The International Library of Psychology
POSSESSION:
DEMONIACAL AND OTHER
Founded by C. K. Ogden
The International Library of Psychology
ANTHROPOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY
In 6 Volumes
I
The Primitive Mind and Modern Civilization
Aldrich
II
An Approach to the Psychology of Religion
Flower
III
Possession: Demoniacal and Other
Oesterreich
IV
Medicine, Magic and Religion
Rivers
V
Psychology and Ethnology
Rivers
VI
Psychology and Politics
Rivers
POSSESSION:
DEMONIACAL AND OTHER
Among Primitive Races, in Antiquity, the Middle Ages and Modern Times
T K OESTERREICH
First published in 1930
by Routledge
Reprinted in 1999, 2000, 2001
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
Transferred to Digital Printing 2007
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group
© 1930 T K Oesterreich, Translated by D Ibberson
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
The publishers have made every effort to contact authors/copyright holders of the works reprinted in the International Library of Psychology. This has not been possible in every case, however, and we would welcome correspondence from those individuals/companies we have been unable to trace.
These reprints are taken from original copies of each book. In many cases the condition of these originals is not perfect. The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality of these reprints, but wishes to point out that certain characteristics of the original copies will, of necessity, be apparent in reprints thereof.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Possession: Demoniacal and Other
ISBN 0415-20952-8
Anthropology and Psychology: 6 Volumes
ISBN 0415-21125-5
The International Library of Psychology: 204 Volumes
ISBN 0415-19132-7
CONTENTS
TRANSLATOR’S NOTE
FOREWORD
PART I
THE NATURE OF THE STATE OF POSSESSION
INTRODUCTION
THE CONSTANT NATURE OF POSSESSION THROUGHOUT THE AGES
CHAPTER
I. SOURCES
II. THE EXTERNAL SIGNS OF POSSESSION
Changes in the physiognomy of the possessed
Changes of voice
Muscular strength
Old descriptions
III. THE SUBJECTIVE STATE OF THE POSSESSED
i. THE SOMNAMBULISTIC FORM OF POSSESSION.
Apparent substitution of the spiritual individuality operating in the organism
Examples of dialogues with “possessing spirits,”
Autobiography of one of these
Somnambulistic possession without inner duplication
Transformation of the personality
The problem of division of the subject
ii. THE LUCID FORM OF POSSESSION.
Kerner’s and Eschenmayer’s cases
The Janet-Raymond case
Jeanne des Anges
Father Surin
Staudenmaier
Caroline St.
Fritz Algar
Montan
Possession and obsession
Temptations
Transformations of lucid possession
Jeanne des Anges
IV. THE GENESIS AND EXTINCTION OF POSSESSION. EXORCISM
Autosuggestion and compulsive processes
Fathers Surin, Tranquille, Lactance
Kerner’s cases
Causation of possession by medical treatment
Expulsion of “possessing spirits,”
The magic papyrus of Paris
The Manuale Exorcismorum
Exorcism in Japan
Cure by simple autosuggestion
A modern psychological exorcism by P. Janet
The death through possession of Lactance
Extension of the idea of exorcism
Age and sex of the possessed
Modern extensions of the idea of possession
Unconscious possession
Allied morbid states of the present day: psychasthenia
Acute hysterical attacks
History of psychic pathology
PART II
THE DISTRIBUTION OF POSSESSION AND ITS IMPORTANCE FROM THE STANDPOINT OF RELIGIOUS PSYCHOLOGY
V. SPONTANEOUS POSSESSION PROPERLY SO CALLED AMONGST PRIMITIVE RACES
Possession in Africa
Amongst the Kabyle
In Central Africa
In Abyssinia
In East Africa
Amongst the Ba-Ronga of South-East Africa
In South Africa
In Asia
Amongst the Bataks of the Malay Archipelago
VI. SPONTANEOUS POSSESSION IN THE HIGHER CIVILIZATIONS
(i.) IN THE PAST
1. Antiquity.—The region of the Tigris and Euphrates
Ancient Egypt
Hellenistic Egypt
Classical antiquity
Primitive and classical Greece
Late antiquity
Early Christian times
The Christians as exorcists
Possession amongst the Jews
The Old Testament: Saul
The time of Jesus
The last days of Judaism
Possession in Ancient India
2. The Middle Ages.—Cases from the life of St. Augustine
Bernard of Clairvaux
Henry the Saint
The Kabbala
In Syria
In Northern Africa, 186.
3. Modern times.—Luther
The epidemics of possession
The possessed and witches
Zooanthropy
The Age of Enlightenment
The romantic period
In France and England
Russia
Greece
America
(ii.) IN THE PRESENT.
(The Catholic attitude
Protestantism
Spiritualism
France
Germany
Russia
The Jews of Eastern Europe
America
The Near East
India
Siam
Burmah
China
Japan
Egypt
Arabia
Abyssinia
VII. ARTIFICIAL AND VOLUNTARY POSSESSION AMONGST PRIMITIVE PEOPLES. SO-CALLED SHAMANISM
Autosuggestibility of primitive races
Cases of death by autosuggestion
Artificial and voluntary possession amongst primitives
Masked dances
Shamanism amongst the pigmies of the Malay Peninsula
Amongst the Veddas of Ceylon
Shamanism amongst primitive races of normal stature
In Central Africa
Tripolitania
East Africa
The Malay Archipelago
The Bataks of Sumatra
Malacca
The Tonga Islands
First-hand testimony of a native
Melanesia
New Guinea
The Fiji Islands
America
The masked dances of the South American Indians
North American Indians
The semi-civilizations of ancient America
VIII. THE SHAMANISM OF THE NORTH ASIATIC PEOPLES IN ITS RELATIONSHIP TO POSSESSION
Ancient accounts
Gmelin
Wrangel
Castrén
Pallas
Choice of Shamans
Their social importance
True North Asiatic Shamanism not possession
Radloff’s description
Tschubinow
IX. ARTIFICIAL AND VOLUNTARY. POSSESSION AMONGST THE HIGHER CIVILIZATIONS
(i.) IN THE PAST (THE GRÆCO-ROMAN WORLD).
Cassandra
The Pythoness of Delphi
Recent descriptions of her states of inspiration
Ancient sources
The problem of the chasm in the Adyton of the temple
The psychological nature of the Pythoness’ state
The part played by the priests
The oracles
History of the authority and influence of the oracle
Relations between Christian antiquity and the Pythoness
The Sibyls
The cult of Dionysos
The “Bacchæ” of Euripides
Religious fervour of the cult
Divine possession in the Mysteries of Jamblichus
The corybantism of the Phrygian cults, 344. Possession in the other oracles
Plato’s theory of possession
The Emperor Julian
Possession in Egypt
(ii.) IN THE PRESENT.
In Asia
Possession in the Hindu religion
The “devil-dancers” of Southern India and Ceylon
Burmah
Siam
China
Early accounts
Marco Polo
Wu possession in the Chinese oracles and their kinship with that of Delphi
“Spirit-hopping,”
Mrs. Taylor’s account of Chinese possession
Possession by snake-spirits
Europe and America
The spiritualist movement
Alleged incarnations
. Semi-somnambulism
The Piper case
Automatic writing and speech
Extension of the idea of possession
CONCLUSION
General survey of the distribution and importance of possession
Possession and rationalism
The situation in the primitive world
APPENDIX ON PARAPSYCHOLOGY
Parapsychic states in primitive possession
Amongst civilized races
The problem of the parapsychic faculties of the Pythoness at Delphi
The philology of neo-Shamanism in the light of tradition
Recognition of parapsychic phenomena by German idealism and speculative theism
Attitude of modern philologists and historians
Dependence of philologico-historical criticism on the further development of parapsychology
INDEX
TRANSLATOR’S NOTE
PROFESSOR OESTERREICH, the author of this work, has made a survey of the history of Possession from the most ancient times down to the present day and in all countries of the inhabited globe, together with an analysis of its nature and relationship to other phenomena, such as hysteria and the manifestations of spiritualism.
The subject treated is a very fascinating one, to the general reader as well as to the student of psychology and ethnology. It would be difficult to see the human race in a more fantastic light than that cast by these stories of Possession. The work abounds, moreover, in suggestions for further research.
As regards the text, the authorized French version has been followed in its occasional abbreviations of quotations given in the original work, and M. Sudre’s footnotes on spiritualism in France have also been inserted. The German text has, however, been used throughout for purposes of translation. All English quotations have been traced to source except one, which it has not been possible to discover, and classical extracts, many of which the author gives in the original, have either been translated or replaced by corresponding passages from English versions. The passages from the Bible are given in the Rev. Dr. Moffat’s well-known version, by the kind consent of Messrs. Hodder and Stoughton, its publishers.
D. I.
FOREWORD
THIS book is the result of investigations which have been published in the first two issues (simultaneously produced) of the review Deutsche Psychologie. The present extensive work is not, however, a mere reprint; it is very much fuller than the original publications. As the subject-matter is gathered from widely scattered literary sources, some of which are difficult of access, so that the reader cannot be expected to examine them, I have not hesitated to quote freely, since first-hand knowledge of the texts cannot be replaced by any secondary account. The attention of classical philologists is especially directed to the passages concerning the oracle of Delphi (pp. 311 sqq.) and the cult of Dionysos (pp. 335 sqq.). I should think myself well rewarded for my labours if they for their part were induced to approach these two problems, which are of peculiar interest to the philosopher, from a fresh angle.
After the completion of the work I was obliged through considerations of space to renounce the idea of adding a table of relevant literature. Essential works are indicated by the notes.
THE AUTHOR.
TÜBINGEN,
Early March, 1921.
PART I
THE NATURE OF THE STATE OF POSSESSION
INTRODUCTION
THE CONSTANT NATURE OF POSSESSION THROUGHOUT THE AGES
THE book affording to us inhabitants of the European zone of culture our earliest glimpse of the states called “possession”1 is the New Testament. Bible stories often give, in fact, an accurate picture of these states, which were extremely frequent in the latter days of the ancient world. To the authors of the New Testament they were evidently very familiar, and their accounts, even should they be recognized as of little or no historical value, bear in themselves the stamp of truth. They are pictures of typical states exactly reproduced.2
The following are a few quotations to refresh the reader’s memory:
And as soon as he stepped out of the boat a man from the tombs came to meet him, a man with an unclean spirit who dwelt among the tombs; by this time no one could bind him, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with fetters and chains and had snapped the chains and broken the fetters—nobody could tame him. All night and day among the tombs and the hills he shrieked and gashed himself with stones. On catching sight of Jesus from afar he ran and knelt before him, shrieking aloud, “Jesus, son of God most High, what business have you with me? By God, I adjure you, do not torture me.” (For he had said, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit.”) Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “Legion,” he said, “there is a host of us.” And they begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country (Mark v 2–10).
I will pass over the rest of the passage, the alleged entry of the devils into a herd of swine. The same story is to be found in Matthew vii 28–33 and in Luke viii 26–39.
Some strolling Jewish exorcists also undertook to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying: “I adjure you to the Jesus whom Paul preaches!” The seven sons of Sceuas, a Jewish high priest, used to do this. But the evil spirit retorted, “Jesus I know and Paul I know, but you—who are you?” And the man in whom the evil spirit resided leapt at them, overpowered them all, and belaboured them, till they rushed out of the house stripped and wound
ed (Acts xix 13–16).1
Now there was a man with an unclean spirit in their synagogue, who at once shrieked out, “Jesus of Nazaret, what business have you with us? Have you come to destroy us? We know who you are, you are God’s holy One.” But Jesus checked it; “Be quiet,” he said, “come out of him.” And after convulsing him the unclean spirit did come out of him with a loud cry (Mark i 23–27).
A man from the crowd answered him. “Teacher, I brought my son to you; he has a dumb spirit, and whenever it seizes him it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth. He is wasting away with it; so I told your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” He answered them, “O faithless generation, how long must I still be with you? How long have I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” So they brought the boy to him, and when the spirit saw Jesus it at once convulsed the boy; he fell on the ground and rolled about foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked his father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he said; “it has thrown him into fire and water many a time, to destroy him. If you can do anything, do help us, do have pity on us.” Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! Anything can be done for one who believes.” At once the father of the boy cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” Now as Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, he checked the unclean spirit. “Deaf and dumb spirit,” he said, “leave him, I command you, and never enter him again.” And it did come out, after shrieking aloud and convulsing him violently. The child turned like a corpse, so that most people said, “he is dead”; but, taking his hands, Jesus raised him and he got up (Mark ix 17–27. Same story in Matthew xvii 14–21, and Luke ix 35–45).
Then a blind and dumb demoniac was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the dumb man spoke and saw (Matt. xii 22).
When he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath, there was a woman who for eighteen years had suffered weakness from an evil spirit; indeed she was bent double and quite unable to raise herself. Jesus noticed her and called to her, “Woman, you are released from your weakness.” He laid his hands on her, and instantly she became erect and glorified God (Luke xiii 10–13).
Comparing these brief stories with accounts of the phenomena of possession in later times, we find what may be described as the perfect similarity of the facts extremely surprising, while our respect for the historic truth of the Gospels is enhanced to an extraordinary degree. Excluding the story of the herd of swine, the narratives are of an entirely realistic and objective character. In particular the succinct accounts of Jesus’ relation to these events, his success and failure together with that of his disciples, as well as the particulars of his cures,1 coincide so exactly with what we know of these states from the point of view of present-day psychology, that it is impossible to avoid the impression that we are dealing with a tradition which is veracious.