the golden bough-第141节

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　little　ladder　into　the　basket；　where　it　is　naturally　held　fast　by　the　hooks；　the　thorn；　and　the　cord；　and　having　thus　captured　and　imprisoned　the　soul　she　conveys　it　into　the　rice…granary。　Sometimes　a　bamboo　box　and　a　net　are　used　for　the　same　purpose。　And　in　order　to　ensure　a　good　harvest　for　the　following　year　it　is　necessary　not　only　to　detain　the　soul　of　all　the　grains　of　rice　which　are　safely　stored　in　the　granary；　but　also　to　attract　and　recover　the　soul　of　all　the　rice　that　has　been　lost　through　falling　to　the　earth　or　being　eaten　by　deer；　apes；　and　pigs。　For　this　purpose　instruments　of　various　sorts　have　been　invented　by　the　priests。　One；　for　example；　is　a　bamboo　vessel　provided　with　four　hooks　made　from　the　wood　of　a　fruit…tree；　by　means　of　which　the　absent　rice…soul　may　be　hooked　and　drawn　back　into　the　vessel；　which　is　then　hung　up　in　the　house。　Sometimes　two　hands　carved　out　of　the　wood　of　a　fruit…tree　are　used　for　the　same　purpose。　And　every　time　that　a　Kayan　housewife　fetches　rice　from　the　granary　for　the　use　of　her　household；　she　must　propitiate　the　souls　of　the　rice　in　the　granary；　lest　they　should　be　angry　at　being　robbed　of　their　substance。

The　same　need　of　securing　the　soul　of　the　rice；　if　the　crop　is　to　thrive；　is　keenly　felt　by　the　Karens　of　Burma。　When　a　rice…field　does　not　flourish；　they　suppose　that　the　soul　（kelah）　of　the　rice　is　in　some　way　detained　from　the　rice。　If　the　soul　cannot　be　called　back；　the　crop　will　fail。　The　following　formula　is　used　in　recalling　the　kelah　（soul）　of　the　rice：　O　come；　rice…kelah；　come！　Come　to　the　field。　Come　to　the　rice。　With　seed　of　each　gender；　come。　Come　from　the　river　Kho；　come　from　the　river　Kaw；　from　the　place　where　they　meet；　come。　Come　from　the　West；　come　from　the　East。　From　the　throat　of　the　bird；　from　the　maw　of　the　ape；　from　the　throat　of　the　elephant。　Come　from　the　sources　of　rivers　and　their　mouths。　Come　from　the　country　of　the　Shan　and　Burman。　From　the　distant　kingdoms　come。　From　all　granaries　come。　O　rice…kelah；　come　to　the　rice。

The　Corn…mother　of　our　European　peasants　has　her　match　in　the　Rice…mother　of　the　Minangkabauers　of　Sumatra。　The　Minangkabauers　definitely　attribute　a　soul　to　rice；　and　will　sometimes　assert　that　rice　pounded　in　the　usual　way　tastes　better　than　rice　ground　in　a　mill；　because　in　the　mill　the　body　of　the　rice　was　so　bruised　and　battered　that　the　soul　has　fled　from　it。　Like　the　Javanese　they　think　that　the　rice　is　under　the　special　guardianship　of　a　female　spirit　called　Saning　Sari；　who　is　conceived　as　so　closely　knit　up　with　the　plant　that　the　rice　often　goes　by　her　name；　as　with　the　Romans　the　corn　might　be　called　Ceres。　In　particular　Saning　Sari　is　represented　by　certain　stalks　or　grains　called　indoea　padi；　that　is；　literally；　Mother　of　Rice；　a　name　that　is　often　given　to　the　guardian　spirit　herself。　This　so…called　Mother　of　Rice　is　the　occasion　of　a　number　of　ceremonies　observed　at　the　planting　and　harvesting　of　the　rice　as　well　as　during　its　preservation　in　the　barn。　When　the　seed　of　the　rice　is　about　to　be　sown　in　the　nursery　or　bedding…out　ground；　where　under　the　wet　system　of　cultivation　it　is　regularly　allowed　to　sprout　before　being　transplanted　to　the　fields；　the　best　grains　are　picked　out　to　form　the　Rice…mother。　These　are　then　sown　in　the　middle　of　the　bed；　and　the　common　seed　is　planted　round　about　them。　The　state　of　the　Rice…mother　is　supposed　to　exert　the　greatest　influence　on　the　growth　of　the　rice；　if　she　droops　or　pines　away；　the　harvest　will　be　bad　in　consequence。　The　woman　who　sows　the　Rice…mother　in　the　nursery　lets　her　hair　hang　loose　and　afterwards　bathes；　as　a　means　of　ensuring　an　abundant　harvest。　When　the　time　comes　to　transplant　the　rice　from　the　nursery　to　the　field；　the　Rice…mother　receives　a　special　place　either　in　the　middle　or　in　a　corner　of　the　field；　and　a　prayer　or　charm　is　uttered　as　follows：　Saning　Sari；　may　a　measure　of　rice　come　from　a　stalk　of　rice　and　a　basketful　from　a　root；　may　you　be　frightened　neither　by　lightning　nor　by　passers…by！　Sunshine　make　you　glad；　with　the　storm　may　you　be　at　peace；　and　may　rain　serve　to　wash　your　face！　While　the　rice　is　growing；　the　particular　plant　which　was　thus　treated　as　the　Rice…mother　is　lost　sight　of；　but　before　harvest　another　Rice…mother　is　found。　When　the　crop　is　ripe　for　cutting；　the　oldest　woman　of　the　family　or　a　sorcerer　goes　out　to　look　for　her。　The　first　stalks　seen　to　bend　under　a　passing　breeze　are　the　Rice…mother；　and　they　are　tied　together　but　not　cut　until　the　first…fruits　of　the　field　have　been　carried　home　to　serve　as　a　festal　meal　for　the　family　and　their　friends；　nay　even　for　the　domestic　animals；　since　it　is　Saning　Sari's　pleasure　that　the　beasts　also　should　partake　of　her　good　gifts。　After　the　meal　has　been　eaten；　the　Rice…mother　is　fetched　home　by　persons　in　gay　attire；　who　carry　her　very　carefully　under　an　umbrella　in　a　neatly　worked　bag　to　the　barn；　where　a　place　in　the　middle　is　assigned　to　her。　Every　one　believes　that　she　takes　care　of　the　rice　in　the　barn　and　even　multiplies　it　not　uncommonly。

When　the　Tomori　of　Central　Celebes　are　about　to　plant　the　rice；　they　bury　in　the　field　some　betel　as　an　offering　to　the　spirits　who　cause　the　rice　to　grow。　The　rice　that　is　planted　round　this　spot　is　the　last　to　be　reaped　at　harvest。　At　the　commencement　of　the　reaping　the　stalks　of　this　patch　of　rice　are　tied　together　into　a　sheaf；　which　is　called　the　Mother　of　the　Rice　（ineno　pae）；　and　offerings　in　the　shape　of　rice；　fowl's　liver；　eggs；　and　other　things　are　laid　down　before　it。　When　all　the　rest　of　the　rice　in　the　field　has　been　reaped；　the　Mother　of　the　Rice　is　cut　down　and　carried　with　due　honour　to　the　rice…barn；　where　it　is　laid　on　the　floor；　and　all　the　other　sheaves　are　piled　upon　it。　The　Tomori；　we　are　told；　regard　the　Mother　of　the　Rice　as　a　special　offering　made　to　the　rice…spirit　Omonga；　who　dwells　in　the　moon。　If　that　spirit　is　not　treated　with　proper　respect；　for　example　if　the　people　who　fetch　rice　from　the　barn　are　not　decently　clad；　he　is　angry　and　punishes　the　offenders　by　eating　up　twice　as　much　rice　in　the　barn　as　they　have　taken　out　of　it；　some　people　have　heard　him　smacking　his　lips　in　the　barn；　as　he　devoured　the　rice。　On　the　other　hand　the　Toradjas　of　Central　Celebes；　who　also　practice　the　custom　of　the　Rice…mother　at　harvest；　regard　her　as　the　actual　mother　of　the　whole　harvest；　and　therefore　keep　her　carefully；　lest　in　her　absence　the　garnered　store　of　rice　should　all　melt　away　and　disappear。

Again；　just　as　in　Scotland　the　old　and　the　young　spirit　of　the　corn　are　represented　as　an　Old　Wife　（Cailleach）　and　a　Maiden　respectively；　so　in　the　Malay　Peninsula　we　find　both　the　Rice…mother　and　her　child　represented　by　different　sheaves　or　bundles　of　ears　on　the　harvest…field。　The　ceremony　of　cutting　and　bringing　home　the　Soul　of　the　Rice　was　witnessed　by　Mr。　W。　W。　Skeat　at　Chodoi　in　Selangor　on　the　twenty…eighth　of　January　1897。　The　particular　bunch　or　sheaf　which　was　to　serve　as　the　Mother　of　the　Rice…soul　had　previously　been　sought　and　identified　by　means　of　the　markings　or　shape　of　the　ears。　From　this　sheaf　an　aged　sorceress；　with　much　solemnity；　cut　a　little　bundle　of　seven　ears；　anointed　them　with　oil；　tied　them　round　with　parti…coloured　thread；　fumigated　them　with　incense；　and　having　wrapt　them　in　a　white　cloth　deposited　them　in　a　little　oval…shaped　basket。　These　seven　ears　were　the　infant　Soul　of　the　Rice　and　the　little　basket　was　its　cradle。　It　was　carried　home　to　the　farmer's　house　by　another　woman；　who　held　up　an　umbrella　to　screen　the　tender　infant　from　the　hot　rays　of　the　sun。　Arrived　at　the　house　the　Rice…child　was　welcomed　by　the　women　of　the　family；　and　laid；　cradle　and　all；　on　a　new　sleepingmat　with　pillows　at　the　head。　After　that　the　farmer's　wife　was　instructed　to　observe　certain　rules　of　taboo　for　three　days；　the　rules　being　in　many　respects　identical　with　those　which　have　to　be　observed　for　three　days　after　the　birth　of　a　real　child。　Something　of　the　same　tender　care　which　is　thus　bestowed　on　the　newly…born　Rice…child　is　naturally　extended　also　to　its　parent；　the　sheaf　from　whose　body　it　was　taken。　This　sheaf；　which　remains　standing　in　the　field　after　the　Rice…soul　has　been　carried　home　and　put　to　bed；　is　treated　as　a　newly…made　mother；　that　is　to　say；　young　shoots　of　trees　are　pounded　together　and　scattered　broadcast　every　evening　for　three　successive　days；　and　when　the　three　days　are　up　you　take　the　pulp　of　a　coco…nut　and　what　are　called　goat…flowers；　mix　them　up；　eat　them　with　a　little　sugar；　and　spit　some　of　the　mixture　out　among　the　rice。　So　after　a　real　birth　the　young　shoots　of　the　jack…fruit；　the　rose…apple；　certain　kinds　of　banana；　and　the　thin　pulp　of　young　coco…nuts　are　mixed　with　dried　fish；　salt；　acid；　prawn…condiment；　and　the　like　dainties　to　form　a　sort　of　salad；　which　is　administered　to　mother　and　child　for　three　successive　days。　The　last　sheaf　is　reaped　by　the　farmer's　wife；　who　carries　it　back　to　the　house；　where　it　is　threshed　and　mixed　with　the　Rice…soul。　The　farmer　then　takes　the　Rice…soul　and　its　basket　and　deposits　it；　together　with　the　product　of　the　last　sheaf；　in　the　big　circular　rice…bin　used　by　the　Malays。　Some　grains　from　the　Rice…soul　are　mixed　with　the　seed　which　is　to　be　so