381
to avoid all needless mention of the burōng within hearing of the patient, while all the precautions mentioned above are taken to guard against its approach.
Vows to the burōng.Should the burōng have entered into the woman ("ka tamòng burōng"), a man who is acquainted with the proper incantations is called in; on the dangerous days this is done in any case as a measure of prevention. Sometimes the mother of the sick woman makes a vow to visit the tomb of the evil spirit in case of her daughter's recovery. She promises "to go and fulfil her vow at the tomb of her grandmother," (jaʾ peulheuëh kaʾōy baʾ jeurat nèʾ), thus euphemistically describing the ill-omened burōng.
Such a vow is performed in the company of a large party of friends after the 44th day. Goats or fowls are killed as the occasion may require, and a feast is given. Flowers[1] are also offered at the tomb, together with a piece of white cloth to serve as a covering[2] for one of the tombstones. At the same time a piece of one of the white coverings already surrounding the tombstone is brought away, and strips of this are worn as charms round the neck and wrists of the mother and child, until they wear out.
The circumstance that these spirits which torment women in childbirth have definite names, and especially the fact that they have tombs which are revered in the same manner as those of departed saints is peculiar to Acheh, at least in contradistinction to Java.
During this first critical period of ten days there must always be a lamp burning by the patient's side, and some one must keep watch beside her. To facilitate this task the women from the neighbourhood come in off and on at night.[3] Where the company is numerous they often while away the time by reciting popular stories (hikayat).
When the burōng reveals itself these women of course evince much sympathy, which they express chiefly by conversing through the medium of the patient with the invisible being.
"Who art thou?" they ask for example. "That shall I not tell."—"Wherefore comest thou hither?"—"I am taking a walk."—"What
