the golden bough-第218章

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s　may　be　noticed　stuck　into　the　ground；　apparently　without　order　or　method。　These　are　known　by　the　name　of　asong；　and　on　them　is　offered　the　sacrifice　which　the　Asongtata　demands。　The　sacrifice　of　a　goat　takes　place；　and　a　month　later；　that　of　a　langur　（Entellus　monkey）　or　a　bamboo…rat　is　considered　necessary。　The　animal　chosen　has　a　rope　fastened　round　its　neck　and　is　led　by　two　men；　one　on　each　side　of　it；　to　every　house　in　the　village。　It　is　taken　inside　each　house　in　turn；　the　assembled　villagers；　meanwhile；　beating　the　walls　from　the　outside；　to　frighten　and　drive　out　any　evil　spirits　which　may　have　taken　up　their　residence　within。　The　round　of　the　village　having　been　made　in　this　manner；　the　monkey　or　rat　is　led　to　the　outskirts　of　the　village；　killed　by　a　blow　of　a　dao；　which　disembowels　it；　and　then　crucified　on　bamboos　set　up　in　the　ground。　Round　the　crucified　animal　long；　sharp　bamboo　stakes　are　placed；　which　form　chevaux　de　frise　round　about　it。　These　commemorate　the　days　when　such　defences　surrounded　the　villages　on　all　sides　to　keep　off　human　enemies；　and　they　are　now　a　symbol　to　ward　off　sickness　and　dangers　to　life　from　the　wild　animals　of　the　forest。　The　langur　required　for　the　purpose　is　hunted　down　some　days　before；　but　should　it　be　found　impossible　to　catch　one；　a　brown　monkey　may　take　its　place；　a　hulock　may　not　be　used。　Here　the　crucified　ape　or　rat　is　the　public　scapegoat；　which　by　its　vicarious　sufferings　and　death　relieves　the　people　from　all　sickness　and　mishap　in　the　coming　year。

Again；　on　one　day　of　the　year　the　Bhotiyas　of　Juhar；　in　the　Western　Himalayas；　take　a　dog；　intoxicate　him　with　spirits　and　bhang　or　hemp；　and　having　fed　him　with　sweetmeats；　lead　him　round　the　village　and　let　him　loose。　They　then　chase　and　kill　him　with　sticks　and　stones；　and　believe　that；　when　they　have　done　so；　no　disease　or　misfortune　will　visit　the　village　during　the　year。　In　some　parts　of　Breadalbane　it　was　formerly　the　custom　on　New　Year's　Day　to　take　a　dog　to　the　door；　give　him　a　bit　of　bread；　and　drive　him　out；　saying；　Get　away；　you　dog！　Whatever　death　of　men　or　loss　of　cattle　would　happen　in　this　house　to　the　end　of　the　present　year；　may　it　all　light　on　your　head！　On　the　Day　of　Atonement；　which　was　the　tenth　day　of　the　seventh　month；　the　Jewish　high…priest　laid　both　his　hands　on　the　head　of　a　live　goat；　confessed　over　it　all　the　iniquities　of　the　Children　of　Israel；　and；　having　thereby　transferred　the　sins　of　the　people　to　the　beast；　sent　it　away　into　the　wilderness。

The　scapegoat　upon　whom　the　sins　of　the　people　are　periodically　laid；　may　also　be　a　human　being。　At　Onitsha；　on　the　Niger；　two　human　beings　used　to　be　annually　sacrificed　to　take　away　the　sins　of　the　land。　The　victims　were　purchased　by　public　subscription。　All　persons　who；　during　the　past　year；　had　fallen　into　gross　sins；　such　as　incendiarism；　theft；　adultery；　witchcraft；　and　so　forth；　were　expected　to　contribute　28　ngugas；　or　a　little　over　￡2。　The　money　thus　collected　was　taken　into　the　interior　of　the　country　and　expended　in　the　purchase　of　two　sickly　persons　to　be　offered　as　a　sacrifice　for　all　these　abominable　crimesone　for　the　land　and　one　for　the　river。　A　man　from　a　neighbouring　town　was　hired　to　put　them　to　death。　On　the　twenty…seventh　of　February　1858　the　Rev。　J。　C。　Taylor　witnessed　the　sacrifice　of　one　of　these　victims。　The　sufferer　was　a　woman；　about　nineteen　or　twenty　years　of　age。　They　dragged　her　alive　along　the　ground；　face　downwards；　from　the　king's　house　to　the　river；　a　distance　of　two　miles；　the　crowds　who　accompanied　her　crying；　Wickedness！　wickedness！　The　intention　was　to　take　away　the　iniquities　of　the　land。　The　body　was　dragged　along　in　a　merciless　manner；　as　if　the　weight　of　all　their　wickedness　was　thus　carried　away。　Similar　customs　are　said　to　be　still　secretly　practised　every　year　by　many　tribes　in　the　delta　of　the　Niger　in　spite　of　the　vigilance　of　the　British　Government。　Among　the　Yoruba　negroes　of　West　Africa　the　human　victim　chosen　for　sacrifice；　and　who　may　be　either　a　freeborn　or　a　slave；　a　person　of　noble　or　wealthy　parentage；　or　one　of　humble　birth；　is；　after　he　has　been　chosen　and　marked　out　for　the　purpose；　called　an　Oluwo。　He　is　always　well　fed　and　nourished　and　supplied　with　whatever　he　should　desire　during　the　period　of　his　confinement。　When　the　occasion　arrives　for　him　to　be　sacrificed　and　offered　up；　he　is　commonly　led　about　and　paraded　through　the　streets　of　the　town　or　city　of　the　Sovereign　who　would　sacrifice　him　for　the　well…being　of　his　government　and　of　every　family　and　individual　under　it；　in　order　that　he　might　carry　off　the　sin；　guilt；　misfortune　and　death　of　all　without　exception。　Ashes　and　chalk　would　be　employed　to　hide　his　identity　by　the　one　being　freely　thrown　over　his　head；　and　his　face　painted　with　the　latter；　whilst　individuals　would　often　rush　out　of　their　houses　to　lay　their　hands　upon　him　that　they　might　thus　transfer　to　him　their　sin；　guilt；　trouble；　and　death。　This　parade　over；　he　is　taken　to　an　inner　sanctuary　and　beheaded。　His　last　words　or　dying　groans　are　the　signal　for　an　outburst　of　joy　among　the　people　assembled　outside；　who　believe　that　the　sacrifice　has　been　accepted　and　the　divine　wrath　appeased。

In　Siam　it　used　to　be　the　custom　on　one　day　of　the　year　to　single　out　a　woman　broken　down　by　debauchery；　and　carry　her　on　a　litter　through　all　the　streets　to　the　music　of　drums　and　hautboys。　The　mob　insulted　her　and　pelted　her　with　dirt；　and　after　having　carried　her　through　the　whole　city；　they　threw　her　on　a　dunghill　or　a　hedge　of　thorns　outside　the　ramparts；　forbidding　her　ever　to　enter　the　walls　again。　They　believed　that　the　woman　thus　drew　upon　herself　all　the　malign　influences　of　the　air　and　of　evil　spirits。　The　Bataks　of　Sumatra　offer　either　a　red　horse　or　a　buffalo　as　a　public　sacrifice　to　purify　the　land　and　obtain　the　favour　of　the　gods。　Formerly；　it　is　said；　a　man　was　bound　to　the　same　stake　as　the　buffalo；　and　when　they　killed　the　animal；　the　man　was　driven　away；　no　one　might　receive　him；　converse　with　him；　or　give　him　food。　Doubtless　he　was　supposed　to　carry　away　the　sins　and　misfortunes　of　the　people。

Sometimes　the　scapegoat　is　a　divine　animal。　The　people　of　Malabar　share　the　Hindoo　reverence　for　the　cow；　to　kill　and　eat　which　they　esteem　to　be　a　crime　as　heinous　as　homicide　or　wilful　murder。　Nevertheless　the　Bramans　transfer　the　sins　of　the　people　into　one　or　more　Cows；　which　are　then　carry'd　away；　both　the　Cows　and　the　Sins　wherewith　these　Beasts　are　charged；　to　what　place　the　Braman　shall　appoint。　When　the　ancient　Egyptians　sacrificed　a　bull；　they　invoked　upon　its　head　all　the　evils　that　might　otherwise　befall　themselves　and　the　land　of　Egypt；　and　thereupon　they　either　sold　the　bull's　head　to　the　Greeks　or　cast　it　into　the　river。　Now；　it　cannot　be　said　that　in　the　times　known　to　us　the　Egyptians　worshipped　bulls　in　general；　for　they　seem　to　have　commonly　killed　and　eaten　them。　But　a　good　many　circumstances　point　to　the　conclusion　that　originally　all　cattle；　bulls　as　well　as　cows；　were　held　sacred　by　the　Egyptians。　For　not　only　were　all　cows　esteemed　holy　by　them　and　never　sacrificed；　but　even　bulls　might　not　be　sacrificed　unless　they　had　certain　natural　marks；　a　priest　examined　every　bull　before　it　was　sacrificed；　if　it　had　the　proper　marks；　he　put　his　seal　on　the　animal　in　token　that　it　might　be　sacrificed；　and　if　a　man　sacrificed　a　bull　which　had　not　been　sealed；　he　was　put　to　death。　Moreover；　the　worship　of　the　black　bulls　Apis　and　Mnevis；　especially　the　former；　played　an　important　part　in　Egyptian　religion；　all　bulls　that　died　a　natural　death　were　carefully　buried　in　the　suburbs　of　the　cities；　and　their　bones　were　afterwards　collected　from　all　parts　of　Egypt　and　interred　in　a　single　spot；　and　at　the　sacrifice　of　a　bull　in　the　great　rites　of　Isis　all　the　worshippers　beat　their　breasts　and　mourned。　On　the　whole；　then；　we　are　perhaps　entitled　to　infer　that　bulls　were　originally；　as　cows　were　always；　esteemed　sacred　by　the　Egyptians；　and　that　the　slain　bull　upon　whose　head　they　laid　the　misfortunes　of　the　people　was　once　a　divine　scapegoat。　It　seems　not　improbable　that　the　lamb　annually　slain　by　the　Madis　of　Central　Africa　is　a　divine　scapegoat；　and　the　same　supposition