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ced to a few days。 In Madras it is considered a great sin to kill a cobra。 When this has happened； the people generally burn the body of the serpent； just as they burn the bodies of human beings。 The murderer deems himself polluted for three days。 On the second day milk is poured on the remains of the cobra。 On the third day the guilty wretch is free from pollution。
In these last cases the animal whose slaughter has to be atoned for is sacred； that is； it is one whose life is commonly spared from motives of superstition。 Yet the treatment of the sacrilegious slayer seems to resemble so closely the treatment of hunters and fishermen who have killed animals for food in the ordinary course of business； that the ideas on which both sets of customs are based may be assumed to be substantially the same。 Those ideas； if I am right； are the respect which the savage feels for the souls of beasts； especially valuable or formidable beasts； and the dread which he entertains of their vengeful ghosts。 Some confirmation of this view may be drawn from the ceremonies observed by fishermen of Annam when the carcase of a whale is washed ashore。 These fisherfolk； we are told； worship the whale on account of the benefits they derive from it。 There is hardly a village on the sea…shore which has not its small pagoda； containing the bones； more or less authentic； of a whale。 When a dead whale is washed ashore； the people accord it a solemn burial。 The man who first caught sight of it acts as chief mourner； performing the rites which as chief mourner and heir he would perform for a human kinsman。 He puts on all the garb of woe； the straw hat； the white robe with long sleeves turned inside out； and the other paraphernalia of full mourning。 As next of kin to the deceased he presides over the funeral rites。 Perfumes are burned； sticks of incense kindled； leaves of gold and silver scattered； crackers let off。 When the flesh has been cut off and the oil extracted； the remains of the carcase are buried in the sand。 After wards a shed is set up and offerings are made in it。 Usually some time after the burial the spirit of the dead whale takes possession of some person in the village and declares by his mouth whether he is a male or a female。
Chapter 21。 Tabooed Things。
1。 The Meaning of Taboo。
THUS in primitive society the rules of ceremonial purity observed by divine kings； chiefs； and priests agree in many respects with the rules observed by homicides； mourners； women in childbed； girls at puberty； hunters and fishermen； and so on。 To us these various classes of persons appear to differ totally in character and condition； some of them we should call holy； others we might pronounce unclean and polluted。 But the savage makes no such moral distinction between them； the conceptions of holiness and pollution are not yet differentiated in his mind。 To him the common feature of all these persons is that they are dangerous and in danger； and the danger in which they stand and to which they expose others is what we should call spiritual or ghostly； and therefore imaginary。 The danger； however； is not less real because it is imaginary； imagination acts upon man as really as does gravitation； and may kill him as certainly as a dose of prussic acid。 To seclude these persons from the rest of the world so that the dreaded spiritual danger shall neither reach them nor spread from them； is the object of the taboos which they have to observe。 These taboos act； so to say； as electrical insulators to preserve the spiritual force with which these persons are charged from suffering or inflicting harm by contact with the outer world。
To the illustrations of these general principles which have been already given I shall now add some more； drawing my examples； first； from the class of tabooed things； and； second； from the class of tabooed words； for in the opinion of the savage both things and words may； like persons； be charged or electrified； either temporarily or permanently； with the mysterious virtue of taboo； and may therefore require to be banished for a longer or shorter time from the familiar usage of common life。 And the examples will be chosen with special reference to those sacred chiefs； kings and priests； who； more than anybody else； live fenced about by taboo as by a wall。 Tabooed things will be illustrated in the present chapter； and tabooed words in the next。
2。 Iron tabooed。
IN THE FIRST place we may observe that the awful sanctity of kings naturally leads to a prohibition to touch their sacred persons。 Thus it was unlawful to lay hands on the person of a Spartan king： no one might touch the body of the king or queen of Tahiti： it is forbidden to touch the person of the king of Siam under pain of death； and no one may touch the king of Cambodia； for any purpose whatever； without his express command。 In July 1874 the king was thrown from his carriage and lay insensible on the ground； but not one of his suite dared to touch him； a European coming to the spot carried the injured monarch to his palace。 Formerly no one might touch the king of Corea； and if he deigned to touch a subject； the spot touched became sacred； and the person thus honoured had to wear a visible mark （generally a cord of red silk） for the rest of his life。 Above all； no iron might touch the king's body。 In 1800 King Tieng…tsong…tai…oang died of a tumour in the back； no one dreaming of employing the lancet； which would probably have saved his life。 It is said that one king suffered terribly from an abscess in the lip； till his physician called in a jester； whose pranks made the king laugh heartily； and so the abscess burst。 Roman and Sabine priests might not be shaved with iron but only with bronze razors or shears； and whenever an iron graving…tool was brought into the sacred grove of the Arval Brothers at Rome for the purpose of cutting an inscription in stone； an expiatory sacrifice of a lamb and a pig must be offered； which was repeated when the graving…tool was removed from the grove。 As a general rule iron might not be brought into Greek sanctuaries。 In Crete sacrifices were offered to Menedemus without the use of iron； because the legend ran that Menedemus had been killed by an iron weapon in the Trojan war。 The Archon of Plataea might not touch iron； but once a year； at the annual commemoration of the men who fell at the battle of Plataea； he was allowed to carry a sword wherewith to sacrifice a bull。 To this day a Hottentot priest never uses an iron knife； but always a sharp splint of quartz； in sacrificing an animal or circumcising a lad。 Among the Ovambo of South…west Africa custom requires that lads should be circumcised with a sharp flint； if none is to hand； the operation may be performed with iron； but the iron must afterwards be buried。 Amongst the Moquis of Arizona stone knives； hatchets； and so on have passed out of common use； but are retained in religious ceremonies。 After the Pawnees had ceased to use stone arrow…heads for ordinary purposes； they still employed them to slay the sacrifices； whether human captives or buffalo and deer。 Amongst the Jews no iron tool was used in building the Temple at Jerusalem or in making an altar。 The old wooden bridge （Pons Sublicius） at Rome； which was considered sacred； was made and had to be kept in repair without the use of iron or bronze。 It was expressly provided by law that the temple of Jupiter Liber at Furfo might be repaired with iron tools。 The council chamber at Cyzicus was constructed of wood without any iron nails； the beams being so arranged that they could be taken out and replaced。
This superstitious objection to iron perhaps dates from that early time in the history of society when iron was still a novelty； and as such was viewed by many with suspicion and dislike。 For everything new is apt to excite the awe and dread of the savage。 It is a curious superstition； says a pioneer in Borneo； this of the Dusuns； to attribute anythingwhether good or bad； lucky or unluckythat happens to them to something novel which has arrived in their country。 For instance； my living in Kindram has caused the intensely hot weather we have experienced of late。 The unusually heavy rains which happened to follow the English survey of the Nicobar Islands in the winter of 1886…1887 were imputed by the alarmed natives to the wrath of the spirits at the theodolites； dumpy…levellers； and other strange instruments which had been set up in so many of their favourite haunts； and some of them proposed to soothe the anger of the spirits by sacrificing a pig。 In the seventeenth century a succession of bad seasons excited a revolt among the Esthonian peasantry； who traced the origin of the evil to a watermill； which put a stream to some inconvenience by checking its flow。 The first introduction of iron ploughshares into Poland having been followed by a succession of bad harvests； the farmers attributed the badness of the crops to the iron ploughshares； and discarded them for the old wooden ones。 To this day the primitive Baduwis of Java； who live chiefly by husbandry； will use no iron tools in tilling their fields。
The general dislike of innovation； which always makes itself strongly felt in the sphere of religion； is sufficient by itself to acco