the golden bough-第29章

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an　is　about　to　give　a　great　feast　in　the　rainy　season　and　has　invited　many　people；　he　goes　to　a　weather…doctor　and　asks　him　to　prop　up　the　clouds　that　may　be　lowering。　If　the　doctor　consents　to　exert　his　professional　powers；　he　begins　to　regulate　his　behaviour　by　certain　rules　as　soon　as　his　customer　has　departed。　He　must　observe　a　fast；　and　may　neither　drink　nor　bathe；　what　little　he　eats　must　be　eaten　dry；　and　in　no　case　may　he　touch　water。　The　host；　on　his　side；　and　his　servants；　both　male　and　female；　must　neither　wash　clothes　nor　bathe　so　long　as　the　feast　lasts；　and　they　have　all　during　its　continuance　to　observe　strict　chastity。　The　doctor　seats　himself　on　a　new　mat　in　his　bedroom；　and　before　a　small　oil…lamp　he　murmurs；　shortly　before　the　feast　takes　place；　the　following　prayer　or　incantation：　Grandfather　and　Grandmother　Sroekoel　（the　name　seems　to　be　taken　at　random；　others　are　sometimes　used）；　return　to　your　country。　Akkemat　is　your　country。　Put　down　your　water…cask；　close　it　properly；　that　not　a　drop　may　fall　out。　While　he　utters　this　prayer　the　sorcerer　looks　upwards；　burning　incense　the　while。　So　among　the　Toradjas　the　rain…doctor；　whose　special　business　it　is　to　drive　away　rain；　takes　care　not　to　touch　water　before；　during；　or　after　the　discharge　of　his　professional　duties。　He　does　not　bathe；　he　eats　with　unwashed　hands；　he　drinks　nothing　but　palm　wine；　and　if　he　has　to　cross　a　stream　he　is　careful　not　to　step　in　the　water。　Having　thus　prepared　himself　for　his　task　he　has　a　small　hut　built　for　himself　outside　of　the　village　in　a　rice…field；　and　in　this　hut　he　keeps　up　a　little　fire；　which　on　no　account　may　be　suffered　to　go　out。　In　the　fire　he　burns　various　kinds　of　wood；　which　are　supposed　to　possess　the　property　of　driving　off　rain；　and　he　puffs　in　the　direction　from　which　the　rain　threatens　to　come；　holding　in　his　hand　a　packet　of　leaves　and　bark　which　derive　a　similar　cloud…compelling　virtue；　not　from　their　chemical　composition；　but　from　their　names；　which　happen　to　signify　something　dry　or　volatile。　If　clouds　should　appear　in　the　sky　while　he　is　at　work；　he　takes　lime　in　the　hollow　of　his　hand　and　blows　it　towards　them。　The　lime；　being　so　very　dry；　is　obviously　well　adapted　to　disperse　the　damp　clouds。　Should　rain　afterwards　be　wanted；　he　has　only　to　pour　water　on　his　fire；　and　immediately　the　rain　will　descend　in　sheets。

The　reader　will　observe　how　exactly　the　Javanese　and　Toradja　observances；　which　are　intended　to　prevent　rain；　form　the　antithesis　of　the　Indian　observances；　which　aim　at　producing　it。　The　Indian　sage　is　commanded　to　touch　water　thrice　a　day　regularly　as　well　as　on　various　special　occasions；　the　Javanese　and　Toradja　wizards　may　not　touch　it　at　all。　The　Indian　lives　out　in　the　forest；　and　even　when　it　rains　he　may　not　take　shelter；　the　Javanese　and　the　Toradja　sit　in　a　house　or　a　hut。　The　one　signifies　his　sympathy　with　water　by　receiving　the　rain　on　his　person　and　speaking　of　it　respectfully；　the　others　light　a　lamp　or　a　fire　and　do　their　best　to　drive　the　rain　away。　Yet　the　principle　on　which　all　three　act　is　the　same；　each　of　them；　by　a　sort　of　childish　make…believe；　identifies　himself　with　the　phenomenon　which　he　desires　to　produce。　It　is　the　old　fallacy　that　the　effect　resembles　its　cause：　if　you　would　make　wet　weather；　you　must　be　wet；　if　you　would　make　dry　weather；　you　must　be　dry。

In　South…eastern　Europe　at　the　present　day　ceremonies　are　observed　for　the　purpose　of　making　rain　which　not　only　rest　on　the　same　general　train　of　thought　as　the　preceding；　but　even　in　their　details　resemble　the　ceremonies　practised　with　the　same　intention　by　the　Baronga　of　Delagoa　Bay。　Among　the　Greeks　of　Thessaly　and　Macedonia；　when　a　drought　has　lasted　a　long　time；　it　is　customary　to　send　a　procession　of　children　round　to　all　the　wells　and　springs　of　the　neighbourhood。　At　the　head　of　the　procession　walks　a　girl　adorned　with　flowers；　whom　her　companions　drench　with　water　at　every　halting…place；　while　they　sing　an　invocation；　of　which　the　following　is　part：

Perperia　all　fresh　bedewed；　Freshen　all　the　neighbourhood；　By　the　woods；　on　the　highway；　As　thou　goest；　to　God　now　pray：　O　my　God；　upon　the　plain；　Send　thou　us　a　still；　small　rain；　That　the　fields　may　fruitful　be；　And　vines　in　blossom　we　may　see；　That　the　grain　be　full　and　sound；　And　wealthy　grow　the　folks　around。

In　time　of　drought　the　Serbians　strip　a　girl　to　her　skin　and　clothe　her　from　head　to　foot　in　grass；　herbs；　and　flowers；　even　her　face　being　hidden　behind　a　veil　of　living　green。　Thus　disguised　she　is　called　the　Dodola；　and　goes　through　the　village　with　a　troop　of　girls。　They　stop　before　every　house；　the　Dodola　keeps　turning　herself　round　and　dancing；　while　the　other　girls　form　a　ring　about　her　singing　one　of　the　Dodola　songs；　and　the　housewife　pours　a　pail　of　water　over　her。　One　of　the　songs　they　sing　runs　thus：

We　go　through　the　village；　The　clouds　go　in　the　sky；　We　go　faster；　Faster　go　the　clouds；　They　have　overtaken　us；　And　wetted　the　corn　and　the　vine。

At　Poona　in　India；　when　rain　is　needed；　the　boys　dress　up　one　of　their　number　in　nothing　but　leaves　and　call　him　King　of　Rain。　Then　they　go　round　to　every　house　in　the　village；　where　the　house…holder　or　his　wife　sprinkles　the　Rain　King　with　water；　and　gives　the　party　food　of　various　kinds。　When　they　have　thus　visited　all　the　houses；　they　strip　the　Rain　King　of　his　leafy　robes　and　feast　upon　what　they　have　gathered。

Bathing　is　practised　as　a　rain…charm　in　some　parts　of　Southern　and　Western　Russia。　Sometimes　after　service　in　church　the　priest　in　his　robes　has　been　thrown　down　on　the　ground　and　drenched　with　water　by　his　parishioners。　Sometimes　it　is　the　women　who；　without　stripping　off　their　clothes；　bathe　in　crowds　on　the　day　of　St。　John　the　Baptist；　while　they　dip　in　the　water　a　figure　made　of　branches；　grass；　and　herbs；　which　is　supposed　to　represent　the　saint。　In　Kursk；　a　province　of　Southern　Russia；　when　rain　is　much　wanted；　the　women　seize　a　passing　stranger　and　throw　him　into　the　river；　or　souse　him　from　head　to　foot。　Later　on　we　shall　see　that　a　passing　stranger　is　often　taken　for　a　deity　or　the　personification　of　some　natural　power。　It　is　recorded　in　official　documents　that　during　a　drought　in　1790　the　peasants　of　Scheroutz　and　Werboutz　collected　all　the　women　and　compelled　them　to　bathe；　in　order　that　rain　might　fall。　An　Armenian　rain…charm　is　to　throw　the　wife　of　a　priest　into　the　water　and　drench　her。　The　Arabs　of　North　Africa　fling　a　holy　man；　willy…nilly；　into　a　spring　as　a　remedy　for　drought。　In　Minahassa；　a　province　of　North　Celebes；　the　priest　bathes　as　a　rain…charm。　In　Central　Celebes　when　there　has　been　no　rain　for　a　long　time　and　the　rice…stalks　begin　to　shrivel　up；　many　of　the　villagers；　especially　the　young　folk；　go　to　a　neighbouring　brook　and　splash　each　other　with　water；　shouting　noisily；　or　squirt　water　on　one　another　through　bamboo　tubes。　Sometimes　they　imitate　the　plump　of　rain　by　smacking　the　surface　of　the　water　with　their　hands；　or　by　placing　an　inverted　gourd　on　it　and　drumming　on　the　gourd　with　their　fingers。

Women　are　sometimes　supposed　to　be　able　to　make　rain　by　ploughing；　or　pretending　to　plough。　Thus　the　Pshaws　and　Chewsurs　of　the　Caucasus　have　a　ceremony　called　ploughing　the　rain；　which　they　observe　in　time　of　drought。　Girls　yoke　themselves　to　a　plough　and　drag　it　into　a　river；　wading　in　the　water　up　to　their　girdles。　In　the　same　circumstances　Armenian　girls　and　women　do　the　same。　The　oldest　woman；　or　the　priest's　wife；　wears　the　priest's　dress；　while　the　others；　dressed　as　men；　drag　the　plough　through　the　water　against　the　stream。　In　the　Caucasian　province　of　Georgia；　when　a　drought　has　lasted　long；　marriageable　girls　are　yoked　in　couples　with　an　ox…yoke　on　their　shoulders；　a　priest　holds　the　reins；　and　thus　harnessed　they　wade　through　rivers；　puddles；　and　marshes；　praying；　screaming；　weeping；　and　laughing。　In　a　district　of　Transylvania　when　the　ground　is　parched　with　drought；　some　girls　strip　themselves　naked；　and；　led　by　an　older　woman；　who　is　also　naked；　they　steal　a　harrow　and　carry　it　across　the　fields　to　a　brook；　where　they　set　it　afloat。　Next　they　sit　on　the　harrow　and　keep　a　tiny　flame　burning　on　each　corner　of　it　for　an　hour。　Then　th