the golden bough-第87章

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e　other　men　of　the　clubhouse　in　the　evening；　they　must　keep　to　themselves　and　be　silent。　In　Mirzapur；　when　the　seed　of　the　silkworm　is　brought　into　the　house；　the　Kol　or　Bhuiyar　puts　it　in　a　place　which　has　been　carefully　plastered　with　holy　cowdung　to　bring　good　luck。　From　that　time　the　owner　must　be　careful　to　avoid　ceremonial　impurity。　He　must　give　up　cohabitation　with　his　wife；　he　may　not　sleep　on　a　bed；　nor　shave　himself；　nor　cut　his　nails；　nor　anoint　himself　with　oil；　nor　eat　food　cooked　with　butter；　nor　tell　lies；　nor　do　anything　else　that　he　deems　wrong。　He　vows　to　Singarmati　Devi　that；　if　the　worms　are　duly　born；　he　will　make　her　an　offering。　When　the　cocoons　open　and　the　worms　appear；　he　assembles　the　women　of　the　house　and　they　sing　the　same　song　as　at　the　birth　of　a　baby；　and　red　lead　is　smeared　on　the　parting　of　the　hair　of　all　the　married　women　of　the　neighbourhood。　When　the　worms　pair；　rejoicings　are　made　as　at　a　marriage。　Thus　the　silkworms　are　treated　as　far　as　possible　like　human　beings。　Hence　the　custom　which　prohibits　the　commerce　of　the　sexes　while　the　worms　are　hatching　may　be　only　an　extension；　by　analogy；　of　the　rule　which　is　observed　by　many　races；　that　the　husband　may　not　cohabit　with　his　wife　during　pregnancy　and　lactation。

In　the　island　of　Nias　the　hunters　sometimes　dig　pits；　cover　them　lightly　over　with　twigs；　grass；　and　leaves；　and　then　drive　the　game　into　them。　While　they　are　engaged　in　digging　the　pits；　they　have　to　observe　a　number　of　taboos。　They　may　not　spit；　or　the　game　would　turn　back　in　disgust　from　the　pits。　They　may　not　laugh；　or　the　sides　of　the　pit　would　fall　in。　They　may　eat　no　salt；　prepare　no　fodder　for　swine；　and　in　the　pit　they　may　not　scratch　themselves；　for　if　they　did；　the　earth　would　be　loosened　and　would　collapse。　And　the　night　after　digging　the　pit　they　may　have　no　intercourse　with　a　woman；　or　all　their　labour　would　be　in　vain。

This　practice　of　observing　strict　chastity　as　a　condition　of　success　in　hunting　and　fishing　is　very　common　among　rude　races；　and　the　instances　of　it　which　have　been　cited　render　it　probable　that　the　rule　is　always　based　on　a　superstition　rather　than　on　a　consideration　of　the　temporary　weakness　which　a　breach　of　the　custom　may　entail　on　the　hunter　or　fisherman。　In　general　it　appears　to　be　supposed　that　the　evil　effect　of　incontinence　is　not　so　much　that　it　weakens　him；　as　that；　for　some　reason　or　other；　it　offends　the　animals；　who　in　consequence　will　not　suffer　themselves　to　be　caught。　A　Carrier　Indian　of　British　Columbia　used　to　separate　from　his　wife　for　a　full　month　before　he　set　traps　for　bears；　and　during　this　time　he　might　not　drink　from　the　same　vessel　as　his　wife；　but　had　to　use　a　special　cup　made　of　birch　bark。　The　neglect　of　these　precautions　would　cause　the　game　to　escape　after　it　had　been　snared。　But　when　he　was　about　to　snare　martens；　the　period　of　continence　was　cut　down　to　ten　days。

An　examination　of　all　the　many　cases　in　which　the　savage　bridles　his　passions　and　remains　chaste　from　motives　of　superstition；　would　be　instructive；　but　I　cannot　attempt　it　now。　I　will　only　add　a　few　miscellaneous　examples　of　the　custom　before　passing　to　the　ceremonies　of　purification　which　are　observed　by　the　hunter　and　fisherman　after　the　chase　and　the　fishing　are　over。　The　workers　in　the　salt…pans　near　Siphoum；　in　Laos；　must　abstain　from　all　sexual　relations　at　the　place　where　they　are　at　work；　and　they　may　not　cover　their　heads　nor　shelter　themselves　under　an　umbrella　from　the　burning　rays　of　the　sun。　Among　the　Kachins　of　Burma　the　ferment　used　in　making　beer　is　prepared　by　two　women；　chosen　by　lot；　who　during　the　three　days　that　the　process　lasts　may　eat　nothing　acid　and　may　have　no　conjugal　relations　with　their　husbands；　otherwise　it　is　supposed　that　the　beer　would　be　sour。　Among　the　Masai　honey…wine　is　brewed　by　a　man　and　a　woman　who　live　in　a　hut　set　apart　for　them　till　the　wine　is　ready　for　drinking。　But　they　are　strictly　forbidden　to　have　sexual　intercourse　with　each　other　during　this　time；　it　is　deemed　essential　that　they　should　be　chaste　for　two　days　before　they　begin　to　brew　and　for　the　whole　of　the　six　days　that　the　brewing　lasts。　The　Masai　believe　that　were　the　couple　to　commit　a　breach　of　chastity；　not　only　would　the　wine　be　undrinkable　but　the　bees　which　made　the　honey　would　fly　away。　Similarly　they　require　that　a　man　who　is　making　poison　should　sleep　alone　and　observe　other　taboos　which　render　him　almost　an　outcast。　The　Wandorobbo；　a　tribe　of　the　same　region　as　the　Masai；　believe　that　the　mere　presence　of　a　woman　in　the　neighbourhood　of　a　man　who　is　brewing　poison　would　deprive　the　poison　of　its　venom；　and　that　the　same　thing　would　happen　if　the　wife　of　the　poison…maker　were　to　commit　adultery　while　her　husband　was　brewing　the　poison。　In　this　last　case　it　is　obvious　that　a　rationalistic　explanation　of　the　taboo　is　impossible。　How　could　the　loss　of　virtue　in　the　poison　be　a　physical　consequence　of　the　loss　of　virtue　in　the　poison…maker's　wife？　Clearly　the　effect　which　the　wife's　adultery　is　supposed　to　have　on　the　poison　is　a　case　of　sympathetic　magic；　her　misconduct　sympathetically　affects　her　husband　and　his　work　at　a　distance。　We　may；　accordingly；　infer　with　some　confidence　that　the　rule　of　continence　imposed　on　the　poison…maker　himself　is　also　a　simple　case　of　sympathetic　magic；　and　not；　as　a　civilised　reader　might　be　disposed　to　conjecture；　a　wise　precaution　designed　to　prevent　him　from　accidentally　poisoning　his　wife。

Among　the　Ba…Pedi　and　Ba…Thonga　tribes　of　South　Africa；　when　the　site　of　a　new　village　has　been　chosen　and　the　houses　are　building；　all　the　married　people　are　forbidden　to　have　conjugal　relations　with　each　other。　If　it　were　discovered　that　any　couple　had　broken　this　rule；　the　work　of　building　would　immediately　be　stopped；　and　another　site　chosen　for　the　village。　For　they　think　that　a　breach　of　chastity　would　spoil　the　village　which　was　growing　up；　that　the　chief　would　grow　lean　and　perhaps　die；　and　that　the　guilty　woman　would　never　bear　another　child。　Among　the　Chams　of　Cochin…China；　when　a　dam　is　made　or　repaired　on　a　river　for　the　sake　of　irrigation；　the　chief　who　offers　the　traditional　sacrifices　and　implores　the　protection　of　the　deities　on　the　work　has　to　stay　all　the　time　in　a　wretched　hovel　of　straw；　taking　no　part　in　the　labour；　and　observing　the　strictest　continence；　for　the　people　believe　that　a　breach　of　his　chastity　would　entail　a　breach　of　the　dam。　Here；　it　is　plain；　there　can　be　no　idea　of　maintaining　the　mere　bodily　vigour　of　the　chief　for　the　accomplishment　of　a　task　in　which　he　does　not　even　bear　a　hand。

If　the　taboos　or　abstinences　observed　by　hunters　and　fishermen　before　and　during　the　chase　are　dictated；　as　we　have　seen　reason　to　believe；　by　superstitious　motives；　and　chiefly　by　a　dread　of　offending　or　frightening　the　spirits　of　the　creatures　whom　it　is　proposed　to　kill；　we　may　expect　that　the　restraints　imposed　after　the　slaughter　has　been　perpetrated　will　be　at　least　as　stringent；　the　slayer　and　his　friends　having　now　the　added　fear　of　the　angry　ghosts　of　his　victims　before　their　eyes。　Whereas　on　the　hypothesis　that　the　abstinences　in　question；　including　those　from　food；　drink；　and　sleep；　are　merely　salutary　precautions　for　maintaining　the　men　in　health　and　strength　to　do　their　work；　it　is　obvious　that　the　observance　of　these　abstinences　or　taboos　after　the　work　is　done；　that　is；　when　the　game　is　killed　and　the　fish　caught；　must　be　wholly　superfluous；　absurd；　and　inexplicable。　But　as　I　shall　now　show；　these　taboos　often　continue　to　be　enforced　or　even　increased　in　stringency　after　the　death　of　the　animals；　in　other　words；　after　the　hunter　or　fisher　has　accomplished　his　object　by　making　his　bag　or　landing　his　fish。　The　rationalistic　theory　of　them　therefore　breaks　down　entirely；　the　hypothesis　of　superstition　is　clearly　the　only　one　open　to　us。

Among　the　Inuit　or　Esquimaux　of　Bering　Strait　the　dead　bodies　of　various　animals　must　be　treated　very　carefully　by　the　hunter　who　obtains　them；　so　that　their　shades　may　not　be　offended　and　bring　bad　luck　or　even　death　upon　him　or　his　people。　Hence　the　Unalit　hunter　who　has　had　a　hand　in　the　killing　of　a　white　whale；　or　even　has　helped　to　take　one　from