20G ANNALS NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



Charms by Actual Defense 



Here belong many protective charms, such as magic circles and 

 similar devices, by means of which the individual using them is 

 fenced about by a rampart that cannot be broken through by the 

 demon, or penetrated by evil influences. The majority of these 

 charms act as preventive medicines. Tn many cases, their efficacy 

 is so closely associated with magic numbers, that if any other 

 numbers than these were used, the mascot would straighjrway 

 become a hoodoo. Even numbers arc usually considered as the 

 lucky ones, and odd numbers as unlucky, but nine 334 is always a 

 good number and thus an exception to the rule. 



Many objects worn on the person are charms. Any bracelet or 

 leglet that forms a closed circle may be magically used by Bagobo 

 mmi and women, but especially valuable as protective charms are the 

 armlets and leglets cast in metal from a wax mold and called by 

 various names according to their several variations. A single one 

 of such rings worn on arm or ankle is an amulet, 335 for each 

 is a closed circle. As for bracelets like jxiii/r/s, each of which 

 forms a circle not completely closed, an even number of these 

 — forty, fifty, eighty — should be worn, if they are to bring luck 

 to the wearer. 



Closely associated with this idea is the custom of wearing certain 

 amulets always on the same part of the body. Change the place 

 and the charm is gone. If a bracelet, say, that is customarily 

 worn on the left wrist is changed to the right wrist, the spell is 

 broken, and the wearer will become sick. 



A long girdle of hand-made brass links — the sinkali* 30 — is 

 a potent charm if wound about the waist an even number of limes. 



* J * Not onlj in magical association, but in ceremonial use, eight and nine an- held 

 by all Bagobo as Bacred numbers. .Skeat found among Peninsular Malays thai seven 

 the valued number. Op. cif., ]>. 50. 



336 Father Gisbetl writes as follows on tin- point. "When they visit a -irk person, 

 thej have the custom of placing copper rings on their wrists or on their b'- r s, in order 

 that the soul which thej fall limocttd maj nol Leave." Blair and Robertson: op. cit., 

 vol. VA, p, L'liT. The idea heir is rather that of using the magic circle to keep in 

 something essential to life, than of keeping nut harmful influences, 'linn Is apparently 

 a misprint in the initial Bound of gimokud, as Qisbert's own vocabulary u'ives (juimucod 

 as a Bynonym for espirilu. Diccionario espafiol-bagobo, p. 64. 1892. 



330 Sec also iip. 210—212. 



