[niLL-ToiT] TOTEMISM : ITS ORIGIN AND IMPORT 79 



that totemism before dt can be accepted as such, must bear upon it cer- 

 tain signs manual, in other words, must exhibit certain features of a 

 prohibitory character whicTi are regarded as its " Tests " or " Canons." 

 These are: 



1. The Canon of Exogamy. 



2. The Canon of Taiboo. 



According to the first, no man shall marry or cohabit with a woman 

 of his own totem group; and under the second, members of a totem 

 shall abstadn from killing or eating the totem object. Up to the puib- 

 lieation of Messrs. Spencer and Gillen's important work on " The 

 Natives of Central Australia/'^ these canons were regarded by Dr. 

 Frazer as the vital elements of totemism, sine qua non. Since his 

 acquaintance, however, with the data, therein presented, he has been 

 led to look with different eyes upon these '' canons," and now appears 

 doubtful of their force and validity, and in their place seems desirous 

 of establis'hing a new ""' tost," whicJi may be termed the Canon of 

 Provinder. 



As we shall presently have to refer to these " ■doubtful canons " in 

 cur consideration of Dr. Haddon's views, we need not stop to examine 

 their validity here, but pass on to a consideration of tihe evidence upon 

 which this later canon has been established. 



It appears that among the Central Australian tribes they have a 

 ceremony which they call Intichiutna, the object of wliich is " to pro- 

 vide the community wdth a supply of food and all other necessaries by 

 means of certain magical ceremonies, the performance of which is dis- 

 tributed among the various totem groups." From 'this custom or cere- 

 mony Dr. Frazer has been led to infer that the main object of totemism 

 among the Central Australian tribes, and, by implication, all other 

 totemic peoples, is to ensure the multiplication of the animals or plants 

 of the several totem species. For after dwelling upon the Intichiuma 

 ceremonies lie ■oonoludes thus : '•' Totemism among the Central Austra- 

 lian tribes appears, if we may judge by the Intichiuma ceremonies, to 

 be an organized system of magic intended to procure for siavage man a 

 plentiful supply of all the natural objects whereof he stands in need. . . 

 Have we noit in these Intichiuma ceremonies the key to the original 

 meaning and purpose of totemisim among the Central Australian tribes, 

 perhaps even of totemism in general." 



In suggesting this new view of the matter Dr. Frazer seems to have 

 abandoned the position he formerly took with regard to this question. 

 In his earlier writings he suggested something quite different from 

 this. Then it was the " soul-box " theory as it has been called. This 



^ Macmillan & Co., London, 1899, 



