42 



THE DEMONS 



outside the outermost curtain, with the woman opposite to him. 

 After the offerings of money, betel leaves, and silver ornaments* 

 have been devoutly and ceremoniously laid in a sort of small box op- 

 posite to the Capua, he tells the god as if he were actually sitting 

 behind the curtain at the time in a loud and conversational tone, and 

 not in the singing ornamental style of invocations made to other gods 

 and demons, that the woman {naming her) has come all the way 

 from the village {naming it) situated in the Corle or district {nam- 

 ing it) to this temple, for the purpose of complaining to his godship 

 of a certain demon or demons, who have been afflicting her for the 

 last live years (specifying the time she has been under the influ- 

 ence ); that she has made certain offerings to the temple, and that 

 she prays most humbly that his godship may be graciously pleased 

 to exorcise the demon, and order him never to molest her again. 

 In this way he makes a long speech, during which the woman con- 

 tinues trembling and shaking in the most violent manner, some- 

 times uttering loud shouts. Presently the Capua puts to her the 

 question, " Wilt thou, demon, quit this woman instantly, or shall 

 I punish thee jor thy impudence"? To this she sometimes re- 

 plies, still trembling and shaking as before, " Yes, I will leave 

 her for ever" but, more generally, she at first refuses; when this 

 happens, the Capua grasps in his right hand a good stout cane, 

 and beats her most mercilessly, repeating at the same time his 

 question and threats. At last, after many blows have been in- 

 flicted, the woman replies " Yes, I will leave her this instant 

 she then ceases to tremble and shake, and soon recovers her reason, 

 if indeed she had ever lost it. So she and her friends return home, 

 congratulating themselves on the happy result of their journey; a 



* One of fiese ornaments is often a Carandua, or conical box resembling a 

 dagoba, made of silver, and intended as a sort of shrine or receptacle for some 

 holy relic. A silver arrowhead and an image, made of a beaten plate of silver 

 of about two inches in height, intended to represent the person suffering from 

 the Demon iufluence, are also sometimes added to the other offerings. The 

 money offered to a god or demon is always called Panduru, which means 

 ransom money. 



