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kontena. Holding the bell in his left hand, he rings it in a quick, continuous rhythm. He first greets God (thangba yu), then the earth (ti), then his own thila, and then his client's thila and important thila from the area to which deceased diviners belong. At the same time he asks them all to help the consultation be successful. After several proverbs (sokpar) about the essence and meaning of divination, he abruptly stops the loud ringing and greeting. He then opens a leather bottle, shakes out a few cowries, and asks his thila one after the other if he may divine. If all answers are affirmative, he begins the questioning. |
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The first thing he must learn from his thila is the reason for the consultation. In a raised voice he asks the thila questions which they may answer with a yes or a no. They give their answers through the diviner's left hand. From this point until the end of the consultation, the diviner holds the client's right hand in his own left hand. First the diviner asks very general questions: "Has there been a death in the client's family?" "Is someone sick?" "Has there been an accident?" "Has blood been shed in some other way?'' A no answer by the thila is signified when the fingers of the joined hands run lightly over the diviner's left thigh; the diviner's and client's arms rise together (fig. 1), only to fall; and the back of the diviner's left hand slaps against his thigh (fig. 2). There the two joined hands rest until the next answer comes. If the diviner asks a right question, the thila answer with a yes sign: the two joined hands rise up a bit and sink slowly to the floor, then quickly rise and slap the diviner's left thigh. By asking yes or no questions, the diviner is able to obtain from the thila a great amount of precise and detailed information in a relatively short time. |
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It the diviner receives only negative answers for too long and cannot find out the reason for his client's visit, he may ask the thila a question that cannot be answered with a yes or no: "What is it that I cannot find?" The thila answer such a question by having the joined hands make drawinglike movements in the air or on the floor, movements that give the diviner a clue for further yes or no inquiries. If the diviner is not successful after returning to yes or no questions, he repeats the same analogical question; otherwise, he continues with the digital questions which can be answered with yes or no. |
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In this way the diviner usually learns his client's reason for the consultation. He must also be able, however, to find out the most important details. It is not enough for him to know, for example, that someone had a bad dream; he must say who in the family dreamed what. That is the only way the client can be sure the diviner really has entered into contact with the thil who made the consultation necessary and who can for that reason give the diviner the necessary information. The client does not want to make sacrifices to one thil only to find out later that his problem is not solved because the wishes of the proper thil were not satisfied. The diviner's attempt to find the client's reason is, therefore, a test, the result of which can supply the client with valuable information. The client has the opportunity to decide whether he trusts the information he receives, whether he should accept the diviner's diagnosis and carry out his orders, or whether he should seek out another diviner. |
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