the golden bough-第80章

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ce　is　made　to　propitiate　the　gods：　on　this　account　he　never　goes　out　beyond　the　precincts　of　his　premises。　Indeed　we　are　told　that　he　may　not　quit　his　palace　under　pain　of　death　or　of　giving　up　one　or　more　slaves　to　be　executed　in　his　presence。　As　the　wealth　of　the　country　is　measured　in　slaves；　the　king　takes　good　care　not　to　infringe　the　law。　Yet　once　a　year　at　the　Feast　of　Yams　the　king　is　allowed；　and　even　required　by　custom；　to　dance　before　his　people　outside　the　high　mud　wall　of　the　palace。　In　dancing　he　carries　a　great　weight；　generally　a　sack　of　earth；　on　his　back　to　prove　that　he　is　still　able　to　support　the　burden　and　cares　of　state。　Were　he　unable　to　discharge　this　duty；　he　would　be　immediately　deposed　and　perhaps　stoned。　The　kings　of　Ethiopia　were　worshipped　as　gods；　but　were　mostly　kept　shut　up　in　their　palaces。　On　the　mountainous　coast　of　Pontus　there　dwelt　in　antiquity　a　rude　and　warlike　people　named　the　Mosyni　or　Mosynoeci；　through　whose　rugged　country　the　Ten　Thousand　marched　on　their　famous　retreat　from　Asia　to　Europe。　These　barbarians　kept　their　king　in　close　custody　at　the　top　of　a　high　tower；　from　which　after　his　election　he　was　never　more　allowed　to　descend。　Here　he　dispensed　justice　to　his　people；　but　if　he　offended　them；　they　punished　him　by　stopping　his　rations　for　a　whole　day；　or　even　starving　him　to　death。　The　kings　of　Sabaea　or　Sheba；　the　spice　country　of　Arabia；　were　not　allowed　to　go　out　of　their　palaces；　if　they　did　so；　the　mob　stoned　them　to　death。　But　at　the　top　of　the　palace　there　was　a　window　with　a　chain　attached　to　it。　If　any　man　deemed　he　had　suffered　wrong；　he　pulled　the　chain；　and　the　king　perceived　him　and　called　him　in　and　gave　judgment。

5。　Taboos　on　Leaving　Food　over

AGAIN；　magic　mischief　may　be　wrought　upon　a　man　through　the　remains　of　the　food　he　has　partaken　of；　or　the　dishes　out　of　which　he　has　eaten。　On　the　principles　of　sympathetic　magic　a　real　connexion　continues　to　subsist　between　the　food　which　a　man　has　in　his　stomach　and　the　refuse　of　it　which　he　has　left　untouched；　and　hence　by　injuring　the　refuse　you　can　simultaneously　injure　the　eater。　Among　the　Narrinyeri　of　South　Australia　every　adult　is　constantly　on　the　look…out　for　bones　of　beasts；　birds；　or　fish；　of　which　the　flesh　has　been　eaten　by　somebody；　in　order　to　construct　a　deadly　charm　out　of　them。　Every　one　is　therefore　careful　to　burn　the　bones　of　the　animals　which　he　has　eaten；　lest　they　should　fall　into　the　hands　of　a　sorcerer。　Too　often；　however；　the　sorcerer　succeeds　in　getting　hold　of　such　a　bone；　and　when　he　does　so　he　believes　that　he　has　the　power　of　life　and　death　over　the　man；　woman；　or　child　who　ate　the　flesh　of　the　animal。　To　put　the　charm　in　operation　he　makes　a　paste　of　red　ochre　and　fish　oil；　inserts　in　it　the　eye　of　a　cod　and　a　small　piece　of　the　flesh　of　a　corpse；　and　having　rolled　the　compound　into　a　ball　sticks　it　on　the　top　of　the　bone。　After　being　left　for　some　time　in　the　bosom　of　a　dead　body；　in　order　that　it　may　derive　a　deadly　potency　by　contact　with　corruption；　the　magical　implement　is　set　up　in　the　ground　near　the　fire；　and　as　the　ball　melts；　so　the　person　against　whom　the　charm　is　directed　wastes　with　disease；　if　the　ball　is　melted　quite　away；　the　victim　will　die。　When　the　bewitched　man　learns　of　the　spell　that　is　being　cast　upon　him；　he　endeavours　to　buy　the　bone　from　the　sorcerer；　and　if　he　obtains　it　he　breaks　the　charm　by　throwing　the　bone　into　a　river　or　lake。　In　Tana；　one　of　the　New　Hebrides；　people　bury　or　throw　into　the　sea　the　leavings　of　their　food；　lest　these　should　fall　into　the　hands　of　the　disease…makers。　For　if　a　disease…maker　finds　the　remnants　of　a　meal；　say　the　skin　of　a　banana；　he　picks　it　up　and　burns　it　slowly　in　the　fire。　As　it　burns；　the　person　who　ate　the　banana　falls　ill　and　sends　to　the　disease…maker；　offering　him　presents　if　he　will　stop　burning　the　banana　skin。　In　New　Guinea　the　natives　take　the　utmost　care　to　destroy　or　conceal　the　husks　and　other　remains　of　their　food；　lest　these　should　be　found　by　their　enemies　and　used　by　them　for　the　injury　or　destruction　of　the　eaters。　Hence　they　burn　their　leavings；　throw　them　into　the　sea；　or　otherwise　put　them　out　of　harm's　way。

From　a　like　fear；　no　doubt；　of　sorcery；　no　one　may　touch　the　food　which　the　king　of　Loango　leaves　upon　his　plate；　it　is　buried　in　a　hole　in　the　ground。　And　no　one　may　drink　out　of　the　king's　vessel。　In　antiquity　the　Romans　used　immediately　to　break　the　shells　of　eggs　and　of　snails　which　they　had　eaten；　in　order　to　prevent　enemies　from　making　magic　with　them。　The　common　practice；　still　observed　among　us；　of　breaking　egg…shells　after　the　eggs　have　been　eaten　may　very　well　have　originated　in　the　same　superstition。

The　superstitious　fear　of　the　magic　that　may　be　wrought　on　a　man　through　the　leavings　of　his　food　has　had　the　beneficial　effect　of　inducing　many　savages　to　destroy　refuse　which；　if　left　to　rot；　might　through　its　corruption　have　proved　a　real；　not　a　merely　imaginary；　source　of　disease　and　death。　Nor　is　it　only　the　sanitary　condition　of　a　tribe　which　has　benefited　by　this　superstition；　curiously　enough　the　same　baseless　dread；　the　same　false　notion　of　causation；　has　indirectly　strengthened　the　moral　bonds　of　hospitality；　honour；　and　good　faith　among　men　who　entertain　it。　For　it　is　obvious　that　no　one　who　intends　to　harm　a　man　by　working　magic　on　the　refuse　of　his　food　will　himself　partake　of　that　food；　because　if　he　did　so　he　would；　on　the　principles　of　sympathetic　magic；　suffer　equally　with　his　enemy　from　any　injury　done　to　the　refuse。　This　is　the　idea　which　in　primitive　society　lends　sanctity　to　the　bond　produced　by　eating　together；　by　participation　in　the　same　food　two　men　give；　as　it　were；　hostages　for　their　good　behaviour；　each　guarantees　the　other　that　he　will　devise　no　mischief　against　him；　since；　being　physically　united　with　him　by　the　common　food　in　their　stomachs；　any　harm　he　might　do　to　his　fellow　would　recoil　on　his　own　head　with　precisely　the　same　force　with　which　it　fell　on　the　head　of　his　victim。　In　strict　logic；　however；　the　sympathetic　bond　lasts　only　so　long　as　the　food　is　in　the　stomach　of　each　of　the　parties。　Hence　the　covenant　formed　by　eating　together　is　less　solemn　and　durable　than　the　covenant　formed　by　transfusing　the　blood　of　the　covenanting　parties　into　each　other's　veins；　for　this　transfusion　seems　to　knit　them　together　for　life。

Chapter　20。　Tabooed　Persons。

1。　Chiefs　and　Kings　tabooed。

WE　have　seen　that　the　Mikado's　food　was　cooked　every　day　in　new　pots　and　served　up　in　new　dishes；　both　pots　and　dishes　were　of　common　clay；　in　order　that　they　might　be　broken　or　laid　aside　after　they　had　been　once　used。　They　were　generally　broken；　for　it　was　believed　that　if　any　one　else　ate　his　food　out　of　these　sacred　dishes；　his　mouth　and　throat　would　become　swollen　and　inflamed。　The　same　ill　effect　was　thought　to　be　experienced　by　any　one　who　should　wear　the　Mikado's　clothes　without　his　leave；　he　would　have　swellings　and　pains　all　over　his　body。　In　Fiji　there　is　a　special　name　（kana　lama）　for　the　disease　supposed　to　be　caused　by　eating　out　of　a　chief's　dishes　or　wearing　his　clothes。　The　throat　and　body　swell；　and　the　impious　person　dies。　I　had　a　fine　mat　given　to　me　by　a　man　who　durst　not　use　it　because　Thakombau's　eldest　son　had　sat　upon　it。　There　was　always　a　family　or　clan　of　commoners　who　were　exempt　from　this　danger。　I　was　talking　about　this　once　to　Thakombau。　'Oh　yes；'　said　he。　'Here；　So…and…so！　come　and　scratch　my　back。'　The　man　scratched；　he　was　one　of　those　who　could　do　it　with　impunity。　The　name　of　the　men　thus　highly　privileged　was　Na　nduka　ni；　or　the　dirt　of　the　chief。

In　the　evil　effects　thus　supposed　to　follow　upon　the　use　of　the　vessels　or　clothes　of　the　Mikado　and　a　Fijian　chief　we　see　that　other　side　of　the　god…man's　character　to　which　attention　has　been　already　called。　The　divine　person　is　a　source　of　danger　as　well　as　of　blessing；　he　must　not　only　be　guarded；　he　must　also　be　guarded　against。　His　sacred　organism；　so　delicate　that　a　touch　may　disorder　it；　is　also；　as　it　were；　electrically　charged　with　a　powerful　magical　or　spiritual　force　which　may　discharge　itself　with　fatal　effect　on　whatever　comes　in　contact　with　it。　Accordingly　the　isolation　o