the golden bough-第193章

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　world　in　which　the　souls　of　the　departed　are　believed　to　be　assembled　in　the　form　of　turtles。　It　is　a　common　belief　that　the　spirits　of　the　dead　return　occasionally　to　their　old　homes；　and　accordingly　the　unseen　visitors　are　welcomed　and　feasted　by　the　living；　and　then　sent　upon　their　way。　In　the　Zuni　ceremony　the　dead　are　fetched　home　in　the　form　of　turtles；　and　the　killing　of　the　turtles　is　the　way　of　sending　back　the　souls　to　the　spirit…land。　Thus　the　general　explanation　given　above　of　the　custom　of　killing　a　god　seems　inapplicable　to　the　Zuni　custom；　the　true　meaning　of　which　is　somewhat　obscure。　Nor　is　the　obscurity　which　hangs　over　the　subject　entirely　dissipated　by　a　later　and　fuller　account　which　we　possess　of　the　ceremony。　From　it　we　learn　that　the　ceremony　forms　part　of　the　elaborate　ritual　which　these　Indians　observe　at　the　midsummer　solstice　for　the　purpose　of　ensuring　an　abundant　supply　of　rain　for　the　crops。　Envoys　are　despatched　to　bring　their　otherselves；　the　tortoises；　from　the　sacred　lake　Kothluwalawa；　to　which　the　souls　of　the　dead　are　believed　to　repair。　When　the　creatures　have　thus　been　solemnly　brought　to　Zuni；　they　are　placed　in　a　bowl　of　water　and　dances　are　performed　beside　them　by　men　in　costume；　who　personate　gods　and　goddesses。　After　the　ceremonial　the　tortoises　are　taken　home　by　those　who　caught　them　and　are　hung　by　their　necks　to　the　rafters　till　morning；　when　they　are　thrown　into　pots　of　boiling　water。　The　eggs　are　considered　a　great　delicacy。　The　meat　is　seldom　touched　except　as　a　medicine；　which　is　curative　for　cutaneous　diseases。　Part　of　the　meat　is　deposited　in　the　river　with　kóhakwa　（white　shell　beads）　and　turquoise　beads　as　offerings　to　Council　of　the　Gods。　This　account　at　all　events　confirms　the　inference　that　the　tortoises　are　supposed　to　be　reincarnations　of　the　human　dead；　for　they　are　called　the　otherselves　of　the　Zuni；　indeed；　what　else　should　they　be　than　the　souls　of　the　dead　in　the　bodies　of　tortoises　seeing　that　they　come　from　the　haunted　lake？　As　the　principal　object　of　the　prayers　uttered　and　of　the　dances　performed　at　these　midsummer　ceremonies　appears　to　be　to　procure　rain　for　the　crops；　it　may　be　that　the　intention　of　bringing　the　tortoises　to　Zuni　and　dancing　before　them　is　to　intercede　with　the　ancestral　spirit；　incarnate　in　the　animals；　that　they　may　be　pleased　to　exert　their　power　over　the　waters　of　heaven　for　the　benefit　of　their　living　descendants。

5。　Killing　the　Sacred　Bear

DOUBT　also　hangs　at　first　sight　over　the　meaning　of　the　bear…sacrifice　offered　by　the　Aino　or　Ainu；　a　primitive　people　who　are　found　in　the　Japanese　island　of　Yezo　or　Yesso；　as　well　as　in　Saghalien　and　the　southern　of　the　Kurile　Islands。　It　is　not　quite　easy　to　define　the　attitude　of　the　Aino　towards　the　bear。　On　the　one　hand　they　give　it　the　name　of　kamui　or　god；　but　as　they　apply　the　same　word　to　strangers；　it　may　mean　no　more　than　a　being　supposed　to　be　endowed　with　superhuman；　or　at　all　events　extraordinary；　powers。　Again；　it　is　said　that　the　bear　is　their　chief　divinity；　in　the　religion　of　the　Aino　the　bear　plays　a　chief　part；　amongst　the　animals　it　is　especially　the　bear　which　receives　an　idolatrous　veneration；　they　worship　it　after　their　fashion；　there　is　no　doubt　that　this　wild　beast　inspires　more　of　the　feeling　which　prompts　worship　than　the　inanimate　forces　of　nature；　and　the　Aino　may　be　distinguished　as　bear…worshippers。　Yet；　on　the　other　hand；　they　kill　the　bear　whenever　they　can；　in　bygone　years　the　Ainu　considered　bear…hunting　the　most　manly　and　useful　way　in　which　a　person　could　possibly　spend　his　time；　the　men　spend　the　autumn；　winter；　and　spring　in　hunting　deer　and　bears。　Part　of　their　tribute　or　taxes　is　paid　in　skins；　and　they　subsist　on　the　dried　meat；　bear's　flesh　is　indeed　one　of　their　staple　foods；　they　eat　it　both　fresh　and　salted；　and　the　skins　of　bears　furnish　them　with　clothing。　In　fact；　the　worship　of　which　writers　on　this　subject　speak　appears　to　be　paid　chiefly　to　the　dead　animal。　Thus；　although　they　kill　a　bear　whenever　they　can；　in　the　process　of　dissecting　the　carcass　they　endeavor　to　conciliate　the　deity；　whose　representative　they　have　slain；　by　making　elaborate　obeisances　and　deprecatory　salutations；　when　a　bear　has　been　killed　the　Ainu　sit　down　and　admire　it；　make　their　salaams　to　it；　worship　it；　and　offer　presents　of　inao；　when　a　bear　is　trapped　or　wounded　by　an　arrow；　the　hunters　go　through　an　apologetic　or　propitiatory　ceremony。　The　skulls　of　slain　bears　receive　a　place　of　honour　in　their　huts；　or　are　set　up　on　sacred　posts　outside　the　huts；　and　are　treated　with　much　respect：　libations　of　millet　beer；　and　of　sake；　an　intoxicating　liquor；　are　offered　to　them；　and　they　are　addressed　as　divine　preservers　or　precious　divinities。　The　skulls　of　foxes　are　also　fastened　to　the　sacred　posts　outside　the　huts；　they　are　regarded　as　charms　against　evil　spirits；　and　are　consulted　as　oracles。　Yet　it　is　expressly　said；　The　live　fox　is　revered　just　as　little　as　the　bear；　rather　they　avoid　it　as　much　as　possible；　considering　it　a　wily　animal。　The　bear　can　hardly；　therefore；　be　described　as　a　sacred　animal　of　the　Aino；　nor　yet　as　a　totem；　for　they　do　not　call　themselves　bears；　and　they　kill　and　eat　the　animal　freely。　However；　they　have　a　legend　of　a　woman　who　had　a　son　by　a　bear；　and　many　of　them　who　dwell　in　the　mountains　pride　themselves　on　being　descended　from　a　bear。　Such　people　are　called　Descendants　of　the　bear　（Kimun　Kamui　sanikiri）；　and　in　the　pride　of　their　heart　they　will　say；　As　for　me；　I　am　a　child　of　the　god　of　the　mountains；　I　am　descended　from　the　divine　one　who　rules　in　the　mountains；　meaning　by　the　god　of　the　mountains　no　other　than　the　bear。　It　is　therefore　possible　that；　as　our　principal　authority；　the　Rev。　J。　Batchelor；　believes；　the　bear　may　have　been　the　totem　of　an　Aino　clan；　but　even　if　that　were　so　it　would　not　explain　the　respect　shown　for　the　animal　by　the　whole　Aino　people。

But　it　is　the　bear…festival　of　the　Aino　which　concerns　us　here。　Towards　the　end　of　winter　a　bear　cub　is　caught　and　brought　into　the　village。　If　it　is　very　small；　it　is　suckled　by　an　Aino　woman；　but　should　there　be　no　woman　able　to　suckle　it；　the　little　animal　is　fed　from　the　hand　or　the　mouth。　During　the　day　it　plays　about　in　the　hut　with　the　children　and　is　treated　with　great　affection。　But　when　the　cub　grows　big　enough　to　pain　people　by　hugging　or　scratching　them；　he　is　shut　up　in　a　strong　wooden　cage；　where　he　stays　generally　for　two　or　three　years；　fed　on　fish　and　millet　porridge；　till　it　is　time　for　him　to　be　killed　and　eaten。　But　it　is　a　peculiarly　striking　fact　that　the　young　bear　is　not　kept　merely　to　furnish　a　good　meal；　rather　he　is　regarded　and　honoured　as　a　fetish；　or　even　as　a　sort　of　higher　being。　In　Yezo　the　festival　is　generally　celebrated　in　September　or　October。　Before　it　takes　place　the　Aino　apologise　to　their　gods；　alleging　that　they　have　treated　the　bear　kindly　as　long　as　they　could；　now　they　can　feed　him　no　longer；　and　are　obliged　to　kill　him。　A　man　who　gives　a　bear…feast　invites　his　relations　and　friends；　in　a　small　village　nearly　the　whole　community　takes　part　in　the　feast；　indeed；　guests　from　distant　villages　are　invited　and　generally　come；　allured　by　the　prospect　of　getting　drunk　for　nothing。　The　form　of　invitation　runs　somewhat　as　follows：　I；　so　and　so；　am　about　to　sacrifice　the　dear　little　divine　thing　who　resides　among　the　mountains。　My　friends　and　masters；　come　ye

to　the　feast；　we　will　then　unite　in　the　great　pleasure　of　sending　the　god　away。　Come。　When　all　the　people　are　assembled　in　front　of　the　cage；　an　orator　chosen　for　the　purpose　addresses　the　bear　and　tells　it　that　they　are　about　to　send　it　forth　to　its　ancestors。　He　craves　pardon　for　what　they　are　about　to　do　to　it；　hopes　it　will　not　be　angry；　and　comforts　it　by　assuring　the　animal　that　many　of　the　sacred　whittled　sticks　（inao）　and　plenty　of　cakes　and　wine　will　be　sent　with　it　on　the　long　journey。　One　speech　of　this　sort　which　Mr。　Batchelor　heard　ran　as　follows：　O　thou　divine　one；　thou　wast　sent　into　the　world　for　us　to　hunt。　O　thou　precious　little　divinity；　we　worship　thee；　pray　hear　our　prayer。　We　have　nourished　thee　and　brought　thee　up　with　a　deal　of　pains　and　trouble；　all　because　we　lo