the golden bough-第13节

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hrown　at　it；　hence　in　these　regions　rats'　hair　is　in　great　demand　when　war　is　expected。　One　of　the　ancient　books　of　India　prescribes　that　when　a　sacrifice　is　offered　for　victory；　the　earth　out　of　which　the　altar　is　to　be　made　should　be　taken　from　a　place　where　a　boar　has　been　wallowing；　since　the　strength　of　the　boar　will　be　in　that　earth。　When　you　are　playing　the　one…stringed　lute；　and　your　fingers　are　stiff；　the　thing　to　do　is　to　catch　some　long…legged　field　spiders　and　roast　them；　and　then　rub　your　fingers　with　the　ashes；　that　will　make　your　fingers　as　lithe　and　nimble　as　the　spiders'　legsat　least　so　think　the　Galelareese。　To　bring　back　a　runaway　slave　an　Arab　will　trace　a　magic　circle　on　the　ground；　stick　a　nail　in　the　middle　of　it；　and　attach　a　beetle　by　a　thread　to　the　nail；　taking　care　that　the　sex　of　the　beetle　is　that　of　the　fugitive。　As　the　beetle　crawls　round　and　round；　it　will　coil　the　thread　about　the　nail；　thus　shortening　its　tether　and　drawing　nearer　to　the　centre　at　every　circuit。　So　by　virtue　of　homoeopathic　magic　the　runaway　slave　will　be　drawn　back　to　his　master。

Among　the　western　tribes　of　British　New　Guinea；　a　man　who　has　killed　a　snake　will　burn　it　and　smear　his　legs　with　the　ashes　when　he　goes　into　the　forest；　for　no　snake　will　bite　him　for　some　days　afterwards。　If　a　South　Slavonian　has　a　mind　to　pilfer　and　steal　at　market；　he　has　nothing　to　do　but　to　burn　a　blind　cat；　and　then　throw　a　pinch　of　its　ashes　over　the　person　with　whom　he　is　higgling；　after　that　he　can　take　what　he　likes　from　the　booth；　and　the　owner　will　not　be　a　bit　the　wiser；　having　become　as　blind　as　the　deceased　cat　with　whose　ashes　he　has　been　sprinkled。　The　thief　may　even　ask　boldly；　Did　I　pay　for　it？　and　the　deluded　huckster　will　reply；　Why；　certainly。　Equally　simple　and　effectual　is　the　expedient　adopted　by　natives　of　Central　Australia　who　desire　to　cultivate　their　beards。　They　prick　the　chin　all　over　with　a　pointed　bone；　and　then　stroke　it　carefully　with　a　magic　stick　or　stone；　which　represents　a　kind　of　rat　that　has　very　long　whiskers。　The　virtue　of　these　whiskers　naturally　passes　into　the　representative　stick　or　stone；　and　thence　by　an　easy　transition　to　the　chin；　which；　consequently；　is　soon　adorned　with　a　rich　growth　of　beard。　The　ancient　Greeks　thought　that　to　eat　the　flesh　of　the　wakeful　nightingale　would　prevent　a　man　from　sleeping；　that　to　smear　the　eyes　of　a　blear…sighted　person　with　the　gall　of　an　eagle　would　give　him　the　eagle's　vision；　and　that　a　raven's　eggs　would　restore　the　blackness　of　the　raven　to　silvery　hair。　Only　the　person　who　adopted　this　last　mode　of　concealing　the　ravages　of　time　had　to　be　most　careful　to　keep　his　mouth　full　of　oil　all　the　time　he　applied　the　eggs　to　his　venerable　locks；　else　his　teeth　as　well　as　his　hair　would　be　dyed　raven　black；　and　no　amount　of　scrubbing　and　scouring　would　avail　to　whiten　them　again。　The　hair…restorer　was　in　fact　a　shade　too　powerful；　and　in　applying　it　you　might　get　more　than　you　bargained　for。

The　Huichol　Indians　admire　the　beautiful　markings　on　the　backs　of　serpents。　Hence　when　a　Huichol　woman　is　about　to　weave　or　embroider；　her　husband　catches　a　large　serpent　and　holds　it　in　a　cleft　stick；　while　the　woman　strokes　the　reptile　with　one　hand　down　the　whole　length　of　its　back；　then　she　passes　the　same　hand　over　her　forehead　and　eyes；　that　she　may　be　able　to　work　as　beautiful　patterns　in　the　web　as　the　markings　on　the　back　of　the　serpent。

On　the　principle　of　homoeopathic　magic；　inanimate　things；　as　well　as　plants　and　animals；　may　diffuse　blessing　or　bane　around　them；　according　to　their　own　intrinsic　nature　and　the　skill　of　the　wizard　to　tap　or　dam；　as　the　case　may　be；　the　stream　of　weal　or　woe。　In　Samaracand　women　give　a　baby　sugar　candy　to　suck　and　put　glue　in　the　palm　of　its　hand；　in　order　that；　when　the　child　grows　up；　his　words　may　be　sweet　and　precious　things　may　stick　to　his　hands　as　if　they　were　glued。　The　Greeks　thought　that　a　garment　made　from　the　fleece　of　a　sheep　that　had　been　torn　by　a　wolf　would　hurt　the　wearer；　setting　up　an　itch　or　irritation　in　his　skin。　They　were　also　of　opinion　that　if　a　stone　which　had　been　bitten　by　a　dog　were　dropped　in　wine；　it　would　make　all　who　drank　of　that　wine　to　fall　out　among　themselves。　Among　the　Arabs　of　Moab　a　childless　woman　often　borrows　the　robe　of　a　woman　who　has　had　many　children；　hoping　with　the　robe　to　acquire　the　fruitfulness　of　its　owner。　The　Caffres　of　Sofala；　in　East　Africa；　had　a　great　dread　of　being　struck　with　anything　hollow；　such　as　a　reed　or　a　straw；　and　greatly　preferred　being　thrashed　with　a　good　thick　cudgel　or　an　iron　bar；　even　though　it　hurt　very　much。　For　they　thought　that　if　a　man　were　beaten　with　anything　hollow；　his　inside　would　waste　away　till　he　died。　In　eastern　seas　there　is　a　large　shell　which　the　Buginese　of　Celebes　call　the　old　man　（kadjawo）。　On　Fridays　they　turn　these　old　men　upside　down　and　place　them　on　the　thresholds　of　their　houses；　believing　that　whoever　then　steps　over　the　threshold　of　the　house　will　live　to　be　old。　At　initiation　a　Brahman　boy　is　made　to　tread　with　his　right　foot　on　a　stone；　while　the　words　are　repeated；　Tread　on　this　stone；　like　a　stone　be　firm；　and　the　same　ceremony　is　performed；　with　the　same　words；　by　a　Brahman　bride　at　her　marriage。　In　Madagascar　a　mode　of　counteracting　the　levity　of　fortune　is　to　bury　a　stone　at　the　foot　of　the　heavy　house…post。　The　common　custom　of　swearing　upon　a　stone　may　be　based　partly　on　a　belief　that　the　strength　and　stability　of　the　stone　lend　confirmation　to　an　oath。　Thus　the　old　Danish　historian　Saxo　Grammaticus　tells　us　that　the　ancients；　when　they　were　to　choose　a　king；　were　wont　to　stand　on　stones　planted　in　the　ground；　and　to　proclaim　their　votes；　in　order　to　foreshadow　from　the　steadfastness　of　the　stones　that　the　deed　would　be　lasting。

But　while　a　general　magical　efficacy　may　be　supposed　to　reside　in　all　stones　by　reason　of　their　common　properties　of　weight　and　solidity；　special　magical　virtues　are　attributed　to　particular　stones；　or　kinds　of　stone；　in　accordance　with　their　individual　or　specific　qualities　of　shape　and　colour。　For　example；　the　Indians　of　Peru　employed　certain　stones　for　the　increase　of　maize；　others　for　the　increase　of　potatoes；　and　others　again　for　the　increase　of　cattle。　The　stones　used　to　make　maize　grow　were　fashioned　in　the　likeness　of　cobs　of　maize；　and　the　stones　destined　to　multiply　cattle　had　the　shape　of　sheep。

In　some　parts　of　Melanesia　a　like　belief　prevails　that　certain　sacred　stones　are　endowed　with　miraculous　powers　which　correspond　in　their　nature　to　the　shape　of　the　stone。　Thus　a　piece　of　water…worn　coral　on　the　beach　often　bears　a　surprising　likeness　to　a　bread…fruit。　Hence　in　the　Banks　Islands　a　man　who　finds　such　a　coral　will　lay　it　at　the　root　of　one　of　his　bread…fruit　trees　in　the　expectation　that　it　will　make　the　tree　bear　well。　If　the　result　answers　his　expectation；　he　will　then；　for　a　proper　remuneration；　take　stones　of　less…marked　character　from　other　men　and　let　them　lie　near　his；　in　order　to　imbue　them　with　the　magic　virtue　which　resides　in　it。　Similarly；　a　stone　with　little　discs　upon　it　is　good　to　bring　in　money；　and　if　a　man　found　a　large　stone　with　a　number　of　small　ones　under　it；　like　a　sow　among　her　litter；　he　was　sure　that　to　offer　money　upon　it　would　bring　him　pigs。　In　these　and　similar　cases　the　Melanesians　ascribe　the　marvellous　power；　not　to　the　stone　itself；　but　to　its　indwelling　spirit；　and　sometimes；　as　we　have　just　seen；　a　man　endeavours　to　propitiate　the　spirit　by　laying　down　offerings　on　the　stone。　But　the　conception　of　spirits　that　must　be　propitiated　lies　outside　the　sphere　of　magic；　and　within　that　of　religion。　Where　such　a　conception　is　found；　as　here；　in　conjunction　with　purely　magical　ideas　and　practices；　the　latter　may　generally　be　assumed　to　be　the　original　stock　on　which　the　religious　conception　has　been　at　some　later　time　engrafted。　For　there　are　strong　grounds　for　thinking　that；　in　the　evolution　of　thought；　magic　has　preceded　religion。　But　to　this　point　we　shall　return　presently。

The　ancients　set　great　store　on　the　magical　qualities　of　precious　stones；　indeed　it　has　been　maintained；　with　great　show　of　reason；　that　such　stones　were　used　as　amulets　long　before　they　were　worn　as　mere　ornaments。　Thus　the　Greeks　gave　the　name　of　tree…agate　to　a　stone　which　exhibits　tree…like　markings；　and　they　thought　that　if　two　of　these　gems　were　tied　to　the　horns　or　necks　of　oxen　at　the　plough；　the　crop　would　be　sure　to　be　plentiful。　Again；　they　recognised　a　milkstone　which　produced　an　abundant　supply　of　milk　in　women　if　only　they　drank　it　dissolved　in　honey…mead。　Milk…stones　are　used　for　the　same　purpose　by　Greek　women　in　Crete　and　Melos　at　the　present　day；　in　Albania　nursing　mothers　wear　the　stones　in　order　to　ensure　an　abundant　flow　of　milk。　Again；　the　Greeks　believed　in　a　stone　which　cured　snake…bites；　and　hence　was　named　the　snake…stone；　to　test　its　efficacy　you　had　only　to　grind　the　stone　to　powder　and　sprinkle　the　powder　on　the　wound。　The　wine…coloured　amethyst　received　its　name；　which　means　not　drunken；　because　it　was　supposed　to　keep　the　wearer　of　it　sober；　and　two　brothers　who　desired　to　live　at　unity　were　advised　to　carry　magnets　about　with　them；　which；　by　drawin