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CHAPTER X,
WITCHCRAFT
Chetak is an art secretly learnt by women. is believed to bring corn and other things from It is a form of the black art. A woman well houses or harvesting grounds. It is seen only versed in the mantras of chetak can do any by its mistress the chetakin. The belief that the mischief she chooses. She can kill a child or chetakins can turn a person into the form of turn any person into's dog or other animal by an animal does not prevail in this district. They the power of her incantations. The Chetakin do not wander from one place to another. can remove all the hair from the head of a The chetakin has to go once a year to the temple woman, or scatter filth, etc, in a person's house, of the deity from whom the chetak has been make marks of crosses with marking nuts on brought, and to pay the annual tribute for the all the clothes, or play many other such tricks use of that chetak or servant spirit,1 without betraying a trace of the author of the There are no witches in the Ratnagiri District. mischief. The chetakins are able to mesmerize It is said that there are some at Kolwan in the a man and order him to do anything they want. Thána District They are generally found A Chetakin or witch cannot herself appear in among Thákars. Some of them come to the the form of an animal.
Ratnagiri District, but though no one can tell They follow revolting forms of ceremonies. anything about their powers, ignorant people All witches who have learnt the black art meet are very much afraid of them. It is believed at night once a month on the Amavasya day or that they can turn persons into animals by means no mon day of every month, at a burning ground of their incantations. The person once charmed outside the village. On such occasions they go by their mantras is said to blindly abide by quite naked, and apply turmeric and red powders their orders. It is also believed that they can
the mud and favehead. Whileming to ruin anybody by their magic. the cremation ground they bring on their There are no witches at Rái in the Thána heads burning coals in an earthen pot called District. The woman who can influence evil Kondi. At this meeting they repeat their spirits to do harm to others is called a Bhutáli. mantras, and take care that none are forgotten. It is said that the Bhutális assemble at the After completing the repetition of the mantras, funeral ground in a naked state on the full-moon they go round the village and return to their day and on the Amávásya, or the last day of respective houses. They have no special every month, to refresh their knowledge of the haunts or seasons.
black art, 3 In the Kolhápur District the woman who is A witch has dirty habits and observances. in possession of a chetak is called chetakin. The chief sign for detecting a witch or chetakis The chetak is said to abide by her orders. It is a foam or froth that appears on the lips of Ráo Saheb Shelke, Kolhapur.
2 School Master, Anjarle, Ratnagiri. • School Master, Ri, Tháng.
