the golden bough-第72章

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the　length　of　his　soul；　children　who　die　young　had　short　souls。　The　Fijian　conception　of　the　soul　as　a　tiny　human　being　comes　clearly　out　in　the　customs　observed　at　the　death　of　a　chief　among　the　Nakelo　tribe。　When　a　chief　dies；　certain　men；　who　are　the　hereditary　undertakers；　call　him；　as　he　lies；　oiled　and　ornamented；　on　fine　mats；　saying；　Rise；　sir；　the　chief；　and　let　us　be　going。　The　day　has　come　over　the　land。　Then　they　conduct　him　to　the　river　side；　where　the　ghostly　ferryman　comes　to　ferry　Nakelo　ghosts　across　the　stream。　As　they　thus　attend　the　chief　on　his　last　journey；　they　hold　their　great　fans　close　to　the　ground　to　shelter　him；　because；　as　one　of　them　explained　to　a　missionary；　His　soul　is　only　a　little　child。　People　in　the　Punjaub　who　tattoo　themselves　believe　that　at　death　the　soul；　the　little　entire　man　or　woman　inside　the　mortal　frame；　will　go　to　heaven　blazoned　with　the　same　tattoo　patterns　which　adorned　the　body　in　life。　Sometimes；　however；　as　we　shall　see；　the　human　soul　is　conceived　not　in　human　but　in　animal　form。

2。　Absence　and　Recall　of　the　Soul。

THE　SOUL　is　commonly　supposed　to　escape　by　the　natural　openings　of　the　body；　especially　the　mouth　and　nostrils。　Hence　in　Celebes　they　sometimes　fasten　fish…hooks　to　a　sick　man's　nose；　navel；　and　feet；　so　that　if　his　soul　should　try　to　escape　it　may　be　hooked　and　held　fast。　A　Turik　on　the　Baram　River；　in　Borneo；　refused　to　part　with　some　hook…like　stones；　because　they；　as　it　were；　hooked　his　soul　to　his　body；　and　so　prevented　the　spiritual　portion　of　him　from　becoming　detached　from　the　material。　When　a　Sea　Dyak　sorcerer　or　medicine…man　is　initiated；　his　fingers　are　supposed　to　be　furnished　with　fish…hooks；　with　which　he　will　thereafter　clutch　the　human　soul　in　the　act　of　flying　away；　and　restore　it　to　the　body　of　the　sufferer。　But　hooks；　it　is　plain；　may　be　used　to　catch　the　souls　of　enemies　as　well　as　of　friends。　Acting　on　this　principle　head…hunters　in　Borneo　hang　wooden　hooks　beside　the　skulls　of　their　slain　enemies　in　the　belief　that　this　helps　them　on　their　forays　to　hook　in　fresh　heads。　One　of　the　implements　of　a　Haida　medicine…man　is　a　hollow　bone；　in　which　he　bottles　up　departing　souls；　and　so　restores　them　to　their　owners。　When　any　one　yawns　in　their　presence　the　Hindoos　always　snap　their　thumbs；　believing　that　this　will　hinder　the　soul　from　issuing　through　the　open　mouth。　The　Marquesans　used　to　hold　the　mouth　and　nose　of　a　dying　man；　in　order　to　keep　him　in　life　by　preventing　his　soul　from　escaping；　the　same　custom　is　reported　of　the　New　Caledonians；　and　with　the　like　intention　the　Bagobos　of　the　Philippine　Islands　put　rings　of　brass　wire　on　the　wrists　or　ankles　of　their　sick。　On　the　other　hand；　the　Itonamas　of　South　America　seal　up　the　eyes；　nose；　and　mouth　of　a　dying　person；　in　case　his　ghost　should　get　out　and　carry　off　others；　and　for　a　similar　reason　the　people　of　Nias；　who　fear　the　spirits　of　the　recently　deceased　and　identify　them　with　the　breath；　seek　to　confine　the　vagrant　soul　in　its　earthly　tabernacle　by　bunging　up　the　nose　or　tying　up　the　jaws　of　the　corpse。　Before　leaving　a　corpse　the　Wakelbura　of　Australia　used　to　place　hot　coals　in　its　ears　in　order　to　keep　the　ghost　in　the　body；　until　they　had　got　such　a　good　start　that　he　could　not　overtake　them。　In　Southern　Celebes；　to　hinder　the　escape　of　a　woman's　soul　in　childbed；　the　nurse　ties　a　band　as　tightly　as　possible　round　the　body　of　the　expectant　mother。　The　Minangkabauers　of　Sumatra　observe　a　similar　custom；　a　skein　of　thread　or　a　string　is　sometimes　fastened　round　the　wrist　or　loins　of　a　woman　in　childbed；　so　that　when　her　soul　seeks　to　depart　in　her　hour　of　travail　it　may　find　the　egress　barred。　And　lest　the　soul　of　a　babe　should　escape　and　be　lost　as　soon　as　it　is　born；　the　Alfoors　of　Celebes；　when　a　birth　is　about　to　take　place；　are　careful　to　close　every　opening　in　the　house；　even　the　keyhole；　and　they　stop　up　every　chink　and　cranny　in　the　walls。　Also　they　tie　up　the　mouths　of　all　animals　inside　and　outside　the　house；　for　fear　one　of　them　might　swallow　the　child's　soul。　For　a　similar　reason　all　persons　present　in　the　house；　even　the　mother　herself；　are　obliged　to　keep　their　mouths　shut　the　whole　time　the　birth　is　taking　place。　When　the　question　was　put；　Why　they　did　not　hold　their　noses　also；　lest　the　child's　soul　should　get　into　one　of　them？　the　answer　was　that　breath　being　exhaled　as　well　as　inhaled　through　the　nostrils；　the　soul　would　be　expelled　before　it　could　have　time　to　settle　down。　Popular　expressions　in　the　language　of　civilised　peoples；　such　as　to　have　one's　heart　in　one's　mouth；　or　the　soul　on　the　lips　or　in　the　nose；　show　how　natural　is　the　idea　that　the　life　or　soul　may　escape　by　the　mouth　or　nostrils。

Often　the　soul　is　conceived　as　a　bird　ready　to　take　flight。　This　conception　has　probably　left　traces　in　most　languages；　and　it　lingers　as　a　metaphor　in　poetry。　The　Malays　carry　out　the　conception　of　the　bird…soul　in　a　number　of　odd　ways。　If　the　soul　is　a　bird　on　the　wing；　it　may　be　attracted　by　rice；　and　so　either　prevented　from　flying　away　or　lured　back　again　from　its　perilous　flight。　Thus　in　Java　when　a　child　is　placed　on　the　ground　for　the　first　time　（a　moment　which　uncultured　people　seem　to　regard　as　especially　dangerous）；　it　is　put　in　a　hen…coop　and　the　mother　makes　a　clucking　sound；　as　if　she　were　calling　hens。　And　in　Sintang；　a　district　of　Borneo；　when　a　person；　whether　man；　woman；　or　child；　has　fallen　out　of　a　house　or　off　a　tree；　and　has　been　brought　home；　his　wife　or　other　kinswoman　goes　as　speedily　as　possible　to　the　spot　where　the　accident　happened；　and　there　strews　rice；　which　has　been　coloured　yellow；　while　she　utters　the　words；　Cluck！　cluck！　soul！　So…and…so　is　in　his　house　again。　Cluck！　cluck！　soul！　Then　she　gathers　up　the　rice　in　a　basket；　carries　it　to　the　sufferer；　and　drops　the　grains　from　her　hand　on　his　head；　saying　again；　Cluck！　cluck！　soul！　Here　the　intention　clearly　is　to　decoy　back　the　loitering　bird…soul　and　replace　it　in　the　head　of　its　owner。

The　soul　of　a　sleeper　is　supposed　to　wander　away　from　his　body　and　actually　to　visit　the　places；　to　see　the　persons；　and　to　perform　the　acts　of　which　he　dreams。　For　example；　when　an　Indian　of　Brazil　or　Guiana　wakes　up　from　a　sound　sleep；　he　is　firmly　convinced　that　his　soul　has　really　been　away　hunting；　fishing；　felling　trees；　or　whatever　else　he　has　dreamed　of　doing；　while　all　the　time　his　body　has　been　lying　motionless　in　his　hammock。　A　whole　Bororo　village　has　been　thrown　into　a　panic　and　nearly　deserted　because　somebody　had　dreamed　that　he　saw　enemies　stealthily　approaching　it。　A　Macusi　Indian　in　weak　health；　who　dreamed　that　his　employer　had　made　him　haul　the　canoe　up　a　series　of　difficult　cataracts；　bitterly　reproached　his　master　next　morning　for　his　want　of　consideration　in　thus　making　a　poor　invalid　go　out　and　toil　during　the　night。　The　Indians　of　the　Gran　Chaco　are　often　heard　to　relate　the　most　incredible　stories　as　things　which　they　have　themselves　seen　and　heard；　hence　strangers　who　do　not　know　them　intimately　say　in　their　haste　that　these　Indians　are　liars。　In　point　of　fact　the　Indians　are　firmly　convinced　of　the　truth　of　what　they　relate；　for　these　wonderful　adventures　are　simply　their　dreams；　which　they　do　not　distinguish　from　waking　realities。

Now　the　absence　of　the　soul　in　sleep　has　its　dangers；　for　if　from　any　cause　the　soul　should　be　permanently　detained　away　from　the　body；　the　person　thus　deprived　of　the　vital　principle　must　die。　There　is　a　German　belief　that　the　soul　escapes　from　a　sleeper's　mouth　in　the　form　of　a　white　mouse　or　a　little　bird；　and　that　to　prevent　the　return　of　the　bird　or　animal　would　be　fatal　to　the　sleeper。　Hence　in　Transylvania　they　say　that　you　should　not　let　a　child　sleep　with　its　mouth　open；　or　its　soul　will　slip　out　in　the　shape　of　a　mouse；　and　the　child　will　never　wake。　Many　causes　may　detain　the　sleeper's　soul。　Thus；　his　soul　may　meet　the　soul　of　another　sleeper　and　the　two　souls　may　fight；　if　a　Guinea　negro　wakens　with　sore　bones　in　the　morning；　he　thinks　that　his　soul　has　been　thrashed　by　another　soul　in　sleep。　Or　it　may　meet　the　soul　of　a　person　just　deceased　and　be　carried　off　by　it；　hence　in　the　Aru　Islands　the　inmates　of　a　house　will　not　sleep　th