the golden bough-第16章

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ion　in　England。　People　can't　die；　along　the　coast；　said　Mr。　Pegotty；　except　when　the　tide's　pretty　nigh　out。　They　can't　be　born；　unless　it's　pretty　nigh　innot　properly　born　till　flood。　The　belief　that　most　deaths　happen　at　ebb　tide　is　said　to　be　held　along　the　east　coast　of　England　from　Northumberland　to　Kent。　Shakespeare　must　have　been　familiar　with　it；　for　he　makes　Falstaff　die　even　just　between　twelve　and　one；　e'en　at　the　turning　o'　the　tide。　We　meet　the　belief　again　on　the　Pacific　coast　of　North　America　among　the　Haidas。　Whenever　a　good　Haida　is　about　to　die　he　sees　a　canoe　manned　by　some　of　his　dead　friends；　who　come　with　the　tide　to　bid　him　welcome　to　the　spirit　land。　Come　with　us　now；　they　say；　for　the　tide　is　about　to　ebb　and　we　must　depart。　At　Port　Stephens；　in　New　South　Wales；　the　natives　always　buried　their　dead　at　flood　tide；　never　at　ebb；　lest　the　retiring　water　should　bear　the　soul　of　the　departed　to　some　distant　country。

To　ensure　a　long　life　the　Chinese　have　recourse　to　certain　complicated　charms；　which　concentrate　in　themselves　the　magical　essence　emanating；　on　homoeopathic　principles；　from　times　and　seasons；　from　persons　and　from　things。　The　vehicles　employed　to　transmit　these　happy　influences　are　no　other　than　grave…clothes。　These　are　provided　by　many　Chinese　in　their　lifetime；　and　most　people　have　them　cut　out　and　sewn　by　an　unmarried　girl　or　a　very　young　woman；　wisely　calculating　that；　since　such　a　person　is　likely　to　live　a　great　many　years　to　come；　a　part　of　her　capacity　to　live　long　must　surely　pass　into　the　clothes；　and　thus　stave　off　for　many　years　the　time　when　they　shall　be　put　to　their　proper　use。　Further；　the　garments　are　made　by　preference　in　a　year　which　has　an　intercalary　month；　for　to　the　Chinese　mind　it　seems　plain　that　grave…clothes　made　in　a　year　which　is　unusually　long　will　possess　the　capacity　of　prolonging　life　in　an　unusually　high　degree。　Amongst　the　clothes　there　is　one　robe　in　particular　on　which　special　pains　have　been　lavished　to　imbue　it　with　this　priceless　quality。　It　is　a　long　silken　gown　of　the　deepest　blue　colour；　with　the　word　longevity　embroidered　all　over　it　in　thread　of　gold。　To　present　an　aged　parent　with　one　of　these　costly　and　splendid　mantles；　known　as　longevity　garments；　is　esteemed　by　the　Chinese　an　act　of　filial　piety　and　a　delicate　mark　of　attention。　As　the　garment　purports　to　prolong　the　life　of　its　owner；　he　often　wears　it；　especially　on　festive　occasions；　in　order　to　allow　the　influence　of　longevity；　created　by　the　many　golden　letters　with　which　it　is　bespangled；　to　work　their　full　effect　upon　his　person。　On　his　birthday；　above　all；　he　hardly　ever　fails　to　don　it；　for　in　China　common　sense　bids　a　man　lay　in　a　large　stock　of　vital　energy　on　his　birthday；　to　be　expended　in　the　form　of　health　and　vigour　during　the　rest　of　the　year。　Attired　in　the　gorgeous　pall；　and　absorbing　its　blessed　influence　at　every　pore；　the　happy　owner　receives　complacently　the　congratulations　of　friends　and　relations；　who　warmly　express　their　admiration　of　these　magnificent　cerements；　and　of　the　filial　piety　which　prompted　the　children　to　bestow　so　beautiful　and　useful　a　present　on　the　author　of　their　being。

Another　application　of　the　maxim　that　like　produces　like　is　seen　in　the　Chinese　belief　that　the　fortunes　of　a　town　are　deeply　affected　by　its　shape；　and　that　they　must　vary　according　to　the　character　of　the　thing　which　that　shape　most　nearly　resembles。　Thus　it　is　related　that　long　ago　the　town　of　Tsuen…cheu…fu；　the　outlines　of　which　are　like　those　of　a　carp；　frequently　fell　a　prey　to　the　depredations　of　the　neighbouring　city　of　Yung…chun；　which　is　shaped　like　a　fishing…net；　until　the　inhabitants　of　the　former　town　conceived　the　plan　of　erecting　two　tall　pagodas　in　their　midst。　These　pagodas；　which　still　tower　above　the　city　of　Tsuen…cheu…fu；　have　ever　since　exercised　the　happiest　influence　over　its　destiny　by　intercepting　the　imaginary　net　before　it　could　descend　and　entangle　in　its　meshes　the　imaginary　carp。　Some　forty　years　ago　the　wise　men　of　Shanghai　were　much　exercised　to　discover　the　cause　of　a　local　rebellion。　On　careful　enquiry　they　ascertained　that　the　rebellion　was　due　to　the　shape　of　a　large　new　temple　which　had　most　unfortunately　been　built　in　the　shape　of　a　tortoise；　an　animal　of　the　very　worst　character。　The　difficulty　was　serious；　the　danger　was　pressing；　for　to　pull　down　the　temple　would　have　been　impious；　and　to　let　it　stand　as　it　was　would　be　to　court　a　succession　of　similar　or　worse　disasters。　However；　the　genius　of　the　local　professors　of　geomancy；　rising　to　the　occasion；　triumphantly　surmounted　the　difficulty　and　obviated　the　danger。　By　filling　up　two　wells；　which　represented　the　eyes　of　the　tortoise；　they　at　once　blinded　that　disreputable　animal　and　rendered　him　incapable　of　doing　further　mischief。

Sometimes　homoeopathic　or　imitative　magic　is　called　in　to　annul　an　evil　omen　by　accomplishing　it　in　mimicry。　The　effect　is　to　circumvent　destiny　by　substituting　a　mock　calamity　for　a　real　one。　In　Madagascar　this　mode　of　cheating　the　fates　is　reduced　to　a　regular　system。　Here　every　man's　fortune　is　determined　by　the　day　or　hour　of　his　birth；　and　if　that　happens　to　be　an　unlucky　one　his　fate　is　sealed；　unless　the　mischief　can　be　extracted；　as　the　phrase　goes；　by　means　of　a　substitute。　The　ways　of　extracting　the　mischief　are　various。　For　example；　if　a　man　is　born　on　the　first　day　of　the　second　month　（February）；　his　house　will　be　burnt　down　when　he　comes　of　age。　To　take　time　by　the　forelock　and　avoid　this　catastrophe；　the　friends　of　the　infant　will　set　up　a　shed　in　a　field　or　in　the　cattle…fold　and　burn　it。　If　the　ceremony　is　to　be　really　effective；　the　child　and　his　mother　should　be　placed　in　the　shed　and　only　plucked；　like　brands；　from　the　burning　hut　before　it　is　too　late。　Again；　dripping　November　is　the　month　of　tears；　and　he　who　is　born　in　it　is　born　to　sorrow。　But　in　order　to　disperse　the　clouds　that　thus　gather　over　his　future；　he　has　nothing　to　do　but　to　take　the　lid　off　a　boiling　pot　and　wave　it　about。　The　drops　that　fall　from　it　will　accomplish　his　destiny　and　so　prevent　the　tears　from　trickling　from　his　eyes。　Again；　if　fate　has　decreed　that　a　young　girl；　still　unwed；　should　see　her　children；　still　unborn；　descend　before　her　with　sorrow　to　the　grave；　she　can　avert　the　calamity　as　follows。　She　kills　a　grasshopper；　wraps　it　in　a　rag　to　represent　a　shroud；　and　mourns　over　it　like　Rachel　weeping　for　her　children　and　refusing　to　be　comforted。　Moreover；　she　takes　a　dozen　or　more　other　grasshoppers；　and　having　removed　some　of　their　superfluous　legs　and　wings　she　lays　them　about　their　dead　and　shrouded　fellow。　The　buzz　of　the　tortured　insects　and　the　agitated　motions　of　their　mutilated　limbs　represent　the　shrieks　and　contortions　of　the　mourners　at　a　funeral。　After　burying　the　deceased　grasshopper　she　leaves　the　rest　to　continue　their　mourning　till　death　releases　them　from　their　pain；　and　having　bound　up　her　dishevelled　hair　she　retires　from　the　grave　with　the　step　and　carriage　of　a　person　plunged　in　grief。　Thenceforth　she　looks　cheerfully　forward　to　seeing　her　children　survive　her；　for　it　cannot　be　that　she　should　mourn　and　bury　them　twice　over。　Once　more；　if　fortune　has　frowned　on　a　man　at　his　birth　and　penury　has　marked　him　for　her　own；　he　can　easily　erase　the　mark　in　question　by　purchasing　a　couple　of　cheap　pearls；　price　three　halfpence；　and　burying　them。　For　who　but　the　rich　of　this　world　can　thus　afford　to　fling　pearls　away？

3。　Contagious　Magic

THUS　far　we　have　been　considering　chiefly　that　branch　of　sympathetic　magic　which　may　be　called　homoeopathic　or　imitative。　Its　leading　principle；　as　we　have　seen；　is　that　like　produces　like；　or；　in　other　words；　that　an　effect　resembles　its　cause。　The　other　great　branch　of　sympathetic　magic；　which　I　have　called　Contagious　Magic；　proceeds　upon　the　notion　that　things　which　have　once　been　conjoined　must　remain　ever　afterwards；　even　when　quite　dissevered　from　each　other；　in　such　a　sympathetic　relation　that　whatever　is　done　to　the　one　must　similarly　affect　the　other。　Thus　the　logical　basis　of　Contagious　Magic；　like　that　of　Homoeopathic　Magic；　is　a　mistaken　association　of　ideas；　its　physical　basis；　if　we　may　speak　of　such　a　thin