the golden bough-第92章

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　priest　has　been　seen　to　roll　on　the　ground　in　an　agony　of　rage　and　despair；　begging　for　death；　because　some　one　had　desecrated　his　head　and　deprived　him　of　his　divinity　by　sprinkling　a　few　drops　of　water　on　his　hair。　But　it　was　not　the　Marquesan　chiefs　only　whose　heads　were　sacred。　The　head　of　every　Marquesan　was　taboo；　and　might　neither　be　touched　nor　stepped　over　by　another；　even　a　father　might　not　step　over　the　head　of　his　sleeping　child；　women　were　forbidden　to　carry　or　touch　anything　that　had　been　in　contact　with；　or　had　merely　hung　over；　the　head　of　their　husband　or　father。　No　one　was　allowed　to　be　over　the　head　of　the　king　of　Tonga。　In　Tahiti　any　one　who　stood　over　the　king　or　queen；　or　passed　his　hand　over　their　heads；　might　be　put　to　death。　Until　certain　rites　were　performed　over　it；　a　Tahitian　infant　was　especially　taboo；　whatever　touched　the　child's　head；　while　it　was　in　this　state；　became　sacred　and　was　deposited　in　a　consecrated　place　railed　in　for　the　purpose　at　the　child's　house。　If　a　branch　of　a　tree　touched　the　child's　head；　the　tree　was　cut　down；　and　if　in　its　fall　it　injured　another　tree　so　as　to　penetrate　the　bark；　that　tree　also　was　cut　down　as　unclean　and　unfit　for　use。　After　the　rites　were　performed　these　special　taboos　ceased；　but　the　head　of　a　Tahitian　was　always　sacred；　he　never　carried　anything　on　it；　and　to　touch　it　was　an　offence。　So　sacred　was　the　head　of　a　Maori　chief　that　if　he　only　touched　it　with　his　fingers；　he　was　obliged　immediately　to　apply　them　to　his　nose；　and　snuff　up　the　sanctity　which　they　had　acquired　by　the　touch；　and　thus　restore　it　to　the　part　from　whence　it　was　taken。　On　account　of　the　sacredness　of　his　head　a　Maori　chief　could　not　blow　the　fire　with　his　mouth；　for　the　breath　being　sacred；　communicated　his　sanctity　to　it；　and　a　brand　might　be　taken　by　a　slave；　or　a　man　of　another　tribe；　or　the　fire　might　be　used　for　other　purposes；　such　as　cooking；　and　so　cause　his　death。

6。　Hair　tabooed。

WHEN　the　head　was　considered　so　sacred　that　it　might　not　even　be　touched　without　grave　offence；　it　is　obvious　that　the　cutting　of　the　hair　must　have　been　a　delicate　and　difficult　operation。　The　difficulties　and　dangers　which；　on　the　primitive　view；　beset　the　operation　are　of　two　kinds。　There　is　first　the　danger　of　disturbing　the　spirit　of　the　head；　which　may　be　injured　in　the　process　and　may　revenge　itself　upon　the　person　who　molests　him。　Secondly；　there　is　the　difficulty　of　disposing　of　the　shorn　locks。　For　the　savage　believes　that　the　sympathetic　connexion　which　exists　between　himself　and　every　part　of　his　body　continues　to　exist　even　after　the　physical　connexion　has　been　broken；　and　that　therefore　he　will　suffer　from　any　harm　that　may　befall　the　several　parts　of　his　body；　such　as　the　clippings　of　his　hair　or　the　parings　of　his　nails。　Accordingly　he　takes　care　that　these　severed　portions　of　himself　shall　not　be　left　in　places　where　they　might　either　be　exposed　to　accidental　injury　or　fall　into　the　hands　of　malicious　persons　who　might　work　magic　on　them　to　his　detriment　or　death。　Such　dangers　are　common　to　all；　but　sacred　persons　have　more　to　fear　from　them　than　ordinary　people；　so　the　precautions　taken　by　them　are　proportionately　stringent。　The　simplest　way　of　evading　the　peril　is　not　to　cut　the　hair　at　all；　and　this　is　the　expedient　adopted　where　the　risk　is　thought　to　be　more　than　usually　great。　The　Frankish　kings　were　never　allowed　to　crop　their　hair；　from　their　childhood　upwards　they　had　to　keep　it　unshorn。　To　poll　the　long　locks　that　floated　on　their　shoulders　would　have　been　to　renounce　their　right　to　the　throne。　When　the　wicked　brothers　Clotaire　and　Childebert　coveted　the　kingdom　of　their　dead　brother　Clodomir；　they　inveigled　into　their　power　their　little　nephews；　the　two　sons　of　Clodomir；　and　having　done　so；　they　sent　a　messenger　bearing　scissors　and　a　naked　sword　to　the　children's　grandmother；　Queen　Clotilde；　at　Paris。　The　envoy　showed　the　scissors　and　the　sword　to　Clotilde；　and　bade　her　choose　whether　the　children　should　be　shorn　and　live　or　remain　unshorn　and　die。　The　proud　queen　replied　that　if　her　grandchildren　were　not　to　come　to　the　throne　she　would　rather　see　them　dead　than　shorn。　And　murdered　they　were　by　their　ruthless　uncle　Clotaire　with　his　own　hand。　The　king　of　Ponape；　one　of　the　Caroline　Islands；　must　wear　his　hair　long；　and　so　must　his　grandees。　Among　the　Hos；　a　negro　tribe　of　West　Africa；　there　are　priests　on　whose　head　no　razor　may　come　during　the　whole　of　their　lives。　The　god　who　dwells　in　the　man　forbids　the　cutting　of　his　hair　on　pain　of　death。　If　the　hair　is　at　last　too　long；　the　owner　must　pray　to　his　god　to　allow　him　at　least　to　clip　the　tips　of　it。　The　hair　is　in　fact　conceived　as　the　seat　and　lodging…place　of　his　god；　so　that　were　it　shorn　the　god　would　lose　his　abode　in　the　priest。　The　members　of　a　Masai　clan；　who　are　believed　to　possess　the　art　of　making　rain；　may　not　pluck　out　their　beards；　because　the　loss　of　their　beards　would；　it　is　supposed；　entail　the　loss　of　their　rain…making　powers。　The　head　chief　and　the　sorcerers　of　the　Masai　observe　the　same　rule　for　a　like　reason：　they　think　that　were　they　to　pull　out　their　beards；　their　supernatural　gifts　would　desert　them。

Again；　men　who　have　taken　a　vow　of　vengeance　sometimes　keep　their　hair　unshorn　till　they　have　fulfilled　their　vow。　Thus　of　the　Marquesans　we　are　told　that　occasionally　they　have　their　head　entirely　shaved；　except　one　lock　on　the　crown；　which　is　worn　loose　or　put　up　in　a　knot。　But　the　latter　mode　of　wearing　the　hair　is　only　adopted　by　them　when　they　have　a　solemn　vow；　as　to　revenge　the　death　of　some　near　relation；　etc。　In　such　case　the　lock　is　never　cut　off　until　they　have　fulfilled　their　promise。　A　similar　custom　was　sometimes　observed　by　the　ancient　Germans；　among　the　Chatti　the　young　warriors　never　clipped　their　hair　or　their　beard　till　they　had　slain　an　enemy。　Among　the　Toradjas；　when　a　child's　hair　is　cut　to　rid　it　of　vermin；　some　locks　are　allowed　to　remain　on　the　crown　of　the　head　as　a　refuge　for　one　of　the　child's　souls。　Otherwise　the　soul　would　have　no　place　in　which　to　settle；　and　the　child　would　sicken。　The　Karo…Bataks　are　much　afraid　of　frightening　away　the　soul　of　a　child；　hence　when　they　cut　its　hair；　they　always　leave　a　patch　unshorn；　to　which　the　soul　can　retreat　before　the　shears。　Usually　this　lock　remains　unshorn　all　through　life；　or　at　least　up　till　manhood。

7。　Ceremonies　at　Hair…cutting。

BUT　when　it　becomes　necessary　to　crop　the　hair；　measures　are　taken　to　lessen　the　dangers　which　are　supposed　to　attend　the　operation。　The　chief　of　Namosi　in　Fiji　always　ate　a　man　by　way　of　precaution　when　he　had　had　his　hair　cut。　There　was　a　certain　clan　that　had　to　provide　the　victim；　and　they　used　to　sit　in　solemn　council　among　themselves　to　choose　him。　It　was　a　sacrificial　feast　to　avert　evil　from　the　chief。　Amongst　the　Maoris　many　spells　were　uttered　at　hair…cutting；　one；　for　example；　was　spoken　to　consecrate　the　obsidian　knife　with　which　the　hair　was　cut；　another　was　pronounced　to　avert　the　thunder　and　lightning　which　hair…cutting　was　believed　to　cause。　He　who　has　had　his　hair　cut　is　in　immediate　charge　of　the　Atua　（spirit）；　he　is　removed　from　the　contact　and　society　of　his　family　and　his　tribe；　he　dare　not　touch　his　food　himself；　it　is　put　into　his　mouth　by　another　person；　nor　can　he　for　some　days　resume　his　accustomed　occupations　or　associate　with　his　fellow…men。　The　person　who　cuts　the　hair　is　also　tabooed；　his　hands　having　been　in　contact　with　a　sacred　head；　he　may　not　touch　food　with　them　or　engage　in　any　other　employment；　he　is　fed　by　another　person　with　food　cooked　over　a　sacred　fire。　He　cannot　be　released　from　the　taboo　before　the　following　day；　when　he　rubs　his　hands　with　potato　or　fern　root　which　has　been　cooked　on　a　sacred　fire；　and　this　food　having　been　taken　to　the　head　of　the　family　in　the　female　line　and　eaten　by　her；　his　hands　are　freed　from　the　taboo。　In　some　parts　of　New　Zealand　the　most　sacred　day　of　the　year　was　that　appointed　for　hair…cutting；　the　people　assembled　in　large　numbers　on　that　day　from　all　the　neighbourhood。

8。　Disposal　of　Cut　Hair　and　Nails。

BUT　even　when　the　hair　and　nails　have　been　safely　cut；　there　remains　the　difficulty　of　disposing　of