Chapter 10 The Burden of the Throne: Taboos for Kings and Priests

At a certain stage in early society, it was believed that kings or priests were endowed with supernatural powers, or were gods incarnate.Consistent with this belief, they also held that natural processes were also more or less under his control, and that he was responsible for bad weather, crop failures, and other such calamities.In a way it seems to be assumed that the king's power over nature, as over subjects and slaves, is exercised by the action of his will.Therefore, if drought, famine, disease, and storm occur, the people will blame the king for his negligence or crime, and punish him accordingly with flogging and chains, and if he persists, depose him of the throne, or even execute him.The processes of nature are sometimes held to be on the one hand at the command of the king, and at the same time partly governed by the will of the king.His human body, if we may call it that way, is regarded as the center of cosmic dynamics from which the lines of force radiate to all corners.Therefore, every movement of his, every turn of his head, every movement of his hand, immediately affects and may seriously disturb some part of nature.He is the fulcrum of the balance of the world, and any slight irregularity in him will break this delicate balance.Therefore, great care must be taken with him and his person, and his whole life, even in the smallest details, must be well arranged so that no action of his, consciously or unconsciously, disturbs or destroys nature. established order.Japan's divine emperor, Mikado or (pronounced Osato), is - or rather has always been - a typical example of such a king.He is the god who ruled the universe including gods and people - the incarnation of the sun god.All the gods serve him one month out of the year.During that month (this month is called "Godless Month") no one goes to any temples to worship, because it is believed that the gods in the temples are empty.The Emperor received from his subjects, and also proclaimed himself, the title of "God of Apparitions or Incarnations," and professed the right to rule over the gods of all Japan.For example, the emperor in AD 646 [AD 646 is equivalent to the 20th year of Zhenguan of Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty in my country, which is the second year of Dahua in Japanese history. At that time, the title of the Japanese emperor was "Emperor Xiaode". ] issued a decree signed "rule the universe incarnate God".

About 200 years ago, there was a record about the emperor's lifestyle as follows: Even today, the descendants of this family of princes, especially the emperor who is on the throne, are considered the most holy people and are born popes.In order to maintain this favorable idea in the minds of their subjects, they had to take special care of their own sacred human beings.What they have done in this regard, viewed from the customs and habits of other nations, makes people feel reckless and ridiculous.Here are a few examples: he thought it would be a great disrespect to his dignity and sanctity if his feet touched the ground, and therefore he must ride wherever he went on the shoulders of others.His sacred body cannot be revealed in broad daylight.Everything about him is so sacred that not even beard, hair, and nails can be easily cut off.However, in order to keep him from being too dirty, people can wash him while he sleeps at night, because they think that what is taken from him at this time is stolen and does not hurt his sanctity and dignity.In ancient times, he had to sit on the throne for several hours every morning, wearing a crown on his head, like a statue, his hands, feet, head, and eyes, without moving any part of his body, thinking that in this way he could keep his empire peaceful Steady, in the unfortunate event that his body moves sideways, or his gaze is fixed for a moment on any part of his territory, it is understood that war, famine, fire, or other great calamity is about to befall the country.But later people found that the crown is the guarantee of peace and security, as long as it is kept in place, it can guarantee the peace of the empire, so it is believed that it is beneficial for the emperor to relieve these burdens, enjoy leisure and enjoy honor, so it was changed to Put the crown on the emperor's throne for a few hours every morning.His food had to be served in new vessels each time, and brought to the table on new plates at mealtimes.Although they are all ordinary pottery, they must be clean.Because of its low price, it can be thrown away after one use, or smashed into pieces.They are generally always smashed to keep them from falling into mortal hands.It is believed that if mortals dared to use these sacred plates to hold food, their mouths and throats would become inflamed and swollen after eating.His divine attire can also have dire consequences for people.It is believed that if a mortal wears a divine garment without the emperor's order or permission, his whole body will be swollen and painful.There are earlier accounts of the Emperor, to a similar effect.It was also considered indecent for his feet to touch the ground.Even the light of the sun and the moon was not allowed to shine on his head.Nothing superfluous on him was allowed to be removed: no shaving, no clipping of nails.Whatever he ate was to be served in new vessels.

Similar priestly or priestly kings are found among the savage peoples at a lower stage of development on the west coast of Africa.In Shaker Cape near Padron Cape in Lower Guinea, there lived a lonely king of priests named Kukeru in the woods.He is not allowed to touch a woman's body, leave his house or even sit in his chair.He must sleep in a chair, and if he lies down, the wind will not rise, and the shipping will stop.He governs the storm, and maintains a calm and favorable climate.On Mount Agu in Togo, there lives a god or elf called Bagba.He is of great importance to the whole surrounding region.People say that he can control the rain, and he is also a wind master, in charge of the dust and sand and dry hot wind blowing from the interior.His priests lived in a house on the highest peak of the mountain, and kept the wind in a great jar.People begged him for rain and begged for amulets (made from the claws of leopards).Although he has great power and is the real leader of the land, the commandment of the idol forbids him to leave the mountain, and he must spend all his life on the mountain.He can only go down the mountain to the market once a year to buy daily necessities.Even then he cannot enter any mortal house, but must return to his abode that day.The administrative affairs of each village are handled by the subordinate leaders appointed by him.

In the Kingdom of Congo in West Africa, there was a high priest named Chitomi or Chitom, whom the blacks regarded as the god on earth and the supreme authority in heaven.Every year when a new valley appears on the scene, you must first offer it to him before you dare to eat it, otherwise you will violate the rules and disaster will come your way.During his visits away from the residence, all married men and women must strictly abstain from sexual desire, and any uncleanness will bring him misfortune.If he should die of old age or sickness, it was thought that the world would be destroyed, and that the earth which he alone supported by his power and wisdom must be destroyed.Among the semi-savage peoples of the New World we find ecclesiastical or theocracy like Japan under the Spanish conquistadores, especially the Zapotec [a large tribe of American Indians, concentrated in Oaxaca, Mexico. State. ] The leader is very similar to the emperor of Japan.A formidable opponent of the king, the religious monarch ruled absolutely over Yaopa, one of the main cities of the kingdom.It is said that his reverence cannot be overestimated.He is regarded as a god-man whose earth is not worthy to bear and the sun is not worthy to shine.Even the stepping of his feet on the ground defiles his holiness.The officials who carried the sedan chair for him were all the children of the highest family.He never paid any attention to anything around him. Anyone who met him prostrated himself on the ground, not daring to look up. Even if he saw his figure, he was afraid that his life would be taken away by death.The priests of Zapotec, especially the leader, must strictly abide by the precepts and avoid lust.But there are a few days in a year when fasting, dancing and offering sacrifices to the gods. According to the custom, the leader can get drunk before resting. At this time, he belongs to the heaven and man. Go to him for royal use.If a boy is born, he is brought up as a prince, and the eldest son succeeds his father as leader.There is no special record of the supernatural mana of the leader, probably similar to that of the Emperor of Japan and Chitom.

The kings of Egypt were worshiped as gods, and every detail of their daily lives was prescribed with precise and unchanging rules.Diodorus said: "The life of the Egyptian kings is different from those irresponsible and arbitrary monarchs. Every word and deed of them is regulated by law, not only about the duties of the king, but even the details of the king's daily life. No matter Day and night, everything the king should do is arranged, not what he likes to do, but what he should do...not only in the appointed time he should perform his official duties or judge cases, but his walking , bathing, sleeping with his wife, etc., every action in life is clearly regulated. Convention prescribes a simple diet for him. The only meat he can eat is veal and goose, and he can only drink one kind. special wine." It is reasonable to assume that these rules were not followed by the ancient pharaohs, but by the priestly kings who ruled Dibes and Ethiopia at the end of the Twentieth Dynasty.