the golden bough-第203章

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soon　as　they　have　butchered　it。　When　an　Esquimau　of　Alaska　has　killed　a　fox；　he　carefully　cuts　the　tendons　of　all　the　animal's　legs　in　order　to　prevent　the　ghost　from　reanimating　the　body　and　walking　about。　But　hamstringing　the　carcase　is　not　the　only　measure　which　the　prudent　savage　adopts　for　the　sake　of　disabling　the　ghost　of　his　victim。　In　old　days；　when　the　Aino　went　out　hunting　and　killed　a　fox　first；　they　took　care　to　tie　its　mouth　up　tightly　in　order　to　prevent　the　ghost　of　the　animal　from　sallying　forth　and　warning　its　fellows　against　the　approach　of　the　hunter。　The　Gilyaks　of　the　Amoor　River　put　out　the　eyes　of　the　seals　they　have　killed；　lest　the　ghosts　of　the　slain　animals　should　know　their　slayers　and　avenge　their　death　by　spoiling　the　seal…hunt。

Besides　the　animals　which　primitive　man　dreads　for　their　strength　and　ferocity；　and　those　which　he　reveres　on　account　of　the　benefits　which　he　expects　from　them；　there　is　another　class　of　creatures　which　he　sometimes　deems　it　necessary　to　conciliate　by　worship　and　sacrifice。　These　are　the　vermin　that　infest　his　crops　and　his　cattle。　To　rid　himself　of　these　deadly　foes　the　farmer　has　recourse　to　many　superstitious　devices；　of　which；　though　some　are　meant　to　destroy　or　intimidate　the　vermin；　others　aim　at　propitiating　them　and　persuading　them　by　fair　means　to　spare　the　fruits　of　the　earth　and　the　herds。　Thus　Esthonian　peasants；　in　the　island　of　Oesel；　stand　in　great　awe　of　the　weevil；　an　insect　which　is　exceedingly　destructive　to　the　grain。　They　give　it　a　fine　name；　and　if　a　child　is　about　to　kill　a　weevil　they　say；　Don't　do　it；　the　more　we　hurt　him；　the　more　he　hurts　us。　If　they　find　a　weevil　they　bury　it　in　the　earth　instead　of　killing　it。　Some　even　put　the　weevil　under　a　stone　in　the　field　and　offer　corn　to　it。　They　think　that　thus　it　is　appeased　and　does　less　harm。　Amongst　the　Saxons　of　Transylvania；　in　order　to　keep　sparrows　from　the　corn；　the　sower　begins　by　throwing　the　first　handful　of　seed　backwards　over　his　head；　saying；　That　is　for　you；　sparrows。　To　guard　the　corn　against　the　attacks　of　leaf…flies　he　shuts　his　eyes　and　scatters　three　handfuls　of　oats　in　different　directions。　Having　made　this　offering　to　the　leaf…flies　he　feels　sure　that　they　will　spare　the　corn。　A　Transylvanian　way　of　securing　the　crops　against　all　birds；　beasts；　and　insects；　is　this：　after　he　has　finished　sowing；　the　sower　goes　once　more　from　end　to　end　of　the　field　imitating　the　gesture　of　sowing；　but　with　an　empty　hand。　As　he　does　so　he　says；　I　sow　this　for　the　animals；　I　sow　it　for　every　thing　that　flies　and　creeps；　that　walks　and　stands；　that　sings　and　springs；　in　the　name　of　God　the　Father；　etc。　The　following　is　a　German　way　of　freeing　a　garden　from　caterpillars。　After　sunset　or　at　midnight　the　mistress　of　the　house；　or　another　female　member　of　the　family；　walks　all　round　the　garden　dragging　a　broom　after　her。　She　may　not　look　behind　her；　and　must　keep　murmuring；　Good　evening；　Mother　Caterpillar；　you　shall　come　with　your　husband　to　church。　The　garden　gate　is　left　open　till　the　following　morning。

Sometimes　in　dealing　with　vermin　the　farmer　aims　at　hitting　a　happy　mean　between　excessive　rigour　on　the　one　hand　and　weak　indulgence　on　the　other；　kind　but　firm；　he　tempers　severity　with　mercy。　An　ancient　Greek　treatise　on　farming　advises　the　husbandman　who　would　rid　his　lands　of　mice　to　act　thus：　Take　a　sheet　of　paper　and　write　on　it　as　follows：　'I　adjure　you；　ye　mice　here　present；　that　ye　neither　injure　me　nor　suffer　another　mouse　to　do　so。　I　give　you　yonder　field'　（here　you　specify　the　field）；　'but　if　ever　I　catch　you　here　again；　by　the　Mother　of　the　Gods　I　will　rend　you　in　seven　pieces。'　Write　this；　and　stick　the　paper　on　an　unhewn　stone　in　the　field　before　sunrise；　taking　care　to　keep　the　written　side　up。　In　the　Ardennes　they　say　that　to　get　rid　of　rats　you　should　repeat　the　following　words：　Erat　verbum；　apud　Deum　vestrum。　Male　rats　and　female　rats；　I　conjure　you；　by　the　great　God；　to　go　out　of　my　house；　out　of　all　my　habitations；　and　to　betake　yourselves　to　such　and　such　a　place；　there　to　end　your　days。　Decretis；　reversis　et　desembarassis　virgo　potens；　clemens；　justitiae。　Then　write　the　same　words　on　pieces　of　paper；　fold　them　up；　and　place　one　of　them　under　the　door　by　which　the　rats　are　to　go　forth；　and　the　other　on　the　road　which　they　are　to　take。　This　exorcism　should　be　performed　at　sunrise。　Some　years　ago　an　American　farmer　was　reported　to　have　written　a　civil　letter　to　the　rats；　telling　them　that　his　crops　were　short；　that　he　could　not　afford　to　keep　them　through　the　winter；　that　he　had　been　very　kind　to　them；　and　that　for　their　own　good　he　thought　they　had　better　leave　him　and　go　to　some　of　his　neighbours　who　had　more　grain。　This　document　he　pinned　to　a　post　in　his　barn　for　the　rats　to　read。

Sometimes　the　desired　object　is　supposed　to　be　attained　by　treating　with　high　distinction　one　or　two　chosen　individuals　of　the　obnoxious　species；　while　the　rest　are　pursued　with　relentless　rigour。　In　the　East　Indian　island　of　Bali；　the　mice　which　ravage　the　rice…fields　are　caught　in　great　numbers；　and　burned　in　the　same　way　that　corpses　are　burned。　But　two　of　the　captured　mice　are　allowed　to　live；　and　receive　a　little　packet　of　white　linen。　Then　the　people　bow　down　before　them；　as　before　gods；　and　let　them　go。　When　the　farms　of　the　Sea　Dyaks　or　Ibans　of　Sarawak　are　much　pestered　by　birds　and　insects；　they　catch　a　specimen　of　each　kind　of　vermin　（one　sparrow；　one　grasshopper；　and　so　on）；　put　them　in　a　tiny　boat　of　bark　well…stocked　with　provisions；　and　then　allow　the　little　vessel　with　its　obnoxious　passengers　to　float　down　the　river。　If　that　does　not　drive　the　pests　away；　the　Dyaks　resort　to　what　they　deem　a　more　effectual　mode　of　accomplishing　the　same　purpose。　They　make　a　clay　crocodile　as　large　as　life　and　set　it　up　in　the　fields；　where　they　offer　it　food；　rice…spirit；　and　cloth；　and　sacrifice　a　fowl　and　a　pig　before　it。　Mollified　by　these　attentions；　the　ferocious　animal　very　soon　gobbles　up　all　the　creatures　that　devour　the　crops。　In　Albania；　if　the　fields　or　vineyards　are　ravaged　by　locusts　or　beetles；　some　of　the　women　will　assemble　with　dishevelled　hair；　catch　a　few　of　the　insects；　and　march　with　them　in　a　funeral　procession　to　a　spring　or　stream；　in　which　they　drown　the　creatures。　Then　one　of　the　women　sings；　O　locusts　and　beetles　who　have　left　us　bereaved；　and　the　dirge　is　taken　up　and　repeated　by　all　the　women　in　chorus。　Thus　by　celebrating　the　obsequies　of　a　few　locusts　and　beetles；　they　hope　to　bring　about　the　death　of　them　all。　When　caterpillars　invaded　a　vineyard　or　field　in　Syria；　the　virgins　were　gathered；　and　one　of　the　caterpillars　was　taken　and　a　girl　made　its　mother。　Then　they　bewailed　and　buried　it。　Thereafter　they　conducted　the　mother　to　the　place　where　the　caterpillars　were；　consoling　her；　in　order　that　all　the　caterpillars　might　leave　the　garden。

Chapter　54。　Types　of　Animal　Sacrament。

1。　The　Egyptian　and　the　Aino　Types　of　Sacrament

WE　are　now　perhaps　in　a　position　to　understand　the　ambiguous　behaviour　of　the　Aino　and　Gilyaks　towards　the　bear。　It　has　been　shown　that　the　sharp　line　of　demarcation　which　we　draw　between　mankind　and　the　lower　animals　does　not　exist　for　the　savage。　To　him　many　of　the　other　animals　appear　as　his　equals　or　even　his　superiors；　not　merely　in　brute　force　but　in　intelligence；　and　if　choice　or　necessity　leads　him　to　take　their　lives；　he　feels　bound；　out　of　regard　to　his　own　safety；　to　do　it　in　a　way　which　will　be　as　inoffensive　as　possible　not　merely　to　the　living　animal；　but　to　its　departed　spirit　and　to　all　the　other　animals　of　the　same　species；　which　would　resent　an　affront　put　upon　one　of　their　kind　much　as　a　tribe　of　savages　would　revenge　an　injury　or　insult　offered　to　a　tribesman。　We　have　seen　that　among　the　many　devices　by　which　the　savage　seeks　to　atone　for　the　wrong　done　by　him　to　his　animal　victims　one　is　to　show　marked　deference　to　a　few　chosen　individuals　of　the　species；　for　such　behaviour　is　apparently　regarded　as　entitling　him　to　exterminate　with　impunity　all　the　rest　of　the　species　upon　which　he　can　lay　hands。　This　principle　perhaps　explains　the　attitude；　at　first　sight　puzzling　and　contradictory；　of　the　Aino　towards　the　bear。　T