the golden bough-第266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！



The　Ualaroi　of　the　Upper　Darling　River　said　that　at　initiation　the　boy　met　a　ghost；　who　killed　him　and　brought　him　to　life　again　as　a　young　man。　Among　the　natives　on　the　Lower　Lachlan　and　Murray　Rivers　it　was　Thrumalun　（Daramulun）　who　was　thought　to　slay　and　resuscitate　the　novices。　In　the　Unmatjera　tribe　of　Central　Australia　women　and　children　believe　that　a　spirit　called　Twanyirika　kills　the　youth　and　afterwards　brings　him　to　life　again　during　the　period　of　initiation。　The　rites　of　initiation　in　this　tribe；　as　in　the　other　Central　tribes；　comprise　the　operations　of　circumcision　and　subincision；　and　as　soon　as　the　second　of　these　has　been　performed　on　him；　the　young　man　receives　from　his　father　a　sacred　stick　（churinga）；　with　which；　he　is　told；　his　spirit　was　associated　in　the　remotest　past。　While　he　is　out　in　the　bush　recovering　from　his　wounds；　he　must　swing　the　bull…roarer；　or　a　being　who　lives　up　in　the　sky　will　swoop　down　and　carry　him　off。　In　the　Binbinga　tribe；　on　the　western　coast　of　the　Gulf　of　Carpentaria；　the　women　and　children　believe　that　the　noise　of　the　bull…roarer　at　initiation　is　made　by　a　spirit　named　Katajalina；　who　lives　in　an　ant…hill　and　comes　out　and　eats　up　the　boy；　afterwards　restoring　him　to　life。　Similarly　among　their　neighbours　the　Anula　the　women　imagine　that　the　droning　sound　of　the　bull…roarer　is　produced　by　a　spirit　called　Gnabaia；　who　swallows　the　lads　at　initiation　and　afterwards　disgorges　them　in　the　form　of　initiated　men。

Among　the　tribes　settled　on　the　southern　coast　of　New　South　Wales；　of　which　the　Coast　Murring　tribe　may　be　regarded　as　typical；　the　drama　of　resurrection　from　the　dead　was　exhibited　in　a　graphic　form　to　the　novices　at　initiation。　The　ceremony　has　been　described　for　us　by　an　eye…witness。　A　man；　disguised　with　stringy　bark　fibre；　lay　down　in　a　grave　and　was　lightly　covered　up　with　sticks　and　earth。　In　his　hand　he　held　a　small　bush；　which　appeared　to　be　growing　in　the　soil；　and　other　bushes　were　stuck　in　the　ground　to　heighten　the　effect。　Then　the　novices　were　brought　and　placed　beside　the　grave。　Next；　a　procession　of　men；　disguised　in　stringy　bark　fibre；　drew　near。　They　represented　a　party　of　medicine…men；　guided　by　two　reverend　seniors；　who　had　come　on　pilgrimage　to　the　grave　of　a　brother　medicine…man；　who　lay　buried　there。　When　the　little　procession；　chanting　an　invocation　to　Daramulun；　had　defiled　from　among　the　rocks　and　trees　into　the　open；　it　drew　up　on　the　side　of　the　grave　opposite　to　the　novices；　the　two　old　men　taking　up　a　position　in　the　rear　of　the　dancers。　For　some　time　the　dance　and　song　went　on　till　the　tree　that　seemed　to　grow　from　the　grave　began　to　quiver。　Look　there！　cried　the　men　to　the　novices；　pointing　to　the　trembling　leaves。　As　they　looked；　the　tree　quivered　more　and　more；　then　was　violently　agitated　and　fell　to　the　ground；　while　amid　the　excited　dancing　of　the　dancers　and　the　chanting　of　the　choir　the　supposed　dead　man　spurned　from　him　the　superincumbent　mass　of　sticks　and　leaves；　and　springing　to　his　feet　danced　his　magic　dance　in　the　grave　itself；　and　exhibited　in　his　mouth　the　magic　substances　which　he　was　supposed　to　have　received　from　Daramulun　in　person。

Some　tribes　of　Northern　New　Guineathe　Yabim；　Bukaua；　Kai；　and　Tamilike　many　Australian　tribes；　require　every　male　member　of　the　tribe　to　be　circumcised　before　he　ranks　as　a　full…grown　man；　and　the　tribal　initiation；　of　which　circumcision　is　the　central　feature；　is　conceived　by　them；　as　by　some　Australian　tribes；　as　a　process　of　being　swallowed　and　disgorged　by　a　mythical　monster；　whose　voice　is　heard　in　the　humming　sound　of　the　bull…roarer。　Indeed　the　New　Guinea　tribes　not　only　impress　this　belief　on　the　minds　of　women　and　children；　but　enact　it　in　a　dramatic　form　at　the　actual　rites　of　initiation；　at　which　no　woman　or　uninitiated　person　may　be　present。　For　this　purpose　a　hut　about　a　hundred　feet　long　is　erected　either　in　the　village　or　in　a　lonely　part　of　the　forest。　It　is　modelled　in　the　shape　of　the　mythical　monster；　at　the　end　which　represents　his　head　it　is　high；　and　it　tapers　away　at　the　other　end。　A　betel…palm；　grubbed　up　with　the　roots；　stands　for　the　backbone　of　the　great　being　and　its　clustering　fibres　for　his　hair；　and　to　complete　the　resemblance　the　butt　end　of　the　building　is　adorned　by　a　native　artist　with　a　pair　of　goggle　eyes　and　a　gaping　mouth。　When　after　a　tearful　parting　from　their　mothers　and　women　folk；　who　believe　or　pretend　to　believe　in　the　monster　that　swallows　their　dear　ones；　the　awe…struck　novices　are　brought　face　to　face　with　this　imposing　structure；　the　huge　creature　emits　a　sullen　growl；　which　is　in　fact　no　other　than　the　humming　note　of　bull…roarers　swung　by　men　concealed　in　the　monster's　belly。　The　actual　process　of　deglutition　is　variously　enacted。　Among　the　Tami　it　is　represented　by　causing　the　candidates　to　defile　past　a　row　of　men　who　hold　bull…roarers　over　their　heads；　among　the　Kai　it　is　more　graphically　set　forth　by　making　them　pass　under　a　scaffold　on　which　stands　a　man；　who　makes　a　gesture　of　swallowing　and　takes　in　fact　a　gulp　of　water　as　each　trembling　novice　passes　beneath　him。　But　the　present　of　a　pig；　opportunely　offered　for　the　redemption　of　the　youth；　induces　the　monster　to　relent　and　disgorge　his　victim；　the　man　who　represents　the　monster　accepts　the　gift　vicariously；　a　gurgling　sound　is　heard；　and　the　water　which　had　just　been　swallowed　descends　in　a　jet　on　the　novice。　This　signifies　that　the　young　man　has　been　released　from　the　monster's　belly。　However；　he　has　now　to　undergo　the　more　painful　and　dangerous　operation　of　circumcision。　It　follows　immediately；　and　the　cut　made　by　the　knife　of　the　operator　is　explained　to　be　a　bite　or　scratch　which　the　monster　inflicted　on　the　novice　in　spewing　him　out　of　his　capacious　maw。　While　the　operation　is　proceeding；　a　prodigious　noise　is　made　by　the　swinging　of　bull…roarers　to　represent　the　roar　of　the　dreadful　being　who　is　in　the　act　of　swallowing　the　young　man。

When；　as　sometimes　happens；　a　lad　dies　from　the　effect　of　the　operation；　he　is　buried　secretly　in　the　forest；　and　his　sorrowing　mother　is　told　that　the　monster　has　a　pig's　stomach　as　well　as　a　human　stomach；　and　that　unfortunately　her　son　slipped　into　the　wrong　stomach；　from　which　it　was　impossible　to　extricate　him。　After　they　have　been　circumcised　the　lads　must　remain　for　some　months　in　seclusion；　shunning　all　contact　with　women　and　even　the　sight　of　them。　They　live　in　the　long　hut　which　represents　the　monster's　belly。　When　at　last　the　lads；　now　ranking　as　initiated　men；　are　brought　back　with　great　pomp　and　ceremony　to　the　village；　they　are　received　with　sobs　and　tears　of　joy　by　the　women；　as　if　the　grave　had　given　up　its　dead。　At　first　the　young　men　keep　their　eyes　rigidly　closed　or　even　sealed　with　a　plaster　of　chalk；　and　they　appear　not　to　understand　the　words　of　command　which　are　given　them　by　an　elder。　Gradually；　however；　they　come　to　themselves　as　if　awakening　from　a　stupor；　and　next　day　they　bathe　and　wash　off　the　crust　of　white　chalk　with　which　their　bodies　had　been　coated。

It　is　highly　significant　that　all　these　tribes　of　New　Guinea　apply　the　same　word　to　the　bull…roarer　and　to　the　monster；　who　is　supposed　to　swallow　the　novices　at　circumcision；　and　whose　fearful　roar　is　represented　by　the　hum　of　the　harmless　wooden　instruments。　Further；　it　deserves　to　be　noted　that　in　three　languages　out　of　the　four　the　same　word　which　is　applied　to　the　bull…roarer　and　to　the　monster　means　also　a　ghost　or　spirit　of　the　dead；　while　in　the　fourth　language　（the　Kai）　it　signifies　grandfather。　From　this　it　seems　to　follow　that　the　being　who　swallows　and　disgorges　the　novices　at　initiation　is　believed　to　be　a　powerful　ghost　or　ancestral　spirit；　and　that　the　bull…roarer；　which　bears　his　name；　is　his　material　representative。　That　would　explain　the　jealous　secrecy　with　which　the　sacred　implement　is　kept　from　the　sight　of　women。　While　they　are　not　in　use；　the　bull…roarers　are　stowed　away　in　the　men's　club…houses；　which　no　woman　may　enter；　indeed　no　woman　or　uninitiated　person　may　set　eyes　on　a　bull…roarer　under　pain　of　death。　Similarly　among　the　Tugeri　or　Kaya…Kaya；　a　large　Papuan　tribe　on　the　south　coast　of　Dutch　New　Guinea；　the　name　of　the　bull…roarer；　whi