the golden bough-第106章

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h　defects　they　killed　themselves；　saying　that　the　king　should　be　free　from　any　blemish；　and　if　not；　it　was　better　for　his　honour　that　he　should　die　and　seek　another　life　where　he　would　be　made　whole；　for　there　everything　was　perfect。　But　the　Quiteve　（king）　who　reigned　when　I　was　in　those　parts　would　not　imitate　his　predecessors　in　this；　being　discreet　and　dreaded　as　he　was；　for　having　lost　a　front　tooth　he　caused　it　to　be　proclaimed　throughout　the　kingdom　that　all　should　be　aware　that　he　had　lost　a　tooth　and　should　recognise　him　when　they　saw　him　without　it；　and　if　his　predecessors　killed　themselves　for　such　things　they　were　very　foolish；　and　he　would　not　do　so；　on　the　contrary；　he　would　be　very　sorry　when　the　time　came　for　him　to　die　a　natural　death；　for　his　life　was　very　necessary　to　preserve　his　kingdom　and　defend　it　from　his　enemies；　and　he　recommended　his　successors　to　follow　his　example。

The　king　of　Sofala　who　dared　to　survive　the　loss　of　his　front　tooth　was　thus　a　bold　reformer　like　Ergamenes；　king　of　Ethiopia。　We　may　conjecture　that　the　ground　for　putting　the　Ethiopian　kings　to　death　was；　as　in　the　case　of　the　Zulu　and　Sofala　kings；　the　appearance　on　their　person　of　any　bodily　defect　or　sign　of　decay；　and　that　the　oracle　which　the　priests　alleged　as　the　authority　for　the　royal　execution　was　to　the　effect　that　great　calamities　would　result　from　the　reign　of　a　king　who　had　any　blemish　on　his　body；　just　as　an　oracle　warned　Sparta　against　a　lame　reign；　that　is；　the　reign　of　a　lame　king。　It　is　some　confirmation　of　this　conjecture　that　the　kings　of　Ethiopia　were　chosen　for　their　size；　strength；　and　beauty　long　before　the　custom　of　killing　them　was　abolished。　To　this　day　the　Sultan　of　Wadai　must　have　no　obvious　bodily　defect；　and　the　king　of　Angoy　cannot　be　crowned　if　he　has　a　single　blemish；　such　as　a　broken　or　a　filed　tooth　or　the　scar　of　an　old　wound。　According　to　the　Book　of　Acaill　and　many　other　authorities　no　king　who　was　afflicted　with　a　personal　blemish　might　reign　over　Ireland　at　Tara。　Hence；　when　the　great　King　Cormac　Mac　Art　lost　one　eye　by　an　accident；　he　at　once　abdicated。

Many　days'　journey　to　the　north…east　of　Abomey；　the　old　capital　of　Dahomey；　lies　the　kingdom　of　Eyeo。　The　Eyeos　are　governed　by　a　king；　no　less　absolute　than　the　king　of　Dahomey；　yet　subject　to　a　regulation　of　state；　at　once　humiliating　and　extraordinary。　When　the　people　have　conceived　an　opinion　of　his　ill…government；　which　is　sometimes　insidiously　infused　into　them　by　the　artifice　of　his　discontented　ministers；　they　send　a　deputation　to　him　with　a　present　of　parrots'　eggs；　as　a　mark　of　its　authenticity；　to　represent　to　him　that　the　burden　of　government　must　have　so　far　fatigued　him　that　they　consider　it　full　time　for　him　to　repose　from　his　cares　and　indulge　himself　with　a　little　sleep。　He　thanks　his　subjects　for　their　attention　to　his　ease；　retires　to　his　own　apartment　as　if　to　sleep；　and　there　gives　directions　to　his　women　to　strangle　him。　This　is　immediately　executed；　and　his　son　quietly　ascends　the　throne　upon　the　usual　terms　of　holding　the　reins　of　government　no　longer　than　whilst　he　merits　the　approbation　of　the　people。　About　the　year　1774；　a　king　of　Eyeo；　whom　his　ministers　attempted　to　remove　in　the　customary　manner；　positively　refused　to　accept　the　proffered　parrots'　eggs　at　their　hands；　telling　them　that　he　had　no　mind　to　take　a　nap；　but　on　the　contrary　was　resolved　to　watch　for　the　benefit　of　his　subjects。　The　ministers；　surprised　and　indignant　at　his　recalcitrancy；　raised　a　rebellion；　but　were　defeated　with　great　slaughter；　and　thus　by　his　spirited　conduct　the　king　freed　himself　from　the　tyranny　of　his　councillors　and　established　a　new　precedent　for　the　guidance　of　his　successors。　However；　the　old　custom　seems　to　have　revived　and　persisted　until　late　in　the　nineteenth　century；　for　a　Catholic　missionary；　writing　in　1884；　speaks　of　the　practice　as　if　it　were　still　in　vogue。　Another　missionary；　writing　in　1881；　thus　describes　the　usage　of　the　Egbas　and　the　Yorubas　of　West　Africa：　Among　the　customs　of　the　country　one　of　the　most　curious　is　unquestionably　that　of　judging；　and　punishing　the　king。　Should　he　have　earned　the　hatred　of　his　people　by　exceeding　his　rights；　one　of　his　councillors；　on　whom　the　heavy　duty　is　laid；　requires　of　the　prince　that　he　shall　'go　to　sleep；'　which　means　simply　'take　poison　and　die。'　If　his　courage　fails　him　at　the　supreme　moment；　a　friend　renders　him　this　last　service；　and　quietly；　without　betraying　the　secret；　they　prepare　the　people　for　the　news　of　the　king's　death。　In　Yoruba　the　thing　is　managed　a　little　differently。　When　a　son　is　born　to　the　king　of　Oyo；　they　make　a　model　of　the　infant's　right　foot　in　clay　and　keep　it　in　the　house　of　the　elders　（ogboni）。　If　the　king　fails　to　observe　the　customs　of　the　country；　a　messenger；　without　speaking　a　word；　shows　him　his　child's　foot。　The　king　knows　what　that　means。　He　takes　poison　and　goes　to　sleep。　The　old　Prussians　acknowledged　as　their　supreme　lord　a　ruler　who　governed　them　in　the　name　of　the　gods；　and　was　known　as　God's　Mouth。　When　he　felt　himself　weak　and　ill；　if　he　wished　to　leave　a　good　name　behind　him；　he　had　a　great　heap　made　of　thorn…bushes　and　straw；　on　which　he　mounted　and　delivered　a　long　sermon　to　the　people；　exhorting　them　to　serve　the　gods　and　promising　to　go　to　the　gods　and　speak　for　the　people。　Then　he　took　some　of　the　perpetual　fire　which　burned　in　front　of　the　holy　oak…tree；　and　lighting　the　pile　with　it　burned　himself　to　death。

3。　Kings　killed　at　the　End　of　a　Fixed　Term。

IN　THE　CASES　hitherto　described；　the　divine　king　or　priest　is　suffered　by　his　people　to　retain　office　until　some　outward　defect；　some　visible　symptom　of　failing　health　or　advancing　age；　warns　them　that　he　is　no　longer　equal　to　the　discharge　of　his　divine　duties；　but　not　until　such　symptoms　have　made　their　appearance　is　he　put　to　death。　Some　peoples；　however；　appear　to　have　thought　it　unsafe　to　wait　for　even　the　slightest　symptom　of　decay　and　have　preferred　to　kill　the　king　while　he　was　still　in　the　full　vigour　of　life。　Accordingly；　they　have　fixed　a　term　beyond　which　he　might　not　reign；　and　at　the　close　of　which　he　must　die；　the　term　fixed　upon　being　short　enough　to　exclude　the　probability　of　his　degenerating　physically　in　the　interval。　In　some　parts　of　Southern　India　the　period　fixed　was　twelve　years。　Thus；　according　to　an　old　traveller；　in　the　province　of　Quilacare；　there　is　a　Gentile　house　of　prayer；　in　which　there　is　an　idol　which　they　hold　in　great　account；　and　every　twelve　years　they　celebrate　a　great　feast　to　it；　whither　all　the　Gentiles　go　as　to　a　jubilee。　This　temple　possesses　many　lands　and　much　revenue：　it　is　a　very　great　affair。　This　province　has　a　king　over　it；　who　has　not　more　than　twelve　years　to　reign　from　jubilee　to　jubilee。　His　manner　of　living　is　in　this　wise；　that　is　to　say：　when　the　twelve　years　are　completed；　on　the　day　of　this　feast　there　assemble　together　innumerable　people；　and　much　money　is　spent　in　giving　food　to　Bramans。　The　king　has　a　wooden　scaffolding　made；　spread　over　with　silken　hangings：　and　on　that　day　he　goes　to　bathe　at　a　tank　with　great　ceremonies　and　sound　of　music；　after　that　he　comes　to　the　idol　and　prays　to　it；　and　mounts　on　to　the　scaffolding；　and　there　before　all　the　people　he　takes　some　very　sharp　knives；　and　begins　to　cut　off　his　nose；　and　then　his　ears；　and　his　lips；　and　all　his　members；　and　as　much　flesh　off　himself　as　he　can；　and　he　throws　it　away　very　hurriedly　until　so　much　of　his　blood　is　spilled　that　he　begins　to　faint；　and　then　he　cuts　his　throat　himself。　And　he　performs　this　sacrifice　to　the　idol；　and　whoever　desires　to　reign　another　twelve　years　and　undertake　this　martyrdom　for　love　of　the　idol；　has　to　be　present　looking　on　at　this：　and　from　that　place　they　raise　him　up　as　king。

The　king　of　Calicut；　on　the　Malabar　coast；　bears　the　title　of　Samorin　or　Samory。　He　pretends　to　be　of　a　higher　rank　than　the　Brahmans；　and　to　be　inferior　only　to　the　invisible　gods；　a　pretention　that　was　acknowledged　by　his　subjects；　but　which　is　held　as　absurd　and　abominable　by　the　Brahmans；　by　whom　he　is　only　treated　as　a　Sudra。　Formerly　the　Samorin　had　to　cut　his　throat　in　public　at　the　end　of　a　twelve　years'　reign。　But　towards　the　en