IDEAS OF THE SOUL 39 



made and placed in the gallery beside the door 

 of the dead man's chamber. Food and drink of 

 various kinds as prepared for a feast are placed in 

 this house, together with cigarettes. The Dayong 

 chants beside the house, calling upon the soul of the 

 dead man to enter the soul-house, and mentioning 

 the names of the members of his family. From 

 time to time he looks in, and after some time 

 announces that all the food and drink has been 

 consumed. The people accept this statement as 

 evidence that the ghost has entered the soul-house.-^ 

 The Dayong acts as though listening to the whisper- 

 ing of the soul within the house, starting and clucking 

 from time to time. Then he anounces the will of the 

 ghost in regard to the distribution of the property, 

 speaking in the first person and reproducing the 

 phraseology and peculiarities of the dead man.^ 

 The directions so obtained are usually followed, and 

 the dispute is thus terminated. But in some cases 

 the people apply a certain test to verify the alleged 

 presence of the ghost. A shallow dish (often a 

 gong) of water is placed near the soul-house, and 

 a ring-shaped armlet of shell is placed vertically in 

 this basin, the water covering its lower half. A few 

 fine fibres of the cotton-seed are thrown on to the 

 surface of the water, and by tapping on the planks 

 the people keep these in movement. If the threads 

 float through the ring, that is conclusive evidence of 

 the presence of the ghost ; but so long as the threads 

 cannot be got to pass through the ring, the people 

 are not satisfied that the ghost is present. 



^ When pressed in private after a ceremony of this kind, a certain Dayong 

 admitted to us that perhaps, if we should look into the house, we should see the 

 food apparently untouched ; but he maintained that nevertheless all the strength 

 or essence of the food would have been consumed, the husks merely being left. 



2 Apparently it is not that the Dayong claims to be " possessed " by the soul 

 of the dead man ; for from time to time he inclines his ear again to the soul- 

 house to catch the faint voice of the ghost. We know of no cases in which it 

 is claimed that the body of a living man is *' possessed " by a departed soul. 



VOL. II D 



