Charms, Talismans, and Witchcraft
While by divination and by inferences from omens and dreams, Malays attempt
to ascertain the course of fate, so by charms of the nature of amulets and
talismans they sometimes endeavour to influence its direction or modify its
force. Charms of the nature of invocations have been dealt with already under
different headings in connection with a variety of matters, and it will only be
necessary to refer here to a few miscellaneous ones of a less elaborate character.
It should be observed that some charms are directly effective or protective, like
amulets or talismans, while others are supposed to work only by influencing the
volition of another mind. Under the latter head come the great mass of love-
charms, charms for securing conjugal fidelity, or for compelling the revelation
by another person of his or her secret thoughts, and the like, of which Malay
books of magic are full; while under the former come sundry recipes of a more
or less medicinal nature for the purpose of curing various diseases, of increasing
physical power or virility, or of protecting the person against evil influences,
natural or supernatural. In most of these cases the modus operandi is of the
simplest character; the charm consists usually of a short Arabic prayer or a few
letters and figures, sometimes quite meaningless and conventional, sometimes
making up one or more of the sacred names (Allah, Muhammad, ʿAli, etc.).
These charms are written on paper or cloth and worn on the person; sometimes
they are written on the body itself, especially on the part to be affected;
occasionally they are written on a cup which is then used for drinking purposes.
Such prescriptions are infinite in number, and are to be found in Malay charm-
books, wedged in amongst matter of a more strictly medical kind; in fact, it
would be quite correct to say that letter-charms (rajah, ʿazimat) and sacred
names have their place in the Malay Pharmacopœia side by side with spices,