the golden bough-第36节

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And　the　said　king　says　of　himself　that　he　alone　is　god　of　the　earth；　for　which　reason　if　it　rains　when　he　does　not　wish　it　to　do　so；　or　is　too　hot；　he　shoots　arrows　at　the　sky　for　not　obeying　him。　The　Mashona　of　Southern　Africa　informed　their　bishop　that　they　had　once　had　a　god；　but　that　the　Matabeles　had　driven　him　away。　This　last　was　in　reference　to　a　curious　custom　in　some　villages　of　keeping　a　man　they　called　their　god。　He　seemed　to　be　consulted　by　the　people　and　had　presents　given　to　him。　There　was　one　at　a　village　belonging　to　a　chief　Magondi；　in　the　old　days。　We　were　asked　not　to　fire　off　any　guns　near　the　village；　or　we　should　frighten　him　away。　This　Mashona　god　was　formerly　bound　to　render　an　annual　tribute　to　the　king　of　the　Matabele　in　the　shape　of　four　black　oxen　and　one　dance。　A　missionary　has　seen　and　described　the　deity　discharging　the　latter　part　of　his　duty　in　front　of　the　royal　hut。　For　three　mortal　hours；　without　a　break；　to　the　banging　of　a　tambourine；　the　click　of　castanettes；　and　the　drone　of　a　monotonous　song；　the　swarthy　god　engaged　in　a　frenzied　dance；　crouching　on　his　hams　like　a　tailor；　sweating　like　a　pig；　and　bounding　about　with　an　agility　which　testified　to　the　strength　and　elasticity　of　his　divine　legs。

The　Baganda　of　Central　Africa　believed　in　a　god　of　Lake　Nyanza；　who　sometimes　took　up　his　abode　in　a　man　or　woman。　The　incarnate　god　was　much　feared　by　all　the　people；　including　the　king　and　the　chiefs。　When　the　mystery　of　incarnation　had　taken　place；　the　man；　or　rather　the　god；　removed　about　a　mile　and　a　half　from　the　margin　of　the　lake；　and　there　awaited　the　appearance　of　the　new　moon　before　he　engaged　in　his　sacred　duties。　From　the　moment　that　the　crescent　moon　appeared　faintly　in　the　sky；　the　king　and　all　his　subjects　were　at　the　command　of　the　divine　man；　or　Lubare　（god）；　as　he　was　called；　who　reigned　supreme　not　only　in　matters　of　faith　and　ritual；　but　also　in　questions　of　war　and　state　policy。　He　was　consulted　as　an　oracle；　by　his　word　he　could　inflict　or　heal　sickness；　withhold　rain；　and　cause　famine。　Large　presents　were　made　him　when　his　advice　was　sought。　The　chief　of　Urua；　a　large　region　to　the　west　of　Lake　Tanganyika；　arrogates　to　himself　divine　honours　and　power　and　pretends　to　abstain　from　food　for　days　without　feeling　its　necessity；　and；　indeed；　declares　that　as　a　god　he　is　altogether　above　requiring　food　and　only　eats；　drinks；　and　smokes　for　the　pleasure　it　affords　him。　Among　the　Gallas；　when　a　woman　grows　tired　of　the　cares　of　housekeeping；　she　begins　to　talk　incoherently　and　to　demean　herself　extravagantly。　This　is　a　sign　of　the　descent　of　the　holy　spirit　Callo　upon　her。　Immediately　her　husband　prostrates　himself　and　adores　her；　she　ceases　to　bear　the　humble　title　of　wife　and　is　called　Lord；　domestic　duties　have　no　further　claim　on　her；　and　her　will　is　a　divine　law。

The　king　of　Loango　is　honoured　by　his　people　as　though　he　were　a　god；　and　he　is　called　Sambee　and　Pango；　which　mean　god。　They　believe　that　he　can　let　them　have　rain　when　he　likes；　and　once　a　year；　in　December；　which　is　the　time　they　want　rain；　the　people　come　to　beg　of　him　to　grant　it　to　them。　On　this　occasion　the　king；　standing　on　his　throne；　shoots　an　arrow　into　the　air；　which　is　supposed　to　bring　on　rain。　Much　the　same　is　said　of　the　king　of　Mombasa。　Down　to　a　few　years　ago；　when　his　spiritual　reign　on　earth　was　brought　to　an　abrupt　end　by　the　carnal　weapons　of　English　marines　and　bluejackets；　the　king　of　Benin　was　the　chief　object　of　worship　in　his　dominions。　He　occupies　a　higher　post　here　than　the　Pope　does　in　Catholic　Europe；　for　he　is　not　only　God's　vicegerent　upon　earth；　but　a　god　himself；　whose　subjects　both　obey　and　adore　him　as　such；　although　I　believe　their　adoration　to　arise　rather　from　fear　than　love。　The　king　of　Iddah　told　the　English　officers　of　the　Niger　Expedition；　God　made　me　after　his　own　image；　I　am　all　the　same　as　God；　and　he　appointed　me　a　king。

A　peculiarly　bloodthirsty　monarch　of　Burma；　by　name　Badonsachen；　whose　very　countenance　reflected　the　inbred　ferocity　of　his　nature；　and　under　whose　reign　more　victims　perished　by　the　executioner　than　by　the　common　enemy；　conceived　the　notion　that　he　was　something　more　than　mortal；　and　that　this　high　distinction　had　been　granted　him　as　a　reward　for　his　numerous　good　works。　Accordingly　he　laid　aside　the　title　of　king　and　aimed　at　making　himself　a　god。　With　this　view；　and　in　imitation　of　Buddha；　who；　before　being　advanced　to　the　rank　of　a　divinity；　had　quitted　his　royal　palace　and　seraglio　and　retired　from　the　world；　Badonsachen　withdrew　from　his　palace　to　an　immense　pagoda；　the　largest　in　the　empire；　which　he　had　been　engaged　in　constructing　for　many　years。　Here　he　held　conferences　with　the　most　learned　monks；　in　which　he　sought　to　persuade　them　that　the　five　thousand　years　assigned　for　the　observance　of　the　law　of　Buddha　were　now　elapsed；　and　that　he　himself　was　the　god　who　was　destined　to　appear　after　that　period；　and　to　abolish　the　old　law　by　substituting　his　own。　But　to　his　great　mortification　many　of　the　monks　undertook　to　demonstrate　the　contrary；　and　this　disappointment；　combined　with　his　love　of　power　and　his　impatience　under　the　restraints　of　an　ascetic　life；　quickly　disabused　him　of　his　imaginary　godhead；　and　drove　him　back　to　his　palace　and　his　harem。　The　king　of　Siam　is　venerated　equally　with　a　divinity。　His　subjects　ought　not　to　look　him　in　the　face；　they　prostrate　themselves　before　him　when　he　passes；　and　appear　before　him　on　their　knees；　their　elbows　resting　on　the　ground。　There　is　a　special　language　devoted　to　his　sacred　person　and　attributes；　and　it　must　be　used　by　all　who　speak　to　or　of　him。　Even　the　natives　have　difficulty　in　mastering　this　peculiar　vocabulary。　The　hairs　of　the　monarch's　head；　the　soles　of　his　feet；　the　breath　of　his　body；　indeed　every　single　detail　of　his　person；　both　outward　and　inward；　have　particular　names。　When　he　eats　or　drinks；　sleeps　or　walks；　a　special　word　indicates　that　these　acts　are　being　performed　by　the　sovereign；　and　such　words　cannot　possibly　be　applied　to　the　acts　of　any　other　person　whatever。　There　is　no　word　in　the　Siamese　language　by　which　any　creature　of　higher　rank　or　greater　dignity　than　a　monarch　can　be　described；　and　the　missionaries；　when　they　speak　of　God；　are　forced　to　use　the　native　word　for　king。

But　perhaps　no　country　in　the　world　has　been　so　prolific　of　human　gods　as　India；　nowhere　has　the　divine　grace　been　poured　out　in　a　more　liberal　measure　on　all　classes　of　society　from　kings　down　to　milkmen。　Thus　amongst　the　Todas；　a　pastoral　people　of　the　Neilgherry　Hills　of　Southern　India；　the　dairy　is　a　sanctuary；　and　the　milkman　who　attends　to　it　has　been　described　as　a　god。　On　being　asked　whether　the　Todas　salute　the　sun；　one　of　these　divine　milkmen　replied；　Those　poor　fellows　do　so；　but　I；　tapping　his　chest；　I；　a　god！　why　should　I　salute　the　sun？　Every　one；　even　his　own　father；　prostrates　himself　before　the　milkman；　and　no　one　would　dare　to　refuse　him　anything。　No　human　being；　except　another　milkman；　may　touch　him；　and　he　gives　oracles　to　all　who　consult　him；　speaking　with　the　voice　of　a　god。

Further；　in　India　every　king　is　regarded　as　little　short　of　a　present　god。　The　Hindoo　law…book　of　Manu　goes　farther　and　says　that　even　an　infant　king　must　not　be　despised　from　an　idea　that　he　is　a　mere　mortal；　for　he　is　a　great　deity　in　human　form。　There　is　said　to　have　been　a　sect　in　Orissa　some　years　ago　who　worshipped　the　late　Queen　Victoria　in　her　lifetime　as　their　chief　divinity。　And　to　this　day　in　India　all　living　persons　remarkable　for　great　strength　or　valour　or　for　supposed　miraculous　powers　run　the　risk　of　being　worshipped　as　gods。　Thus；　a　sect　in　the　Punjaub　worshipped　a　deity　whom　they　called　Nikkal　Sen。　This　Nikkal　Sen　was　no　other　than　the　redoubted　General　Nicholson；　and　nothing　that　the　general　could　do　or　say　damped　the　ardour　of　his　adorers。　The　more　he　punished　them；　the　greater　grew　the　religious　awe　with　which　they　worshipped　him。　At　Benares　not　many　years　ago　a　celebrated　deity　was　incarnate　in　the　person　of　a　Hindoo　gentleman　who　rejoiced　in　the　euphonious　name　of　Swami　Bhaskaranandaji　Saraswati；　and　looked　uncommonly　like　the　late　Cardinal　Manning；　only　more　ingenuous。　His　eyes　beamed　with　kindly　human　interest；　and　he　took　what　is　described　as　an　innocent　pleasure　in　the　divine　honours　paid　him　by　his　confiding　worshippers。

At　Chinchvad；　a　small　town　about　ten　miles　from　Poona　in　Western　India；　there　lives　a　family　of　whom　one　in　each　generation　is　believed　by　a　large　proportion　of　the　Mahrattas　to　be　an　incarnation　of　the　elephant…headed　god　Gunputty。　That　celebrated　deity　was　first　made　flesh　about　the　year　1640　in　the　person　of　a　Brahman　of　Poona；　by　name　Mooraba　Gosseyn；　who　sought　to　work　out　his　salvation　by　abstinence；　mortification；　and　prayer。　His　piety　had　its　reward。　The　god　himself　appeared　to　him　in　a　vision　of　the　night　and　promised　that　a　portion　of　his；　that　is；　of　Gunputty's　holy　spirit　should　abide　with　him　and　with　his　seed　after　him　even　to　the　seventh　generation。　The　divine　promise　was　fulfilled。　Seven　successive　incarnations；　transmitted　from　father　to　son；　manifested　the　light　of　Gunputty　to　a　dark　world。　The　last　of　the　direct　line；　a　heavy…looking　go