the evolution of theology- 第6部分

attributes　in　common　with　the　first　but　inferior　in　degree。

3。　The　souls　of　matabooles　that　are　still　inferior；　and　have

not　the　power　as　the　two　first　have　of　coming　back　to　Tonga　to

inspire　the　priest；　though　they　are　supposed　to　have　the　power

of　appearing　to　their　relatives。　4。　The　original　attendants　or

servants；　as　it　were；　of　the　gods；　who；　although　they　had　their

origin　and　have　ever　since　existed　in　Bolotoo；　are　still

inferior　to　the　third　class。　5。　The　Atua　pow　or

mischievous　gods。　6。　Mooi；　or　the　god　that　supports　the

earth　and　does　not　belong　to　Bolotoo　（vol。　ii。　pp。　103；　104）。





From　this　it　appears　that　the　〃Atuas〃　of　the　Polynesian　are

exactly　equivalent　to　the　〃Elohim〃　of　the　old　Israelite。

They　comprise　everything　spiritual；　from　a　ghost　to　a　god；　and

from　〃the　merely　tutelar　gods　to　particular　private　families〃

（vol；　ii。　p。　104）；　to　Ta…li…y…Tooboo；　who　was　the　national　god

of　Tonga。　The　Tongans　had　no　doubt　that　these　Atuas　daily　and

hourly　influenced　their　destinies　and　could；　conversely；　be

influenced　by　them。　Hence　their　〃piety；〃　the　incessant　acts　of

sacrificial　worship　which　occupied　their　lives；　and　their　belief

in　omens　and　charms。　Moreover；　the　Atuas　were　believed　to　visit

particular　persons；their　own　priests　in　the　case　of　the　higher

gods；　but　apparently　anybody　in　that　of　the　lower；and　to

inspire　them　by　a　process　which　was　conceived　to　involve　the

actual　residence　of　the　god；　for　the　time　being；　in　the　person

inspired；　who　was　thus　rendered　capable　of　prophesying　（vol。　ii。

p。　100）。　For　the　Tongan；　therefore；　inspiration　indubitably

was　possession。



When　one　of　the　higher　gods　was　invoked；　through　his　priest；　by

a　chief　who　wished　to　consult　the　oracle；　or；　in　old　Israelitic

phraseology；　to　〃inquire　of；〃　the　god；　a　hog　was　killed　and

cooked　over　night；　and；　together　with　plantains；　yams；　and　the

materials　for　making　the　peculiar　drink　kava　（of　which

the　Tongans　were　very　fond）；　was　carried　next　day　to　the　priest。

A　circle；　as　for　an　ordinary　kava…drinking　entertainment；　was

then　formed；　but　the　priest；　as　the　representative　of　the　god；

took　the　highest　place；　while　the　chiefs　sat　outside　the　circle；

as　an　expression　of　humility　calculated　to　please　the　god。





As　soon　as　they　are　all　seated　the　priest　is　considered　as

inspired；　the　god　being　supposed　to　exist　within　him　from　that

moment。　He　remains　for　a　considerable　time　in　silence　with　his

hands　clasped　before　him；　his　eyes　are　cast　down　and　he　rests

perfectly　still。　During　the　time　the　victuals　are　being　shared

out　and　the　kava　preparing；　the　matabooles　sometimes　begin　to

consult　him；　sometimes　he　answers；　and　at　other　times　not；

in　either　case　he　remains　with　his　eyes　cast　down。　Frequently　he

will　not　utter　a　word　till　the　repast　is　finished　and　the　kava

too。　When　he　speaks　he　generally　begins　in　a　low　and　very

altered　tone　of　voice；　which　gradually　rises　to　nearly　its

natural　pitch；　though　sometimes　a　little　above　it。　All　that　he

says　is　supposed　to　be　the　declaration　of　the　god；　and　he

accordingly　speaks　in　the　first　person；　as　if　he　were　the　god。

All　this　is　done　generally　without　any　apparent　inward　emotion

or　outward　agitation；　but；　on　some　occasions；　his　countenance

becomes　fierce；　and　as　it　were　inflamed；　and　his　whole　frame

agitated　with　inward　feeling；　he　is　seized　with　an　universal

trembling；　the　perspiration　breaks　out　on　his　forehead；　and　his

lips　turning　black　are　convulsed；　at　length　tears　start　in

floods　from　his　eyes；　his　breast　heaves　with　great　emotion；　and

his　utterance　is　choked。　These　symptoms　gradually　subside。

Before　this　paroxysm　comes　on；　and　after　it　is　over；　he　often

eats　as　much　as　four　hungry　men　under　other　circumstances　could

devour。　The　fit　being　now　gone　off；　he　remains　for　some　time

calm　and　then　takes　up　a　club　that　is　placed　by　him　for　the

purpose；　turns　it　over　and　regards　it　attentively；　he　then　looks

up　earnestly；　now　to　the　right；　now　to　the　left；　and　now　again

at　the　club；　afterwards　he　looks　up　again　and　about　him　in　like

manner；　and　then　again　fixes　his　eyes　on　the　club；　and　so　on　for

several　times。　At　length　he　suddenly　raises　the　club；　and；　after

a　moment's　pause；　strikes　the　ground　or　the　adjacent　part　of　the

house　with　considerable　force；　immediately　the　god　leaves　him；

and　he　rises　up　and　retires　to　the　back　of　the　ring　among　the

people　（vol。　i。　pp。　100；　101）。





The　phenomena　thus　described；　in　language　which；　to　any　one　who

is　familiar　with　the　manifestations　of　abnormal　mental　states

among　ourselves；　bears　the　stamp　of　fidelity；　furnish　a　most

instructive　commentary　upon　the　story　of　the　wise　woman　of

Endor。　As　in　the　latter；　we　have　the　possession　by　the　spirit　or

soul　（Atua；　Elohim）；　the　strange　voice；　the　speaking　in　the

first　person。　Unfortunately　nothing　（beyond　the　loud　cry）　is

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