the golden bough-第178节

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；　wrought　in　figures；　on　its　head；　and　its　fur　powdered　over　with　white　down。　A　tray　of　provisions　was　then　set　before　it；　and　it　was　invited　by　words　and　gestures　to　eat。　After　that　the　animal　was　skinned；　boiled；　and　eaten。

A　like　respect　is　testified　for　other　dangerous　creatures　by　the　hunters　who　regularly　trap　and　kill　them。　When　Caffre　hunters　are　in　the　act　of　showering　spears　on　an　elephant；　they　call　out；　Don't　kill　us；　great　captain；　don't　strike　or　tread　upon　us；　mighty　chief。　When　he　is　dead　they　make　their　excuses　to　him；　pretending　that　his　death　was　a　pure　accident。　As　a　mark　of　respect　they　bury　his　trunk　with　much　solemn　ceremony；　for　they　say　that　the　elephant　is　a　great　lord；　his　trunk　is　his　hand。　Before　the　Amaxosa　Caffres　attack　an　elephant　they　shout　to　the　animal　and　beg　him　to　pardon　them　for　the　slaughter　they　are　about　to　perpetrate；　professing　great　submission　to　his　person　and　explaining　clearly　the　need　they　have　of　his　tusks　to　enable　them　to　procure　beads　and　supply　their　wants。　When　they　have　killed　him　they　bury　in　the　ground；　along　with　the　end　of　his　trunk；　a　few　of　the　articles　they　have　obtained　for　the　ivory；　thus　hoping　to　avert　some　mishap　that　would　otherwise　befall　them。　Amongst　some　tribes　of　Eastern　Africa；　when　a　lion　is　killed；　the　carcase　is　brought　before　the　king；　who　does　homage　to　it　by　prostrating　himself　on　the　ground　and　rubbing　his　face　on　the　muzzle　of　the　beast。　In　some　parts　of　Western　Africa　if　a　negro　kills　a　leopard　he　is　bound　fast　and　brought　before　the　chiefs　for　having　killed　one　of　their　peers。　The　man　defends　himself　on　the　plea　that　the　leopard　is　chief　of　the　forest　and　therefore　a　stranger。　He　is　then　set　at　liberty　and　rewarded。　But　the　dead　leopard；　adorned　with　a　chief's　bonnet；　is　set　up　in　the　village；　where　nightly　dances　are　held　in　its　honour。　The　Baganda　greatly　fear　the　ghosts　of　buffaloes　which　they　have　killed；　and　they　always　appease　these　dangerous　spirits。　On　no　account　will　they　bring　the　head　of　a　slain　buffalo　into　a　village　or　into　a　garden　of　plantains：　they　always　eat　the　flesh　of　the　head　in　the　open　country。　Afterwards　they　place　the　skull　in　a　small　hut　built　for　the　purpose；　where　they　pour　out　beer　as　an　offering　and　pray　to　the　ghost　to　stay　where　he　is　and　not　to　harm　them。

Another　formidable　beast　whose　life　the　savage　hunter　takes　with　joy；　yet　with　fear　and　trembling；　is　the　whale。　After　the　slaughter　of　a　whale　the　maritime　Koryak　of　North…eastern　Siberia　hold　a　communal　festival；　the　essential　part　of　which　is　based　on　the　conception　that　the　whale　killed　has　come　on　a　visit　to　the　village；　that　it　is　staying　for　some　time；　during　which　it　is　treated　with　great　respect；　that　it　then　returns　to　the　sea　to　repeat　its　visit　the　following　year；　that　it　will　induce　its　relatives　to　come　along；　telling　them　of　the　hospitable　reception　that　has　been　accorded　to　it。　According　to　the　Koryak　ideas；　the　whales；　like　all　other　animals；　constitute　one　tribe；　or　rather　family；　of　related　individuals；　who　live　in　villages　like　the　Koryak。　They　avenge　the　murder　of　one　of　their　number；　and　are　grateful　for　kindnesses　that　they　may　have　received。　When　the　inhabitants　of　the　Isle　of　St。　Mary；　to　the　north　of　Madagascar；　go　a…whaling；　they　single　out　the　young　whales　for　attack　and　humbly　beg　the　mother's　pardon；　stating　the　necessity　that　drives　them　to　kill　her　progeny；　and　requesting　that　she　will　be　pleased　to　go　below　while　the　deed　is　doing；　that　her　maternal　feelings　may　not　be　outraged　by　witnessing　what　must　cause　her　so　much　uneasiness。　An　Ajumba　hunter　having　killed　a　female　hippopotamus　on　Lake　Azyingo　in　West　Africa；　the　animal　was　decapitated　and　its　quarters　and　bowels　removed。　Then　the　hunter；　naked；　stepped　into　the　hollow　of　the　ribs；　and　kneeling　down　in　the　bloody　pool　washed　his　whole　body　with　the　blood　and　excretions　of　the　animal；　while　he　prayed　to　the　soul　of　the　hippopotamus　not　to　bear　him　a　grudge　for　having　killed　her　and　so　blighted　her　hopes　of　future　maternity；　and　he　further　entreated　the　ghost　not　to　stir　up　other　hippopotamuses　to　avenge　her　death　by　butting　at　and　capsizing　his　canoe。

The　ounce；　a　leopard…like　creature；　is　dreaded　for　its　depredations　by　the　Indians　of　Brazil。　When　they　have　caught　one　of　these　animals　in　a　snare；　they　kill　it　and　carry　the　body　home　to　the　village。　There　the　women　deck　the　carcase　with　feathers　of　many　colours；　put　bracelets　on　its　legs；　and　weep　over　it；　saying；　I　pray　thee　not　to　take　vengeance　on　our　little　ones　for　having　been　caught　and　killed　through　thine　own　ignorance。　For　it　was　not　we　who　deceived　thee；　it　was　thyself。　Our　husbands　only　set　the　trap　to　catch　animals　that　are　good　to　eat；　they　never　thought　to　take　thee　in　it。　Therefore；　let　not　thy　soul　counsel　thy　fellows　to　avenge　thy　death　on　our　little　ones！　When　a　Blackfoot　Indian　has　caught　eagles　in　a　trap　and　killed　them；　he　takes　them　home　to　a　special　lodge；　called　the　eagles'　lodge；　which　has　been　prepared　for　their　reception　outside　of　the　camp。　Here　he　sets　the　birds　in　a　row　on　the　ground；　and　propping　up　their　heads　on　a　stick；　puts　a　piece　of　dried　meat　in　each　of　their　mouths　in　order　that　the　spirits　of　the　dead　eagles　may　go　and　tell　the　other　eagles　how　well　they　are　being　treated　by　the　Indians。　So　when　Indian　hunters　of　the　Orinoco　region　have　killed　an　animal；　they　open　its　mouth　and　pour　into　it　a　few　drops　of　the　liquor　they　generally　carry　with　them；　in　order　that　the　soul　of　the　dead　beast　may　inform　its　fellows　of　the　welcome　it　has　met　with；　and　that　they　too；　cheered　by　the　prospect　of　the　same　kind　reception；　may　come　with　alacrity　to　be　killed。　When　a　Teton　Indian　is　on　a　journey；　and　he　meets　a　grey　spider　or　a　spider　with　yellow　legs；　he　kills　it；　because　some　evil　would　befall　him　if　he　did　not。　But　he　is　very　careful　not　to　let　the　spider　know　that　he　kills　it；　for　if　the　spider　knew；　his　soul　would　go　and　tell　the　other　spiders；　and　one　of　them　would　be　sure　to　avenge　the　death　of　his　relation。　So　in　crushing　the　insect；　the　Indian　says；　O　Grandfather　Spider；　the　Thunder…beings　kill　you。　And　the　spider　is　crushed　at　once　and　believes　what　is　told　him。　His　soul　probably　runs　and　tells　the　other　spiders　that　the　Thunder…beings　have　killed　him；　but　no　harm　comes　of　that。　For　what　can　grey　or　yellow…legged　spiders　do　to　the　Thunder…beings？

But　it　is　not　merely　dangerous　creatures　with　whom　the　savage　desires　to　keep　on　good　terms。　It　is　true　that　the　respect　which　he　pays　to　wild　beasts　is　in　some　measure　proportioned　to　their　strength　and　ferocity。　Thus　the　savage　Stiens　of　Cambodia；　believing　that　all　animals　have　souls　which　roam　about　after　their　death；　beg　an　animal's　pardon　when　they　kill　it；　lest　its　soul　should　come　and　torment　them。　Also　they　offer　it　sacrifices；　but　these　sacrifices　are　proportioned　to　the　size　and　strength　of　the　animal。　The　ceremonies　which　they　observe　at　the　death　of　an　elephant　are　conducted　with　much　pomp　and　last　seven　days。　Similar　distinctions　are　drawn　by　North　American　Indians。　The　bear；　the　buffalo；　and　the　beaver　are　manidos　＇divinities＇　which　furnish　food。　The　bear　is　formidable；　and　good　to　eat。　They　render　ceremonies　to　him；　begging　him　to　allow　himself　to　be　eaten；　although　they　know　he　has　no　fancy　for　it。　We　kill　you；　but　you　are　not　annihilated。　His　head　and　paws　are　objects　of　homage　。　Other　animals　are　treated　similarly　from　similar　reasons　。　Many　of　the　animal　manidos；　not　being　dangerous；　are　often　treated　with　contemptthe　terrapin；　the　weasel；　polecat；　etc。　The　distinction　is　instructive。　Animals　which　are　feared；　or　are　good　to　eat；　or　both；　are　treated　with　ceremonious　respect；　those　which　are　neither　formidable　nor　good　to　eat　are　despised。　We　have　had　examples　of　reverence　paid　to　animals　which　are　both　feared　and　eaten。　It　remains　to　prove　that　similar　respect　is　shown　to　animals　which；　without　being　feared；　are　either　eaten　or　valued　for　their　skins。

When　Siberian　sable…hunters　have　caught　a　sable；　no　one　is　allowed　to　see　it；　and　they　think　that　if　good　or　evil　be　spoken　of　the　captured　sable　no　more　sables　will　be　caught。　A　hunter　has　been　known　to　express　his　belief　that　the　sables　could　hear　what　was　said　of　them　as　far　off　as　Moscow。　He　said　that　the　chief　reason　why　the　sable　hunt　was　now　so　unproductive　was　that　some　live　sables　had　been　sent　to　Moscow。　There　they　had　been　viewed　with　astonishment　as　strange　animals；　and　the　sables　cannot　abide　that。　Another；　though　minor；　cause　of　the　diminished　take　of　sables　was；　he　alleged；　that　the　world　is　now　much　worse　than　it　used　to　be；　so　that　nowadays　a　hunter　will　sometimes　hide　the　sable　which　he　has　got　instead　of　putting　it　into　the　common　stock。　This　also；　said　he；　the　sables　cannot　abide。　Alaskan　hunters　preserve　the　bones　of　sables　and　beavers　out　of　reach　of　the　dogs　for　a　year　and　then　bury　them　carefully；　lest　the　spirits　who　look　after　the　beavers　and　sables　should　consider　that　they　are　regarded　with　contempt；　and　hence　no　more　should　be　killed　or　trapped。　The　Canadian　Indians　were　equally　particular　not　to　let　their　dogs　gnaw　the　bones；　or　at　least　certain　of　the　bones；　of　beavers。　They　took　the　greatest　pains　to　collect　and　preserve　these　bones；　and；　whe