These “mischiefs” reside not only in animate, but also in inanimate objects. Thus
in one of the elephant-charms given in the Appendix several different
“mischiefs” are described as residing in earth, ant-hills, wood, water, stone, and
elephants (or rhinoceroses) respectively. Again, in a deer-charm, various
“mischiefs” are requested to return to their place of origin, i.e. to the Iguana
(strictly speaking, the Monitor Lizard), Heart of Timber, and the Yellow Glow
of Sunset. Yet another deer-charm calls upon “Badi” (as the offspring of the Jin
Ibn Ujan, who resides in the clouds and hollows of the hills), to return
thereto.^135
I will now proceed to describe the ceremony of “casting out” these “mischiefs.”
The chief occasions on which this casting out takes place are, first, when
somebody is ill, and his sickness is attributed to his accidental contact with (and
consequent “possession by”) one of these mischiefs; and, secondly, when any
wild animal or bird is killed. The ceremony of casting out the mischief from the
carcases of big game will be found described under the heading of “Hunting
Ceremonies.” I shall here confine myself to a brief description of the ceremony
as conducted for the benefit of sick persons.
First make up a bunch of leaves (sa-chĕrek), consisting of the shrubs called
pulut-pulut and sĕlaguri, with branches of the gandarusa and lĕnjuang merah
(red dracæna), all of which are wrapped together in a leaf of the si-pulih, and
tied round with a piece of tree-bark (kulit t’rap), or the akar gasing-gasing. With
this leaf-brush you are to cast out the mischief. Then you grate on to a saucer
small pieces of ebony wood, brazil wood, “laka” wood, sandalwood, and eagle-
wood (lignaloes), mix them with water, putting in a few small pieces of scrap-
iron, and rub the patient all over with the mixture.
As you do this, repeat the appropriate charm; then take the brush of leaves and
stroke the patient all over downwards from head to foot, saying:—
“Peace be with you, Prophet Noah, to whom belong the trees,
And Prophet Elias who planted them.
I crave as a boon the leaves of these shrubs
To be a drug and a neutralising (power)
Within the body, frame, and person of So-and-So.
If you (addressing the leaves) refuse to enter (the body of So-and-So),