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ere were powerful and powerless gods； each naturally sought to make himself one of the former； the plan therefore adopted was to incorporate the spirits of others with their own； thus； when a warrior slew a chief； he immediately gouged out his eyes and swallowed them； the atua tonga； or divinity； being supposed to reside in that organ； thus he not only killed the body； but also possessed himself of the soul of his enemy； and consequently the more chiefs he slew the greater did his divinity become。
It is now easy to understand why a savage should desire to partake of the flesh of an animal or man whom he regards as divine。 By eating the body of the god he shares in the god's attributes and powers。 And when the god is a corn…god； the corn is his proper body； when he is a vine…god； the juice of the grape is his blood； and so by eating the bread and drinking the wine the worshipper partakes of the real body and blood of his god。 Thus the drinking of wine in the rites of a vine…god like Dionysus is not an act of revelry； it is a solemn sacrament。 Yet a time comes when reasonable men find it hard to understand how any one in his senses can suppose that by eating bread or drinking wine he consumes the body or blood of a deity。 When we call corn Ceres and wine Bacchus； says Cicero； we use a common figure of speech； but do you imagine that anybody is so insane as to believe that the thing he feeds upon is a god？
Chapter 52。 Killing the Divine Animal。
1。 Killing the Sacred Buzzard。
IN THE PRECEDING chapters we saw that many communities which have progressed so far as to subsist mainly by agriculture have been in the habit of killing and eating their farinaceous deities either in their proper form of corn； rice； and so forth； or in the borrowed shapes of animals and men。 It remains to show that hunting and pastoral tribes； as well as agricultural peoples； have been in the habit of killing the beings whom they worship。 Among the worshipful beings or gods； if indeed they deserve to be dignified by that name； whom hunters and shepherds adore and kill are animals pure and simple； not animals regarded as embodiments of other supernatural beings。 Our first example is drawn from the Indians of California； who living in a fertile country under a serene and temperate sky； nevertheless rank near the bottom of the savage scale。 The Acagchemem tribe adored the great buzzard； and once a year they celebrated a great festival called Panes or bird…feast in its honour。 The day selected for the festival was made known to the public on the evening before its celebration and preparations were at once made for the erection of a special temple （vanquech）； which seems to have been a circular or oval enclosure of stakes with the stuffed skin of a coyote or prairie…wolf set up on a hurdle to represent the god Chinigchinich。 When the temple was ready； the bird was carried into it in solemn procession and laid on an altar erected for the purpose。 Then all the young women； whether married or single； began to run to and fro； as if distracted； some in one direction and some in another； while the elders of both sexes remained silent spectators of the scene； and the captains； tricked out in paint and feathers； danced round their adored bird。 These ceremonies being concluded； they seized upon the bird and carried it to the principal temple； all the assembly uniting in the grand display； and the captains dancing and singing at the head of the procession。 Arrived at the temple； they killed the bird without losing a drop of its blood。 The skin was removed entire and preserved with the feathers as a relic or for the purpose of making the festal garment or paelt。 The carcase was buried in a hole in the temple； and the old women gathered round the grave weeping and moaning bitterly； while they threw various kinds of seeds or pieces of food on it； crying out； Why did you run away？ Would you not have been better with us？ you would have made pinole （a kind of gruel） as we do； and if you had not run away； you would not have become a Panes； and so on。 When this ceremony was concluded； the dancing was resumed and kept up for three days and nights。 They said that the Panes was a woman who had run off to the mountains and there been changed into a bird by the god Chinigchinich。 They believed that though they sacrificed the bird annually； she came to life again and returned to her home in the mountains。 Moreover； they thought that as often as the bird was killed； it became multiplied； because every year all the different Capitanes celebrated the same feast of Panes； and were firm in the opinion that the birds sacrificed were but one and the same female。
The unity in multiplicity thus postulated by the Californians is very noticeable and helps to explain their motive for killing the divine bird。 The notion of the life of a species as distinct from that of an individual； easy and obvious as it seems to us； appears to be one which the Californian savage cannot grasp。 He is unable to conceive the life of the species otherwise than as an individual life； and therefore as exposed to the same dangers and calamities which menace and finally destroy the life of the individual。 Apparently he imagines that a species left to itself will grow old and die like an individual； and that therefore some step must be taken to save from extinction the particular species which he regards as divine。 The only means he can think of to avert the catastrophe is to kill a member of the species in whose veins the tide of life is still running strong and has not yet stagnated among the fens of old age。 The life thus diverted from one channel will flow； he fancies； more freshly and freely in a new one； in other words； the slain animal will revive and enter on a new term of life with all the spring and energy of youth。 To us this reasoning is transparently absurd； but so too is the custom。 A similar confusion； it may be noted； between the individual life and the life of the species was made by the Samoans。 Each family had for its god a particular species of animal； yet the death of one of these animals； for example an owl； was not the death of the god； he was supposed to be yet alive； and incarnate in all the owls in existence。
2。 Killing the Sacred Ram
THE RUDE Californian rite which we have just considered has a close parallel in the religion of ancient Egypt。 The Thebans and all other Egyptians who worshipped the Theban god Ammon held rams to be sacred； and would not sacrifice them。 But once a year at the festival of Ammon they killed a ram； skinned it； and clothed the image of the god in the skin。 Then they mourned over the ram and buried it in a sacred tomb。 The custom was explained by a story that Zeus had once exhibited himself to Hercules clad in the fleece and wearing the head of a ram。 Of course the ram in this case was simply the beast…god of Thebes； as the wolf was the beast…god of Lycopolis； and the goat was the beast…god of Mendes。 In other words； the ram was Ammon himself。 On the monuments； it is true； Ammon appears in semi…human form with the body of a man and the head of a ram。 But this only shows that he was in the usual chrysalis state through which beast…gods regularly pass befor