the golden bough-第195节

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In　Tibet　the　ceremony　of　the　scapegoat　presents　some　remarkable　features。　The　Tibetan　new　year　begins　with　the　new　moon　which　appears　about　the　fifteenth　of　February。　For　twenty…three　days　afterwards　the　government　of　Lhasa；　the　capital；　is　taken　out　of　the　hands　of　the　ordinary　rulers　and　entrusted　to　the　monk　of　the　Debang　monastery　who　offers　to　pay　the　highest　sum　for　the　privilege。　The　successful　bidder　is　called　the　Jalno；　and　he　announces　his　accession　to　power　in　person；　going　through　the　streets　of　Lhasa　with　a　silver　stick　in　his　hand。　Monks　from　all　the　neighbouring　monasteries　and　temples　assemble　to　pay　him　homage。　The　Jalno　exercises　his　authority　in　the　most　arbitrary　manner　for　his　own　benefit；　as　all　the　fines　which　he　exacts　are　his　by　purchase。　The　profit　he　makes　is　about　ten　times　the　amount　of　the　purchase　money。　His　men　go　about　the　streets　in　order　to　discover　any　conduct　on　the　part　of　the　inhabitants　that　can　be　found　fault　with。　Every　house　in　Lhasa　is　taxed　at　this　time；　and　the　slightest　offence　is　punished　with　unsparing　rigour　by　fines。　This　severity　of　the　Jalno　drives　all　working　classes　out　of　the　city　till　the　twenty…three　days　are　over。　But　if　the　laity　go　out；　the　clergy　come　in。　All　the　Buddhist　monasteries　of　the　country　for　miles　round　about　open　their　gates　and　disgorge　their　inmates。　All　the　roads　that　lead　down　into　Lhasa　from　the　neighbouring　mountains　are　full　of　monks　hurrying　to　the　capital；　some　on　foot；　some　on　horseback；　some　riding　asses　or　lowing　oxen；　all　carrying　their　prayer…books　and　culinary　utensils。　In　such　multitudes　do　they　come　that　the　streets　and　squares　of　the　city　are　encumbered　with　their　swarms；　and　incarnadined　with　their　red　cloaks。　The　disorder　and　confusion　are　indescribable。　Bands　of　the　holy　men　traverse　the　streets　chanting　prayers；　or　uttering　wild　cries。　They　meet；　they　jostle；　they　quarrel；　they　fight；　bloody　noses；　black　eyes；　and　broken　heads　are　freely　given　and　received。　All　day　long；　too；　from　before　the　peep　of　dawn　till　after　darkness　has　fallen；　these　red…cloaked　monks　hold　services　in　the　dim　incense…laden　air　of　the　great　Machindranath　temple；　the　cathedral　of　Lhasa；　and　thither　they　crowd　thrice　a　day　to　receive　their　doles　of　tea　and　soup　and　money。　The　cathedral　is　a　vast　building；　standing　in　the　centre　of　the　city；　and　surrounded　by　bazaars　and　shops。　The　idols　in　it　are　richly　inlaid　with　gold　and　precious　stones。

Twenty…four　days　after　the　Jalno　has　ceased　to　have　authority；　he　assumes　it　again；　and　for　ten　days　acts　in　the　same　arbitrary　manner　as　before。　On　the　first　of　the　ten　days　the　priests　again　assemble　at　the　cathedral；　pray　to　the　gods　to　prevent　sickness　and　other　evils　among　the　people；　and；　as　a　peace…offering；　sacrifice　one　man。　The　man　is　not　killed　purposely；　but　the　ceremony　he　undergoes　often　proves　fatal。　Grain　is　thrown　against　his　head；　and　his　face　is　painted　half　white；　half　black。　Thus　grotesquely　disguised；　and　carrying　a　coat　of　skin　on　his　arm；　he　is　called　the　King　of　the　Years；　and　sits　daily　in　the　market…place；　where　he　helps　himself　to　whatever　he　likes　and　goes　about　shaking　a　black　yak's　tail　over　the　people；　who　thus　transfer　their　bad　luck　to　him。　On　the　tenth　day；　all　the　troops　in　Lhasa　march　to　the　great　temple　and　form　in　line　before　it。　The　King　of　the　Years　is　brought　forth　from　the　temple　and　receives　small　donations　from　the　assembled　multitude。　He　then　ridicules　the　Jalno；　saying　to　him；　What　we　perceive　through　the　five　senses　is　no　illusion。　All　you　teach　is　untrue；　and　the　like。　The　Jalno；　who　represents　the　Grand　Lama　for　the　time　being；　contests　these　heretical　opinions；　the　dispute　waxes　warm；　and　at　last　both　agree　to　decide　the　questions　at　issue　by　a　cast　of　the　dice；　the　Jalno　offering　to　change　places　with　the　scapegoat　should　the　throw　be　against　him。　If　the　King　of　the　Years　wins；　much　evil　is　prognosticated；　but　if　the　Jalno　wins；　there　is　great　rejoicing；　for　it　proves　that　his　adversary　has　been　accepted　by　the　gods　as　a　victim　to　bear　all　the　sins　of　the　people　of　Lhasa。　Fortune；　however；　always　favours　the　Jalno；　who　throws　sixes　with　unvarying　success；　while　his　opponent　turns　up　only　ones。　Nor　is　this　so　extraordinary　as　at　first　sight　it　might　appear；　for　the　Jalno's　dice　are　marked　with　nothing　but　sixes　and　his　adversary's　with　nothing　but　ones。　When　he　sees　the　finger　of　Providence　thus　plainly　pointed　against　him；　the　King　of　the　Years　is　terrified　and　flees　away　upon　a　white　horse；　with　a　white　dog；　a　white　bird；　salt；　and　so　forth；　which　have　all　been　provided　for　him　by　the　government。　His　face　is　still　painted　half　white　and　half　black；　and　he　still　wears　his　leathern　coat。　The　whole　populace　pursues　him；　hooting；　yelling；　and　firing　blank　shots　in　volleys　after　him。　Thus　driven　out　of　the　city；　he　is　detained　for　seven　days　in　the　great　chamber　of　horrors　at　the　Samyas　monastery；　surrounded　by　monstrous　and　terrific　images　of　devils　and　skins　of　huge　serpents　and　wild　beasts。　Thence　he　goes　away　into　the　mountains　of　Chetang；　where　he　has　to　remain　an　outcast　for　several　months　or　a　year　in　a　narrow　den。　If　he　dies　before　the　time　is　out；　the　people　say　it　is　an　auspicious　omen；　but　if　he　survives；　he　may　return　to　Lhasa　and　play　the　part　of　scapegoat　over　again　the　following　year。

This　quaint　ceremonial；　still　annually　observed　in　the　secluded　capital　of　Buddhismthe　Rome　of　Asiais　interesting　because　it　exhibits；　in　a　clearly　marked　religious　stratification；　a　series　of　divine　redeemers　themselves　redeemed；　of　vicarious　sacrifices　vicariously　atoned　for；　of　gods　undergoing　a　process　of　fossilisation；　who；　while　they　retain　the　privileges；　have　disburdened　themselves　of　the　pains　and　penalties　of　divinity。　In　the　Jalno　we　may　without　undue　straining　discern　a　successor　of　those　temporary　kings；　those　mortal　gods；　who　purchase　a　short　lease　of　power　and　glory　at　the　price　of　their　lives。　That　he　is　the　temporary　substitute　of　the　Grand　Lama　is　certain；　that　he　is；　or　was　once；　liable　to　act　as　scapegoat　for　the　people　is　made　nearly　certain　by　his　offer　to　change　places　with　the　real　scapegoatthe　King　of　the　Yearsif　the　arbitrament　of　the　dice　should　go　against　him。　It　is　true　that　the　conditions　under　which　the　question　is　now　put　to　the　hazard　have　reduced　the　offer　to　an　idle　form。　But　such　forms　are　no　mere　mushroom　growths；　springing　up　of　themselves　in　a　night。　If　they　are　now　lifeless　formalities；　empty　husks　devoid　of　significance；　we　may　be　sure　that　they　once　had　a　life　and　a　meaning；　if　at　the　present　day　they　are　blind　alleys　leading　nowhere；　we　may　be　certain　that　in　former　days　they　were　paths　that　led　somewhere；　if　only　to　death。　That　death　was　the　goal　to　which　of　old　the　Tibetan　scapegoat　passed　after　his　brief　period　of　licence　in　the　market…place；　is　a　conjecture　that　has　much　to　commend　it。　Analogy　suggests　it；　the　blank　shots　fired　after　him；　the　statement　that　the　ceremony　often　proves　fatal；　the　belief　that　his　death　is　a　happy　omen；　all　confirm　it。　We　need　not　wonder　then　that　the　Jalno；　after　paying　so　dear　to　act　as　deputy…deity　for　a　few　weeks；　should　have　preferred　to　die　by　deputy　rather　than　in　his　own　person　when　his　time　was　up。　The　painful　but　necessary　duty　was　accordingly　laid　on　some　poor　devil；　some　social　outcast；　some　wretch　with　whom　the　world　had　gone　hard；　who　readily　agreed　to　throw　away　his　life　at　the　end　of　a　few　days　if　only　he　might　have　his　fling　in　the　meantime。　For　observe　that　while　the　time　allowed　to　the　original　deputythe　Jalnowas　measured　by　weeks；　the　time　allowed　to　the　deputy's　deputy　was　cut　down　to　days；　ten　days　according　to　one　authority；　seven　days　according　to　another。　So　short　a　rope　was　doubtless　thought　a　long　enough　tether　for　so　black　or　sickly　a　sheep；　so　few　sands　in　the　hour…glass；　slipping　so　fast　away；　sufficed　for　one　who　had　wasted　so　many　precious　years。　Hence　in　the　jack…pudding　who　now　masquerades　with　motley　countenance　in　the　market…place　of　Lhasa；　sweeping　up　misfortune　with　a　black　yak's　tail；　we　may　fairly　see　the　substitute　of　a　substitute；　the　vicar　of　a　vicar；　the　proxy　on　whose　back　the　heavy　burden　was　laid　when　it　had　been　lifted　from　nobler　shoulders。　But　the　clue；　if　we　have　followed　it　aright；　does　not　stop　at　the　Jalno；　it　leads　straight　back　to　the　pope　of　Lhasa　himself；　the　Grand　Lama；　of　whom　the　Jalno　is　merely　the　temporary　vicar。　The　analogy　of　many　customs　in　many　lands　points　to　the　conclusion　that；　if　this　human　divinity　stoops　to　resign　his　ghostly　power　for　a　time　into　the　hands　of　a　substitute；　it　is；　or　rather　was　once；　for　no　other　reason　than　that　the　substitute　might　die　in　his　stead。　Thus　through　the　mist　of　ages　unillumined　by　the　lamp　of　history；　the　tragic　figure　of　the　pope　of　BuddhismGod's　vicar　on　earth　for　Asialooms　dim　and　sad　as　the　man…god　who　bore　his　people's　sorrows；　the　Good　Shepherd　who　laid　down　his　life　for　the　sheep。

4。　On　Scapegoats　in　General

THE　FOREGOING　survey　of　the　custom　of　publicly　expelling　the　accumulated　evils　of　a　village　or　town　or　country　suggests　a　few　general　observations。

In　the　first　place；　it　will　not　be　disputed　that　what　I　have　called　the　immediate　and　the　mediate　expulsions　of　evil　are　identical　in　intenti