the golden bough-第256章

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asite　is　thus　deemed　indestructible；　it　might　easily　be　supposed　to　communicate　its　own　indestructibility　to　the　tree　on　which　it　grows；　so　long　as　the　two　remain　in　conjunction。　Or；　to　put　the　same　idea　in　mythical　form；　we　might　tell　how　the　kindly　god　of　the　oak　had　his　life　securely　deposited　in　the　imperishable　mistletoe　which　grew　among　the　branches；　how　accordingly　so　long　as　the　mistletoe　kept　its　place　there；　the　deity　himself　remained　invulnerable；　and　how　at　last　a　cunning　foe；　let　into　the　secret　of　the　god's　invulnerability；　tore　the　mistletoe　from　the　oak；　thereby　killing　the　oak…god　and　afterwards　burning　his　body　in　a　fire　which　could　have　made　no　impression　on　him　so　long　as　the　incombustible　parasite　retained　its　seat　among　the　boughs。　　19

But　since　the　idea　of　a　being　whose　life　is　thus；　in　a　sense；　outside　himself；　must　be　strange　to　many　readers；　and　has；　indeed；　not　yet　been　recognised　in　its　full　bearing　on　primitive　superstition；　it　will　be　worth　while　to　illustrate　it　by　examples　drawn　both　from　story　and　custom。　The　result　will　be　to　show　that；　in　assuming　this　idea　as　the　explanation　of　Balder's　relation　to　the　mistletoe；　I　assume　a　principle　which　is　deeply　engraved　on　the　mind　of　primitive　man。

Chapter　66。　The　External　Soul　in　Folk…Tales

IN　A　FORMER　part　of　this　work　we　saw　that；　in　the　opinion　of　primitive　people；　the　soul　may　temporarily　absent　itself　from　the　body　without　causing　death。　Such　temporary　absences　of　the　soul　are　often　believed　to　involve　considerable　risk；　since　the　wandering　soul　is　liable　to　a　variety　of　mishaps　at　the　hands　of　enemies；　and　so　forth。　But　there　is　another　aspect　to　this　power　of　disengaging　the　soul　from　the　body。　If　only　the　safety　of　the　soul　can　be　ensured　during　its　absence；　there　is　no　reason　why　the　soul　should　not　continue　absent　for　an　indefinite　time；　indeed　a　man　may；　on　a　pure　calculation　of　personal　safety；　desire　that　his　soul　should　never　return　to　his　body。　Unable　to　conceive　of　life　abstractly　as　a　permanent　possibility　of　sensation　or　a　continuous　adjustment　of　internal　arrangements　to　external　relations；　the　savage　thinks　of　it　as　a　concrete　material　thing　of　a　definite　bulk；　capable　of　being　seen　and　handled；　kept　in　a　box　or　jar；　and　liable　to　be　bruised；　fractured；　or　smashed　in　pieces。　It　is　not　needful　that　the　life；　so　conceived；　should　be　in　the　man；　it　may　be　absent　from　his　body　and　still　continue　to　animate　him　by　virtue　of　a　sort　of　sympathy　or　action　at　a　distance。　So　long　as　this　object　which　he　calls　his　life　or　soul　remains　unharmed；　the　man　is　well；　if　it　is　injured；　he　suffers；　if　it　is　destroyed；　he　dies。　Or；　to　put　it　otherwise；　when　a　man　is　ill　or　dies；　the　fact　is　explained　by　saying　that　the　material　object　called　his　life　or　soul；　whether　it　be　in　his　body　or　out　of　it；　has　either　sustained　injury　or　been　destroyed。　But　there　may　be　circumstances　in　which；　if　the　life　or　soul　remains　in　the　man；　it　stands　a　greater　chance　of　sustaining　injury　than　if　it　were　stowed　away　in　some　safe　and　secret　place。　Accordingly；　in　such　circumstances；　primitive　man　takes　his　soul　out　of　his　body　and　deposits　it　for　security　in　some　snug　spot；　intending　to　replace　it　in　his　body　when　the　danger　is　past。　Or　if　he　should　discover　some　place　of　absolute　security；　he　may　be　content　to　leave　his　soul　there　permanently。　The　advantage　of　this　is　that；　so　long　as　the　soul　remains　unharmed　in　the　place　where　he　has　deposited　it；　the　man　himself　is　immortal；　nothing　can　kill　his　body；　since　his　life　is　not　in　it。

Evidence　of　this　primitive　belief　is　furnished　by　a　class　of　folk…tales　of　which　the　Norse　story　of　The　giant　who　had　no　heart　in　his　body　is　perhaps　the　best…known　example。　Stories　of　this　kind　are　widely　diffused　over　the　world；　and　from　their　number　and　the　variety　of　incident　and　of　details　in　which　the　leading　idea　is　embodied；　we　may　infer　that　the　conception　of　an　external　soul　is　one　which　has　had　a　powerful　hold　on　the　minds　of　men　at　an　early　stage　of　history。　For　folk…tales　are　a　faithful　reflection　of　the　world　as　it　appeared　to　the　primitive　mind；　and　we　may　be　sure　that　any　idea　which　commonly　occurs　in　them；　however　absurd　it　may　seem　to　us；　must　once　have　been　an　ordinary　article　of　belief。　This　assurance；　so　far　as　it　concerns　the　supposed　power　of　disengaging　the　soul　from　the　body　for　a　longer　or　shorter　time；　is　amply　corroborated　by　a　comparison　of　the　folk…tales　in　question　with　the　actual　beliefs　and　practices　of　savages。　To　this　we　shall　return　after　some　specimens　of　the　tales　have　been　given。　The　specimens　will　be　selected　with　a　view　of　illustrating　both　the　characteristic　features　and　the　wide　diffusion　of　this　class　of　tales。

In　the　first　place；　the　story　of　the　external　soul　is　told；　in　various　forms；　by　all　Aryan　peoples　from　Hindoostan　to　the　Hebrides。　A　very　common　form　of　it　is　this：　A　warlock；　giant；　or　other　fairyland　being　is　invulnerable　and　immortal　because　he　keeps　his　soul　hidden　far　away　in　some　secret　place；　but　a　fair　princess；　whom　he　holds　enthralled　in　his　enchanted　castle；　wiles　his　secret　from　him　and　reveals　it　to　the　hero；　who　seeks　out　the　warlock's　soul；　heart；　life；　or　death　（as　it　is　variously　called）；　and　by　destroying　it；　simultaneously　kills　the　warlock。　Thus　a　Hindoo　story　tells　how　a　magician　called　Punchkin　held　a　queen　captive　for　twelve　years；　and　would　fain　marry　her；　but　she　would　not　have　him。　At　last　the　queen's　son　came　to　rescue　her；　and　the　two　plotted　together　to　kill　Punchkin。　So　the　queen　spoke　the　magician　fair；　and　pretended　that　she　had　at　last　made　up　her　mind　to　marry　him。　And　do　tell　me；　she　said；　are　you　quite　immortal？　Can　death　never　touch　you？　And　are　you　too　great　an　enchanter　ever　to　feel　human　suffering？　It　is　true；　he　said；　that　I　am　not　as　others。　Far；　far　away；　hundreds　of　thousands　of　miles　from　this；　there　lies　a　desolate　country　covered　with　thick　jungle。　In　the　midst　of　the　jungle　grows　a　circle　of　palm　trees；　and　in　the　centre　of　the　circle　stand　six　chattees　full　of　water；　piled　one　above　another：　below　the　sixth　chattee　is　a　small　cage；　which　contains　a　little　green　parrot；on　the　life　of　the　parrot　depends　my　life；and　if　the　parrot　is　killed　I　must　die。　It　is；　however；　he　added；　impossible　that　the　parrot　should　sustain　any　injury；　both　on　account　of　the　inaccessibility　of　the　country；　and　because；　by　my　appointment；　many　thousand　genii　surround　the　palm　trees；　and　kill　all　who　approach　the　place。　But　the　queen's　young　son　overcame　all　difficulties；　and　got　possession　of　the　parrot。　He　brought　it　to　the　door　of　the　magician's　palace；　and　began　playing　with　it。　Punchkin；　the　magician；　saw　him；　and；　coming　out；　tried　to　persuade　the　boy　to　give　him　the　parrot。　Give　me　my　parrot！　cried　Punchkin。　Then　the　boy　took　hold　of　the　parrot　and　tore　off　one　of　his　wings；　and　as　he　did　so　the　magician's　right　arm　fell　off。　Punchkin　then　stretched　out　his　left　arm；　crying；　Give　me　my　parrot！　The　prince　pulled　off　the　parrot's　second　wing；　and　the　magician's　left　arm　tumbled　off。　Give　me　my　parrot！　cried　he；　and　fell　on　his　knees。　The　prince　pulled　off　the　parrot's　right　leg；　the　magician's　right　leg　fell　off；　the　prince　pulled　off　the　parrot's　left　leg；　down　fell　the　magician's　left。　Nothing　remained　of　him　except　the　trunk　and　the　head；　but　still　he　rolled　his　eyes；　and　cried；　Give　me　my　parrot！　Take　your　parrot；　then；　cried　the　boy；　and　with　that　he　wrung　the　bird's　neck；　and　threw　it　at　the　magician；　and；　as　he　did　so；　Punchkin's　head　twisted　round；　and；　with　a　fearful　groan；　he　died！　In　another　Hindoo　tale　an　ogre　is　asked　by　his　daughter；　Papa；　where　do　you　keep　your　soul？　Sixteen　miles　away　from　this　place；　he　said；　is　a　tree。　Round　the　tree　are　tigers；　and　bears；　and　scorpions；　and　snakes；　on　the　top　of　the　tree　is　a　very　great　fat　snake；　on　his　head　is　a　little　cage；　in　the　cage　is　a　bird；　and　my　soul　is　in　that　bird。　The　end　of　the　ogre　is　like　that　of　the　magician　in　the　previous　tale。　As　the　bird's　wings　and　legs　are　torn　off；　the　ogre's　arms　and　legs　drop　off；　and　when　its　neck　is　wrung　he　falls　down　dead。　In　a　Bengalee　story　it　is　said　that　all　the　ogres　dwell　in　Ceylon；　and　that　all　their　lives　are　in　a　single　lemon。　A　boy　cuts　the　lemon　i