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cut is in immediate charge of the Atua （spirit）； he is removed from the contact and society of his family and his tribe； he dare not touch his food himself； it is put into his mouth by another person； nor can he for some days resume his accustomed occupations or associate with his fellow…men。 The person who cuts the hair is also tabooed； his hands having been in contact with a sacred head； he may not touch food with them or engage in any other employment； he is fed by another person with food cooked over a sacred fire。 He cannot be released from the taboo before the following day； when he rubs his hands with potato or fern root which has been cooked on a sacred fire； and this food having been taken to the head of the family in the female line and eaten by her； his hands are freed from the taboo。 In some parts of New Zealand the most sacred day of the year was that appointed for hair…cutting； the people assembled in large numbers on that day from all the neighbourhood。
8。 Disposal of Cut Hair and Nails。
BUT even when the hair and nails have been safely cut； there remains the difficulty of disposing of them； for their owner believes himself liable to suffer from any harm that may befall them。 The notion that a man may be bewitched by means of the clippings of his hair； the parings of his nails； or any other severed portion of his person is almost world…wide； and attested by evidence too ample； too familiar； and too tedious in its uniformity to be here analysed at length。 The general idea on which the superstition rests is that of the sympathetic connexion supposed to persist between a person and everything that has once been part of his body or in any way closely related to him。 A very few examples must suffice。 They belong to that branch of sympathetic magic which may be called contagious。 Dread of sorcery； we are told； formed one of the most salient characteristics of the Marquesan islanders in the old days。 The sorcerer took some of the hair； spittle； or other bodily refuse of the man he wished to injure； wrapped it up in a leaf； and placed the packet in a bag woven of threads or fibres； which were knotted in an intricate way。 The whole was then buried with certain rites； and thereupon the victim wasted away of a languishing sickness which lasted twenty days。 His life； however； might be saved by discovering and digging up the buried hair； spittle； or what not； for as soon as this was done the power of the charm ceased。 A Maori sorcerer intent on bewitching somebody sought to get a tress of his victim's hair； the parings of his nails； some of his spittle； or a shred of his garment。 Having obtained the object； whatever it was； he chanted certain spells and curses over it in a falsetto voice and buried it in the ground。 As the thing decayed； the person to whom it had belonged was supposed to waste away。 When an Australian blackfellow wishes to get rid of his wife； he cuts off a lock of her hair in her sleep； ties it to his spear…thrower； and goes with it to a neighbouring tribe； where he gives it to a friend。 His friend sticks the spear…thrower up every night before the camp fire； and when it falls down it is a sign that the wife is dead。 The way in which the charm operates was explained to Dr。 Howitt by a Wirajuri man。 You see； he said； when a blackfellow doctor gets hold of something belonging to a man and roasts it with things； and sings over it； the fire catches hold of the smell of the man； and that settles the poor fellow。
The Huzuls of the Carpathians imagine that if mice get a person's shorn hair and make a nest of it； the person will suffer from headache or even become idiotic。 Similarly in Germany it is a common notion that if birds find a person's cut hair； and build their nests with it； the person will suffer from headache； sometimes it is thought that he will have an eruption on the head。 The same superstition prevails； or used to prevail； in West Sussex。
Again it is thought that cut or combed…out hair may disturb the weather by producing rain and hail； thunder and lightning。 We have seen that in New Zealand a spell was uttered at hair…cutting to avert thunder and lightning。 In the Tyrol； witches are supposed to use cut or combed…out hair to make hailstones or thunderstorms with。 Thlinkeet Indians have been known to attribute stormy weather to the rash act of a girl who had combed her hair outside of the house。 The Romans seem to have held similar views； for it was a maxim with them that no one on shipboard should cut his hair or nails except in a storm； that is； when the mischief was already done。 In the Highlands of Scotland it is said that no sister should comb her hair at night if she have a brother at sea。 In West Africa； when the Mani of Chitombe or Jumba died； the people used to run in crowds to the corpse and tear out his hair； teeth； and nails； which they kept as a rain…charm； believing that otherwise no rain would fall。 The Makoko of the Anzikos begged the missionaries to give him half their beards as a rain…charm。
If cut hair and nails remain in sympathetic connexion with the person from whose body they have been severed； it is clear that they can be used as hostages for his good behaviour by any one who may chance to possess them； for on the principles of contagious magic he has only to injure the hair or nails in order to hurt simultaneously their original owner。 Hence when the Nandi have taken a prisoner they shave his head and keep the shorn hair as a surety that he will not attempt to escape； but when the captive is ransomed； they return his shorn hair with him to his own people。
To preserve the cut hair and nails from injury and from the dangerous uses to which they may be put by sorcerers； it is necessary to deposit them in some safe place。 The shorn locks of a Maori chief were gathered with much care and placed in an adjoining cemetery。 The Tahitians buried the cuttings of their hair at the temples。 In the streets of Soku a modern traveller observed cairns of large stones piled against walls with tufts of human hair inserted in the crevices。 On asking the meaning of this； he was told that when any native of the place polled his hair he carefully gathered up the clippings and deposited them in one of these cairns； all of which were sacred to the fetish and therefore inviolable。 These cairns of sacred stones； he further learned； were simply a precaution against witchcraft； for if a man were not thus careful in disposing of his hair； some of it might fall into the hands of his enemies； who would； by means of it； be able to cast spells over him and so compass his destruction。 When the top…knot of a Siamese child has been cut with great ceremony； the short hairs are put into a little vessel made of plantain leaves and set adrift on the nearest river or canal。 As they float away； all that was wrong or harmful in the child's disposition is believed to depart with them。 The long hairs are kept till the child makes a pilgrimage to the holy Footprint of Buddha on the sacred hill at Prabat。 They are then presented to the priests； who are supposed to make them into brushes with which they sweep the Footprint； but in fact so much hair is thus offered every year that the priests cannot use it all；