the evolution of theology-第7部分

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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　under

the　god's　chin；　which　was　called　his　pahau　or　beard；　this

bandage　was　made　of　a　certain　kind　of　sennet；　which　was　tied　on

in　a　peculiar　way。　When　this　was　done　it　was　taken　possession　of

by　the　Atua；　whose　spirit　entered　it。　The　priest　then　either

held　it　in　the　hand　and　vibrated　it　in　the　air　whilst　the

powerful　karakia　was　repeated；　or　he　tied　a　piece　of　string

（formed　of　the　centre　of　a　flax　leaf）　round　the　neck　of　the

image　and　stuck　it　in　the　ground。　He　sat　at　a　little　distance

from　it；　leaning　against　a　tuahu；　a　short　stone　pillar　stuck　in

the　ground　in　a　slanting　position　and；　holding　the　string　in　his

hand；　he　gave　the　god　a　jerk　to　arrest　his　attention；　lest　he

should　be　otherwise　engaged；　like　Baal　of　old；　either　hunting；

fishing；　or　sleeping；　and　therefore　must　be　awaked。　。。。　The　god

is　supposed　to　make　use　of　the　priest's　tongue　in　giving　a

reply。　Image…worship　appears　to　have　been　confined　to　one　part

of　the　island。　The　Atua　was　supposed　only　to　enter　the　image　for

the　occasion。　The　natives　declare　they　did　not　worship　the　image

itself；　but　only　the　Atua　it　represented；　and　that　the　image　was

merely　used　as　a　way　of　approaching　him。





This　is　the　excuse　for　image…worship　which　the　more　intelligent

idolaters　make　all　the　world　over；　but　it　is　more　interesting　to

observe　that；　in　the　present　case；　we　seem　to　have　the

equivalents　of　divination　by　teraphim；　with　the　aid　of　something

like　an　ephod　（which；　however；　is　used　to　sanctify　the　image　and

not　the　priest）　mixed　up　together。　Many　Hebrew　archaeologists

have　supposed　that　the　term　〃ephod〃　is　sometimes　used　for　an

image　（particularly　in　the　case　of　Gideon's　ephod）；　and　the

story　of　Micah；　in　the　book　of　Judges；　shows　that　images　were；

at　any　rate；　employed　in　close　association　with　the　ephod。

If　the　pulling　of　the　string　to　call　the　attention　of　the　god

seems　as　absurd　to　us　as　it　appears　to　have　done　to　the　worthy

missionary；　who　tells　us　of　the　practice；　it　should　be

recollected　that　the　high　priest　of　Jahveh　was　ordered　to　wear　a

garment　fringed　with　golden　bells。





And　it　shall　be　upon　Aaron　to　minister；　and　the　sound　thereof

shall　be　heard　when　he　goeth　in　unto　the　holy　place　before

Jahveh；　and　when　he　cometh　out；　that　he　die　not　（Exod。

xxviii。　35）。







An　escape　from　the　obvious　conclusion　suggested　by　this　passage

has　been　sought　in　the　supposition　that　these　bells　rang　for　the

sake　of　the　worshippers；　as　at　the　elevation　of　the　host　in　the

Roman　Catholic　ritual；　but　then　why　should　the　priest　be

threatened　with　the　well…known　penalty　for　inadvisedly　beholding

the　divinity？



In　truth；　the　intermediate　step　between　the　Maori　practice　and

that　of　the　old　Israelites　is　furnished　by　the　Kami　temples　in

Japan。　These　are　provided　with　bells　which　the　worshippers　who

present　themselves　ring；　in　order　to　call　the　attention　of　the

ancestor…god　to　their　presence。　Grant　the　fundamental　assumption

of　the　essentially　human　character　of　the　spirit；　whether　Atua；

Kami；　or　Elohim；　and　all　these　practices　are　equally　rational。



The　sacrifices　to　the　gods　in　Tonga；　and　elsewhere　in　Polynesia；

were　ordinarily　social　gatherings；　in　which　the　god；　either　in

his　own　person　or　in　that　of　his　priestly　representative；　was

supposed　to　take　part。　These　sacrifices　were　offered　on　every

occasion　of　importance；　and　even　the　daily　meals　were　prefaced

by　oblations　and　libations　of　food　and　drink；　exactly　answering

to　those　offered　by　the　old　Romans　to　their　manes；　penates；　and

lares。　The　sacrifices　had　no　moral　significance；　but　were　the

necessary　result　of　the　theory　that　the　god　was　either　a　deified

ghost　of　an　ancestor　or　chief；　or；　at　any　rate；　a　being　of　like

nature　to　these。　If　one　wanted　to　get　anything　out　of　him；

therefore；　the　first　step　was　to　put　him　in　good　humour　by

gifts；　and　if　one　desired　to　escape　his　wrath；　which