the golden bough-第167部分

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ho　kicks　against　the　pot　will　catch　your　fever；　and　you　will　be　cured。

Often　in　Europe；　as　among　savages；　an　attempt　is　made　to　transfer　a　pain　or　malady　from　a　man　to　an　animal。　Grave　writers　of　antiquity　recommended　that；　if　a　man　be　stung　by　a　scorpion；　he　should　sit　upon　an　ass　with　his　face　to　the　tail；　or　whisper　in　the　animal's　ear；　A　scorpion　has　stung　me；　in　either　case；　they　thought；　the　pain　would　be　transferred　from　the　man　to　the　ass。　Many　cures　of　this　sort　are　recorded　by　Marcellus。　For　example；　he　tells　us　that　the　following　is　a　remedy　for　toothache。　Standing　booted　under　the　open　sky　on　the　ground；　you　catch　a　frog　by　the　head；　spit　into　its　mouth；　ask　it　to　carry　away　the　ache；　and　then　let　it　go。　But　the　ceremony　must　be　performed　on　a　lucky　day　and　at　a　lucky　hour。　In　Cheshire　the　ailment　known　as　aphtha　or　thrush；　which　affects　the　mouth　or　throat　of　infants；　is　not　uncommonly　treated　in　much　the　same　manner。　A　young　frog　is　held　for　a　few　moments　with　its　head　inside　the　mouth　of　the　sufferer；　whom　it　is　supposed　to　relieve　by　taking　the　malady　to　itself。　I　assure　you；　said　an　old　woman　who　had　often　superintended　such　a　cure；　we　used　to　hear　the　poor　frog　whooping　and　coughing；　mortal　bad；　for　days　after；　it　would　have　made　your　heart　ache　to　hear　the　poor　creature　coughing　as　it　did　about　the　garden。　A　Northamptonshire；　Devonshire；　and　Welsh　cure　for　a　cough　is　to　put　a　hair　of　the　patient's　head　between　two　slices　of　buttered　bread　and　give　the　sandwich　to　a　dog。　The　animal　will　thereupon　catch　the　cough　and　the　patient　will　lose　it。　Sometimes　an　ailment　is　transferred　to　an　animal　by　sharing　food　with　it。　Thus　in　Oldenburg；　if　you　are　sick　of　a　fever　you　set　a　bowl　of　sweet　milk　before　a　dog　and　say；　Good　luck；　you　hound！　may　you　be　sick　and　I　be　sound！　Then　when　the　dog　has　lapped　some　of　the　milk；　you　take　a　swig　at　the　bowl；　and　then　the　dog　must　lap　again；　and　then　you　must　swig　again；　and　when　you　and　the　dog　have　done　it　the　third　time；　he　will　have　the　fever　and　you　will　be　quit　of　it。

A　Bohemian　cure　for　fever　is　to　go　out　into　the　forest　before　the　sun　is　up　and　look　for　a　snipe's　nest。　When　you　have　found　it；　take　out　one　of　the　young　birds　and　keep　it　beside　you　for　three　days。　Then　go　back　into　the　wood　and　set　the　snipe　free。　The　fever　will　leave　you　at　once。　The　snipe　has　taken　it　away。　So　in　Vedic　times　the　Hindoos　of　old　sent　consumption　away　with　a　blue　jay。　They　said；　O　consumption；　fly　away；　fly　away　with　the　blue　jay！　With　the　wild　rush　of　the　storm　and　the　whirlwind；　oh；　vanish　away！　In　the　village　of　Llandegla　in　Wales　there　is　a　church　dedicated　to　the　virgin　martyr　St。　Tecla；　where　the　falling　sickness　is；　or　used　to　be；　cured　by　being　transferred　to　a　fowl。　The　patient　first　washed　his　limbs　in　a　sacred　well　hard　by；　dropped　fourpence　into　it　as　an　offering；　walked　thrice　round　the　well；　and　thrice　repeated　the　Lord's　prayer。　Then　the　fowl；　which　was　a　cock　or　a　hen　according　as　the　patient　was　a　man　or　a　woman；　was　put　into　a　basket　and　carried　round　first　the　well　and　afterwards　the　church。　Next　the　sufferer　entered　the　church　and　lay　down　under　the　communion　table　till　break　of　day。　After　that　he　offered　sixpence　and　departed；　leaving　the　fowl　in　the　church。　If　the　bird　died；　the　sickness　was　supposed　to　have　been　transferred　to　it　from　the　man　or　woman；　who　was　now　rid　of　the　disorder。　As　late　as　1855　the　old　parish　clerk　of　the　village　remembered　quite　well　to　have　seen　the　birds　staggering　about　from　the　effects　of　the　fits　which　had　been　transferred　to　them。

Often　the　sufferer　seeks　to　shift　his　burden　of　sickness　or　ill…luck　to　some　inanimate　object。　In　Athens　there　is　a　little　chapel　of　St。　John　the　Baptist　built　against　an　ancient　column。　Fever　patients　resort　thither；　and　by　attaching　a　waxed　thread　to　the　inner　side　of　the　column　believe　that　they　transfer　the　fever　from　themselves　to　the　pillar。　In　the　Mark　of　Brandenburg　they　say　that　if　you　suffer　from　giddiness　you　should　strip　yourself　naked　and　run　thrice　round　a　flax…field　after　sunset；　in　that　way　the　flax　will　get　the　giddiness　and　you　will　be　rid　of　it。

But　perhaps　the　thing　most　commonly　employed　in　Europe　as　a　receptacle　for　sickness　and　trouble　of　all　sorts　is　a　tree　or　bush。　A　Bulgarian　cure　for　fever　is　to　run　thrice　around　a　willow…tree　at　sunrise；　crying；　The　fever　shall　shake　thee；　and　the　sun　shall　warm　me。　In　the　Greek　island　of　Karpathos　the　priest　ties　a　red　thread　round　the　neck　of　a　sick　person。　Next　morning　the　friends　of　the　patient　remove　the　thread　and　go　out　to　the　hillside；　where　they　tie　the　thread　to　a　tree；　thinking　that　they　thus　transfer　the　sickness　to　the　tree。　Italians　attempt　to　cure　fever　in　like　manner　by　tethering　it　to　a　tree　The　sufferer　ties　a　thread　round　his　left　wrist　at　night；　and　hangs　the　thread　on　a　tree　next　morning。　The　fever　is　thus　believed　to　be　tied　up　to　the　tree；　and　the　patient　to　be　rid　of　it；　but　he　must　be　careful　not　to　pass　by　that　tree　again；　otherwise　the　fever　would　break　loose　from　its　bonds　and　attack　him　afresh。　A　Flemish　cure　for　the　ague　is　to　go　early　in　the　morning　to　an　old　willow；　tie　three　knots　in　one　of　its　branches；　say；　Good…morrow；　Old　One；　I　give　thee　the　cold；　good…morrow；　Old　One；　then　turn　and　run　away　without　looking　round。　In　Sonnenberg；　if　you　would　rid　yourself　of　gout　you　should　go　to　a　young　fir…tree　and　tie　a　knot　in　one　of　its　twigs；　saying；　God　greet　thee；　noble　fir。　I　bring　thee　my　gout。　Here　will　I　tie　a　knot　and　bind　my　gout　into　it。　In　the　name；　etc。

Another　way　of　transferring　gout　from　a　man　to　a　tree　is　this。　Pare　the　nails　of　the　sufferer's　fingers　and　clip　some　hairs　from　his　legs。　Bore　a　hole　in　an　oak；　stuff　the　nails　and　hair　in　the　hole；　stop　up　the　hole　again；　and　smear　it　with　cow's　dung。　If；　for　three　months　thereafter；　the　patient　is　free　of　gout；　you　may　be　sure　the　oak　has　it　in　his　stead。　In　Cheshire　if　you　would　be　rid　of　warts；　you　have　only　to　rub　them　with　a　piece　of　bacon；　cut　a　slit　in　the　bark　of　an　ash…tree；　and　slip　the　bacon　under　the　bark。　Soon　the　warts　will　disappear　from　your　hand；　only　however　to　reappear　in　the　shape　of　rough　excrescences　or　knobs　on　the　bark　of　the　tree。　At　Berkhampstead；　in　Hertfordshire；　there　used　to　be　certain　oak…trees　which　were　long　celebrated　for　the　cure　of　ague。　The　transference　of　the　malady　to　the　tree　was　simple　but　painful。　A　lock　of　the　sufferer's　hair　was　pegged　into　an　oak；　then　by　a　sudden　wrench　he　left　his　hair　and　his　ague　behind　him　in　the　tree。

Chapter　56。　The　Public　Expulsion　of　Evils。

1。　The　Omnipresence　of　Demons

IN　THE　FOREGOING　chapter　the　primitive　principle　of　the　transference　of　ills　to　another　person；　animal；　or　thing　was　explained　and　illustrated。　But　similar　means　have　been　adopted　to　free　a　whole　community　from　diverse　evils　that　afflict　it。　Such　attempts　to　dismiss　at　once　the　accumulated　sorrows　of　a　people　are　by　no　means　rare　or　exceptional；　on　the　contrary　they　have　been　made　in　many　lands；　and　from　being　occasional　they　tend　to　become　periodic　and　annual。

It　needs　some　effort　on　our　part　to　realise　the　frame　of　mind　which　prompts　these　attempts。　Bred　in　a　philosophy　which　strips　nature　of　personality　and　reduces　it　to　the　unknown　cause　of　an　orderly　series　of　impressions　on　our　senses；　we　find　it　hard　to　put　ourselves　in　the　place　of　the　savage；　to　whom　the　same　impressions　appear　in　the　guise　of　spirits　or　the　handiwork　of　spirits。　For　ages　the　army　of　spirits；　once　so　near；　has　been　receding　farther　and　farther　from　us；　banished　by　the　magic　wand　of　science　from　hearth　and　home；　from　ruined　cell　and　ivied　tower；　from　haunted　glade　and　lonely　mere；　from　the　riven　murky　cloud　that　belches　forth　the　lightning；　and　from　those　fairer　clouds　that　pillow　the　silvery　moon　or　fret　with　flakes　of　burning　red　the　golden　eve。　The　spirits　are　gone　even　from　their　last　stronghold　in　the　sky；　whose　blue　arch　no　longer　passes；　except　with　children；　for　the　screen　that　hides　from　mortal　eyes　the　glories　of　the　celestial　world。　Only　in　poets'　dreams　or　impassioned　flights　of　oratory　is　it　given　to　catch　a　glimpse　of　the　last　flutter　of　the　standards　of　the　retreating　host；　to　hear　the　beat　of　their　invisible　wings；　the　sound　of　their　mocking　laughter；　or　the　swell　of　angel　music　dying　away　in　the　distance。　Far　otherwise　is　it　with　the　savage。　To　his　imagination　the　world　still　teems　with　those　motley　beings　whom　a　more　sober　philosophy　has　discarded。　Fairies　and　goblins；　ghosts　and　demons；　still　hover　about　him　both　waking　and　sleeping。　They　dog　his　footsteps；　dazzle　his　senses；　enter　into　him；　harass　and　deceive　and　torment　him　in　a　thousand　freakish　and　mischievous　ways。　The　mishaps　that　befall　him；　the　losses　he　sustains；　the　pains　he　has　to　endure；　he　commonly　sets　down；　if　not　to　the　magic　of　his　enemies；　to　the　spite　or　anger　or　caprice　of　the　spirits。　Their　constant　presence　wearies　him；　their　sleepless　malignity　exasperates　him；　he　longs　with　an　unspeakable　longing　to　be　rid　of　them　altogether；　and　from　time　to　time；　driven　to　bay；　his　patience　utterly　exhausted；　he　turns　fiercely　on　his　persecutors　and　makes　a　desperate　effort　to　chase　the　whole　pack　of　them　from　the　land；　to　clear　the　air　of　their　swarming　multitudes；　that　he　may　breathe　more　freely　and　go　on　his　way　unmolested；　at　least　for　a　time。　Thus　it　comes　about　that　the　endeavour　of　primitive　people　to　make　a　clean　sweep　of　all　their　troubles　generally　takes　the　form　of　a　grand　hunting　out　and　expulsion　of　devils　or　ghosts。　They　think　that　if　they　can　only　shake　off　these　their　accursed　tormentors；　they　will　make　a　fresh　start　in　life；　happy　and　innocent；　the　tales　of　Eden　and　the　old　poetic　golden　age　will　come　true　again。

2。　The　Occasional　Expulsion　ofEvils

WE　can　therefore　understand　why　those　general　clearances　of　evil；　to　which　from　time　to　time　the　savage　resorts；　should　commonly　take　the　form　of　a　forcible　expulsion　of　devils。　In　these　evil　spirits　primitive　man　sees　the　cause　of　many　if　not　of　most　of　his　troubles；　and　he　fancies　that　if　he　can　only　deliver　himself　from　them；　things　will　go　better　with　him。　The　public　attempts　to　expel　the　accumulated　ills　of　a　whole　community　may　be　divided　into　two　classes；　according　as　the　expelled　evils　are　imma