CHAPTER C
Divination by Egg-Breaking
The dieng shat pylleng, or egg-breaking board, is shaped as indicated in the diagram. Having placed a little heap of red earth on the board at point p, the egg-breaker sits facing the board in the position shown in the diagram. He first of all makes a little heap of rice in the middle of the board sufficient to support the egg. He places the egg there. He then takes it up and smears it with red earth, muttering incantations the while. Having finished the invocation to the spirits, the egg-breaker sweeps the grains of rice off the board, stands up, and dashes the egg on the board with considerable force. The large portion of the egg-shell is made to fall in the middle of the board, as at X in the diagram. This portion of the shell is called ka lieng, or the boat. The small bits of egg-shell which fall around the boat are either good or evil prognostics, according to the following rules:—
1. The bits of shell which fall on the right of the boat are called ki jinglar, and those on the left ki jingkem. Supposing fragments of shell fall as at b, c, d, e, with their insides downwards, this is a good sign, but if one of the fragments lies with its outside downwards, this is a bad omen, and signifies ka sang long kha, or sin on the father's or the children's part. It may also signify ka daw lum, or "cause from the hill," i.e, that the illness or other affliction has been caused by a god of some hill.
2. If the fragments of shell lie on the left side of the boat as at g, k, i, j in the diagram, they are named ki jingkem. If they lie with their insides downwards, they indicate a favourable sign. If g lies with its outside downwards, this is an evil omen. If g and h lie with their insides downwards, this is favourable, even if i lies with its outside downwards. If, however, j lies with its outside downwards, this is not a good sign.
3. If there are a number of pieces of egg-shell lying in a line, as at k, this is an evil prognostic, the line of shell fragments indicating the road to the funeral pyre. Such a line of shell fragments is called ki'leng rah thang. This sign is a harbinger of death.
4. If all the fragments of shell on both sides of the board, excepting the boat, lie with their insides downwards, the question asked by the egg-breaker is not answered. If a or l fall with their outsides downwards, this is a bad sign.
5. If the portion of a shell at f falls with the outside downwards, this indicates that some god needs appearing by sacrifice.
6. If there are a number of small fragments lying around the boat, as in the diagram, these mean that there are many reasons for the illness, which cannot be ascertained.
7. If the portion of shell marked s is detsehed from the boat, this indicates that the goddess is very angry.
8. If four fragments lie around the boat so as to form a square, as c, e, h, j, these mean that the patient is at the point of death. These are called ki leng sher thang.
8. If there are no fragments, as at d, e, f, g, h, i, it is a puzzle, ka leng kymtip.
Note.—The above information was obtained from U Sarup Singh, of Mairong; U Them, of Laitlyngkot, and U Bud, of Jowai. Different egg-breakers have somewhat different methods of reading the signs, but the main points are usually the same.