and　answered　by　each　man　throwing　on　the　ground　a　little　piece　of　stick　for　each　year　he　thinks　the　new　king　should　rule。　The　king　is　then　told；　and　a　great　feast　prepared；　at　which　the　king　gets　drunk　on　guinea…corn　beer。　After　that　he　is　speared；　and　the　man　who　was　chosen　becomes　king。　Thus　each　Juko　king　knows　that　he　cannot　have　very　many　more　years　to　live；　and　that　he　is　certain　of　his　predecessor's　fate。　This；　however；　does　not　seem　to　frighten　candidates。　The　same　custom　of　king…killing　is　said　to　prevail　at　Quonde　and　Wukari　as　well　as　at　Gatri。　In　the　three　Hausa　kingdoms　of　Gobir；　Katsina；　and　Daura；　in　Northern　Nigeria；　as　soon　as　a　king　showed　signs　of　failing　health　or　growing　infirmity；　an　official　who　bore　the　title　of　Killer　of　the　Elephant　appeared　and　throttled　him。

The　Matiamvo　is　a　great　king　or　emperor　in　the　interior　of　Angola。　One　of　the　inferior　kings　of　the　country；　by　name　Challa；　gave　to　a　Portuguese　expedition　the　following　account　of　the　manner　in　which　the　Matiamvo　comes　by　his　end。　It　has　been　customary；　he　said；　for　our　Matiamvos　to　die　either　in　war　or　by　a　violent　death；　and　the　present　Matiamvo　must　meet　this　last　fate；　as；　in　consequence　of　his　great　exactions；　he　has　lived　long　enough。　When　we　come　to　this　understanding；　and　decide　that　he　should　be　killed；　we　invite　him　to　make　war　with　our　enemies；　on　which　occasion　we　all　accompany　him　and　his　family　to　the　war；　when　we　lose　some　of　our　people。　If　he　escapes　unhurt；　we　return　to　the　war　again　and　fight　for　three　or　four　days。　We　then　suddenly　abandon　him　and　his　family　to　their　fate；　leaving　him　in　the　enemy's　hands。　Seeing　himself　thus　deserted；　he　causes　his　throne　to　be　erected；　and；　sitting　down；　calls　his　family　around　him。　He　then　orders　his　mother　to　approach；　she　kneels　at　his　feet；　he　first　cuts　off　her　head；　then　decapitates　his　sons　in　succession；　next　his　wives　and　relatives；　and；　last　of　all；　his　most　beloved　wife；　called　Anacullo。　This　slaughter　being　accomplished；　the　Matiamvo；　dressed　in　all　his　pomp；　awaits　his　own　death；　which　immediately　follows；　by　an　officer　sent　by　the　powerful　neighbouring　chiefs；　Caniquinha　and　Canica。　This　officer　first　cuts　off　his　legs　and　arms　at　the　joints；　and　lastly　he　cuts　off　his　head；　after　which　the　head　of　the　officer　is　struck　off。　All　the　potentates　retire　from　the　encampment；　in　order　not　to　witness　his　death。　It　is　my　duty　to　remain　and　witness　his　death；　and　to　mark　the　place　where　the　head　and　arms　have　been　deposited　by　the　two　great　chiefs；　the　enemies　of　the　Matiamvo。　They　also　take　possession　of　all　the　property　belonging　to　the　deceased　monarch　and　his　family；　which　they　convey　to　their　own　residence。　I　then　provide　for　the　funeral　of　the　mutilated　remains　of　the　late　Matiamvo；　after　which　I　retire　to　his　capital　and　proclaim　the　new　government。　I　then　return　to　where　the　head；　legs；　and　arms　have　been　deposited；　and；　for　forty　slaves；　I　ransom　them；　together　with　the　merchandise　and　other　property　belonging　to　the　deceased；　which　I　give　up　to　the　new　Matiamvo；　who　has　been　proclaimed。　This　is　what　has　happened　to　many　Matiamvos；　and　what　must　happen　to　the　present　one。

It　appears　to　have　been　a　Zulu　custom　to　put　the　king　to　death　as　soon　as　he　began　to　have　wrinkles　or　grey　hairs。　At　least　this　seems　implied　in　the　following　passage　written　by　one　who　resided　for　some　time　at　the　court　of　the　notorious　Zulu　tyrant　Chaka；　in　the　early　part　of　the　nineteenth　century：　The　extraordinary　violence　of　the　king's　rage　with　me　was　mainly　occasioned　by　that　absurd　nostrum；　the　hair　oil；　with　the　notion　of　which　Mr。　Farewell　had　impressed　him　as　being　a　specific　for　removing　all　indications　of　age。　From　the　first　moment　of　his　having　heard　that　such　a　preparation　was　attainable；　he　evinced　a　solicitude　to　procure　it；　and　on　every　occasion　never　forgot　to　remind　us　of　his　anxiety　respecting　it；　more　especially　on　our　departure　on　the　mission　his　injunctions　were　particularly　directed　to　this　object。　It　will　be　seen　that　it　is　one　of　the　barbarous　customs　of　the　Zoolas　in　their　choice　or　election　of　their　kings　that　he　must　neither　have　wrinkles　nor　grey　hairs；　as　they　are　both　distinguishing　marks　of　disqualification　for　becoming　a　monarch　of　a　warlike　people。　It　is　also　equally　indispensable　that　their　king　should　never　exhibit　those　proofs　of　having　become　unfit　and　incompetent　to　reign；　it　is　therefore　important　that　they　should　conceal　these　indications　so　long　as　they　possibly　can。　Chaka　had　become　greatly　apprehensive　of　the　approach　of　grey　hairs；　which　would　at　once　be　the　signal　for　him　to　prepare　to　make　his　exit　from　this　sublunary　world；　it　being　always　followed　by　the　death　of　the　monarch。　The　writer　to　whom　we　are　indebted　for　this　instructive　anecdote　of　the　hair　oil　omits　to　specify　the　mode　in　which　a　grey…haired　and　wrinkled　Zulu　chief　used　to　make　his　exit　from　this　sublunary　world；　but　on　analogy　we　may　conjecture　that　he　was　killed。

The　custom　of　putting　kings　to　death　as　soon　as　they　suffered　from　any　personal　defect　prevailed　two　centuries　ago　in　the　Caffre　kingdom　of　Sofala。　We　have　seen　that　these　kings　of　Sofala　were　regarded　as　gods　by　their　people；　being　entreated　to　give　rain　or　sunshine；　according　as　each　might　be　wanted。　Nevertheless　a　slight　bodily　blemish；　such　as　the　loss　of　a　tooth；　was　considered　a　sufficient　cause　for　putting　one　of　these　god…men　to　death；　as　we　learn　from　the　following　passage　of　an　old　Portuguese　historian：　It　was　formerly　the　custom　of　the　kings　of　this　land　to　commit　suicide　by　taking　poison　when　any　disaster　or　natural　physical　defect　fell　upon　them；　such　as　impotence；　infectious　disease；　the　loss　of　their　front　teeth；　by　which　they　were　disfigured；　or　any　other　deformity　or　affliction。　To　put　an　end　to　such　defects　they　killed　themselves；　saying　that　the　king　should　be　free　from　any　blemish；　and　if　not；