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inspiration, and of announcing the will of the deity, during a violent fit of muscular or nervous shaking, supposed to betoken the possession of his body by the spirit, is a necessary qualification for the priestly office.» 1 It is stated that before a Fijian is acknowledged as Ambati, or priest, he has to undergo a trial, and »is required to show publicly that the kalou (spirit) is entering into him. The proof of this is considered to lie in certain shiverings, which appear to be involuntary, and in the performance of which none but an expert juggler could succeed.» An explorer in Australia mentions an old native doctor, who was affected with fits of spasmodic contraction of the muscles on one side of his breast and who availed himself of the singular effect produced upon him by this malady, to impose upon his countrymen by giving the idea of satanic inspiration.3 Again, among the natives of the Gold Coast one of the chief qualifications of the novices is great endurance in dancing, by which they excite themselves into a perfect frenzy until the fetish takes possession of them. The real characteristic of a sorcerer among the Galla is said to be the faculty of now and again falling into convulsions, nay, of playing the part of an epileptic. Of the Patagonians Falkner relates that those who are seized with fits of the falling sickness are immediately selected for the wizard profession, as chosen by the demons themselves, whom they suppose to possess them, and to cause all the convulsions and distortions common in epileptic paroxysms. Sir John Malcolm tells us concerning the

p. 103.

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Erskine, The Western Pacific, p. 250.

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2 Wilkes, Narrative of the U. S. Exploring Expedition, iii. 87. Blackhouse, Narrative of a Visit to the Australian Colonies,

Cruickshank, Eighteen Years on the Gold Coast, ii. 142.
Paulitschke, Ethnographie Nordost-Afrikas, ii. 64.

Falkner, Description of Patagonia, p. 117.

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priestly novices among the Bhills in India that if music. does not stimulate them to a state of ecstatic frenzy they are rejected, as not being favoured by the god with a requisite portion of spiritual grace. Among the Lapps, too, every regular shaman was required to be able by various bodily and mental exertions to work himself into a state of trance or mesmeric sleep. Dr. Radloff observes that the symptoms of enervation and mental depression characterizing the novices among the Siberian natives gradually increased into violent convulsions, and it was thought that in this way the power of their ancestors entered into them. As regards the Yakuts, we learn that those become shamans who involuntarily begin to shriek and lose their senses, while, at the same time, they discover a prophetic gift. The Kadagi, or diviner, of the Khevsurs in the Caucasus is said to be a man who, on account of his neurotic temperament, is given to ecstasy, or through simulated delirium shows his qualification for the sacerdotal calling.

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In numerous cases we learn that incipient priests before or at their initiation reduce themselves by special means, as fasting or narcotics, to a state of ecstasy or trance which is supposed to indicate their priesthood. From a number of peoples Lord Avebury gives instances of fasting by those who aspire to the position of wizards, and similar data are collected by Dr. Tylor who also offers many examples of ecstasy produced by drugs and bodily exercises, chanting, screaming, etc. We shall

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1 Malcolm, 'Essay on the Bhills,' in Trans. Roy. As. Soc. i. 77. Friis, Lappisk Mythologi, p. 2.

3 Radloff, Aus Sibirien, ii. 16 sq.

4 Припузовъ, Шаманство у Якутов, in Извѣстія В.

Сиб. Отд. Геогр. Общ. xv. 64 sq.

5 Merzbacher, Aus den Hochregionen des Kaukasus, ii. 87.

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Avebury, The Origin of Civilization, pp. 266 sqq.

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have occasion to quote several facts referring to the same practice when dealing with the preparation which priestly novices have to undergo. The use of such means for bringing on exaltation exemplifies the great importance which is attached to ecstasy as a symptom of divine visitation.

As a matter of fact, nothing seems more natural to the savage mind than ascribing ecstasy to spiritual agency. The convulsive gestures and incoherent utterances of the inspired seem to show that his own will is absent and that some strange being has taken possession of his body. A spirit or god is therefore supposed to speak through his mouth and to command his actions.

This faculty of falling into an ecstatic condition is all the more necessary for would-be priests as, among savage peoples, manifestations of a prophetic or divine. delirium do almost universally accompany the religious ceremonies. A great number of instances from all parts of the world inhabited by savages, may be quoted as illustrations of this rule. Travellers give graphic descriptions of the ways in which the priests work themselves up to fury or swoon during their various religious or magical performances. Such scenes of paroxysm and delirium are general, for instance, when the gods are to be consulted; then all the utterances of the priests, while in their inspired condition, are received as direct responses from the supreme rulers. 1 Similar practices take place

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Wilkes, Narrative of
Zimmermann, Inseln
Gill, Myths and

See Williams, Fiji and the Fijians, p. 190. the U. S. Exploring Expedition, iii. 88 (Fijians). des Indischen und Stillen Meeres, i. 543 (Tongans). Songs from the South Pacific, p. 35 (Hervey Islanders). Hale, 'Ethnography and Philology,' in Narrative of the U. S. Exploring Expedition, vi. 56 sq. (Melanesians). Burton and Ward, 'Journey into the Batak Country,' in Trans. Roy. As. Soc. i. 502. Harkness, A Singular Aboriginal Race of the Neilgherry Hills, p. 167 (Todas). Шашковъ, 'Шаманство,, in Записки Геогр. Общ. іі. 101 sq. and Дитмаръ, 'О Корякахъ и Чукчахъ,’in Вѣстникъ Геогр. Общ. xvi, 1. р. .

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when the priest foretells future events, when he declares the causes of diseases, 2 detects evildoers, 3 or casts out evil spirits. *

The observation that an ecstatic disposition is universally associated with priesthood draws our attention to the fact that really insane persons are also, in many cases, looked upon with superstitious awe. The notions of savages regarding lunacy show their inclination to attribute to spiritual possession such phenomena as they cannot otherwise account for. The only distinction which

30 (Siberian peoples). Livingstone, Missionary Travels, p. 87 (Makololo). Kingsley, West African Studies, pp. 145 sq. (Natives of the Gold Coast). Веніаминовъ, Записки объ островахъ Уналашкинскаго Отдьла, iii. 72 (Thlinkets). Dall, Alaska, pp. 144 sq. (Máhlemut tribe).

Lisiansky, A Voyage round the World, p. 208 (Kadiak Islanders).

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See Dalton, Ethnology of Bengal, pp. 213 sq. (Santals). Malcolm 'Essay on the Bhills,' in Trans. Roy. As. Soc. i. 77. Hodgson, 'Kócch, Bodo and Dhimál People,' in Jour. of the As. Soc. of Bengal, xviii. 730. Forsyth, The Highlands of Central India, pp. 363 sq. (Bygas). Krohn, Suomen suvun pakanallinen jumalanpalvelus, pp. 88, 90 (Siberian tribes). Cheyne, Western Pacific Ocean, p. 121 (Bornabi Islanders). Codrington, Mela-. nesians, p. 209. Holub, Seven Years in South Africa, ii. 229 sq. (Masupia tribe). Ellis, Tshi-speaking Peoples, p. 121. Beecham, Ashantee, p. 199. Bancroft, Works, i. 707 (Chontales).

2 See Maclean, Kafir Laws and Customs, p. 81. Каратановъ, Поповъ and Потанинъ, 'Качинскіе Татары,' in Извѣстія Геогр. Обш. xx, 6. p. 632 (Tartars). Emerson Tennent, Ceylon, i. 540 sq. Marco Polo, The Kingdoms and Marvels of the East, ii. 53 sq. (People of Zardandan). Alcedo, Dictionary of America and the West Indies, i. 414 (Araucanians).

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See Shooter, Kafirs of Natal, p. 174. Holden, Past and Future of the Kaffir Races, p. 288. Rowley, The Religion of the Africans, pp. 134 sq. (Marganja tribe). Bastian, Ein Besuch in San Salvador, p. 92. 4 See Allen and Thomson, Expedition to the River Niger, ii. 213 (Edeeyahs). Radloff, Aus Sibirien, i. 377 (Tartars). Turner, 'Ethnology of the Ungava District, Hudson Bay Territory,' in Smithsonian Reports, xi. 195 sq. (Eskimos).

they make between insanity and ecstasy seems to be that the former state of mind is ascribed to a permanent, the latter to a more casual, possession by a spirit. As to insanity, however, the opinions of different peoples vary to a certain extent, but, in the main, the difference only refers to the character of the spirits that take possession of a man. Some peoples believe the insane to be under the influence of demons, while others assume that they are inspired by good spirits.

In conformity with the latter idea great veneration is paid to the insane, who are also sometimes thought to possess the spirit of prophecy. By the modern Egyptians an idiot or a fool is usually looked upon »as a being whose mind is in heaven, while his grosser part mingles among ordinary mortals; consequently, he is considered an especial favourite of heaven. Whatever enormities a reputed saint may commit. such acts

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de not affect his fame for sanctity.» 2 Among the Arabs proper also, insanity, if not of a very violent and dangerous nature, is commonly regarded quality that entitles the subject of it to be esteemed as a saint; being supposed to be the abstraction of the mind from wordly affairs, and its total devotion to God.» 3 The inhabitants of Mocha venerate mad people of either sex, believing them to be inspired, or actuated by a

1 Such instances are given by Riedel, De sluik- en kroesharige rassen tusschen Selebes en Papua, pp. 181, 239, 267, 305, 327, 357 sq., 394 and 452 (Peoples in the East Indian Archipelago). Marsden, The History of Sumatra, p. 191. Turner, Nineteen Years in Polynesia, p. 221 (Samoans). Codrington, 'Religious Beliefs in Melanesia,' in Jour. Anthr. Inst. x. 284 (Bank's Islanders). Fison and Howitt, Kamiraloi and Kurnai, p. 250. Reade, Savage Africa, p. 250 (Equatorial Africans). Пржевальскій, Отъ Кяхты на истоки Желтой рѣки, р. 430 (Natives of East Turkestan).

2

Lane, Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians, p. 227. 3 The Thousand and one Nights, i. 237, note.

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