the golden bough-第22部分

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sing　for　rain。　When　they　return　to　the　village　they　find　a　vessel　of　water　set　at　the　doorway　by　an　old　woman；　so　they　dip　their　branches　in　it　and　wave　them　aloft；　so　as　to　scatter　the　drops。　After　that　the　rain　is　sure　to　come　driving　up　in　heavy　clouds。　In　these　practices　we　see　a　combination　of　religion　with　magic；　for　while　the　scattering　of　the　water…drops　by　means　of　branches　is　a　purely　magical　ceremony；　the　prayer　for　rain　and　the　offering　of　beer　are　purely　religious　rites。　In　the　Mara　tribe　of　Northern　Australia　the　rain…maker　goes　to　a　pool　and　sings　over　it　his　magic　song。　Then　he　takes　some　of　the　water　in　his　hands；　drinks　it；　and　spits　it　out　in　various　directions。　After　that　he　throws　water　all　over　himself；　scatters　it　about；　and　returns　quietly　to　the　camp。　Rain　is　supposed　to　follow。　The　Arab　historian　Makrizi　describes　a　method　of　stopping　rain　which　is　said　to　have　been　resorted　to　by　a　tribe　of　nomads　called　Alqamar　in　Hadramaut。　They　cut　a　branch　from　a　certain　tree　in　the　desert；　set　it　on　fire；　and　then　sprinkled　the　burning　brand　with　water。　After　that　the　vehemence　of　the　rain　abated；　just　as　the　water　vanished　when　it　fell　on　the　glowing　brand。　Some　of　the　Eastern　Angamis　of　Manipur　are　said　to　perform　a　some…what　similar　ceremony　for　the　opposite　purpose；　in　order；　namely；　to　produce　rain。　The　head　of　the　village　puts　a　burning　brand　on　the　grave　of　a　man　who　has　died　of　burns；　and　quenches　the　brand　with　water；　while　he　prays　that　rain　may　fall。　Here　the　putting　out　the　fire　with　water；　which　is　an　imitation　of　rain；　is　reinforced　by　the　influence　of　the　dead　man；　who；　having　been　burnt　to　death；　will　naturally　be　anxious　for　the　descent　of　rain　to　cool　his　scorched　body　and　assuage　his　pangs。

Other　people　besides　the　Arabs　have　used　fire　as　a　means　of　stopping　rain。　Thus　the　Sulka　of　New　Britain　heat　stones　red　hot　in　the　fire　and　then　put　them　out　in　the　rain；　or　they　throw　hot　ashes　in　the　air。　They　think　that　the　rain　will　soon　cease　to　fall；　for　it　does　not　like　to　be　burned　by　the　hot　stones　or　ashes。　The　Telugus　send　a　little　girl　out　naked　into　the　rain　with　a　burning　piece　of　wood　in　her　hand；　which　she　has　to　show　to　the　rain。　That　is　supposed　to　stop　the　downpour。　At　Port　Stevens　in　New　South　Wales　the　medicine…men　used　to　drive　away　rain　by　throwing　fire…sticks　into　the　air；　while　at　the　same　time　they　puffed　and　shouted。　Any　man　of　the　Anula　tribe　in　Northern　Australia　can　stop　rain　by　simply　warming　a　green　stick　in　the　fire；　and　then　striking　it　against　the　wind。

In　time　of　severe　drought　the　Dieri　of　Central　Australia；　loudly　lamenting　the　impoverished　state　of　the　country　and　their　own　half…starved　condition；　call　upon　the　spirits　of　their　remote　predecessors；　whom　they　call　Mura…muras；　to　grant　them　power　to　make　a　heavy　rain…fall。　For　they　believe　that　the　clouds　are　bodies　in　which　rain　is　generated　by　their　own　ceremonies　or　those　of　neighbouring　tribes；　through　the　influence　of　the　Mura…muras。　The　way　in　which　they　set　about　drawing　rain　from　the　clouds　is　this。　A　hole　is　dug　about　twelve　feet　long　and　eight　or　ten　broad；　and　over　this　hole　a　conical　hut　of　logs　and　branches　is　made。　Two　wizards；　supposed　to　have　received　a　special　inspiration　from　the　Mura…muras；　are　bled　by　an　old　and　influential　man　with　a　sharp　flint；　and　the　blood；　drawn　from　their　arms　below　the　elbow；　is　made　to　flow　on　the　other　men　of　the　tribe；　who　sit　huddled　together　in　the　hut。　At　the　same　time　the　two　bleeding　men　throw　handfuls　of　down　about；　some　of　which　adheres　to　the　blood…stained　bodies　of　their　comrades；　while　the　rest　floats　in　the　air。　The　blood　is　thought　to　represent　the　rain；　and　the　down　the　clouds。　During　the　ceremony　two　large　stones　are　placed　in　the　middle　of　the　hut；　they　stand　for　gathering　clouds　and　presage　rain。　Then　the　wizards　who　were　bled　carry　away　the　two　stones　for　about　ten　or　fifteen　miles；　and　place　them　as　high　as　they　can　in　the　tallest　tree。　Meanwhile　the　other　men　gather　gypsum；　pound　it　fine；　and　throw　it　into　a　water…hole。　This　the　Mura…muras　see；　and　at　once　they　cause　clouds　to　appear　in　the　sky。　Lastly；　the　men；　young　and　old；　surround　the　hut；　and；　stooping　down；　butt　at　it　with　their　heads；　like　so　many　rams。　Thus　they　force　their　way　through　it　and　reappear　on　the　other　side；　repeating　the　process　till　the　hut　is　wrecked。　In　doing　this　they　are　forbidden　to　use　their　hands　or　arms；　but　when　the　heavy　logs　alone　remain；　they　are　allowed　to　pull　them　out　with　their　hands。　The　piercing　of　the　hut　with　their　heads　symbolises　the　piercing　of　the　clouds；　the　fall　of　the　hut；　the　fall　of　the　rain。　Obviously；　too；　the　act　of　placing　high　up　in　trees　the　two　stones；　which　stand　for　clouds；　is　a　way　of　making　the　real　clouds　to　mount　up　in　the　sky。　The　Dieri　also　imagine　that　the　foreskins　taken　from　lads　at　circumcision　have　a　great　power　of　producing　rain。　Hence　the　Great　Council　of　the　tribe　always　keeps　a　small　stock　of　foreskins　ready　for　use。　They　are　carefully　concealed；　being　wrapt　up　in　feathers　with　the　fat　of　the　wild　dog　and　of　the　carpet　snake。　A　woman　may　not　see　such　a　parcel　opened　on　any　account。　When　the　ceremony　is　over；　the　foreskin　is　buried；　its　virtue　being　exhausted。　After　the　rains　have　fallen；　some　of　the　tribe　always　undergo　a　surgical　operation；　which　consists　in　cutting　the　skin　of　their　chest　and　arms　with　a　sharp　flint。　The　wound　is　then　tapped　with　a　flat　stick　to　increase　the　flow　of　blood；　and　red　ochre　is　rubbed　into　it。　Raised　scars　are　thus　produced。　The　reason　alleged　by　the　natives　for　this　practice　is　that　they　are　pleased　with　the　rain；　and　that　there　is　a　connexion　between　the　rain　and　the　scars。　Apparently　the　operation　is　not　very　painful；　for　the　patient　laughs　and　jokes　while　it　is　going　on。　Indeed；　little　children　have　been　seen　to　crowd　round　the　operator　and　patiently　take　their　turn；　then　after　being　operated　on；　they　ran　away；　expanding　their　little　chests　and　singing　for　the　rain　to　beat　upon　them。　However；　they　were　not　so　well　pleased　next　day；　when　they　felt　their　wounds　stiff　and　sore。　In　Java；　when　rain　is　wanted；　two　men　will　sometimes　thrash　each　other　with　supple　rods　till　the　blood　flows　down　their　backs；　the　streaming　blood　represents　the　rain；　and　no　doubt　is　supposed　to　make　it　fall　on　the　ground。　The　people　of　Egghiou；　a　district　of　Abyssinia；　used　to　engage　in　sanguinary　conflicts　with　each　other；　village　against　village；　for　a　week　together　every　January　for　the　purpose　of　procuring　rain。　Some　years　ago　the　emperor　Menelik　forbade　the　custom。　However；　the　following　year　the　rain　was　deficient；　and　the　popular　outcry　so　great　that　the　emperor　yielded　to　it；　and　allowed　the　murderous　fights　to　be　resumed；　but　for　two　days　a　year　only。　The　writer　who　mentions　the　custom　regards　the　blood　shed　on　these　occasions　as　a　propitiatory　sacrifice　offered　to　spirits　who　control　the　showers；　but　perhaps；　as　in　the　Australian　and　Javanese　ceremonies；　it　is　an　imitation　of　rain。　The　prophets　of　Baal；　who　sought　to　procure　rain　by　cutting　themselves　with　knives　till　the　blood　gushed　out；　may　have　acted　on　the　same　principle。

There　is　a　widespread　belief　that　twin　children　possess　magical　powers　over　nature；　especially　over　rain　and　the　weather。　This　curious　superstition　prevails　among　some　of　the　Indian　tribes　of　British　Columbia；　and　has　led　them　often　to　impose　certain　singular　restrictions　or　taboos　on　the　parents　of　twins；　though　the　exact　meaning　of　these　restrictions　is　generally　obscure。　Thus　the　Tsimshian　Indians　of　British　Columbia　believe　that　twins　control　the　weather；　therefore　they　pray　to　wind　and　rain；　Calm　down；　breath　of　the　twins。　Further；　they　think　that　the　wishes　of　twins　are　always　fulfilled；　hence　twins　are　feared；　because　they　can　harm　the　man　they　hate。　They　can　also　call　the　salmon　and　the　olachen　or　candle…fish；　and　so　they　are　known　by　a　name　which　means　making　plentiful。　In　the　opinion　of　the　Kwakiutl　Indians　of　British　Columbia　twins　are　transformed　salmon；　hence　they　may　not　go　near　water；　lest　they　should　be　changed　back　again　into　the　fish。　In　their　childhood　they　can　summon　any　wind　by　motions　of　their　hands；　and　they　can　make　fair　or　foul　weather；　and　also　cure　diseases　by　swinging　a　large　wooden　rattle。　The　Nootka　Indians　of　British　Columbia　also　believe　that　twins　are　somehow　related　to　salmon。　Hence　among　them　twins　may　not　catch　salmon；　and　they　may　not　eat　or　even　handle　the　fresh　fish。　They　can　make　fair　or　foul　weather；　and　can　cause　rain　to　fall　by　painting　their　faces　black　and　then　washing　them；　which　may　represent　the　rain　dripping　from　the　dark　clouds。　The　Shuswap　Indians；　like　the　Thompson　Indians；　associate　twins　with　the　grizzly　bear；　for　they　call　them　young　grizzly　bears。　According　to　them；　twins　remain　throughout　life　endowed　with　supernatural　powers。　In　particular　they　can　make　good　or　bad　weather。　They　produce　rain　by　spilling　water　from　a　basket　in　the　air；　they　make　fine　weather　by　shaking　a　small　flat　piece　of　wood　attached　to　a　stick　by　a　string；　they　raise　storms　by　strewing　down　on　the　ends　of　spruce　branches。

The　same　power　of　influencing　the　weather　is　attributed　to　twins　by　the　Baronga；　a　tribe　of　Bantu　negroes　who；　inhabit　the　shores　of　Delagoa　Bay　in　South…eastern　Africa。　They　bestow　the　name　of　Tilothat　is；　the　skyon　a　woman　who　has　given　birth　to　twins；　and　the　infants　themselves　are　called　the　children　of　the　sky。　Now　when　the　storms　which　generally　burst　in　the　months　of　September　and　October　have　been　looked　for　in　vain；　when　a　drought　with　its　prospect　of　famine　is　threatening；　and　all　nature；　scorched　and　burnt　up　by　a　sun　that　has　shone　for　six　months　from　a　cloudless　sky；　is　panting　for　the　beneficent　showers　of　the　South　African　spring；　the　women　perform　ceremonies　to　bring　down　the　longed…for　rain　on　the　parched　earth。　Stripping　themselves　of　all　their　garments；　they　assume　in　their　stead　girdles　and　head…dresses　of　grass；　or　short　petticoats　made　of　the　leaves　of　a　particular　sort　of　creeper。　Thus　attired；　uttering　peculiar　cries　and　singing　ribald　songs；　they　go　about　from　well　to　well；　cleansing　them　of　the　mud　and　impurities　which　have　accumulated　in　them。　The　wells；　it　may　be　said；　are　merely　holes　in　the　sand　where　a　little　turbid　un