Semitic magic : its origins and development

36 PARALLEL FROM MALAYS.
showed itself in a house, either silent or gibbering in
expectation of some answer ; further, we now have evidence
for the belief among the Assyrians in the ghost which walks
at night and comes to the bedside, a universal tradition.
There is an interesting parallel to these rites among
the Dyaks or Malays of some of the western tribes of
Borneo. If one of these natives falls to vomiting, he
believes that one of his deceased kinsfolk is responsible,
and he repairs to a wise-man or a wise-woman for help.
This exorcist pulls out one of his hairs, and calls on the
names of his dead relations ; the name at which the lock
gives forth a -sound is the name of the guilty one. The
physician, generally an old woman, then says to the ghost
" Go back to your grave : what do you come here for ?
The soul of the sick man does not choose to be called by
you, and will remain yet a long time in its body." Then
she puts some ashes from the hearth in a winnowing fan,
and moulds out of them a small figure or image in
human likeness. Seven times she moves the basket with
the little ashen figure up and down before the patient,
taking care not to obliterate the figure, while at the same
time she says : " Sickness, settle in the head, belly, hands,
etc., the.n quickly pass into the corresponding part of the
image," whereupon the patient spits on the image and
pushes it from him with his left hand. Next the beldame
lights a candle and goes to the grave of the person whose
ghost is doing all the mischief, and throws thereon the
figure of ashes, calling out : **'Ghost, plague the sick man
no longer, and stay in your grave that he may see you
no more." ^
E. L. M. Kiihr, Schetzen uit Borneo's Westerafdeelingy quoted by
I
Frazer, Oolden Bough^ i, 267.
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