After the women had come home with their new knowledge their husbands gradually recovered their senses and bethought them of their appointment with Marang Buru.  So they hurried off to the meeting place and asked him to teach them what he had promised.  “Why, I taught it all to you this morning,” answered Marang Buru, “what do you mean by coming to me again?” The men could not understand what he meant and protested that they had not been to him at all in the morning.  “Then you must have told your wives what I was going to do!” This they could not deny:  “I see,” said Marang Buru “then they must have played a trick on you and learnt the mantras in your place,” At this the men began to lament and begged that they might be taught also:  but Marang Buru said that this was impossible; he could only teach them a very little; their wives had reaped the crop and they could only have the gleanings; so saying, he taught them the art of the ojha and in order that they might have the advantage of their wives in one respect and be able to overawe them he also taught them the craft of the jan and with that they had to be content.  This is why only women are witches.

CLXXVI.  Initiation into Witchcraft.

When girls are initiated into witchcraft they are taken away by force and made to lead tigers about.  This makes them fearless.  They are then taken to all the most powerful bongas in succession; and are taught to invoke them, as school boys are taught lessons, and to become possessed (rum).  They are also taught mantras and songs and by degrees they cease to be afraid.  The novice is made to come out of the house with a lamp in her hand and a broom tied round her waist; she is then conducted to the great bongas one of whom approves of her and when all have agreed she is married to that bonga.  The bonga pays the usual brideprice and applies sindur to her forehead.  After this she can also marry a man in the usual way and he also pays the bride price.  When a girl has learnt everything she is made to take her degree (sid atang) by taking out a man’s liver and cooking it with rice in a new pot; then she and the young woman who is initiating her, eat the feast together; a woman who has once eaten such a stew is completely proficient and can never forget what she has learnt.

This is the way in which girls learn witchcraft; and if any girl refuses to take the final step and will not eat men she is caused to go mad or die.  Those however who have once eaten men have a craving for it.

Generally it is only women who are witches; but there are men who have learnt witchcraft and there are others who without being initiated have kept company with witches.  For instance in Simra village there is Chortha who was once a servant of the Parganna.  He says that the Parganna’s wife used to take him out with her at night.  The women used to sacrifice fowls and goats and make him skin them and cut them up:  he had then to roast cakes of the flesh and give them to the Parganna’s wife who distributed them among the other women.