the golden bough-第74章

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　he　had　laid　his　money　fell　down　dead。　All　efforts　to　restore　animation　proved　unavailing　till　the　false　king；　with　the　instinct　of　a　true　sportsman；　transferred　his　own　soul　to　the　body　of　the　deceased　ram；　and　thus　renewed　the　fray。　The　real　king　in　the　body　of　the　ape　saw　his　chance；　and　with　great　presence　of　mind　darted　back　into　his　own　body；　which　the　vizier　had　rashly　vacated。　So　he　came　to　his　own　again；　and　the　usurper　in　the　ram's　body　met　with　the　fate　he　richly　deserved。　Similarly　the　Greeks　told　how　the　soul　of　Hermotimus　of　Clazomenae　used　to　quit　his　body　and　roam　far　and　wide；　bringing　back　intelligence　of　what　he　had　seen　on　his　rambles　to　his　friends　at　home；　until　one　day；　when　his　spirit　was　abroad；　his　enemies　contrived　to　seize　his　deserted　body　and　committed　it　to　the　flames。

The　departure　of　the　soul　is　not　always　voluntary。　It　may　be　extracted　from　the　body　against　its　will　by　ghosts；　demons；　or　sorcerers。　Hence；　when　a　funeral　is　passing　the　house；　the　Karens　tie　their　children　with　a　special　kind　of　string　to　a　particular　part　of　the　house；　lest　the　souls　of　the　children　should　leave　their　bodies　and　go　into　the　corpse　which　is　passing。　The　children　are　kept　tied　in　this　way　until　the　corpse　is　out　of　sight。　And　after　the　corpse　has　been　laid　in　the　grave；　but　before　the　earth　has　been　shovelled　in；　the　mourners　and　friends　range　themselves　round　the　grave；　each　with　a　bamboo　split　lengthwise　in　one　hand　and　a　little　stick　in　the　other；　each　man　thrusts　his　bamboo　into　the　grave；　and　drawing　the　stick　along　the　groove　of　the　bamboo　points　out　to　his　soul　that　in　this　way　it　may　easily　climb　up　out　of　the　tomb。　While　the　earth　is　being　shovelled　in；　the　bamboos　are　kept　out　of　the　way；　lest　the　souls　should　be　in　them；　and　so　should　be　inadvertently　buried　with　the　earth　as　it　is　being　thrown　into　the　grave；　and　when　the　people　leave　the　spot　they　carry　away　the　bamboos；　begging　their　souls　to　come　with　them。　Further；　on　returning　from　the　grave　each　Karen　provides　himself　with　three　little　hooks　made　of　branches　of　trees；　and　calling　his　spirit　to　follow　him；　at　short　intervals；　as　he　returns；　he　makes　a　motion　as　if　hooking　it；　and　then　thrusts　the　hook　into　the　ground。　This　is　done　to　prevent　the　soul　of　the　living　from　staying　behind　with　the　soul　of　the　dead。　When　the　Karo…Bataks　have　buried　somebody　and　are　filling　in　the　grave；　a　sorceress　runs　about　beating　the　air　with　a　stick。　This　she　does　in　order　to　drive　away　the　souls　of　the　survivors；　for　if　one　of　these　souls　happened　to　slip　into　the　grave　and　to　be　covered　up　with　earth；　its　owner　would　die。

In　Uea；　one　of　the　Loyalty　Islands；　the　souls　of　the　dead　seem　to　have　been　credited　with　the　power　of　stealing　the　souls　of　the　living。　For　when　a　man　was　sick　the　soul…doctor　would　go　with　a　large　troop　of　men　and　women　to　the　graveyard。　Here　the　men　played　on　flutes　and　the　women　whistled　softly　to　lure　the　soul　home。　After　this　had　gone　on　for　some　time　they　formed　in　procession　and　moved　homewards；　the　flutes　playing　and　the　women　whistling　all　the　way；　while　they　led　back　the　wandering　soul　and　drove　it　gently　along　with　open　palms。　On　entering　the　patient's　dwelling　they　commanded　the　soul　in　a　loud　voice　to　enter　his　body。

Often　the　abduction　of　a　man's　soul　is　set　down　to　demons。　Thus　fits　and　convulsions　are　generally　ascribed　by　the　Chinese　to　the　agency　of　certain　mischievous　spirits　who　love　to　draw　men's　souls　out　of　their　bodies。　At　Amoy　the　spirits　who　serve　babies　and　children　in　this　way　rejoice　in　the　high…sounding　titles　of　celestial　agencies　bestriding　galloping　horses　and　literary　graduates　residing　halfway　up　in　the　sky。　When　an　infant　is　writhing　in　convulsions；　the　frightened　mother　hastens　to　the　roof　of　the　house；　and；　waving　about　a　bamboo　pole　to　which　one　of　the　child's　garments　is　attached；　cries　out　several　times　My　child　So…and…so；　come　back；　return　home！　Meantime；　another　inmate　of　the　house　bangs　away　at　a　gong　in　the　hope　of　attracting　the　attention　of　the　strayed　soul；　which　is　supposed　to　recognise　the　familiar　garment　and　to　slip　into　it。　The　garment　containing　the　soul　is　then　placed　on　or　beside　the　child；　and　if　the　child　does　not　die　recovery　is　sure　to　follow；　sooner　or　later。　Similarly　some　Indians　catch　a　man's　lost　soul　in　his　boots　and　restore　it　to　his　body　by　putting　his　feet　into　them。

In　the　Moluccas　when　a　man　is　unwell　it　is　thought　that　some　devil　has　carried　away　his　soul　to　the　tree；　mountain；　or　hill　where　he　（the　devil）　resides。　A　sorcerer　having　pointed　out　the　devil's　abode；　the　friends　of　the　patient　carry　thither　cooked　rice；　fruit；　fish；　raw　eggs；　a　hen；　a　chicken；　a　silken　robe；　gold；　armlets；　and　so　forth。　Having　set　out　the　food　in　order　they　pray；　saying：　We　come　to　offer　to　you；　O　devil；　this　offering　of　food；　clothes；　gold；　and　so　on；　take　it　and　release　the　soul　of　the　patient　for　whom　we　pray。　Let　it　return　to　his　body；　and　he　who　now　is　sick　shall　be　made　whole。　Then　they　eat　a　little　and　let　the　hen　loose　as　a　ransom　for　the　soul　of　the　patient；　also　they　put　down　the　raw　eggs；　but　the　silken　robe；　the　gold；　and　the　armlets　they　take　home　with　them。　As　soon　as　they　are　come　to　the　house　they　place　a　flat　bowl　containing　the　offerings　which　have　been　brought　back　at　the　sick　man's　head；　and　say　to　him：　Now　is　your　soul　released；　and　you　shall　fare　well　and　live　to　grey　hairs　on　the　earth。

Demons　are　especially　feared　by　persons　who　have　just　entered　a　new　house。　Hence　at　a　house…warming　among　the　Alfoors　of　Minahassa　in　Celebes　the　priest　performs　a　ceremony　for　the　purpose　of　restoring　their　souls　to　the　inmates。　He　hangs　up　a　bag　at　the　place　of　sacrifice　and　then　goes　through　a　list　of　the　gods。　There　are　so　many　of　them　that　this　takes　him　the　whole　night　through　without　stopping。　In　the　morning　he　offers　the　gods　an　egg　and　some　rice。　By　this　time　the　souls　of　the　household　are　supposed　to　be　gathered　in　the　bag。　So　the　priest　takes　the　bag；　and　holding　it　on　the　head　of　the　master　of　the　house；　says；　Here　you　have　your　soul；　go　（soul）　to…morrow　away　again。　He　then　does　the　same；　saying　the　same　words；　to　the　housewife　and　all　the　other　members　of　the　family。　Amongst　the　same　Alfoors　one　way　of　recovering　a　sick　man's　soul　is　to　let　down　a　bowl　by　a　belt　out　of　a　window　and　fish　for　the　soul　till　it　is　caught　in　the　bowl　and　hauled　up。　And　among　the　same　people；　when　a　priest　is　bringing　back　a　sick　man's　soul　which　he　has　caught　in　a　cloth；　he　is　preceded　by　a　girl　holding　the　large　leaf　of　a　certain　palm　over　his　head　as　an　umbrella　to　keep　him　and　the　soul　from　getting　wet；　in　case　it　should　rain；　and　he　is　followed　by　a　man　brandishing　a　sword　to　deter　other　souls　from　any　attempt　at　rescuing　the　captured　spirit。

Sometimes　the　lost　soul　is　brought　back　in　a　visible　shape。　The　Salish　or　Flathead　Indians　of　Oregon　believe　that　a　man's　soul　may　be　separated　for　a　time　from　his　body　without　causing　death　and　without　the　man　being　aware　of　his　loss。　It　is　necessary；　however；　that　the　lost　soul　should　be　soon　found　and　restored　to　its　owner　or　he　will　die。　The　name　of　the　man　who　has　lost　his　soul　is　revealed　in　a　dream　to　the　medicine…man；　who　hastens　to　inform　the　sufferer　of　his　loss。　Generally　a　number　of　men　have　sustained　a　like　loss　at　the　same　time；　all　their　names　are　revealed　to　the　medicine…man；　and　all　employ　him　to　recover　their　souls。　The　whole　night　long　these　soulless　men　go　about　the　village　from　lodge　to　lodge；　dancing　and　singing。　Towards　daybreak　they　go　into　a　separate　lodge；　which　is　closed　up　so　as　to　be　totally　dark。　A　small　hole　is　then　made　in　the　roof；　through　which　the　medicine…man；　with　a　bunch　of　feathers；　brushes　in　the　souls；　in　the　shape　of　bits　of　bone　and　the　like；　which　he　receives　on　a　piece　of　matting。　A　fire　is　next　kindled；　by　the　light　of　which　the　medicine…man　sorts　out　the　souls。　First　he　puts　aside　the　souls　of　dead　people；　of　which　there　are　usually　several；　for　if　he　were　to　give　the　soul　of　a　dead　person　to　a　living　man；　the　man　would　die　instantly。　Next　he　picks　out　the　souls　of　all　the　persons　present；　and　making　them　all　to　sit　down　before　him；　he　takes　the　soul　of　each；　in　the　shape　of　a　splinter　of　bone；　wood