the golden bough-第166部分

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　faditra　may　be　either　ashes；　cut　money；　a　sheep；　a　pumpkin；　or　anything　else　the　sikidy　may　choose　to　direct。　After　the　particular　article　is　appointed；　the　priest　counts　upon　it　all　the　evils　that　may　prove　injurious　to　the　person　for　whom　it　is　made；　and　which　he　then　charges　the　faditra　to　take　away　for　ever。　If　the　faditra　be　ashes；　it　is　blown；　to　be　carried　away　by　the　wind。　If　it　be　cut　money；　it　is　thrown　to　the　bottom　of　deep　water；　or　where　it　can　never　be　found。　If　it　be　a　sheep；　it　is　carried　away　to　a　distance　on　the　shoulders　of　a　man；　who　runs　with　all　his　might；　mumbling　as　he　goes；　as　if　in　the　greatest　rage　against　the　faditra；　for　the　evils　it　is　bearing　away。　If　it　be　a　pumpkin；　it　is　carried　on　the　shoulders　to　a　little　distance；　and　there　dashed　upon　the　ground　with　every　appearance　of　fury　and　indignation。　A　Malagasy　was　informed　by　a　diviner　that　he　was　doomed　to　a　bloody　death；　but　that　possibly　he　might　avert　his　fate　by　performing　a　certain　rite。　Carrying　a　small　vessel　full　of　blood　upon　his　head；　he　was　to　mount　upon　the　back　of　a　bullock；　while　thus　mounted；　he　was　to　spill　the　blood　upon　the　bullock's　head；　and　then　send　the　animal　away　into　the　wilderness；　whence　it　might　never　return。

The　Bataks　of　Sumatra　have　a　ceremony　which　they　call　making　the　curse　to　fly　away。　When　a　woman　is　childless；　a　sacrifice　is　offered　to　the　gods　of　three　grasshoppers；　representing　a　head　of　cattle；　a　buffalo；　and　a　horse。　Then　a　swallow　is　set　free；　with　a　prayer　that　the　curse　may　fall　upon　the　bird　and　fly　away　with　it。　The　entrance　into　a　house　of　an　animal　which　does　not　generally　seek　to　share　the　abode　of　man　is　regarded　by　the　Malays　as　ominous　of　misfortune。　If　a　wild　bird　flies　into　a　house；　it　must　be　carefully　caught　and　smeared　with　oil；　and　must　then　be　released　in　the　open　air；　a　formula　being　recited　in　which　it　is　bidden　to　fly　away　with　all　the　ill…luck　and　misfortunes　of　the　occupier。　In　antiquity　Greek　women　seem　to　have　done　the　same　with　swallows　which　they　caught　in　the　house：　they　poured　oil　on　them　and　let　them　fly　away；　apparently　for　the　purpose　of　removing　ill…luck　from　the　household。　The　Huzuls　of　the　Carpathians　imagine　that　they　can　transfer　freckles　to　the　first　swallow　they　see　in　spring　by　washing　their　face　in　flowing　water　and　saying；　Swallow；　swallow；　take　my　freckles；　and　give　me　rosy　cheeks。

Among　the　Badagas　of　the　Neilgherry　Hills　in　Southern　India；　when　a　death　has　taken　place；　the　sins　of　the　deceased　are　laid　upon　a　buffalo　calf。　For　this　purpose　the　people　gather　round　the　corpse　and　carry　it　outside　of　the　village。　There　an　elder　of　the　tribe；　standing　at　the　head　of　the　corpse；　recites　or　chants　a　long　list　of　sins　such　as　any　Badaga　may　commit；　and　the　people　repeat　the　last　word　of　each　line　after　him。　The　confession　of　sins　is　thrice　repeated。　By　a　conventional　mode　of　expression；　the　sum　total　of　sins　a　man　may　do　is　said　to　be　thirteen　hundred。　Admitting　that　the　deceased　has　committed　them　all；　the　performer　cries　aloud；　'Stay　not　their　flight　to　God's　pure　feet。'　As　he　closes；　the　whole　assembly　chants　aloud　'Stay　not　their　flight。'　Again　the　performer　enters　into　details；　and　cries；　'He　killed　the　crawling　snake。　It　is　a　sin。'　In　a　moment　the　last　word　is　caught　up；　and　all　the　people　cry　'It　is　a　sin。'　As　they　shout；　the　performer　lays　his　hand　upon　the　calf。　The　sin　is　transferred　to　the　calf。　Thus　the　whole　catalogue　is　gone　through　in　this　impressive　way。　But　this　is　not　enough。　As　the　last　shout　'Let　all　be　well'　dies　away；　the　performer　gives　place　to　another；　and　again　confession　is　made；　and　all　the　people　shout　'It　is　a　sin。'　A　third　time　it　is　done。　Then；　still　in　solemn　silence；　the　calf　is　let　loose。　Like　the　Jewish　scapegoat；　it　may　never　be　used　for　secular　work。　At　a　Badaga　funeral　witnessed　by　the　Rev。　A。　C。　Clayton　the　buffalo　calf　was　led　thrice　round　the　bier；　and　the　dead　man's　hand　was　laid　on　its　head。　By　this　act；　the　calf　was　supposed　to　receive　all　the　sins　of　the　deceased。　It　was　then　driven　away　to　a　great　distance；　that　it　might　contaminate　no　one；　and　it　was　said　that　it　would　never　be　sold；　but　looked　on　as　a　dedicated　sacred　animal。　The　idea　of　this　ceremony　is；　that　the　sins　of　the　deceased　enter　the　calf；　or　that　the　task　of　his　absolution　is　laid　on　it。　They　say　that　the　calf　very　soon　disappears；　and　that　it　is　never　heard　of。

3。　The　Transference　to　Men

AGAIN；　men　sometimes　play　the　part　of　scapegoat　by　diverting　to　themselves　the　evils　that　threaten　others。　When　a　Cingalese　is　dangerously　ill；　and　the　physicians　can　do　nothing；　a　devil…dancer　is　called　in；　who　by　making　offerings　to　the　devils；　and　dancing　in　the　masks　appropriate　to　them；　conjures　these　demons　of　disease；　one　after　the　other；　out　of　the　sick　man's　body　and　into　his　own。　Having　thus　successfully　extracted　the　cause　of　the　malady；　the　artful　dancer　lies　down　on　a　bier；　and　shamming　death　is　carried　to　an　open　place　outside　the　village。　Here；　being　left　to　himself；　he　soon　comes　to　life　again；　and　hastens　back　to　claim　his　reward。　In　1590　a　Scotch　which　of　the　name　of　Agnes　Sampson　was　convicted　of　curing　a　certain　Robert　Kers　of　a　disease　laid　upon　him　by　a　westland　warlock　when　he　was　at　Dumfries；　whilk　sickness　she　took　upon　herself；　and　kept　the　same　with　great　groaning　and　torment　till　the　morn；　at　whilk　time　there　was　a　great　din　heard　in　the　house。　The　noise　was　made　by　the　witch　in　her　efforts　to　shift　the　disease；　by　means　of　clothes；　from　herself　to　a　cat　or　dog。　Unfortunately　the　attempt　partly　miscarried。　The　disease　missed　the　animal　and　hit　Alexander　Douglas　of　Dalkeith；　who　dwined　and　died　of　it；　while　the　original　patient；　Robert　Kers；　was　made　whole。

In　one　part　of　New　Zealand　an　expiation　for　sin　was　felt　to　be　necessary；　a　service　was　performed　over　an　individual；　by　which　all　the　sins　of　the　tribe　were　supposed　to　be　transferred　to　him；　a　fern　stalk　was　previously　tied　to　his　person；　with　which　he　jumped　into　the　river；　and　there　unbinding；　allowed　it　to　float　away　to　the　sea；　bearing　their　sins　with　it。　In　great　emergencies　the　sins　of　the　Rajah　of　Manipur　used　to　be　transferred　to　somebody　else；　usually　to　a　criminal；　who　earned　his　pardon　by　his　vicarious　sufferings。　To　effect　the　transference　the　Rajah　and　his　wife；　clad　in　fine　robes；　bathed　on　a　scaffold　erected　in　the　bazaar；　while　the　criminal　crouched　beneath　it。　With　the　water　which　dripped　from　them　on　him　their　sins　also　were　washed　away　and　fell　on　the　human　scapegoat。　To　complete　the　transference　the　Rajah　and　his　wife　made　over　their　fine　robes　to　their　substitute；　while　they　themselves；　clad　in　new　raiment；　mixed　with　the　people　till　evening。　In　Travancore；　when　a　Rajah　is　near　his　end；　they　seek　out　a　holy　Brahman；　who　consents　to　take　upon　himself　the　sins　of　the　dying　man　in　consideration　of　the　sum　of　ten　thousand　rupees。　Thus　prepared　to　immolate　himself　on　the　altar　of　duty；　the　saint　is　introduced　into　the　chamber　of　death；　and　closely　embraces　the　dying　Rajah；　saying　to　him；　O　King；　I　undertake　to　bear　all　your　sins　and　diseases。　May　your　Highness　live　long　and　reign　happily。　Having　thus　taken　to　himself　the　sins　of　the　sufferer；　he　is　sent　away　from　the　country　and　never　more　allowed　to　return。　At　Utch　Kurgan　in　Turkestan　Mr。　Schuyler　saw　an　old　man　who　was　said　to　get　his　living　by　taking　on　himself　the　sins　of　the　dead；　and　thenceforth　devoting　his　life　to　prayer　for　their　souls。

In　Uganda；　when　an　army　had　returned　from　war；　and　the　gods　warned　the　king　by　their　oracles　that　some　evil　had　attached　itself　to　the　soldiers；　it　was　customary　to　pick　out　a　woman　slave　from　the　captives；　together　with　a　cow；　a　goat；　a　fowl；　and　a　dog　from　the　booty；　and　to　send　them　back　under　a　strong　guard　to　the　borders　of　the　country　from　which　they　had　come。　There　their　limbs　were　broken　and　they　were　left　to　die；　for　they　were　too　crippled　to　crawl　back　to　Uganda。　In　order　to　ensure　the　transference　of　the　evil　to　these　substitutes；　bunches　of　grass　were　rubbed　over　the　people　and　cattle　and　then　tied　to　the　victims。　After　that　the　army　was　pronounced　clean　and　was　allowed　to　return　to　the　capital。　So　on　his　accession　a　new　king　of　Uganda　used　to　wound　a　man　and　send　him　away　as　a　scapegoat　to　Bunyoro　to　carry　away　any　uncleanliness　that　might　attach　to　the　king　or　queen。

4。　The　Transference　of　Evil　in　Europe

THE　EXAMPLES　of　the　transference　of　evil　hitherto　adduced　have　been　mostly　drawn　from　the　customs　of　savage　or　barbarous　peoples。　But　similar　attempts　to　shift　the　burden　of　disease；　misfortune；　and　sin　from　one's　self　to　another　person；　or　to　an　animal　or　thing；　have　been　common　also　among　the　civilised　nations　of　Europe；　both　in　ancient　and　modern　times。　A　Roman　cure　for　fever　was　to　pare　the　patient's　nails；　and　stick　the　parings　with　wax　on　a　neighbour's　door　before　sunrise；　the　fever　then　passed　from　the　sick　man　to　his　neighbour。　Similar　devices　must　have　been　resorted　to　by　the　Greeks；　for　in　laying　down　laws　for　his　ideal　state；　Plato　thinks　it　too　much　to　expect　that　men　should　not　be　alarmed　at　finding　certain　wax　figures　adhering　to　their　doors　or　to　the　tombstones　of　their　parents；　or　lying　at　cross…roads。　In　the　fourth　century　of　our　era　Marcellus　of　Bordeaux　prescribed　a　cure　for　warts；　which　has　still　a　great　vogue　among　the　superstitious　in　various　parts　of　Europe。　You　are　to　touch　your　warts　with　as　many　little　stones　as　you　have　warts；　then　wrap　the　stones　in　an　ivy　leaf；　and　throw　them　away　in　a　thoroughfare。　Whoever　picks　them　up　will　get　the　warts；　and　you　will　be　rid　of　them。　People　in　the　Orkney　Islands　will　sometimes　wash　a　sick　man；　and　then　throw　the　water　down　at　a　gateway；　in　the　belief　that　the　sickness　will　leave　the　patient　and　be　transferred　to　the　first　person　who　passes　through　the　gate。　A　Bavarian　cure　for　fever　is　to　write　upon　a　piece　of　paper；　Fever；　stay　away；　I　am　not　at　home；　and　to　put　the　paper　in　somebody's　pocket。　The　latter　then　catches　the　fever；　and　the　patient　is　rid　of　it。　A　Bohemian　prescription　for　the　same　malady　is　this。　Take　an　empty　pot；　go　with　it　to　a　cross…road；　throw　it　down；　and　run　away。　The　first　person　who　kicks　against　the　pot　will　catch　your　fever；　and　you　will　be　cured。

Often　in　Europe；　as　among