the golden bough-第61部分

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o　belong　neither　to　heaven　nor　to　earth；　one　of　the　most　beautiful　of　the　virgins　consecrated　to　the　service　of　the　gods　was　brought　to　him。　If　the　child　she　bore　him　was　a　son；　he　was　brought　up　as　a　prince　of　the　blood；　and　the　eldest　son　succeeded　his　father　on　the　pontifical　throne。　The　supernatural　powers　attributed　to　this　pontiff　are　not　specified；　but　probably　they　resembled　those　of　the　Mikado　and　Chitomé。

Wherever；　as　in　Japan　and　West　Africa；　it　is　supposed　that　the　order　of　nature；　and　even　the　existence　of　the　world；　is　bound　up　with　the　life　of　the　king　or　priest；　it　is　clear　that　he　must　be　regarded　by　his　subjects　as　a　source　both　of　infinite　blessing　and　of　infinite　danger。　On　the　one　hand；　the　people　have　to　thank　him　for　the　rain　and　sunshine　which　foster　the　fruits　of　the　earth；　for　the　wind　which　brings　ships　to　their　coasts；　and　even　for　the　solid　ground　beneath　their　feet。　But　what　he　gives　he　can　refuse；　and　so　close　is　the　dependence　of　nature　on　his　person；　so　delicate　the　balance　of　the　system　of　forces　whereof　he　is　the　centre；　that　the　least　irregularity　on　his　part　may　set　up　a　tremor　which　shall　shake　the　earth　to　its　foundations。　And　if　nature　may　be　disturbed　by　the　slightest　involuntary　act　of　the　king；　it　is　easy　to　conceive　the　convulsion　which　his　death　might　provoke。　The　natural　death　of　the　Chitomé；　as　we　have　seen；　was　thought　to　entail　the　destruction　of　all　things。　Clearly；　therefore；　out　of　a　regard　for　their　own　safety；　which　might　be　imperilled　by　any　rash　act　of　the　king；　and　still　more　by　his　death；　the　people　will　exact　of　their　king　or　priest　a　strict　conformity　to　those　rules；　the　observance　of　which　is　deemed　necessary　for　his　own　preservation；　and　consequently　for　the　preservation　of　his　people　and　the　world。　The　idea　that　early　kingdoms　are　despotisms　in　which　the　people　exist　only　for　the　sovereign；　is　wholly　inapplicable　to　the　monarchies　we　are　considering。　On　the　contrary；　the　sovereign　in　them　exists　only　for　his　subjects；　his　life　is　only　valuable　so　long　as　he　discharges　the　duties　of　his　position　by　ordering　the　course　of　nature　for　his　people's　benefit。　So　soon　as　he　fails　to　do　so；　the　care；　the　devotion；　the　religious　homage　which　they　had　hitherto　lavished　on　him　cease　and　are　changed　into　hatred　and　contempt；　he　is　dismissed　ignominiously；　and　may　be　thankful　if　he　escapes　with　his　life。　Worshipped　as　a　god　one　day；　he　is　killed　as　a　criminal　the　next。　But　in　this　changed　behaviour　of　the　people　there　is　nothing　capricious　or　inconsistent。　On　the　contrary；　their　conduct　is　entirely　of　a　piece。　If　their　king　is　their　god；　he　is　or　should　be　also　their　preserver；　and　if　he　will　not　preserve　them；　he　must　make　room　for　another　who　will。　So　long；　however；　as　he　answers　their　expectations；　there　is　no　limit　to　the　care　which　they　take　of　him；　and　which　they　compel　him　to　take　of　himself。　A　king　of　this　sort　lives　hedged　in　by　a　ceremonious　etiquette；　a　network　of　prohibitions　and　observances；　of　which　the　intention　is　not　to　contribute　to　his　dignity；　much　less　to　his　comfort；　but　to　restrain　him　from　conduct　which；　by　disturbing　the　harmony　of　nature；　might　involve　himself；　his　people；　and　the　universe　in　one　common　catastrophe。　Far　from　adding　to　his　comfort；　these　observances；　by　trammelling　his　every　act；　annihilate　his　freedom　and　often　render　the　very　life；　which　it　is　their　object　to　preserve；　a　burden　and　sorrow　to　him。

Of　the　supernaturally　endowed　kings　of　Loango　it　is　said　that　the　more　powerful　a　king　is；　the　more　taboos　is　he　bound　to　observe；　they　regulate　all　his　actions；　his　walking　and　his　standing；　his　eating　and　drinking；　his　sleeping　and　waking。　To　these　restraints　the　heir　to　the　throne　is　subject　from　infancy；　but　as　he　advances　in　life　the　number　of　abstinences　and　ceremonies　which　he　must　observe　increases；　until　at　the　moment　that　he　ascends　the　throne　he　is　lost　in　the　ocean　of　rites　and　taboos。　In　the　crater　of　an　extinct　volcano；　enclosed　on　all　sides　by　grassy　slopes；　lie　the　scattered　huts　and　yam…fields　of　Riabba；　the　capital　of　the　native　king　of　Fernando　Po。　This　mysterious　being　lives　in　the　lowest　depths　of　the　crater；　surrounded　by　a　harem　of　forty　women；　and　covered；　it　is　said；　with　old　silver　coins。　Naked　savage　as　he　is；　he　yet　exercises　far　more　influence　in　the　island　than　the　Spanish　governor　at　Santa　Isabel。　In　him　the　conservative　spirit　of　the　Boobies　or　aboriginal　inhabitants　of　the　island　is；　as　it　were；　incorporate。　He　has　never　seen　a　white　man　and；　according　to　the　firm　conviction　of　all　the　Boobies；　the　sight　of　a　pale　face　would　cause　his　instant　death。　He　cannot　bear　to　look　upon　the　sea；　indeed　it　is　said　that　he　may　never　see　it　even　in　the　distance；　and　that　therefore　he　wears　away　his　life　with　shackles　on　his　legs　in　the　dim　twilight　of　his　hut。　Certain　it　is　that　he　has　never　set　foot　on　the　beach。　With　the　exception　of　his　musket　and　knife；　he　uses　nothing　that　comes　from　the　whites；　European　cloth　never　touches　his　person；　and　he　scorns　tobacco；　rum；　and　even　salt。

Among　the　Ewe…speaking　peoples　of　the　Slave　Coast　the　king　is　at　the　same　time　high　priest。　In　this　quality　he　was；　particularly　in　former　times；　unapproachable　by　his　subjects。　Only　by　night　was　he　allowed　to　quit　his　dwelling　in　order　to　bathe　and　so　forth。　None　but　his　representative；　the　so…called　'visible　king；'　with　three　chosen　elders　might　converse　with　him；　and　even　they　had　to　sit　on　an　ox…hide　with　their　backs　turned　to　him。　He　might　not　see　any　European　nor　any　horse；　nor　might　he　look　upon　the　sea；　for　which　reason　he　was　not　allowed　to　quit　his　capital　even　for　a　few　moments。　These　rules　have　been　disregarded　in　recent　times。　The　king　of　Dahomey　himself　is　subject　to　the　prohibition　of　beholding　the　sea；　and　so　are　the　kings　of　Loango　and　Great　Ardra　in　Guinea。　The　sea　is　the　fetish　of　the　Eyeos；　to　the　north…west　of　Dahomey；　and　they　and　their　king　are　threatened　with　death　by　their　priests　if　ever　they　dare　to　look　on　it。　It　is　believed　that　the　king　of　Cayor　in　Senegal　would　infallibly　die　within　the　year　if　he　were　to　cross　a　river　or　an　arm　of　the　sea。　In　Mashonaland　down　to　recent　times　the　chiefs　would　not　cross　certain　rivers；　particularly　the　Rurikwi　and　the　Nyadiri；　and　the　custom　was　still　strictly　observed　by　at　least　one　chief　within　recent　years。　On　no　account　will　the　chief　cross　the　river。　If　it　is　absolutely　necessary　for　him　to　do　so；　he　is　blindfolded　and　carried　across　with　shouting　and　singing。　Should　he　walk　across；　he　will　go　blind　or　die　and　certainly　lose　the　chieftainship。　So　among　the　Mahafalys　and　Sakalavas　in　the　south　of　Madagascar　some　kings　are　forbidden　to　sail　on　the　sea　or　to　cross　certain　rivers。　Among　the　Sakalavas　the　chief　is　regarded　as　a　sacred　being；　but　he　is　held　in　leash　by　a　crowd　of　restrictions；　which　regulate　his　behaviour　like　that　of　the　emperor　of　China。　He　can　undertake　nothing　whatever　unless　the　sorcerers　have　declared　the　omens　favourable；　he　may　not　eat　warm　food：　on　certain　days　he　may　not　quit　his　hut；　and　so　on。　Among　some　of　the　hill　tribes　of　Assam　both　the　headman　and　his　wife　have　to　observe　many　taboos　in　respect　of　food；　thus　they　may　not　eat　buffalo；　pork；　dog；　fowl；　or　tomatoes。　The　headman　must　be　chaste；　the　husband　of　one　wife；　and　he　must　separate　himself　from　her　on　the　eve　of　a　general　or　public　observance　of　taboo。　In　one　group　of　tribes　the　headman　is　forbidden　to　eat　in　a　strange　village；　and　under　no　provocation　whatever　may　he　utter　a　word　of　abuse。　Apparently　the　people　imagine　that　the　violation　of　any　of　these　taboos　by　a　headman　would　bring　down　misfortune　on　the　whole　village。

The　ancient　kings　of　Ireland；　as　well　as　the　kings　of　the　four　provinces　of　Leinster；　Munster；　Connaught；　and　Ulster；　were　subject　to　certain　quaint　prohibitions　or　taboos；　on　the　due　observance　of　which　the　prosperity　of　the　people　of　the　country；　as　well　as　their　own；　was　supposed　to　depend。　Thus；　for　example；　the　sun　might　not　rise　on　the　king　of　Ireland　in　his　bed　at　Tara；　the　old　capital　of　Erin；　he　was　forbidden　to　alight　on　Wednesday　at　Magh　Breagh；　to　traverse　Magh　Cuillinn　after　sunset；　to　incite　his　horse　at　Fan…Chomair；　to　go　in　a　ship　upon　the　water　the　Monday　after　Bealltaine　（May　day）；　and　to　leave　the　track　of　his　army　upon　Ath　Maighne　the　Tuesday　after　All…Hallows。　The　king　of　Leinster　might　not　go　round　Tuath　Laighean　left…hand…wise　on　Wednesday；　nor　sleep　between　the　Dothair　（Dodder）　and　the　Duibhlinn　with　his　head　inclining　to　one　side；　nor　encamp　for　nine　days　on　the　plains　of　Cualann；　nor　travel　the　road　of　Duibhlinn　on　Monday；　nor　ride　a　dirty　black…heeled　horse　across　Magh　Maistean。　The　king　of　Munster　was　prohibited　from　enjoying　the　feast　of　Loch　Lein　from　one　Monday　to　another；　from　banqueting　by　night　in　the　beginning　of　harvest　before　Geim　at　Leitreacha；　from　encamping　for　nine　days　upon　the　Siuir；　and　from　holding　a　border　meeting　at　Gabhran。　The　king　of　Connaught　might　not　conclude　a　treaty　respecting　his　ancient　palace　of　Cruachan　after　making　peace　on　All…Hallows　Day；　nor　go　in　a　speckled　garment　on　a　grey　speckled　steed　to　the　heath　of　Dal　Chais；　nor　repair　to　an　assembly　of　women　at　Seaghais；　nor　sit　in　autumn　on　the　sepulchral　mounds　of　the