The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion (Vol. 1 of 2)Frazer, James George
Religion
The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion (Vol. 1 of 2)
Frazer, James George
Magic; Mythology; Religion; Superstition
Sometimes the severed hair and nails are preserved, not to prevent them
from falling into the hands of a magician, but that the owner may have
them at the resurrection of the body, to which some races look forward.
Thus the Incas of Peru “took extreme care to preserve the nail-parings and
the hairs that were shorn off or torn out with a comb; placing them in
holes or niches in the walls, and if they fell out, any other Indian that
saw them picked them up and put them in their places again. I very often
asked different Indians, at various times, why they did this, in order to
see what they would say, and they all replied in the same words, saying,
‘Know that all persons who are born must return to life’ (they have no
word to express resuscitation), ‘and the souls must rise out of their
tombs with all that belonged to their bodies. We, therefore, in order that
we may not have to search for our hair and nails at a time when there will
be much hurry and confusion, place them in one place, that they may be
brought together more conveniently, and, whenever it is possible, we are
also careful to spit in one place.’ ”(732) In Chile this custom of
stuffing the shorn hair into holes in the wall is still observed, it being
thought the height of imprudence to throw the hair away.(733) Similarly
the Turks never throw away the parings of their nails, but carefully keep
them in cracks of the walls or of the boards, in the belief that they will
be needed at the resurrection.(734) Some of the Esthonians keep the
parings of their finger and toe nails in their bosom, in order to have
them at hand when they are asked for them at the day of judgment.(735) The
Fors of Central Africa object to cut any one else’s nails, for should the
part cut off be lost and not delivered into its owner’s hands, it will
have to be made up to him somehow or other after death. The parings are
buried in the ground.(736) To spit upon the hair before throwing it away
is thought in some parts of Europe sufficient to prevent its being used by
witches.(737) Spitting as a protective charm is well known.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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