the golden bough-第84章

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　to　the　same　custom；　was　a　fear　lest　the　enemy　should　obtain　the　refuse　of　their　persons；　and　thus　be　enabled　to　work　their　destruction　by　magic。　Among　some　Indian　tribes　of　North　America　a　young　warrior　in　his　first　campaign　had　to　conform　to　certain　customs；　of　which　two　were　identical　with　the　observances　imposed　by　the　same　Indians　on　girls　at　their　first　menstruation：　the　vessels　he　ate　and　drank　out　of　might　be　touched　by　no　other　person；　and　he　was　forbidden　to　scratch　his　head　or　any　other　part　of　his　body　with　his　fingers；　if　he　could　not　help　scratching　himself；　he　had　to　do　it　with　a　stick。　The　latter　rule；　like　the　one　which　forbids　a　tabooed　person　to　feed　himself　with　his　own　fingers；　seems　to　rest　on　the　supposed　sanctity　or　pollution；　whichever　we　choose　to　call　it；　of　the　tabooed　hands。　Moreover　among　these　Indian　tribes　the　men　on　the　war…path　had　always　to　sleep　at　night　with　their　faces　turned　towards　their　own　country；　however　uneasy　the　posture；　they　might　not　change　it。　They　might　not　sit　upon　the　bare　ground；　nor　wet　their　feet；　nor　walk　on　a　beaten　path　if　they　could　help　it；　when　they　had　no　choice　but　to　walk　on　a　path；　they　sought　to　counteract　the　ill　effect　of　doing　so　by　doctoring　their　legs　with　certain　medicines　or　charms　which　they　carried　with　them　for　the　purpose。　No　member　of　the　party　was　permitted　to　step　over　the　legs；　hands；　or　body　of　any　other　member　who　chanced　to　be　sitting　or　lying　on　the　ground；　and　it　was　equally　forbidden　to　step　over　his　blanket；　gun；　tomahawk；　or　anything　that　belonged　to　him。　If　this　rule　was　inadvertently　broken；　it　became　the　duty　of　the　member　whose　person　or　property　had　been　stepped　over　to　knock　the　other　member　down；　and　it　was　similarly　the　duty　of　that　other　to　be　knocked　down　peaceably　and　without　resistance。　The　vessels　out　of　which　the　warriors　ate　their　food　were　commonly　small　bowls　of　wood　or　birch　bark；　with　marks　to　distinguish　the　two　sides；　in　marching　from　home　the　Indians　invariably　drank　out　of　one　side　of　the　bowl；　and　in　returning　they　drank　out　of　the　other。　When　on　their　way　home　they　came　within　a　day's　march　of　the　village；　they　hung　up　all　their　bowls　on　trees；　or　threw　them　away　on　the　prairie；　doubtless　to　prevent　their　sanctity　or　defilement　from　being　communicated　with　disastrous　effects　to　their　friends；　just　as　we　have　seen　that　the　vessels　and　clothes　of　the　sacred　Mikado；　of　women　at　childbirth　and　menstruation；　and　of　persons　defiled　by　contact　with　the　dead　are　destroyed　or　laid　aside　for　a　similar　reason。　The　first　four　times　that　an　Apache　Indian　goes　out　on　the　war…path；　he　is　bound　to　refrain　from　scratching　his　head　with　his　fingers　and　from　letting　water　touch　his　lips。　Hence　he　scratches　his　head　with　a　stick；　and　drinks　through　a　hollow　reed　or　cane。　Stick　and　reed　are　attached　to　the　warrior's　belt　and　to　each　other　by　a　leathern　thong。　The　rule　not　to　scratch　their　heads　with　their　fingers；　but　to　use　a　stick　for　the　purpose　instead；　was　regularly　observed　by　Ojebways　on　the　war…path。

With　regard　to　the　Creek　Indians　and　kindred　tribes　we　are　told　they　will　not　cohabit　with　women　while　they　are　out　at　war；　they　religiously　abstain　from　every　kind　of　intercourse　even　with　their　own　wives；　for　the　space　of　three　days　and　nights　before　they　go　to　war；　and　so　after　they　return　home；　because　they　are　to　sanctify　themselves。　Among　the　Ba…Pedi　and　Ba…Thonga　tribes　of　South　Africa　not　only　have　the　warriors　to　abstain　from　women；　but　the　people　left　behind　in　the　villages　are　also　bound　to　continence；　they　think　that　any　incontinence　on　their　part　would　cause　thorns　to　grow　on　the　ground　traversed　by　the　warriors；　and　that　success　would　not　attend　the　expedition。

Why　exactly　many　savages　have　made　it　a　rule　to　refrain　from　women　in　time　of　war；　we　cannot　say　for　certain；　but　we　may　conjecture　that　their　motive　was　a　superstitious　fear　lest；　on　the　principles　of　sympathetic　magic；　close　contact　with　women　should　infect　them　with　feminine　weakness　and　cowardice。　Similarly　some　savages　imagine　that　contact　with　a　woman　in　childbed　enervates　warriors　and　enfeebles　their　weapons。　Indeed　the　Kayans　of　Central　Borneo　go　so　far　as　to　hold　that　to　touch　a　loom　or　women's　clothes　would　so　weaken　a　man　that　he　would　have　no　success　in　hunting；　fishing；　and　war。　Hence　it　is　not　merely　sexual　intercourse　with　women　that　the　savage　warrior　sometimes　shuns；　he　is　careful　to　avoid　the　sex　altogether。　Thus　among　the　hill　tribes　of　Assam；　not　only　are　men　forbidden　to　cohabit　with　their　wives　during　or　after　a　raid；　but　they　may　not　eat　food　cooked　by　a　woman；　nay；　they　should　not　address　a　word　even　to　their　own　wives。　Once　a　woman；　who　unwittingly　broke　the　rule　by　speaking　to　her　husband　while　he　was　under　the　war　taboo；　sickened　and　died　when　she　learned　the　awful　crime　she　had　committed。

5。　Manslayers　tabooed。

IF　THE　READER　still　doubts　whether　the　rules　of　conduct　which　we　have　just　been　considering　are　based　on　superstitious　fears　or　dictated　by　a　rational　prudence；　his　doubts　will　probably　be　dissipated　when　he　learns　that　rules　of　the　same　sort　are　often　imposed　even　more　stringently　on　warriors　after　the　victory　has　been　won　and　when　all　fear　of　the　living　corporeal　foe　is　at　an　end。　In　such　cases　one　motive　for　the　inconvenient　restrictions　laid　on　the　victors　in　their　hour　of　triumph　is　probably　a　dread　of　the　angry　ghosts　of　the　slain；　and　that　the　fear　of　the　vengeful　ghosts　does　influence　the　behaviour　of　the　slayers　is　often　expressly　affirmed。　The　general　effect　of　the　taboos　laid　on　sacred　chiefs；　mourners；　women　at　childbirth；　men　on　the　war…path；　and　so　on；　is　to　seclude　or　isolate　the　tabooed　persons　from　ordinary　society；　this　effect　being　attained　by　a　variety　of　rules；　which　oblige　the　men　or　women　to　live　in　separate　huts　or　in　the　open　air；　to　shun　the　commerce　of　the　sexes；　to　avoid　the　use　of　vessels　employed　by　others；　and　so　forth。　Now　the　same　effect　is　produced　by　similar　means　in　the　case　of　victorious　warriors；　particularly　such　as　have　actually　shed　the　blood　of　their　enemies。　In　the　island　of　Timor；　when　a　warlike　expedition　has　returned　in　triumph　bringing　the　heads　of　the　vanquished　foe；　the　leader　of　the　expedition　is　forbidden　by　religion　and　custom　to　return　at　once　to　his　own　house。　A　special　hut　is　prepared　for　him；　in　which　he　has　to　reside　for　two　months；　undergoing　bodily　and　spiritual　purification。　During　this　time　he　may　not　go　to　his　wife　nor　feed　himself；　the　food　must　be　put　into　his　mouth　by　another　person。　That　these　observances　are　dictated　by　fear　of　the　ghosts　of　the　slain　seems　certain；　for　from　another　account　of　the　ceremonies　performed　on　the　return　of　a　successful　head…hunter　in　the　same　island　we　learn　that　sacrifices　are　offered　on　this　occasion　to　appease　the　soul　of　the　man　whose　head　has　been　taken；　the　people　think　that　some　misfortune　would　befall　the　victor　were　such　offerings　omitted。　Moreover；　a　part　of　the　ceremony　consists　of　a　dance　accompanied　by　a　song；　in　which　the　death　of　the　slain　man　is　lamented　and　his　forgiveness　is　entreated。　Be　not　angry；　they　say；　because　your　head　is　here　with　us；　had　we　been　less　lucky；　our　heads　might　now　have　been　exposed　in　your　village。　We　have　offered　the　sacrifice　to　appease　you。　Your　spirit　may　now　rest　and　leave　us　at　peace。　Why　were　you　our　enemy？　Would　it　not　have　been　better　that　we　should　remain　friends？　Then　your　blood　would　not　have　been　spilt　and　your　head　would　not　have　been　cut　off。　The　people　of　Paloo　in　Central　Celebes　take　the　heads　of　their　enemies　in　war　and　afterwards　propitiate　the　souls　of　the　slain　in　the　temple。

Among　the　tribes　at　the　mouth　of　the　Wanigela　River；　in　New　Guinea；　a　man　who　has　taken　life　is　considered　to　be　impure　until　he　has　undergone　certain　ceremonies：　as　soon　as　possible　after　the　deed　he　cleanses　himself　and　his　weapon。　This　satisfactorily　accomplished；　he　repairs　to　his　village　and　seats　himself　on　the　logs　of　sacrificial　staging。　No　one　approaches　him　or　takes　any　notice　whatever　of　him。　A　house　is　prepared　for　him　which　is　put　in　charge　of　two　or　three　small　boys　as　servants。　He　may　eat　only　toasted　bananas；　and　only　the　centre　portion　of　themthe　ends　being　thrown　away。　On　th