42 



SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS 



VOL. 



123 



ill, you will have boils. The bird is the spirit 

 of the white tiger. He that creeps in the 

 forest (a snake) is a white tiger. A mourner 

 is a white tiger. One with four feet is a 

 white tiger. Each road has five pestilences. 

 I will escort them onto the container {hua 

 p'ati)." 



When he has repeated to this point, the 

 tuan kitng takes the knife, moves it, and 

 circles it about once. 



Going into Hades ^^ (728) 



Hades is not below but it is a dark place. 

 The tua7i \nng wears the paper horns on his 

 head and covers up his face with grass paper 

 (coarse bamboo paper). In his hand he takes 

 his ceremonial knife. On his finger he hangs 

 his small ring bell. He sits on a stool as he 

 would on a horse. He sets some grass paper 

 on fire and puts the flame all over the stool 

 to open the light so that the stool can see. 

 Then he sits down and calls his gods, and he 

 is like a dead person (if you speak to him or 

 punch him, he will not notice it) . He merely 

 repeats his incantations. His body bends to 

 the right and to the left. He does this for 

 four hours. He calls his gods using these 

 words: 



"When the beeswax burns, the smoke arises. 

 It arises up to Ntzi's land. It goes down as 

 far as the earth prefecture (of the demon 

 king). Ah, go quickly, go quickly, duv 

 (Tav), duv, duv." ^^ He says — 



"When the beeswax burns, the smoke rises 

 up to the sky. Let 99 lanterns come and go 

 to the front. Call 9,000 (soldier) horsemen 

 to come and go to the front. Quickly bring 

 the saddles and saddle the horses. Bring the 

 bridles and put them in the horses' mouths. 

 Leap on the mules' backs. Leap onto the 

 backs of the donkeys. Leap onto the backs of 

 the big horses. Duv, duv, duv (horses run- 

 ning). 



"The horses run quickly and well. Go up 

 to Ntzi's land. Go down to the prefecture 

 of hades. Hurry and bring the lanterns and 

 lamps and lighten (up the way). The flags 

 and the bugles go round and round. The 

 long-handled knives (^o -^ ) and spears with 

 their handles shine blackly. I am going to 

 go down to the prefecture of hades. I am 



80 -wTg use the word Hades not as the equivalent 

 of hell on the one hand or heaven or paradise on 

 the other. It is the land of the departed spirits. 



s^ He makes this noise in imitation of the 

 sound of a horse's hoofs when the horse is run- 

 ning. His lips quiver or resound at the end of 

 each syllable. 



going to ascend to Ntzi's land. The red 

 flags go round and round and go up into the 

 heavenly palace. There are men and horses 

 as numerous as rising water (of rivers and 

 streams). I go down to the prefecture of the 

 earth and also arrive at Ntzi's land. I arrive 

 at the great palace of the five emperors. 

 Quickly open up widely your main door. I 

 am going to enter the city. I have business 

 or I would not enter the door of your precious 

 palace. Quickly open very wide your main 

 gate. I am going to enter and investigate 

 people. Duv, duv, duv. The horses are run- 

 ning fast. I have entered the first gate of the 

 palace. I have entered the second gate of the 

 palace. I have entered the third gate of the 

 palace. I have entered the fourth gate of the 

 palace. I have entered the fifth gate of the 

 palace. 



"I have entered into the great palace of the 

 five emperors. Old gendeman of the palace 

 of the five emperors, I am going to come and 

 investigate people. My men and horses are 

 very numerous. The lanterns and torches 

 shine in all directions. Shine brightly, shine 

 brightly. Investigate carefully. Investigate 

 carefully and come again and investigate care- 

 fully. When you have investigated, with your 

 hand above deliver the souls I want to me, 

 and I will (below) give money to you. I have 

 money. It is not easy money to get. It is 

 truly money to exchange for lives (souls). 

 I have 3,000 times 10,000 copper coins. With 

 a hand above we give the money. With a 

 hand below you give the people (to me). 

 One hand gives the money and another hand 

 gives (receives) the people. Let the same 

 hand give quickly (do not change hands but 

 act quickly). Search well, investigate well. 

 Give all the souls to me, one, then the second. 

 Give me all the three hun, i^, and the 

 seven p'o, 6^. Give them up nicely. 



"Give them up well and put them on 

 horses. Write with a red pen (ink) and mark 

 it with a black pen (ink).^^ Mark the three 

 him and the seven p'o to return to the 

 world. With the upper hand, hand over the 

 people. With the lower hand (I) give the 

 money. God's old gentleman of the palace 

 of the five emperors (.'') give me people's 

 three souls and seven p'o. You who are in 

 the world, quickly throw the divining-sticks 

 (one up and one down) and send money 

 (burnt spirit money). Ntzi's old gentleman of 

 the palace of the five emperors, I thank you. 



82 Then the person will not die. Officials write 

 with black ink and mark with red ink if a per- 

 son is to be executed. 



