XVI MAGIC, SPELLS, AND CHARMS 129 



bamboo, so that it drips from them on to his head. 

 Eight times the ring is Hfted up, and each time the 

 pouring out of the water is repeated. Then, stand- 

 ing on the blade of the sword, he again addresses 

 the omen-bird as before. This completes the rite, 

 which is known as lemazva. 



A similar rite of purification is practised by most 

 of the other peoples. In some cases the principal 

 feature of the rite of purification is being spat upon 

 by the chief. 



It may be broadly said that all these peoples are 

 constantly on the alert to provide against unknown 

 dangers ; that, having no definite theories of causa- 

 tion, they are apt to accept every hint of danger or 

 hurtful influence suggested by the attributes and 

 relations of things, and to seek to avoid these 

 influences or to ward them off or counteract them 

 by every means that in any way suggests itself to 

 their minds as possibly efficacious. 



Although the Kayans regard a madman as 

 possessed by an evil spirit, they seem to have no 

 traditional methods of casting out the spirit ; but 

 some of the Klemantans practise a rite of exorcism ; 

 this varies in detail from tribe to tribe, and attains 

 the greatest elaboration among the Malanaus. 

 The rite is known as bayoh, and bears a general 

 resemblance to the corresponding Malay rite known 

 as berhantu. The Malanaus are Klemantans of the 

 coast regions of Sarawak, most of whom have 

 recently become converted to Islam, while all of 

 them have been much influenced by contact with 

 Malays. The following account is reproduced from 

 a paper published by one of us (C. H.) in the 

 Review of the Far East (Feb. 1907), to the editor of 

 which we are indebted for permission to make use 

 of the paper : — 



The ceremony of casting out evil spirits is of frequent 

 occurrence among Malanaus, and the noise of gongs and 



h 



