the golden bough-第28章

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in　is　wanted；　two　men　will　sometimes　thrash　each　other　with　supple　rods　till　the　blood　flows　down　their　backs；　the　streaming　blood　represents　the　rain；　and　no　doubt　is　supposed　to　make　it　fall　on　the　ground。　The　people　of　Egghiou；　a　district　of　Abyssinia；　used　to　engage　in　sanguinary　conflicts　with　each　other；　village　against　village；　for　a　week　together　every　January　for　the　purpose　of　procuring　rain。　Some　years　ago　the　emperor　Menelik　forbade　the　custom。　However；　the　following　year　the　rain　was　deficient；　and　the　popular　outcry　so　great　that　the　emperor　yielded　to　it；　and　allowed　the　murderous　fights　to　be　resumed；　but　for　two　days　a　year　only。　The　writer　who　mentions　the　custom　regards　the　blood　shed　on　these　occasions　as　a　propitiatory　sacrifice　offered　to　spirits　who　control　the　showers；　but　perhaps；　as　in　the　Australian　and　Javanese　ceremonies；　it　is　an　imitation　of　rain。　The　prophets　of　Baal；　who　sought　to　procure　rain　by　cutting　themselves　with　knives　till　the　blood　gushed　out；　may　have　acted　on　the　same　principle。

There　is　a　widespread　belief　that　twin　children　possess　magical　powers　over　nature；　especially　over　rain　and　the　weather。　This　curious　superstition　prevails　among　some　of　the　Indian　tribes　of　British　Columbia；　and　has　led　them　often　to　impose　certain　singular　restrictions　or　taboos　on　the　parents　of　twins；　though　the　exact　meaning　of　these　restrictions　is　generally　obscure。　Thus　the　Tsimshian　Indians　of　British　Columbia　believe　that　twins　control　the　weather；　therefore　they　pray　to　wind　and　rain；　Calm　down；　breath　of　the　twins。　Further；　they　think　that　the　wishes　of　twins　are　always　fulfilled；　hence　twins　are　feared；　because　they　can　harm　the　man　they　hate。　They　can　also　call　the　salmon　and　the　olachen　or　candle…fish；　and　so　they　are　known　by　a　name　which　means　making　plentiful。　In　the　opinion　of　the　Kwakiutl　Indians　of　British　Columbia　twins　are　transformed　salmon；　hence　they　may　not　go　near　water；　lest　they　should　be　changed　back　again　into　the　fish。　In　their　childhood　they　can　summon　any　wind　by　motions　of　their　hands；　and　they　can　make　fair　or　foul　weather；　and　also　cure　diseases　by　swinging　a　large　wooden　rattle。　The　Nootka　Indians　of　British　Columbia　also　believe　that　twins　are　somehow　related　to　salmon。　Hence　among　them　twins　may　not　catch　salmon；　and　they　may　not　eat　or　even　handle　the　fresh　fish。　They　can　make　fair　or　foul　weather；　and　can　cause　rain　to　fall　by　painting　their　faces　black　and　then　washing　them；　which　may　represent　the　rain　dripping　from　the　dark　clouds。　The　Shuswap　Indians；　like　the　Thompson　Indians；　associate　twins　with　the　grizzly　bear；　for　they　call　them　young　grizzly　bears。　According　to　them；　twins　remain　throughout　life　endowed　with　supernatural　powers。　In　particular　they　can　make　good　or　bad　weather。　They　produce　rain　by　spilling　water　from　a　basket　in　the　air；　they　make　fine　weather　by　shaking　a　small　flat　piece　of　wood　attached　to　a　stick　by　a　string；　they　raise　storms　by　strewing　down　on　the　ends　of　spruce　branches。

The　same　power　of　influencing　the　weather　is　attributed　to　twins　by　the　Baronga；　a　tribe　of　Bantu　negroes　who；　inhabit　the　shores　of　Delagoa　Bay　in　South…eastern　Africa。　They　bestow　the　name　of　Tilothat　is；　the　skyon　a　woman　who　has　given　birth　to　twins；　and　the　infants　themselves　are　called　the　children　of　the　sky。　Now　when　the　storms　which　generally　burst　in　the　months　of　September　and　October　have　been　looked　for　in　vain；　when　a　drought　with　its　prospect　of　famine　is　threatening；　and　all　nature；　scorched　and　burnt　up　by　a　sun　that　has　shone　for　six　months　from　a　cloudless　sky；　is　panting　for　the　beneficent　showers　of　the　South　African　spring；　the　women　perform　ceremonies　to　bring　down　the　longed…for　rain　on　the　parched　earth。　Stripping　themselves　of　all　their　garments；　they　assume　in　their　stead　girdles　and　head…dresses　of　grass；　or　short　petticoats　made　of　the　leaves　of　a　particular　sort　of　creeper。　Thus　attired；　uttering　peculiar　cries　and　singing　ribald　songs；　they　go　about　from　well　to　well；　cleansing　them　of　the　mud　and　impurities　which　have　accumulated　in　them。　The　wells；　it　may　be　said；　are　merely　holes　in　the　sand　where　a　little　turbid　unwholesome　water　stagnates。　Further；　the　women　must　repair　to　the　house　of　one　of　their　gossips　who　has　given　birth　to　twins；　and　must　drench　her　with　water；　which　they　carry　in　little　pitchers。　Having　done　so　they　go　on　their　way；　shrieking　out　their　loose　songs　and　dancing　immodest　dances。　No　man　may　see　these　leaf…clad　women　going　their　rounds。　If　they　meet　a　man；　they　maul　him　and　thrust　him　aside。　When　they　have　cleansed　the　wells；　they　must　go　and　pour　water　on　the　graves　of　their　ancestors　in　the　sacred　grove。　It　often　happens；　too；　that　at　the　bidding　of　the　wizard　they　go　and　pour　water　on　the　graves　of　twins。　For　they　think　that　the　grave　of　a　twin　ought　always　to　be　moist；　for　which　reason　twins　are　regularly　buried　near　a　lake。　If　all　their　efforts　to　procure　rain　prove　abortive；　they　will　remember　that　such　and　such　a　twin　was　buried　in　a　dry　place　on　the　side　of　a　hill。　No　wonder；　says　the　wizard　in　such　a　case；　that　the　sky　is　fiery。　Take　up　his　body　and　dig　him　a　grave　on　the　shore　of　the　lake。　His　orders　are　at　once　obeyed；　for　this　is　supposed　to　be　the　only　means　of　bringing　down　the　rain。

Some　of　the　foregoing　facts　strongly　support　an　interpretation　which　Professor　Oldenberg　has　given　of　the　rules　to　be　observed　by　a　Brahman　who　would　learn　a　particular　hymn　of　the　ancient　Indian　collection　known　as　the　Samaveda。　The　hymn；　which　bears　the　name　of　the　Sakvariˉ　song；　was　believed　to　embody　the　might　of　Indra's　weapon；　the　thunderbolt；　and　hence；　on　account　of　the　dreadful　and　dangerous　potency　with　which　it　was　thus　charged；　the　bold　student　who　essayed　to　master　it　had　to　be　isolated　from　his　fellow…men；　and　to　retire　from　the　village　into　the　forest。　Here　for　a　space　of　time；　which　might　vary；　according　to　different　doctors　of　the　law；　from　one　to　twelve　years；　he　had　to　observe　certain　rules　of　life；　among　which　were　the　following。　Thrice　a　day　he　had　to　touch　water；　he　must　wear　black　garments　and　eat　black　food；　when　it　rained；　he　might　not　seek　the　shelter　of　a　roof；　but　had　to　sit　in　the　rain　and　say；　Water　is　the　Sakvariˉ　song；　when　the　lightning　flashed；　he　said；　That　is　like　the　Sakvariˉ　song；　when　the　thunder　pealed；　he　said；　The　Great　One　is　making　a　great　noise。　He　might　never　cross　a　running　stream　without　touching　water；　he　might　never　set　foot　on　a　ship　unless　his　life　were　in　danger；　and　even　then　he　must　be　sure　to　touch　water　when　he　went　on　board；　for　in　water；　so　ran　the　saying；　lies　the　virtue　of　the　Sakvariˉ　song。　When　at　last　he　was　allowed　to　learn　the　song　itself；　he　had　to　dip　his　hands　in　a　vessel　of　water　in　which　plants　of　all　sorts　had　been　placed。　If　a　man　walked　in　the　way　of　all　these　precepts；　the　rain…god　Parjanya；　it　was　said；　would　send　rain　at　the　wish　of　that　man。　It　is　clear；　as　Professor　Oldenberg　well　points　out；　that　all　these　rules　are　intended　to　bring　the　Brahman　into　union　with　water；　to　make　him；　as　it　were；　an　ally　of　the　water　powers；　and　to　guard　him　against　their　hostility。　The　black　garments　and　the　black　food　have　the　same　significance；　no　one　will　doubt　that　they　refer　to　the　rain…clouds　when　he　remembers　that　a　black　victim　is　sacrificed　to　procure　rain；　'it　is　black；　for　such　is　the　nature　of　rain。'　In　respect　of　another　rain…charm　it　is　said　plainly；　'He　puts　on　a　black　garment　edged　with　black；　for　such　is　the　nature　of　rain。'　We　may　therefore　assume　that　here　in　the　circle　of　ideas　and　ordinances　of　the　Vedic　schools　there　have　been　preserved　magical　practices　of　the　most　remote　antiquity；　which　were　intended　to　prepare　the　rain…maker　for　his　office　and　dedicate　him　to　it。

It　is　interesting　to　observe　that　where　an　opposite　result　is　desired；　primitive　logic　enjoins　the　weather…doctor　to　observe　precisely　opposite　rules　of　conduct。　In　the　tropical　island　of　Java；　where　the　rich　vegetation　attests　the　abundance　of　the　rainfall；　ceremonies　for　the　making　of　rain　are　rare；　but　ceremonies　for　the　prevention　of　it　are　not　uncommon。　When　a　man　is　about　to　give　a　great　feast　in　the　rainy　season　and　has　invited　many　people；　he　goes　to　a　weat