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Nemi　to　Rome。

Chapter　17。　The　Burden　of　Royalty。

1。　Royal　and　Priestly　Taboos

AT　A　CERTAIN　stage　of　early　society　the　king　or　priest　is　often　thought　to　be　endowed　with　supernatural　powers　or　to　be　an　incarnation　of　a　deity；　and　consistently　with　this　belief　the　course　of　nature　is　supposed　to　be　more　or　less　under　his　control；　and　he　is　held　responsible　for　bad　weather；　failure　of　the　crops；　and　similar　calamities。　To　some　extent　it　appears　to　be　assumed　that　the　king's　power　over　nature；　like　that　over　his　subjects　and　slaves；　is　exerted　through　definite　acts　of　will；　and　therefore　if　drought；　famine；　pestilence；　or　storms　arise；　the　people　attribute　the　misfortune　to　the　negligence　or　guilt　of　their　king；　and　punish　him　accordingly　with　stripes　and　bonds；　or；　if　he　remains　obdurate；　with　deposition　and　death。　Sometimes；　however；　the　course　of　nature；　while　regarded　as　dependent　on　the　king；　is　supposed　to　be　partly　independent　of　his　will。　His　person　is　considered；　if　we　may　express　it　so；　as　the　dynamical　centre　of　the　universe；　from　which　lines　of　force　radiate　to　all　quarters　of　the　heaven；　so　that　any　motion　of　histhe　turning　of　his　head；　the　lifting　of　his　handinstantaneously　affects　and　may　seriously　disturb　some　part　of　nature。　He　is　the　point　of　support　on　which　hangs　the　balance　of　the　world；　and　the　slightest　irregularity　on　his　part　may　overthrow　the　delicate　equipoise。　The　greatest　care　must；　therefore；　be　taken　both　by　and　of　him；　and　his　whole　life；　down　to　its　minutest　details；　must　be　so　regulated　that　no　act　of　his；　voluntary　or　involuntary；　may　disarrange　or　upset　the　established　order　of　nature。　Of　this　class　of　monarchs　the　Mikado　or　Dairi；　the　spiritual　emperor　of　Japan；　is　or　rather　used　to　be　a　typical　example。　He　is　an　incarnation　of　the　sun　goddess；　the　deity　who　rules　the　universe；　gods　and　men　included；　once　a　year　all　the　gods　wait　upon　him　and　spend　a　month　at　his　court。　During　that　month；　the　name　of　which　means　without　gods；　no　one　frequents　the　temples；　for　they　are　believed　to　be　deserted。　The　Mikado　receives　from　his　people　and　assumes　in　his　official　proclamations　and　decrees　the　title　of　manifest　or　incarnate　deity；　and　he　claims　a　general　authority　over　the　gods　of　Japan。　For　example；　in　an　official　decree　of　the　year　646　the　emperor　is　described　as　the　incarnate　god　who　governs　the　universe。

The　following　description　of　the　Mikado's　mode　of　life　was　written　about　two　hundred　years　ago：

Even　to　this　day　the　princes　descended　of　this　family；　more　particularly　those　who　sit　on　the　throne；　are　looked　upon　as　persons　most　holy　in　themselves；　and　as　Popes　by　birth。　And；　in　order　to　preserve　these　advantageous　notions　in　the　minds　of　their　subjects；　they　are　obliged　to　take　an　uncommon　care　of　their　sacred　persons；　and　to　do　such　things；　which；　examined　according　to　the　customs　of　other　nations；　would　be　thought　ridiculous　and　impertinent。　It　will　not　be　improper　to　give　a　few　instances　of　it。　He　thinks　that　it　would　be　very　prejudicial　to　his　dignity　and　holiness　to　touch　the　ground　with　his　feet；　for　this　reason；　when　he　intends　to　go　anywhere；　he　must　be　carried　thither　on　men's　shoulders。　Much　less　will　they　suffer　that　he　should　expose　his　sacred　person　to　the　open　air；　and　the　sun　is　not　thought　worthy　to　shine　on　his　head。　There　is　such　a　holiness　ascribed　to　all　the　parts　of　his　body　that　he　dares　to　cut　off　neither　his　hair；　nor　his　beard；　nor　his　nails。　However；　lest　he　should　grow　too　dirty；　they　may　clean　him　in　the　night　when　he　is　asleep；　because；　they　say；　that　which　is　taken　from　his　body　at　that　time；　hath　been　stolen　from　him；　and　that　such　a　theft　doth　not　prejudice　his　holiness　or　dignity。　In　ancient　times；　he　was　obliged　to　sit　on　the　throne　for　some　hours　every　morning；　with　the　imperial　crown　on　his　head；　but　to　sit　altogether　like　a　statue；　without　stirring　either　hands　or　feet；　head　or　eyes；　nor　indeed　any　part　of　his　body；　because；　by　this　means；　it　was　thought　that　he　could　preserve　peace　and　tranquillity　in　his　empire；　for　if；　unfortunately；　he　turned　himself　on　one　side　or　the　other；　or　if　he　looked　a　good　while　towards　any　part　of　his　dominions；　it　was　apprehended　that　war；　famine；　fire；　or　some　other　great　misfortune　was　near　at　hand　to　desolate　the　country。　But　it　having　been　afterwards　discovered；　that　the　imperial　crown　was　the　palladium；　which　by　its　immobility　could　preserve　peace　in　the　empire；　it　was　thought　expedient　to　deliver　his　imperial　person；　consecrated　only　to　idleness　and　pleasures；　from　this　burthensome　duty；　and　therefore　the　crown　is　at　present　placed　on　the　throne　for　some　hours　every　morning。　His　victuals　must　be　dressed　every　time　in　new　pots；　and　served　at　table　in　new　dishes：　both　are　very　clean　and　neat；　but　made　only　of　common　clay；　that　without　any　considerable　expense　they　may　be　laid　aside；　or　broke；　after　they　have　served　once。　They　are　generally　broke；　for　fear　they　should　come　into　the　hands　of　laymen；　for　they　believe　religiously；　that　if　any　layman　should　presume　to　eat　his　food　out　of　these　sacred　dishes；　it　would　swell　and　inflame　his　mouth　and　throat。　The　like　ill　effect　is　dreaded　from　the　Dairi's　sacred　habits；　for　they　believe　that　if　a　layman　should　wear　them；　without　the　Emperor's　express　leave　or　command；　they　would　occasion　swellings　and　pains　in　all　parts　of　his　body。　To　the　same　effect　an　earlier　account　of　the　Mikado　says：　It　was　considered　as　a　shameful　degradation　for　him　even　to　touch　the　ground　with　his　foot。　The　sun　and　moon　were　not　even　permitted　to　shine　upon　his　head。　None　of　the　superfluities　of　the　body　were　ever　taken　from　him；　neither　his　hair；　his　beard；　nor　his　nails　were　cut。　Whatever　he　eat　was　dressed　in　new　vessels。

Similar　priestly　or　rather　divine　kings　are　found；　at　a　lower　level　of　barbarism；　on　the　west　coast　of　Africa。　At　Shark　Point　near　Cape　Padron；　in　Lower　Guinea；　lives　the　priestly　king　Kukulu；　alone　in　a　wood。　He　may　not　touch　a　woman　nor　leave　his　house；　indeed　he　may　not　even　quit　his　chair；　in　which　he　is　obliged　to　sleep　sitting；　for　if　he　lay　down　no　wind　would　arise　and　navigation　would　be　stopped。　He　regulates　storms；　and　in　general　maintains　a　wholesome　and　equable　state　of　the　atmosphere。　On　Mount　Agu　in　Togo　there　lives　a　fetish　or　spirit　called　Bagba；　who　is　of　great　importance　for　the　whole　of　the　surrounding　country。　The　power　of　giving　or　withholding　rain　is　ascribed　to　him；　and　he　is　lord　of　the　winds；　including　the　Harmattan；　the　dry；　hot　wind　which　blows　from　the　interior。　His　priest　dwells　in　a　house　on　the　highest　peak　of　the　mountain；　where　he　keeps　the　winds　bottled　up　in　huge　jars。　Applications　for　rain；　too；　are　made　to　him；　and　he　does　a　good　business　in　amulets；　which　consist　of　the　teeth　and　claws　of　leopards。　Yet　though　his　power　is　great　and　he　is　indeed　the　real　chief　of　the　land；　the　rule　of　the　fetish　forbids　him　ever　to　leave　the　mountain；　and　he　must　spend　the　whole　of　his　life　on　its　summit。　Only　once　a　year　may　he　come　down　to　make　purchases　in　the　market；　but　even　then　he　may　not　set　foot　in　the　hut　of　any　mortal　man；　and　must　return　to　his　place　of　exile　the　same　day。　The　business　of　government　in　the　villages　is　conducted　by　subordinate　chiefs；　who　are　appointed　by　him。　In　the　West　African　kingdom　of　Congo　there　was　a　supreme　pontiff　called　Chitomé　or　Chitombé；　whom　the　negroes　regarded　as　a　god　on　earth　and　all…powerful　in　heaven。　Hence　before　they　would　taste　the　new　crops　they　offered　him　the　first…fruits；　fearing　that　manifold　misfortunes　would　befall　them　if　they　broke　this　rule。　When　he　left　his　residence　to　visit　other　places　within　his　jurisdiction；　all　married　people　had　to　observe　strict　continence　the　whole　time　he　was　out；　for　it　was　supposed　that　any　act　of　incontinence　would　prove　fatal　to　him。　And　if　he　were　to　die　a　natural　death；　they　thought　that　the　world　would　perish；　and　the　earth；　which　he　alone　sustained　by　his　power　and　merit；　would　immediately　be　annihilated。　Amongst　the　semi…barbarous　nations　of　the　New　World；　at　the　date　of　the　Spanish　conquest；　there　were　found　hierarchies　or　theocracies　like　those　of　Japan；　in　particular；　the　high　pontiff　of　the　Zapotecs　appears　to　have　presented　a　close　parallel　to　the　Mikado。　A　powerful　rival　to　the　king　himself；　this　spiritual　lord　governed　Yopaa；　one　of　the　chief　cities　of　the　kingdom；　with　absolute　dominion。　It　is　impossible；　we　are　told；　to　overrate　the　reverence　in　which　he　was　held。　He　was　looked　on　as　a　god　whom　the　earth　was　not　worthy　to　hold　nor　the　sun　to　shine　upon。　He　profaned　his　sanctity　if　he　even　touched　the　ground　with　his　foot。　The　officers　who　bore　his　palanquin　on　their　shoulders　were　members　of　the　highest　families：　he　hardly　deigned　to　look　on　anything　around　him；　and　all　who　met　him　fell　with　their　faces　to　the　earth；　fearing　that　death　would　overtake　them　if　they　saw　even　his　shadow。　A　rule　of　continence　was　regularly　imposed　on　the　Zapotec　priests；　especially　upon　the　high　pontiff；　but　on　certain　days　in　each　year；　which　were　generally　celebrated　with　feasts　and　dances；　it　was　customary　for　the　high　priest　to　become　drunk。　While　in　this　state；　seeming　to　belong　neither　to　heaven　nor　to　earth；　one　of　the　most　beautiful　of　the　virgins　consecrated　to　the