_Obeahism.--Ventriloquism_ (Vol. iii., pp. 59. 149.).--T. H. will find, in
the authorities given below, that Obeahism is not only a rite, but a
religion, or rather superstition, viz. _Serpent-worship_. _Modern Universal
History_, fol. vol. vi. p. 600.; 8vo. vol. xvi. p. 411.; which is indebted
for its information to the works of De Marchais, Barbot, Atkyns, and
Bosman: the last of which may be seen in Pinkerton's _Collection_, vol.
xvi., and a review of it in _Acta Eruditor._, Lips. 1705, p. 265., under
the form of an "Essay on Guinea." In Astely's _Collection of Voyages_,
there is an account compiled from every authority then known, and a very
interesting description of the rites and ceremonies connected with this
superstition. According to the same authors, the influence of the Obeist
does not depend on the exercise of any art or natural magic, but on the
apprehensions of evil infused into his victim's mind. See also Lewis's
_Journal of a Residence among the Negroes in the West Indies_.
The following references will furnish a reply at once to two Queries; to
that here noticed, and to that on "Ventriloquism" (Vol. ii., p. 88.).
The name of the sacred serpent, which in the ancient language of Canaan was
variously pronounced, was derived from "ob" (inflare), perhaps from his
peculiarity of inflation when irritated. See Bryant's _Analysis_, vol. i.;
Deane's _Worship of the Serpent_, p. 80. From a notion of the mysterious
inflation produced by the presence of the divine spirit, those who had the
spirit of Ob, or Python, received the names of Ob, or Pythia; according to
the not unusual custom for the priest or priestess of any god to take the
name of the deity they served. See Selden, _De Dis Syris_, Synt. 1. c. 2.
It is a curious coincidence, that as the Witch of Endor is called "Oub,"
and the African sorceress "Obi," from the serpent-deity _Oub_, so the old
English name of a witch, "hag," bears apparent relationship to the word
_hak_, the ancient British name of a species of snake. In Yorkshire,
according to Stukeley, they call snakes "hags" and "hag-worms," (Abury, p.
32.).
In the Breton language, _Belech_ is "Priest," and may similarly indicate a
priest of Bel-the-Dragon.
From the Hebrew _Ob_, the Greek [Greek: ophis] was probably derived; for
the same word, in Hebrew, Arabic, and Greek, which denotes "divination"
denotes a "serpent." "Nachash,"[4] "ilahat,"[5] "[Greek: oiônizesthai],"[6]
have the same double signification as if the serpent were recognised as the
grand inspirer of the heathen prophets. See Faber's _Horæ Mosaicæ_, vol. i.
p. 98.
The word "Ob" was translated by the LXX. [Greek: engastrimuthos], "a
ventriloquist," in {310} accommodation to the received opinions respecting
the Pythian priestess. See the Notes to Creech's _Lucretius_, book v.;
Jones's (of Nayland) _Physiolog. Disquis._ p. 290. The deception practised
by the Witch of Endor, and by the damsel mentioned in Acts xvi. 16., was of
this description. See Wierus de _Præstig. Dæmon._ p. 203.; and Reginald
Scot's _Discoverie of Witchcraft_, p. 148.
The serpent, which with heathen mythologists had various acceptations (see
Vossius, _Theologia Gent. et Physiologia Christ._), was also understood as
a natural symbol or hieroglyphic of the air. Can any of your learned
correspondents furnish materials illustrative of this figurative relation
between the serpent and the elements?