Evil Spirit Ceremony Sri Lanka, 1950s - Film 97356

Evil spirit worship in Sri Lanka referred to a Tatowa, aimed at restoring a patient’s health. Ceremony takes place at night. A woman wearing a headdress prays before a golden altar. A close-up of the altar. A man carries a torch, and lights other torches arranged in a circle. A man waves a torch around, in front of a small boy. A man sitting in front of small children. The man continues to wave the torch. People wearing white robes dance around; a man with a bowl on his head. A man in red dances. A man sitting down hits a drum with a stick. A boy performs a dance. An old man drumming with his hands. A boy dances with a torch in each hand. A man wearing a red sash; someone waves a fan. A woman in red. Two ornately dressed children dance to the beat of a drum. Hands drumming. Elaborately dressed person dances in front of crowd, he spins in circles like a whirling dervish. Hands drumming. A man sitting down hands a bowl to a boy. He hands out another bowl. Small cymbals banged together. To the back, a man – the ceremony’s sorcerer, sits down, his body shaking; men in white surround him. Hands drumming. A man dancing and shaking in an uncontrolled manner. Drumming. Dancing. Cymbals. The man dances carrying a torch; a woman sprinkles a flammable powder onto it at intervals. Drumming with a stick. Dancing with torch; flammable powder making sparks fly. Drumming. Dancing with two torches. A sudden burst of fire. Fire is thrown.