TRANSFORMATION 177 



latter in order to be recognised as heir. When this is 

 done, however, a small part of the soul still remains 

 and lingers about the body, transformed into a small 

 four-footed animal. For this animal formal search is 

 made, and when found it is safely conveyed into a 

 statuette representing the deceased. 1 



In the Malay Peninsula- the Eastern Semang 

 believe that the soul of a tflian (priest chief and 

 magician) enters after death into the body of some 

 wild animal, such as an elephant tiger or rhinoceros. 

 In this embodiment it remains until the beast dies, 

 when it is admitted into the Upper Heaven, that of 

 Fruits. The Besisi of Selangor hold that the soujs of 

 their chiefs find a resting-place in the bodies of tigers 

 deer pigs and crocodiles. The Benua of Johor 

 suppose the soul of a magician to enter into a tiger. 

 The Jakun tell a story of a king whose soul migrated 

 into a white cock. The Jakun of Sungei Ujong relate 

 that a king having died and been buried, when the 

 mourners visited the tomb seven days later they were 

 astonished to find no trace of the deceased save his 

 clothing and his shroud ; but a siamang (a species of 

 ape) was swinging from branch to branch of the great 

 tree that overshadowed the grave. Their efforts to 

 drive away the animal failed, and they concluded it 

 could be nothing else than the deceased king : an 

 opinion confirmed by a subsequent prodigy. For 

 when wounded once by the dart from a blowpipe the 

 siamang transformed himself for a moment into a tiger 

 striking such terror into his assailant that the latter 



1 Modigliani, 292, 277, 290, 293, 479. Is it too much to say 

 that the Greek custom whereby the nearest relative received the 

 dying breath in a kiss probably originated in a similar intention ? 



I M 



