Before entering upon a description of one of these rituals, which may serve as an example of this division of the religious literature of Babylonia, there is one feature connected with them that yet remains to be considered. Correlative to the belief in the power of the priest to exorcize the evil demons, we find among the Babylonians the belief in the power of certain individuals over the demons, with a view to bringing individuals under their influence ; and, as among other nations, this power was more commonly ascribed to women than to men, though we find the belief in sorcerers
revalent as well as the belief in witches. The
ividing line between the demons and spirits on the one hand and the witches and sorcerers on the other becomes at times faint; so that it would appear that the latter were also regarded as demons, and not merely as those who had control over them. Still, in general, it is possible to keep the two classes apart, except that, in course of time, the view which supposes the demons to be working at the instigation of the witches and sorcerers rather than independently becomes more marked. Jn the rituals themselves, however, both phases of the belief in question are found, now the one, now the other being more prominent ; and, similarly, in the appeals to the gods, the petitioner sometimes asks relief from those who have be- witched him, as well as from the demons who have independently brought him into their power. Of the two phases, it is more natural to give the
preference in point of primitiveness to the inde- pendent power of the demons, who, being natur- ally hostile to man, would feel prompted to make their attack whenever the opportunity offered. The strange and weird impression made by individuals of deformed stature, like dwarfs, or with unusual features, unusually large or unusually small eyes, or otherwise presenting a grotesque appearance, would prompt the conclusion that such persons pos- sessed unusual powers and were capable of working mischief. Evil being associated with demons, it was a logical conclusion that these strange indi- viduals were in league with the demons, or were actually evil spirits that had assumed human shape. Consistency in anything connected with popular beliefs is never to be expected, and hence we find in the rituals a constant vacillation be- tween the attributing of accidents, misfortunes, and disease to the direct activity of witches and sorcerers, and the tracing back of the ills to which human flesh is heir, to the demons acting inde- pendently or at the instigation of certain indivi- duals who exercised a direct or indirect control over them. In this respect, therefore, the in- cantation texts likewise betray their composite character; and, corresponding to the older and later components in the formulas prescribed for the various cases involved, we have the mixture of exorcizing rites aimed at witches and sorcerers, with such as are clearly employed against the demons and evil spirits directly.
The symbolical rites prescribed in connexion with the recital of the formulas, to which we have already referred, similarly presuppose both phases of demonic possession ; but some are more appli- cable to witches and sorcerers than to the demons. Thus a very common practice prescribed in the texts was to make an image of the witch or sorcerer of wax, honey, clay, pitch, or of metal, and to burn such images, while pronouncing the sacred formulas. As the image was thus being consumed, the witch or sorcerer was supposed to suffer the tortures of the fire, and to be gradually annihilated. Instead of burning the image, the plan was sometimes to throw it into the water, or to bury it in the ground ; and the symbolical rite being supposed to have an effect on the witch, her evil influence was thus disposed of. Again, one of the favourite means resorted to by a witch in order to secure a hold on her victim was the tying of knots—each fresh knot thus tied, to the accompaniment of a powerful formula, represent- ing symbolically the binding of the unfortunate victim. Hence the exorcizing priest would, by a Species of ‘sympathetic magic,’ endeavour to undo the evil by taking a knotted rope and untying the knots one by one, pronouncing at the same time the counter formulas, and in this way seek to bring about the relief of the sufferer. But images of the demons were also made, and similar ceremonies gone through with them; so that, in connexion with the rites likewise, the dividing line between demons and witches is not always kept in view.
Taking up now a series known as the ‘ Maklu,’ * a brief analysis will show the method followed in the grouping of the formulas. It deals almost exclusively with methods for ridding oneself of the influence of witches and sorcerers, and derives its name, ‘Burning,’ from the prominent part played by the symbolical burning of the images of the witches. The opening incantation is an appeal of a general character to the gods, put into the mouth of the aftlicted individual—
‘Arise, ye great gods, hear my complaint ; Grant me justice, take cognizance of my condition.’
* Published by Tallqvist, Die Assyrische Beschworungsserie Maglt (Leipzig, 1895).
RELIGION OF BABYLONIA
RELIGION OF BABYLONIA 553
Not knowing whether the bewitchment is due to a sorcerer or a sorceress, the victim has made an image of each, and then, referring more particu- larly to the witch, he exclaims—