[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]

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MAGIC 687
THE SPELL
One important aspect of magic which has not been discussed
is the use of the spell. Unfortunately very few spells have been
recorded, and still fewer are capable of translation. Nevertheless,
it seems that the muttering of a special formula (for which act
the word imaau is used in Seniang), is an integral part of many
magical rites, both those which are public and those which are
carried out by private individuals. These spells often take the
form of expressing, either as a wish or as an imperative, that the
purpose for which the magic is being worked may be or shall be
attained. Thus in the neerew rite for the nikakal tuber the clan-
magician of Benaur says : “ May the nikakal bear ; may its shoots
be many 1 " ; in the mzerew rite to make war the nimbatin nowor
of Mbwilmbar says : " May war abide in this clan l " Again, i.n
Lainburnbu at the nogharv oi the clan Ran Nembew the words
â€ù the sows’ bellies swell up ! the sows, become they great, bear
they pigs!" are used, In private magic, however, the spell
often serves to direct the magical force against the intended
victim. This is, of course, only necessary where there is any
possibility of mistake. Thus if magic is being worked over the
enemy's excrement, some portion of his food or a fragment of
hair or nail, these alone serve to specify the object against whom
the rite is being performed, and no directive spell is necessary.
But where there is no inherent direction, a tonnula must be
used. For instance, in that form of Seniang love-magic, wherein
the would-be lover makes a model of a heart and then nips off a
piece of it with a violent twist, he says: “ Xi, her heart
this ; I pinch it asunder ! " (“ X—, nawmemiis Mn ztingk,
mnggims in etingk I "). The words are necessary to specify Whose
heart he wishes to aï¬Åect, since the model does not represent
that of anyone in particular. In the same way, as we have seen,
a Lambumbu sorcerer wishing to kill a man by means of mbulong-
gm ndmur, mentions the name of his enemy as he makes a teint
at him with the charmed bone. The word for a spell in this
district is nimwmwaizm, and it is said that the source of magic force
is regarded in Lambumbu as residing in the nimumwaian.
The very way in which a spell is uttered is signiï¬Åcant. When
all the necessary preparations have been made, the performer
begins to breathe deeply, until he can hold his breath tor one or