Occasionally

the soul leaves the body too quickly, and wizards have to pursue it, and will bring it back if it has not fallen into Nyamat. If it is recovered the body revives, and the wizard is rewarded—such is their priestly legend. We see that the Austral i ans fear the return of the dead from the way in which they swathe the corpse in gra es, and bury it deep in graves which they first purify by burning fires in them, and then stamp down the earth above the dead, and build a hut over the grave, All departed spirits are invoked and worshiped by the family in times of danger, or when they are frightened by appearances in the sky: ‘they swing the hand towards the dead and shout ‘send it away.’” Ghosts, they believe, reside in high places, especially on certain high gloomy trees, just as is believed by the forest races of Barmah, Siam, or the Shan States. The Austral i ans climb up the trees near which a Muring tribesman is buried, to ask the spirits about death. They say they can communicate with the ghosts when asleep, and that Gomeras, or wizards, can do so even when awake: these also can detect spirits lurking about, and can find out from them the cause of death. The Gomeras thus po e enormous power, which they use remorsele ly against all who doubt or thwart them. They pretend also to communicate with the Celestials—the Brewin of the Kurnai, or the Thara-milan of the Murings. The Arunta tribes of Central Australia believe that they sprang from sacred stones, or Churinyas (evidently lingams) which they religiously preserve. These are “oval or elongated objects, carved with incised zigzag lines, circles, or segments thereof, such as we see also on their totems.” Their ancestors are held “to exist in the Churinyas as spirit-children,” and if the Churinya is lost a new one must be made of hard mulga wood. These beliefs, and certain secret rites, are connected with sexual matters (see Journal Anthrop. Instit., August 1897). The Bora rites are said to have been prescribed by deity (Thar a milan), for the initiation of youths into the duties of the full-grown man (Mathews): no females or children may attend or be informed about them: it suffices that they should know that there is a great sky-god who dwells in Puri-wilpamua, or the “vast hole.” [So also the Molimo or ‘‘ god” of Bechuana tribes, in S. Africa, is described as dwelling in “the great hole in the north.”—Ep.] By them he is only known as Papang or “father.” His real name is so sacred that it may only be whispered even by holy men—being Thara-miulan or Bunjil—while others call him only “He,” or “The Man,” or use a gesture signifying deity. So too Hebrews dreaded “the name”; and Kelts even now speak of the spirit of wood or field as the “ good-man of the croft.” The pious Australian leads his son, after initiation, out of the sacred circle into the bush, and pointing to a star says reverently: “ Now you can kill all kinds of animals, but remember He can see all that you do down here.” Among the Kurnai natives women seem however to be initiated as regards the great spirit Brewin—a very malignant god who travels in the whirlwind. He is the Kichi of the Dieri tribes, a spirit who inspires wizards, and who may be seen especially in the hot weather, travelling over the plain as a column of dust—the Shaitan or devil of Arabs and Indians. 234