the golden bough-第14部分

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itt　once　acted　as　custodian　of　the

teeth　which　had　been　extracted　from　some　novices　at　a　ceremony　of　initiation；　and　the　old　men　earnestly　besought　him　not　to　carry　them　in　a　bag　in　which　they　knew　that　he　had　some　quartz　crystals。　They　declared　that　if　he　did　so　the　magic　of　the　crystals　would　pass　into　the　teeth；　and　so　injure　the　boys。　Nearly　a　year　after　Dr。　Howitt's　return　from　the　ceremony　he　was　visited　by　one　of　the　principal　men　of　the　Murring　tribe；　who　had　travelled　some　two　hundred　and　fifty　miles　from　his　home　to　fetch　back　the　teeth。　This　man　explained　that　he　had　been　sent　for　them　because　one　of　the　boys　had　fallen　into　ill　health；　and　it　was　believed　that　the　teeth　had　received　some　injury　which　had　affected　him。　He　was　assured　that　the　teeth　had　been　kept　in　a　box　apart　from　any　substances；　like　quartz　crystals；　which　could　influence　them；　and　he　returned　home　bearing　the　teeth　with　him　carefully　wrapt　up　and　concealed。

The　Basutos　are　careful　to　conceal　their　extracted　teeth；　lest　these　should　fall　into　the　hands　of　certain　mythical　beings　who　haunt　graves；　and　who　could　harm　the　owner　of　the　tooth　by　working　magic　on　it。　In　Sussex　some　fifty　years　ago　a　maid…servant　remonstrated　strongly　against　the　throwing　away　of　children's　cast　teeth；　affirming　that　should　they　be　found　and　gnawed　by　any　animal；　the　child's　new　tooth　would　be；　for　all　the　world；　like　the　teeth　of　the　animal　that　had　bitten　the　old　one。　In　proof　of　this　she　named　old　Master　Simmons；　who　had　a　very　large　pig's　tooth　in　his　upper　jaw；　a　personal　defect　that　he　always　averred　was　caused　by　his　mother；　who　threw　away　one　of　his　cast　teeth　by　accident　into　the　hog's　trough。　A　similar　belief　has　led　to　practices　intended；　on　the　principles　of　homoeopathic　magic；　to　replace　old　teeth　by　new　and　better　ones。　Thus　in　many　parts　of　the　world　it　is　customary　to　put　extracted　teeth　in　some　place　where　they　will　be　found　by　a　mouse　or　a　rat；　in　the　hope　that；　through　the　sympathy　which　continues　to　subsist　between　them　and　their　former　owner；　his　other　teeth　may　acquire　the　same　firmness　and　excellence　as　the　teeth　of　these　rodents。　For　example；　in　Germany　it　is　said　to　be　an　almost　universal　maxim　among　the　people　that　when　you　have　had　a　tooth　taken　out　you　should　insert　it　in　a　mouse's　hole。　To　do　so　with　a　child's　milk…tooth　which　has　fallen　out　will　prevent　the　child　from　having　toothache。　Or　you　should　go　behind　the　stove　and　throw　your　tooth　backwards　over　your　head；　saying　Mouse；　give　me　your　iron　tooth；　I　will　give　you　my　bone　tooth。　After　that　your　other　teeth　will　remain　good。　Far　away　from　Europe；　at　Raratonga；　in　the　Pacific；　when　a　child's　tooth　was　extracted；　the　following　prayer　used　to　be　recited：

Big　rat！　little　rat！　Here　is　my　old　tooth。　Pray　give　me　a　new　one。

Then　the　tooth　was　thrown　on　the　thatch　of　the　house；　because　rats　make　their　nests　in　the　decayed　thatch。　The　reason　assigned　for　invoking　the　rats　on　these　occasions　was　that　rats'　teeth　were　the　strongest　known　to　the　natives。

Other　parts　which　are　commonly　believed　to　remain　in　a　sympathetic　union　with　the　body；　after　the　physical　connexion　has　been　severed；　are　the　navel…string　and　the　afterbirth；　including　the　placenta。　So　intimate；　indeed；　is　the　union　conceived　to　be；　that　the　fortunes　of　the　individual　for　good　or　evil　throughout　life　are　often　supposed　to　be　bound　up　with　one　or　other　of　these　portions　of　his　person；　so　that　if　his　navel…string　or　afterbirth　is　preserved　and　properly　treated；　he　will　be　prosperous；　whereas　if　it　be　injured　or　lost；　he　will　suffer　accordingly。　Thus　certain　tribes　of　Western　Australia　believe　that　a　man　swims　well　or　ill；　according　as　his　mother　at　his　birth　threw　the　navel…string　into　water　or　not。　Among　the　natives　on　the　Pennefather　River　in　Queensland　it　is　believed　that　a　part　of　the　child's　spirit　（cho…i）　stays　in　the　afterbirth。　Hence　the　grandmother　takes　the　afterbirth　away　and　buries　it　in　the　sand。　She　marks　the　spot　by　a　number　of　twigs　which　she　sticks　in　the　ground　in　a　circle；　tying　their　tops　together　so　that　the　structure　resembles　a　cone。　When　Anjea；　the　being　who　causes　conception　in　women　by　putting　mud　babies　into　their　wombs；　comes　along　and　sees　the　place；　he　takes　out　the　spirit　and　carries　it　away　to　one　of　his　haunts；　such　as　a　tree；　a　hole　in　a　rock；　or　a　lagoon　where　it　may　remain　for　years。　But　sometime　or　other　he　will　put　the　spirit　again　into　a　baby；　and　it　will　be　born　once　more　into　the　world。　In　Ponape；　one　of　the　Caroline　Islands；　the　navel…string　is　placed　in　a　shell　and　then　disposed　of　in　such　a　way　as　shall　best　adapt　the　child　for　the　career　which　the　parents　have　chosen　for　him；　for　example；　if　they　wish　to　make　him　a　good　climber；　they　will　hang　the　navel…string　on　a　tree。　The　Kei　islanders　regard　the　navel…string　as　the　brother　or　sister　of　the　child；　according　to　the　sex　of　the　infant。　They　put　it　in　a　pot　with　ashes；　and　set　it　in　the　branches　of　a　tree；　that　it　may　keep　a　watchful　eye　on　the　fortunes　of　its　comrade。　Among　the　Bataks　of　Sumatra；　as　among　many　other　peoples　of　the　Indian　Archipelago；　the　placenta　passes　for　the　child's　younger　brother　or　sister；　the　sex　being　determined　by　the　sex　of　the　child；　and　it　is　buried　under　the　house。　According　to　the　Bataks　it　is　bound　up　with　the　child's　welfare；　and　seems；　in　fact；　to　be　the　seat　of　the　transferable　soul；　of　which　we　shall　hear　something　later　on。　The　Karo　Bataks　even　affirm　that　of　a　man's　two　souls　it　is　the　true　soul　that　lives　with　the　placenta　under　the　house；　that　is　the　soul；　they　say；　which　begets　children。

The　Baganda　believe　that　every　person　is　born　with　a　double；　and　this　double　they　identify　with　the　afterbirth；　which　they　regard　as　a　second　child。　The　mother　buries　the　afterbirth　at　the　root　of　a　plantain　tree；　which　then　becomes　sacred　until　the　fruit　has　ripened；　when　it　is　plucked　to　furnish　a　sacred　feast　for　the　family。　Among　the　Cherokees　the　navel…string　of　a　girl　is　buried　under　a　corn…mortar；　in　order　that　the　girl　may　grow　up　to　be　a　good　baker；　but　the　navel…string　of　a　boy　is　hung　up　on　a　tree　in　the　woods；　in　order　that　he　may　be　a　hunter。　The　Incas　of　Peru　preserved　the　navel…string　with　the　greatest　care；　and　gave　it　to　the　child　to　suck　whenever　it　fell　ill。　In　ancient　Mexico　they　used　to　give　a　boy's　navel…string　to　soldiers；　to　be　buried　by　them　on　a　field　of　battle；　in　order　that　the　boy　might　thus　acquire　a　passion　for　war。　But　the　navel…string　of　a　girl　was　buried　beside　the　domestic　hearth；　because　this　was　believed　to　inspire　her　with　a　love　of　home　and　taste　for　cooking　and　baking。

Even　in　Europe　many　people　still　believe　that　a　person's　destiny　is　more　or　less　bound　up　with　that　of　his　navel…string　or　afterbirth。　Thus　in　Rhenish　Bavaria　the　navel…string　is　kept　for　a　while　wrapt　up　in　a　piece　of　old　linen；　and　then　cut　or　pricked　to　pieces　according　as　the　child　is　a　boy　or　a　girl；　in　order　that　he　or　she　may　grow　up　to　be　a　skilful　workman　or　a　good　sempstress。　In　Berlin　the　midwife　commonly　delivers　the　dried　navel…string　to　the　father　with　a　strict　injunction　to　preserve　it　carefully；　for　so　long　as　it　is　kept　the　child　will　live　and　thrive　and　be　free　from　sickness。　In　Beauce　and　Perche　the　people　are　careful　to　throw　the　navel…string　neither　into　water　nor　into　fire；　believing　that　if　that　were　done　the　child　would　be　drowned　or　burned。

Thus　in　many　parts　of　the　world　the　navel…string；　or　more　commonly　the　afterbirth；　is　regarded　as　a　living　being；　the　brother　or　sister　of　the　infant；　or　as　the　material　object　in　which　the　guardian　spirit　of　the　child　or　part　of　its　soul　resides。　Further；　the　sympathetic　connexion　supposed　to　exist　between　a　person　and　his　afterbirth　or　navel…string　comes　out　very　clearly　in　the　widespread　custom　of　treating　the　afterbirth　or　navel…string　in　ways　which　are　supposed　to　influence　for　life　the　character　and　career　of　the　person；　making　him；　if　it　is　a　man；　a　nimble　climber；　a　strong　swimmer；　a　skilful　hunter；　or　a　brave　soldier；　and　making　her；　if　it　is　a　woman；　a　cunning　sempstress；　a　good　baker；　and　so　forth。　Thus　the　beliefs　and　usages　concerned　with　the　afterbirth　or　placenta；　and　to　a　less　extent　with　the　navel…string；　present　a　remarkable　parallel　to　the　widespread　doctrine　of　the　transferable　or　external　soul　and　the　customs　founded　on　it。　Hence　it　is　hardly　rash　to　conjecture　that　the　resemblance　is　no　mere　chance　coincidence；　but　that　in　the　afterbirth　or　placenta　we　have　a　physical　basis　（not　necessarily　the　only　one）　for　the　theory　and　practice　of　the　external　soul。　The　consideration　of　that　subject　is　reserved　for　a　later　part　of　this　work。

A　curious　application　of　the　doctrine　of　contagious　magic　is　the　relation　commonly　believed　to　exist　between　a　wounded　man　and　the　agent　of　the　wound；　so　that　whatever　is　subsequently　done　by　or　to　the　agent　must　correspondingly　affect　the　patient　either　for　good　or　evil。　Thus　Pliny　tells　us　that　if　you　have　wounded　a　man　and　are　sorry　for　it；　you　have　only　to　spit　on　the　hand　that　gave　the　wound；　and　the　pain　of　the　sufferer　will　be　instantly　alleviated。　In　Melanesia；　if　a　man's　friends　get　possession　of　the　arrow　which　wounded　him；　they　keep　it　in　a　damp　place　or　in　cool　leaves；　for　then　the　inflammation　will　be　trifling　and　will　soon　subside。　Meantime　the　enemy　who　shot　the　arrow　is　hard　at　work　to　aggravate　the　wound　by　all　the　means　in　his　power。　For　this　purpose　he　and　his　friends　drink　hot　and　burning　juices　and　chew　irritating　leaves；　for　this　will　clearly　inflame　and　irritate　the　wound。　Further；　they　keep　the　bow　near　the　fire　to　make　the　wound　which　it　has　inflicted　hot；　and　for　the　same　reason　they　put　the　arrow…head；　if　it　has　been　recovered；　into　the　fire。　Moreover；　they　are　careful　to　keep　the　bow…string　taut　and　to　twang　it　occasionally；　for　this　will　cause　the　wounded　man　to　suffer　from　tension　of　the　nerves　and　spasms　of　tetanus。　It　is　constantly　received　and　avouched；　says　Bacon；　that　the　anointing　of　the　weapon　that　maketh　the　wound　will　heal　the　wound　itself。　In　this　experiment；　upon　the　relation　of　men　of　credit　（though　myself；　as　yet；　am　not　fully　inclined　to　believe　it）；　you　shall　note　the　points　following：　first；　the　ointment　wherewith　this　is　done　is　made　of　divers　ingr