the golden bough-第268章

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Ndembo。'　　We　hear　of　the　custom　far　along　on　the　upper　river；　as　well　as　in　the　cataract　region。

Among　some　of　the　Indian　tribes　of　North　America　there　exist　certain　religious　associations　which　are　only　open　to　candidates　who　have　gone　through　a　pretence　of　being　killed　and　brought　to　life　again。　In　1766　or　1767　Captain　Jonathan　Carver　witnessed　the　admission　of　a　candidate　to　an　association　called　the　friendly　society　of　the　Spirit　（Wakon…Kitchewah）　among　the　Naudowessies；　a　Siouan　or　Dacotan　tribe　in　the　region　of　the　great　lakes。　The　candidate　knelt　before　the　chief；　who　told　him　that　he　himself　was　now　agitated　by　the　same　spirit　which　he　should　in　a　few　moments　communicate　to　him；　that　it　would　strike　him　dead；　but　that　he　would　instantly　be　restored　again　to　life；　to　this　he　added；　that　the　communication；　however　terrifying；　was　a　necessary　introduction　to　the　advantages　enjoyed　by　the　community　into　which　he　was　on　the　point　of　being　admitted。　As　he　spoke　this；　he　appeared　to　be　greatly　agitated；　till　at　last　his　emotions　became　so　violent；　that　his　countenance　was　distorted；　and　his　whole　frame　convulsed。　At　this　juncture　he　threw　something　that　appeared　both　in　shape　and　colour　like　a　small　bean；　at　the　young　man；　which　seemed　to　enter　his　mouth；　and　he　instantly　fell　as　motionless　as　if　he　had　been　shot。　For　a　time　the　man　lay　like　dead；　but　under　a　shower　of　blows　he　showed　signs　of　consciousness；　and　finally；　discharging　from　his　mouth　the　bean；　or　whatever　it　was　that　the　chief　had　thrown　at　him；　he　came　to　life。　In　other　tribes；　for　example；　the　Ojebways；　Winnebagoes；　and　Dacotas　or　Sioux；　the　instrument　by　which　the　candidate　is　apparently　slain　is　the　medicine…bag。　The　bag　is　made　of　the　skin　of　an　animal　（such　as　the　otter；　wild　cat；　serpent；　bear；　raccoon；　wolf；　owl；　weasel）；　of　which　it　roughly　preserves　the　shape。　Each　member　of　the　society　has　one　of　these　bags；　in　which　he　keeps　the　odds　and　ends　that　make　up　his　medicine　or　charms。　They　believe　that　from　the　miscellaneous　contents　in　the　belly　of　the　skin　bag　or　animal　there　issues　a　spirit　or　breath；　which　has　the　power；　not　only　to　knock　down　and　kill　a　man；　but　also　to　set　him　up　and　restore　him　to　life。　The　mode　of　killing　a　man　with　one　of　these　medicine…bags　is　to　thrust　it　at　him；　he　falls　like　dead；　but　a　second　thrust　of　the　bag　restores　him　to　life。

A　ceremony　witnessed　by　the　castaway　John　R。　Jewitt　during　his　captivity　among　the　Indians　of　Nootka　Sound　doubtless　belongs　to　this　class　of　customs。　The　Indian　king　or　chief　discharged　a　pistol　close　to　his　son's　ear；　who　immediately　fell　down　as　if　killed；　upon　which　all　the　women　of　the　house　set　up　a　most　lamentable　cry；　tearing　handfuls　of　hair　from　their　heads；　and　exclaiming　that　the　prince　was　dead；　at　the　same　time　a　great　number　of　the　inhabitants　rushed　into　the　house　armed　with　their　daggers；　muskets；　etc。；　enquiring　the　cause　of　their　outcry。　These　were　immediately　followed　by　two　others　dressed　in　wolf…skins；　with　masks　over　their　faces　representing　the　head　of　that　animal。　The　latter　came　in　on　their　hands　and　feet　in　the　manner　of　a　beast；　and　taking　up　the　prince；　carried　him　off　upon　their　backs；　retiring　in　the　same　manner　they　entered。　In　another　place　Jewitt　mentions　that　the　young　princea　lad　of　about　eleven　years　of　agewore　a　mask　in　imitation　of　a　wolf's　head。　Now；　as　the　Indians　of　this　part　of　America　are　divided　into　totem　clans；　of　which　the　Wolf　clan　is　one　of　the　principal；　and　as　the　members　of　each　clan　are　in　the　habit　of　wearing　some　portion　of　the　totem　animal　about　their　person；　it　is　probable　that　the　prince　belonged　to　the　Wolf　clan；　and　that　the　ceremony　described　by　Jewitt　represented　the　killing　of　the　lad　in　order　that　he　might　be　born　anew　as　a　wolf；　much　in　the　same　way　that　the　Basque　hunter　supposed　himself　to　have　been　killed　and　to　have　come　to　life　again　as　a　bear。

This　conjectural　explanation　of　the　ceremony　has；　since　it　was　first　put　forward；　been　to　some　extent　confirmed　by　the　researches　of　Dr。　Franz　Boas　among　these　Indians；　though　it　would　seem　that　the　community　to　which　the　chief's　son　thus　obtained　admission　was　not　so　much　a　totem　clan　as　a　secret　society　called　Tlokoala；　whose　members　imitated　wolves。　Every　new　member　of　the　society　must　be　initiated　by　the　wolves。　At　night　a　pack　of　wolves；　personated　by　Indians　dressed　in　wolf…skins　and　wearing　wolf…masks；　make　their　appearance；　seize　the　novice；　and　carry　him　into　the　woods。　When　the　wolves　are　heard　outside　the　village；　coming　to　fetch　away　the　novice；　all　the　members　of　the　society　blacken　their　faces　and　sing；　Among　all　the　tribes　is　great　excitement；　because　I　am　Tlokoala。　Next　day　the　wolves　bring　back　the　novice　dead；　and　the　members　of　the　society　have　to　revive　him。　The　wolves　are　supposed　to　have　put　a　magic　stone　into　his　body；　which　must　be　removed　before　he　can　come　to　life。　Till　this　is　done　the　pretended　corpse　is　left　lying　outside　the　house。　Two　wizards　go　and　remove　the　stone；　which　appears　to　be　quartz；　and　then　the　novice　is　resuscitated。　Among　the　Niska　Indians　of　British　Columbia；　who　are　divided　into　four　principal　clans　with　the　raven；　the　wolf；　the　eagle；　and　the　bear　for　their　respective　totems；　the　novice　at　initiation　is　always　brought　back　by　an　artificial　totem　animal。　Thus　when　a　man　was　about　to　be　initiated　into　a　secret　society　called　Olala；　his　friends　drew　their　knives　and　pretended　to　kill　him。　In　reality　they　let　him　slip　away；　while　they　cut　off　the　head　of　a　dummy　which　had　been　adroitly　substituted　for　him。　Then　they　laid　the　decapitated　dummy　down　and　covered　it　over；　and　the　women　began　to　mourn　and　wail。　His　relations　gave　a　funeral　banquet　and　solemnly　burnt　the　effigy。　In　short；　they　held　a　regular　funeral。　For　a　whole　year　the　novice　remained　absent　and　was　seen　by　none　but　members　of　the　secret　society。　But　at　the　end　of　that　time　he　came　back　alive；　carried　by　an　artificial　animal　which　represented　his　totem。

In　these　ceremonies　the　essence　of　the　rite　appears　to　be　the　killing　of　the　novice　in　his　character　of　a　man　and　his　restoration　to　life　in　the　form　of　the　animal　which　is　thenceforward　to　be；　if　not　his　guardian　spirit；　at　least　linked　to　him　in　a　peculiarly　intimate　relation。　It　is　to　be　remembered　that　the　Indians　of　Guatemala；　whose　life　was　bound　up　with　an　animal；　were　supposed　to　have　the　power　of　appearing　in　the　shape　of　the　particular　creature　with　which　they　were　thus　sympathetically　united。　Hence　it　seems　not　unreasonable　to　conjecture　that　in　like　manner　the　Indians　of　British　Columbia　may　imagine　that　their　life　depends　on　the　life　of　some　one　of　that　species　of　creature　to　which　they　assimilate　themselves　by　their　costume。　At　least　if　that　is　not　an　article　of　belief　with　the　Columbian　Indians　of　the　present　day；　it　may　very　well　have　been　so　with　their　ancestors　in　the　past；　and　thus　may　have　helped　to　mould　the　rites　and　ceremonies　both　of　the　totem　clans　and　of　the　secret　societies。　For　though　these　two　sorts　of　communities　differ　in　respect　of　the　mode　in　which　membership　of　them　is　obtaineda　man　being　born　into　his　totem　clan　but　admitted　into　a　secret　society　later　in　lifewe　can　hardly　doubt　that　they　are　near　akin　and　have　their　root　in　the　same　mode　of　thought。　That　thought；　if　I　am　right；　is　the　possibility　of　establishing　a　sympathetic　relation　with　an　animal；　a　spirit；　or　other　mighty　being；　with　whom　a　man　deposits　for　safe…keeping　his　soul　or　some　part　of　it；　and　from　whom　he　receives　in　return　a　gift　of　magical　powers。

Thus；　on　the　theory　here　suggested；　wherever　totemism　is　found；　and　wherever　a　pretence　is　made　of　killing　and　bringing　to　life　again　the　novice　at　initiation；　there　may　exist　or　have　existed　not　only　a　belief　in　the　possibility　of　permanently　depositing　the　soul　in　some　external　objectanimal；　plant；　or　what　notbut　an　actual　intention　of　so　doing。　If　the　question　is　put；　why　do　men　desire　to　deposit　their　life　outside　their　bodies？　the　answer　can　only　be　that；　like　the　giant　in　the　fairy　tale；　they　think　it　safer　to　do　so　than　to　carry　it　about　with　them；　just　as　people　deposit　their　money　with　a　banker　rather　than　carry　it　on　their　persons。　We　have　seen　that　at　critical　periods　th