the golden bough-第79章

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　who　had　been　sent　to　England　by　a　native　prince　and　had　returned　to　India；　were　considered　to　have　so　polluted　themselves　by　contact　with　strangers　that　nothing　but　being　born　again　could　restore　them　to　purity。　For　the　purpose　of　regeneration　it　is　directed　to　make　an　image　of　pure　gold　of　the　female　power　of　nature；　in　the　shape　either　of　a　woman　or　of　a　cow。　In　this　statue　the　person　to　be　regenerated　is　enclosed；　and　dragged　through　the　usual　channel。　As　a　statue　of　pure　gold　and　of　proper　dimensions　would　be　too　expensive；　it　is　sufficient　to　make　an　image　of　the　sacred　Yoni；　through　which　the　person　to　be　regenerated　is　to　pass。　Such　an　image　of　pure　gold　was　made　at　the　prince's　command；　and　his　ambassadors　were　born　again　by　being　dragged　through　it。

When　precautions　like　these　are　taken　on　behalf　of　the　people　in　general　against　the　malignant　influence　supposed　to　be　exercised　by　strangers；　it　is　no　wonder　that　special　measures　are　adopted　to　protect　the　king　from　the　same　insidious　danger。　In　the　middle　ages　the　envoys　who　visited　a　Tartar　Khan　were　obliged　to　pass　between　two　fires　before　they　were　admitted　to　his　presence；　and　the　gifts　they　brought　were　also　carried　between　the　fires。　The　reason　assigned　for　the　custom　was　that　the　fire　purged　away　any　magic　influence　which　the　strangers　might　mean　to　exercise　over　the　Khan。　When　subject　chiefs　come　with　their　retinues　to　visit　Kalamba　（the　most　powerful　chief　of　the　Bashilange　in　the　Congo　Basin）　for　the　first　time　or　after　being　rebellious；　they　have　to　bathe；　men　and　women　together；　in　two　brooks　on　two　successive　days；　passing　the　nights　under　the　open　sky　in　the　market…place。　After　the　second　bath　they　proceed；　entirely　naked；　to　the　house　of　Kalamba；　who　makes　a　long　white　mark　on　the　breast　and　forehead　of　each　of　them。　Then　they　return　to　the　market…place　and　dress；　after　which　they　undergo　the　pepper　ordeal。　Pepper　is　dropped　into　the　eyes　of　each　of　them；　and　while　this　is　being　done　the　sufferer　has　to　make　a　confession　of　all　his　sins；　to　answer　all　questions　that　may　be　put　to　him；　and　to　take　certain　vows。　This　ends　the　ceremony；　and　the　strangers　are　now　free　to　take　up　their　quarters　in　the　town　for　as　long　as　they　choose　to　remain。

2。　Taboos　on　Eating　and　Drinking

IN　THE　OPINION　of　savages　the　acts　of　eating　and　drinking　are　attended　with　special　danger；　for　at　these　times　the　soul　may　escape　from　the　mouth；　or　be　extracted　by　the　magic　arts　of　an　enemy　present。　Among　the　Ewe…speaking　peoples　of　the　Slave　Coast　the　common　belief　seems　to　be　that　the　indwelling　spirit　leaves　the　body　and　returns　to　it　through　the　mouth；　hence；　should　it　have　gone　out；　it　behoves　a　man　to　be　careful　about　opening　his　mouth；　lest　a　homeless　spirit　should　take　advantage　of　the　opportunity　and　enter　his　body。　This；　it　appears；　is　considered　most　likely　to　take　place　while　the　man　is　eating。　Precautions　are　therefore　adopted　to　guard　against　these　dangers。　Thus　of　the　Bataks　it　is　said　that　since　the　soul　can　leave　the　body；　they　always　take　care　to　prevent　their　soul　from　straying　on　occasions　when　they　have　most　need　of　it。　But　it　is　only　possible　to　prevent　the　soul　from　straying　when　one　is　in　the　house。　At　feasts　one　may　find　the　whole　house　shut　up；　in　order　that　the　soul　may　stay　and　enjoy　the　good　things　set　before　it。　The　Zafimanelo　in　Madagascar　lock　their　doors　when　they　eat；　and　hardly　any　one　ever　sees　them　eating。　The　Warua　will　not　allow　any　one　to　see　them　eating　and　drinking；　being　doubly　particular　that　no　person　of　the　opposite　sex　shall　see　them　doing　so。　I　had　to　pay　a　man　to　let　me　see　him　drink；　I　could　not　make　a　man　let　a　woman　see　him　drink。　When　offered　a　drink　they　often　ask　that　a　cloth　may　be　held　up　to　hide　them　whilst　drinking。

If　these　are　the　ordinary　precautions　taken　by　common　people；　the　precautions　taken　by　kings　are　extraordinary。　The　king　of　Loango　may　not　be　seen　eating　or　drinking　by　man　or　beast　under　pain　of　death。　A　favourite　dog　having　broken　into　the　room　where　the　king　was　dining；　the　king　ordered　it　to　be　killed　on　the　spot。　Once　the　king's　own　son；　a　boy　of　twelve　years　old；　inadvertently　saw　the　king　drink。　Immediately　the　king　ordered　him　to　be　finely　apparelled　and　feasted；　after　which　he　commanded　him　to　be　cut　in　quarters；　and　carried　about　the　city　with　a　proclamation　that　he　had　seen　the　king　drink。　When　the　king　has　a　mind　to　drink；　he　has　a　cup　of　wine　brought；　he　that　brings　it　has　a　bell　in　his　hand；　and　as　soon　as　he　has　delivered　the　cup　to　the　king；　he　turns　his　face　from　him　and　rings　the　bell；　on　which　all　present　fall　down　with　their　faces　to　the　ground；　and　continue　so　till　the　king　has　drank　。　His　eating　is　much　in　the　same　style；　for　which　he　has　a　house　on　purpose；　where　his　victuals　are　set　upon　a　bensa　or　table：　which　he　goes　to；　and　shuts　the　door：　when　he　has　done；　he　knocks　and　comes　out。　So　that　none　ever　see　the　king　eat　or　drink。　For　it　is　believed　that　if　any　one　should；　the　king　shall　immediately　die。　The　remnants　of　his　food　are　buried；　doubtless　to　prevent　them　from　falling　into　the　hands　of　sorcerers；　who　by　means　of　these　fragments　might　cast　a　fatal　spell　over　the　monarch。　The　rules　observed　by　the　neighbouring　king　of　Cacongo　were　similar；　it　was　thought　that　the　king　would　die　if　any　of　his　subjects　were　to　see　him　drink。　It　is　a　capital　offence　to　see　the　king　of　Dahomey　at　his　meals。　When　he　drinks　in　public；　as　he　does　on　extraordinary　occasions；　he　hides　himself　behind　a　curtain；　or　handkerchiefs　are　held　up　round　his　head；　and　all　the　people　throw　themselves　with　their　faces　to　the　earth。　When　the　king　of　Bunyoro　in　Central　Africa　went　to　drink　milk　in　the　dairy；　every　man　must　leave　the　royal　enclosure　and　all　the　women　had　to　cover　their　heads　till　the　king　returned。　No　one　might　see　him　drink。　One　wife　accompanied　him　to　the　dairy　and　handed　him　the　milk…pot；　but　she　turned　away　her　face　while　he　drained　it。

3。　Taboos　on　Showing　the　Face

IN　SOME　of　the　preceding　cases　the　intention　of　eating　and　drinking　in　strict　seclusion　may　perhaps　be　to　hinder　evil　influences　from　entering　the　body　rather　than　to　prevent　the　escape　of　the　soul。　This　certainly　is　the　motive　of　some　drinking　customs　observed　by　natives　of　the　Congo　region。　Thus　we　are　told　of　these　people　that　there　is　hardly　a　native　who　would　dare　to　swallow　a　liquid　without　first　conjuring　the　spirits。　One　of　them　rings　a　bell　all　the　time　he　is　drinking；　another　crouches　down　and　places　his　left　hand　on　the　earth；　another　veils　his　head；　another　puts　a　stalk　of　grass　or　a　leaf　in　his　hair；　or　marks　his　forehead　with　a　line　of　clay。　This　fetish　custom　assumes　very　varied　forms。　To　explain　them；　the　black　is　satisfied　to　say　that　they　are　an　energetic　mode　of　conjuring　spirits。　In　this　part　of　the　world　a　chief　will　commonly　ring　a　bell　at　each　draught　of　beer　which　he　swallows；　and　at　the　same　moment　a　lad　stationed　in　front　of　him　brandishes　a　spear　to　keep　at　bay　the　spirits　which　might　try　to　sneak　into　the　old　chief's　body　by　the　same　road　as　the　beer。　The　same　motive　of　warding　off　evil　spirits　probably　explains　the　custom　observed　by　some　African　sultans　of　veiling　their　faces。　The　Sultan　of　Darfur　wraps　up　his　face　with　a　piece　of　white　muslin；　which　goes　round　his　head　several　times；　covering　his　mouth　and　nose　first；　and　then　his　forehead；　so　that　only　his　eyes　are　visible。　The　same　custom　of　veiling　the　face　as　a　mark　of　sovereignty　is　said　to　be　observed　in　other　parts　of　Central　Africa。　The　Sultan　of　Wadai　always　speaks　from　behind　a　curtain；　no　one　sees　his　face　except　his　intimates　and　a　few　favoured　persons。

4。　Taboos　on　Quitting　the　House

BY　AN　EXTENSION　of　the　like　precaution　kings　are　sometimes　forbidden　ever　to　leave　their　palaces；　or；　if　they　are　allowed　to　do　so；　their　subjects　are　forbidden　to　see　them　abroad。　The　fetish　king　of　Benin；　who　was　worshipped　as　a　deity　by　his　subjects；　might　not　quit　his　palace。　After　his　coronation　the　king　of　Loango　is　confined　to　his　palace；　which　he　may　not　leave。　The　king　of　Onitsha　does　not　step　out　of　his　house　into　the　town　unless　a　human　sacrifice　is　made　to　propitiate　the　gods：　on　this　account　he　never　goes　out　beyond　the　precincts　of　his　pre