ABSTRACT
Among the many components which comprise the role-set of this supernatural practitioner, ahtelan hsaya, this chapter is concerned with its exorcistic component. Since, however, many exorcists are also traditional doctors and since many combine both types of medical practice with astrology and other occult practices, it is possible that some urban exorcists are full-time practitioners. As the exorcist has a responsibility to the patient, the latter has a responsibility to the exorcist. Although the exorcist is remunerated for his work, typically the fee is too small and his practice too limited for economic considerations to play an important part in his recruitment motivation. Using some Burmese tribal practice and Mon historical data to establish a historical baseline for a historical reconstruction, one might speculate that exorcism was initially practiced in Burma by female shamans. The exorcist, in whose role a variety of historical traditions intersect, has access to many different sources of power.
