the golden bough-第94章

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　preserve　the　nail…parings　and　the　hairs　that　were　shorn　off　or　torn　out　with　a　comb；　placing　them　in　holes　or　niches　in　the　walls；　and　if　they　fell　out；　any　other　Indian　that　saw　them　picked　them　up　and　put　them　in　their　places　again。　I　very　often　asked　different　Indians；　at　various　times；　why　they　did　this；　in　order　to　see　what　they　would　say；　and　they　all　replied　in　the　same　words　saying；　'Know　that　all　persons　who　are　born　must　return　to　life'　（they　have　no　word　to　express　resurrection）；　'and　the　souls　must　rise　out　of　their　tombs　with　all　that　belonged　to　their　bodies。　We；　therefore；　in　order　that　we　may　not　have　to　search　for　our　hair　and　nails　at　a　time　when　there　will　be　much　hurry　and　confusion；　place　them　in　one　place；　that　they　may　be　brought　together　more　conveniently；　and；　whenever　it　is　possible；　we　are　also　careful　to　spit　in　one　place。'　Similarly　the　Turks　never　throw　away　the　parings　of　their　nails；　but　carefully　stow　them　in　cracks　of　the　walls　or　of　the　boards；　in　the　belief　that　they　will　be　needed　at　the　resurrection。　The　Armenians　do　not　throw　away　their　cut　hair　and　nails　and　extracted　teeth；　but　hide　them　in　places　that　are　esteemed　holy；　such　as　a　crack　in　the　church　wall；　a　pillar　of　the　house；　or　a　hollow　tree。　They　think　that　all　these　severed　portions　of　themselves　will　be　wanted　at　the　resurrection；　and　that　he　who　has　not　stowed　them　away　in　a　safe　place　will　have　to　hunt　about　for　them　on　the　great　day。　In　the　village　of　Drumconrath　in　Ireland　there　used　to　be　some　old　women　who；　having　ascertained　from　Scripture　that　the　hairs　of　their　heads　were　all　numbered　by　the　Almighty；　expected　to　have　to　account　for　them　at　the　day　of　judgment。　In　order　to　be　able　to　do　so　they　stuffed　the　severed　hair　away　in　the　thatch　of　their　cottages。

Some　people　burn　their　loose　hair　to　save　it　from　falling　into　the　hands　of　sorcerers。　This　is　done　by　the　Patagonians　and　some　of　the　Victorian　tribes。　In　the　Upper　Vosges　they　say　that　you　should　never　leave　the　clippings　of　your　hair　and　nails　lying　about；　but　burn　them　to　hinder　the　sorcerers　from　using　them　against　you。　For　the　same　reason　Italian　women　either　burn　their　loose　hairs　or　throw　them　into　a　place　where　no　one　is　likely　to　look　for　them。　The　almost　universal　dread　of　witchcraft　induces　the　West　African　negroes；　the　Makololo　of　South　Africa；　and　the　Tahitians　to　burn　or　bury　their　shorn　hair。　In　the　Tyrol　many　people　burn　their　hair　lest　the　witches　should　use　it　to　raise　thunderstorms；　others　burn　or　bury　it　to　prevent　the　birds　from　lining　their　nests　with　it；　which　would　cause　the　heads　from　which　the　hair　came　to　ache。

This　destruction　of　the　hair　and　nails　plainly　involves　an　inconsistency　of　thought。　The　object　of　the　destruction　is　avowedly　to　prevent　these　severed　portions　of　the　body　from　being　used　by　sorcerers。　But　the　possibility　of　their　being　so　used　depends　upon　the　supposed　sympathetic　connexion　between　them　and　the　man　from　whom　they　were　severed。　And　if　this　sympathetic　connexion　still　exists；　clearly　these　severed　portions　cannot　be　destroyed　without　injury　to　the　man。

9。　Spittle　tabooed。

THE　SAME　fear　of　witchcraft　which　has　led　so　many　people　to　hide　or　destroy　their　loose　hair　and　nails　has　induced　other　or　the　same　people　to　treat　their　spittle　in　a　like　fashion。　For　on　the　principles　of　sympathetic　magic　the　spittle　is　part　of　the　man；　and　whatever　is　done　to　it　will　have　a　corresponding　effect　on　him。　A　Chilote　Indian；　who　has　gathered　up　the　spittle　of　an　enemy；　will　put　it　in　a　potato；　and　hang　the　potato　in　the　smoke；　uttering　certain　spells　as　he　does　so　in　the　belief　that　his　foe　will　waste　away　as　the　potato　dries　in　the　smoke。　Or　he　will　put　the　spittle　in　a　frog　and　throw　the　animal　into　an　inaccessible；　unnavigable　river；　which　will　make　the　victim　quake　and　shake　with　ague。　The　natives　of　Urewera；　a　district　of　New　Zealand；　enjoyed　a　high　reputation　for　their　skill　in　magic。　It　was　said　that　they　made　use　of　people's　spittle　to　bewitch　them。　Hence　visitors　were　careful　to　conceal　their　spittle；　lest　they　should　furnish　these　wizards　with　a　handle　for　working　them　harm。　Similarly　among　some　tribes　of　South　Africa　no　man　will　spit　when　an　enemy　is　near；　lest　his　foe　should　find　the　spittle　and　give　it　to　a　wizard；　who　would　then　mix　it　with　magical　ingredients　so　as　to　injure　the　person　from　whom　it　fell。　Even　in　a　man's　own　house　his　saliva　is　carefully　swept　away　and　obliterated　for　a　similar　reason。

If　common　folk　are　thus　cautious；　it　is　natural　that　kings　and　chiefs　should　be　doubly　so。　In　the　Sandwich　Islands　chiefs　were　attended　by　a　confidential　servant　bearing　a　portable　spittoon；　and　the　deposit　was　carefully　buried　every　morning　to　put　it　out　of　the　reach　of　sorcerers。　On　the　Slave　Coast；　for　the　same　reason；　whenever　a　king　or　chief　expectorates；　the　saliva　is　scrupulously　gathered　up　and　hidden　or　buried。　The　same　precautions　are　taken　for　the　same　reason　with　the　spittle　of　the　chief　of　Tabali　in　Southern　Nigeria。

The　magical　use　to　which　spittle　may　be　put　marks　it　out；　like　blood　or　nail…parings；　as　a　suitable　material　basis　for　a　covenant；　since　by　exchanging　their　saliva　the　covenanting　parties　give　each　other　a　guarantee　of　good　faith。　If　either　of　them　afterwards　foreswears　himself；　the　other　can　punish　his　perfidy　by　a　magical　treatment　of　the　purjurer's　spittle　which　he　has　in　his　custody。　Thus　when　the　Wajagga　of　East　Africa　desire　to　make　a　covenant；　the　two　parties　will　sometimes　sit　down　with　a　bowl　of　milk　or　beer　between　them；　and　after　uttering　an　incantation　over　the　beverage　they　each　take　a　mouthful　of　the　milk　or　beer　and　spit　it　into　the　other's　mouth。　In　urgent　cases；　when　there　is　no　time　to　spend　on　ceremony；　the　two　will　simply　spit　into　each　other's　mouth；　which　seals　the　covenant　just　as　well。

10。　Foods　tabooed。

AS　MIGHT　have　been　expected；　the　superstitions　of　the　savage　cluster　thick　about　the　subject　of　food；　and　he　abstains　from　eating　many　animals　and　plants；　wholesome　enough　in　themselves；　which　for　one　reason　or　another　he　fancies　would　prove　dangerous　or　fatal　to　the　eater。　Examples　of　such　abstinence　are　too　familiar　and　far　too　numerous　to　quote。　But　if　the　ordinary　man　is　thus　deterred　by　superstitious　fear　from　partaking　of　various　foods；　the　restraints　of　this　kind　which　are　laid　upon　sacred　or　tabooed　persons；　such　as　kings　and　priests；　are　still　more　numerous　and　stringent。　We　have　already　seen　that　the　Flamen　Dialis　was　forbidden　to　eat　or　even　name　several　plants　and　animals；　and　that　the　flesh　diet　of　Egyptian　kings　was　restricted　to　veal　and　goose。　In　antiquity　many　priests　and　many　kings　of　barbarous　peoples　abstained　wholly　from　a　flesh　diet。　The　Gangas　or　fetish　priests　of　the　Loango　Coast　are　forbidden　to　eat　or　even　see　a　variety　of　animals　and　fish；　in　consequence　of　which　their　flesh　diet　is　extremely　limited；　often　they　live　only　on　herbs　and　roots；　though　they　may　drink　fresh　blood。　The　heir　to　the　throne　of　Loango　is　forbidden　from　infancy　to　eat　pork；　from　early　childhood　he　is　interdicted　the　use　of　the　cola　fruit　in　company；　at　puberty　he　is　taught　by　a　priest　not　to　partake　of　fowls　except　such　as　he　has　himself　killed　and　cooked；　and　so　the　number　of　taboos　goes　on　increasing　with　his　years。　In　Fernando　Po　the　king　after　installation　is　forbidden　to　eat　cocco　（arum　acaule）；　deer；　and　porcupine；　which　are　the　ordinary　foods　of　the　people。　The　head　chief　of　the　Masai　may　eat　nothing　but　milk；　honey；　and　the　roasted　livers　of　goats；　for　if　he　partook　of　any　other　food　he　would　lose　his　power　of　soothsaying　and　of　compounding　charms。

Chapter　22。　Tabooed　Words。

1。　Personal　Names　tabooed。

UNABLE　to　discriminate　clearly　between　words　and　things；　the　savage　commonly　fancies　that　the　link　between　a　name　and　the　person　or　thing　denominated　by　it　is　not　a　mere　arbitrary　and　ideal　association；　but　a　real　and　substantial　bond　which　unites　the　two　in　such　a　way　that　magic　may　be　wrought　on　a　man　just　as　easily　through　his　name　as　through　his　hair；　his　nails；　or　any　other　material　part　of　his　person。　In　fact；　primitive　man　regards　his　name　as　a　vital　portion　of　himself　and　takes　care　of　it　accordingly。　Thus；　for　example；　the　North　Americ