the golden bough-第12章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


Dyak　is　out　head…hunting；　his　wife　or；　if　he　is　unmarried；　his　sister　must　wear　a　sword　day　and　night　in　order　that　he　may　always　be　thinking　of　his　weapons；　and　she　may　not　sleep　during　the　day　nor　go　to　bed　before　two　in　the　morning；　lest　her　husband　or　brother　should　thereby　be　surprised　in　his　sleep　by　an　enemy。　Among　the　Sea　Dyaks　of　Banting　in　Sarawak　the　women　strictly　observe　an　elaborate　code　of　rules　while　the　men　are　away　fighting。　Some　of　the　rules　are　negative　and　some　are　positive；　but　all　alike　are　based　on　the　principles　of　magical　homoeopathy　and　telepathy。　Amongst　them　are　the　following。　The　women　must　wake　very　early　in　the　morning　and　open　the　windows　as　soon　as　it　is　light；　otherwise　their　absent　husbands　will　oversleep　themselves。　The　women　may　not　oil　their　hair；　or　the　men　will　slip。　The　women　may　neither　sleep　nor　doze　by　day；　or　the　men　will　be　drowsy　on　the　march。　The　women　must　cook　and　scatter　popcorn　on　the　verandah　every　morning；　so　will　the　men　be　agile　in　their　movements。　The　rooms　must　be　kept　very　tidy；　all　boxes　being　placed　near　the　walls；　for　if　any　one　were　to　stumble　over　them；　the　absent　husbands　would　fall　and　be　at　the　mercy　of　the　foe。　At　every　meal　a　little　rice　must　be　left　in　the　pot　and　put　aside；　so　will　the　men　far　away　always　have　something　to　eat　and　need　never　go　hungry。　On　no　account　may　the　women　sit　at　the　loom　till　their　legs　grow　cramped；　otherwise　their　husbands　will　likewise　be　stiff　in　their　joints　and　unable　to　rise　up　quickly　or　to　run　away　from　the　foe。　So　in　order　to　keep　their　husbands'　joints　supple　the　women　often　vary　their　labours　at　the　loom　by　walking　up　and　down　the　verandah。　Further；　they　may　not　cover　up　their　faces；　or　the　men　would　not　to　be　able　to　find　their　way　through　the　tall　grass　or　jungle。　Again；　the　women　may　not　sew　with　a　needle；　or　the　men　will　tread　on　the　sharp　spikes　set　by　the　enemy　in　the　path。　Should　a　wife　prove　unfaithful　while　her　husband　is　away；　he　will　lose　his　life　in　the　enemy's　country。　Some　years　ago　all　these　rules　and　more　were　observed　by　the　women　of　Banting；　while　their　husbands　were　fighting　for　the　English　against　rebels。　But　alas！　these　tender　precautions　availed　them　little；　for　many　a　man；　whose　faithful　wife　was　keeping　watch　and　ward　for　him　at　home；　found　a　soldier's　grave。

In　the　island　of　Timor；　while　war　is　being　waged；　the　high…priest　never　quits　the　temple；　his　food　is　brought　to　him　or　cooked　inside；　day　and　night　he　must　keep　the　fire　burning；　for　if　he　were　to　let　it　die　out；　disaster　would　be　fall　the　warriors　and　would　continue　so　long　as　the　hearth　was　cold。　Moreover；　he　must　drink　only　hot　water　during　the　time　the　army　is　absent；　for　every　draught　of　cold　water　would　damp　the　spirits　of　the　people；　so　that　they　could　not　vanquish　the　enemy。　In　the　Kei　Islands；　when　the　warriors　have　departed；　the　women　return　indoors　and　bring　out　certain　baskets　containing　fruits　and　stones。　These　fruits　and　stones　they　anoint　and　place　on　a　board；　murmuring　as　they　do　so；　O　lord　sun；　moon；　let　the　bullets　rebound　from　our　husbands；　brothers；　betrothed；　and　other　relations；　just　as　raindrops　rebound　from　these　objects　which　are　smeared　with　oil。　As　soon　as　the　first　shot　is　heard；　the　baskets　are　put　aside；　and　the　women；　seizing　their　fans；　rush　out　of　the　houses。　Then；　waving　their　fans　in　the　direction　of　the　enemy；　they　run　through　the　village；　while　they　sing；　O　golden　fans！　let　our　bullets　hit；　and　those　of　the　enemy　miss。　In　this　custom　the　ceremony　of　anointing　stones；　in　order　that　the　bullets　may　recoil　from　the　men　like　raindrops　from　the　stones；　is　a　piece　of　pure　homoeopathic　or　imitative　magic；　but　the　prayer　to　the　sun；　that　he　will　be　pleased　to　give　effect　to　the　charm；　is　a　religious　and　perhaps　later　addition。　The　waving　of　the　fans　seems　to　be　a　charm　to　direct　the　bullets　towards　or　away　from　their　mark；　according　as　they　are　discharged　from　the　guns　of　friends　or　foes。

An　old　historian　of　Madagascar　informs　us　that　while　the　men　are　at　the　wars；　and　until　their　return；　the　women　and　girls　cease　not　day　and　night　to　dance；　and　neither　lie　down　nor　take　food　in　their　own　houses。　And　although　they　are　very　voluptuously　inclined；　they　would　not　for　anything　in　the　world　have　an　intrigue　with　another　man　while　their　husband　is　at　the　war；　believing　firmly　that　if　that　happened；　their　husband　would　be　either　killed　or　wounded。　They　believe　that　by　dancing　they　impart　strength；　courage；　and　good　fortune　to　their　husbands；　accordingly　during　such　times　they　give　themselves　no　rest；　and　this　custom　they　observe　very　religiously。

Among　the　Tshi…speaking　peoples　of　the　Gold　Coast　the　wives　of　men　who　are　away　with　the　army　paint　themselves　white；　and　adorn　their　persons　with　beads　and　charms。　On　the　day　when　a　battle　is　expected　to　take　place；　they　run　about　armed　with　guns；　or　sticks　carved　to　look　like　guns；　and　taking　green　paw…paws　（fruits　shaped　somewhat　like　a　melon）；　they　hack　them　with　knives；　as　if　they　were　chopping　off　the　heads　of　the　foe。　The　pantomime　is　no　doubt　merely　an　imitative　charm；　to　enable　the　men　to　do　to　the　enemy　as　the　women　do　to　the　paw…paws。　In　the　West　African　town　of　Framin；　while　the　Ashantee　war　was　raging　some　years　ago；　Mr。　Fitzgerald　Marriott　saw　a　dance　performed　by　women　whose　husbands　had　gone　as　carriers　to　the　war。　They　were　painted　white　and　wore　nothing　but　a　short　petticoat。　At　their　head　was　a　shrivelled　old　sorceress　in　a　very　short　white　petticoat；　her　black　hair　arranged　in　a　sort　of　long　projecting　horn；　and　her　black　face；　breasts；　arms；　and　legs　profusely　adorned　with　white　circles　and　crescents。　All　carried　long　white　brushes　made　of　buffalo　or　horse　tails；　and　as　they　danced　they　sang；　Our　husbands　have　gone　to　Ashanteeland；　may　they　sweep　their　enemies　off　the　face　of　the　earth！

Among　the　Thompson　Indians　of　British　Columbia；　when　the　men　were　on　the　war…path；　the　women　performed　dances　at　frequent　intervals。　These　dances　were　believed　to　ensure　the　success　of　the　expedition。　The　dancers　flourished　their　knives；　threw　long　sharp…pointed　sticks　forward；　or　drew　sticks　with　hooked　ends　repeatedly　backward　and　forward。　Throwing　the　sticks　forward　was　symbolic　of　piercing　or　warding　off　the　enemy；　and　drawing　them　back　was　symbolic　of　drawing　their　own　men　from　danger。　The　hook　at　the　end　of　the　stick　was　particularly　well　adapted　to　serve　the　purpose　of　a　life…saving　apparatus。　The　women　always　pointed　their　weapons　towards　the　enemy's　country。　They　painted　their　faces　red　and　sang　as　they　danced；　and　they　prayed　to　the　weapons　to　preserve　their　husbands　and　help　them　to　kill　many　foes。　Some　had　eagle…down　stuck　on　the　points　of　their　sticks。　When　the　dance　was　over；　these　weapons　were　hidden。　If　a　woman　whose　husband　was　at　the　war　thought　she　saw　hair　or　a　piece　of　a　scalp　on　the　weapon　when　she　took　it　out；　she　knew　that　her　husband　had　killed　an　enemy。　But　if　she　saw　a　stain　of　blood　on　it；　she　knew　he　was　wounded　or　dead。　When　the　men　of　the　Yuki　tribe　in　California　were　away　fighting；　the　women　at　home　did　not　sleep；　they　danced　continually　in　a　circle；　chanting　and　waving　leafy　wands。　For　they　said　that　if　they　danced　all　the　time；　their　husbands　would　not　grow　tired。　Among　the　Haida　Indians　of　the　Queen　Charlotte　Islands；　when　the　men　had　gone　to　war；　the　women　at　home　would　get　up　very　early　in　the　morning　and　pretend　to　make　war　by　falling　upon　their　children　and　feigning　to　take　them　for　slaves。　This　was　supposed　to　help　their　husbands　to　go　and　do　likewise。　If　a　wife　were　unfaithful　to　her　husband　while　he　was　away　on　the　war…path；　he　would　probably　be　killed。　For　ten　nights　all　the　women　at　home　lay　with　their　heads　towards　the　point　of　the　compass　to　which　the　war…canoes　had　paddled　away。　Then　they　changed　about；　for　the　warriors　were　supposed　to　be　coming　home　across　the　sea。　At　Masset　the　Haida　women　danced　and　sang　war…songs　all　the　time　their　husbands　were　away　at　the　wars；　and　they　had　to　keep　everything　about　them　in　a　certain　order。　It　was　thought　that　a　wife　might　kill　her　husband　by　not　observing　these　customs。　When　a　band　of　Carib　Indians　of　the　Orinoco　had　gone　on　the　war…path；　their　friends　left　in　the　village　used　to　cal