Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 11, 1900.djvu/260

 248 Anivial Superstitions and Totemism.

possibly the desire to have the totem at hand for guidance by means of omens and for protection contributed its share to the development of the custom, which, once established, would readily grow into one of keeping the sacred animals in captivity in greater or smaller numbers without any definite intention of sacrificing them, i.e. merely as sacred animals, like the geese in the Capitol or the droves of sacred horses in Germany.

In this position the animals would gradually accustom themselves to the company of man, i.e. they w^ould become tame, A further step was taken when man, instead of eating the sacred animal itself, began to use its products as a means of effecting communion with the tribal god. The animals were in this way gradually accustomed to yield, for the use of man, the milk (and other products) which they in a wild state produce for the benefit of their young.

Sacrifices were originally annual ; later they were per- formed more frequently, originally, perhaps, from a desire to secure the presence and assistance of the god, after- wards from a growing appreciation of the merits of roast pig and other delicacies.

In the case of the uneatable or less tasty animals, this motive was naturally weak or entirely absent ; these they were content to sacrifice as before, once a year. In the case of the other animals also there was, however, perhaps a tendency for the original yearly sacrifice to retain a greater importance than those subsequently engrafted on it.

The sacrifice was performed by members of the clan ; the institution of priesthood was unknown ; none but members of the clan might take part in the sacramental meal. The clan was not, however, confined to a given area ; this meal would, therefore, be celebrated wherever members of the clan were residing This type we may term " clan- sacrifice."