Note 5 — Chapter VI · MAGIC RITES AS AFFECTING THE LIFE OF MAN

Tanah kang: explained as an allusion to that part of the lower jaw which is beneath the tongue (mulut di-bawah lidah), the intention evidently being to allude to the “pelesit’s” coming out of its owner’s mouth. In the next line but one, tanah dengkang is similarly explained as alluding to the roof of the owner’s month, so that asking the “pelesit” to return to it is tantamount to requesting it to fly back down its owner’s throat. And thus, three lines later, it is requested to return to its “embodiment” (jinjangan). ↑