Indian Antiquary Vol 25

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 46

42
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[FEBRUARY, 1896.
guns to keep away evil spirits.1 The Indians of Alaska beat drums close to the sick. After beating the biggest drum to pieces, if the patient is no better, they strangle him.92 From one end of America to the other the clapper is the typical tool of sorcery.93 The North American sorcerer, by the help of his clapper, and the South American, by the help of bis rattle, work themselves into a fit. The Abipones of Central South America, when a man is sick, raise a deafening din about him to scare the evil spirit that has entered into him.95 The Central American Yucatans (1650), during an eclipse, pinch their dogs to make them howl, and beat their tables, benches and doors. The Guiana Indians wake at 4 a. m., sing songs, drum and issue at day-light, greeting the morn.97 The South American Patagonians treat sorcerers with respect, for, after death, they may come as terrible spirits. They believe that spirits cause disease and that they can be scared by noise. The wild Brazil tribes believe that spirits go into certain objects, roots, stones, teeth and bones. Their chief spirit-home is the magic gourd closed by a holed board and having inside stones, dried fruit, and kernels. In dancing the owner shakes the gourd and makes its contents rattle. The owner blows tobacco smoke on his holy gourd, chats with it, calls it his child, and offers it to eat. At certain festivals its spirit-scaring power is renewed by enchantments.99 The Indians of Brazil blow horns to frighten seamonsters, 100 At sowing festivals, in Peru, a great noise of arms was made to prevent the disease attacking the plants. The Mexicans began battle with a most horrid noise of warlike instruments, shouting and whistling, which struck terror in those not accustomed to hear it. Fighting in ancient Mexico (A. D. 1300) consisted of singing, dancing, shrieking and whistling. Before they were Christians the Mexicans used to scare evil spirits by springing a rattle. The use of the rattle is continued on Holy Thursday in Mexican churches. On the Saturday of Holy Week (1842) the clang of bells is incessant, the air is full of the smoke of myriads of crackers, called Judases and Heretics, stretched on ropes across the street. During an earthquake at Florida, in 1886, the Floridans held a camp meeting, and yelled and shrieked all night. Kalmuks fire guns at the storm demons. The Pueblos of America make a great bowling and a tremendous uproar when death comes, and the Creek Indians of Florida in North America keep up a death-howl for four days. Once a year the Queensland tribes beat the air in a mock fight to scare the yearly army of souls, and the North American Indians lash the air with sticks and beat the walls of houses to force out the ghosts.10 The Patagonians strike a drum at the beds of the sick to drive out diseases. Other tribes of Americans make a noise at the grave to scare the evil one who waits for the soul.12
Among Egyptians Jews and Greeks, music had great spirit-scaring and religions virtue. The Egyptians disliked the trumpet because its sound was as the noise of an evil genius.13 The sound of the Egyptian sistrum was supposed to frighten the evil spirit Typhon.14 So, in Egyptian pictures of sacrifices, the queen stands behind the king shaking the sistrum and beating the drum to dispel evil influences.15 Clapping of hands was common at Egyptian festivals.16 The Egyptians sang at their work.17 Egyptian servants kept up a doleful dirge so long as funeral rites were in haud. 18 The toil of dragging great weights was lightened by a call or chant led by a master. Among the Jews, when the Lord left Saul and removed to
91 Capt. Dixon's Eleph inta, 15-11-83.
9 Reville Les Religions des Peuples Non Civilisés, Vol. I. p. 393.
95 Op. cit. Vol. I. p. 385.
Folk-Lore Record, Vol. I. p. 130.
92 Black's Folk- Medicine, p. 19.
Op. cit. Vol. II. p. 174. 9 Descriptive Sociology, Vol. II. p. 40.
Reville Lea Religions des Peuples Non Civilisés, Vol. I. p. 935. 100 Burton's Brazil, Vol. II. p. 5.
2 Descriptive Sociology, Vol. II. pp. 13-17. Mayer's Mexico, p. 152. 5 Op. cit. p. 155. Bassett's Sea Legends, p. 45.
99 Op. cit. Vol. I. p. 371.
1 Descriptive Sociology, 2, "Ancient Peru." Descriptive Sociology, (2) Table "Ancient Mexicans."
6 From MS. Note.
First Report of the Bureau of Ethnology, Washington, p. 102. Op. cit. Vol. II. p. 95. 10 Tylor's Primitive Cultura, Vol. I. p. 154. 12 Bancroft, Vol. III. p. 523. 13 Wilkinson's Egyptians, Second Series, Vol. II. p. 263.
14 Op. cit. Vol. II. p. 323; Plutarch in Inman's Ancient Faiths, Vol. II. p. 745.
15 Maspero's Egyptian Archaeology, p. 95.
16 Op. cit. Vol. II. p. 303.
Op. cit. Vol. III. p. 326.
18 Op. cit. Vol. II. p. 253.
11 Op. cit. Vol. II. p. 129.
19 Wagner's Manners, p. 35.