WITCHES AND SPIRITS

Taranaki Daily News, 15 July 1933, Page 14 (Supplement)

WITCHES AND SPIRITS

SORCERY AT PAPUA. 7 FORM OF BLACK MAGIC. The influence of sorcery in Papua is . referred to by the Lieutenant-Governor, ; Sir Hubert Murray, in his report last s year for the. Australian Government. “Sorcery,” Sir Hubert says, “continually crops up in Papuan administration.. A casual observer would hardly suspect , that there could be any close connection between the spirit world and the native armed constabulary, yet we have Armed Constable Diluwaga’s spirit making regular visits to his home in the d’Entrecasteaux Group and issuing instructions which are promptly obeyed. “There are witches on those islands. who fly to Port Moresby, about 300 miles ; ■ away, each seated on a half-coconut husk, and there exercise a malign influ- .7' ence upon those who have incurred their; i displeasure; this we have on the best possible authority—that of the witches themselves. Unfortunately for all these 7 people, the patrol officer stationed on - the d’Entrecasteaux has forbidden such escapades, and we may be sure that his order will not be disregarded. Armed Constable Diuwaga’s spirit will rest peacefully in his breast in the Port Moresby barracks and the flight of the witches will cease.

“There are probably not many white people in Papua who believe in sorcery, but to the native it is very real. .The form of black magic which is most fearedis known in Port Moresby as Vada. I cannot hope that sorcery will die out, at any rate in our time, but I think sometimes that it has weakened in some ways during the last 25 years. There seems, for instance, to be more readiness to admit that even a young'"'inan or woman may die from natural causes. “Of course,” added Sir Hubert, “the sorcerers are blamed for the influenza as for all other evil things, and there have already been retaliatory murders.* ■ ■ ’ v ;7