the golden bough-第59部分

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　of　the　family　takes　the　bowl　which　is　used　to　skim　rice；　and　knocking　with　it　thrice　on　the　top　of　the　houseladder　says：　Prrrroo！　Come　back；　soul；　do　not　tarry　outside！　If　it　rains；　you　will　be　wet。　If　the　sun　shines；　you　will　be　hot。　The　gnats　will　sting　you；　the　leeches　will　bite　you；　the　tigers　will　devour　you；　the　thunder　will　crush　you。　Prrrroo！　Come　back；　soul！　Here　it　will　be　well　with　you。　You　shall　want　for　nothing。　Come　and　eat　under　shelter　from　the　wind　and　the　storm。　After　that　the　family　partakes　of　the　meal；　and　the　ceremony　ends　with　everybody　tying　their　right　wrist　with　a　string　which　has　been　charmed　by　a　sorcerer。　Similarly　the　Lolos　of　South…western　China　believe　that　the　soul　leaves　the　body　in　chronic　illness。　In　that　case　they　read　a　sort　of　elaborate　litany；　calling　on　the　soul　by　name　and　beseeching　it　to　return　from　the　hills；　the　vales；　the　rivers；　the　forests；　the　fields；　or　from　wherever　it　may　be　straying。　At　the　same　time　cups　of　water；　wine；　and　rice　are　set　at　the　door　for　the　refreshment　of　the　weary　wandering　spirit。　When　the　ceremony　is　over；　they　tie　a　red　cord　round　the　arm　of　the　sick　man　to　tether　the　soul；　and　this　cord　is　worn　by　him　until　it　decays　and　drops　off。

Some　of　the　Congo　tribes　believe　that　when　a　man　is　ill；　his　soul　has　left　his　body　and　is　wandering　at　large。　The　aid　of　the　sorcerer　is　then　called　in　to　capture　the　vagrant　spirit　and　restore　it　to　the　invalid。　Generally　the　physician　declares　that　he　has　successfully　chased　the　soul　into　the　branch　of　a　tree。　The　whole　town　thereupon　turns　out　and　accompanies　the　doctor　to　the　tree；　where　the　strongest　men　are　deputed　to　break　off　the　branch　in　which　the　soul　of　the　sick　man　is　supposed　to　be　lodged。　This　they　do　and　carry　the　branch　back　to　the　town；　insinuating　by　their　gestures　that　the　burden　is　heavy　and　hard　to　bear。　When　the　branch　has　been　brought　to　the　sick　man's　hut；　he　is　placed　in　an　upright　position　by　its　side；　and　the　sorcerer　performs　the　enchantments　by　which　the　soul　is　believed　to　be　restored　to　its　owner。

Pining；　sickness；　great　fright；　and　death　are　ascribed　by　the　Bataks　of　Sumatra　to　the　absence　of　the　soul　from　the　body。　At　first　they　try　to　beckon　the　wanderer　back；　and　to　lure　him；　like　a　fowl；　by　strewing　rice。　Then　the　following　form　of　words　is　commonly　repeated：　Come　back；　O　soul；　whether　thou　art　lingering　in　the　wood；　or　on　the　hills；　or　in　the　dale。　See；　I　call　thee　with　a　toemba　bras；　with　an　egg　of　the　fowl　Rajah　moelija；　with　the　eleven　healing　leaves。　Detain　it　not；　let　it　come　straight　here；　detain　it　not；　neither　in　the　wood；　nor　on　the　hill；　nor　in　the　dale。　That　may　not　be。　O　come　straight　home！　Once　when　a　popular　traveller　was　leaving　a　Kayan　village；　the　mothers；　fearing　that　their　children's　souls　might　follow　him　on　his　journey；　brought　him　the　boards　on　which　they　carry　their　infants　and　begged　him　to　pray　that　the　souls　of　the　little　ones　would　return　to　the　familiar　boards　and　not　go　away　with　him　into　the　far　country。　To　each　board　was　fastened　a　looped　string　for　the　purpose　of　tethering　the　vagrant　spirits；　and　through　the　loop　each　baby　was　made　to　pass　a　chubby　finger　to　make　sure　that　its　tiny　soul　would　not　wander　away。

In　an　Indian　story　a　king　conveys　his　soul　into　the　dead　body　of　a　Brahman；　and　a　hunchback　conveys　his　soul　into　the　deserted　body　of　the　king。　The　hunchback　is　now　king　and　the　king　is　a　Brahman。　However；　the　hunchback　is　induced　to　show　his　skill　by　transferring　his　soul　to　the　dead　body　of　a　parrot；　and　the　king　seizes　the　opportunity　to　regain　possession　of　his　own　body。　A　tale　of　the　same　type；　with　variations　of　detail；　reappears　among　the　Malays。　A　king　has　incautiously　transferred　his　soul　to　an　ape；　upon　which　the　vizier　adroitly　inserts　his　own　soul　into　the　king's　body　and　so　takes　possession　of　the　queen　and　the　kingdom；　while　the　true　king　languishes　at　court　in　the　outward　semblance　of　an　ape。　But　one　day　the　false　king；　who　played　for　high　stakes；　was　watching　a　combat　of　rams；　and　it　happened　that　the　animal　on　which　he　had　laid　his　money　fell　down　dead。　All　efforts　to　restore　animation　proved　unavailing　till　the　false　king；　with　the　instinct　of　a　true　sportsman；　transferred　his　own　soul　to　the　body　of　the　deceased　ram；　and　thus　renewed　the　fray。　The　real　king　in　the　body　of　the　ape　saw　his　chance；　and　with　great　presence　of　mind　darted　back　into　his　own　body；　which　the　vizier　had　rashly　vacated。　So　he　came　to　his　own　again；　and　the　usurper　in　the　ram's　body　met　with　the　fate　he　richly　deserved。　Similarly　the　Greeks　told　how　the　soul　of　Hermotimus　of　Clazomenae　used　to　quit　his　body　and　roam　far　and　wide；　bringing　back　intelligence　of　what　he　had　seen　on　his　rambles　to　his　friends　at　home；　until　one　day；　when　his　spirit　was　abroad；　his　enemies　contrived　to　seize　his　deserted　body　and　committed　it　to　the　flames。

The　departure　of　the　soul　is　not　always　voluntary。　It　may　be　extracted　from　the　body　against　its　will　by　ghosts；　demons；　or　sorcerers。　Hence；　when　a　funeral　is　passing　the　house；　the　Karens　tie　their　children　with　a　special　kind　of　string　to　a　particular　part　of　the　house；　lest　the　souls　of　the　children　should　leave　their　bodies　and　go　into　the　corpse　which　is　passing。　The　children　are　kept　tied　in　this　way　until　the　corpse　is　out　of　sight。　And　after　the　corpse　has　been　laid　in　the　grave；　but　before　the　earth　has　been　shovelled　in；　the　mourners　and　friends　range　themselves　round　the　grave；　each　with　a　bamboo　split　lengthwise　in　one　hand　and　a　little　stick　in　the　other；　each　man　thrusts　his　bamboo　into　the　grave；　and　drawing　the　stick　along　the　groove　of　the　bamboo　points　out　to　his　soul　that　in　this　way　it　may　easily　climb　up　out　of　the　tomb。　While　the　earth　is　being　shovelled　in；　the　bamboos　are　kept　out　of　the　way；　lest　the　souls　should　be　in　them；　and　so　should　be　inadvertently　buried　with　the　earth　as　it　is　being　thrown　into　the　grave；　and　when　the　people　leave　the　spot　they　carry　away　the　bamboos；　begging　their　souls　to　come　with　them。　Further；　on　returning　from　the　grave　each　Karen　provides　himself　with　three　little　hooks　made　of　branches　of　trees；　and　calling　his　spirit　to　follow　him；　at　short　intervals；　as　he　returns；　he　makes　a　motion　as　if　hooking　it；　and　then　thrusts　the　hook　into　the　ground。　This　is　done　to　prevent　the　soul　of　the　living　from　staying　behind　with　the　soul　of　the　dead。　When　the　Karo…Bataks　have　buried　somebody　and　are　filling　in　the　grave；　a　sorceress　runs　about　beating　the　air　with　a　stick。　This　she　does　in　order　to　drive　away　the　souls　of　the　survivors；　for　if　one　of　these　souls　happened　to　slip　into　the　grave　and　to　be　covered　up　with　earth；　its　owner　would　die。

In　Uea；　one　of　the　Loyalty　Islands；　the　souls　of　the　dead　seem　to　have　been　credited　with　the　power　of　stealing　the　souls　of　the　living。　For　when　a　man　was　sick　the　soul…doctor　would　go　with　a　large　troop　of　men　and　women　to　the　graveyard。　Here　the　men　played　on　flutes　and　the　women　whistled　softly　to　lure　the　soul　home。　After　this　had　gone　on　for　some　time　they　formed　in　procession　and　moved　homewards；　the　flutes　playing　and　the　women　whistling　all　the　way；　while　they　led　back　the　wandering　soul　and　drove　it　gently　along　with　open　palms。　On　entering　the　patient's　dwelling　they　commanded　the　soul　in　a　loud　voice　to　enter　his　body。

Often　the　abduction　of　a　man's　soul　is　set　down　to　demons。　Thus　fits　and　convulsions　are　generally　ascribed　by　the　Chinese　to　the　agency　of　certain　mischievous　spirits　who　love　to　draw　men's　souls　out　of　their　bodies。　At　Amoy　the　spirits　who　serve　babies　and　children　in　this　way　rejoice　in　the　high…sounding　titles　of　celestial　agencies　bestriding　galloping　horses　and　literary　graduates　residing　halfway　up　in　the　sky。　When　an　infant　is　writhing　in　convulsions；　the　frightened　mother　hastens　to　the　roof　of　the　house；　and；　waving　about　a　bamboo　pole　to　which　one　of　the　child's　garments　is　attached；　cries　out　several　times　My　child　So…and…so；　come　back；　return　home！　Meantime；　another　inmate　of　the　house　bangs　away　at　a　gong　in　the　hope　of　attracting　the　attention　of　the　strayed　soul；　which　is　supposed　to　recognise　the　familiar　garment　and　to　slip　into　it。　The　garment　containing　the　soul　is　then　placed　on　or　beside　the　child；　and　if　the　child　does　not　die　recovery　is　sure　to　follow；　sooner　or　later。　Similarly　some　Indians　catch　a　man's　lost　soul　in　his　boots　and　restore　it　to　his　body　by　putting　his　feet　into　them。

In　the　Moluccas　when　a　man　is　unwell　it　is　thought　that　some　devil　has　carried　away　his　soul　to　the　tree；　mountain；　or　hill　where　he　（the　devil）　resides。　A　sorcerer　having　pointed　out　the　devil's　abode；　the　friends　of　the　patient　carry　thither　cooked　rice；　fruit；　fish；　raw　eggs；　a　hen；　a　chicken；　a　silken　robe；　gold；　armlets；　and　so　forth。　Having　set　out　the　food　in　order　they　pray；　saying：　We　come　to　offer　to　you；　O　devil；　this　offering　of　food；　clothes；　gold；　and　so　on；　take　it　and　release　the　soul　of　the　patient　for　whom　we　pray。　Let　it　return　to　his　body；　and　he　who　now　is　sick　shall　be　made　whole。　Then　they　eat　a　little　and　let　the　hen　loose　as　a　ransom　for　the　soul　of　the　patient；　also　they　put　down　the　raw　eggs；　but　the　silken　robe；　the　gold；　and　the　armlets　they　take　home　with　them。　As　soon　as　they　are　come　to　the　house　they　place　a　flat　bowl　containing　the　offerings　which　have　been　brought　back　at　the　sick　man's　head；　and　say　to　him：　Now　is　your　soul　released；　and　you　shall　fare　well　and　live　to　grey　hairs　on　the　earth。

Demons　are　especially　feared　by　persons　who　have　just　entered　a　new　house。　Hence　at　a　house…warming　among　the　Alfoors　of　Minahassa　in　Celebes　the　priest　performs　a　ceremony　for　the　purpose　of　restoring　their　souls　to　the　inmates。　He　hangs　up　a　bag　at　the　place　of　sacrifice　and　then　goes　through　a　list　of　the　gods。　There　are　so　many　of　them　that　this　takes　him　the　whole　night　through　without　stopping。　In　the　morning　he　offers　the　gods　an　egg　and　some　rice。　By　this　time　the　souls　of　the　household　are　supposed　to　be　gathered　in　the　bag。　So　the　priest　takes　the　bag；　and　holding　it　on　the　head　of　the　master　of　the　house；　says；　Here　you　have　your　soul；　go　（soul）　to…morrow　away　again。　He　then　does　the　same；　saying　the　same　words；　to　the　housewife　and　all　the　other　members　of　the　f