the golden bough-第32部分

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n　mystic　seclusion。　Their　powers　were　sometimes；　but　not　always；　hereditary。　A　missionary　has　described　one　of　these　human　gods　from　personal　observation。　The　god　was　a　very　old　man　who　lived　in　a　large　house　within　an　enclosure。　In　the　house　was　a　kind　of　altar；　and　on　the　beams　of　the　house　and　on　the　trees　round　it　were　hung　human　skeletons；　head　down。　No　one　entered　the　enclosure　except　the　persons　dedicated　to　the　service　of　the　god；　only　on　days　when　human　victims　were　sacrificed　might　ordinary　people　penetrate　into　the　precinct。　This　human　god　received　more　sacrifices　than　all　the　other　gods；　often　he　would　sit　on　a　sort　of　scaffold　in　front　of　his　house　and　call　for　two　or　three　human　victims　at　a　time。　They　were　always　brought；　for　the　terror　he　inspired　was　extreme。　He　was　invoked　all　over　the　island；　and　offerings　were　sent　to　him　from　every　side。　Again；　of　the　South　Sea　Islands　in　general　we　are　told　that　each　island　had　a　man　who　represented　or　personified　the　divinity。　Such　men　were　called　gods；　and　their　substance　was　confounded　with　that　of　the　deity。　The　man…god　was　sometimes　the　king　himself；　oftener　he　was　a　priest　or　subordinate　chief。

The　ancient　Egyptians；　far　from　restricting　their　adoration　to　cats　and　dogs　and　such　small　deer；　very　liberally　extended　it　to　men。　One　of　these　human　deities　resided　at　the　village　of　Anabis；　and　burnt　sacrifices　were　offered　to　him　on　the　altars；　after　which；　says　Porphyry；　he　would　eat　his　dinner　just　as　if　he　were　an　ordinary　mortal。　In　classical　antiquity　the　Sicilian　philosopher　Empedocles　gave　himself　out　to　be　not　merely　a　wizard　but　a　god。　Addressing　his　fellow…citizens　in　verse　he　said：

O　friends；　in　this　great　city　that　climbs　the　yellow　slope　Of　Agrigentum's　citadel；　who　make　good　works　your　scope；　Who　offer　to　the　stranger　a　haven　quiet　and　fair；　All　hail！　Among　you　honoured　I　walk　with　lofty　air。　With　garlands；　blooming　garlands　you　crown　my　noble　brow；　A　mortal　man　no　longer；　a　deathless　godhead　now。　Where　e'er　I　go；　the　people　crowd　round　and　worship　pay；　And　thousands　follow　seeking　to　learn　the　better　way。　Some　crave　prophetic　visions；　some　smit　with　anguish　sore　Would　fain　hear　words　of　comfort　and　suffer　pain　no　more。

He　asserted　that　he　could　teach　his　disciples　how　to　make　the　wind　to　blow　or　be　still；　the　rain　to　fall　and　the　sun　to　shine；　how　to　banish　sickness　and　old　age　and　to　raise　the　dead。　When　Demetrius　Poliorcetes　restored　the　Athenian　democracy　in　307　B。C。；　the　Athenians　decreed　divine　honours　to　him

and　his　father　Antigonus；　both　of　them　being　then　alive；　under　the　title　of　the　Saviour　Gods。　Altars　were　set　up　to　the　Saviours；　and　a　priest　appointed　to　attend　to　their　worship。　The　people　went　forth　to　meet　their　deliverer　with　hymns　and　dances；　with　garlands　and　incense　and　libations；　they　lined　the　streets　and　sang　that　he　was　the　only　true　god；　for　the　other　gods　slept；　or　dwelt　far　away；　or　were　not。　In　the　words　of　a　contemporary　poet；　which　were　chanted　in　public　and　sung　in　private：

Of　all　the　gods　the　greatest　and　the　dearest　To　the　city　are　come。　For　Demeter　and　Demetrius　Together　time　has　brought。　She　comes　to　hold　the　Maiden's　awful　rites；　And　he　joyous　and　fair　and　laughing；　As　befits　a　god。　A　glorious　sight；　with　all　his　friends　about　him；　He　in　their　midst；　They　like　to　stars；　and　he　the　sun。　Son　of　Poseidon　the　mighty；　Aphrodite's　son；　All　hail！　The　other　gods　dwell　far　away；　Or　have　no　ears；　Or　are　not；　or　pay　us　no　heed。　But　thee　we　present　see；　No　god　of　wood　or　stone；　but　godhead　true。　Therefore　to　thee　we　pray。

The　ancient　Germans　believed　that　there　was　something　holy　in　women；　and　accordingly　consulted　them　as　oracles。　Their　sacred　women；　we　are　told；　looked　on　the　eddying　rivers　and　listened　to　the　murmur　or　the　roar　of　the　water；　and　from　the　sight　and　sound　foretold　what　would　come　to　pass。　But　often　the　veneration　of　the　men　went　further；　and　they　worshipped　women　as　true　and　living　goddesses。　For　example；　in　the　reign　of　Vespasian　a　certain　Veleda；　of　the　tribe　of　the　Bructeri；　was　commonly　held　to　be　a　deity；　and　in　that　character　reigned　over　her　people；　her　sway　being　acknowledged　far　and　wide。　She　lived　in　a　tower　on　the　river　Lippe；　a　tributary　of　the　Rhine。　When　the　people　of　Cologne　sent　to　make　a　treaty　with　her；　the　ambassadors　were　not　admitted　to　her　presence；　the　negotiations　were　conducted　through　a　minister；　who　acted　as　the　mouthpiece　of　her　divinity　and　reported　her　oracular　utterances。　The　example　shows　how　easily　among　our　rude　forefathers　the　ideas　of　divinity　and　royalty　coalesced。　It　is　said　that　among　the　Getae　down　to　the　beginning　of　our　era　there　was　always　a　man　who　personified　a　god　and　was　called　God　by　the　people。　He　dwelt　on　a　sacred　mountain　and　acted　as　adviser　to　the　king。

According　to　the　early　Portuguese　historian；　Dos　Santos；　the　Zimbas；　or　Muzimbas；　a　people　of　South…eastern　Africa；　do　not　adore　idols　or　recognize　any　god；　but　instead　they　venerate　and　honour　their　king；　whom　they　regard　as　a　divinity；　and　they　say　he　is　the　greatest　and　best　in　the　world。　And　the　said　king　says　of　himself　that　he　alone　is　god　of　the　earth；　for　which　reason　if　it　rains　when　he　does　not　wish　it　to　do　so；　or　is　too　hot；　he　shoots　arrows　at　the　sky　for　not　obeying　him。　The　Mashona　of　Southern　Africa　informed　their　bishop　that　they　had　once　had　a　god；　but　that　the　Matabeles　had　driven　him　away。　This　last　was　in　reference　to　a　curious　custom　in　some　villages　of　keeping　a　man　they　called　their　god。　He　seemed　to　be　consulted　by　the　people　and　had　presents　given　to　him。　There　was　one　at　a　village　belonging　to　a　chief　Magondi；　in　the　old　days。　We　were　asked　not　to　fire　off　any　guns　near　the　village；　or　we　should　frighten　him　away。　This　Mashona　god　was　formerly　bound　to　render　an　annual　tribute　to　the　king　of　the　Matabele　in　the　shape　of　four　black　oxen　and　one　dance。　A　missionary　has　seen　and　described　the　deity　discharging　the　latter　part　of　his　duty　in　front　of　the　royal　hut。　For　three　mortal　hours；　without　a　break；　to　the　banging　of　a　tambourine；　the　click　of　castanettes；　and　the　drone　of　a　monotonous　song；　the　swarthy　god　engaged　in　a　frenzied　dance；　crouching　on　his　hams　like　a　tailor；　sweating　like　a　pig；　and　bounding　about　with　an　agility　which　testified　to　the　strength　and　elasticity　of　his　divine　legs。

The　Baganda　of　Central　Africa　believed　in　a　god　of　Lake　Nyanza；　who　sometimes　took　up　his　abode　in　a　man　or　woman。　The　incarnate　god　was　much　feared　by　all　the　people；　including　the　king　and　the　chiefs。　When　the　mystery　of　incarnation　had　taken　place；　the　man；　or　rather　the　god；　removed　about　a　mile　and　a　half　from　the　margin　of　the　lake；　and　there　awaited　the　appearance　of　the　new　moon　before　he　engaged　in　his　sacred　duties。　From　the　moment　that　the　crescent　moon　appeared　faintly　in　the　sky；　the　king　and　all　his　subjects　were　at　the　command　of　the　divine　man；　or　Lubare　（god）；　as　he　was　called；　who　reigned　supreme　not　only　in　matters　of　faith　and　ritual；　but　also　in　questions　of　war　and　state　policy。　He　was　consulted　as　an　oracle；　by　his　word　he　could　inflict　or　heal　sickness；　withhold　rain；　and　cause　famine。　Large　presents　were　made　him　when　his　advice　was　sought。　The　chief　of　Urua；　a　large　region　to　the　west　of　Lake　Tanganyika；　arrogates　to　himself　divine　honours　and　power　and　pretends　to　abstain　from　food　for　days　without　feeling　its　necessity；　and；　indeed；　declares　that　as　a　god　he　is　altogether　above　requiring　food　and　only　eats；　drinks；　and　smokes　for　the　pleasure　it　affords　him。　Among　the　Gallas；　when　a　woman　grows　tired　of　the　cares　of　housekeeping；　she　begins　to　talk　incoherently　and　to　demean　herself　extravagantly。　This　is　a　sign　of　the　descent　of　the　holy　spirit　Callo　upon　her。　Immediately　her　husband　prostrates　himself　and　adores　her；　she　ceases　to　bear　the　humble　title　of　wife　and　is　called　Lord；　domestic　duties　have　no　further　claim　on　her；　and　her　will　is　a　divine　law。

The　king　of　Loango　is　honoured　by　his　people　as　though　he　were　a　god；　and　he　is　called　Sambee　and　Pango；　which　mean　god。　They　believe　that　he　can　let　them　have　rain　when　he　likes；　and　once　a　year；　in　December；　which　is　the　time　they　want　rain；　the　people　come　to　beg　of　him　to　grant　it　to　them。　On　this　occasion　the　king；　standing　on　his　throne；　shoots　an　arrow　into　the　air；　which　is　supposed　to　bring　on　rain。　Much　the　same　is　said　of　the　king　of　Mombasa。　Down　to　a　few　years　ago；　when　his　spiritual　reign　on　earth　was　brought　to　an　abrupt　end　by　the　carnal　weapons　of　English　marines　and　bluejackets；　the　king　of　Benin　was　the　chief　object　of　worship　in　his　dominions。　He　occupies　a　higher　post　here　than　the　Pope　does　in　Catholic　Europe；　for　he　is　not　only　God's　vicegerent　upon　earth；　but　a　god　himself；　whose　subjects　both　obey　and　adore　him　as　such；　although　I　believe　their　adoration　to　arise　rather　from　fear　than　love。　The　king　of　Iddah　told　the　English　officers　of　the　Niger　Expedition；　God　made　me　after　his　own　image；　I　am　all　the　same　as　God；　and　he　appointed　me　a　king。

A　peculiarly　bloodthirsty　monarch　of　Burma；　by　name　Badonsachen；　whose　very　countenance　reflected　the　inbred　ferocity　of　his　nature；　and　under　whose　reign　more　victims　perished　by　the　executioner　than　by　the　common　enemy；　conceived　the　notion　that　he　was　something　more　than　mortal；　and　that　this　high　distinction　had　been　granted　him　as　a　reward　for　his　numerous　good　works。　Accordingly　he　laid　aside　the　title　of　king　and　aimed　at　making　himself　a　god。　With　this　view；　and　in　imitation　of　Buddha；　who；　before　being　advanced　to　the　rank　of　a　divinity；　had　quitted　his　royal　palace　and　seraglio　and　retired　from　the　world；　Badonsachen　withdrew　from　his　palace　to　an　immense　pagoda；　the　largest　in　the　empire；　which　he　had　been　engaged　in　constructing　for　many　years。　Here　he　held　conferences　with　the　most　learned　monks；　in　which　he　sought　to　persuade　them　that　the　five　thousand　years　assigned　for　the　observance　of　the　law　of　Buddha　were　now　elapsed；　and　that　he　himself　was　the　god　who　was　destined　to　appear　after　that　period；　and　to　abolish　the　old　law　by　substituting　his　own。　But　to　his　great　mortification　many　of　the　monks　undertook　to　demonstrate　the　contrary；　and　this　disappointment；　combined　with　his　love　of　power　and　his　impatience　under　the　rest