the golden bough-第68章

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uld　swell　and　inflame　his　mouth　and　throat。　The　like　ill　effect　is　dreaded　from　the　Dairi's　sacred　habits；　for　they　believe　that　if　a　layman　should　wear　them；　without　the　Emperor's　express　leave　or　command；　they　would　occasion　swellings　and　pains　in　all　parts　of　his　body。　To　the　same　effect　an　earlier　account　of　the　Mikado　says：　It　was　considered　as　a　shameful　degradation　for　him　even　to　touch　the　ground　with　his　foot。　The　sun　and　moon　were　not　even　permitted　to　shine　upon　his　head。　None　of　the　superfluities　of　the　body　were　ever　taken　from　him；　neither　his　hair；　his　beard；　nor　his　nails　were　cut。　Whatever　he　eat　was　dressed　in　new　vessels。

Similar　priestly　or　rather　divine　kings　are　found；　at　a　lower　level　of　barbarism；　on　the　west　coast　of　Africa。　At　Shark　Point　near　Cape　Padron；　in　Lower　Guinea；　lives　the　priestly　king　Kukulu；　alone　in　a　wood。　He　may　not　touch　a　woman　nor　leave　his　house；　indeed　he　may　not　even　quit　his　chair；　in　which　he　is　obliged　to　sleep　sitting；　for　if　he　lay　down　no　wind　would　arise　and　navigation　would　be　stopped。　He　regulates　storms；　and　in　general　maintains　a　wholesome　and　equable　state　of　the　atmosphere。　On　Mount　Agu　in　Togo　there　lives　a　fetish　or　spirit　called　Bagba；　who　is　of　great　importance　for　the　whole　of　the　surrounding　country。　The　power　of　giving　or　withholding　rain　is　ascribed　to　him；　and　he　is　lord　of　the　winds；　including　the　Harmattan；　the　dry；　hot　wind　which　blows　from　the　interior。　His　priest　dwells　in　a　house　on　the　highest　peak　of　the　mountain；　where　he　keeps　the　winds　bottled　up　in　huge　jars。　Applications　for　rain；　too；　are　made　to　him；　and　he　does　a　good　business　in　amulets；　which　consist　of　the　teeth　and　claws　of　leopards。　Yet　though　his　power　is　great　and　he　is　indeed　the　real　chief　of　the　land；　the　rule　of　the　fetish　forbids　him　ever　to　leave　the　mountain；　and　he　must　spend　the　whole　of　his　life　on　its　summit。　Only　once　a　year　may　he　come　down　to　make　purchases　in　the　market；　but　even　then　he　may　not　set　foot　in　the　hut　of　any　mortal　man；　and　must　return　to　his　place　of　exile　the　same　day。　The　business　of　government　in　the　villages　is　conducted　by　subordinate　chiefs；　who　are　appointed　by　him。　In　the　West　African　kingdom　of　Congo　there　was　a　supreme　pontiff　called　Chitomé　or　Chitombé；　whom　the　negroes　regarded　as　a　god　on　earth　and　all…powerful　in　heaven。　Hence　before　they　would　taste　the　new　crops　they　offered　him　the　first…fruits；　fearing　that　manifold　misfortunes　would　befall　them　if　they　broke　this　rule。　When　he　left　his　residence　to　visit　other　places　within　his　jurisdiction；　all　married　people　had　to　observe　strict　continence　the　whole　time　he　was　out；　for　it　was　supposed　that　any　act　of　incontinence　would　prove　fatal　to　him。　And　if　he　were　to　die　a　natural　death；　they　thought　that　the　world　would　perish；　and　the　earth；　which　he　alone　sustained　by　his　power　and　merit；　would　immediately　be　annihilated。　Amongst　the　semi…barbarous　nations　of　the　New　World；　at　the　date　of　the　Spanish　conquest；　there　were　found　hierarchies　or　theocracies　like　those　of　Japan；　in　particular；　the　high　pontiff　of　the　Zapotecs　appears　to　have　presented　a　close　parallel　to　the　Mikado。　A　powerful　rival　to　the　king　himself；　this　spiritual　lord　governed　Yopaa；　one　of　the　chief　cities　of　the　kingdom；　with　absolute　dominion。　It　is　impossible；　we　are　told；　to　overrate　the　reverence　in　which　he　was　held。　He　was　looked　on　as　a　god　whom　the　earth　was　not　worthy　to　hold　nor　the　sun　to　shine　upon。　He　profaned　his　sanctity　if　he　even　touched　the　ground　with　his　foot。　The　officers　who　bore　his　palanquin　on　their　shoulders　were　members　of　the　highest　families：　he　hardly　deigned　to　look　on　anything　around　him；　and　all　who　met　him　fell　with　their　faces　to　the　earth；　fearing　that　death　would　overtake　them　if　they　saw　even　his　shadow。　A　rule　of　continence　was　regularly　imposed　on　the　Zapotec　priests；　especially　upon　the　high　pontiff；　but　on　certain　days　in　each　year；　which　were　generally　celebrated　with　feasts　and　dances；　it　was　customary　for　the　high　priest　to　become　drunk。　While　in　this　state；　seeming　to　belong　neither　to　heaven　nor　to　earth；　one　of　the　most　beautiful　of　the　virgins　consecrated　to　the　service　of　the　gods　was　brought　to　him。　If　the　child　she　bore　him　was　a　son；　he　was　brought　up　as　a　prince　of　the　blood；　and　the　eldest　son　succeeded　his　father　on　the　pontifical　throne。　The　supernatural　powers　attributed　to　this　pontiff　are　not　specified；　but　probably　they　resembled　those　of　the　Mikado　and　Chitomé。

Wherever；　as　in　Japan　and　West　Africa；　it　is　supposed　that　the　order　of　nature；　and　even　the　existence　of　the　world；　is　bound　up　with　the　life　of　the　king　or　priest；　it　is　clear　that　he　must　be　regarded　by　his　subjects　as　a　source　both　of　infinite　blessing　and　of　infinite　danger。　On　the　one　hand；　the　people　have　to　thank　him　for　the　rain　and　sunshine　which　foster　the　fruits　of　the　earth；　for　the　wind　which　brings　ships　to　their　coasts；　and　even　for　the　solid　ground　beneath　their　feet。　But　what　he　gives　he　can　refuse；　and　so　close　is　the　dependence　of　nature　on　his　person；　so　delicate　the　balance　of　the　system　of　forces　whereof　he　is　the　centre；　that　the　least　irregularity　on　his　part　may　set　up　a　tremor　which　shall　shake　the　earth　to　its　foundations。　And　if　nature　may　be　disturbed　by　the　slightest　involuntary　act　of　the　king；　it　is　easy　to　conceive　the　convulsion　which　his　death　might　provoke。　The　natural　death　of　the　Chitomé；　as　we　have　seen；　was　thought　to　entail　the　destruction　of　all　things。　Clearly；　therefore；　out　of　a　regard　for　their　own　safety；　which　might　be　imperilled　by　any　rash　act　of　the　king；　and　still　more　by　his　death；　the　people　will　exact　of　their　king　or　priest　a　strict　conformity　to　those　rules；　the　observance　of　which　is　deemed　necessary　for　his　own　preservation；　and　consequently　for　the　preservation　of　his　people　and　the　world。　The　idea　that　early　kingdoms　are　despotisms　in　which　the　people　exist　only　for　the　sovereign；　is　wholly　inapplicable　to　the　monarchies　we　are　considering。　On　the　contrary；　the　sovereign　in　them　exists　only　for　his　subjects；　his　life　is　only　valuable　so　long　as　he　discharges　the　duties　of　his　position　by　ordering　the　course　of　nature　for　his　people's　benefit。　So　soon　as　he　fails　to　do　so；　the　care；　the　devotion；　the　religious　homage　which　they　had　hitherto　lavished　on　him　cease　and　are　changed　into　hatred　and　contempt；　he　is　dismissed　ignominiously；　and　may　be　thankful　if　he　escapes　with　his　life。　Worshipped　as　a　god　one　day；　he　is　killed　as　a　criminal　the　next。　But　in　this　changed　behaviour　of　the　people　there　is　nothing　capricious　or　inconsistent。　On　the　contrary；　their　conduct　is　entirely　of　a　piece。　If　their　king　is　their　god；　he　is　or　should　be　also　their　preserver；　and　if　he　will　not　preserve　them；　he　must　make　room　for　another　who　will。　So　long；　however；　as　he　answers　their　expectations；　there　is　no　limit　to　the　care　which　they　take　of　him；　and　which　they　compel　him　to　take　of　himself。　A　king　of　this　sort　lives　hedged　in　by　a　ceremonious　etiquette；　a　network　of　prohibitions　and　observances；　of　which　the　intention　is　not　to　contribute　to　his　dignity；　much　less　to　his　comfort；　but　to　restrain　him　from　conduct　which；　by　disturbing　the　harmony　of　nature；　might　involve　himself；　his　people；　and　the　universe　in　one　common　catastrophe。　Far　from　adding　to　his　comfort；　these　observances；　by　trammelling　his　every　act；　annihilate　his　freedom　and　often　render　the　very　life；　which　it　is　their　object　to　preserve；　a　burden　and　sorrow　to　him。

Of　the　supernaturally　endowed　kings　of　Loango　it　is　said　that　the　more　powerful　a　king　is；　the　more　taboos　is　he　bound　to　observe；　they　regulate　all　his　actions；　his　walking　and　his　standing；　his　eating　and　drinking；　his　sleeping　and　waking。　To　these　restraints　the　heir　to　the　throne　is　subject　from　infancy；　but　as　he　advances　in　life　the　number　of　abstinences　and　ceremonies　which　he　must　observe　increases；　until　at　the　moment　that　he　ascends　the　throne　he　is　lost　in　the　ocean　of　rites　and　taboos。　In　the　crater　of　an　extinct　volcano；　enclosed　on　all　sides　by　grassy　slopes；　lie　the　scattered　huts　and　yam…fields　of　Riabba；　the　capital　of　the　native　king　of　Fernando　Po。　This　mysterious　being　lives　in　the　lowest　depths　of　the　crate