The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion (Third Edition, Vol. 03 of 12)Frazer, James George
Religion
The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion (Third Edition, Vol. 03 of 12)
Frazer, James George
Magic; Mythology; Religion; Superstition
(M141) When the Kayans or Bahaus of central Borneo have shot one of the
dreaded Bornean panthers, they are very anxious about the safety of their
souls, for they think that the soul of a panther is almost more powerful
than their own. Hence they step eight times over the carcase of the dead
beast reciting the spell, “Panther, thy soul under my soul.” On returning
home they smear themselves, their dogs, and their weapons with the blood
of fowls in order to calm their souls and hinder them from fleeing away;
for being themselves fond of the flesh of fowls they ascribe the same
taste to their souls. For eight days afterwards they must bathe by day and
by night before going out again to the chase.(691) After killing an animal
some Indian hunters used to purify themselves in water as a religious
rite.(692) When a Damara hunter returns from a successful chase he takes
water in his mouth and ejects it three times over his feet, and also into
the fire on his own hearth.(693) Amongst the Caffres of South Africa “the
slaughter of a lion, however honourable it is esteemed, is nevertheless
associated with an idea of moral uncleanness, and is followed by a very
strange ceremony. When the hunters approach the village on their return,
the man who gave the lion the first wound is hidden from every eye by the
shields which his comrades hold up before him. One of the hunters steps
forward and, leaping and bounding in a strange manner, praises the courage
of the lion-killer. Then he rejoins the band, and the same performance is
repeated by another. All the rest meanwhile keep up a ceaseless shouting,
rattling with their clubs on their shields. This goes on till they have
reached the village. Then a mean hut is run up not far from the village;
and in this hut the lion-killer, because he is unclean, must remain four
days, cut off from all association with the tribe. There he dyes his body
all over with white paint; and lads who have not yet been circumcised, and
are therefore, in respect to uncleanness, in the same state as himself,
bring him a calf to eat, and wait upon him. When the four days are over,
the unclean man washes himself, paints himself with red paint in the usual
manner, and is escorted back to the village by the head chief, attended
with a guard of honour. Lastly, a second calf is killed; and, the
uncleanness being now at an end, every one is free to eat of the calf with
him.”(694) Among the Hottentots, when a man has killed a lion, leopard,
elephant, or rhinoceros he is esteemed a great hero, but he is deluged
with urine by the medicine-man and has to remain at home quite idle for
three days, during which his wife may not come near him; she is also
enjoined to restrict herself to a poor diet and to eat no more than is
barely necessary to keep her in health.(695) Similarly the Lapps deem it
the height of glory to kill a bear, which they consider the king of
beasts. Nevertheless, all the men who take part in the slaughter are
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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