the golden bough-第217章

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　to　other　islands；　to　other　lands；　distribute　them　in　places　that　lie　eastward；　where　the　sun　rises。　The　Biajas　of　Borneo　annually　send　to　sea　a　little　bark　laden　with　the　sins　and　misfortunes　of　the　people。　The　crew　of　any　ship　that　falls　in　with　the　ill…omened　bark　at　sea　will　suffer　all　the　sorrows　with　which　it　is　laden。　A　like　custom　is　annually　observed　by　the　Dusuns　of　the　Tuaran　district　in　British　North　Borneo。　The　ceremony　is　the　most　important　of　the　whole　year。　Its　aim　is　to　bring　good　luck　to　the　village　during　the　ensuing　year　by　solemnly　expelling　all　the　evil　spirits　that　may　have　collected　in　or　about　the　houses　throughout　the　last　twelve　months。　The　task　of　routing　out　the　demons　and　banishing　them　devolves　chiefly　on　women。　Dressed　in　their　finest　array；　they　go　in　procession　through　the　village。　One　of　them　carries　a　small　sucking　pig　in　a　basket　on　her　back；　and　all　of　them　bear　wands；　with　which　they　belabour　the　little　pig　at　the　appropriate　moment；　its　squeals　help　to　attract　the　vagrant　spirits。　At　every　house　the　women　dance　and　sing；　clashing　castanets　or　cymbals　of　brass　and　jingling　bunches　of　little　brass　bells　in　both　hands。　When　the　performance　has　been　repeated　at　every　house　in　the　village；　the　procession　defiles　down　to　the　river；　and　all　the　evil　spirits；　which　the　performers　have　chased　from　the　houses；　follow　them　to　the　edge　of　the　water。　There　a　raft　has　been　made　ready　and　moored　to　the　bank。　It　contains　offerings　of　food；　cloth；　cooking…pots；　and　swords；　and　the　deck　is　crowded　with　figures　of　men；　women；　animals；　and　birds；　all　made　out　of　the　leaves　of　the　sago　palm。　The　evil　spirits　now　embark　on　the　raft；　and　when　they　are　all　aboard；　it　is　pushed　off　and　allowed　to　float　down　with　the　current；　carrying　the　demons　with　it。　Should　the　raft　run　aground　near　the　village；　it　is　shoved　off　with　all　speed；　lest　the　invisible　passengers　should　seize　the　opportunity　of　landing　and　returning　to　the　village。　Finally；　the　sufferings　of　the　little　pig；　whose　squeals　served　to　decoy　the　demons　from　their　lurking…places；　are　terminated　by　death；　for　it　is　killed　and　its　carcase　thrown　away。

Every　year；　at　the　beginning　of　the　dry　season；　the　Nicobar　Islanders　carry　the　model　of　a　ship　through　their　villages。　The　devils　are　chased　out　of　the　huts；　and　driven　on　board　the　little　ship；　which　is　then　launched　and　suffered　to　sail　away　with　the　wind。　The　ceremony　has　been　described　by　a　catechist；　who　witnessed　it　at　Car　Nicobar　in　July　1897。　For　three　days　the　people　were　busy　preparing　two　very　large　floating　cars；　shaped　like　canoes；　fitted　with　sails；　and　loaded　with　certain　leaves；　which　possessed　the　valuable　property　of　expelling　devils。　While　the　young　people　were　thus　engaged；　the　exorcists　and　the　elders　sat　in　a　house　singing　songs　by　turns；　but　often　they　would　come　forth；　pace　the　beach　armed　with　rods；　and　forbid　the　devil　to　enter　the　village。　The　fourth　day　of　the　solemnity　bore　a　name　which　means　Expelling　the　Devil　by　Sails。　In　the　evening　all　the　villagers　assembled；　the　women　bringing　baskets　of　ashes　and　bunches　of　devil…expelling　leaves。　These　leaves　were　then　distributed　to　everybody；　old　and　young。　When　all　was　ready；　a　band　of　robust　men；　attended　by　a　guard　of　exorcists；　carried　one　of　the　cars　down　to　the　sea　on　the　right　side　of　the　village　graveyard；　and　set　it　floating　in　the　water。　As　soon　as　they　had　returned；　another　band　of　men　carried　the　other　car　to　the　beach　and　floated　it　similarly　in　the　sea　to　the　left　of　the　graveyard。　The　demon…laden　barks　being　now　launched；　the　women　threw　ashes　from　the　shore；　and　the　whole　crowd　shouted；　saying；　Fly　away；　devil；　fly　away；　never　come　again！　The　wind　and　the　tide　being　favourable；　the　canoes　sailed　quickly　away；　and　that　night　all　the　people　feasted　together　with　great　joy；　because　the　devil　had　departed　in　the　direction　of　Chowra。　A　similar　expulsion　of　devils　takes　place　once　a　year　in　other　Nicobar　villages；　but　the　ceremonies　are　held　at　different　times　in　different　places。

Amongst　many　of　the　aboriginal　tribes　of　China；　a　great　festival　is　celebrated　in　the　third　month　of　every　year。　It　is　held　by　way　of　a　general　rejoicing　over　what　the　people　believe　to　be　a　total　annihilation　of　the　ills　of　the　past　twelve　months。　The　destruction　is　supposed　to　be　effected　in　the　following　way。　A　large　earthenware　jar　filled　with　gunpowder；　stones；　and　bits　of　iron　is　buried　in　the　earth。　A　train　of　gunpowder；　communicating　with　the　jar；　is　then　laid；　and　a　match　being　applied；　the　jar　and　its　contents　are　blown　up。　The　stones　and　bits　of　iron　represent　the　ills　and　disasters　of　the　past　year；　and　the　dispersion　of　them　by　the　explosion　is　believed　to　remove　the　ills　and　disasters　themselves。　The　festival　is　attended　with　much　revelling　and　drunkenness。

At　Old　Calabar　on　the　coast　of　Guinea；　the　devils　and　ghosts　are；　or　used　to　be；　publicly　expelled　once　in　two　years。　Among　the　spirits　thus　driven　from　their　haunts　are　the　souls　of　all　the　people　who　died　since　the　last　lustration　of　the　town。　About　three　weeks　or　a　month　before　the　expulsion；　which　according　to　one　account　takes　place　in　the　month　of　November；　rude　effigies　representing　men　and　animals；　such　as　crocodiles；　leopards；　elephants；　bullocks；　and　birds；　are　made　of　wicker…work　or　wood；　and　being　hung　with　strips　of　cloth　and　bedizened　with　gew…gaws；　are　set　before　the　door　of　every　house。　About　three　o'clock　in　the　morning　of　the　day　appointed　for　the　ceremony　the　whole　population　turns　out　into　the　streets；　and　proceeds　with　a　deafening　uproar　and　in　a　state　of　the　wildest　excitement　to　drive　all　lurking　devils　and　ghosts　into　the　effigies；　in　order　that　they　may　be　banished　with　them　from　the　abodes　of　men。　For　this　purpose　bands　of　people　roam　through　the　streets　knocking　on　doors；　firing　guns；　beating　drums；　blowing　on　horns；　ringing　bells；　clattering　pots　and　pans；　shouting　and　hallooing　with　might　and　main；　in　short　making　all　the　noise　it　is　possible　for　them　to　raise。　The　hubbub　goes　on　till　the　approach　of　dawn；　when　it　gradually　subsides　and　ceases　altogether　at　sunrise。　By　this　time　the　houses　have　been　thoroughly　swept；　and　all　the　frightened　spirits　are　supposed　to　have　huddled　into　the　effigies　or　their　fluttering　drapery。　In　these　wicker　figures　are　also　deposited　the　sweepings　of　the　houses　and　the　ashes　of　yesterday's　fires。　Then　the　demon…laden　images　are　hastily　snatched　up；　carried　in　tumultuous　procession　down　to　the　brink　of　the　river；　and　thrown　into　the　water　to　the　tuck　of　drums。　The　ebb…tide　bears　them　away　seaward；　and　thus　the　town　is　swept　clean　of　ghosts　and　devils　for　another　two　years。

Similar　annual　expulsions　of　embodied　evils　are　not　unknown　in　Europe。　On　the　evening　of　Easter　Sunday　the　gypsies　of　Southern　Europe　take　a　wooden　vessel　like　a　band…box；　which　rests　cradle…wise　on　two　cross　pieces　of　wood。　In　this　they　place　herbs　and　simples；　together　with　the　dried　carcase　of　a　snake；　or　lizard；　which　every　person　present　must　first　have　touched　with　his　fingers。　The　vessel　is　then　wrapt　in　white　and　red　wool；　carried　by　the　oldest　man　from　tent　to　tent；　and　finally　thrown　into　running　water；　not；　however；　before　every　member　of　the　band　has　spat　into　it　once；　and　the　sorceress　has　uttered　some　spells　over　it。　They　believe　that　by　performing　this　ceremony　they　dispel　all　the　illnesses　that　would　otherwise　have　afflicted　them　in　the　course　of　the　year；　and　that　if　any　one　finds　the　vessel　and　opens　it　out　of　curiosity；　he　and　his　will　be　visited　by　all　the　maladies　which　the　others　have　escaped。

The　scapegoat　by　means　of　which　the　accumulated　ills　of　a　whole　year　are　publicly　expelled　is　sometimes　an　animal。　For　example；　among　the　Garos　of　Assam；　besides　the　sacrifices　for　individual　cases　of　illness；　there　are　certain　ceremonies　which　are　observed　once　a　year　by　a　whole　community　or　village；　and　are　intended　to　safeguard　its　members　from　dangers　of　the　forest；　and　from　sickness　and　mishap　during　the　coming　twelve　months。　The　principal　of　these　is　the　Asongtata　ceremony。　Close　to　the　outskirts　of　every　big　village　a　number　of　stones　may　be　noticed　stuck　into　the　ground；　apparently　without　order　or　method。　These　are　known　by　the　n