The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1883-08-11
INDIAN wITCHCRAT.

4ucto 70 eSoAOCAy oAy oSo u OOune.y
in which superstitious belief in witch
craft has not had a powerful hold on
the minds Of the people. In Europe,
till about the end Of the last century,
the possession of magical powers and
the practice Of the black art were i'm
plicitly believed in, and the minds of
learned divines greatly exercised to
prove, by the aid Of revelation, that the
practice of sorcery was hateful to God
and man. Stringent laws were there
fore framed for its suppression, and the
ecclesiastical authorities pursued with
unrelenting vigor their self-imposed
task of Furnishing and extirpating those
who were believed to have dealings
with the Evil One. It need not, there
fore, be wondered that amongst large
portion Of the inhabitants of India,
witchcraft in various guises exercises
vast and potent influence. The relig-
ion Of the Hindus would naturally in
duce those who profess it to give ere
dence to all kinds of marvels; but it
will be found that even the followers
of the Mohammedan creed are very
nearly as much disposed to pin their
faith upon the grossest follies, and to
adopt every idle invention which
springs from the fears or the craft Of
their associates.
The followers of these religions need
not 60 farther for their justification
than their own scriptures. The vedss
cnjoin special reverence for the Brah-
minical soothsayers, whose nsuntras or
incantations are declared as having ter
rible effects; while the Koran. in its
twenty-first and twenty-seventh chap
tiers, dilates upon the magic excellence
of solomon and the power he possessed
over all created things. even the ele-
ments; and the thirteenth chapter
said to have been revealed to the
Prophet of Islam on the occasion Of his
having been bewitched by the daughters
of . JEWS still devoutly used ~ .
charm against evil spirits and the spells
of witches and sorcerers- The belief
of Mohammedans in good and evil spir-
its who may be compelled to perform
the bidding Of mortal Is not only
manifested In their tales and legends,
but forms also . subject Of grave re-
cord, and is mixed up with their relig-
ious creed. While, ON the other hand,
they are taught to believe that there
exist good angels who ever attend upon
. man, and ever prompt him to do his
duty to God and his fellow-creatures;
on the other hand, they are warned
against evil spirits, who, with deadly
malignity, pursue their every step and
lead them into misery.
These spirits or genii constantly re-
side in the lowest Of the seven firma-
ments, and are able to render them
selves visible 1T pleasure to the human
inhabitants Of the earth. They are Of
various denominations, some good and
some evil; some very powerful and lux
urious, and others reduced to such .
low estate as to be compelled to live
upon bones and air. And though these
spirits are represented rs supe-
rior to the human race in wis
dom and power, it is commonly
believed to be possible for mortals TO
become allies Of these intelligences, to
partake their powers and to assist their
evil designs. Even further, the Hindu
fakirs and sages, by the practice Of
austerities and self-torture, are credited
with having attained such q degree of
sanctity and power that they could con-
troll supernatural beings. 1t is no un-
common thing at the present day for .
person to resort to fakir and obtain
from him charm for the purpose of
removing an illness, rs safeguard
against accidents, or for the purpose OF
avoiding IN impending disaster, or it
may De with the view OF causing some
eva 70 happen TO any one with whom
nc may Dc on unIriendiy terms;
inere Are in Indla progressed heart
s.sIIs a1u ;na ssSsssas, wno cy tnelf
sPeis sna lncsn1suons pretend 70 steal
away ana oevour sness vital organs
snsreny .eosclng me iucxless irolvld-
uals mus ~ rssscAeu 20 me greatest ex-
sre h i. ala sbis 70 "ommn rsScsts