DEMONISM AMONG MAORIS

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160723, 9 August 1920, Page 9

DEMONISM AMONG MAORIS

exorcising op evil spirits. In the current issue of the Waiapu nnurcli Gazette some remarkable instances arc given of demon possession amongst Maoris. The writers, the Revs Arthur I-, V tlhams and 11.. P. jffunro state that they know of two New Zealand bishops and a doctor who believe that demon possession .is a fact in this twentieth century, and they proceed to give personal experiences, one of which may be quoted: A Maori woman of 40 years of ago was brought to us by her husband to see if anything could be done for her. We were to!d at the time, that she had l>ceu afflicted ever since she was a. very little child Later on we were told that she had been treated by a Maori again and again. At times she would be seized by some uncontrollable power, and driven to the bush or anywhere away rrom her home. .Site was considered to be not porangi” (mad), but “pohauhau” (confused or silly). At times she would get up in their meetings and “prophesy" under the control of some .spirit. in April, 1919, wo were told that she was expressly brought to sec us to see if we could diagnose her case, and cast out the evil spirits that were believed to be in possession.

As soon as we began to question her as to what her trouble was she was nni: allowed to speak and wont off into a trance with her eyes only slightly open and the whole look of her face champed. *

When the question was asked, “In the name of Jesus Christ, who are von?" the lips opened and said “Uri ' ‘.Nakalii," which means literally “offspring of the serpent.” These were commanded in the name of Jesus to come out of her, and we saw a forthcoming of eight or nine. She thou returned to consciousness, and was thought to be cured, for at the time we know noticing of her real condition, and wc had forgotten to ask how many there were in possession. AN* ENGLISH-SPEAKING' DEMON. A day or two later she came again by herself about something that was troubling her,, and at once went into a trance. This time it was an English voice that spoke, and it began to give us (as we thought) some useful information on a matter that was puzzling us in the village. She then returned to consciousness, and, as we found later, seemed to have no recollection of what had taken place. At tire time, her own personality and consciousness were entirely suppressed bv another personality, which spoke good English all the time. On the last day at this place we decided to go and sec her in her own home, for that personality had not been deals with.

As soon as certain questions were put to she she went into a trance, and wo found there were still several other spirits in possession—speaking Maori—who, when hidden in the name of Jesus, gave ns their names one by one—names of evil spirits, and names known to the local native clergymen, but not to ns—and these, when exorcised, came forth also.

Last of all the English-speaking' demon manifested itself, and with a devilish laugh at first refused point-blank to come out.

Anyone who heard that laugh, and the torrent of good English that, for over half an hour, poured from the lips ox that Maori woman, surely would be compelled against himself to believe in possession by evil spirits. 'the woman can only speak very little, and very broken English ; and the ,speaker refused to “come out.”

But it could not withstand Scripture, and very soon it said quite meekly, “ Ves, I will come out, but 1 have something to tell you first.” Then it tried all kinds of devices to remain in possession, by pleading and by threatening. It wanted io be allowed to enter a little child afflicted with fits resembling epilepsy. This being refused, it proceeded to utter threats to “break her jaw” in coming out, to “twist her nock,” and to “break her body"; and finally flung her body into space, bending it backwards as if to break her back. It was AN UNCANNY EXPEETENCE, and we, being novices, were frightened as to what might happen ; and it took three strong men to hold her, until suddenly she collapsed in a state, of utter weakness on to the conch where she had been sitting. She seemed quite cured for several days after this, and the husband on being asked what he thought, replied; “All I can say is that it is a veritable miracle.” However, the end was not yet, for several days later she followed us to another place, and at once this Englishspeaking demon revealed its presence again. In told us (in English) that she did not wish it to leave her, and then a very strange thing happened. Her own soft Maori voice said (in Maori), “It is true; for it has been very good to me.” She was told (in Maori) she must help u$ and bid it go. The demon was then forbidden, in the name of Jesus Christ, to speak again, and Ws commanded to come out at once, to go to its own place, and never return to her again or to anyone else. Her body was again flung out of the deck chair iu which she was sitting, into the middle of the room, with only her heels touching the floor, and suspended thus without any visible support at a very acute angle backwards for about a minute; then she sank backwards limp and almost lifeless.