CRYSTAL BALLS AND CRYSTAL GAZING 207
was made between "natural" maladies and those directly caused by some spirit. Should the spirit (peri) supposed to cause the dire malady known as drseve, a
kind of consumption, be seen to glide over the surface of the water,
the sorceress would find it necessary to invoke the whole race of peris to come to the aid of the patient, who was expected to pay more than the usual fee for this very special service.42
The peris of
Armenian legend were sometimes good and sometimes evil spirits; in
tire-former case these were supposed to perform the functions of
guardian angels, and every one was said to have a peri especially
delegated to watch over him. This found expression in the fact that
when one Armenian felt at first sight an instinctive sympathy for
another, he would say, "My peri loves you dearly (peris chad siretz kezi)."
In the contrary case, the feeling of antipathy was also attributed to
the attitude assumed by the guardian spirit toward the new acquaintance.43
These spirits were therefore supposed to encourage or discourage
greater intimacy with newcomers in accord with the true interests of
those over whom they watched.
The
power to see images in a crystal does not appear to depend to any great
extent upon a morbid nervous condition of the seer, for many of the
most successful 'experimenters have been of good and even of
exceptionally vigorous physique. Indeed, illness seems to diminish or
destroy this power, at least in the case of those who are habitually
healthy.44 This does not imply that some highly nervous and 'even hysterical individuals have not
42 Tcheraz, " Notes sur la mythologie Armeneenne," in Trans, of the Ninth Cong, of Orient. (1892), London, 1893, vol. ii, p. 832. " Tcheraz, 1. c, p. S3.">. "Proc. Soe. of Psyeh. Research, vol. viii, p. 470.
