the golden bough-第194章

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ayer。　We　have　nourished　thee　and　brought　thee　up　with　a　deal　of　pains　and　trouble；　all　because　we　love　thee　so。　Now；　as　thou　hast　grown　big；　we　are　about　to　send　thee　to　thy　father　and　mother。　When　thou　comest　to　them　please　speak　well　of　us；　and　tell　them　how　kind　we　have　been；　please　come　to　us　again　and　we　will　sacrifice　thee。　Having　been　secured　with　ropes；　the　bear　is　then　let　out　of　the　cage　and　assailed　with　a　shower　of　blunt　arrows　in　order　to　arouse　it　to　fury。　When　it　has　spent　itself　in　vain　struggles；　it　is　tied　up　to　a　stake；　gagged　and　strangled；　its　neck　being　placed　between　two　poles；　which　are　then　violently　compressed；　all　the　people　eagerly　helping　to　squeeze　the　animal　to　death。　An　arrow　is　also　discharged　into　the　beast's　heart　by　a　good　marksman；　but　so　as　not　to　shed　blood；　for　they　think　that　it　would　be　very　unlucky　if　any　of　the　blood　were　to　drip　on　the　ground。　However；　the　men　sometimes　drink　the　warm　blood　of　the　bear　that　the　courage　and　other　virtues　it　possesses　may　pass　into　them；　and　sometimes　they　besmear　themselves　and　their　clothes　with　the　blood　in　order　to　ensure　success　in　hunting。　When　the　animal　has　been　strangled　to　death；　it　is　skinned　and　its　head　is　cut　off　and　set　in　the　east　window　of　the　house；　where　a　piece　of　its　own　flesh　is　placed　under　its　snout；　together　with　a　cup　of　its　own　meat　boiled；　some　millet　dumplings；　and　dried　fish。　Prayers　are　then　addressed　to　the　dead　animal；　amongst　other　things　it　is　sometimes　invited；　after　going　away　to　its　father　and　mother；　to　return　into　the　world　in　order　that　it　may　again　be　reared　for　sacrifice。　When　the　bear　is　supposed　to　have　finished　eating　its　own　flesh；　the　man　who　presides　at　the　feast　takes　the　cup　containing　the　boiled　meat；　salutes　it；　and　divides　the　contents　between　all　the　company　present：　every　person；　young　and　old　alike；　must　taste　a　little。　The　cup　is　called　the　cup　of　offering　because　it　has　just　been　offered　to　the　dead　bear。　When　the　rest　of　the　flesh　has　been　cooked；　it　is　shared　out　in　like　manner　among　all　the　people；　everybody　partaking　of　at　least　a　morsel；　not　to　partake　of　the　feast　would　be　equivalent　to　excommunication；　it　would　be　to　place　the　recreant　outside　the　pale　of　Aino　fellowship。　Formerly　every　particle　of　the　bear；　except　the　bones；　had　to　be　eaten　up　at　the　banquet；　but　this　rule　is　now　relaxed。　The　head；　on　being　detached　from　the　skin；　is　set　up　on　a　long　pole　beside　the　sacred　wands　（inao）　outside　of　the　house；　where　it　remains　till　nothing　but　the　bare　white　skull　is　left。　Skulls　so　set　up　are　worshipped　not　only　at　the　time　of　the　festival；　but　very　often　as　long　as　they　last。　The　Aino　assured　Mr。　Batchelor　that　they　really　do　believe　the　spirits　of　the　worshipful　animals　to　reside　in　the　skulls；　that　is　why　they　address　them　as　divine　preservers　and　precious　divinities。

The　ceremony　of　killing　the　bear　was　witnessed　by　Dr。　B。　Scheube　on　the　tenth　of　August　at　Kunnui；　which　is　a　village　on　Volcano　Bay　in　the　island　of　Yezo　or　Yesso。　As　his　description　of　the　rite　contains　some　interesting　particulars　not　mentioned　in　the　foregoing　account；　it　may　be　worth　while　to　summarize　it。

On　entering　the　hut　he　found　about　thirty　Aino　present；　men；　women；　and　children；　all　dressed　in　their　best。　The　master　of　the　house　first　offered　a　libation　on　the　fireplace　to　the　god　of　the　fire；　and　the　guests　followed　his　example。　Then　a　libation　was　offered　to　the　house…god　in　his　sacred　corner　of　the　hut。　Meanwhile　the　housewife；　who　had　nursed　the　bear；　sat　by　herself；　silent　and　sad；　bursting　now　and　then　into　tears。　Her　grief　was　obviously　unaffected；　and　it　deepened　as　the　festival　went　on。　Next；　the　master　of　the　house　and　some　of　the　guests　went　out　of　the　hut　and　offered　libations　before　the　bear's　cage。　A　few　drops　were　presented　to　the　bear　in　a　saucer；　which　he　at　once　upset。　Then　the　women　and　girls　danced　round　the　cage；　their　faces　turned　towards　it；　their　knees　slightly　bent；　rising　and　hopping　on　their　toes。　As　they　danced　they　clapped　their　hands　and　sang　a　monotonous　song。　The　housewife　and　a　few　old　women；　who　might　have　nursed　many　bears；　danced　tearfully；　stretching　out　their　arms　to　the　bear；　and　addressing　it　in　terms　of　endearment。　The　young　folks　were　less　affected；　they　laughed　as　well　as　sang。　Disturbed　by　the　noise；　the　bear　began　to　rush　about　his　cage　and　howl　lamentably。　Next　libations　were　offered　at　the　inao　（inabos）　or　sacred　wands　which　stand　outside　of　an　Aino　hut。　These　wands　are　about　a　couple　of　feet　high；　and　are　whittled　at　the　top　into　spiral　shavings。　Five　new　wands　with　bamboo　leaves　attached　to　them　had　been　set　up　for　the　festival。　This　is　regularly　done　when　a　bear　is　killed；　the　leaves　mean　that　the　animal　may　come　to　life　again。　Then　the　bear　was　let　out　of　his　cage；　a　rope　was　thrown　round　his　neck；　and　he　was　led　about　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　hut。　While　this　was　being　done　the　men；　headed　by　a　chief；　shot　at　the　beast　with　arrows　tipped　with　wooden　buttons。　Dr。　Scheube　had　to　do　so　also。　Then　the　bear　was　taken　before　the　sacred　wands；　a　stick　was　put　in　his　mouth；　nine　men　knelt　on　him　and　pressed　his　neck　against　a　beam。　In　five　minutes　the　animal　had　expired　without　uttering　a　sound。　Meantime　the　women　and　girls　had　taken　post　behind　the　men；　where　they　danced；　lamenting；　and　beating　the　men　who　were　killing　the　bear。　The　bear's　carcase　was　next　placed　on　the　mat　before　the　sacred　wands；　and　a　sword　and　quiver；　taken　from　the　wands；　were　hung　round　the　beast's　neck。　Being　a　she…bear；　it　was　also　adorned　with　a　necklace　and　ear…rings。　Then　food　and　drink　were　offered　to　it；　in　the　shape　of　millet…broth；　millet…cakes；　and　a　pot　of　sake。　The　men　now　sat　down　on　mats　before　the　dead　bear；　offered　libations　to　it；　and　drank　deep。　Meanwhile　the　women　and　girls　had　laid　aside　all　marks　of　sorrow；　and　danced　merrily；　none　more　merrily　than　the　old　women。　When　the　mirth　was　at　its　height　two　young　Aino；　who　had　let　the　bear　out　of　his　cage；　mounted　the　roof　of　the　hut　and　threw　cakes　of　millet　among　the　company；　who　all　scrambled　for　them　without　distinction　of　age　or　sex。　The　bear　was　next　skinned　and　disembowelled；　and　the　trunk　severed　from　the　head；　to　which　the　skin　was　left　hanging。　The　blood；　caught　in　cups；　was　eagerly　swallowed　by　the　men。　None　of　the　women　or　children　appeared　to　drink　the　blood；　though　custom　did　not　forbid　them　to　do　so。　The　liver　was　cut　in　small　pieces　and　eaten　raw；　with　salt；　the　women　and　children　getting　their　share。　The　flesh　and　the　rest　of　the　vitals　were　taken　into　the　house　to　be　kept　till　the　next　day　but　one；　and　then　to　be　divided　among　the　persons　who　had　been　present　at　the　feast。　Blood　and　liver　were　offered　to　Dr。　Scheube。　While　the　bear　was　being　disembowelled；　the　women　and　girls　danced　the　same　dance　which　they　had　danced　at　the　beginningnot；　however；　round　the　cage；　but　in　front　of　the　sacred　wands。　At　this　dance　the　old　women；　who　had　been　merry　a　moment　before；　again　shed　tears　freely。　After　the　brain　had　been　extracted　from　the　bear's　head　and　swallowed　with　salt；　the　skull；　detached　from　the　skin；　was　hung　on　a　pole　beside　the　sacred　wands。　The　stick　with　which　the　bear　had　been　gagged　was　also　fastened　to　the　pole；　and　so　were　the　sword　and　quiver　which　had　been　hung　on　the　carcase。　The　latter　were　removed　in　about　an　hour；　but　the　rest　remained　standing。　The　whole　company；　men　and　women；　danced　noisily　before　the　pole；　and　another　drinking…bout；　in　which　the　women　joined；　closed　the　festival。

Perhaps　the　first　published　account　of　the　bear…feast　of　the　Aino　is　one　which　was　given　to　the　world　by　a　Japanese　writer　in　1652。　It　has　been　translated　into　French　and　runs　thus：　When　they　find　a　young　bear；　they　bring　it　home；　and　the　wife　suckles　it。　When　it　is　grown　they　feed　it　with　fish　and　fowl　and　kill　it　in　winter　for　the　sake　of　the　liver；　which　they　esteem　an　antidote　to　poison；　the　worms；　colic；　and　disorders　of　the　stomach。　It　is　of　a　very　bitter　taste；　and　is　good　for　nothing　if　the　bear　has　been　killed　in　summer。　This　butchery　begins　in　the　first　Japanese　month。　For　this　purpose　they　put　the　animal's　head　between　two　long　poles；　which　are　squeezed　together　by　fifty　or　sixty　people；　both　men　and　wom