the golden bough-第174部分

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oy　the　demons　from　their　lurking…places；　are　terminated　by　death；　for　it　is　killed　and　its　carcase　thrown　away。

Every　year；　at　the　beginning　of　the　dry　season；　the　Nicobar　Islanders　carry　the　model　of　a　ship　through　their　villages。　The　devils　are　chased　out　of　the　huts；　and　driven　on　board　the　little　ship；　which　is　then　launched　and　suffered　to　sail　away　with　the　wind。　The　ceremony　has　been　described　by　a　catechist；　who　witnessed　it　at　Car　Nicobar　in　July　1897。　For　three　days　the　people　were　busy　preparing　two　very　large　floating　cars；　shaped　like　canoes；　fitted　with　sails；　and　loaded　with　certain　leaves；　which　possessed　the　valuable　property　of　expelling　devils。　While　the　young　people　were　thus　engaged；　the　exorcists　and　the　elders　sat　in　a　house　singing　songs　by　turns；　but　often　they　would　come　forth；　pace　the　beach　armed　with　rods；　and　forbid　the　devil　to　enter　the　village。　The　fourth　day　of　the　solemnity　bore　a　name　which　means　Expelling　the　Devil　by　Sails。　In　the　evening　all　the　villagers　assembled；　the　women　bringing　baskets　of　ashes　and　bunches　of　devil…expelling　leaves。　These　leaves　were　then　distributed　to　everybody；　old　and　young。　When　all　was　ready；　a　band　of　robust　men；　attended　by　a　guard　of　exorcists；　carried　one　of　the　cars　down　to　the　sea　on　the　right　side　of　the　village　graveyard；　and　set　it　floating　in　the　water。　As　soon　as　they　had　returned；　another　band　of　men　carried　the　other　car　to　the　beach　and　floated　it　similarly　in　the　sea　to　the　left　of　the　graveyard。　The　demon…laden　barks　being　now　launched；　the　women　threw　ashes　from　the　shore；　and　the　whole　crowd　shouted；　saying；　Fly　away；　devil；　fly　away；　never　come　again！　The　wind　and　the　tide　being　favourable；　the　canoes　sailed　quickly　away；　and　that　night　all　the　people　feasted　together　with　great　joy；　because　the　devil　had　departed　in　the　direction　of　Chowra。　A　similar　expulsion　of　devils　takes　place　once　a　year　in　other　Nicobar　villages；　but　the　ceremonies　are　held　at　different　times　in　different　places。

Amongst　many　of　the　aboriginal　tribes　of　China；　a　great　festival　is　celebrated　in　the　third　month　of　every　year。　It　is　held　by　way　of　a　general　rejoicing　over　what　the　people　believe　to　be　a　total　annihilation　of　the　ills　of　the　past　twelve　months。　The　destruction　is　supposed　to　be　effected　in　the　following　way。　A　large　earthenware　jar　filled　with　gunpowder；　stones；　and　bits　of　iron　is　buried　in　the　earth。　A　train　of　gunpowder；　communicating　with　the　jar；　is　then　laid；　and　a　match　being　applied；　the　jar　and　its　contents　are　blown　up。　The　stones　and　bits　of　iron　represent　the　ills　and　disasters　of　the　past　year；　and　the　dispersion　of　them　by　the　explosion　is　believed　to　remove　the　ills　and　disasters　themselves。　The　festival　is　attended　with　much　revelling　and　drunkenness。

At　Old　Calabar　on　the　coast　of　Guinea；　the　devils　and　ghosts　are；　or　used　to　be；　publicly　expelled　once　in　two　years。　Among　the　spirits　thus　driven　from　their　haunts　are　the　souls　of　all　the　people　who　died　since　the　last　lustration　of　the　town。　About　three　weeks　or　a　month　before　the　expulsion；　which　according　to　one　account　takes　place　in　the　month　of　November；　rude　effigies　representing　men　and　animals；　such　as　crocodiles；　leopards；　elephants；　bullocks；　and　birds；　are　made　of　wicker…work　or　wood；　and　being　hung　with　strips　of　cloth　and　bedizened　with　gew…gaws；　are　set　before　the　door　of　every　house。　About　three　o'clock　in　the　morning　of　the　day　appointed　for　the　ceremony　the　whole　population　turns　out　into　the　streets；　and　proceeds　with　a　deafening　uproar　and　in　a　state　of　the　wildest　excitement　to　drive　all　lurking　devils　and　ghosts　into　the　effigies；　in　order　that　they　may　be　banished　with　them　from　the　abodes　of　men。　For　this　purpose　bands　of　people　roam　through　the　streets　knocking　on　doors；　firing　guns；　beating　drums；　blowing　on　horns；　ringing　bells；　clattering　pots　and　pans；　shouting　and　hallooing　with　might　and　main；　in　short　making　all　the　noise　it　is　possible　for　them　to　raise。　The　hubbub　goes　on　till　the　approach　of　dawn；　when　it　gradually　subsides　and　ceases　altogether　at　sunrise。　By　this　time　the　houses　have　been　thoroughly　swept；　and　all　the　frightened　spirits　are　supposed　to　have　huddled　into　the　effigies　or　their　fluttering　drapery。　In　these　wicker　figures　are　also　deposited　the　sweepings　of　the　houses　and　the　ashes　of　yesterday's　fires。　Then　the　demon…laden　images　are　hastily　snatched　up；　carried　in　tumultuous　procession　down　to　the　brink　of　the　river；　and　thrown　into　the　water　to　the　tuck　of　drums。　The　ebb…tide　bears　them　away　seaward；　and　thus　the　town　is　swept　clean　of　ghosts　and　devils　for　another　two　years。

Similar　annual　expulsions　of　embodied　evils　are　not　unknown　in　Europe。　On　the　evening　of　Easter　Sunday　the　gypsies　of　Southern　Europe　take　a　wooden　vessel　like　a　band…box；　which　rests　cradle…wise　on　two　cross　pieces　of　wood。　In　this　they　place　herbs　and　simples；　together　with　the　dried　carcase　of　a　snake；　or　lizard；　which　every　person　present　must　first　have　touched　with　his　fingers。　The　vessel　is　then　wrapt　in　white　and　red　wool；　carried　by　the　oldest　man　from　tent　to　tent；　and　finally　thrown　into　running　water；　not；　however；　before　every　member　of　the　band　has　spat　into　it　once；　and　the　sorceress　has　uttered　some　spells　over　it。　They　believe　that　by　performing　this　ceremony　they　dispel　all　the　illnesses　that　would　otherwise　have　afflicted　them　in　the　course　of　the　year；　and　that　if　any　one　finds　the　vessel　and　opens　it　out　of　curiosity；　he　and　his　will　be　visited　by　all　the　maladies　which　the　others　have　escaped。

The　scapegoat　by　means　of　which　the　accumulated　ills　of　a　whole　year　are　publicly　expelled　is　sometimes　an　animal。　For　example；　among　the　Garos　of　Assam；　besides　the　sacrifices　for　individual　cases　of　illness；　there　are　certain　ceremonies　which　are　observed　once　a　year　by　a　whole　community　or　village；　and　are　intended　to　safeguard　its　members　from　dangers　of　the　forest；　and　from　sickness　and　mishap　during　the　coming　twelve　months。　The　principal　of　these　is　the　Asongtata　ceremony。　Close　to　the　outskirts　of　every　big　village　a　number　of　stones　may　be　noticed　stuck　into　the　ground；　apparently　without　order　or　method。　These　are　known　by　the　name　of　asong；　and　on　them　is　offered　the　sacrifice　which　the　Asongtata　demands。　The　sacrifice　of　a　goat　takes　place；　and　a　month　later；　that　of　a　langur　（Entellus　monkey）　or　a　bamboo…rat　is　considered　necessary。　The　animal　chosen　has　a　rope　fastened　round　its　neck　and　is　led　by　two　men；　one　on　each　side　of　it；　to　every　house　in　the　village。　It　is　taken　inside　each　house　in　turn；　the　assembled　villagers；　meanwhile；　beating　the　walls　from　the　outside；　to　frighten　and　drive　out　any　evil　spirits　which　may　have　taken　up　their　residence　within。　The　round　of　the　village　having　been　made　in　this　manner；　the　monkey　or　rat　is　led　to　the　outskirts　of　the　village；　killed　by　a　blow　of　a　dao；　which　disembowels　it；　and　then　crucified　on　bamboos　set　up　in　the　ground。　Round　the　crucified　animal　long；　sharp　bamboo　stakes　are　placed；　which　form　chevaux　de　frise　round　about　it。　These　commemorate　the　days　when　such　defences　surrounded　the　villages　on　all　sides　to　keep　off　human　enemies；　and　they　are　now　a　symbol　to　ward　off　sickness　and　dangers　to　life　from　the　wild　animals　of　the　forest。　The　langur　required　for　the　purpose　is　hunted　down　some　days　before；　but　should　it　be　found　impossible　to　catch　one；　a　brown　monkey　may　take　its　place；　a　hulock　may　not　be　used。　Here　the　crucified　ape　or　rat　is　the　public　scapegoat；　which　by　its　vicarious　sufferings　and　death　relieves　the　people　from　all　sickness　and　mishap　in　the　coming　year。

Again；　on　one　day　of　the　year　the　Bhotiyas　of　Juhar；　in　the　Western　Himalayas；　take　a　dog；　intoxicate　him　with　spirits　and　bhang　or　hemp；　and　having　fed　him　with　sweetmeats；　lead　him　round　the　village　and　let　him　loose。　They　then　chase　and　kill　him　with　sticks　and　stones；　and　believe　that；　when　they　have　done　so；　no　disease　or　misfortune　will　visit　the　village　during　the　year。　In　some　parts　of　Breadalbane　it　was　formerly　the　custom　on　New　Year's　Day　to　take　a　dog　to　the　door；　give　him　a　bit　of　bread；　and　drive　him　out；　saying；　Get　away；　you　dog！　Whatever　death　of　men　or　loss　of　cattle　would　happen　in　this　house　to　the　end　of　the　present　year；　may　it　all　light　on　your　head！　On　the　Day　of　Atonement；　which　was　the　tenth　day　of　the　seventh　month；　the　Jewish　high…priest　laid　both　his　hands　on　the　head　of　a　live　goat；　confessed　over　it　all　the　iniquities　of　the　Children　of　Israel；　and；　having　thereby　transferred　the　sins　of　the　people　to　the　beast；　sent　it　away　into　the　wilderness。

The　scapegoat　upon　whom　the　sins　of　the　people　are　periodically　laid；　may　also　be　a　human　being。　At　Onitsha；　on　the　Niger；　two　human　beings　used　to　be　annually　sacrificed　to　take　away　the　sins　of　the　land。　The　victims　were　purchased　by　public　subscription。　All　persons　who；　during　the　past　year；　had　fallen　into　gross　sins；　such　as　incendiarism；　theft；　adultery；　witchcraft；　and　so　forth；　were　expected　to　contribute　28　ngugas；　or　a　little　over　￡2。　The　money　thus　collected　was　taken　into　the　interior　of　the　country　and　expended　in　the　purchase　of　two　sickly　persons　to　be　offered　as　a　sacrifice　for　all　these　abominable　crimesone　for　the　land　and　one　for　the　river。　A　man　from　a　neighbouring　town　was　hired　to　put　them　to　death。　On　the　twenty…seventh　of　February　1858　the　Rev。　J。　C。　Taylor　witnessed　the　sacrifice　of　one　of　these　victims。　The　sufferer　was　a　woman；　about　nineteen　or　twenty　years　of　age。　They　dragged　her　alive　along　the　ground；　face　downwards；　from　the　king's　house　to　the　river；　a　distance　of　two　miles；　the　crowds　who　accompanied　her　crying；　Wickedness！　wickedness！　The　intention　was　to　take　away　the　iniquities　of　the　land。　The　body　was　dragged　along　in　a　merciless　manner；　as　if　the　weight　of　all　their　wickedness　was　thus　carried　away。　Similar　customs　are　said　to　be　still　secretly　practised　every　year　by　many　tribes　in　the　delta　of　the　Niger　in　spite　of　the　vigilance　of　the　British　Government。　Among　the　Yoruba　negroes　of　West　Africa　the　human　victim　chosen　for　sacrifice；　and　who　may　be　either　a　freeborn　or　a　slave；　a　person　of　noble　or　wealthy　parentage；　or　one　of　humble　birth；　is；　after　he　has　been　chosen　and　marked　out　for　the　purpos