PETAEA, OR SEA DYAK UOns. 139 



the Petaras from some point in the firmament shake their charms 

 in the direction of the child : — 



" Since we have looked down, 



" Come now, friends, 



'* Let us, in a company, wave the medicine charms." 



And so they wave the shadow of their magical influence upon 

 the child. 



But there are still more Petaras to come : — 



Pupus Petara kebong langit, 



Niu Petara puclwh Jcaiyu. 



Having finished the Petaras in mid -heavens, 



We come to the Petaras of the tree-tops. 



And they sing of the gods inhabiting trees, and among these 

 are monkeys, birds, and insects, or spirits of them. From the 

 trees they come to the land : — 



Pupus Petara puchok Icaiyu, 

 Nclali Petara tengali tanali. 



Having finished the Petaras of the tree-tops, 

 We mention the Petaras in the midst of the earth. 



In this connection, many more Petaras are recounted. 



But the Besant tells something more than the number and 

 names of gods. The whole function consists of two celebrations, 

 the second of which takes place at an interval of a year, and 

 sometimes more, after the first. In the first part, the Petaras 

 are " brought " to some point in the firmament, or it may be, to 

 some neighbouring hill, from which they see the child. In the 

 second, they are " brought " to the house where the ceremony is 

 being performed, in order to leave there the magic virtue of their 

 presence. A large part of the incantation is the same in both ; and 

 at a certain part of the second the Petaras are represented as 

 saying :— 



" Before we have looked down, 



" Now a company of men are inviting us to the feast." 



And in compliance with the invitation, they prepare for the jour- 

 ney earthwards. The female Petaras are described, at great 



