
hd 
— 443 — 
„Logically developed, the primitive belief (in another hife) implies that the 
ydeceased will need not only his weapons and implements, his clothing, ornaments 
wand other movables, together with his domestic animals; but also that he will want 
„human companionship and services. The attendance he had before death, must be 
wrenewed after death. 
„Hence the immolations, more or less extensive, which have prevailed , and 
„still prevail, so widely — the sacrificings of wives, of slaves, of friends. Too fami- 
„har a truth to require illustration, L will here advert only to the further truth 
„that this practice develops as society advances through its earlier stages, and 
„the theory of another life becomes more definite (24). Among the Fuegians, the 
„Andamanese, the Australians, the Tasmanians, with their rudimentary social organiz- 
wations, the sacrifice of wives to accompany dead husbands, if it oceurs at all, is 
„not general enough to be specified in the accounts given of them. But it is a 
„practice shown us by more advanced peoples: in Polynesia by the New Caledomians, 
„by the Fijians and occasionally by the less barbarous Tongans — in America bij the 
„Chinooks, the Caribs, the Dakotahs — in Africa by the Congo people, the Inland 
„Negroes, the Coast Negroes and most extensively by the Dahomans.... Im Peru, 
„when an Ynca died, his attendants and favourite concubines, amounting sometimes, 
mt is said, to a thousand; were immolated on his tomb. 
„The intensity of the faith prompting such customs, we shall the better 
weoneeive on finding proof that the victims are often willing, and occasionally anxious, 
„to die. . . . Garcilasso says that a dead Ynca's wives wvolunteered to be killed, 
„and their number was often such that the, officers were obliged to interfere, saying 
„that enough had gone at present”; and according to Cieza, some of the women 
„would hang themselves up by their own hair, and so kill themselves. Similarly of 
„the Chibchas, Simon tells us that with a corpse vthey interred the wives and 
pslaves who most wished it”. . . . . . Formerly in Congo, when the king was 
„buried, a dozen young maids leapt into the grave, and were buried alive: to serve 
„him in the other world. These maids were then so eager for this service to their 
„deceased prince, that, in striving who should be first, they killed one another. And 
„in Dahomey, immediately the king dies, his wives begin to destroy all his furniture 
wand things of value, as well as their own; and to murder one another. On one 
woecasion 285 of the women were thas killed before the new king could stop it” (2%). 
(2*) Max Müller (Essays II, 16, bladz. 30) heeft ook zeer scherpzinnig langs philologischen 
weg aangetoond, dat in Hindostan het zoogenaamde Suttiisme uit een jonger tijdperk moet datee- 
ren. Hetzelfde zal ook blijken voor China het geval te zijn, wanneer in het vijfde hoofdstuk van 
dit werk het oude Suttijsme van dat Rijk ter sprake zal worden gebracht. 
(25) „Chez les Fidjiens, qui astreignent leurs femmes à charrier tous les fardeaux pesants 
„et à faire tous les travaux des champs, qui reprochaient aux Amis de Tonga de traiter les leurs 
„plus doucement, on a vu des veuves se tuer elles-mêmes aux funérailles de leur mari quand la 
„famille refusait, contre l'usage, de leur rendre ce service””— Seemann, „Mission to Viti”’, 192; 
ap. „Revue Britannique”, November 1878, bladz. 81. 
