the evolution of theology-第6章

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mentioned　as　to　the　state　of　the　wise　woman　of　Endor。　But　what

we　learn　from　other　sources　（e。g。　1　Sam。　x。　20…24）

respecting　the　physical　concomitants　of　inspiration　among　the

old　Israelites　has　its　exact　equivalent　in　this　and　other

accounts　of　Polynesian　prophetism。　An　excellent　authority；

Moerenhout；　who　lived　among　the　people　of　the　Society　Islands

many　years　and　knew　them　well；　says　that；　in　Tahiti；　the

role　of　the　prophet　had　very　generally　passed　out　of　the

hands　of　the　priests　into　that　of　private　persons　who　professed

to　represent　the　god；　often　assumed　his　name；　and　in　this

capacity　prophesied。　I　will　not　run　the　risk　of　weakening　the

force　of　Moerenhout's　description　of　the　prophetic　state　by

translating　it：





Un　individu；　dans　cet　etat；　avait　le　bras　gauche　enveloppe　d'un

morceau　d'etoffe；　signe　de　la　presence　de　la　Divinite。　Il　ne

parlait　que　d'un　ton　imperieux　et　vehement。　Ses　attaques；　quand

il　allait　prophetiser；　etaient　aussi　effroyables　qu'imposantes。

Il　tremblait　d'abord　de　tous　ses　membres；　la　figure　enflee；　les

yeux　hagards；　rouges　et　etincelants　d'une　expression　sauvage。

Il　gesticulait；　articulait　des　mots　vides　de　sens；　poussait　des

cris　horribles　qui　faisaient　tressaillir　tous　les　assistants；　et

s'exaltait　parfois　au　point　qu'on　n'osait　par　l'approcher。

Autour　de　lui；　le　silence　de　la　terreur　et　du　respect。　。。。

C'est　alors　qu'il　repondait　aux　questions；　annoncait　l'avenir；

le　destin　des　batailles；　la　volonte　des　dieux；　et；　chose

etonnante！　au　sein　de　ce　delire；　de　cet　enthousiasme　religieux；

son　langage　etait　grave；　imposant；　son　eloquence　noble　et

persuasive。





Just　so　Saul　strips　off　his　clothes；　〃prophesies〃　before　Samuel；

and　lies　down　〃naked　all　that　day　and　night。〃



Both　Mariner　and　Moerenhout　refuse　to　have　recourse　to　the

hypothesis　of　imposture　in　order　to　account　for　the　inspired

state　of　the　Polynesian　prophets。　On　the　contrary；　they　fully

believe　in　their　sincerity。　Mariner　tells　the　story　of　a　young

chief；　an　acquaintance　of　his；　who　thought　himself　possessed　by

the　Atua　of　a　dead　woman　who　had　fallen　in　love　with　him；　and

who　wished　him　to　die　that　he　might　be　near　her　in　Bolotoo。

And　he　died　accordingly。　But　the　most　valuable　evidence　on　this

head　is　contained　in　what　the　same　authority　says　about　King

Finow's　son。　The　previous　king；　Toogoo　Ahoo；　had　been

assassinated　by　Finow；　and　his　soul；　become　an　Atua　of　divine

rank　in　Bolotoo；　had　been　pleased　to　visit　and　inspire　Finow's

sonwith　what　particular　object　does　not　appear。





When　this　young　chief　returned　to　Hapai；　Mr。　Mariner；　who　was

upon　a　footing　of　great　friendship　with　him；　one　day　asked　him

how　he　felt　himself　when　the　spirit　of　Toogoo　Ahoo　visited　him；

he　replied　that　he　could　not　well　describe　his　feelings；　but　the

best　he　could　say　of　it　was；　that　he　felt　himself　all　over　in　a

glow　of　heat　and　quite　restless　and　uncomfortable；　and　did　not

feel　his　own　personal　identity；　as　it　were；　but　seemed　to　have　a

mind　different　from　his　own　natural　mind；　his　thoughts　wandering

upon　strange　and　unusual　subjects；　though　perfectly　sensible　of

surrounding　objects。　He　next　asked　him　how　he　knew　it　was　the

spirit　of　Toogoo　Ahoo？　His　answer　was；　'There's　a　fool！　How　can

I　tell　you　how　I　knew　it！　I　felt　and　knew　it　was　so　by　a

kind　of　consciousness；　my　mind　told　me　that　it　was　Toogoo

Ahoo　（vol。　i。　pp。　104；　105）。





Finow's　son　was　evidently　made　for　a　theological　disputant；　and

fell　back　at　once　on　the　inexpugnable　stronghold　of　faith　when

other　evidence　was　lacking。　〃There's　a　fool！　I　know　it　is　true；

because　I　know　it；〃　is　the　exemplar　and　epitome　of　the　sceptic…

crushing　process　in　other　places　than　the　Tonga　Islands。



The　island　of　Bolotoo；　to　which　all　the　souls　（of　the　upper

classes　at　any　rate）　repair　after　the　death　of　the　body；　and

from　which　they　return　at　will　to　interfere；　for　good　or　evil；

with　the　lives　of　those　whom　they　have　left　behind；　obviously

answers　to　Sheol。　In　Tongan　tradition；　this　place　of　souls　is　a

sort　of　elysium　above　ground　and　pleasant　enough　to　live　in。

But；　in　other　parts　of　Polynesia；　the　corresponding　locality；

which　is　called　Po；　has　to　be　reached　by　descending　into　the

earth；　and　is　represented　dark　and　gloomy　like　Sheol。　But　it　was

not　looked　upon　as　a　place　of　rewards　and　punishments　in　any

sense。　Whether　in　Bolotoo　or　in　Po；　the　soul　took　the　rank　it

had　in　the　flesh；　and；　a　shadow；　lived　among　the　shadows　of　the

friends　and　houses　and　food　of　its　previous　life。



The　Tongan　theologians　recognised　several　hundred　gods；

but　there　was　one；　already　mentioned　as　their　national　god；　whom

they　regarded　as　far　greater　than　any　of　the　others；　〃as　a　great

chief　from　the　top　of　the　sky　down　to　the　bottom　of　the　earth〃

（Mariner；　vol。　ii。　p。　106）。　He　was　also　god　of　war；　and　the

tutelar　deity　of　the　royal　family；　whoever　happened　to　be　the

incumbent　of　the　royal　office　for　the　time　being。　He　had　no

priest　except　the　king　himself；　and　his　visits；　even　to　royalty；

were　few　and　far　between。　The　name　of　this　supreme　deity　was

Ta…li…y…Tooboo；　the　literal　meaning　of　which　is　said　to　be　〃Wait

there；　Tooboo；〃　from　which　it　would　appear　that　the　peculiar

characteristic　of　Ta…li…y…Tooboo；　in　the　eyes　of　his

worshippers；　was　persistence　of　duration。　And　it　is　curious　to

notice；　in　relation　to　this　circumstance；　that　many　Hebrew

philologers　have　thought　the　meaning　of　Jahveh　to　be　best

expressed　by　the　word　〃Eternal。〃　It　would　probably　be　difficult

to　express　the　notion　of　an　eternal　being；　in　a　dialect　so

little　fitted　to　convey　abstract　conceptions　as　Tongan；　better

than　by　that　of　one　who　always　〃waits　there。〃



The　characteristics　of　the　gods　in　Tongan　theology　are　exactly

those　of　men　whose　shape　they　are　supposed　to　possess；　only　they

have　more　intelligence　and　greater　power。　The　Tongan　belief

that；　after　death；　the　human　Atua　more　readily　distinguishes

good　from　evil；　runs　parallel　with　the　old　Israelitic　conception

of　Elohim　expressed　in　Genesis；　〃Ye　shall　be　as　Elohim；　knowing

good　from　evil。〃　They　further　agreed　with　the　old　Israelites；

that　〃all　rewards　for　virtue　and　punishments　for　vice　happen　to

men　in　this　world　only；　and　come　immediately　from　the　gods〃

（vol。　ii。　p。　100）。　Moreover；　they　were　of　opinion　that　though

the　gods　approve　of　some　kinds　of　virtue；　are　displeased　with

some　kinds　of　vice；　and；　to　a　certain　extent；　protect　or　forsake

their　worshippers　according　to　their　moral　conduct；　yet　neglect

to　pay　due　respect　to　the　deities；　and　forgetfulness　to　keep

them　in　good　humour；　might　be　visited　with　even　worse

consequences　than　moral　delinquency。　And　those　who　will

carefully　study　the　so…called　〃Mosaic　code〃　contained　in　the

books　of　Exodus；　Leviticus；　and　Numbers；　will　see　that；　though

Jahveh's　prohibitions　of　certain　forms　of　immorality　are　strict

and　sweeping；　his　wrath　is　quite　as　strongly　kindled　against

infractions　of　ritual　ordinances。　Accidental　homicide　may　go

unpunished；　and　reparation　may　be　made　for　wilful　theft。　On　the

other　hand；　Nadab　and　Abihu；　who　〃offered　strange　fire　before

Jahveh；　which　he　had　not　commanded　them；〃　were　swiftly　devoured

by　Jahveh's　fire；　he　who　sacrificed　anywhere　except　at　the

allotted　place　was　to　be　〃cut　off　from　his　people〃；　so　was　he

who　ate　blood；　and　the　details　of　the　upholstery　of　the

Tabernacle；　of　the　millinery　of　the　priests'　vestments；　and　of

the　cabinet　work　of　the　ark；　can　plead　direct　authority　from

Jahveh；　no　less　than　moral　commands。



Amongst　the　Tongans；　the　sacrifices　were　regarded　as　gifts　of

food　and　drink　offered　to　the　divine　Atuas；　just　as　the　articles

deposited　by　the　graves　of　the　recently　dead　were　meant　as　food

for　Atuas　of　lower　rank。　A　kava　root　was　a　constant　form　of

offering　all　over　Polynesia。　In　the　excellent　work　of　the　Rev。

George　Turner；　entitled　Nineteen　Years　in　Polynesia

（p。　241）；　I　find　it　said　of　the　Samoans　（near　neighbours　of

the　Tongans）：





The　offerings　were　principally　cooked　food。　As　in　ancient

Greece　so　in　Samoa；　the　first　cup　was　in　honour　of　the　god。

It　was　either　poured　out　on　the　ground　or　waved　towards

the　heavens；　reminding　us　again　of　the　Mosaic　ceremonies。

The　chiefs　all　drank　a　portion　out　of　the　same　cup；　according　to

rank；　and　after　that；　the　food　brought　as　an　offering　was

divided　and　eaten　'there　before　the　Lord。'





In　Tonga；　when　they　consulted　a　god　who　had　a　priest；　the

latter；　as　representative　of　the　god；　had　the　first　cup；　but　if

the　god；　like　Ta…li…y…Tooboo；　had　no　priest；　then　the　chief

place　was　left　vacant；　and　was　supposed　to　be　occupied　by　the

god　himself。　When　the　first　cup　of　kava　was　filled；　the

mataboole　who　acted　as　master　of　the　ceremonies　said；　〃Give　it

to　your　god；〃　and　it　was　offered；　though　only　as　a　matter　of

form。　In　Tonga　and　Samoa　there　were　many　sacred　places　or

morais；　with　houses　of　the　ordinary　construction；　but

which　served　as　temples　in　consequence　of　being　dedicated　to

various　gods；　and　there　were　altars　on　which　the　sacrifices　were

offered；　nevertheless　there　were　few　or　no　images。　Mariner

mentions　none　in　Tonga；　and　the　Samoans　seem　to　have　been

regarded　as　no　better　than　atheists　by　other　Polynesians　because

they　had　none。　It　does　not　appear　that　either　of　these　peoples

had　images　even　of　their　family　or　ancestral　gods。



In　Tahiti　and　the　adjacent　islands；　Moerenhout　（t。　i。　p。　471）

makes　the　very　interesting　observation；　not　only　that　idols　were

often　absent；　but　that；　where　they　existed；　the　images　of　the

gods　served　merely　as　depositories　for　the　proper

representatives　of　the　divinity。　Each　of　these　was　called　a

maro　aurou；　and　was　a　kind　of　girdle　artistically　adorned

with　red；　yellow；　blue；　and　black　feathersthe　red　feathers

being　especially　importantwhich　were　consecrated　and　kept　as

sacred　objects　within　the　idols。　They　were　worn　by　great

personages　on　solemn　occasions；　and　conferred　upon　their　wearers

a　sacred　and　almost　divine　character。　There　is　no　distinct

evidence　that　the　maro　aurou　was　supposed　to　have　any

special　efficacy　in　divination；　but　one　cannot　fail　to　see　a

certain　parallelism　between　this　holy　girdle；　which　endowed　its

wearer　with　a　particular　sanctity；　and　the　ephod。



According　to　the　Rev。　R。　Taylor；　the　New　Zealanders　formerly

used　the　word　karakia　（now　employed　for　〃prayer〃）　to

signify　a　〃spell；　charm；　or　incantation；〃　and　the　utterance　of

these　karakias　constituted　the　chief　part　of　their　cult。　In　the

south；　the　officiating　priest　had　a　small　image；　〃about　eighteen

inches　long；　resembling　a　peg　with　a　carved　head；〃　which　reminds

one　of　the　form　commonly　attributed　to　the　teraphim。





The　priest　first　bandaged　a　fillet　of　red　parrot　feathers　und