Eternal India Encyclopedia

Eternal India encyclopedia

RELIGIONS

8. Magic : While the term 'magic' has been defined in various ways, it may be generally understood as the attempt through the utterance of set words, or the performance of set acts, to control or influence cosmic powers in accordance with human will. It was James G. Frazer, in his book The Golden Bough, who First suggested that magic is based on a sympathetic relationship between things, persons and events, and that it functions according to two principles — the "law of similarity" and the "law of contact." The first Frazer termed "imitative magic" and the second "contagious magic." (a) Imitative Magic : Most magical practices may be designated as imitative. These are precise formulae used by the magician to achieve specific ends by imitating them, and include both "white" or socially benevolent magic, and "black" or socially malevolent magic — also termed sorcery and witchcraft. Black magic is used to effect torture, illness or death of an enemy. The black magician may shoot a dart or an arrow in the enemy's supposed direction, or may thrust a dart at a clay image of the enemy. The magician might, alternatively, catch a grasshopper or other insect and pierce it with sharp needles or hang it over a fire so that the enemy will suffer and/or die in the manner imitated by the magician. The belief is that whatever is done to the image by the magicians will happen to the enemy. Black magicians are extremely careful in the practice of their art as there is always the danger of the effects missing the intended person and rebounding on some members of the family or the domestic animals. Sometimes when the magic is countered by a more powerful magician, the spell will effect the original magician who might even die. In white magic, sometimes called "love magic," the magician symbolically caresses or fondles the beloved person represented by the image. Here the behaviour of the love-sick person, overwhelmed by passion, is imitated by the magician. Instead of arrows and darts, various scents and flowers are used in white magic. Though white magic is not harmful in the manner of black magic, there is a potentially anti-social element involved, in that an unwilling person may be forced to accept another. This not only infringes the personal freedom of the individual, it may contravene accepted social custom of the community. Another common imitative magic is that performed for rain. For example, among several Naga tribes the head of a huluk ape is put in the water of the local watering hole and a stake is driven into the ground saying "Tsuga tsunali; tsuna tsunari," or "Rain, rain, fall." The group leaves the spot singing a song sung by children playing in the rain. The Lotha Nagas often catch a land crab and tie it by a leg in a small irrigation ditch, putting an egg beside the crab. The crab's role is to call the rain spirit and the egg is to entice the spirit's co-operation. (b) Contagious Magic: Contagious magic is based on the principle that any part of a person, including anything that has been associated and is now separated, such as clothing or ornaments once used, hair, teeth or nails, placenta or umbilical cord, even footprints or names, and so on, can be used by a magician to affect that person. Any of these can be used in the manner of black or white magic,

the chirping of ehikren , a particular species of small bird, is considered a good omen by Tangkhul Nagas. To meet a snake and kill it is generally regarded as a good omen, otherwise it is Bad. Omens are also observed in dreams. Thus, for example, the Garos believe that if one dreams of catching lots of small fish, it means that one will get money, but if the catch is a single large fish, a death in the family is indicated. Most omens are, however, negative or bad. Almost universally members of the tribes of Madhya Pradesh believe that a vulture or a crow alighting on the roof of a house is a warning of sickness or death in the family. Among the Ao Nagas, if a cultivator or a businessman meets or dreams of a pig, failure of crops or business is indicated. If the cock crows at an unusual time there will be trouble among the Mundas. If a pregnant Oraon woman meets a barren woman her child will be either still-born or will die shortly after birth. For the Sema Nagas, to drink rice beer in a dream foretells rain, while to kill a snake or monkey indicates victory over enemies. While an omen conveys a message without human beings doing anything, in divination, the attempt is made to find signs through animals or plants or other means. Derived from the Latin word deus or divus, divination has literally to do with what the divine (god) reveals to human beings. These procedures, too, are not confined to tribal people, but are universal phenomena found everywhere. Among many tribes throughout India, but especially in the Northeast, divination by strangling a cock and observing the position of the legs and entrails, by splitting a bamboo and examining the fibres, or by egg breaking and watching the flow are common methods. In fact, prior to all undertakings of tribal people in North east India, strangling a cock, splitting a bamboo, breaking an egg or listening to a dream, to discover what is in store, is virtually imperative. Among Tanghkhul Nagas, for example, divination by a cock is effected by strangling the fowl, and when it dies examining the position of the legs and the way the excreta comes down. If the right leg is placed over the left and the excreta comes down to the right side, the indications are good; but if vice-versa, the signs are bad. If the legs are in parallel positions and the excreta has emerged, it is also not a good sign. However, the worst portent is when the position of the legs is disorderly or unnatural. Necromancy, or divination through communication with the dead is generally done by a medium in cases of prolonged illness. The medium, customarily a woman, is called and all the preparations are made, with such things as food for the medium, tobacco fluid, and a white cock. It is usually in the dead of night, when there is complete silence, that the art of necromancy is performed, in which the medium, using the various objects in esoteric ways, goes into a trance, during which time she communicates with the ancestral spirits. After she regains complete consciousness, she will inform the family members about the ancestral spirit responsible for the sickness and what should be done. Sometimes she will say that by doing what the spirit of the dead instructed the patient would be well; or she might say that the sick person's spirit has been retained by the ancestors and nothing can be done for the patient, who will eventually die.