II Harahi-zare, There is some confusion here between the offences and the
expiatory offerings. The harahi-tsu-mono were then taken away and thrown
into some convenient river. I suspect, however, that most of them were not
thrown away, but went to provide a fund for the expenses of the ceremony.
It is not clear what became of the horse or of the slaves. The harahi'tsu-mono
were not gifts to any particular Gods, but rather, like the ^cape-goat of the
Mosaic law, vehicles by which the transgressions of the people were conveyed
away. But it is better not to put this too sweepingly. There is reason to



CEREMONIAL,



303



In addition to theOho-harahi, or National Purifications,
there were local and individual celebrations. In the latter
case, of which Susa no wo's punishment is the mythical
type^ the ^mrdhi-tsu-mono were naturally furnished by the
person for whose benefit they were performed, and so
amounted practically to a fine on the offender The Nihongi
(a.D. 646) mentions a number of cases in which travellers
and others were compelled by the country people to do
karaki^ that is, to pay a fine, under various pretences* For
example, when a man returning from forced labour fell
down by the roadside and died, the villagers of the place
said, ** Why should a man be allowed to die on our road ? ''
and detained the companions of the deceased until they
had done Imrahu Cases of drowning were followed by
similar claims^ and even the cooking of rice by the roadside
or the upsetting of a borrowed pot. An Imperial decree
was issued prohibiting these extortions^ which arc described
as habitual with the unenlightened vulgar.
