the golden bough-第33章

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he　moment　when　the　sun　rises　from　the　sea。　As　the　smoke　curls　up；　he　rubs　the　stone　with　the　dry　coral；　invokes　his　ancestors　and　says：　Sun！　I　do　this　that　you　may　be　burning　hot；　and　eat　up　all　the　clouds　in　the　sky。　The　same　ceremony　is　repeated　at　sunset。　The　New　Caledonians　also　make　a　drought　by　means　of　a　disc…shaped　stone　with　a　hole　in　it。　At　the　moment　when　the　sun　rises；　the　wizard　holds　the　stone　in　his　hand　and　passes　a　burning　brand　repeatedly　into　the　hole；　while　he　says：　I　kindle　the　sun；　in　order　that　he　may　eat　up　the　clouds　and　dry　up　our　land；　so　that　it　may　produce　nothing。　The　Banks　Islanders　make　sunshine　by　means　of　a　mock　sun。　They　take　a　very　round　stone；　called　a　vat　loa　or　sunstone；　wind　red　braid　about　it；　and　stick　it　with　owls'　feathers　to　represent　rays；　singing　the　proper　spell　in　a　low　voice。　Then　they　hang　it　on　some　high　tree；　such　as　a　banyan　or　a　casuarina；　in　a　sacred　place。

The　offering　made　by　the　Brahman　in　the　morning　is　supposed　to　produce　the　sun；　and　we　are　told　that　assuredly　it　would　not　rise；　were　he　not　to　make　that　offering。　The　ancient　Mexicans　conceived　the　sun　as　the　source　of　all　vital　force；　hence　they　named　him　Ipalnemohuani；　He　by　whom　men　live。　But　if　he　bestowed　life　on　the　world；　he　needed　also　to　receive　life　from　it。　And　as　the　heart　is　the　seat　and　symbol　of　life；　bleeding　hearts　of　men　and　animals　were　presented　to　the　sun　to　maintain　him　in　vigour　and　enable　him　to　run　his　course　across　the　sky。　Thus　the　Mexican　sacrifices　to　the　sun　were　magical　rather　than　religious；　being　designed；　not　so　much　to　please　and　propitiate　him；　as　physically　to　renew　his　energies　of　heat；　light；　and　motion。　The　constant　demand　for　human　victims　to　feed　the　solar　fire　was　met　by　waging　war　every　year　on　the　neighbouring　tribes　and　bringing　back　troops　of　captives　to　be　sacrificed　on　the　altar。　Thus　the　ceaseless　wars　of　the　Mexicans　and　their　cruel　system　of　human　sacrifices；　the　most　monstrous　on　record；　sprang　in　great　measure　from　a　mistaken　theory　of　the　solar　system。　No　more　striking　illustration　could　be　given　of　the　disastrous　consequences　that　may　flow　in　practice　from　a　purely　speculative　error。　The　ancient　Greeks　believed　that　the　sun　drove　in　a　chariot　across　the　sky；　hence　the　Rhodians；　who　worshipped　the　sun　as　their　chief　deity；　annually　dedicated　a　chariot　and　four　horses　to　him；　and　flung　them　into　the　sea　for　his　use。　Doubtless　they　thought　that　after　a　year's　work　his　old　horses　and　chariot　would　be　worn　out。　From　a　like　motive；　probably；　the　idolatrous　kings　of　Judah　dedicated　chariots　and　horses　to　the　sun；　and　the　Spartans；　Persians；　and　Massagetae　sacrificed　horses　to　him。　The　Spartans　performed　the　sacrifice　on　the　top　of　Mount　Taygetus；　the　beautiful　range　behind　which　they　saw　the　great　luminary　set　every　night。　It　was　as　natural　for　the　inhabitants　of　the　valley　of　Sparta　to　do　this　as　it　was　for　the　islanders　of　Rhodes　to　throw　the　chariot　and　horses　into　the　sea；　into　which　the　sun　seemed　to　them　to　sink　at　evening。　For　thus；　whether　on　the　mountain　or　in　the　sea；　the　fresh　horses　stood　ready　for　the　weary　god　where　they　would　be　most　welcome；　at　the　end　of　his　day's　journey。

As　some　people　think　they　can　light　up　the　sun　or　speed　him　on　his　way；　so　others　fancy　they　can　retard　or　stop　him。　In　a　pass　of　the　Peruvian　Andes　stand　two　ruined　towers　on　opposite　hills。　Iron　hooks　are　clamped　into　their　walls　for　the　purpose　of　stretching　a　net　from　one　tower　to　the　other。　The　net　is　intended　to　catch　the　sun。　Stories　of　men　who　have　caught　the　sun　in　a　noose　are　widely　spread。　When　the　sun　is　going　southward　in　the　autumn；　and　sinking　lower　and　lower　in　the　Arctic　sky；　the　Esquimaux　of　Iglulik　play　the　game　of　cat's　cradle　in　order　to　catch　him　in　the　meshes　of　the　string　and　so　prevent　his　disappearance。　On　the　contrary；　when　the　sun　is　moving　northward　in　the　spring；　they　play　the　game　of　cup…and…ball　to　hasten　his　return。　When　an　Australian　blackfellow　wishes　to　stay　the　sun　from　going　down　till　he　gets　home；　he　puts　a　sod　in　the　fork　of　a　tree；　exactly　facing　the　setting　sun。　On　the　other　hand；　to　make　it　go　down　faster；　the　Australians　throw　sand　into　the　air　and　blow　with　their　mouths　towards　the　sun；　perhaps　to　waft　the　lingering　orb　westward　and　bury　it　under　the　sands　into　which　it　appears　to　sink　at　night。

As　some　people　imagine　they　can　hasten　the　sun；　so　others　fancy　they　can　jog　the　tardy　moon。　The　natives　of　New　Guinea　reckon　months　by　the　moon；　and　some　of　them　have　been　known　to　throw　stones　and　spears　at　the　moon；　in　order　to　accelerate　its　progress　and　so　to　hasten　the　return　of　their　friends；　who　were　away　from　home　for　twelve　months　working　on　a　tobacco　plantation。　The　Malays　think　that　a　bright　glow　at　sunset　may　throw　a　weak　person　into　a　fever。　Hence　they　attempt　to　extinguish　the　glow　by　spitting　out　water　and　throwing　ashes　at　it。　The　Shuswap　Indians　believe　that　they　can　bring　on　cold　weather　by　burning　the　wood　of　a　tree　that　has　been　struck　by　lightning。　The　belief　may　be　based　on　the　observation　that　in　their　country　cold　follows　a　thunder…storm。　Hence　in　spring；　when　these　Indians　are　travelling　over　the　snow　on　high　ground；　they　burn　splinters　of　such　wood　in　the　fire　in　order　that　the　crust　of　the　snow　may　not　melt。

4。　The　Magical　Control　of　the　Wind

ONCE　more；　the　savage　thinks　he　can　make　the　wind　to　blow　or　to　be　still。　When　the　day　is　hot　and　a　Yakut　has　a　long　way　to　go；　he　takes　a　stone　which　he　has　chanced　to　find　in　an　animal　or　fish；　winds　a　horse…hair　several　times　round　it；　and　ties　it　to　a　stick。　He　then　waves　the　stick　about；　uttering　a　spell。　Soon　a　cool　breeze　begins　to　blow。　In　order　to　procure　a　cool　wind　for　nine　days　the　stone　should　first　be　dipped　in　the　blood　of　a　bird　or　beast　and　then　presented　to　the　sun；　while　the　sorcerer　makes　three　turns　contrary　to　the　course　of　the　luminary。　If　a　Hottentot　desires　the　wind　to　drop；　he　takes　one　of　his　fattest　skins　and　hangs　it　on　the　end　of　a　pole；　in　the　belief　that　by　blowing　the　skin　down　the　wind　will　lose　all　its　force　and　must　itself　fall。　Fuegian　wizards　throw　shells　against　the　wind　to　make　it　drop。　The　natives　of　the　island　of　Bibili；　off　New　Guinea；　are　reputed　to　make　wind　by　blowing　with　their　mouths。　In　stormy　weather　the　Bogadjim　people　say；　The　Bibili　folk　are　at　it　again；　blowing　away。　Another　way　of　making　wind　which　is　practised　in　New　Guinea　is　to　strike　a　wind…stone　lightly　with　a　stick；　to　strike　it　hard　would　bring　on　a　hurricane。　So　in　Scotland　witches　used　to　raise　the　wind　by　dipping　a　rag　in　water　and　beating　it　thrice　on　a　stone；　saying：

I　knok　this　rag　upone　this　stane　To　raise　the　wind　in　the　divellis　name；　It　sall　not　lye　till　I　please　againe。

In　Greenland　a　woman　in　child…bed　and　for　some　time　after　delivery　is　supposed　to　possess　the　power　of　laying　a　storm。　She　has　only　to　go　out　of　doors；　fill　her　mouth　with　air；　and　coming　back　into　the　house　blow　it　out　again。　In　antiquity　there　was　a　family　at　Corinth　which　enjoyed　the　reputation　of　being　able　to　still　the　raging　wind；　but　we　do　not　know　in　what　manner　its　members　exercised　a　useful　function；　which　probably　earned　for　them　a　more　solid　recompense　than　mere　repute　among　the　seafaring　population　of　the　isthmus。　Even　in　Christian　times；　under　the　reign　of　Constantine；　a　certain　Sopater　suffered　death　at　Constantinople　on　a　charge　of　binding　the　winds　by　magic；　because　it　happened　that　the　corn…ships　of　Egypt　and　Syria　were　detained　afar　off　by　calms　or　head…winds；　to　the　rage　and　disappointment　of　the　hungry　Byzantine　rabble。　Finnish　wizards　used　to　sell　wind　to　storm…stayed　mariners。　The　wind　was　enclosed　in　three　knots；　if　they　undid　the　first　knot；　a　moderate　wind　sprang　up；　if　the　second；　it　blew　half　a　gale；　if　the　third；　a　hurricane。　Indeed　the　Esthonians；　whose　country　is　divided　from　Finland　only　by　an　arm　of　the　sea；　still　believe　in　the　magical　powers　of　their　northern　neighbours。　The　bitter　winds　that　blow　in　spring　from　the　north　and　north…east；　bringing　ague　and　rheumatic　inflammations　in　their　train；　are　set　down　by　the　simple　Esthonian　peasantry　to　the　machinations　of　the　Finnish　wizards　and　witches。　In　particular　they　regard　with　special　dread　three　da