Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 13, 1902.djvu/206

 190 Collectanea.

Attached to it was a magical arrangement of figures, as follows :

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

II

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

10

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

19

20

31

32

33

34

35

36

28

29

30

41

42

43

44

45

37

38

39

40

51

52

1 53

54

46

47

48

49

50

61

62

63

55

56

57

58

59

60

71 72 64 65 66

67

68 69

70

81 73 ■ 74 ! 75

76

77

78 79

80

36

36 36

36

This is one of the magic squares which are so commonly used in Eastern charms. Many examples of such squares will be found in Herklots, Qanoon-e'Islam, but none, I think, quite like this. Almost every " cunning man," or village exorciser, has a pre- scription of his own for making such things. The exorciser is usually the village Brahman, and while the charm is in operation it is advisable that he should do daily a Homa, or " fire-sacrifice," in honour of Ajay-pal and the other local deities associated with

him.

W. Crooke.