the golden bough-第207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！


es　my　fatigue。　The　act　is　not　a　religious　rite；　for　the　thing　thrown　on　the　heap　is　not　an　offering　to　spiritual　powers；　and　the　words　which　accompany　the　act　are　not　a　prayer。　It　is　nothing　but　a　magical　ceremony　for　getting　rid　of　fatigue；　which　the　simple　savage　fancies　he　can　embody　in　a　stick；　leaf；　or　stone；　and　so　cast　it　from　him。　2。　The　Transference　to　Animals

ANIMALS　are　often　employed　as　a　vehicle　for　carrying　away　or　transferring　the　evil。　When　a　Moor　has　a　headache　he　will　sometimes　take　a　lamb　or　a　goat　and　beat　it　till　it　falls　down；　believing　that　the　headache　will　thus　be　transferred　to　the　animal。　In　Morocco　most　wealthy　Moors　keep　a　wild　boar　in　their　stables；　in　order　that　the　jinn　and　evil　spirits　may　be　diverted　from　the　horses　and　enter　into　the　boar。　Amongst　the　Caffres　of　South　Africa；　when　other　remedies　have　failed；　natives　sometimes　adopt　the　custom　of　taking　a　goat　into　the　presence　of　a　sick　man；　and　confess　the　sins　of　the　kraal　over　the　animal。　Sometimes　a　few　drops　of　blood　from　the　sick　man　are　allowed　to　fall　on　the　head　of　the　goat；　which　is　turned　out　into　an　uninhabited　part　of　the　veldt。　The　sickness　is　supposed　to　be　transferred　to　the　animal；　and　to　become　lost　in　the　desert。　In　Arabia；　when　the　plague　is　raging；　the　people　will　sometimes　lead　a　camel　through　all　the　quarters　of　the　town　in　order　that　the　animal　may　take　the　pestilence　on　itself。　Then　they　strangle　it　in　a　sacred　place　and　imagine　that　they　have　rid　themselves　of　the　camel　and　of　the　plague　at　one　blow。　It　is　said　that　when　smallpox　is　raging　the　savages　of　Formosa　will　drive　the　demon　of　disease　into　a　sow；　then　cut　off　the　animal's　ears　and　burn　them　or　it；　believing　that　in　this　way　they　rid　themselves　of　the　plague。

Amongst　the　Malagasy　the　vehicle　for　carrying　away　evils　is　called　a　faditra。　The　faditra　is　anything　selected　by　the　sikidy　＇divining　board＇　for　the　purpose　of　taking　away　any　hurtful　evils　or　diseases　that　might　prove　injurious　to　an　individual's　happiness；　peace；　or　prosperity。　The　faditra　may　be　either　ashes；　cut　money；　a　sheep；　a　pumpkin；　or　anything　else　the　sikidy　may　choose　to　direct。　After　the　particular　article　is　appointed；　the　priest　counts　upon　it　all　the　evils　that　may　prove　injurious　to　the　person　for　whom　it　is　made；　and　which　he　then　charges　the　faditra　to　take　away　for　ever。　If　the　faditra　be　ashes；　it　is　blown；　to　be　carried　away　by　the　wind。　If　it　be　cut　money；　it　is　thrown　to　the　bottom　of　deep　water；　or　where　it　can　never　be　found。　If　it　be　a　sheep；　it　is　carried　away　to　a　distance　on　the　shoulders　of　a　man；　who　runs　with　all　his　might；　mumbling　as　he　goes；　as　if　in　the　greatest　rage　against　the　faditra；　for　the　evils　it　is　bearing　away。　If　it　be　a　pumpkin；　it　is　carried　on　the　shoulders　to　a　little　distance；　and　there　dashed　upon　the　ground　with　every　appearance　of　fury　and　indignation。　A　Malagasy　was　informed　by　a　diviner　that　he　was　doomed　to　a　bloody　death；　but　that　possibly　he　might　avert　his　fate　by　performing　a　certain　rite。　Carrying　a　small　vessel　full　of　blood　upon　his　head；　he　was　to　mount　upon　the　back　of　a　bullock；　while　thus　mounted；　he　was　to　spill　the　blood　upon　the　bullock's　head；　and　then　send　the　animal　away　into　the　wilderness；　whence　it　might　never　return。

The　Bataks　of　Sumatra　have　a　ceremony　which　they　call　making　the　curse　to　fly　away。　When　a　woman　is　childless；　a　sacrifice　is　offered　to　the　gods　of　three　grasshoppers；　representing　a　head　of　cattle；　a　buffalo；　and　a　horse。　Then　a　swallow　is　set　free；　with　a　prayer　that　the　curse　may　fall　upon　the　bird　and　fly　away　with　it。　The　entrance　into　a　house　of　an　animal　which　does　not　generally　seek　to　share　the　abode　of　man　is　regarded　by　the　Malays　as　ominous　of　misfortune。　If　a　wild　bird　flies　into　a　house；　it　must　be　carefully　caught　and　smeared　with　oil；　and　must　then　be　released　in　the　open　air；　a　formula　being　recited　in　which　it　is　bidden　to　fly　away　with　all　the　ill…luck　and　misfortunes　of　the　occupier。　In　antiquity　Greek　women　seem　to　have　done　the　same　with　swallows　which　they　caught　in　the　house：　they　poured　oil　on　them　and　let　them　fly　away；　apparently　for　the　purpose　of　removing　ill…luck　from　the　household。　The　Huzuls　of　the　Carpathians　imagine　that　they　can　transfer　freckles　to　the　first　swallow　they　see　in　spring　by　washing　their　face　in　flowing　water　and　saying；　Swallow；　swallow；　take　my　freckles；　and　give　me　rosy　cheeks。

Among　the　Badagas　of　the　Neilgherry　Hills　in　Southern　India；　when　a　death　has　taken　place；　the　sins　of　the　deceased　are　laid　upon　a　buffalo　calf。　For　this　purpose　the　people　gather　round　the　corpse　and　carry　it　outside　of　the　village。　There　an　elder　of　the　tribe；　standing　at　the　head　of　the　corpse；　recites　or　chants　a　long　list　of　sins　such　as　any　Badaga　may　commit；　and　the　people　repeat　the　last　word　of　each　line　after　him。　The　confession　of　sins　is　thrice　repeated。　By　a　conventional　mode　of　expression；　the　sum　total　of　sins　a　man　may　do　is　said　to　be　thirteen　hundred。　Admitting　that　the　deceased　has　committed　them　all；　the　performer　cries　aloud；　'Stay　not　their　flight　to　God's　pure　feet。'　As　he　closes；　the　whole　assembly　chants　aloud　'Stay　not　their　flight。'　Again　the　performer　enters　into　details；　and　cries；　'He　killed　the　crawling　snake。　It　is　a　sin。'　In　a　moment　the　last　word　is　caught　up；　and　all　the　people　cry　'It　is　a　sin。'　As　they　shout；　the　performer　lays　his　hand　upon　the　calf。　The　sin　is　transferred　to　the　calf。　Thus　the　whole　catalogue　is　gone　through　in　this　impressive　way。　But　this　is　not　enough。　As　the　last　shout　'Let　all　be　well'　dies　away；　the　performer　gives　place　to　another；　and　again　confession　is　made；　and　all　the　people　shout　'It　is　a　sin。'　A　third　time　it　is　done。　Then；　still　in　solemn　silence；　the　calf　is　let　loose。　Like　the　Jewish　scapegoat；　it　may　never　be　used　for　secular　work。　At　a　Badaga　funeral　witnessed　by　the　Rev。　A。　C。　Clayton　the　buffalo　calf　was　led　thrice　round　the　bier；　and　the　dead　man's　hand　was　laid　on　its　head。　By　this　act；　the　calf　was　supposed　to　receive　all　the　sins　of　the　deceased。　It　was　then　driven　away　to　a　great　distance；　that　it　might　contaminate　no　one；　and　it　was　said　that　it　would　never　be　sold；　but　looked　on　as　a　dedicated　sacred　animal。　The　idea　of　this　ceremony　is；　that　the　sins　of　the　deceased　enter　the　calf；　or　that　the　task　of　his　absolution　is　laid　on　it。　They　say　that　the　calf　very　soon　disappears；　and　that　it　is　never　heard　of。

3。　The　Transference　to　Men

AGAIN；　men　sometimes　play　the　part　of　scapegoat　by　diverting　to　themselves　the　evils　that　threaten　others。　When　a　Cingalese　is　dangerously　ill；　and　the　physicians　can　do　nothing；　a　devil…dancer　is　called　in；　who　by　making　offerings　to　the　devils；　and　dancing　in　the　masks　appropriate　to　them；　conjures　these　demons　of　disease；　one　after　the　other；　out　of　the　sick　man's　body　and　into　his　own。　Having　thus　successfully　extracted　the　cause　of　the　malady；　the　artful　dancer　lies　down　on　a　bier；　and　shamming　death　is　carried　to　an　open　place　outside　the　village。　Here；　being　left　to　himself；　he　soon　comes　to　life　again；　and　hastens　back　to　claim　his　reward。　In　1590　a　Scotch　which　of　the　name　of　Agnes　Sampson　was　convicted　of　curing　a　certain　Robert　Kers　of　a　disease　laid　upon　him　by　a　westland　warlock　when　he　was　at　Dumfries；　whilk　sickness　she　took　upon　herself；　and　kept　the　same　with　great　groaning　and　torment　till　the　morn；　at　whilk　time　there　was　a　great　din　heard　in　the　house。　The　noise　was　made　by　the　witch　in　her　efforts　to　shift　the　disease；　by　means　of　clothes；　from　herself　to　a　cat　or　dog。　Unfortunately　the　attempt　partly　miscarried。　The　disease　missed　the　animal　and　hit　Alexander　Douglas　of　Dalkeith；　who　dwined　and　died　of　it；　while　the　original　patient；　Robert　Kers；　was　made　whole。

In　one　part　of　New　Zealand　an　expiation　for　sin　was　felt　to　be　necessary；　a　service　was　performed　over　an　individual；　by　which　all　the　sins　of　the　tribe　were　supposed　to　be　transferred　to　him；　a　fern　stalk　was　previously　tied　to　his　person；　with　which　he　jumped　into　the　river；　and　there　unbinding；　allowed　it　to　float　away　to　the　sea；　bearing　their　sins　with　it。　In　great　emergencies　the　sins　of　the　Rajah　of　Manipur　used　to　be　transferred　to　somebody　else；　usually　to　a　criminal；　who