the golden bough-第267章

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　south　coast　of　Dutch　New　Guinea；　the　name　of　the　bull…roarer；　which　they　call　sosom；　is　given　to　a　mythical　giant；　who　is　supposed　to　appear　every　year　with　the　south…east　monsoon。　When　he　comes；　a　festival　is　held　in　his　honour　and　bull…roarers　are　swung。　Boys　are　presented　to　the　giant；　and　he　kills　them；　but　considerately　brings　them　to　life　again。

In　certain　districts　of　Viti　Levu；　the　largest　of　the　Fijian　Islands；　the　drama　of　death　and　resurrection　used　to　be　acted　with　much　solemnity　before　the　eyes　of　young　men　at　initiation。　In　a　sacred　enclosure　they　were　shown　a　row　of　dead　or　seemingly　dead　men　lying　on　the　ground；　their　bodies　cut　open　and　covered　with　blood；　their　entrails　protruding。　But　at　a　yell　from　the　high　priest　the　counterfeit　dead　men　started　to　their　feet　and　ran　down　to　the　river　to　cleanse　themselves　from　the　blood　and　guts　of　pigs　with　which　they　were　beslobbered。　Soon　they　marched　back　to　the　sacred　enclosure　as　if　come　to　life；　clean；　fresh；　and　garlanded；　swaying　their　bodies　in　time　to　the　music　of　a　solemn　hymn；　and　took　their　places　in　front　of　the　novices。　Such　was　the　drama　of　death　and　resurrection。

The　people　of　Rook；　an　island　between　New　Guinea　and　New　Britain；　hold　festivals　at　which　one　or　two　disguised　men；　their　heads　covered　with　wooden　masks；　go　dancing　through　the　village；　followed　by　all　the　other　men。　They　demand　that　the　circumcised　boys　who　have　not　yet　been　swallowed　by　Marsaba　（the　devil）　shall　be　given　up　to　them。　The　boys；　trembling　and　shrieking；　are　delivered　to　them；　and　must　creep　between　the　legs　of　the　disguised　men。　Then　the　procession　moves　through　the　village　again；　and　announces　that　Marsaba　has　eaten　up　the　boys；　and　will　not　disgorge　them　till　he　receives　a　present　of　pigs；　taro；　and　so　forth。　So　all　the　villagers；　according　to　their　means；　contribute　provisions；　which　are　then　consumed　in　the　name　of　Marsaba。

In　the　west　of　Ceram　boys　at　puberty　are　admitted　to　the　Kakian　association。　Modern　writers　have　commonly　regarded　this　association　as　primarily　a　political　league　instituted　to　resist　foreign　domination。　In　reality　its　objects　are　purely　religious　and　social；　though　it　is　possible　that　the　priests　may　have　occasionally　used　their　powerful　influence　for　political　ends。　The　society　is　in　fact　merely　one　of　those　widely…diffused　primitive　institutions；　of　which　a　chief　object　is　the　initiation　of　young　men。　In　recent　years　the　true　nature　of　the　association　has　been　duly　recognised　by　the　distinguished　Dutch　ethnologist；　J。　G。　F。　Riedel。　The　Kakian　house　is　an　oblong　wooden　shed；　situated　under　the　darkest　trees　in　the　depth　of　the　forest；　and　is　built　to　admit　so　little　light　that　it　is　impossible　to　see　what　goes　on　in　it。　Every　village　has　such　a　house。　Thither　the　boys　who　are　to　be　initiated　are　conducted　blindfold；　followed　by　their　parents　and　relations。　Each　boy　is　led　by　the　hand　of　two　men；　who　act　as　his　sponsors　or　guardians；　looking　after　him　during　the　period　of　initiation。　When　all　are　assembled　before　the　shed；　the　high　priest　calls　aloud　upon　the　devils。　Immediately　a　hideous　uproar　is　heard　to　proceed　from　the　shed。　It　is　made　by　men　with　bamboo　trumpets；　who　have　been　secretly　introduced　into　the　building　by　a　back　door；　but　the　women　and　children　think　it　is　made　by　the　devils；　and　are　much　terrified。　Then　the　priests　enter　the　shed；　followed　by　the　boys；　one　at　a　time。　As　soon　as　each　boy　has　disappeared　within　the　precincts；　a　dull　chopping　sound　is　heard；　a　fearful　cry　rings　out；　and　a　sword　or　spear；　dripping　with　blood；　is　thrust　through　the　roof　of　the　shed。　This　is　a　token　that　the　boy's　head　has　been　cut　off；　and　that　the　devil　has　carried　him　away　to　the　other　world；　there　to　regenerate　and　transform　him。　So　at　sight　of　the　bloody　sword　the　mothers　weep　and　wail；　crying　that　the　devil　has　murdered　their　children。　In　some　places；　it　would　seem；　the　boys　are　pushed　through　an　opening　made　in　the　shape　of　a　crocodile's　jaws　or　a　cassowary's　beak；　and　it　is　then　said　that　the　devil　has　swallowed　them。　The　boys　remain　in　the　shed　for　five　or　nine　days。　Sitting　in　the　dark；　they　hear　the　blast　of　the　bamboo　trumpets；　and　from　time　to　time　the　sound　of　musket　shots　and　the　clash　of　swords。　Every　day　they　bathe；　and　their　faces　and　bodies　are　smeared　with　a　yellow　dye；　to　give　them　the　appearance　of　having　been　swallowed　by　the　devil。　During　his　stay　in　the　Kakian　house　each　boy　has　one　or　two　crosses　tattooed　with　thorns　on　his　breast　or　arm。　When　they　are　not　sleeping；　the　lads　must　sit　in　a　crouching　posture　without　moving　a　muscle。　As　they　sit　in　a　row　cross…legged；　with　their　hands　stretched　out；　the　chief　takes　his　trumpet；　and　placing　the　mouth　of　it　on　the　hands　of　each　lad；　speaks　through　it　in　strange　tones；　imitating　the　voice　of　the　spirits。　He　warns　the　lads；　under　pain　of　death；　to　observe　the　rules　of　the　Kakian　society；　and　never　to　reveal　what　has　passed　in　the　Kakian　house。　The　novices　are　also　told　by　the　priests　to　behave　well　to　their　blood　relations；　and　are　taught　the　traditions　and　secrets　of　the　tribe。

Meantime　the　mothers　and　sisters　of　the　lads　have　gone　home　to　weep　and　mourn。　But　in　a　day　or　two　the　men　who　acted　as　guardians　or　sponsors　to　the　novices　return　to　the　village　with　the　glad　tidings　that　the　devil；　at　the　intercession　of　the　priests；　has　restored　the　lads　to　life。　The　men　who　bring　this　news　come　in　a　fainting　state　and　daubed　with　mud；　like　messengers　freshly　arrived　from　the　nether　world。　Before　leaving　the　Kakian　house；　each　lad　receives　from　the　priest　a　stick　adorned　at　both　ends　with　a　cock's　or　cassowary's　feathers。　The　sticks　are　supposed　to　have　been　given　to　the　lads　by　the　devil　at　the　time　when　he　restored　them　to　life；　and　they　serve　as　a　token　that　the　youths　have　been　in　the　spirit　land。　When　they　return　to　their　homes　they　totter　in　their　walk；　and　enter　the　house　backward；　as　if　they　had　forgotten　how　to　walk　properly；　or　they　enter　the　house　by　the　back　door。　If　a　plate　of　food　is　given　to　them；　they　hold　it　upside　down。　They　remain　dumb；　indicating　their　wants　by　signs　only。　All　this　is　to　show　that　they　are　still　under　the　influence　of　the　devil　or　the　spirits。　Their　sponsors　have　to　teach　them　all　the　common　acts　of　life；　as　if　they　were　newborn　children。　Further；　upon　leaving　the　Kakian　house　the　boys　are　strictly　forbidden　to　eat　of　certain　fruits　until　the　next　celebration　of　the　rites　has　taken　place。　And　for　twenty　or　thirty　days　their　hair　may　not　be　combed　by　their　mothers　or　sisters。　At　the　end　of　that　time　the　high　priest　takes　them　to　a　lonely　place　in　the　forest；　and　cuts　off　a　lock　of　hair　from　the　crown　of　each　of　their　heads。　After　these　initiatory　rites　the　lads　are　deemed　men；　and　may　marry；　it　would　be　a　scandal　if　they　married　before。

In　the　region　of　the　Lower　Congo　a　simulation　of　death　and　resurrection　is；　or　rather　used　to　be；　practised　by　the　members　of　a　guild　or　secret　society　called　ndembo。　In　the　practice　of　Ndembo　the　initiating　doctors　get　some　one　to　fall　down　in　a　pretended　fit；　and　in　that　state　he　is　carried　away　to　an　enclosed　place　outside　the　town。　This　is　called　'dying　Ndembo。'　Others　follow　suit；　generally　boys　and　girls；　but　often　young　men　and　women　。　They　are　supposed　to　have　died。　But　the　parents　and　friends　supply　food；　and　after　a　period　varying；　according　to　custom；　from　three　months　to　three　years；　it　is　arranged　that　the　doctor　shall　bring　them　to　life　again　。　When　the　doctor's　fee　has　been　paid；　and　money　（goods）　saved　for　a　feast；　the　Ndembo　people　are　brought　to　life。　At　first　they　pretend　to　know　no　one　and　nothing；　they　do　not　even　know　how　to　masticate　food；　and　friends　have　to　perform　that　office　for　them。　They　want　everything　nice　that　any　one　uninitiated　may　have；　and　beat　them　if　it　is　not　granted；　or　even　strangle　and　kill　people。　They　do　not　get　into　trouble　for　this；　because　it　is　thought　that　they　do　not　know　better。　Sometimes　they　carry　on　the　pretence　of　talking　gibberish；　and　behaving　as　if　they　had　returned　from　the　spirit…world。　After　this　they　are　known　by　another　name；　peculiar　to　those　who　have　'died　Ndembo。'　　We　hear　of　the　custom　far　along　on　the　upper　river；　as　well　as　in　the　cataract　region。