60 PRIMITIVE PATERNITY 



it is expressly said to hint at offspring. 1 But we need 

 not pursue the subject of symbolism of eggs on such 

 an occasion. 



Among the Schokaz stock in Hungary a woman 

 who has already several children looks for a stone 

 which has been thrown at an apple-tree and has 

 remained on the tree. She takes it down, puts it 

 into an egg, on which at new moon she pours water 

 and gives to drink of it to the barren woman. Finally, 

 she herself takes the latter's bridal shift and wears it 

 for nine weeks. 2 This complex rite is evidently an 

 amalgam of more than one simpler ceremony, all 

 directed to the same end ; and it will be discussed 

 more fully hereafter. Meanwhile, it may be observed 

 that the virtue of the egg as a fertilising medium 

 obviously passes into the water, and is imbibed in the 

 draught. A magical rite in vogue on the island of 

 Keisar in the East Indies appears also to be formed of 

 originally independent elements. There an infertile 

 woman takes a hen's first egg to the expert in these 

 matters, commonly an old man, and asks him for help. 

 He lays the egg on a nunu-leaf, and with it presses 

 her breasts, muttering congratulations the while. 

 Then he boils the egg in a folded Koli-leaf, takes a 

 piece, lays it again on the nunu-leaf, and causes the 

 woman to eat it. After that he presses the leaf on 

 her nose and breasts and rubs it upon both her 

 shoulders, always from above downward, wraps another 

 bit of the egg in the nunu-leaf, and causes it to be 

 kept in the branches of one of the highest trees in the 

 neighbourhood of her dwelling. 3 In this ceremony 



1 Lasch, ubi sup. 



* Temesvary, 8. See^os/, p. 114. 3 Riedel, 416. 



