Page:Occult Japan - Lovell.djvu/152

136 in turn, doing the maeza's part for the preliminary purification, and the nakaza's for the possession itself. In this case the second man acts as wakiza. Ordinarily, however, when two men take part, one is the maeza and the other the nakaza from the beginning to the end. With three men, the third is wakiza. Of this kind was the possession upon Ontaké, in the case of the three devotees.

From the moment he claps his hands each begins upon a chain of finger-charms, of the effective uncouthness of which it is difficult to convey any idea in words. Their uncanny character is distinctly the most impressive thing in the function. They are called inmusubi or seal-bindings, which describes their intent, and incidentally their appearance. In form it is playing holy cat's-cradle with one's hands, but in feeling it is the most intense action imaginable. The fingers are tied into impossible knots with a vehemence which is almost maniacal; and the tying is timed to consecrated formulae that, in consequence of the performer's exaltation, take on much of the emotion of a curse.

The several twists typify all manner of