the golden bough-第186部分

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rniture　nor　any　objects　used　by　men；　for　their　touch　is　supposed　to　defile　them；　so　that　their　subsequent　use　would　be　followed　by　certain　mischief　or　misfortune；　such　as　disease　or　death。　They　must　drink　out　of　a　swan's　bone。　They　may　not　walk　on　the　common　paths　nor　cross　the　tracks　of　animals。　They　are　never　permitted　to　walk　on　the　ice　of　rivers　or　lakes；　or　near　the　part　where　the　men　are　hunting　beaver；　or　where　a　fishing…net　is　set；　for　fear　of　averting　their　success。　They　are　also　prohibited　at　those　times　from　partaking　of　the　head　of　any　animal；　and　even　from　walking　in　or　crossing　the　track　where　the　head　of　a　deer；　moose；　beaver；　and　many　other　animals　have　lately　been　carried；　either　on　a　sledge　or　on　the　back。　To　be　guilty　of　a　violation　of　this　custom　is　considered　as　of　the　greatest　importance；　because　they　firmly　believe　that　it　would　be　a　means　of　preventing　the　hunter　from　having　an　equal　success　in　his　future　excursions。　So　the　Lapps　forbid　women　at　menstruation　to　walk　on　that　part　of　the　shore　where　the　fishers　are　in　the　habit　of　setting　out　their　fish；　and　the　Esquimaux　of　Bering　Strait　believe　that　if　hunters　were　to　come　near　women　in　their　courses　they　would　catch　no　game。　For　a　like　reason　the　Carrier　Indians　will　not　suffer　a　menstruous　woman　to　cross　the　tracks　of　animals；　if　need　be；　she　is　carried　over　them。　They　think　that　if　she　waded　in　a　stream　or　a　lake；　the　fish　would　die。

Amongst　the　civilised　nations　of　Europe　the　superstitions　which　cluster　round　this　mysterious　aspect　of　woman's　nature　are　not　less　extravagant　than　those　which　prevail　among　savages。　In　the　oldest　existing　cyclopaediathe　Natural　History　of　Plinythe　list　of　dangers　apprehended　from　menstruation　is　longer　than　any　furnished　by　mere　barbarians。　According　to　Pliny；　the　touch　of　a　menstruous　woman　turned　wine　to　vinegar；　blighted　crops；　killed　seedlings；　blasted　gardens；　brought　down　the　fruit　from　trees；　dimmed　mirrors；　blunted　razors；　rusted　iron　and　brass　（especially　at　the　waning　of　the　moon）；　killed　bees；　or　at　least　drove　them　from　their　hives；　caused　mares　to　miscarry；　and　so　forth。　Similarly；　in　various　parts　of　Europe；　it　is　still　believed　that　if　a　woman　in　her　courses　enters　a　brewery　the　beer　will　turn　sour；　if　she　touches　beer；　wine；　vinegar；　or　milk；　it　will　go　bad；　if　she　makes　jam；　it　will　not　keep；　if　she　mounts　a　mare；　it　will　miscarry；　if　she　touches　buds；　they　will　wither；　if　she　climbs　a　cherry　tree；　it　will　die。　In　Brunswick　people　think　that　if　a　menstruous　woman　assists　at　the　killing　of　a　pig；　the　pork　will　putrefy。　In　the　Greek　island　of　Calymnos　a　woman　at　such　times　may　not　go　to　the　well　to　draw　water；　nor　cross　a　running　stream；　nor　enter　the　sea。　Her　presence　in　a　boat　is　said　to　raise　storms。

Thus　the　object　of　secluding　women　at　menstruation　is　to　neutralise　the　dangerous　influences　which　are　supposed　to　emanate　from　them　at　such　times。　That　the　danger　is　believed　to　be　especially　great　at　the　first　menstruation　appears　from　the　unusual　precautions　taken　to　isolate　girls　at　this　crisis。　Two　of　these　precautions　have　been　illustrated　above；　namely；　the　rules　that　the　girls　may　not　touch　the　ground　nor　see　the　sun。　The　general　effect　of　these　rules　is　to　keep　her　suspended；　so　to　say；　between　heaven　and　earth。　Whether　enveloped　in　her　hammock　and　slung　up　to　the　roof；　as　in　South　America；　or　raised　above　the　ground　in　a　dark　and　narrow　cage；　as　in　New　Ireland；　she　may　be　considered　to　be　out　of　the　way　of　doing　mischief；　since；　being　shut　off　both　from　the　earth　and　from　the　sun；　she　can　poison　neither　of　these　great　sources　of　life　by　her　deadly　contagion。　In　short；　she　is　rendered　harmless　by　being；　in　electrical　language；　insulated。　But　the　precautions　thus　taken　to　isolate　or　insulate　the　girl　are　dictated　by　a　regard　for　her　own　safety　as　well　as　for　the　safety　of　others。　For　it　is　thought　that　she　herself　would　suffer　if　she　were　to　neglect　the　prescribed　regimen。　Thus　Zulu　girls；　as　we　have　seen；　believe　that　they　would　shrivel　to　skeletons　if　the　sun　were　to　shine　on　them　at　puberty；　and　the　Macusis　imagine　that；　if　a　young　woman　were　to　transgress　the　rules；　she　would　suffer　from　sores　on　various　parts　of　her　body。　In　short；　the　girl　is　viewed　as　charged　with　a　powerful　force　which；　if　not　kept　within　bounds；　may　prove　destructive　both　to　herself　and　to　all　with　whom　she　comes　in　contact。　To　repress　this　force　within　the　limits　necessary　for　the　safety　of　all　concerned　is　the　object　of　the　taboos　in　question。

The　same　explanation　applies　to　the　observance　of　the　same　rules　by　divine　kings　and　priests。　The　uncleanness；　as　it　is　called；　of　girls　at　puberty　and　the　sanctity　of　holy　men　do　not；　to　the　primitive　mind；　differ　materially　from　each　other。　They　are　only　different　manifestations　of　the　same　mysterious　energy　which；　like　energy　in　general；　is　in　itself　neither　good　nor　bad；　but　becomes　beneficent　or　maleficent　according　to　its　application。　Accordingly；　if；　like　girls　at　puberty；　divine　personages　may　neither　touch　the　ground　nor　see　the　sun；　the　reason　is；　on　the　one　hand；　a　fear　lest　their　divinity　might；　at　contact　with　earth　or　heaven；　discharge　itself　with　fatal　violence　on　either；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　an　apprehension　that　the　divine　being；　thus　drained　of　his　ethereal　virtue；　might　thereby　be　incapacitated　for　the　future　performance　of　those　magical　functions；　upon　the　proper　discharge　of　which　the　safety　of　the　people　and　even　of　the　world　is　believed　to　hang。　Thus　the　rules　in　question　fall　under　the　head　of　the　taboos　which　we　examined　in　an　earlier　part　of　this　book；　they　are　intended　to　preserve　the　life　of　the　divine　person　and　with　it　the　life　of　his　subjects　and　worshippers。　Nowhere；　it　is　thought；　can　his　precious　yet　dangerous　life　be　at　once　so　safe　and　so　harmless　as　when　it　is　neither　in　heaven　nor　in　earth；　but；　as　far　as　possible；　suspended　between　the　two。

Chapter　61。　The　Myth　of　Balder

A　DEITY　whose　life　might　in　a　sense　be　said　to　be　neither　in　heaven　nor　on　earth　but　between　the　two；　was　the　Norse　Balder；　the　good　and　beautiful　god；　the　son　of　the　great　god　Odin；　and　himself　the　wisest；　mildest；　best　beloved　of　all　the　immortals。　The　story　of　his　death；　as　it　is　told　in　the　younger　or　prose　Edda；　runs　thus。　Once　on　a　time　Balder　dreamed　heavy　dreams　which　seemed　to　forebode　his　death。　Thereupon　the　gods　held　a　council　and　resolved　to　make　him　secure　against　every　danger。　So　the　goddess　Frigg　took　an　oath　from　fire　and　water；　iron　and　all　metals；　stones　and　earth；　from　trees；　sicknesses　and　poisons；　and　from　all　four…footed　beasts；　birds；　and　creeping　things；　that　they　would　not　hurt　Balder。　When　this　was　done　Balder　was　deemed　invulnerable；　so　the　gods　amused　themselves　by　setting　him　in　their　midst；　while　some　shot　at　him；　others　hewed　at　him；　and　others　threw　stones　at　him。　But　whatever　they　did；　nothing　could　hurt　him；　and　at　this　they　were　all　glad。　Only　Loki；　the　mischief…maker；　was　displeased；　and　he　went　in　the　guise　of　an　old　woman　to　Frigg；　who　told　him　that　the　weapons　of　the　gods　could　not　wound　Balder；　since　she　had　made　them　all　swear　not　to　hurt　him。　Then　Loki　asked；　Have　all　things　sworn　to　spare　Balder？　She　answered；　East　of　Walhalla　grows　a　plant　called　mistletoe；　it　seemed　to　me　too　young　to　swear。　So　Loki　went　and　pulled　the　mistletoe　and　took　it　to　the　assembly　of　the　gods。　There　he　found　the　blind　god　Hother　standing　at　the　outside　of　the　circle。　Loki　asked　him；　Why　do　you　not　shoot　at　Balder？　Hother　answered；　Because　I　do　not　see　where　he　stands；　besides　I　have　no　weapon。　Then　said　Loki；　Do　like　the　rest　and　show　Balder　honour；　as　they　all　do。　I　will　show　you　where　he　stands；　and　do　you　shoot　at　him　with　this　twig。　Hother　took　the　mistletoe　and　threw　it　at　Balder；　as　Loki　directed　him。　The　mistletoe　struck　Balder　and　pierced　him　through　and　through；　and　he　fell　down　dead。　And　that　was　the　greatest　misfortune　that　ever　befell　gods　and　men。　For　a　while　the　gods　stood　speechless；　then　they　lifted　up　their　voices　and　wept　bitterly。　They　took　Balder's　body　and　brought　it　to　the　sea…shore。　There　stood　Balder's　ship；　it　was　called　Ringhorn；　and　was　the　hugest　of　all　ships。　The　gods　wished　to　launch　the　ship　and　to　burn　Balder's　body　on　it；　but　the　ship　would　not　stir。　So　they　sent　for　a　giantess　called　Hyrrockin。　She　came　riding　on　a　wolf　and　gave　the　ship　such　a　push　that　fire　flashed　from　the　rollers　and　all　the　earth　shook。　Then　Balder's　body　was　taken　and　placed　on　the　funeral　pile　upon　his　ship。　When　his　wife　Nanna　saw　that；　her　heart　burst　for　sorrow　and　she　died。　So　she　was　laid　on　the　funeral　pile　with　her　husband；　and　fire　was　put　to　it。　Balder's　horse；　too；　with　all　its　trappings；　was　burned　on　the　pile。

Whether　he　was　a　real　or　merely　a　mythical　personage；　Balder　was　worshipped　in　Norway。　On　one　of　the　bays　of　the　beautiful　Sogne　Fiord；　which　penetrates　far　into　the　depths　of　the　solemn　Norwegian　mountains；　with　their　sombre　pine…forests　and　their　lofty　cascades　dissolving　into　spray　before　they　reach　the　dark　water　of　the　fiord　far　below；　Balder　had　a　great　sanctuary。　It　was　called　Balder's　Grove。　A　palisade　enclosed　the　hallowed　ground；　and　within　it　stood　a　spacious　temple　with　the　images　of　many　gods；　but　none　of　them　was　worshipped　with　such　devotion　as　Balder。　So　great　was　the　awe　with　which　the　heathen　regarded　the　place　that　no　man　might　harm　another　there；　nor　steal　his　cattle；　nor　defile　himself　with　women。　But　women　cared　for　the　images　of　the　gods　in　the　temple；　they　warmed　them　at　the　fire；　anointed　them　with　oil；　and　dried　them　with　cloths。

Whatever　may　be　thought　of　an　historical　kernel　underlying　a　mythical　husk　in　the　legend　of　Balder；　the　details　of　the　story　suggest　that　it　belongs　to　that　class　of　myths　which　have　been　dramatised　an　ritual；　or；　to　put　it　otherwise；　which　have　been　performed　as　magical　ceremonies　for　the　sake　of　producing　those　natural　effects　which　they　describe　in　figurative　language。　A　myth　is　never　so　graphic　and　precise　in　its　details　as　when　it　is；　so　to　speak；　the　book　of　the　words　which　are　spoken　and　acted　by　the　performers　of　the　sacred　rite。　That　the　Norse　story　of　Balder　was　a　myth　of　this　sort　will　become　probable　if　we　can　prove　that　ceremonies　resembling　the　incidents　in　t