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OCTOBER, 1907.] A REPORT ON THE PANJAB HILL TRIBES.
IX. Magic and Charms.
208. Magic is practised by magicians only, and there are no witches.
209. This practice is no concern of the priest, nor has he any enmity with the magicians. In some places even the priests act as magicians; and in others, other men do so. In short, any one who learns this science can become a magician.
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210. The magician's business is to foretell by means of figures. He always remains at home. He goes to the house of a person who calls him, and there he either makes a charm or dispels one. Generally, the people look upon him with respect.
211. The man who remains dirty and unclean, and does not worship gods, but devotes his whole attention to the worship of evil spirits, and does not take a bath, is taken to be as a magician.
212. The people generally believe that the attendance of a magician means either the calling of ghosts to disclose some secret or to make a person receive some gain or injury.
LXI.Possession and Exorcism.
218. It is believed that people become possessed of ghosts. In order to cure a possessed person, he is made to inhale the smoke of chillies. If the ghost does not leave him, a Brahman or a magician is called in, who, according to his own science, makes charms as mentioned
above.
214. Possession by a ghost is considered evil. Spirits are generally under the control of low persons, such as Kôlis, cobblers, shepherds, ironsmiths, etc., as well as under that of Brahmans. A ghost imposed by a low person is thought to be unholy, while that by a person of high caste is holy.
LXII. Dreams.
215. Dreams dreamt in good health and on a clear night can portend good or evil, can tell about the past, and foretell the future.
216. A learned Brahman is called to interpret a dream, and is told all about it. If the dream seems, according to the rules of the books, evil, the Brahman makes the man who dreamt it give some charity, but there is no need of charity in the case of a good dream.
217. If a dead person is seen in a dream, and conversation is held with him, then the dream is considered to be one relating to the communication with spirits. Other dreams are good or bad omens.
LXIII.
Spirit Propitiation.
Brahmans are made to recite panchak shanti hymns (hymns to Brahmans or magicians make charms and tie them to the
218. To propitiate spirits, propitiate), and alms are given. necks of the possessed persons.
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LXIV. The Evil Eye.
210. People believe in the effects of the evil eye and are much afraid of it. They consider it worse than magic.
220. Some men have so much power in their eyes, that if anything be eaten in their sight, it is soon vomited. No particular reason given for this is worth mentioning.
