the golden bough-第172节

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e　religion　of　the　Aino　the　bear　plays　a　chief　part；　amongst　the　animals　it　is　especially　the　bear　which　receives　an　idolatrous　veneration；　they　worship　it　after　their　fashion；　there　is　no　doubt　that　this　wild　beast　inspires　more　of　the　feeling　which　prompts　worship　than　the　inanimate　forces　of　nature；　and　the　Aino　may　be　distinguished　as　bear…worshippers。　Yet；　on　the　other　hand；　they　kill　the　bear　whenever　they　can；　in　bygone　years　the　Ainu　considered　bear…hunting　the　most　manly　and　useful　way　in　which　a　person　could　possibly　spend　his　time；　the　men　spend　the　autumn；　winter；　and　spring　in　hunting　deer　and　bears。　Part　of　their　tribute　or　taxes　is　paid　in　skins；　and　they　subsist　on　the　dried　meat；　bear's　flesh　is　indeed　one　of　their　staple　foods；　they　eat　it　both　fresh　and　salted；　and　the　skins　of　bears　furnish　them　with　clothing。　In　fact；　the　worship　of　which　writers　on　this　subject　speak　appears　to　be　paid　chiefly　to　the　dead　animal。　Thus；　although　they　kill　a　bear　whenever　they　can；　in　the　process　of　dissecting　the　carcass　they　endeavor　to　conciliate　the　deity；　whose　representative　they　have　slain；　by　making　elaborate　obeisances　and　deprecatory　salutations；　when　a　bear　has　been　killed　the　Ainu　sit　down　and　admire　it；　make　their　salaams　to　it；　worship　it；　and　offer　presents　of　inao；　when　a　bear　is　trapped　or　wounded　by　an　arrow；　the　hunters　go　through　an　apologetic　or　propitiatory　ceremony。　The　skulls　of　slain　bears　receive　a　place　of　honour　in　their　huts；　or　are　set　up　on　sacred　posts　outside　the　huts；　and　are　treated　with　much　respect：　libations　of　millet　beer；　and　of　sake；　an　intoxicating　liquor；　are　offered　to　them；　and　they　are　addressed　as　divine　preservers　or　precious　divinities。　The　skulls　of　foxes　are　also　fastened　to　the　sacred　posts　outside　the　huts；　they　are　regarded　as　charms　against　evil　spirits；　and　are　consulted　as　oracles。　Yet　it　is　expressly　said；　The　live　fox　is　revered　just　as　little　as　the　bear；　rather　they　avoid　it　as　much　as　possible；　considering　it　a　wily　animal。　The　bear　can　hardly；　therefore；　be　described　as　a　sacred　animal　of　the　Aino；　nor　yet　as　a　totem；　for　they　do　not　call　themselves　bears；　and　they　kill　and　eat　the　animal　freely。　However；　they　have　a　legend　of　a　woman　who　had　a　son　by　a　bear；　and　many　of　them　who　dwell　in　the　mountains　pride　themselves　on　being　descended　from　a　bear。　Such　people　are　called　Descendants　of　the　bear　（Kimun　Kamui　sanikiri）；　and　in　the　pride　of　their　heart　they　will　say；　As　for　me；　I　am　a　child　of　the　god　of　the　mountains；　I　am　descended　from　the　divine　one　who　rules　in　the　mountains；　meaning　by　the　god　of　the　mountains　no　other　than　the　bear。　It　is　therefore　possible　that；　as　our　principal　authority；　the　Rev。　J。　Batchelor；　believes；　the　bear　may　have　been　the　totem　of　an　Aino　clan；　but　even　if　that　were　so　it　would　not　explain　the　respect　shown　for　the　animal　by　the　whole　Aino　people。

But　it　is　the　bear…festival　of　the　Aino　which　concerns　us　here。　Towards　the　end　of　winter　a　bear　cub　is　caught　and　brought　into　the　village。　If　it　is　very　small；　it　is　suckled　by　an　Aino　woman；　but　should　there　be　no　woman　able　to　suckle　it；　the　little　animal　is　fed　from　the　hand　or　the　mouth。　During　the　day　it　plays　about　in　the　hut　with　the　children　and　is　treated　with　great　affection。　But　when　the　cub　grows　big　enough　to　pain　people　by　hugging　or　scratching　them；　he　is　shut　up　in　a　strong　wooden　cage；　where　he　stays　generally　for　two　or　three　years；　fed　on　fish　and　millet　porridge；　till　it　is　time　for　him　to　be　killed　and　eaten。　But　it　is　a　peculiarly　striking　fact　that　the　young　bear　is　not　kept　merely　to　furnish　a　good　meal；　rather　he　is　regarded　and　honoured　as　a　fetish；　or　even　as　a　sort　of　higher　being。　In　Yezo　the　festival　is　generally　celebrated　in　September　or　October。　Before　it　takes　place　the　Aino　apologise　to　their　gods；　alleging　that　they　have　treated　the　bear　kindly　as　long　as　they　could；　now　they　can　feed　him　no　longer；　and　are　obliged　to　kill　him。　A　man　who　gives　a　bear…feast　invites　his　relations　and　friends；　in　a　small　village　nearly　the　whole　community　takes　part　in　the　feast；　indeed；　guests　from　distant　villages　are　invited　and　generally　come；　allured　by　the　prospect　of　getting　drunk　for　nothing。　The　form　of　invitation　runs　somewhat　as　follows：　I；　so　and　so；　am　about　to　sacrifice　the　dear　little　divine　thing　who　resides　among　the　mountains。　My　friends　and　masters；　come　ye

to　the　feast；　we　will　then　unite　in　the　great　pleasure　of　sending　the　god　away。　Come。　When　all　the　people　are　assembled　in　front　of　the　cage；　an　orator　chosen　for　the　purpose　addresses　the　bear　and　tells　it　that　they　are　about　to　send　it　forth　to　its　ancestors。　He　craves　pardon　for　what　they　are　about　to　do　to　it；　hopes　it　will　not　be　angry；　and　comforts　it　by　assuring　the　animal　that　many　of　the　sacred　whittled　sticks　（inao）　and　plenty　of　cakes　and　wine　will　be　sent　with　it　on　the　long　journey。　One　speech　of　this　sort　which　Mr。　Batchelor　heard　ran　as　follows：　O　thou　divine　one；　thou　wast　sent　into　the　world　for　us　to　hunt。　O　thou　precious　little　divinity；　we　worship　thee；　pray　hear　our　prayer。　We　have　nourished　thee　and　brought　thee　up　with　a　deal　of　pains　and　trouble；　all　because　we　love　thee　so。　Now；　as　thou　hast　grown　big；　we　are　about　to　send　thee　to　thy　father　and　mother。　When　thou　comest　to　them　please　speak　well　of　us；　and　tell　them　how　kind　we　have　been；　please　come　to　us　again　and　we　will　sacrifice　thee。　Having　been　secured　with　ropes；　the　bear　is　then　let　out　of　the　cage　and　assailed　with　a　shower　of　blunt　arrows　in　order　to　arouse　it　to　fury。　When　it　has　spent　itself　in　vain　struggles；　it　is　tied　up　to　a　stake；　gagged　and　strangled；　its　neck　being　placed　between　two　poles；　which　are　then　violently　compressed；　all　the　people　eagerly　helping　to　squeeze　the　animal　to　death。　An　arrow　is　also　discharged　into　the　beast's　heart　by　a　good　marksman；　but　so　as　not　to　shed　blood；　for　they　think　that　it　would　be　very　unlucky　if　any　of　the　blood　were　to　drip　on　the　ground。　However；　the　men　sometimes　drink　the　warm　blood　of　the　bear　that　the　courage　and　other　virtues　it　possesses　may　pass　into　them；　and　sometimes　they　besmear　themselves　and　their　clothes　with　the　blood　in　order　to　ensure　success　in　hunting。　When　the　animal　has　been　strangled　to　death；　it　is　skinned　and　its　head　is　cut　off　and　set　in　the　east　window　of　the　house；　where　a　piece　of　its　own　flesh　is　placed　under　its　snout；　together　with　a　cup　of　its　own　meat　boiled；　some　millet　dumplings；　and　dried　fish。　Prayers　are　then　addressed　to　the　dead　animal；　amongst　other　things　it　is　sometimes　invited；　after　going　away　to　its　father　and　mother；　to　return　into　the　world　in　order　that　it　may　again　be　reared　for　sacrifice。　When　the　bear　is　supposed　to　have　finished　eating　its　own　flesh；　the　man　who　presides　at　the　feast　takes　the　cup　containing　the　boiled　meat；　salutes　it；　and　divides　the　contents　between　all　the　company　present：　every　person；　young　and　old　alike；　must　taste　a　little。　The　cup　is　called　the　cup　of　offering　because　it　has　just　been　offered　to　the　dead　bear。　When　the　rest　of　the　flesh　has　been　cooked；　it　is　shared　out　in　like　manner　among　all　the　people；　everybody　partaking　of　at　least　a　morsel；　not　to　partake　of　the　feast　would　be　equivalent　to　excommunication；　it　would　be　to　place　the　recreant　outside　the　pale　of　Aino　fellowship。　Formerly　every　particle　of　the　bear；　except　the　bones；　had　to　be　eaten　up　at　the　banquet；　but　this　rule　is　now　relaxed。　The　head；　on　being　detached　from　the　skin；　is　set　up　on　a　long　pole　beside　the　sacred　wands　（inao）　outside　of　the　house；　where　it　remains　till　nothing　but　the　bare　white　skull　is　left。　Skulls　so　set　up　are　worshipped　not　only　at　the　time　of　the　festival；　but　very　often　as　long　as　they　last。　The　Aino　assured　Mr。　Batchelor　that　they　really　do　believe　the　spirits　of　the　worshipful　animals　to　reside　in　the　skulls；　that　is　why　they　address　them　as　divine　preservers　and　precious　divinities。

The　ceremony　of　killing　the　bear　was　witnessed　by　Dr。　B。　Scheube　on　the　tenth　of　August　at　Kunnui；　which　is　a　village　on　Volcano　Bay　in　the　island　of　Yezo　or　Yesso。　As　his　description　of　the　rite　contains　some　interesting　particulars　not　mentioned　in　the　foregoing　account；　it　may　be　worth　while　to　summarize　it。

On　entering　the　hut　he　found　about　thirty　Aino　present；　men；　women；　and　children；　all　dressed　in　their　best。　The　master　of　the　house　first　offered　a　libation　on　the　fireplace　to　the　god　of　the　fire；　and　the　guests　followed　his　example。　Then　a　libation　was　offered　to　the　house…god　in　his　sacred　corner　of　the　hut。　Meanwhile　the　housewife；　who　had　nursed　the　bear；　sat　by　herself；　silent　and　sad；　bursting　now　and　then　into　tears。　Her　grief　was　obviously　unaffected；　and　it　deepened　as　the　festival　went　on。　Next；　the　master　of　the　house　and　some　of　the　guests　went　out　of　the　hut　and　offered　libations　before　the　bear's　cage。　A　few　drops　were　presented　to　the　bear　in　a　saucer；　which　he　at　once　upset。　Then　the　women　and　girls　danced　round　the　cage；　their　faces　turned　towards　it；　their　knees　slightly　bent；　rising　and　hopping　on　their　toes。　As　they　danced　they　clapped　their　hands　and　sang　a　monotonous　song。　The　housewife　and　a　few　old　women；　who　might　have　nursed　many　bears；　danced　tearfully；　stretching　out　the