CHAPTER XVIII

THE POWER OF WORDS IN MAGIC—SOME LINGUISTIC DATA
I
THE aim of this Chapter is to show by a linguistic analysis of two magical texts, and by a general survey of a greater number, what sort of words are believed to exercise magical power. This, of course, does not mean that we are under the delusion that the composers or inventers of magic had a theory about the efficiency of words, and carried this theory into practice by inventing the formula. But, as the moral ideas and rules prevalent in society, though not codified, can be found out by analysing human behaviour; as we reach the underlying principles of law and social propriety by examining customs and manners; as in the study of rites, we see some definite tenets of belief and dogmas—so, in analysing the direct verbal expressions of certain modes of thinking in the magical formule, we are justified in assuming that these modes of thinking must have somehow guided those who shaped them. The exact manner in which we must imagine the relation between a typical way of thinking in a society on the one hand, and the fixed, crystallised results of this thinking on the other, is a problem of Social Psychology. For this branch of science we are, in ethnography, under the obligation of gathering material, but we need not encroach upon its field of study.
Thus much may, however, be put down, that, in whatever manner we might imagine a spell to have come into existence, it cannot be considered as the creation of one man; for as has been said before, if we examine any one of them, not with the eyes of the natives, but as outside critics, each spell shows unmistakable signs of being a collection of linguistic additions from different epochs. There is in practically every one of
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WORDS IN MAGIC 429
them a good deal of archaic material, but not a single one bears the stamp of having come down to us in the same form in which it must have presented itself a few generations ago. So that it may be said that a spell is constantly being remoulded as it passes through the chain of magicians, each probably leaving his mark, however small, uponit. It is the general attitude in matters of magical belief common to all of the successive holders which will be at the bottom of all the regularities, all the typical features found in the spells.
I shall adduce a formula of canoe magic and one of the spells belonging to the mwasila, choosing two texts of which a trans- lation and a commentary of average quality have been obtained, and which show clearly the several characteristic features of verbal magic. Those who are not interested in linguistic technicalities and details of method, may omit the following division, and take up the trend of our argument at division XII.
II
The following text is the wayugo spell, obtained from Layseta, the headman of Kopila, one of the sub-villages of Sinaketa. The commentary was obtained from himself, and from another informant, Motago’i, a man of exceptional intelli- gence, and a very straightforward and a reliable informant. This spell has been given in free translation before in Chapter VI, and, as has been said there, the rite consists simply in chanting the words over five coils of the wayugo creeeper put on a wooden platter between two mats.
WAYUGO SPELL A. U’ULA (INITIAL Part)
I Kala bosisi’ ula, kala bomwalela.
I His ritual eating of fish, his tabooed inside.
2 Papapa, silubida, monagakalava.
2 Flutter, betel plant, leaving behind.
3 Tubugu Kalabotawosi, Tubugu Kwaysa’t,
3 Grandfather Kalabotawosi, grandfather Kwaysa’i, Tubugu Pulupolu, Tubugu Semkuku,
grandfather Pulupolu, grandfather Semkuku,
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an fA Ww
no
ma NN
Neko)
Io Io
II II
WORDS IN MAGIC
Tubugu Kabatuwayaga, Tubugu Ugwaboda, grandfather Kabatuwayaga, grandfather Ugwaboda, Tubugu Kitava, Bulumava’u Nawabudoga, grandfather Kitava, new spirit Nawabudoga,
kaykapwapu Mogilawota. immediate predecessor Mogilawota.
Kusilase ontkota, bukwa’u’t kambu’a. You sit on canoe slips, you chew your areca-nut.
Kwawoyse bisalena Kaykudayurt
You take his pandanusstreamer (of) Kaykudayuri
Kusaylase odabana Teula
you place (it) on top (of) Teula. Basivila, basivilake’t Kitava miTo’uru,
I might turn, I might turn on Kitava your Touru, mimilaveta Pilolu.
your sea-arm -Pilolu.
Nagayne istpukayse girina Kaykudayurt.
To-day they kindle festive fire (of) Kaykudayuri.
Kumwam dabem Siyaygana, Thou bind together thy skirt Siyaygana,
bukuyova, thou fly.
Bakabima kaykabila, bakipatuma I might clutch the adze handle, I might grip yogwayogula the component sticks.
Baterera odabana Kuyawa. I might fly on top (of) Kuyawa.
B. Tapwana (MAIN Part)
Odabana Kuyawa, odabana Kuyawa On top (of) Kuyawa, on top (of) Kuyawa ms (repeated several times) © bayokokoba odabana Kuyawa ; I might become like smoke on top (of) Kuyawa ; bayowaysulu odabana Kuyawa ; I might become invisible on top (of) Kuyawa ; bayovivilu’a, etc. ; I might become as a wind eddy, etc. ;
?
II
12
13
14 14
15 15
16 16
17 a7,
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bayomwaleta, etc. ; bayokarige, etc. ; I might become alone, etc. ; I might become as dead, etc. ; bayotamwa’u, etc; . bayogugwa’u, etc. ;
I might disappear, etc.; I might become like mist, etc. ;
The verses 9, 10 and 11 are repeated, substituting Dikutuva for Kuyawa.
The verses 9, 10 and 11 are repeated, substituting La’u for Kuyawa. After this, the w’ula is repeated, and then a secondary tapwana follows.
Bakalatatava, bakalatatava Gras I might heel over, I might heel over . . .
. ’
(repeated several times) ula sibu bakalatatava ; ulo koumwalr my keel I might heel over ; my canoe gunwale
bakalatatava ; ult sirota, etc. ; I might heel over ; my canoe bottom, etc. ; ulo katukulu, etc.; lo gelu, etc. ; ulo kaysuya, etc. ; my prow, etc. ; my rib, etc. ; my threading stick, etc. ; ult tabuyo, etc. ; ult lagim, etc. ; my prowboard, etc. ; my transverse board, etc. ;
ulo kawaydala, etc. my canoe side, etc.
The w’ula is repeated again and the spell is closed by the dogina (concluding part).