Page 13 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - October 2015

The Casting Out of Evil
THE CASTING OUT OF
EVIL
Rituals aimed at eradicating evil spirits
are traditional in many cultures – and
are still practiced all over the world.
Exorcism is the traditional way of trying to rid
someone of an unwelcome spirit or other being.
An exorcist addresses the possessing spirit,
ordering and persuading the demon to leave.
Exorcisms are generally held at holy places nut
may take place at a victim’s house.
The physical characteristics of the possessed
may improve markedly after exorcism rituals.
In 1865 two possessed young boys in Alsace
suffered physical contortions. They entangled
their legs and bent backwards with their bodies
arched. Often they became bloated as if about to
burst. Yellow foam, feathers, and seaweed were
said to come out of their mouths. The demonic
possession lasted four years before the boys
were apparently freed by exorcism rites.
Sometimes rituals have no effect on the
symptoms. One recent example involved
Annaliese Michel, a young student in Germany.
In 1972 she showed signs of abnormal behavior,
including violent rages and screaming.
Although her symptoms were suggestive of
mental illness, she did not consult a doctor. Her goes to a victim’s house, sucks out their soul,
priest believed she was possessed by demons,
and exorcism rituals began. Annaliese died in
1976 from malnutrition and dehydration. Her
parents and two exorcists were charged with
negligent homicide for not seeking
conventional medical help.
The case of Annaliese is a reminder that calls the victim’s name, and passes the bottle
some symptoms interpreted as possession may
be linked to much more conventional medical
conditions. For example, during a conventional
seizure, someone with epilepsy may become
rigid, foam at the mouth, and show very rapid
back-and-forth head movements.
Hysteria also shows symptoms that
might be interpreted as possession. A hysterical
person may entangle and disentangle his or her
legs, and bend his or her body into a semicircle. the sorcerer reaches the corpse in time, the dead
This “hysterical arch” is frequently cited as a
typical symptom of possession.
Devi-dancing
In the south of Sri Lanka, devil-dancing is the
traditional way of casting out evil spirits. The
ceremony for dealing with demons of disease is
called sanni yakuma. It begins at dusk and ends
at dawn the next day. The patient lies on a mat,
overlooking the ritual.
At the start of the exorcism, demons are Samedi. Three lighted candles are then placed at
invited to appear. There are chants, beating of
drums, and frantic masked dancing. The chief
exorcist dresses as the chief of demons so that
he can command other demons. Addressing
each demon by name, the exorcist talks first in
endearing terms, then implores, and finally
threatens the demon. Eventually a demon may
leave the sick person, after being bribed by
offering of food. []
The ‘X’ Zone Radio Show
with Rob McConnell
LIVE M - F, 8 pm - Midnight
www.xzbn.net
ZOMBIES – THE
WALKING DEAD
A zombie is a soulless corpse that is
raised from the grave and given a half-
life by a sorcerer with voodoo powers.
Without any willpower or intelligence,
the dazed creature blindly obeys the
sorcerer’s every command
Voodoo is a religious cult involving magical
rites and trance-invoked communication with
ancestral spirits. Voodoo beliefs originated in
African slaves and were carried to the
Caribbean by African slaves. In Haiti, where the
voodoo tradition is strong, many people still
delight in their supernatural folklore, and tales
of zombies are related with considerable relish.
Practitioners of voodoo attempt to sell
souls to the devil in return for favours. To obtain
a soul a voodoo sorcerer, known as a hougan,
and traps it in a corked bottle. Without a soul,
the victim soon falls ill and dies.
In order to turn the corpse into a zombie
the sorcerer must return to the body as soon as
possible, while it is still fresh. At midnight on
the burial day, the sorcerer opens the grave,
containing the soul under the corpse’s nose.
Going to the grave
Families keep watch over new grave to prevent
sorcerers from opening them. A body is often
placed face-down in its grave with its mouth full
of earth, so it cannot answer if the sorcerer
summons it. Sometimes heavy stone slabs are
placed on graves to deter the sorcerers. But fi
person becomes reanimated and is led from its
place of rest as a zombie. The sorcerer then has
a new soul to sell and a zombie slave to do his
bidding.
According to popular legend, Zombies
are also used for the purpose of fortune-telling.
To this end sorcerers perform dark rituals in
remote cemeteries. They erect a crude wooden
cross at the foot of a grave. The cross is draped
with a frock coat and crowned by a silk top hat
to create an effigy of the god of the dead, Baron
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the foot of the cross and the effigy is showered
with acacia, balsam, and assorted herbs, while a
sorcerer intones, “Dormi pa’fume, Baron
Samedi” (sleep sweetly, Baron Samedi). The
chosen body is then dug up and interrogated as
to the location of a hidden stash of money or
questioned regarding the future.
Zombies can only be released if given
salt, either dissolved in water or mixed with
food. Consumption of this “magic” ingredient
allows a zombie to escape its tormented state of
“living death” and eventually return to the peace
of its grave. []
MYTHOLOGY
TRIVIA
Name the nine daughters of Zeus and
Mnemosyne---the nine Muses of Greek
mythology?
A: Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe,
Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpischore, Thalia,
and Urania.
What mythological beast has the head of a man,
the body of a lion, and the tail and feet of a
dragon?
A: A manticore.
The diet of what mythical monster periodically
included seven youths and seven maidens?
A: The Minotaur's.
In Greek mythology, who was the goddess of the
rainbow?
A: Iris.
In ancient Athens, what tree was considered
sacred -- with all its fruit belonging to the state,
and death the penalty for anyone caught cutting
one down?
A: The olive tree.
What legendary fire-breathing female monster
had a lion's head, a goat's body and a dragon's tail?
A: The Chimera.
What famous structure in Greek mythology was
built by a man named Epeius?
A: The Trojan Horse. According to the
legend, Epeius was a skilled woodworker
commissioned by Odysseus to build the huge gift
horse.