the golden bough-第75节

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returning　they　drank　out　of　the　other。　When　on　their　way　home　they　came　within　a　day's　march　of　the　village；　they　hung　up　all　their　bowls　on　trees；　or　threw　them　away　on　the　prairie；　doubtless　to　prevent　their　sanctity　or　defilement　from　being　communicated　with　disastrous　effects　to　their　friends；　just　as　we　have　seen　that　the　vessels　and　clothes　of　the　sacred　Mikado；　of　women　at　childbirth　and　menstruation；　and　of　persons　defiled　by　contact　with　the　dead　are　destroyed　or　laid　aside　for　a　similar　reason。　The　first　four　times　that　an　Apache　Indian　goes　out　on　the　war…path；　he　is　bound　to　refrain　from　scratching　his　head　with　his　fingers　and　from　letting　water　touch　his　lips。　Hence　he　scratches　his　head　with　a　stick；　and　drinks　through　a　hollow　reed　or　cane。　Stick　and　reed　are　attached　to　the　warrior's　belt　and　to　each　other　by　a　leathern　thong。　The　rule　not　to　scratch　their　heads　with　their　fingers；　but　to　use　a　stick　for　the　purpose　instead；　was　regularly　observed　by　Ojebways　on　the　war…path。

With　regard　to　the　Creek　Indians　and　kindred　tribes　we　are　told　they　will　not　cohabit　with　women　while　they　are　out　at　war；　they　religiously　abstain　from　every　kind　of　intercourse　even　with　their　own　wives；　for　the　space　of　three　days　and　nights　before　they　go　to　war；　and　so　after　they　return　home；　because　they　are　to　sanctify　themselves。　Among　the　Ba…Pedi　and　Ba…Thonga　tribes　of　South　Africa　not　only　have　the　warriors　to　abstain　from　women；　but　the　people　left　behind　in　the　villages　are　also　bound　to　continence；　they　think　that　any　incontinence　on　their　part　would　cause　thorns　to　grow　on　the　ground　traversed　by　the　warriors；　and　that　success　would　not　attend　the　expedition。

Why　exactly　many　savages　have　made　it　a　rule　to　refrain　from　women　in　time　of　war；　we　cannot　say　for　certain；　but　we　may　conjecture　that　their　motive　was　a　superstitious　fear　lest；　on　the　principles　of　sympathetic　magic；　close　contact　with　women　should　infect　them　with　feminine　weakness　and　cowardice。　Similarly　some　savages　imagine　that　contact　with　a　woman　in　childbed　enervates　warriors　and　enfeebles　their　weapons。　Indeed　the　Kayans　of　Central　Borneo　go　so　far　as　to　hold　that　to　touch　a　loom　or　women's　clothes　would　so　weaken　a　man　that　he　would　have　no　success　in　hunting；　fishing；　and　war。　Hence　it　is　not　merely　sexual　intercourse　with　women　that　the　savage　warrior　sometimes　shuns；　he　is　careful　to　avoid　the　sex　altogether。　Thus　among　the　hill　tribes　of　Assam；　not　only　are　men　forbidden　to　cohabit　with　their　wives　during　or　after　a　raid；　but　they　may　not　eat　food　cooked　by　a　woman；　nay；　they　should　not　address　a　word　even　to　their　own　wives。　Once　a　woman；　who　unwittingly　broke　the　rule　by　speaking　to　her　husband　while　he　was　under　the　war　taboo；　sickened　and　died　when　she　learned　the　awful　crime　she　had　committed。

5。　Manslayers　tabooed。

IF　THE　READER　still　doubts　whether　the　rules　of　conduct　which　we　have　just　been　considering　are　based　on　superstitious　fears　or　dictated　by　a　rational　prudence；　his　doubts　will　probably　be　dissipated　when　he　learns　that　rules　of　the　same　sort　are　often　imposed　even　more　stringently　on　warriors　after　the　victory　has　been　won　and　when　all　fear　of　the　living　corporeal　foe　is　at　an　end。　In　such　cases　one　motive　for　the　inconvenient　restrictions　laid　on　the　victors　in　their　hour　of　triumph　is　probably　a　dread　of　the　angry　ghosts　of　the　slain；　and　that　the　fear　of　the　vengeful　ghosts　does　influence　the　behaviour　of　the　slayers　is　often　expressly　affirmed。　The　general　effect　of　the　taboos　laid　on　sacred　chiefs；　mourners；　women　at　childbirth；　men　on　the　war…path；　and　so　on；　is　to　seclude　or　isolate　the　tabooed　persons　from　ordinary　society；　this　effect　being　attained　by　a　variety　of　rules；　which　oblige　the　men　or　women　to　live　in　separate　huts　or　in　the　open　air；　to　shun　the　commerce　of　the　sexes；　to　avoid　the　use　of　vessels　employed　by　others；　and　so　forth。　Now　the　same　effect　is　produced　by　similar　means　in　the　case　of　victorious　warriors；　particularly　such　as　have　actually　shed　the　blood　of　their　enemies。　In　the　island　of　Timor；　when　a　warlike　expedition　has　returned　in　triumph　bringing　the　heads　of　the　vanquished　foe；　the　leader　of　the　expedition　is　forbidden　by　religion　and　custom　to　return　at　once　to　his　own　house。　A　special　hut　is　prepared　for　him；　in　which　he　has　to　reside　for　two　months；　undergoing　bodily　and　spiritual　purification。　During　this　time　he　may　not　go　to　his　wife　nor　feed　himself；　the　food　must　be　put　into　his　mouth　by　another　person。　That　these　observances　are　dictated　by　fear　of　the　ghosts　of　the　slain　seems　certain；　for　from　another　account　of　the　ceremonies　performed　on　the　return　of　a　successful　head…hunter　in　the　same　island　we　learn　that　sacrifices　are　offered　on　this　occasion　to　appease　the　soul　of　the　man　whose　head　has　been　taken；　the　people　think　that　some　misfortune　would　befall　the　victor　were　such　offerings　omitted。　Moreover；　a　part　of　the　ceremony　consists　of　a　dance　accompanied　by　a　song；　in　which　the　death　of　the　slain　man　is　lamented　and　his　forgiveness　is　entreated。　Be　not　angry；　they　say；　because　your　head　is　here　with　us；　had　we　been　less　lucky；　our　heads　might　now　have　been　exposed　in　your　village。　We　have　offered　the　sacrifice　to　appease　you。　Your　spirit　may　now　rest　and　leave　us　at　peace。　Why　were　you　our　enemy？　Would　it　not　have　been　better　that　we　should　remain　friends？　Then　your　blood　would　not　have　been　spilt　and　your　head　would　not　have　been　cut　off。　The　people　of　Paloo　in　Central　Celebes　take　the　heads　of　their　enemies　in　war　and　afterwards　propitiate　the　souls　of　the　slain　in　the　temple。

Among　the　tribes　at　the　mouth　of　the　Wanigela　River；　in　New　Guinea；　a　man　who　has　taken　life　is　considered　to　be　impure　until　he　has　undergone　certain　ceremonies：　as　soon　as　possible　after　the　deed　he　cleanses　himself　and　his　weapon。　This　satisfactorily　accomplished；　he　repairs　to　his　village　and　seats　himself　on　the　logs　of　sacrificial　staging。　No　one　approaches　him　or　takes　any　notice　whatever　of　him。　A　house　is　prepared　for　him　which　is　put　in　charge　of　two　or　three　small　boys　as　servants。　He　may　eat　only　toasted　bananas；　and　only　the　centre　portion　of　themthe　ends　being　thrown　away。　On　the　third　day　of　his　seclusion　a　small　feast　is　prepared　by　his　friends；　who　also　fashion　some　new　perineal　bands　for　him。　This　is　called　ivi　poro。　The　next　day　the　man　dons　all　his　best　ornaments　and　badges　for　taking　life；　and　sallies　forth　fully　armed　and　parades　the　village。　The　next　day　a　hunt　is　organised；　and　a　kangaroo　selected　from　the　game　captured。　It　is　cut　open　and　the　spleen　and　liver　rubbed　over　the　back　of　the　man。　He　then　walks　solemnly　down　to　the　nearest　water；　and　standing　straddle…legs　in　it　washes　himself。　All　the　young　untried　warriors　swim　between　his　legs。　This　is　supposed　to　impart　courage　and　strength　to　them。　The　following　day；　at　early　dawn；　he　dashes　out　of　his　house；　fully　armed；　and　calls　aloud　the　name　of　his　victim。　Having　satisfied　himself　that　he　has　thoroughly　scared　the　ghost　of　the　dead　man；　he　returns　to　his　house。　The　beating　of　flooring…boards　and　the　lighting　of　fires　is　also　a　certain　method　of　scaring　the　ghost。　A　day　later　his　purification　is　finished。　He　can　then　enter　his　wife's　house。

In　Windessi；　Dutch　New　Guinea；　when　a　party　of　head…hunters　has　been　successful；　and　they　are　nearing　home；　they　announce　their　approach　and　success　by　blowing　on　triton　shells。　Their　canoes　are　also　decked　with　branches。　The　faces　of　the　men　who　have　taken　a　head　are　blackened　with　charcoal。　If　several　have　taken　part　in　killing　the　same　victim；　his　head　is　divided　among　them。　They　always　time　their　arrival　so　as　to　reach　home　in　the　early　morning。　They　come　rowing　to　the　village　with　a　great　noise；　and　the　women　stand　ready　to　dance　in　the　verandahs　of　the　houses。　The　canoes　row　past　the　room　sram　or　house　where　the　young　men　live；　and　as　they　pass；　the　murderers　throw　as　many　pointed　sticks　or　bamboos　at　the　wall　or　the　roof　as　there　were　enemies　killed。　The　day　is　spent　very　quietly。　Now　and　then　they　drum　or　blow　on　the　conch；　at　other　times　they　beat　the　walls　of　the　houses　with　loud　shouts　to　drive　away　the　ghosts　of　the　slain。　So　the　Yabim　of　New　Guinea　believe　that　the　spirit　of　a　murdered　man　pursues　his　murderer　and　seeks　to　do　him　a　mischief。　Hence　they　drive　away　the　spirit　with　shouts　and　the　beating　of　drums。　When　the　Fijians　had　buried　a　man　alive；　as　they　often　did；　they　used　at　nightfall　to　make　a　great　uproar　by　means　of　bamboos；　trumpet…shells；　and　so　forth；　for　the　purpose　of　frightening　away　his　ghost；　lest　he　should　attempt　to　return　to　his　old　home。　And　to　render　his　house　unattractive　to　him　they　dismantled　it　and　clothed　it　with　everything　that　to　their　ideas　seemed　most　repulsive。　On　the　evening　of　the　day　on　which　they　had　tortured　a　prisoner　to　death；　the　American　Indians　were　wont　to　run　through　the　village　with　hideous　yells；　beating　with　sticks　on　the　furniture；　the　walls；　and　the　roofs　of　the　huts　to　prevent　the　angry　ghost　of　their　victim　from　settling　there　and　taking　vengeance　for　the　torments　that　his　body　had　endured　at　their　hands。　Once；　says　a　traveller；　on　approaching　in　the　night　a　village　of　Ottawas；　I　found　all　the　inhabitants　in　confusion：　the