the golden bough-第85节

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norant　of　their　superstitions；　an　Araucanian　will　answer；　I　have　none。　When　an　Ojebway　is　asked　his　name；　he　will　look　at　some　bystander　and　ask　him　to　answer。　This　reluctance　arises　from　an　impression　they　receive　when　young；　that　if　they　repeat　their　own　names　it　will　prevent　their　growth；　and　they　will　be　small　in　stature。　On　account　of　this　unwillingness　to　tell　their　names；　many　strangers　have　fancied　that　they　either　have　no　names　or　have　forgotten　them。

In　this　last　case　no　scruple　seems　to　be　felt　about　communicating　a　man's　name　to　strangers；　and　no　ill　effects　appear　to　be　dreaded　as　a　consequence　of　divulging　it；　harm　is　only　done　when　a　name　is　spoken　by　its　owner。　Why　is　this？　and　why　in　particular　should　a　man　be　thought　to　stunt　his　growth　by　uttering　his　own　name？　We　may　conjecture　that　to　savages　who　act　and　think　thus　a　person's　name　only　seems　to　be　a　part　of　himself　when　it　is　uttered　with　his　own　breath；　uttered　by　the　breath　of　others　it　has　no　vital　connexion　with　him；　and　no　harm　can　come　to　him　through　it。　Whereas；　so　these　primitive　philosophers　may　have　argued；　when　a　man　lets　his　own　name　pass　his　lips；　he　is　parting　with　a　living　piece　of　himself；　and　if　he　persists　in　so　reckless　a　course　he　must　certainly　end　by　dissipating　his　energy　and　shattering　his　constitution。　Many　a　broken…down　debauchee；　many　a　feeble　frame　wasted　with　disease；　may　have　been　pointed　out　by　these　simple　moralists　to　their　awe…struck　disciples　as　a　fearful　example　of　the　fate　that　must　sooner　or　later　overtake　the　profligate　who　indulges　immoderately　in　the　seductive　habit　of　mentioning　his　own　name。

However　we　may　explain　it；　the　fact　is　certain　that　many　a　savage　evinces　the　strongest　reluctance　to　pronounce　his　own　name；　while　at　the　same　time　he　makes　no　objection　at　all　to　other　people　pronouncing　it；　and　will　even　invite　them　to　do　so　for　him　in　order　to　satisfy　the　curiosity　of　an　inquisitive　stranger。　Thus　in　some　parts　of　Madagascar　it　is　taboo　for　a　person　to　tell　his　own　name；　but　a　slave　or　attendant　will　answer　for　him。　The　same　curious　inconsistency；　as　it　may　seem　to　us；　is　recorded　of　some　tribes　of　American　Indians。　Thus　we　are　told　that　the　name　of　an　American　Indian　is　a　sacred　thing；　not　to　be　divulged　by　the　owner　himself　without　due　consideration。　One　may　ask　a　warrior　of　any　tribe　to　give　his　name；　and　the　question　will　be　met　with　either　a　point…blank　refusal　or　the　more　diplomatic　evasion　that　he　cannot　understand　what　is　wanted　of　him。　The　moment　a　friend　approaches；　the　warrior　first　interrogated　will　whisper　what　is　wanted；　and　the　friend　can　tell　the　name；　receiving　a　reciprocation　of　the　courtesy　from　the　other。　This　general　statement　applies；　for　example；　to　the　Indian　tribes　of　British　Columbia；　as　to　whom　it　is　said　that　one　of　their　strangest　prejudices；　which　appears　to　pervade　all　tribes　alike；　is　a　dislike　to　telling　their　namesthus　you　never　get　a　man's　right　name　from　himself；　but　they　will　tell　each　other's　names　without　hesitation。　In　the　whole　of　the　East　Indian　Archipelago　the　etiquette　is　the　same。　As　a　general　rule　no　one　will　utter　his　own　name。　To　enquire；　What　is　your　name？　is　a　very　indelicate　question　in　native　society。　When　in　the　course　of　administrative　or　judicial　business　a　native　is　asked　his　name；　instead　of　replying　he　will　look　at　his　comrade　to　indicate　that　he　is　to　answer　for　him；　or　he　will　say　straight　out；　Ask　him。　The　superstition　is　current　all　over　the　East　Indies　without　exception；　and　it　is　found　also　among　the　Motu　and　Motumotu　tribes；　the　Papuans　of　Finsch　Haven　in　North　New　Guinea；　the　Nufoors　of　Dutch　New　Guinea；　and　the　Melanesians　of　the　Bismarck　Archipelago。　Among　many　tribes　of　South　Africa　men　and　women　never　mention　their　names　if　they　can　get　any　one　else　to　do　it　for　them；　but　they　do　not　absolutely　refuse　when　it　cannot　be　avoided。

Sometimes　the　embargo　laid　on　personal　names　is　not　permanent；　it　is　conditional　on　circumstances；　and　when　these　change　it　ceases　to　operate。　Thus　when　the　Nandi　men　are　away　on　a　foray；　nobody　at　home　may　pronounce　the　names　of　the　absent　warriors；　they　must　be　referred　to　as　birds。　Should　a　child　so　far　forget　itself　as　to　mention　one　of　the　distant　ones　by　name；　the　mother　would　rebuke　it；　saying；　Don't　talk　of　the　birds　who　are　in　the　heavens。　Among　the　Bangala　of　the　Upper　Congo；　while　a　man　is　fishing　and　when　he　returns　with　his　catch；　his　proper　name　is　in　abeyance　and　nobody　may　mention　it。　Whatever　the　fisherman's　real　name　may　be；　he　is　called　mwele　without　distinction。　The　reason　is　that　the　river　is　full　of　spirits；　who；　if　they　heard　the　fisherman's　real　name；　might　so　work　against　him　that　he　would　catch　little　or　nothing。　Even　when　he　has　caught　his　fish　and　landed　with　them；　the　buyer　must　still　not　address　him　by　his　proper　name；　but　must　only　call　him　mwele；　for　even　then；　if　the　spirits　were　to　hear　his　proper　name；　they　would　either　bear　it　in　mind　and　serve　him　out　another　day；　or　they　might　so　mar　the　fish　he　had　caught　that　he　would　get　very　little　for　them。　Hence　the　fisherman　can　extract　heavy　damages　from　anybody　who　mentions　his　name；　or　can　compel　the　thoughtless　speaker　to　relieve　him　of　the　fish　at　a　good　price　so　as　to　restore　his　luck。　When　the　Sulka　of　New　Britain　are　near　the　territory　of　their　enemies　the　Gaktei；　they　take　care　not　to　mention　them　by　their　proper　name；　believing　that　were　they　to　do　so；　their　foes　would　attack　and　slay　them。　Hence　in　these　circumstances　they　speak　of　the　Gaktei　as　o　lapsiek；　that　is；　the　rotten　tree…trunks；　and　they　imagine　that　by　calling　them　that　they　make　the　limbs　of　their　dreaded　enemies　ponderous　and　clumsy　like　logs。　This　example　illustrates　the　extremely　materialistic　view　which　these　savages　take　of　the　nature　of　words；　they　suppose　that　the　mere　utterance　of　an　expression　signifying　clumsiness　will　homoeopathically　affect　with　clumsiness　the　limbs　of　their　distant　foemen。　Another　illustration　of　this　curious　misconception　is　furnished　by　a　Caffre　superstition　that　the　character　of　a　young　thief　can　be　reformed　by　shouting　his　name　over　a　boiling　kettle　of　medicated　water；　then　clapping　a　lid　on　the　kettle　and　leaving　the　name　to　steep　in　the　water　for　several　days。　It　is　not　in　the　least　necessary　that　the　thief　should　be　aware　of　the　use　that　is　being　made　of　his　name　behind　his　back；　the　moral　reformation　will　be　effected　without　his　knowledge。

When　it　is　deemed　necessary　that　a　man's　real　name　should　be　kept　secret；　it　is　often　customary；　as　we　have　seen；　to　call　him　by　a　surname　or　nickname。　As　distinguished　from　the　real　or　primary　names；　these　secondary　names　are　apparently　held　to　be　no　part　of　the　man　himself；　so　that　they　may　be　freely　used　and　divulged　to　everybody　without　endangering　his　safety　thereby。　Sometimes　in　order　to　avoid　the　use　of　his　own　name　a　man　will　be　called　after　his　child。　Thus　we　are　informed　that　the　Gippsland　blacks　objected　strongly　to　let　any　one　outside　the　tribe　know　their　names；　lest　their　enemies；　learning　them；　should　make　them　vehicles　of　incantation；　and　so　charm　their　lives　away。　As　children　were　not　thought　to　have　enemies；　they　used　to　speak　of　a　man　as　'the　father；　uncle；　or　cousin　of　So…and…so；'　naming　a　child；　but　on　all　occasions　abstained　from　mentioning　the　name　of　a　grown…up　person。　The　Alfoors　of　Poso　in　Celebes　will　not　pronounce　their　own　names。　Among　them；　accordingly；　if　you　wish　to　ascertain　a　person's　name；　you　ought　not　to　ask　the　man　himself；　but　should　enquire　of　others。　But　if　this　is　impossible；　for　example；　when　there　is　no　one　else　near；　you　should　ask　him　his　child's　name；　and　then　address　him　as　the　Father　of　So…and…so。　Nay；　these　Alfoors　are　shy　of　uttering　the　names　even　of　children；　so　when　a　boy　or　girl　has　a　nephew　or　niece；　he　or　she　is　addressed　as　Uncle　of　So…and…so；　or　Aunt　of　So…and…so。　In　pure　Malay　society；　we　are　told；　a　man　is　never　asked　his　name；　and　the　custom　of　naming　parents　after　their　children　is　adopted　only　as　a　means　of　avoiding　the　use　of　the　parents'　own　names。　The　writer　who　makes　this　statement　adds　in　confirmation　of　it　that　childless　persons　are　named　after　their　younger　brothers。　Among　the　Land　Dyaks　children　as　they　grow　up　are　called；　according　to　their　sex；　the　father　or　mother　of　a　child　of　their　father's　or　mother's　younger　brother　or　sister；　that　is；　they　are　called　the　father　or　mother　of　what　we　should　call　their　first　cousin。　The　Caffres　used　to　think　it　discourteous　to　call　a　bride　by　her　own　name；　so　they　would　call　her　the　Mother　of　So…and…so；　even　when　she　was　only　betrothed；　far　less　a　wife　and　a　mother。　Among　the　Kukis　and　Zemis　or　Kacha　Nagas　of　Assam　parents　drop　their　names　after　the　birth　of　a　child　and　are　named　Father　and　Mother　of　So…and…so。　Childless　couples　go　by　the　name　of　the　childless　father；　the　childless　mother；　the　father　of　no　child；　the　mother　of　no　child。　The　widespread　custom　of　naming　a　father　after　his　child　has　sometimes　been　supposed　to　spring　from　a　desire　on　the　father's　part　to　assert　his　paternity；　apparently　as　a　means　of　obtaining　those　rights　over　his　children　which　had　previously；　under　a　system　of　mother…kin；　been　possessed　by　the　mother。　But　this　explanation　does　not　account　for　the　para