TRANSFORMATION 175 



may be eaten by a human being or one of the lower 

 animals. In such case the deceased is born again in the 

 next offspring of the living creature which has eaten 

 it ; if such creature be one of the lower animals the soul 

 still has a chance of being born again as a human being, 

 provided the animal be eaten by a man or woman. 

 But if the animal the fruit, or whatever it may be, be 

 not thus eaten the soul comes to an end. 1 The Dyaks, as 

 is well known, are addicted to the observation of omens 

 from birds. " They suppose that these birds are their 

 ancestors who have been transmigrated in order to watch 

 over the welfare of their tribe, and who are still interested 

 in everything connected with it. None but the brave 

 are thus distinguished. Every household has certain 

 birds which it follows and other birds which are of ill 

 omen, that is, which warn of approaching danger. Once, 

 it is said, when an unusually brave man was fighting, 

 the enemy cut off his chawat (loin-cloth) behind ; he 

 died and became a bird without a tail." 2 " The 

 Malanaus believe that after a long life in the next 

 world they again die, but afterwards live as worms or 

 caterpillars in the forest." 3 Among the Kayans " when 

 the soul separates from the body, it may take the form 

 of an animal or a bird, and as an instance of this belief, 



1 F. Grabowsky, Int. Arch. ii. 181, 187 ; Kruyt, 383. See 

 further as to the belief of the peoples of Java, Sumatra and neigh- 

 bouring islands, Kruyt, 271, 335, 348, 375, 418, 419 ; as to the 

 specific belief of the Karo-bataks of Sumatra and the Madurese of 

 Java in reincarnation as human beings, Ibid. 8, 1 1 . 



2 Ling Roth, Sarawak, i. 224, quoting Rev. W. Crosland. These 

 *Dyaks seem to be Land Dyaks. From another source we learn that 

 the omen-birds are directly addressed as ancestors and prayed to 

 avert rain, darkness, storms, swords and other dangers (Ibid. 226, 

 quoting Rev. W. Chalmers). 



3 De Crespigny, /. A. I. v. 35. > 



