Page:Love Philtre (Giles, 1938).pdf/2

26 nine twisted threads of cotton, a piece of bees-wax of the weight of one baht, as well as some consecrated water and grains of rice which have been subjected to magical incantations. Implements for digging up the corpse are also taken.

Before commencing the work of exhuming the corpse, it is necessary to place the consecrated thread round the area of the grave, and the eight pieces of cloth inscribed with talismanic figures have to be placed one at each of the eight cardinal points of the compass. The doctor sits within this magic circle, and, placing himself in a spiritual trance, invokes the spirit of the dead person to come forth. The spirit, on thus being conjured up, comes out of the grave, standing before the doctor, in many cases having the height of a palm tree. The doctor, uttering certain incantations, exorcises the spirit that it may become reduced in size by throwing charmed grains of rice at the apparition. The spirit gradually loses its great stature, shrinks, and eventually sits before the doctor with bowed head. The spirit being now of normal size raises its arms and embraces the doctor. While the spirit sits in this posture, embracing the doctor, the latter lights the Candle of Victory and applies it to the forehead of the corpse in order to obtain the humours of the brain. Should, however, a sufficient quantity, be not obtained, then the doctor applies the candle to the chin until the vessel is filled.

Having obtained a sufficient quantity of the oil secretions of the dead body, the doctor applies the Candle of Victory to the elbows of the corpse, which gradually loosens, its hold and disappears of its own volition.

Another method adopted for obtaining the fluid matter from a corpse is as follows:— The earth of the grave covering the upper portion of the corpse is removed so as to be able to undo the funeral wrappings that the corpse may rise to a sitting posture. A post is driven into the earth, to which the corpse while in this position is tied. The doctor then proceeds to drain off the liquid from the forehead or chin by applying a lighted candle. Should the corpse have a wax mask on its face, this must be taken off. A wax mask is very generally placed on the face of a corpse. If the spirit is a very powerful one, it will attempt to prevent the doctor from finding the head of the corpse. Wherever the doctor my dig, he meets or finds the feet of the corpse. In such cases it is necessary to dig out the whole corpse, but even then the spirit will fight to prevent the doctor