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the golden bough-第97章

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e may eat only toasted bananas; and only the centre portion of themthe ends being thrown away。 On the third day of his seclusion a small feast is prepared by his friends; who also fashion some new perineal bands for him。 This is called ivi poro。 The next day the man dons all his best ornaments and badges for taking life; and sallies forth fully armed and parades the village。 The next day a hunt is organised; and a kangaroo selected from the game captured。 It is cut open and the spleen and liver rubbed over the back of the man。 He then walks solemnly down to the nearest water; and standing straddle…legs in it washes himself。 All the young untried warriors swim between his legs。 This is supposed to impart courage and strength to them。 The following day; at early dawn; he dashes out of his house; fully armed; and calls aloud the name of his victim。 Having satisfied himself that he has thoroughly scared the ghost of the dead man; he returns to his house。 The beating of flooring…boards and the lighting of fires is also a certain method of scaring the ghost。 A day later his purification is finished。 He can then enter his wife's house。

In Windessi; Dutch New Guinea; when a party of head…hunters has been successful; and they are nearing home; they announce their approach and success by blowing on triton shells。 Their canoes are also decked with branches。 The faces of the men who have taken a head are blackened with charcoal。 If several have taken part in killing the same victim; his head is divided among them。 They always time their arrival so as to reach home in the early morning。 They come rowing to the village with a great noise; and the women stand ready to dance in the verandahs of the houses。 The canoes row past the room sram or house where the young men live; and as they pass; the murderers throw as many pointed sticks or bamboos at the wall or the roof as there were enemies killed。 The day is spent very quietly。 Now and then they drum or blow on the conch; at other times they beat the walls of the houses with loud shouts to drive away the ghosts of the slain。 So the Yabim of New Guinea believe that the spirit of a murdered man pursues his murderer and seeks to do him a mischief。 Hence they drive away the spirit with shouts and the beating of drums。 When the Fijians had buried a man alive; as they often did; they used at nightfall to make a great uproar by means of bamboos; trumpet…shells; and so forth; for the purpose of frightening away his ghost; lest he should attempt to return to his old home。 And to render his house unattractive to him they dismantled it and clothed it with everything that to their ideas seemed most repulsive。 On the evening of the day on which they had tortured a prisoner to death; the American Indians were wont to run through the village with hideous yells; beating with sticks on the furniture; the walls; and the roofs of the huts to prevent the angry ghost of their victim from settling there and taking vengeance for the torments that his body had endured at their hands。 Once; says a traveller; on approaching in the night a village of Ottawas; I found all the inhabitants in confusion: they were all busily engaged in raising noises of the loudest and most inharmonious kind。 Upon inquiry; I found that a battle had been lately fought between the Ottawas and the Kickapoos; and that the object of all this noise was to prevent the ghosts of the departed combatants from entering the village。

Among the Basutos ablution is specially performed on return from battle。 It is absolutely necessary that the warriors should rid themselves; as soon as possible; of the blood they have shed; or the shades of their victims would pursue them incessantly; and disturb their slumbers。 They go in a procession; and in full armour; to the nearest stream。 At the moment they enter the water a diviner; placed higher up; throws some purifying substances into the current。 This is; however; not strictly necessary。 The javelins and battle…axes also undergo the process of washing。 Among the Bageshu of East Africa a man who has killed another may not return to his own house on the same day; though he may enter the village and spend the night in a friend's house。 He kills a sheep and smears his chest; his right arm; and his head with the contents of the animal's stomach。 His children are brought to him and he smears them in like manner。 Then he smears each side of the doorway with the tripe and entrails; and finally throws the rest of the stomach on the roof of his house。 For a whole day he may not touch food with his hands; but picks it up with two sticks and so conveys it to his mouth。 His wife is not under any such restrictions。 She may even go to mourn for the man whom her husband has killed; if she wishes to do so。 Among the Angoni; to the north of the Zambesi; warriors who have slain foes on an expedition smear their bodies and faces with ashes; hang garments of their victims on their persons; and tie bark ropes round their necks; so that the ends hang down over their shoulders or breasts。 This costume they wear for three days after their return; and rising at break of day they run through the village uttering frightful yells to drive away the ghosts of the slain; which; if they were not thus banished from the houses; might bring sickness and misfortune on the inmates。

In some of these accounts nothing is said of an enforced seclusion; at least after the ceremonial cleansing; but some South African tribes certainly require the slayer of a very gallant foe in war to keep apart from his wife and family for ten days after he has washed his body in running water。 He also receives from the tribal doctor a medicine which he chews with his food。 When a Nandi of East Africa has killed a member of another tribe; he paints one side of his body; spear; and sword red; and the other side white。 For four days after the slaughter he is considered unclean and may not go home。 He has to build a small shelter by a river and live there; he may not associate with his wife or sweetheart; and he may eat nothing but porridge; beef; and goat's flesh。 At the end of the fourth day he must purify himself by taking a strong purge made from the bark of the segetet tree and by drinking goat's milk mixed with blood。 Among the Bantu tribes of Kavirondo; when a man has killed an enemy in warfare he shaves his head on his return home; and his friends rub a medicine; which generally consists of goat's dung; over his body to prevent the spirit of the slain man from troubling him。 Exactly the same custom is practised for the same reason by the Wageia of East Africa。 With the Ja…Luo of Kavirondo the custom is somewhat different。 Three days after his return from the fight the warrior shaves his head。 But before he may enter his village he has to hang a live fowl; head uppermost; round his neck; then the bird is decapitated and its head left hanging round his neck。 Soon after his return a feast is made for the slain man; in order that his ghost may not haunt his slayer。 In the Pelew Islands; when the men return from a warlike expedition in which they have taken a life; the young warriors who have been out fighting for the first time; and all who handled the slain; are 
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