Note 113 — Chapter V · MAGIC RITES CONNECTED WITH THE SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS OF NATURE

Ular chintamani: the snake chintamani springs from the eggs of the bird chandrawasih (chendrawasi), which fall into the sea; if you find dust (abu) or a piece of sugar-cane inside a floating cocoa-nut-shell at sea, you may know it to be the snake chintamani. If, on the other hand, the eggs fall into primeval forest, they turn into the doves called merbo’ titek abu, if upon a hill, they turn into the doves called merbo’ api. Sometimes, however, even after falling, they take the shape of bananas, sugar-cane, or hen’s eggs; and that is why sugar-cane, hen’s eggs, and bananas are used when the “Soul of the Rice” is fetched home. ↑