the golden bough-第228节

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ordingly；　in　such　circumstances；　primitive　man　takes　his　soul　out　of　his　body　and　deposits　it　for　security　in　some　snug　spot；　intending　to　replace　it　in　his　body　when　the　danger　is　past。　Or　if　he　should　discover　some　place　of　absolute　security；　he　may　be　content　to　leave　his　soul　there　permanently。　The　advantage　of　this　is　that；　so　long　as　the　soul　remains　unharmed　in　the　place　where　he　has　deposited　it；　the　man　himself　is　immortal；　nothing　can　kill　his　body；　since　his　life　is　not　in　it。

Evidence　of　this　primitive　belief　is　furnished　by　a　class　of　folk…tales　of　which　the　Norse　story　of　The　giant　who　had　no　heart　in　his　body　is　perhaps　the　best…known　example。　Stories　of　this　kind　are　widely　diffused　over　the　world；　and　from　their　number　and　the　variety　of　incident　and　of　details　in　which　the　leading　idea　is　embodied；　we　may　infer　that　the　conception　of　an　external　soul　is　one　which　has　had　a　powerful　hold　on　the　minds　of　men　at　an　early　stage　of　history。　For　folk…tales　are　a　faithful　reflection　of　the　world　as　it　appeared　to　the　primitive　mind；　and　we　may　be　sure　that　any　idea　which　commonly　occurs　in　them；　however　absurd　it　may　seem　to　us；　must　once　have　been　an　ordinary　article　of　belief。　This　assurance；　so　far　as　it　concerns　the　supposed　power　of　disengaging　the　soul　from　the　body　for　a　longer　or　shorter　time；　is　amply　corroborated　by　a　comparison　of　the　folk…tales　in　question　with　the　actual　beliefs　and　practices　of　savages。　To　this　we　shall　return　after　some　specimens　of　the　tales　have　been　given。　The　specimens　will　be　selected　with　a　view　of　illustrating　both　the　characteristic　features　and　the　wide　diffusion　of　this　class　of　tales。

In　the　first　place；　the　story　of　the　external　soul　is　told；　in　various　forms；　by　all　Aryan　peoples　from　Hindoostan　to　the　Hebrides。　A　very　common　form　of　it　is　this：　A　warlock；　giant；　or　other　fairyland　being　is　invulnerable　and　immortal　because　he　keeps　his　soul　hidden　far　away　in　some　secret　place；　but　a　fair　princess；　whom　he　holds　enthralled　in　his　enchanted　castle；　wiles　his　secret　from　him　and　reveals　it　to　the　hero；　who　seeks　out　the　warlock's　soul；　heart；　life；　or　death　（as　it　is　variously　called）；　and　by　destroying　it；　simultaneously　kills　the　warlock。　Thus　a　Hindoo　story　tells　how　a　magician　called　Punchkin　held　a　queen　captive　for　twelve　years；　and　would　fain　marry　her；　but　she　would　not　have　him。　At　last　the　queen's　son　came　to　rescue　her；　and　the　two　plotted　together　to　kill　Punchkin。　So　the　queen　spoke　the　magician　fair；　and　pretended　that　she　had　at　last　made　up　her　mind　to　marry　him。　And　do　tell　me；　she　said；　are　you　quite　immortal？　Can　death　never　touch　you？　And　are　you　too　great　an　enchanter　ever　to　feel　human　suffering？　It　is　true；　he　said；　that　I　am　not　as　others。　Far；　far　away；　hundreds　of　thousands　of　miles　from　this；　there　lies　a　desolate　country　covered　with　thick　jungle。　In　the　midst　of　the　jungle　grows　a　circle　of　palm　trees；　and　in　the　centre　of　the　circle　stand　six　chattees　full　of　water；　piled　one　above　another：　below　the　sixth　chattee　is　a　small　cage；　which　contains　a　little　green　parrot；on　the　life　of　the　parrot　depends　my　life；and　if　the　parrot　is　killed　I　must　die。　It　is；　however；　he　added；　impossible　that　the　parrot　should　sustain　any　injury；　both　on　account　of　the　inaccessibility　of　the　country；　and　because；　by　my　appointment；　many　thousand　genii　surround　the　palm　trees；　and　kill　all　who　approach　the　place。　But　the　queen's　young　son　overcame　all　difficulties；　and　got　possession　of　the　parrot。　He　brought　it　to　the　door　of　the　magician's　palace；　and　began　playing　with　it。　Punchkin；　the　magician；　saw　him；　and；　coming　out；　tried　to　persuade　the　boy　to　give　him　the　parrot。　Give　me　my　parrot！　cried　Punchkin。　Then　the　boy　took　hold　of　the　parrot　and　tore　off　one　of　his　wings；　and　as　he　did　so　the　magician's　right　arm　fell　off。　Punchkin　then　stretched　out　his　left　arm；　crying；　Give　me　my　parrot！　The　prince　pulled　off　the　parrot's　second　wing；　and　the　magician's　left　arm　tumbled　off。　Give　me　my　parrot！　cried　he；　and　fell　on　his　knees。　The　prince　pulled　off　the　parrot's　right　leg；　the　magician's　right　leg　fell　off；　the　prince　pulled　off　the　parrot's　left　leg；　down　fell　the　magician's　left。　Nothing　remained　of　him　except　the　trunk　and　the　head；　but　still　he　rolled　his　eyes；　and　cried；　Give　me　my　parrot！　Take　your　parrot；　then；　cried　the　boy；　and　with　that　he　wrung　the　bird's　neck；　and　threw　it　at　the　magician；　and；　as　he　did　so；　Punchkin's　head　twisted　round；　and；　with　a　fearful　groan；　he　died！　In　another　Hindoo　tale　an　ogre　is　asked　by　his　daughter；　Papa；　where　do　you　keep　your　soul？　Sixteen　miles　away　from　this　place；　he　said；　is　a　tree。　Round　the　tree　are　tigers；　and　bears；　and　scorpions；　and　snakes；　on　the　top　of　the　tree　is　a　very　great　fat　snake；　on　his　head　is　a　little　cage；　in　the　cage　is　a　bird；　and　my　soul　is　in　that　bird。　The　end　of　the　ogre　is　like　that　of　the　magician　in　the　previous　tale。　As　the　bird's　wings　and　legs　are　torn　off；　the　ogre's　arms　and　legs　drop　off；　and　when　its　neck　is　wrung　he　falls　down　dead。　In　a　Bengalee　story　it　is　said　that　all　the　ogres　dwell　in　Ceylon；　and　that　all　their　lives　are　in　a　single　lemon。　A　boy　cuts　the　lemon　in　pieces；　and　all　the　ogres　die。

In　a　Siamese　or　Cambodian　story；　probably　derived　from　India；　we　are　told　that　Thossakan　or　Ravana；　the　King　of　Ceylon；　was　able　by　magic　art　to　take　his　soul　out　of　his　body　and　leave　it　in　a　box　at　home；　while　he　went　to　the　wars。　Thus　he　was　invulnerable　in　battle。　When　he　was　about　to　give　battle　to　Rama；　he　deposited　his　soul　with　a　hermit　called　Fire…eye；　who　was　to　keep　it　safe　for　him。　So　in　the　fight　Rama　was　astounded　to　see　that　his　arrows　struck　the　king　without　wounding　him。　But　one　of　Rama's　allies；　knowing　the　secret　of　the　king's　invulnerability；　transformed　himself　by　magic　into　the　likeness　of　the　king；　and　going　to　the　hermit　asked　back　his　soul。　On　receiving　it　he　soared　up　into　the　air　and　flew　to　Rama；　brandishing　the　box　and　squeezing　it　so　hard　that　all　the　breath　left　the　King　of　Ceylon's　body；　and　he　died。　In　a　Bengalee　story　a　prince　going　into　a　far　country　planted　with　his　own　hands　a　tree　in　the　courtyard　of　his　father's　palace；　and　said　to　his　parents；　This　tree　is　my　life。　When　you　see　the　tree　green　and　fresh；　then　know　that　it　is　well　with　me；　when　you　see　the　tree　fade　in　some　parts；　then　know　that　I　am　in　an　ill　case；　and　when　you　see　the　whole　tree　fade；　then　know　that　I　am　dead　and　gone。　In　another　Indian　tale　a　prince；　setting　forth　on　his　travels；　left　behind　him　a　barley　plant；　with　instructions　that　it　should　be　carefully　tended　and　watched；　for　if　it　flourished；　he　would　be　alive　and　well；　but　if　it　drooped；　then　some　mischance　was　about　to　happen　to　him。　And　so　it　fell　out。　For　the　prince　was　beheaded；　and　as　his　head　rolled　off；　the　barley　plant　snapped　in　two　and　the　ear　of　barley　fell　to　the　ground。

In　Greek　tales；　ancient　and　modern；　the　idea　of　an　external　soul　is　not　uncommon。　When　Meleager　was　seven　days　old；　the　Fates　appeared　to　his　mother　and　told　her　that　Meleager　would　die　when　the　brand　which　was　blazing　on　the　hearth　had　burnt　down。　So　his　mother　snatched　the　brand　from　the　fire　and　kept　it　in　a　box。　But　in　after…years；　being　enraged　at　her　son　for　slaying　her　brothers；　she　burnt　the　brand　in　the　fire　and　Meleager　expired　in　agonies；　as　if　flames　were　preying　on　his　vitals。　Again；　Nisus　King　of　Megara　had　a　purple　or　golden　hair　on　the　middle　of　his　head；　and　it　was　fated　that　whenever　the　hair　was　pulled　out　the　king　should　die。　When　Megara　was　besieged　by　the　Cretans；　the　king's　daughter　Scylla　fell　in　love　with　Minos；　their　king；　and　pulled　out　the　fatal　hair　from　her　father's　head。　So　he　died。　In　a　modern　Greek　folk…tale　a　man's　strength　lies　in　three　golden　hairs　on　his　head。　When　his　mother　pulls　them　out；　he　grows　weak　and　timid　and　is　slain　by　his　enemies。　In　another　modern　Greek　story　the　life　of　an　enchanter　is　bound　up　with　three　doves　which　are　in　the　belly　of　a　wild　boar。　When　the　first　dove　is　killed；　the　magician　grows　sick；　when　the　second　is　killed；　he　grows　very　sick；　and　when　the　third　is　killed；　he　dies。　In　another　Greek　story　of　the　same　sort　an　ogre's　strength　is　in　three　singing　birds　which　are　in　a　wild　boar。　The　hero　kills　two　of　the　birds；　and　then　coming　to　the　ogre's　house　finds　him　lying　on　the　ground　in　great　pain。　He　shows　the　third　bird　to　the　ogre；　who　begs　that　the　hero　will　either　let　it　fly　away　or　give　it　to　him　to　eat。　But　the　hero　wrings　the　bird's　neck；　and　the　ogre　dies　on　the　spot。

In　a　modern　Roman　version　of　Aladdin　and　the　Wonderful　Lamp；　the　magician　tells　the　princess；　whom　he　holds　captive　in　a　floating　rock　in　mid…ocean；　that　he　will　never　die。　The　princess　reports　this　to　the　prince　her　husband；　who　has　come　to　rescue　her。　The　prince　replies；　It　is　impossible　but　that　there　should　be　some　one　thing　or　other　that　is　fatal　to　him；　ask　him　what　that　one　fatal　thing　is。　So　the　princess　asked　the　magician；　and　he　told　her　that　in　the　wood　was　a　hydra　with　seven　heads；　in　the　middle　head　of　the　hydra　was　a　leveret；　in　the　head　of　the　leveret　was　a　bird；　in　the　bird's　head　was　a　precious　stone；　and　if　this　stone　were　put　under　his　pillow　he　would　die。　The　prince　procured　the　stone