SHAMANISM IN PERAK. 225 



tiger-spirits, to which class of demons Che Johan's familiar belongs. 

 The air was not unpleasing, the words were difficult to catch, but 

 the lines flowed in an easy rhythm and the metre was very regular. 

 A performer of this kind is essential to every paicang, and, as in 

 the present instance, is very often his own wife. She is com- 

 monly called bidu. or ( in cases of royal seances) biduan* In the 

 invocation of the tiger-spirits, however, a peculiar nomenclature is 

 adopted for everything, the bidu becomes pengindin, and the drum 

 which she beats ( which has only one end of the cylinder covered ) 

 is called hatubony. 



The paivang, naked from the waist upwards, had bound about 

 him a couple of cords which crossed the back and breast, being 

 brought over one shoulder and under the other arm respectively. 

 He also wore strings round his wrists. 



These cords are supposed to protect the paivang, or medium, from 

 the malevolence of the evil spirits by whom he may be possessed. 

 The same idea is found in Ceylon. According to the Mahawangso, 

 Yishnu in order to protect Wijayo and his followers from the sor- 

 ceries of the Yakhos, met them on their landing in Ceylon and tied 

 threads on tluir arms.f Among the people of Laos, too, the same 

 virtue is ascribed to ligatures of thread over which a charm has 

 been pronounced. " Le grand remede universe!, c'est de l'eau 

 "lustrale qu'on fait boire au malade, apres lui avoir attache des fils 

 "de coton benits aux bras et aux jambes pour empecher Tinfluenee 

 " des genies malfaisants." J 



As the pengindin screamed out her chant, the pawang seemed to 

 become subject to some unseen influence and to lose control over 

 himself. Sitting rigid at first, holding in each hand a huge bunch 

 of leaves ( daun changhin), he presently began to nod like a man 

 overpowered with sleep, then he sniffed at the leaves, waved them 

 over his head, and struck one bunch against the other. Finally, he 

 fell forward burying his face in the leaves and sniffing in imita- 



*Sansk. vidhavd, a widow; Lat. vidua. 



f Tennent's " Ceylon/' I, 340, n. 



X Pallegoix — " Description de Siam," I, 4.-!, 



