the golden bough-第185节

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the　sins　of　the　Rajah　of　Manipur　used　to　be　transferred　to　somebody　else；　usually　to　a　criminal；　who　earned　his　pardon　by　his　vicarious　sufferings。　To　effect　the　transference　the　Rajah　and　his　wife；　clad　in　fine　robes；　bathed　on　a　scaffold　erected　in　the　bazaar；　while　the　criminal　crouched　beneath　it。　With　the　water　which　dripped　from　them　on　him　their　sins　also　were　washed　away　and　fell　on　the　human　scapegoat。　To　complete　the　transference　the　Rajah　and　his　wife　made　over　their　fine　robes　to　their　substitute；　while　they　themselves；　clad　in　new　raiment；　mixed　with　the　people　till　evening。　In　Travancore；　when　a　Rajah　is　near　his　end；　they　seek　out　a　holy　Brahman；　who　consents　to　take　upon　himself　the　sins　of　the　dying　man　in　consideration　of　the　sum　of　ten　thousand　rupees。　Thus　prepared　to　immolate　himself　on　the　altar　of　duty；　the　saint　is　introduced　into　the　chamber　of　death；　and　closely　embraces　the　dying　Rajah；　saying　to　him；　O　King；　I　undertake　to　bear　all　your　sins　and　diseases。　May　your　Highness　live　long　and　reign　happily。　Having　thus　taken　to　himself　the　sins　of　the　sufferer；　he　is　sent　away　from　the　country　and　never　more　allowed　to　return。　At　Utch　Kurgan　in　Turkestan　Mr。　Schuyler　saw　an　old　man　who　was　said　to　get　his　living　by　taking　on　himself　the　sins　of　the　dead；　and　thenceforth　devoting　his　life　to　prayer　for　their　souls。

In　Uganda；　when　an　army　had　returned　from　war；　and　the　gods　warned　the　king　by　their　oracles　that　some　evil　had　attached　itself　to　the　soldiers；　it　was　customary　to　pick　out　a　woman　slave　from　the　captives；　together　with　a　cow；　a　goat；　a　fowl；　and　a　dog　from　the　booty；　and　to　send　them　back　under　a　strong　guard　to　the　borders　of　the　country　from　which　they　had　come。　There　their　limbs　were　broken　and　they　were　left　to　die；　for　they　were　too　crippled　to　crawl　back　to　Uganda。　In　order　to　ensure　the　transference　of　the　evil　to　these　substitutes；　bunches　of　grass　were　rubbed　over　the　people　and　cattle　and　then　tied　to　the　victims。　After　that　the　army　was　pronounced　clean　and　was　allowed　to　return　to　the　capital。　So　on　his　accession　a　new　king　of　Uganda　used　to　wound　a　man　and　send　him　away　as　a　scapegoat　to　Bunyoro　to　carry　away　any　uncleanliness　that　might　attach　to　the　king　or　queen。

4。　The　Transference　of　Evil　in　Europe

THE　EXAMPLES　of　the　transference　of　evil　hitherto　adduced　have　been　mostly　drawn　from　the　customs　of　savage　or　barbarous　peoples。　But　similar　attempts　to　shift　the　burden　of　disease；　misfortune；　and　sin　from　one's　self　to　another　person；　or　to　an　animal　or　thing；　have　been　common　also　among　the　civilised　nations　of　Europe；　both　in　ancient　and　modern　times。　A　Roman　cure　for　fever　was　to　pare　the　patient's　nails；　and　stick　the　parings　with　wax　on　a　neighbour's　door　before　sunrise；　the　fever　then　passed　from　the　sick　man　to　his　neighbour。　Similar　devices　must　have　been　resorted　to　by　the　Greeks；　for　in　laying　down　laws　for　his　ideal　state；　Plato　thinks　it　too　much　to　expect　that　men　should　not　be　alarmed　at　finding　certain　wax　figures　adhering　to　their　doors　or　to　the　tombstones　of　their　parents；　or　lying　at　cross…roads。　In　the　fourth　century　of　our　era　Marcellus　of　Bordeaux　prescribed　a　cure　for　warts；　which　has　still　a　great　vogue　among　the　superstitious　in　various　parts　of　Europe。　You　are　to　touch　your　warts　with　as　many　little　stones　as　you　have　warts；　then　wrap　the　stones　in　an　ivy　leaf；　and　throw　them　away　in　a　thoroughfare。　Whoever　picks　them　up　will　get　the　warts；　and　you　will　be　rid　of　them。　People　in　the　Orkney　Islands　will　sometimes　wash　a　sick　man；　and　then　throw　the　water　down　at　a　gateway；　in　the　belief　that　the　sickness　will　leave　the　patient　and　be　transferred　to　the　first　person　who　passes　through　the　gate。　A　Bavarian　cure　for　fever　is　to　write　upon　a　piece　of　paper；　Fever；　stay　away；　I　am　not　at　home；　and　to　put　the　paper　in　somebody's　pocket。　The　latter　then　catches　the　fever；　and　the　patient　is　rid　of　it。　A　Bohemian　prescription　for　the　same　malady　is　this。　Take　an　empty　pot；　go　with　it　to　a　cross…road；　throw　it　down；　and　run　away。　The　first　person　who　kicks　against　the　pot　will　catch　your　fever；　and　you　will　be　cured。

Often　in　Europe；　as　among　savages；　an　attempt　is　made　to　transfer　a　pain　or　malady　from　a　man　to　an　animal。　Grave　writers　of　antiquity　recommended　that；　if　a　man　be　stung　by　a　scorpion；　he　should　sit　upon　an　ass　with　his　face　to　the　tail；　or　whisper　in　the　animal's　ear；　A　scorpion　has　stung　me；　in　either　case；　they　thought；　the　pain　would　be　transferred　from　the　man　to　the　ass。　Many　cures　of　this　sort　are　recorded　by　Marcellus。　For　example；　he　tells　us　that　the　following　is　a　remedy　for　toothache。　Standing　booted　under　the　open　sky　on　the　ground；　you　catch　a　frog　by　the　head；　spit　into　its　mouth；　ask　it　to　carry　away　the　ache；　and　then　let　it　go。　But　the　ceremony　must　be　performed　on　a　lucky　day　and　at　a　lucky　hour。　In　Cheshire　the　ailment　known　as　aphtha　or　thrush；　which　affects　the　mouth　or　throat　of　infants；　is　not　uncommonly　treated　in　much　the　same　manner。　A　young　frog　is　held　for　a　few　moments　with　its　head　inside　the　mouth　of　the　sufferer；　whom　it　is　supposed　to　relieve　by　taking　the　malady　to　itself。　I　assure　you；　said　an　old　woman　who　had　often　superintended　such　a　cure；　we　used　to　hear　the　poor　frog　whooping　and　coughing；　mortal　bad；　for　days　after；　it　would　have　made　your　heart　ache　to　hear　the　poor　creature　coughing　as　it　did　about　the　garden。　A　Northamptonshire；　Devonshire；　and　Welsh　cure　for　a　cough　is　to　put　a　hair　of　the　patient's　head　between　two　slices　of　buttered　bread　and　give　the　sandwich　to　a　dog。　The　animal　will　thereupon　catch　the　cough　and　the　patient　will　lose　it。　Sometimes　an　ailment　is　transferred　to　an　animal　by　sharing　food　with　it。　Thus　in　Oldenburg；　if　you　are　sick　of　a　fever　you　set　a　bowl　of　sweet　milk　before　a　dog　and　say；　Good　luck；　you　hound！　may　you　be　sick　and　I　be　sound！　Then　when　the　dog　has　lapped　some　of　the　milk；　you　take　a　swig　at　the　bowl；　and　then　the　dog　must　lap　again；　and　then　you　must　swig　again；　and　when　you　and　the　dog　have　done　it　the　third　time；　he　will　have　the　fever　and　you　will　be　quit　of　it。

A　Bohemian　cure　for　fever　is　to　go　out　into　the　forest　before　the　sun　is　up　and　look　for　a　snipe's　nest。　When　you　have　found　it；　take　out　one　of　the　young　birds　and　keep　it　beside　you　for　three　days。　Then　go　back　into　the　wood　and　set　the　snipe　free。　The　fever　will　leave　you　at　once。　The　snipe　has　taken　it　away。　So　in　Vedic　times　the　Hindoos　of　old　sent　consumption　away　with　a　blue　jay。　They　said；　O　consumption；　fly　away；　fly　away　with　the　blue　jay！　With　the　wild　rush　of　the　storm　and　the　whirlwind；　oh；　vanish　away！　In　the　village　of　Llandegla　in　Wales　there　is　a　church　dedicated　to　the　virgin　martyr　St。　Tecla；　where　the　falling　sickness　is；　or　used　to　be；　cured　by　being　transferred　to　a　fowl。　The　patient　first　washed　his　limbs　in　a　sacred　well　hard　by；　dropped　fourpence　into　it　as　an　offering；　walked　thrice　round　the　well；　and　thrice　repeated　the　Lord's　prayer。　Then　the　fowl；　which　was　a　cock　or　a　hen　according　as　the　patient　was　a　man　or　a　woman；　was　put　into　a　basket　and　carried　round　first　the　well　and　afterwards　the　church。　Next　the　sufferer　entered　the　church　and　lay　down　under　the　communion　table　till　break　of　day。　After　that　he　offered　sixpence　and　departed；　leaving　the　fowl　in　the　church。　If　the　bird　died；　the　sickness　was　supposed　to　have　been　transferred　to　it　from　the　man　or　woman；　who　was　now　rid　of　the　disorder。　As　late　as　1855　the　old　parish　clerk　of　the　village　remembered　quite　well　to　have　seen　the　birds　staggering　about　from　the　effects　of　the　fits　which　had　been　transferred　to　them。

Often　the　sufferer　seeks　to　shift　his　burden　of　sickness　or　ill…luck　to　some　inanimate　object。　In　Athens　there　is　a　little　chapel　of　St。　John　the　Baptist　built　against　an　ancient　column。　Fever　patients　resort　thither；　and　by　attaching　a　waxed　thread　to　the　inner　side　of　the　column　believe　that　they　transfer　the　fever　from　themselves　to　the　pillar。　In　the　Mark　of　Brandenburg　they　say　that　if　you　suffer　from　giddiness　you　should　strip　yourself　naked　and　run　thrice　round　a　flax…field　after　sunset；　in　that　way　the　flax　will　get　the　giddiness　and　you　will　be　rid　of　it。

But　perhaps　the　thing　most　commonly　employed　in　Europe　as　a　receptacle　for　sickness　and　trouble　of　all　sorts　is　a　tree　or　bush。　A　Bulgarian　cure　for　fever　is　to　run　thrice　around　a　willow…tree　at　sunrise；　crying；　The　fever　shall　shake　thee；　and　the　sun　shall　warm　me。　In　the　Greek　island　of　Karpathos　the　priest　ties　a　red　thread　round　the　neck　of　a　sick　person。　Next　morning　the　friends　of　the　patient　remove　the　thread　and　go　out　to　the　hillside；　where　they　tie　the　thread　to　a　tree；　thinking　that　they　thus　transfer　the　sickness　to　the　tree。　Italians　attempt　to　cure　fever　in　like　manner　by　tethering　it　to　a　tree　The　sufferer　ties　a　thread　round　his　left　wrist　at　night；　and　hangs　the　thread　on　a　tree　next　morning。　The　fever　is　thus　believed　to　be　tied　up　to　the　tree；　and　the　patient　to　be　rid　of　it；　but　he　must　be　careful　not　to　pass　by　that　tree　again；　otherwise　the　fever　would　break　loose　from　its　bonds　and　attack　him　afresh。　A　Flemish　cure　for　the　ague　is　to　go　early　in　the　morning　to　an　old　willow；　tie　three　knots　in　one　of　its　branches；　s