the golden bough-第227章

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　matter　of　fact；　regularly　offered　by　a　people　whose　level　of　culture　was　probably　not　inferior；　if　indeed　it　was　not　distinctly　superior；　to　that　occupied　by　the　Italian　races　at　the　early　period　to　which　the　origin　of　the　Arician　priesthood　must　be　referred。　The　positive　and　indubitable　evidence　of　the　prevalence　of　such　sacrifices　in　one　part　of　the　world　may　reasonably　be　allowed　to　strengthen　the　probability　of　their　prevalence　in　places　for　which　the　evidence　is　less　full　and　trustworthy。　Taken　all　together；　the　facts　which　we　have　passed　in　review　seem　to　show　that　the　custom　of　killing　men　whom　their　worshippers　regard　as　divine　has　prevailed　in　many　parts　of　the　world。

Chapter　60。　Between　Heaven　and　Earth。

1。　Not　to　touch　the　Earth　AT　THE　OUTSET　of　this　book　two　questions　were　proposed　for　answer：　Why　had　the　priest　of　Aricia　to　slay　his　predecessor？　And　why；　before　doing　so；　had　he　to　pluck　the　Golden　Bough？　Of　these　two　questions　the　first　has　now　been　answered。　The　priest　of　Aricia；　if　I　am　right；　was　one　of　those　sacred　kings　or　human　divinities　on　whose　life　the　welfare　of　the　community　and　even　the　course　of　nature　in　general　are　believed　to　be　intimately　dependent。　It　does　not　appear　that　the　subjects　or　worshippers　of　such　a　spiritual　potentate　form　to　themselves　any　very　clear　notion　of　the　exact　relationship　in　which　they　stand　to　him；　probably　their　ideas　on　the　point　are　vague　and　fluctuating；　and　we　should　err　if　we　attempted　to　define　the　relationship　with　logical　precision。　All　that　the　people　know；　or　rather　imagine；　is　that　somehow　they　themselves；　their　cattle；　and　their　crops　are　mysteriously　bound　up　with　their　divine　king；　so　that　according　as　he　is　well　or　ill　the　community　is　healthy　or　sickly；　the　flocks　and　herds　thrive　or　languish　with　disease；　and　the　fields　yield　an　abundant　or　a　scanty　harvest。　The　worst　evil　which　they　can　conceive　of　is　the　natural　death　of　their　ruler；　whether　he　succumb　to　sickness　or　old　age；　for　in　the　opinion　of　his　followers　such　a　death　would　entail　the　most　disastrous　consequences　on　themselves　and　their　possessions；　fatal　epidemics　would　sweep　away　man　and　beast；　the　earth　would　refuse　her　increase；　nay；　the　very　frame　of　nature　itself　might　be　dissolved。　To　guard　against　these　catastrophes　it　is　necessary　to　put　the　king　to　death　while　he　is　still　in　the　full　bloom　of　his　divine　manhood；　in　order　that　his　sacred　life；　transmitted　in　unabated　force　to　his　successor；　may　renew　its　youth；　and　thus　by　successive　transmissions　through　a　perpetual　line　of　vigorous　incarnations　may　remain　eternally　fresh　and　young；　a　pledge　and　security　that　men　and　animals　shall　in　like　manner　renew　their　youth　by　a　perpetual　succession　of　generations；　and　that　seedtime　and　harvest；　and　summer　and　winter；　and　rain　and　sunshine　shall　never　fail。　That；　if　my　conjecture　is　right；　was　why　the　priest　of　Aricia；　the　King　of　the　Wood　at　Nemi；　had　regularly　to　perish　by　the　sword　of　his　successor。

But　we　have　still　to　ask；　What　was　the　Golden　Bough？　and　why　had　each　candidate　for　the　Arician　priesthood　to　pluck　it　before　he　could　slay　the　priest？　These　questions　I　will　now　try　to　answer。

It　will　be　well　to　begin　by　noticing　two　of　those　rules　or　taboos　by　which；　as　we　have　seen；　the　life　of　divine　kings　or　priests　is　regulated。　The　first　of　the　rules　to　which　I　would　call　the　reader's　attention　is　that　the　divine　personage　may　not　touch　the　ground　with　his　foot。　This　rule　was　observed　by　the　supreme　pontiff　of　the　Zapotecs　in　Mexico；　he　profaned　his　sanctity　if　he　so　much　as　touched　the　ground　with　his　foot。　Montezuma；　emperor　of　Mexico；　never　set　foot　on　the　ground；　he　was　always　carried　on　the　shoulders　of　noblemen；　and　if　he　lighted　anywhere　they　laid　rich　tapestry　for　him　to　walk　upon。　For　the　Mikado　of　Japan　to　touch　the　ground　with　his　foot　was　a　shameful　degradation；　indeed；　in　the　sixteenth　century；　it　was　enough　to　deprive　him　of　his　office。　Outside　his　palace　he　was　carried　on　men's　shoulders；　within　it　he　walked　on　exquisitely　wrought　mats。　The　king　and　queen　of　Tahiti　might　not　touch　the　ground　anywhere　but　within　their　hereditary　domains；　for　the　ground　on　which　they　trod　became　sacred。　In　travelling　from　place　to　place　they　were　carried　on　the　shoulders　of　sacred　men。　They　were　always　accompanied　by　several　pairs　of　these　sanctified　attendants；　and　when　it　became　necessary　to　change　their　bearers；　the　king　and　queen　vaulted　on　to　the　shoulders　of　their　new　bearers　without　letting　their　feet　touch　the　ground。　It　was　an　evil　omen　if　the　king　of　Dosuma　touched　the　ground；　and　he　had　to　perform　an　expiatory　ceremony。　Within　his　palace　the　king　of　Persia　walked　on　carpets　on　which　no　one　else　might　tread；　outside　of　it　he　was　never　seen　on　foot　but　only　in　a　chariot　or　on　horseback。　In　old　days　the　king　of　Siam　never　set　foot　upon　the　earth；　but　was　carried　on　a　throne　of　gold　from　place　to　place。　Formerly　neither　the　kings　of　Uganda；　nor　their　mothers；　nor　their　queens　might　walk　on　foot　outside　of　the　spacious　enclosures　in　which　they　lived。　Whenever　they　went　forth　they　were　carried　on　the　shoulders　of　men　of　the　Buffalo　clan；　several　of　whom　accompanied　any　of　these　royal　personages　on　a　journey　and　took　it　in　turn　to　bear　the　burden。　The　king　sat　astride　the　bearer's　neck　with　a　leg　over　each　shoulder　and　his　feet　tucked　under　the　bearer's　arms。　When　one　of　these　royal　carriers　grew　tired　he　shot　the　king　onto　the　shoulders　of　a　second　man　without　allowing　the　royal　feet　to　touch　the　ground。　In　this　way　they　went　at　a　great　pace　and　travelled　long　distances　in　a　day；　when　the　king　was　on　a　journey。　The　bearers　had　a　special　hut　in　the　king's　enclosure　in　order　to　be　at　hand　the　moment　they　were　wanted。　Among　the　Bakuba；　or　rather　Bushongo；　a　nation　in　the　southern　region　of　the　Congo；　down　to　a　few　years　ago　persons　of　the　royal　blood　were　forbidden　to　touch　the　ground；　they　must　sit　on　a　hide；　a　chair；　or　the　back　of　a　slave；　who　crouched　on　hands　and　feet；　their　feet　rested　on　the　feet　of　others。　When　they　travelled　they　were　carried　on　the　backs　of　men；　but　the　king　journeyed　in　a　litter　supported　on　shafts。　Among　the　Ibo　people　about　Awka；　in　Southern　Nigeria；　the　priest　of　the　Earth　has　to　observe　many　taboos；　for　example；　he　may　not　see　a　corpse；　and　if　he　meets　one　on　the　road　he　must　hide　his　eyes　with　his　wristlet。　He　must　abstain　from　many　foods；　such　as　eggs；　birds　of　all　sorts；　mutton；　dog；　bush…buck；　and　so　forth。　He　may　neither　wear　nor　touch　a　mask；　and　no　masked　man　may　enter　his　house。　If　a　dog　enters　his　house；　it　is　killed　and　thrown　out。　As　priest　of　the　Earth　he　may　not　sit　on　the　bare　ground；　nor　eat　things　that　have　fallen　on　the　ground；　nor　may　earth　be　thrown　at　him。　According　to　ancient　Brahmanic　ritual　a　king　at　his　inauguration　trod　on　a　tiger's　skin　and　a　golden　plate；　he　was　shod　with　shoes　of　boar's　skin；　and　so　long　as　he　lived　thereafter　he　might　not　stand　on　the　earth　with　his　bare　feet。

But　besides　persons　who　are　permanently　sacred　or　tabooed　and　are　therefore　permanently　forbidden　to　touch　the　ground　with　their　feet；　there　are　others　who　enjoy　the　character　of　sanctity　or　taboo　only　on　certain　occasions；　and　to　whom　accordingly　the　prohibition　in　question　only　applies　at　the　definite　seasons　during　which　they　exhale　the　odour　of　sanctity。　Thus　among　the　Kayans　or　Bahaus　of　Central　Borneo；　while　the　priestesses　are　engaged　in　the　performance　of　certain　rites　they　may　not　step　on　the　ground；　and　boards　are　laid　for　them　to　tread　on。　Warriors；　again；　on　the　war…path　are　surrounded；　so　to　say；　by　an　atmosphere　of　taboo；　hence　some　Indians　of　North　America　might　not　sit　on　the　bare　ground　the　whole　time　they　were　out　on　a　warlike　expedition。　In　Laos　the　hunting　of　elephants　gives　rise　to　many　taboos；　one　of　them　is　that　the　chief　hunter　may　not　touch　the　earth　with　his　foot。　Accordingly；　when　he　alights　from　his　elephant；　the　others　spread　a　carpet　of　leaves　for　him　to　step　upon。

Apparently　holiness；　magical　virtue；　taboo；　or　whatever　we　may　call　that　mysterious　quality　which　is　supposed　to　pervade　sacred　or　tabooed　persons；　is　conceived　by　the　primitive　philosopher　as　a　physical　substance　or　fluid；　with　which　the　sacred　man　is　charged