登陆注册
4281000000352

第352章

About the time of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra, particularly after the battle of Actium, suicide was in great favor in Egypt. In fact a great number of persons formed an academy called The Synapothanoumenes, who had for their object the idea of dying together. In Western Europe, as shown in the ceremonies of the Druids, we find among the Celts a propensity for suicide and an indifference to self-torture. The Gauls were similarly minded, believing in the dogma of immortality and eternal repose. They thought little of bodily cares and ills. In Greece and Rome there was always an apology for suicide and death in the books of the philosophers. "Nil igitur mors est, ad nos neque pertinet hilum;quando quidem natura animi mortalis habetur!" cries Lucretius.

With the advent of Christianity, condemning as it did the barbarous customs of self-mutilation and self-murder, these practices seem to disappear gradually; but stoicism and indifference to pain were exhibited in martyrdom. Toward the middle ages, when fanaticism was at its height and the mental malady of demoniacal possession was prevalent, there was something of a reversion to the old customs. In the East the Juggernaut procession was still in vogue, but this was suppressed by civilized authorities; outside of a few minor customs still prevalent among our own people we must to-day look to the savage tribes for the perpetuation of such practices.

In an excellent article on the evolution of ceremonial institutions Herbert Spencer mentions the Fuegians, Veddahs, Andamanese, Dyaks, Todas, Gonds, Santals, Bodos, and Dhimals, Mishmis, Kamchadales, and Snake Indians, as among people who form societies to practice simple mutilations in slight forms.

Mutilations in somewhat graver forms, but still in moderation, are practiced by the Tasmanians, Tamaese, the people of New Guinea, Karens, Nagas, Ostiaks, Eskimos, Chinooks, Comanches, and Chippewas. What might be called mixed or compound mutilations are practiced by the New Zealanders, East Africans, Kondes, Kukas, and Calmucks. Among those practising simple but severe mutilations are the New Caledonians, the Bushmen, and some indigenous Australians. Those tribes having for their customs the practice of compound major mutilations are the Fiji Islanders, Sandwich Islanders, Tahitians, Tongans, Samoans, Javanese, Sumatrans, natives of Malagasy, Hottentots, Damaras, Bechuanas, Kaffirs, the Congo people, the Coast Negroes, Inland Negroes, Dahomeans, Ashantees, Fulahs, Abyssinians, Arabs, and Dakotas.

Spencer has evidently made a most extensive and comprehensive study of this subject, and his paper is a most valuable contribution to the subject. In the preparation of this section we have frequently quoted from it.

The practice of self-bleeding has its origin in other mutilations, although the Aztecs shed human blood in the worship of the sun. The Samoiedes have a custom of drinking the blood of warm animals. Those of the Fijians who were cannibals drank the warm blood of their victims. Among the Amaponda Kaffirs there are horrible accounts of kindred savage customs. Spencer quotes:--"It is usual for the ruling chief on his accession to be washed in the blood of a near relative, generally a brother, who is put to death for the occasion." During a Samoan marriage-ceremony the friends of the bride "took up stones and beat themselves until their heads were bruised and bleeding." In Australia a novitiate at the ceremony of manhood drank a mouthful of blood from the veins of the warrior who was to be his sponsor.

At the death of their kings the Lacedemonians met in large numbers and tore the flesh from their foreheads with pins and needles. It is said that when Odin was near his death he ordered himself to be marked with a spear; and Niort, one of his successors, followed the example of his predecessor. Shakespeare speaks of "such as boast and show their scars." In the olden times it was not uncommon for a noble soldier to make public exhibition of his scars with the greatest pride; in fact, on the battlefield they invited the reception of superficial disfiguring injuries, and to-day some students of the learned universities of Germany seem prouder of the possession of scars received in a duel of honor than in awards for scholastic attainments.

Lichtenstein tells of priests among the Bechuanas who made long cuts from the thigh to the knee of each warrior who slew an enemy in battle. Among some tribes of the Kaffirs a kindred custom was practiced; and among the Damaras, for every wild animal a young man destroyed his father made four incisions on the front of his son's body. Speaking of certain Congo people, Tuckey says that they scar themselves principally with the idea of rendering themselves agreeable to the women of their tribe. Among the Itzaex Indians of Yucatan, a race with particularly handsome features, some are marked with scarred lines, inflicted as signs of courage.

Cosmetic Mutilations.--In modern times there have been individuals expert in removing facial deformities, and by operations of various kinds producing pleasing dimples or other artificial signs of beauty. We have seen an apparatus advertised to be worn on the nose during the night for the purpose of correcting a disagreeable contour of this organ. A medical description of the artificial manufacture of dimples is as follows:--"The modus operandi was to make a puncture in the skin where the dimple was required, which would not be noticed when healed, and, with a very delicate instrument, remove a portion of the muscle. Inflammation was then excited in the skin over the subcutaneous pit, and in a few days the wound, if such it may be called, was healed, and a charming dimple was the result." It is quite possible that some of our modern operators have overstepped the bounds of necessity, and performed unjustifiable plastic operations to satisfy the vanity of their patients.

同类推荐
  • 太极图说

    太极图说

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 净土五会念佛略法事仪赞

    净土五会念佛略法事仪赞

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • BRIDE OF LAMMERMOOR

    BRIDE OF LAMMERMOOR

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Main Street and Other Poems

    Main Street and Other Poems

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 遇恩录

    遇恩录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 林语堂的半半哲学

    林语堂的半半哲学

    林语堂先生的过人之处,就是他一直对人文精神的高度关切,并且由此总结出了许多动人的生活经验和生存智慧。他的“半半哲学”秉承的是这样的信仰:工作,并且快乐;劳动,并且幸福着。人生也有缺憾,如果能从中超脱,做个平常而又受人欢迎和尊重的人,也是人的一大成就。倡导中庸的生存,肯定刚柔并济的处世,奉行豁达随性的生活,活得天真、简朴、自然、中道、幽默,这在纷乱繁杂、生活快节奏的今天,无疑是往寂寂的水潭中投进了一粒粒圆润美丽的鹅卵石,激荡起迷人的涟漪,流水不腐,户枢不蠹。
  • 曹禺探知录

    曹禺探知录

    《曹禺探知录》是作者田本相多年对曹禺研究的相关文章的结集,也是对曹禺及其剧作的探知的记录。《曹禺探知录》分为七个部分,即从相关曹禺研究的论文,曹禺剧作的演出剧评,与天津读者谈曹禺,曹禺学术会议开幕词,怀念曹禺,曹禺论作序言,到创作纪念曹禺的剧作《弥留之际》。作者详细阐述了曹禺研究的三个阶段,即曹禺在中国话剧史上的地位,讨论他的现实主义戏剧创作的成就;诗化现实主义;纪念曹禺的百年诞辰时,以“伟大的人文主义艺术家”来概括曹禺的成就,以及纪念文章。
  • 重生作女守则

    重生作女守则

    岑念念私以为,她与褚昌柏之间像极了唐玄宗与杨贵妃,周幽王与褒姒,商纣王与苏妲己,她就是那导致“从此君王不早朝”的“祸国妖妃”,虽然历史长河里她并未以容貌留名,可她胜在美貌与智慧皆有,乖巧与眼色并存。褚昌柏觉得,虽然这姑娘笨了点呆了点还娇气了点,但可贵在听话和特别听他话上,且容貌性格都十分合他心意,若是她一直能这般下去,作为她的男人,多宠多爱她点总是应该的。
  • 血刃主宰

    血刃主宰

    戮魔剑甲重现江湖,黄宸风偶然融合上古天罡龙凤环,神力加身,手持凤翅镏金镗从山野间崛起。夹岸巍山轻云飞,剑气柔肠胭脂泪。几多风雨几多愁,斩龙煮酒和青梅。已完本529万字《九霄仙冢》,有坑必填,人品靠谱!本书群号:816241817。
  • 冷少肆宠小娇妻

    冷少肆宠小娇妻

    盼我疯魔还盼我孑孓不独活。想我冷艳还想我轻佻又下贱。-萧里,这场爱情不过就是——我爱你的时候,你爱着我的妹妹。你爱我的时候,我爱着你的哥们儿。-后来他挽着他的新妻,我守着我的旧坟,我想,他大抵已经不记得我了吧。只是午夜梦回,萧里会不断梦见有女人眉眼惊心动魄对他说,“欲擒故纵,放你一马,还要回来。”不必道歉,各凭本事做人渣。
  • 不忍细看的大汉史

    不忍细看的大汉史

    汉朝是中国文化发展的一个高峰,社会经济、政治文化全面发展,对外交往日益频繁,是当时世界上很强盛的国家之一,与罗马并称两大帝国。张骞出使西域首次开辟了著名的“丝绸之路”,开通了东西方贸易的通道,中国从此成为世界贸易体系的中心。正是因为汉朝的声威远播,外族开始称呼当时的中国人为“汉人”,而汉朝人也乐于外族这样称呼自己,这个“汉”字,chaoyue了一个王朝,获得了持久的影响力。民族叫“汉族”,人叫“汉人”,语言叫“汉语”,文字叫“汉字”。汉朝对中国的意义不仅仅是一个政治上的朝代,而是文化上的认同。
  • 给年轻人的寓言

    给年轻人的寓言

    《给年轻人的寓言》是编者从古今中外、浩如烟海的寓言海洋中,精心撷取的几朵美丽的浪花,希望对年轻人能产生智慧的启迪。《给年轻人的寓言》在编写过程中,并没有满足于仅仅作简单的汇总工作,而是尽量以一个年轻人的身份和视角对寓言进行了解读。对内涵相当丰富的寓言进行解读,可以说“仁者见仁,智者见智”,有一万个人就有一万种不同的理解。因此,希望各位青年读者能在阅读的同时充分动用自己的思考,让自己在欣赏寓言的同时,充分领略生活的真谛。
  • 斗虫记

    斗虫记

    中秋时节,淡淡的桂花香在空气中飘散,一轮皓月高悬天际。此时,上海大多数人家都在团聚赏月,而在浜南福康里的卢家大宅,却显得十分冷清而沉寂,似笼罩着不祥之气。原来数天前,卢小开瞒着卢老爷到“帅居”去斗蟋蟀,上海人叫斗虫,又叫上栅,栅即蟋蟀决斗的长方形笼栅。卢小开拿去的是一只上海七宝名虫蟹青铺铁砂,而对方地皮大王的小开金少爷,他的虫是山东宁津的柏叶青,《促织》中的蟋蟀即出于此地。
  • 玉泉子

    玉泉子

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 极品狂娇:盛宠嚣张妃

    极品狂娇:盛宠嚣张妃

    她是让人闻风丧胆的第一杀手,一朝穿越,却成了郑国公府夫家休弃的大小姐!她不堪受辱,绝地反击,打得那些人嗷嗷直叫!想要我命我就挖你双眼,想要我死我让你沦为娼妇。此刻你让我受辱,下一秒我让你尝遍地狱酷刑。原以为只要她反击,便能给那些人一些下马威,谁曾想竟掉入了另一个陷阱。沈家,还真是深不可测呢……【情节虚构,请勿模仿】