ABORS AND GALONGS. 73 



When attempting to discover the wishes of the spirits responsible for the illness 

 it seems that a kind of religious auction takes place. The first oblation may in all 

 probability be a fowl and, if this has no effect, the more expensive goat, pig and, in 

 the case of a wealthy invalid, a mithan would be successively sacrificed to the rapa- 

 cious and unrelenting spirit. Before the sacrifice is actually made, the mirii sets up an 

 image in the supposed likeness of Yule. Tiiis image is about 3 feet 9 inches in 

 height and is made of leaves on a bamboo framework; it is given a cane helmet and 

 leaves are arranged on the idol to represent clothing. The sacrifice is afterwards 

 eaten by the mirii and all concerned in the ceremony. 



The two prominent features of the ritual associated with sickness are the taking 



of omens and the various semi-religious dances that are 



Divination. 



performed. These can be more conveniently examined 

 before the death ceremonies and customs are described. 



The simplest form of divination, 1 by the 36 stones, is known and practised by 

 almost everyone. It is appealed to before hunting expeditions and also in cases of 



X ta s ur 



\ tabo 



m 



circle of split 

 bamboos fimbri- 

 ated. 



v * the sacrifice. 



slight sickness, without, however, being looked upon as infallible. This, and the 

 thought-reading method followed by the Galong mirii in cases of sickness, have 

 already been described. 



Another form of divination resorted to by the Galongs is as follows : the mirii 

 takes an egg in his hand and says to the spirit, "If you desire a pig in sacrifice" 

 (or a fowl or mithan as the case may be) (C let there be a sign in the egg." The 

 credulity of a primitive race seeks after a sign that the mirii professes to discover in 

 the yoke ; or the mirii may put a boiled egg into his mouth, chew it up and swallow 

 it, the omen being found in the odd or even number of small fragments of egg left in 

 his mouth. A third augury is taken by killing a fowl and drawing deductions from 

 the white or red colour of its liver. This is known to be a method of war-divination 

 amongst the Daflas, 



As invocation was made to the spirits whilst the differeut hill dances that have 

 Dancin been observed were in progress (being indeed conducted 



by the miriis themselves), all the dances may be con- 

 sidered to be religious or semi-religious in character. 



1 p. 46. 



