the golden bough-第32部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

the　king；　who　is　likewise　compelled　to　yield　to　the　dictates　of　this　arch…official。

The　foregoing　evidence　renders　it　probable　that　in　Africa　the　king　has　often　been　developed　out　of　the　public　magician；　and　especially　out　of　the　rain…maker。　The　unbounded　fear　which　the　magician　inspires　and　the　wealth　which　he　amasses　in　the　exercise　of　his　profession　may　both　be　supposed　to　have　contributed　to　his　promotion。　But　if　the　career　of　a　magician　and　especially　of　a　rain…maker　offers　great　rewards　to　the　successful　practitioner　of　the　art；　it　is　beset　with　many　pitfalls　into　which　the　unskilful　or　unlucky　artist　may　fall。　The　position　of　the　public　sorcerer　is　indeed　a　very　precarious　one；　for　where　the　people　firmly　believe　that　he　has　it　in　his　power　to　make　the　rain　to　fall；　the　sun　to　shine；　and　the　fruits　of　the　earth　to　grow；　they　naturally　impute　drought　and　dearth　to　his　culpable　negligence　or　wilful　obstinacy；　and　they　punish　him　accordingly。　Hence　in　Africa　the　chief　who　fails　to　procure　rain　is　often　exiled　or　killed。　Thus；　in　some　parts　of　West　Africa；　when　prayers　and　offerings　presented　to　the　king　have　failed　to　procure　rain；　his　subjects　bind　him　with　ropes　and　take　him　by　force　to　the　grave　of　his　forefathers　that　he　may　obtain　from　them　the　needed　rain。　The　Banjars　in　West　Africa　ascribe　to　their　king　the　power　of　causing　rain　or　fine　weather。　So　long　as　the　weather　is　fine　they　load　him　with　presents　of　grain　and　cattle。　But　if　long　drought　or　rain　threatens　to　spoil　the　crops；　they　insult　and　beat　him　till　the　weather　changes。　When　the　harvest　fails　or　the　surf　on　the　coast　is　too　heavy　to　allow　of　fishing；　the　people　of　Loango　accuse　their　king　of　a　bad　heart　and　depose　him。　On　the　Grain　Coast　the　high　priest　or　fetish　king；　who　bears　the　title　of　Bodio；　is　responsible　for　the　health　of　the　community；　the　fertility　of　the　earth；　and　the　abundance　of　fish　in　the　sea　and　rivers；　and　if　the　country　suffers　in　any　of　these　respects　the　Bodio　is　deposed　from　his　office。　In　Ussukuma；　a　great　district　on　the　southern　bank　of　the　Victoria　Nyanza；　the　rain　and　locust　question　is　part　and　parcel　of　the　Sultan's　government。　He；　too；　must　know　how　to　make　rain　and　drive　away　the　locusts。　If　he　and　his　medicine…men　are　unable　to　accomplish　this；　his　whole　existence　is　at　stake　in　times　of　distress。　On　a　certain　occasion；　when　the　rain　so　greatly　desired　by　the　people　did　not　come；　the　Sultan　was　simply　driven　out　（in　Ututwa；　near　Nassa）。　The　people；　in　fact；　hold　that　rulers　must　have　power　over　Nature　and　her　phenomena。　Again；　we　are　told　of　the　natives　of　the　Nyanaza　region　generally　that　they　are　persuaded　that　rain　only　falls　as　a　result　of　magic；　and　the　important　duty　of　causing　it　to　descend　devolves　on　the　chief　of　the　tribe。　If　rain　does　not　come　at　the　proper　time；　everybody　complains。　More　than　one　petty　king　has　been　banished　his　country　because　of　drought。　Among　the　Latuka　of　the　Upper　Nile；　when　the　crops　are　withering；　and　all　the　efforts　of　the　chief　to　draw　down　rain　have　proved　fruitless；　the　people　commonly　attack　him　by　night；　rob　him　of　all　he　possesses；　and　drive　him　away。　But　often　they　kill　him。

In　many　other　parts　of　the　world　kings　have　been　expected　to　regulate　the　course　of　nature　for　the　good　of　their　people　and　have　been　punished　if　they　failed　to　do　so。　It　appears　that　the　Scythians；　when　food　was　scarce；　used　to　put　their　king　in　bonds。　In　ancient　Egypt　the　sacred　kings　were　blamed　for　the　failure　of　the　crops；　but　the　sacred　beasts　were　also　held　responsible　for　the　course　of　nature。　When　pestilence　and　other　calamities　had　fallen　on　the　land；　in　consequence　of　a　long　and　severe　drought；　the　priests　took　the　animals　by　night　and　threatened　them；　but　if　the　evil　did　not　abate　they　slew　the　beasts。　On　the　coral　island　of　Niueˉ　or　Savage　Island；　in　the　South　Pacific；　there　formerly　reigned　a　line　of　kings。　But　as　the　kings　were　also　high　priests；　and　were　supposed　to　make　the　food　grow；　the　people　became　angry　with　them　in　times　of　scarcity　and　killed　them；　till　at　last；　as　one　after　another　was　killed；　no　one　would　be　king；　and　the　monarchy　came　to　an　end。　Ancient　Chinese　writers　inform　us　that　in　Corea　the　blame　was　laid　on　the　king　whenever　too　much　or　too　little　rain　fell　and　the　crops　did　not　ripen。　Some　said　that　he　must　be　deposed；　others　that　he　must　be　slain。

Among　the　American　Indians　the　furthest　advance　towards　civilisation　was　made　under　the　monarchical　and　theocratic　governments　of　Mexico　and　Peru；　but　we　know　too　little　of　the　early　history　of　these　countries　to　say　whether　the　predecessors　of　their　deified　kings　were　medicine…men　or　not。　Perhaps　a　trace　of　such　a　succession　may　be　detected　in　the　oath　which　the　Mexican　kings；　when　they　mounted　the　throne；　swore　that　they　would　make　the　sun　to　shine；　the　clouds　to　give　rain；　the　rivers　to　flow；　and　the　earth　to　bring　forth　fruits　in　abundance。　Certainly；　in　aboriginal　America　the　sorcerer　or　medicine…man；　surrounded　by　a　halo　of　mystery　and　an　atmosphere　of　awe；　was　a　personage　of　great　influence　and　importance；　and　he　may　well　have　developed　into　a　chief　or　king　in　many　tribes；　though　positive　evidence　of　such　a　development　appears　to　be　lacking。　Thus　Catlin　tells　us　that　in　North　America　the　medicine…men　are　valued　as　dignitaries　in　the　tribe；　and　the　greatest　respect　is　paid　to　them　by　the　whole　community；　not　only　for　their　skill　in　their　materia　medica；　but　more　especially　for　their　tact　in　magic　and　mysteries；　in　which　they　all　deal　to　a　very　great　extent　。　In　all　tribes　their　doctors　are　conjurersare　magiciansare　sooth…sayers；　and　I　had　like　to　have　said　high…priests；　inasmuch　as　they　superintend　and　conduct　all　their　religious　ceremonies；　they　are　looked　upon　by　all　as　oracles　of　the　nation。　In　all　councils　of　war　and　peace；　they　have　a　seat　with　the　chiefs；　are　regularly　consulted　before　any　public　step　is　taken；　and　the　greatest　deference　and　respect　is　paid　to　their　opinions。　Similarly　in　California　the　shaman　was；　and　still　is；　perhaps　the　most　important　individual　among　the　Maidu。　In　the　absence　of　any　definite　system　of　government；　the　word　of　a　shaman　has　great　weight：　as　a　class　they　are　regarded　with　much　awe；　and　as　a　rule　are　obeyed　much　more　than　the　chief。

In　South　America　also　the　magicians　or　medicine…men　seem　to　have　been　on　the　highroad　to　chieftainship　or　kingship。　One　of　the　earliest　settlers　on　the　coast　of　Brazil；　the　Frenchman　Thevet；　reports　that　the　Indians　hold　these　pages　（or　medicine…men）　in　such　honour　and　reverence　that　they　adore；　or　rather　idolise　them。　You　may　see　the　common　folk　go　to　meet　them；　prostrate　themselves；　and　pray　to　them；　saying；　'Grant　that　I　be　not　ill；　that　I　do　not　die；　neither　I　nor　my　children；'　or　some　such　request。　And　he　answers；　'You　shall　not　die；　you　shall　not　be　ill；'　and　such　like　replies。　But　sometimes　if　it　happens　that　these　pages　do　not　tell　the　truth；　and　things　turn　out　otherwise　than　they　predicted；　the　people　make　no　scruple　of　killing　them　as　unworthy　of　the　title　and　dignity　of　pages。　Among　the　Lengua　Indians　of　the　Gran　Chaco　every　clan　has　its　cazique　or　chief；　but　he　possesses　little　authority。　In　virtue　of　his　office　he　has　to　make　many　presents；　so　he　seldom　grows　rich　and　is　generally　more　shabbily　clad　than　any　of　his　subjects。　As　a　matter　of　fact　the　magician　is　the　man　who　has　most　power　in　his　hands；　and　he　is　accustomed　to　receive　presents　instead　of　to　give　them。　It　is　the　magician's　duty　to　bring　down　misfortune　and　plagues　on　the　enemies　of　his　tribe；　and　to　guard　his　own　people　against　hostile　magic。　For　these　services　he　is　well　paid；　and　by　them　he　acquires　a　position　of　great　influence　and　authority。

Throughout　the　Malay　region　the　rajah　or　king　is　commonly　regarded　with　superstitious　veneration　as　the　possessor　of　supernatural　powers；　and　there　are　grounds　for　thinking　that　he　too；　like　apparently　so　many　African　chiefs；　has　been　developed　out　of　a　simple　magician。　At　the　present　day　the　Malays　firmly　believe　that　the　king　possesses　a　personal　influence　over　the　works　of　nature；　such　as　the　growth　of　the　crops　and　the　bearing　of　fruit…trees。　The　same　prolific　virtue　is　supposed　to　reside；　though　in　a　lesser　degree；　in　his　delegates；　and　even　in　the　persons　of　Europeans　who　chance　to　have　charge　of　districts。　Thus　in　Selangor；　one　of　the　native　states　of　the　Malay　Peninsula；　the　success　or　failure　of　the　rice…crops　is　often　attributed　to　a　change　of　district　officers。　The　Toorateyas　of　Southern　Celebes　hold　that　the　prosperity　of　the　rice　depends　on　the　behaviour　of　their　princes；　and　that　bad　government；　by　which　they　mean　a　government　which　does　not　conform　to　ancient　custom；　will　result　in　a　failure　of　the　crops。

The　Dyaks　of　Sarawak　believed　that　their　famous　English　ruler；　Rajah　Brooke；　was　endowed　with　a　certain　magical　virtue　which；　if　properly　applied；　could　render　the　rice…crops　abundant。　Hence　when　he　visited　a　tribe；　they　used　to　bring　him　the　seed　which　they　intended　to　sow　next　year；　and　he　fertilised　it　by　shaking　over　it　the　women's　necklaces；　which　had　been　previously　dipped　in　a　special　mixture。　And　when　he　entered　a　village；　the　women　would　wash　and　bathe　his　feet；　first　with　water；　and　then　with　the　milk　of　a