Magic Science and Religion 3^ 



fateful forces of human destiny : health and death. Health to 

 the Melanesian is a natural state of affairs and, unless tampered with, 

 the human body will remain in perfect order. But the natives 

 know perfectly well that there are natural means which can affect 

 health and even destroy the body. Poisons, wounds, burns, falls, 

 are known to cause disablement or death in a natural way. And 

 this is not a matter of private opinion of this or that individual, 

 but it is laid down in traditional lore and even in belief, for there 

 are considered to be different ways to the nether world for those 

 who died by sorcery and those who met *' natural " death. Again, 

 it is recognised that cold, heat, overstrain, too much sun, over- 

 eating, can all cause minor ailments, which are treated by natural 

 remedies such as massage, steaming, warming at a fire and certain 

 potions. Old age is known to lead to bodily decay and the 

 explanation is given by the natives that very old people grow weak, 

 their oesophagus closes up, and therefore they must die. 



But besides these natural causes there is the enormous domain 

 of sorcery and by far the most cases of illness and death are ascribed 

 to this. The line of distinction between sorcery and the other 

 causes is clear in theory and in most cases of practice, but it must 

 be realised that it is subject to what could be called the personal 

 perspective. That is, the more closely a case has to do with the 

 person who considers it, the less will it be " natural," the more 

 " magical." Thus a very old man, whose pending death will be 

 considered natural by the other members of the community, will 

 be afraid only of sorcery and never think of his natural fate. 

 A fairly sick person will diagnose sorcery in his own case, while 

 all the others might speak of too much betel nut or overeating or 

 some other indulgence. 



But who of us really believes that his own bodily infirmities 

 and the approaching death is a purely natural occurrence, just an 

 insignificant event in the infinite chain of causes ? To the most 

 rational of civilised men health, disease, the threat ot death, float 

 in a hazy emotional mist, which seems to become denser and more 

 impenetrable as the fateful forms approach. It is indeed astonish- 

 ing that "savages " can achieve such a sober, dispassionate outlook in 

 these matters as they actually do. 



Thus in his relation to nature and destiny, whether he tries 

 to exploit the first or to dodge the second, primitive man recognises 

 both the natural and the supernatural forces and agencies, and he 



