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ccount； it may not be used by anybody for that period。 Before the men go into the tent where they are to be secluded； they strip themselves of the garments they had worn in killing the bear； and their wives spit the red juice of alder bark in their faces。 They enter the tent not by the ordinary door but by an opening at the back。 When the bear's flesh has been cooked； a portion of it is sent by the hands of two men to the women； who may not approach the men's tent while the cooking is going on。 The men who convey the flesh to the women pretend to be strangers bringing presents from a foreign land； the women keep up the pretence and promise to tie red threads round the legs of the strangers。 The bear's flesh may not be passed in to the women through the door of their tent； but must be thrust in at a special opening made by lifting up the hem of the tent…cover。 When the three days' seclusion is over and the men are at liberty to return to their wives； they run； one after the other； round the fire； holding the chain by which pots are suspended over it。 This is regarded as a form of purification； they may now leave the tent by the ordinary door and rejoin the women。 But the leader of the party must still abstain from cohabitation with his wife for two days more。
Again； the Caffres are said to dread greatly the boa…constrictor or an enormous serpent resembling it； and being influenced by certain superstitious notions they even fear to kill it。 The man who happened to put it to death； whether in self…defence or otherwise； was formerly required to lie in a running stream of water during the day for several weeks together； and no beast whatever was allowed to be slaughtered at the hamlet to which he belonged； until this duty had been fully performed。 The body of the snake was then taken and carefully buried in a trench； dug close to the cattle…fold； where its remains； like those of a chief； were henceforward kept perfectly undisturbed。 The period of penance； as in the case of mourning for the dead； is now happily reduced to a few days。 In Madras it is considered a great sin to kill a cobra。 When this has happened； the people generally burn the body of the serpent； just as they burn the bodies of human beings。 The murderer deems himself polluted for three days。 On the second day milk is poured on the remains of the cobra。 On the third day the guilty wretch is free from pollution。
In these last cases the animal whose slaughter has to be atoned for is sacred； that is； it is one whose life is commonly spared from motives of superstition。 Yet the treatment of the sacrilegious slayer seems to resemble so closely the treatment of hunters and fishermen who have killed animals for food in the ordinary course of business； that the ideas on which both sets of customs are based may be assumed to be substantially the same。 Those ideas； if I am right； are the respect which the savage feels for the souls of beasts； especially valuable or formidable beasts； and the dread which he entertains of their vengeful ghosts。 Some confirmation of this view may be drawn from the ceremonies observed by fishermen of Annam when the carcase of a whale is washed ashore。 These fisherfolk； we are told； worship the whale on account of the benefits they derive from it。 There is hardly a village on the sea…shore which has not its small pagoda； containing the bones； more or less authentic； of a whale。 When a dead whale is washed ashore； the people accord it a solemn burial。 The man who first caught sight of it acts as chief mourner； performing the rites which as chief mourner and heir he would perform for a human kinsman。 He puts on all the garb of woe； the straw hat； the white robe with long sleeves turned inside out； and the other paraphernalia of full mourning。 As next of kin to the deceased he presides over the funeral rites。 Perfumes are burned； sticks of incense kindled； leaves of gold and silver scattered； crackers let off。 When the flesh has been cut off and the oil extracted； the remains of the carcase are buried in the sand。 After wards a shed is set up and offerings are made in it。 Usually some time after the burial the spirit of the dead whale takes possession of some person in the village and declares by his mouth whether he is a male or a female。
Chapter 21。 Tabooed Things。
1。 The Meaning of Taboo。
THUS in primitive society the rules of ceremonial purity observed by divine kings； chiefs； and priests agree in many respects with the rules observed by homicides； mourners； women in childbed； girls at puberty； hunters and fishermen； and so on。 To us these various classes of persons appear to differ totally in character and condition； some of them we should call holy； others we might pronounce unclean and polluted。 But the savage makes no such moral distinction between them； the conceptions of holiness and pollution are not yet differentiated in his mind。 To him the common feature of all these persons is that they are dangerous and in danger； and the danger in which they stand and to which they expose others is what we should call spiritual or ghostly； and therefore imaginary。 The danger； however； is not less real because it is imaginary； imagination acts upon man as really as does gravitation； and may kill him as certainly as a dose of prussic acid。 To seclude these persons from the rest of the world so that the dreaded spiritual danger shall neither reach them nor spread from them； is the object of the taboos which they have to observe。 These taboos act； so to say； as electrical insulators to preserve the spiritual force with which these persons are charged from suffering or inflicting harm by contact with the outer world。
To the illustrations of these general principles which have been already given I shall now add some more； drawing my examples； first； from the class of tabooed things； and； second； from the class of tabooed words； for in the opinion of the savage both things and words may； like persons； be charged or electrified； either temporarily or permanently； with the mysterious virtue of taboo； and may therefore require to be banished for a longer or shorter time from the familiar usage of common life。 And the examples will be chosen with special reference to those sacred chiefs； kings and priests； who； more than anybody else； live fenced about by taboo as by a wall。 Tabooed things will be illustrated in the present chapter； and tabooed words in the next。
2。 Iron tabooed。
IN THE FIRST place we may observe that the awful sanctity of kings naturally leads to a prohibition to touch their sacred persons。 Thus it was unlawful to lay hands on the person of a Spartan king： no one might touch the body of the king or queen of Tahiti： it is forbidden to touch the person of the king of Siam under pain of death； and no one may touch the king of Cambodia； for any purpose whatever； without his express command。 In July 1874 the king was thrown from his carriage and lay insensible on the ground； but not one of his suite dared to touch him； a European coming to the spot carried the injured monarch to his palace。 Formerly no one might touch the king of Corea； and if he deigned to touch a subject； the spot touched became sacred； and the person thus hono