1865.] Religion dc. among the Karens. 201 



the La responds by twisting and stretching the string till it breaks, 

 and falls into the cup ; or at least shakes and rings against it. 



A hundred witnesses could be produced, - who have seen it done. 

 Indeed the thread is of such slender material that a very little legerde- 

 main woidd be required to break it under the weight of the bangle, 

 and the bamboo is so slender, that still less would be necessary to 

 make it spring up and down, and hit against the sides of the cup. 

 But I have watched the whole ceremony, kept the crowd away from 

 the machinery, and there was no more answer to the calls, than there 

 was to the cries of the priests of Baal before Elijah. 



Prophets, or Necromancers,, are said to have the power of going into 

 the invisible world, and bringing back the La, when it has wandered 

 away ; but the Elders warn their children against unrighteous prophets, 

 who for the sake of gain, when they cannot find the La, of the sick 

 person, will bring the La, of some other person in its place ; by which 

 the disease is aggravated. 



Thus it would appear that a person may have another one's La. 



The La, is sometimes supposed to take the form or to inhabit insects. 

 Thus when insects are flying around a light at night, the wish is often 

 expressed that the Las of beasts and demons may be burnt to death, 

 while the Las of human beings may avoid the fire and escape. Here 

 when an insect flies into the fire, it is said to be the La, of a beast, but 

 when it hovers around and flies away, it is regarded as the La of 

 a human being. 



According to the representations of some, but the idea does not 

 prevail extensively, each person has seven Las that are constantly 

 devising his death ; which is only prevented by a guardian spirit 

 that sits on his head. When that spirit jumps down, the man is lost, 

 for then one or other of the Las rushes on him and kills bim. These 

 Las seem to be the personifications of evils, natural or moral. 



They are madness, epilepsy, lechery, wrath, the exhibition of dreams, 

 the bearer of diseases and languor. " If our mad La comes, we become 

 insane ; if our epileptic La comes, we are seized with epilepsy ; if our 

 lecherous La, comes, we become lost to shame ; if our wrathful La 

 comes, we are filled with anger, malice, and commit murder ; if the 

 shower of dreams comes, we are overwhelmed with dreams ; if the 

 bearer of sickness comes, we are prostrated by disease ; and if languor 

 comes, we feel unable to do anything. 



