Sacred places in the Solomons are called hope, the word being used in very much the same way as tapu (taboo1) is by the Maoris of New Zealand, and other savage2 races, but, unlike the Maoris, the Solomon islanders use “hope” to keep a place free from trespassers; thus if a native has a cocoa-nut grove4 or a yam patch he erects5 a “hope,” and so prevents any other native from going to it.
It is a strange custom and difficult to fathom6, but the belief in it is so strong that the most daring native would not dream of testing its powers. There are various kinds of “hopes,” some will result in the death of any one trespassing7 on them, whilst others will only bring sickness upon him. A death “hope” will have a skull8 on it, or a piece of shell, or part of an ant’s nest, and on seeing these signs the intruder knows what to expect—that he will die as the man {135} has died whose skull is there, or die as surely as the fish which once lived in the shell has died, or as the ants which inhabited the nest. A “hope” in which coral takes the place of the above objects announces sickness to the trespasser3.
A chief’s house and the grounds adjoining it are nearly always “hope,” and only his wives are allowed to go into them, other intruders will either die or fall sick. Certain animals and places are also “hope,” and little altars are built on some of the small islands which make them sacred. In fact, “hope” is a most extraordinary thing and can be used in the most eccentric ways. I heard of one place which was once “hope,” and yet had the “hope” taken away from it for no particular reason. Then, again, crocodiles are in some parts “hope” and are not allowed to be killed; but in one of the rivers where crocodiles abound9 a youth was killed by them, and the chief took the “hope” off until the boy’s father had slain10 a sufficient number to satisfy his anger, and then back went the “hope.”
Another kind of “hope” was seen by Lieutenant11 B. T. Somerville, and was made by putting a festoon of a certain creeper across the entrance to a cocoa-nut grove, with pieces of the same material along it {136} at regular intervals12, hanging perpendicularly13 downwards14 and secured to the ground. “I had two natives with me at the time,” he states, “and at first they did not like to land on the islet bearing this mark as it had been ‘hoped’ by their chief, Bera. They did land eventually, however, and one of them went under the hope barricade15, picked the central tiny shoot of a large fern—in appearance like the English hart’s-tongue fern—from which he nibbled16 a little bit, and then handed it to the other man who did the same. They assured me that now the hope would have no effect as long as they did not steal any nuts.”
There seem to be various methods of overcoming “hope,” the chief being by a payment to the owner of it. He will extort17 what he considers a sufficiently18 large sum of money to take away the ill effects which would otherwise have followed if the “hope” had been scouted19. “Hope” altars are also built in various parts of the bush as a means of warding20 off certain evil spirits. On these food and other things are placed, such as broken pots, shells, old pipes, and worn-out musical instruments, and the evil spirit dare not come near them.
A TAPU VIRGIN21, BRITISH SOLOMON ISLANDS
At the launching of a new war canoe in New Georgia, two virgins22 are taken from the tribe; one is publicly sacrificed, and the other kept in seclusion23 from four to five years. During this time an old woman acts as guard over her. Should she break the tabu she is put to death. The skulls24 on the sticks are a sign to all that if they molest25 her their heads will be stuck up in the same way. The object in the background is a skull-box; the large necklace is of dogs’ teeth, and the small necklet of spiral shell ground down; the ear-rings of pieces of Tredacua.
In spite of the fact that the white men scorn these “hopes” and do not suffer any bad results, {137} it has in no way brought discredit26 on them; the belief is quite as strong now as it ever was, but the natives think that the white man is guarded by a special providence27 and so cling to their belief.
There are many peculiar28 legends relating to monsters living in certain parts of the bush country and on certain mountains and islands. One tells of an enormous clam-shell which lives on the summit of Vonggi, a mountain some sixteen hundred feet high covered to the top with thick bush. If any native ventured near it the clam-shell would kill and eat him.
Superstition29 and ancient custom make up the chief characteristics of these natives, and though civilisation30 has made some difference in their mode of living, they have not marched with the times as the natives of some of the adjoining islands have. The men still think it their duty to be ready for attacks and leave their wives to do the work, and though the chances of sudden attack have practically ceased and left them without employment, they have not taken up fresh work. Even the natives who have returned from the sugar plantations31 of Queensland, after their three years’ service, do not endeavour to instil32 new ideas into their fraternity by example. They simply throw off all signs of {138} civilisation and become as the others are, or if anything lazier, but to these men and their term of service in Australia I will devote a portion of the next chapter. It is no doubt owing to the old days of slave traffic, or black-birding as it was called, that the natives here are shy and backward.
Dr. Guppy mentions a peculiar incident relating to the superstitions33 of the Solomon islanders regarding the power of thinking evil of a person and so bringing disaster upon him. He says that when the natives cut off locks of their hair for him, which he desired for scientific purposes, they told him that if any sickness or calamity34 befell them they would put it down to him.
The fear of evil wishing is very strong amongst them, and when they are in mourning, and so have to shave their heads, they bury the hair in order to prevent enemies getting hold of it. Thought transference is no speculative35 theory with them, and they have the most unbounded faith in its power where evil is concerned, but very few seem to think it can be used for good. They also imagine that certain people possess an evil eye or can conjure36 it up on occasions. They often put down the death of a chief to an evil eye having been cast on him. This sometimes results in an {139} unfortunate creature being picked out and killed through suspicion having fallen on him or her. At other times, when the supposed culprit has not been found, a terrible panic has taken place and the whole village has been deserted37 and a new one built. The old village then becomes “hope,” and no amount of persuasion38 will induce the tribe to go back and settle in it, unless, as in one or two cases, the “hope” is removed by some great chief or medicine man.
Medicine men here, as in most other places, hold unique positions, and many a smart villain39 prospers40 owing to the belief that he has power over the unseen—to kill or cure at will. Their houses are taboo or “hope,” the same as a chief’s, and in many villages they are held in far greater awe41 than the chief himself.
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1
taboo
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| n.禁忌，禁止接近，禁止使用；adj.禁忌的；v.禁忌，禁制，禁止 | |
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2
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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3
trespasser
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| n.侵犯者；违反者 | |
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4
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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5
erects
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| v.使直立，竖起( erect的第三人称单数 )；建立 | |
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6
fathom
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| v.领悟，彻底了解 | |
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7
trespassing
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| [法]非法入侵 | |
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8
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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9
abound
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| vi.大量存在；(in，with)充满，富于 | |
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10
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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11
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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12
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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13
perpendicularly
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| adv. 垂直地, 笔直地, 纵向地 | |
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14
downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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15
barricade
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| n.路障，栅栏，障碍；vt.设路障挡住 | |
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16
nibbled
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| v.啃，一点一点地咬（吃）( nibble的过去式和过去分词 )；啃出（洞），一点一点咬出（洞）；慢慢减少；小口咬 | |
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17
extort
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| v.勒索，敲诈，强要 | |
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18
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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19
scouted
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| 寻找，侦察( scout的过去式和过去分词 )； 物色（优秀运动员、演员、音乐家等） | |
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20
warding
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| 监护，守护（ward的现在分词形式） | |
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21
virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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22
virgins
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| 处女，童男( virgin的名词复数 )； 童贞玛利亚（耶稣之母） | |
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23
seclusion
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| n.隐遁，隔离 | |
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24
skulls
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| 颅骨( skull的名词复数 )； 脑袋； 脑子； 脑瓜 | |
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25
molest
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| vt.骚扰，干扰，调戏 | |
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26
discredit
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| vt.使不可置信；n.丧失信义；不信，怀疑 | |
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27
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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28
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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29
superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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30
civilisation
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| n.文明，文化，开化，教化 | |
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31
plantations
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| n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 ) | |
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32
instil
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| v.逐渐灌输 | |
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33
superstitions
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| 迷信，迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 ) | |
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34
calamity
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| n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件 | |
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35
speculative
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| adj.思索性的，暝想性的，推理的 | |
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36
conjure
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| v.恳求，祈求；变魔术，变戏法 | |
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37
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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38
persuasion
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| n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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39
villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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40
prospers
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| v.成功，兴旺( prosper的第三人称单数 ) | |
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41
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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